Craig McRae Remains Optimistic Despite Disappointing Performance
Craig McRae, known for his positive outlook, remained hopeful following his team’s underwhelming performance on Thursday night. The game took place at a ground that McRae is very familiar with, having spent his entire playing career in Brisbane. The Lions demonstrated exceptional skill with the ball, navigating through the Magpies’ renowned defensive line with remarkable precision. Their physicality in the contest was also something that the makeshift Pies midfield could not match.
McRae acknowledged the strengths of his opponents while highlighting areas that need improvement. He stated:
“Honestly I felt like we got outplayed for most of the night. Clearly the scoreboard says that.”
He pointed out that the team struggled with stoppages, which made it difficult to maintain territory against such a strong opposition.
“I want to give credit more to them, more than (putting it on) us. I did say to the playing group that there’s a lot of stuff right in front of us that we can fix really quickly, and we need to get to work on that.”
McRae emphasized that it’s early in the season, and the loss served as a wake-up call for certain aspects of their game, particularly stoppages.
Tactical Challenges and Defensive Struggles
McRae praised Chris Fagan for his tactical expertise in countering the strategies McRae employed to minimize Brisbane’s advantage at stoppages. He mentioned attempts to bring forwards into the midfield and using players like Josh Daicos and Jordy de Goey.
“Credit to them; we bring forwards up (to outnumber at stoppages), we put Josh (Daicos) in the midfield in the third quarter, and I thought he gave us something. Tried Jordy (de Goey) in there, sometimes Jordy out (sic). It wasn’t through a lack of trying, but the reality is we didn’t execute.”
Without key players Nick Daicos and Scott Pendlebury, Collingwood lacked structure and organization in the midfield. The Lions’ ability to spread after winning the ball, which they did frequently, was a significant factor in their dominance.
“They were just swarming to the next contest… The Lions are the best in the business if you don’t win the ball, and we didn’t win it tonight.”
McRae noted that the team failed to execute their structure, especially in attacking and defending situations.
“Their forwards, behind the ball and at the ball – mainly at the ball. They just cleared the ball way too easy for us. Some of that stuff is something we can fix quickly, in terms of structure and support, but then you’ve got to get to work on that.”
Air Dominance and Backline Issues
The Lions also dominated in the air, with McRae expressing disappointment in his backline being exposed by players like Oscar Allen, Sam Draper, and Logan Morris.
“That’s normally one of our great strengths. You look at all of the numbers over the last four years, and we are one of the best in the competition at defending our d50, and tonight, we got exposed.”
McRae highlighted Keidean Coleman’s powerful hit on Steele Sidebottom as a symbol of the team’s struggles during the game.
“He’s (Sidebottom) a tough bugger – it was a really good hit. It was sort of symbolic of our night. We didn’t play with good method at times.”
He criticized the team’s offensive system, noting that they did not use the ball effectively.
“Credit to the opposition, we just didn’t use the ball anywhere near (the level) we’re capable of, and that puts a lot of pressure on you. We’re not using the numbers, and we train these fundamentals every single week – how do we get through traffic? We’ll get back to work on those things.”
Looking Ahead
The loss leaves the Pies with a 2-2 record after four matches, with an important clash against Fremantle at the upcoming Gather Round. This will be their chance to improve their standing in the season.
McRae expects Scott Pendlebury to return for the match, positioning him to potentially surpass Brent Harvey’s games record in early May.
“We’ve got eight days, and we’ve got to get to work.”
