By Jonathan Drennan, Jon Pierik and Peter Ryan
In today’s AFL Briefing, your wrap of footy news:
- John Longmire has fired back at the suggestion by Collingwood coach Craig McRae that home-ground advantage played a significant role in Friday night’s result.
- The injury fallout from Carlton’s loss to Hawthorn continued into Monday as key forward Harry McKay was sent for scans on a sore quad.
- Collingwood ruckman Darcy Cameron says the three-point loss to Sydney was “heartbreaking”, but insists the Magpies are holding onto hope of a miracle finals berth.
‘It’s an extraordinary admission’: Longmire serves up home truths for McRae
Jonathan Drennan, Jon Pierik
John Longmire has fired back at the suggestion by Collingwood coach Craig McRae that home-ground advantage played a significant role in his side having a late 50-metre penalty claim waved away during the Swans’ stunning comeback victory last Friday night.
Longmire’s comments come as the AFL cautioned McRae over his post-match claim.
In the final minute at the SCG, with the Swans desperately defending a three-point lead, Collingwood forward Dan McStay unsuccessfully appealed for a 50-metre penalty against Sydney defender Tom McCartin, who appeared to have run over the mark.
“I reckon if it was at the MCG, it would have been paid,” McRae said. “There’s definitely an advantage with a home ground. I thought it was a 50-metre penalty to the letter of the law.”
Asked on Monday what he thought of McRae’s comments, Longmire said he found it ironic that a Collingwood coach would complain about home-ground advantage.
“It’s an extraordinary admission from a coach of a team that has the biggest home-ground advantage in the AFL,” Longmire said.
“This year, they played 14 games at the MCG, they played three at Marvel [Stadium], that’s 17 games, essentially in front of their home crowd.
“And they play finals and obviously the grand final on their home deck.
“I wonder what [Brisbane Lions coach] Chris Fagan thought of those comments. That was my initial thought … because it’s a pretty extraordinary admission from the club that has the biggest home-ground advantage in the competition.”
John Longmire has returned serve at Collingwood coach Craig McRae.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images
Fagan’s Lions played Collingwood in last year’s grand final and experienced their own controversial late umpiring call away from home.
With one minute and 18 seconds to go, Brisbane’s Lachie Neale was legged by Collingwood’s Oleg Markov. The whistle blew, but players didn’t hear it due to crowd noise, Brisbane’s Zac Bailey kicked the ball forward aimlessly, the umpire called advantage, although there wasn’t any and Collingwood went on to win the game by four points.
Fagan has also lobbied the AFL to review the disadvantages faced by non-Victorian clubs that reach the grand final.
Longmire also referenced Collingwood’s one-point victory over North Melbourne in round 14. Two Magpies players ran over the mark when the Kangaroos’ Bailey Scott had marked the ball with 41 seconds to play and the game was in the balance.
“I was at a North Melbourne-Collingwood game this year when a couple of Collingwood boys went over the mark and it could have been a 50 and it wasn’t paid,” Longmire said.
The AFL also took exception with the Collingwood coach’s comments; its football boss, Laura Kane, phoned McRae on Monday.
“The AFL has today been in touch with Collingwood and cautioned senior coach Craig McRae in regard to his comments towards umpires in the post-match press conference,” AFL spokesman Jay Allen said.
The league said that was the only action it would take regarding the comments.
McRae said on Monday that he had to take accountability for his comments.
“I have been told off by my mum, I have been naughty,” McRae joked on SEN.
“I was frustrated after the game. You say things. I have been a real, obvious, advocate for umpires, and how difficult their job is. But there are times when you get into a game, and there is so much on the line, you just get frustrated, and I did.
“I stepped over the mark, I know that.
“You are asked to do a press conference 10 minutes after a game where you feel you have done so much right, and then you get asked the question: ‘Do you think it was a free kick?’ And I said: ‘Yeah I do.’ And I took it to places I probably didn’t need to go to from there, but that was my response.”
McRae said he was still adjusting to coaching interstate when the Magpies had to deal with opposition crowds.
“That’s real, when I lived it, it was a new experience for me,” said McRae, who was a three-time Brisbane Lions premiership player.
