Craig McRae reveals the signal directed to Collingwood players that sparked late goals against Lions

With Collingwood looking down the barrel of another heartbreaking grand final defeat, the Magpies had five minutes to save their flag dream. Then Craig McRae gave the signal.

Craig McRae and Darcy Moore at the Collingwood function. Picture: Getty Images

Collingwood premiership coach Craig McRae has revealed a signal directed to the players named after former club great Anthony Rocca was the catalyst behind the goal that put the Magpies back in front with only minutes left in Saturday’s grand final.

Speaking at the premiership function, McRae also detailed the message he had written inside his shirt – “44 sons” – as the Magpies went into battle against the Lions, just hours after he had had his third daughter.

Collingwood was looking down the barrel of another heartbreaking grand final defeat when Charlie Cameron put the Lions in front almost 19 minutes into the final term.

McRae said that brought an instant response on the boundary line as they held up a sign with No. 23 – Rocca’s old number – to highlight to the players on the ground that they needed to start taking risks.

“They (Brisbane) hit the lead with five minutes to go,” McRae said at the function.

“We put up our No. 23 Rocca sign up – it is good to have Anthony (Rocca) in the room tonight – and we knew we had to get to work.”

Darcy Moore and Craig McRae celebrate on the MCG. Picture: Getty Images

“We had to score, we had to take risks, play on more (and) cause chaos. You have seen what it looks like over time.

“We have won so many of those close games, coming from behind.

“We just have such a belief in what we are doing. There is a calmness attached to it. Our players just know what to do.

“We have spoken all year and it is about playing the minutes and managing the moments, not just this, that was last year as well.

“Our players just know how to execute.”

McRae said evergreen veteran Scott Pendlebury told the players immediately after Cameron’s goal that there was no need to panic.

“I think Pendles has a good story, he said ‘there is five minutes to go, boys, there is plenty of time. We don’t have to win it right now’,” he said.

“Then we get the centre clearance and Jordy (De Goey) kicks the goal and (they) go back to the centre and (Pendlebury) says ‘That will do’.

McRae gave the signal for the Magpies to start taking risks. Picture: Getty Images

The Magpies’ sixth premiership coach said the players had driven some of the legacy moments, especially the messages of personal significance written into their jumpers.

“Last year it was about honouring the jumper; this year it is to create our own legacy,” he said.

“So all the players inside their jumper had something they wanted to remember.”

“In my shirt, I had ‘44 sons’. I have got three beautiful daughters (Charlie, Chelsea and grand final baby Maggie) and I consider all these guys in our (Collingwood) squad as my sons, and I wore that (message) on my collar.”

Part of that meant McRae was hurting for those Magpies who missed out on Saturday, as he made special mention of the injured Taylor Adams and Dan McStay, as well as John Noble who lost his spot in the finals.

“There is heartache,” he said, but he stressed the Magpies wouldn’t have won without the full squad across a season.

He said the AFL should bring in premiership medals for the assistant coaches, saying the group around him had turned the Magpies from a slow build up style in the preliminary final against GWS Giants into an electric grand final performance.

“All the coaches should get a medal in my eyes,” he said. “One of the most pleasing parts of this week is turning it around and taking risks and changing angles and playing with a style of footy that is good for us.”

“To see our coaches go to work … in a seven days turn around a 60-point offence game to kick 90 points (in a grand final). That is work done by our coaches.”

Originally published as Craig McRae reveals the signal directed to Collingwood players that sparked late goals against Lions