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 which could lead to both coaches coming under scrutiny.

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.”

Adam Kingsley and Craig McRae, Senior Coach of the Magpies shake hands after their Opening Round clash. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

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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📲 MATCH CENTRE https://t.co/RDQO8sqfoBpic.twitter.com/Spfpk7OWtd

— 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.

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