Collingwood young gun Finlay Macrae set to step into Taylor Adams void at Pies

Pies fans have been biding their time as Finlay Macrae plied his trade at VFL level, but teammate Isaac Quaynor says the young gun is ready to take the big league by storm.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 11 2024 Lachie Sullivan during training as Collingwood returns to training for 2024. Picture: Brendan Beckett

Collingwood youngster Fin Macrae has been talked up as an ambidextrous midfielder who was “on track for world-record numbers” in an intra-club performance that dazzled teammates.

Premiership star Isaac Quaynor told the Herald Sun that the penny dropped for Macrae that moment as he ran riot playing against some of the Magpies’ elite midfielders.

“I honestly reckon Fin would’ve had 12-15 touches in the first period and just dominated out of the midfield,” Quaynor said.

“He was unbelievable. I think that was his moment where he goes, ‘I can really do this’ and hopefully that springboards him into some real form.

“It was 20 minutes, so it was short, and he was on track for world-record numbers.”

Macrae has managed just three AFL games in the past two years under coach Craig McRae and has started two of those as the substitute.

But Macrae turns 22 next month and with Taylor Adams traded to Sydney there could be an opening in the premiership team’s star-studded midfield.

The brother of Western Bulldogs champion Jackson Macrae was described as an inside-outside onballer.

“He’s super tough on the inside and really, really clean. That’s something that I notice about him is he’s a one-touch player,” Quaynor said.

Finlay Macrae may finally be set to break out after a few seasons at VLF level. Picture: Michael Klein

“Something I also marvel at is he’s basically ambidextrous, so he can kick the same on both feet.

“So especially coming out of stoppage he can kind of go either way and be really damaging going left and right.”

Macrae was drafted at No. 19 in 2020 and AFL recruiters have long cautioned that plenty of prospects from the Covid-affected drafts would take several years to hit their straps.

Macrae falls out of contract this season and would be certain to receive significant outside interest if he remained on the fringes.

The 188cm accumulator has played 38 VFL games since he was drafted. Macrae has averaged 25 disposals, five tackles and more than 100 SuperCoach points in those second-tier games.

Quaynor sad Reef McInnes had kicked “a few bags at training” and also praised freakish athlete Ash Johnson as another summer standout.

Macrae, McInnes and Johnson were all onlookers as the Magpies climbed the premiership dais last season and could strengthen their chances of going back-to-back.

PIES’ SPP BOLTER ROCKETS INTO OPENING ROUND CONTENTION

Tom Mitchell tackles Lachie Sullivan during a Collingwood Magpies AFL training session at AIA Centre on February 07. Picture: Photo by Josh Chadwick/Getty Images.

Collingwood summer signing Lachie Sullivan has burst into the mix for an opening round debut after looking at home during Wednesday’s practice match against North Melbourne.

Sullivan entered the Magpie midfield after halftime during hot conditions against the Roos and attended 12 centre bounces, providing his usual clean skills around the contest.

A week before, he barely put a foot wrong during a intraclub match to ensure he would be one of three players signed by Collingwood by the summer deadline, alongside Jack Bytel and Josh Eyre.

The Footscray VFL skipper has been a state league star in recent years and won the VFL coaches MVP last year.

Collingwood backline coach Jordan Roughead said Sullivan was “pretty impressive” in the Roos scratch match and would be in discussions for an opening round clash with GWS Giants.

“I think he will, certainly after today’s performance,” Roughead said post-match.

“He is another one that we will maybe see more minutes from next week against Richmond (in a pre-season game), and will certainly come into conversation.

“All the guys that we signed just showed their strengths all summer. (Sullivan) does some impressive things around the contest, he has clean hands, good ball user. He will certainly come into the conversation.”

All-Australian midfielder Josh Daicos took a step towards facing the Giants on March 9 by playing in the first two quarters on Wednesday, after shaking off foot and calf woes.

Will Hoskin-Elliott limped off favouring his left leg late in Wednesday’s game but Collingwood insisted he was kept off the field for the remainder of the match as a conservative choice.

A number of senior players, including Darcy Moore, Scott Pendlebury, Brody Mihocek and Steele Sidebottom sat out the North Melbourne clash but are planning to face Richmond in Tuesday’s official practice match against Richmond.