Craig McRae and Adam Kingsley clash on the bench in GWS v Collingwood clash

Adam Kingsley and Craig McRae clashed on the bench during the Giants’ win over Collingwood, and the AFL have swiftly handed down their verdict on the verbal stoush.

Collingwood coach Craig McRae has been issued a warning about interacting with opposition players following his exchange with Giant Toby Bedford.

But the Magpies leader will escape any sanction for the bench incident.

This masthead has confirmed with the AFL that it has delivered a warning to the premiership coach whose bench-side comment to Bedford - who moments before had been hit with a 50m penalty - drew the attention of Giants counterpart Adam Kingsley who had said “just don’t do it”.

The league spoke with both Collingwood and the Giants on Monday morning and reinforced the responsibility of both coaches to remain in check, particularly when coaching from the bench.

“After reviewing the AFL match manager’s report and speaking with both clubs overnight and again this morning, the AFL Football Department has warned Collingwood coach Craig McRae and reminded him of his responsibilities while coaching from the bench,” the AFL said in a statement.

“No further action will be taken.

“McRae said ‘well done’ to an opposition player who gave away a free kick as he came to bench. GWS coach Adam Kingsley saw the interaction and then told McRae ‘he was better than that’, with McRae then sitting down.

“When on the bench or on-field, interactions between officials, coaches and / or opposition players need to continue to be conducted in a professional manner.”

KINGSLEY REVEALS WHAT WAS SAID IN BENCH CLASH WITH MCRAE

Greater Western Sydney coach Adam Kingsley has revealed just what he said to Collingwood counterpart Craig McRae in Sunday’s boundary-side bench exchange.

The pair, who are good friends, exchanged words on the bench after run-with Giant Toby Bedford - who had the job on Magpies star Nick Daicos - gave up a 50m penalty and came to the bench.

McRae appeared to gesture towards Bedford, which Kingsley said on Monday had sparked his immediate response.

“He didn’t say anything, to be fair,” Kingsley said.

Adam Kingsley and Craig McRae shake hands after their Opening Round clash. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

“There was no abuse or anything like that from Fly (McRae), at all. There wasn’t much in it. To be frank, I didn’t appreciate some of the cheering directed towards Toby, so I just felt obliged just to say ‘don’t do that ... that’s not on’.”

Kingsley said he wanted to be “really clear” that there was “no abuse” launched from the Collingwood bench, and played down the incident.

“I just said ‘don’t do that’. It was that simple,” he said on SEN.

“It’s been blown up a little bit, but I don’t know if there’s a lot in it, to be fair.”

The AFL has been contacted as to whether it will take any action against either of the pair.

Both coaches were coaching from the bench at the time, with Kingsley confident the close proximity of opposition teams would not be a potential powderkeg in the heat of a game.

“I don’t think it could (blow up on the bench),” he said.

“I don’t think it would ever escalate to anything more than a couple of words exchanged. I think all coaches are pretty measured and controlled in their responses.

“I don’t think anyone would get over-excited.”

MCRAE, KINGSLEY RESPOND TO MID-GAME BENCH CLASH

- Lachlan McKirdy, Ed Bourke and Jon Ralph

Craig McRae has claimed he was “just having a bit of fun” with Adam Kingsley following an incident that could see the Collingwood coach come under scrutiny from the AFL.

McRae instigated a back-and-forth during the second quarter of the Giants’ dominant win over the Pies when he appeared to clap Toby Bedford after he conceded a 50-metre penalty.

The infringement gave Brody Mihocek an easy goal, and McRae’s response was to taunt the Giants’ tagger.

Adam Kingsley confirmed that the exchange began because of McRae’s actions towards Bedford, however, both coaches played down the incident post-match.

“I was just having a bit of fun with Kingers,” McRae said. “He’s an old mate of mine.

“I was just stirring him up. I said, ‘We’re coming’, and he just had a bit of fun. He’s a bit firier than me, I’m a bit more humourous.

“I like to celebrate all the little things. Nothing to it, if you want to make it a story, it’s a nothing story.”

The Giants’ coach appeared to be quite disappointed with McRae’s actions during the second quarter, but he had subdued after his side’s 52-point win.

“I don’t know if it was that confrontational,” Kingsley said. “I mean, we were just having a chat about the game in general.

“He’s a good man, Fly. He’s a really good mate of mine. So we were just having a discussion.”

McRae’s choice to taunt Bedford might appear innocuous, but history suggests that the AFL does not take kindly to easily avoidable confrontations.

Veteran Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley was fined $20,000 by the AFL last year for targeting Hawthorn players with verbal taunts after the Power’s semi-final win over the Hawks.

He was charged with breaching AFL Rule 2.3(a), conduct unbecoming, but AFL general counsel Stephen Meade suggested at the time that the post-match timing had contributed to the severity of the fine.

Adam Kingsley and Craig McRae exchanged words on ground level 🌶️

📺 WATCH #AFLGiantsPies on Ch.504 or Kayo https://t.co/uoRpMn2arY
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— Fox Footy (@FOXFOOTY) March 9, 2025

Geelong coach Chris Scott also had to accept a suspended fine from the AFL in 2021 after he exchanged words with Brisbane players following an on-field collision.

He claimed post-match the exchange took place as a result of a comment from Lachie Neale, who had been felled by Gary Rohan in a collision that cost the Cats forward a two-game suspension

Scott accepted a $10,000 suspended fine and apologised for his actions.

Adam Kingsley. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

Fox Footy commentator Jordan Lewis felt that McRae had risked sparking ugly scenes during the second game of the season by choosing to interact with Bedford and Kingsley on the sidelines.

“That’s the risk you take,” Lewis said. “It was after Toby Bedford gave away the 50m penalty, but you run the risk – if that’s a different player, it might ignite things on the bench.

“I think the coaches have got a duty of care on the bench.”

The AFL will assess the verbal spat as part of its weekly review of incidents from all games on Monday morning.

But given the look of the incident between two senior coaches, the league would seem likely to at least ask the men involved about the circumstances of the altercation.