Collingwood Coach McRae Confronts Daicos Injury Drama After Brisbane Humiliation
Collingwood coach Craig McRae has expressed confidence that both Nick Daicos and Scott Pendlebury will return to the lineup, but he insists there are more significant issues facing the Magpies following a devastating 54-point defeat to the Brisbane Lions. The Easter Thursday clash at the Gabba turned sour for Collingwood even before the opening bounce when Daicos, who had been battling a corked calf all week, was unable to complete the warm-up and was subsequently withdrawn from the match.
Late Withdrawal and Brisbane's Dominance
The Lions, despite grappling with their own injury concerns, delivered a commanding performance, securing a 17.17 (119) to 10.5 (65) victory that could have been even more lopsided if not for missed opportunities during the middle quarters. Brisbane dominated key statistical categories, amassing 131 contested possessions compared to Collingwood's 93 and recording 20 marks inside 50 against the visitors' mere five.
Young Lions forward Logan Morris impressed with three goals and nine marks, while Oscar Allen and Kai Lohmann contributed three and four goals respectively, capitalizing on Collingwood's defensive vulnerabilities.
McRae's Assessment and Daicos' Injury Saga
"Honestly, I felt like we got outplayed for most of the night," McRae admitted in his post-match press conference. "There's a lot of stuff right in front of us we can fix really quickly and we need to get to work on that. The aerials, normally one of our great strengths ... we got exposed. And they were just swarming to the next contest. You win the ball you're out, you're gone. You don't? Good luck."
McRae detailed the dramatic pre-game scenes surrounding Daicos, explaining that the star midfielder had been hobbling since Tuesday's training session. "Nick's an ultra-positive guy, one of the best professionals in the game, let alone at our club. And we gave him every chance to improve and then he gets out here and we thought he'd start improving and he just didn't," McRae said. "So then the race against the clock ... then it doesn't look like it's going to happen. So, yeah, that's where it landed."
According to reports, Daicos was brought in and out of the rooms three times in an attempt to get his calf moving, with strapping and running efforts proving futile. The decision to replace him with emergency Ed Allan was made just 20-25 minutes before the game started.
Impact on the Team and Future Outlook
McRae acknowledged that some might argue removing "your best player" from the lineup would disrupt the team, but he hoped it wouldn't have affected the very first stoppage of the game. However, AFL great Nick Riewoldt suggested that Daicos' late withdrawal likely had an emotional impact on the playing group. "I think emotionally there would be some sort of letdown ... it's just human nature when you see one of your stars not get up," Riewoldt commented.
Looking ahead, McRae is optimistic that a three-day break will help Daicos recover from his corked calf, though there is no guarantee for the upcoming match against Fremantle during Gather Round. "We're hoping it improves. We do have three days off, we're back in on Monday. So, like I said, he's such a pro. It's a corky. You'd think it starts to move (but) I don't know, unless it starts to express something else, but we'll see how it goes," McRae stated.
Pendlebury's Status and Broader Concerns
In more positive news, McRae indicated that Scott Pendlebury, who has been managing a "grumbly" Achilles, is likely to be fit for the clash with Fremantle at Adelaide Oval. "If his word's are anything, he'd be hard to leave out," McRae said, based on his latest conversations with the veteran champion.
Despite the potential returns of Daicos and Pendlebury, McRae emphasized that the Magpies must address broader performance issues exposed by the Brisbane loss. The team's inability to compete in contested possessions and aerial duels highlights areas requiring immediate attention as they prepare for the challenges of Gather Round and beyond.
