Collingwood coach Craig McRae says there’s little point tagging if you lose badly like St Kilda did last week

St Kilda stopped Marcus Bontempelli but were smashed on the scoreboard and a similar plan has Collingwood coach Craig McRae bemused.

Collingwood coach Craig McRae has questioned the “value” of trying to send a stopper to superstar Nick Daicos as St Kilda coach Ross Lyon confirmed he would send Marcus Windhager to one of the Daicos brothers on Saturday night.

Patrick Lipinski will return for the Pies who are first-up following the bye, but defensive stalwart Brayden Maynard will miss a third game as he continues to deal with a plantar fascia issue.

The Magpies will start close to prohibitive favourites to take down the Saints who were thrashed by the Western Bulldogs last week despite Windhager keeping Marcus Bontempelli to just 14 disposals at Marvel Stadium.

Lyon confirmed Windhager would again get the job on either Nick or Josh Daicos on Saturday.

“Which one I don’t know. Josh is pretty handy,” he said.

Collingwood coach Craig McRae has questioned the value of tagging when you lose badly. Picture: Morgan Hancock/Getty Images

“You get one the other one gets you. Thank God (their dad) Peter’s not playing.”

But while McRae conceded Nick Daicos, who had just 19 disposals under a close watch from Melbourne’s Ed Langdon on King’s Birthday in a close Magpies win, could use some support when tagged, he said it seemed counterintuitive given the St Kilda result. .

“Windhager tagged Bontempelli and they lose by 73 points, what value do you put on that?” he said.

“We win a game, a really hard-fought game, I thought Melbourne were brilliant and I watched the game back and we had so many things we can improve on.

“Nick himself is a challenge every week because you want him to be the best he can possible be and the opposition want him to be the opposite of that. We’ve got to get the balance right.

Nick Daicos couldn’t shake Ed Langdon. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

“It is pleasing to think we are winning games (when) Nick isn’t having an influence; I think that says a lot about our system. We are constantly thinking about how we can support Nick.”

The Pies received a boost this week with forwards coach Scott Selwood returning to the club, having taken leave, following the death of his brother Adam last month.

In his time away, Selwood ran a marathon around Albert Park Lake, replicating the deed his older brother had planned to complete in South Africa.

Selwood tragically has lost both twin brothers Adam and Troy this year, and McRae said everyone at the club would continue to put their arms around him.

“We just have a lot of love and support for him, a lot of appreciation for what he’s been going through,” he said.

“For him to show some resilience is inspiring for many.

“He is not in full-time just yet, but we are looking forward to the day when he has opportunity to return full-time.”

Originally published as Collingwood coach Craig McRae says there’s little point tagging if you lose badly like St Kilda did last week