“John, I haven’t coached many away games – you are right. This is just the reality of my 70-odd games. I have played a lot of home games. I am not used to crowd noise which influences, which has been a real thing for a long time.”
In Swans team news, key defender Lewis Melican could return from injury for the trip to face Essendon at Marvel Stadium on Friday night.
Longmire admitted that last week’s two-day break after the 112-point loss against Port Adelaide had always been planned to help manage his players’ bodies, while also flicking a final playful jab at McRae.
“We travel every second week unlike some teams,” Longmire said, smiling. “At times, you’ve got to be flexible in your ability to be able to adjust your program so we were able to do that.”
McKay adds to Carlton’s injury woes
Peter Ryan
The injury fallout from Carlton’s loss to Hawthorn continued into Monday as key forward Harry McKay was sent for scans on a sore quad.
Harry McKay (centre) had scans after injuring his quad. Credit: Getty Images
The Blues will not know the extent of the injury until Tuesday, but McKay joins a number of players added to the club’s injury list after their loss to Hawthorn, which sent the Blues tumbling out of the top eight with just two games remaining.
Charlie Curnow (ankle), Jack Martin (hamstring), Lachie Fogarty (shoulder), Adam Saad (hamstring) and Jordan Boyd (adductor) all finished the match with injuries that leave them doubtful starters for the must-win clash against West Coast in Perth on Sunday.
McKay was sore after a contest late in the match but played out the game with no one on the bench to replace him. The Blues cannot afford to lose him with Curnow almost certain to miss, having battled an ankle problem for the past month.
It capped off a tumultuous week on the injury front for the Blues, with conditioning boss Andrew Russell announcing he was retiring from the game after 26 years as he was coming out of contract.
The Blues had already lost Adam Cerra to another hamstring injury and Matt Cottrell and the injury-prone David Cuningham for the season. Star ruck Tom De Koning will be sidelined until at least the end of the home and away season.
The Blues were in second spot between rounds 14 and 20 but have tumbled down the ladder after winning just one of their past six matches. They play the Eagles and the Saints in the final two rounds.
Pies vow to ‘fight to the very end’ to keep slim finals hopes alive
Jon Pierik
Collingwood ruckman Darcy Cameron says the three-point loss to Sydney was “heartbreaking”, but insists the Magpies are holding on to hope of a miracle finals berth.
Last year’s premiers are 11th on the ladder with two rounds remaining, and must defeat Brisbane at the MCG on Saturday and Melbourne in round 24, then rely on other results going their way, to have any hope of being alive come September.
“We’re going to fight to the very end with two big games to come,” Cameron said before the club’s game review on Monday.
Ruckman Darcy Cameron says the Magpies haven’t given up hope of a finals berth.Credit: Getty Images
“The season’s been crazy, and you saw on the weekend the results just keep getting more and more weird ... there is still hope. You can’t predict anything this season, so we’re just going to go out there and play our brand.”
Cameron, who has enjoyed a strong season, said the defeat hurt, ending a two-game run where the Magpies had edged Richmond and a fading Carlton.
“It’s heartbreaking, especially what it means to the season, but it’s not over yet,” he said.
What should give the Magpies confidence is that they defeated the Lions by 20 points at the Gabba in round three, while they also won last year’s grand final by four points.
However, Cameron was at a loss to explain the final-quarter fadeouts that marred their win over the Blues and led to defeat at the SCG.
“We just haven’t been able to shut down their momentum, Carlton and the Swans, the last 10 or 15 minutes,” said Cameron, who had 19 disposals, a goal and 25 hitouts on Friday night.
The Lions had a nine-game winning streak halted by GWS on Saturday, but are still eying a top-four finish.
“We’re not out of it yet. This game means a lot for us. It’s our last home game for us and if the ‘Magpie Army’ can turn up and support us like they always do, which I’m sure they will, that will be big for us,” Cameron said.
“We’re going to go out there and execute our game style for 100 per cent of the game, not just 90 per cent, probably like we’ve seen over the last two weeks.”
Carlton, Hawthorn, the Western Bulldogs and Fremantle are also jostling for the final spots in the top eight.
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