It should have been a 50m penalty: Magpies coach says umps got it wrong

An emotional Craig McRae says forward Daniel McStay should have been awarded a 50m penalty in the final minute of Friday night’s game against Sydney that could have saved the Magpies’ season.

The Collingwood coach believes Swans defender Tom McCartin overran the mark and should have been penalised, taking McStay to within 15m of goal and the opportunity to kick for the lead with 30 seconds remaining in the match.

A goal would have put Collingwood three points ahead and would have kept their season alive.

Collingwood’s Bobby Hill and Sydney’s Errol Gulden face off at the SCG.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images

The umpires did not make the call, and instead the Swans were able to hold on for a thrilling three-point win at the SCG. Sydney kicked the last five goals of the game after trailing by 27 points during the final term.

“I reckon if it was at the MCG, it would have been paid,” McRae said of the incident.

“There is definitely an advantage for a home crowd. I thought it was a 50-metre penalty to the letter of law.

“I’m sure the AFL will come out and say it’s a free kick or a 50-minute penalty. There were a lot of deliberates (out of bounds) tonight, too. That was a bit of a circus. So, I’m sure they’ll come out and justify that too.

“But, umpires don’t always get it right. That’s fair.”

McRae said Swans midfielder Isaac Heeney’s last-quarter heroics made it hard for the Magpies to defend their last-quarter lead.

“He was pretty special, wasn’t he? He was amazing. I don’t think I’ve seen a player impact a game like that in a quarter. Unbelievable,” the Magpies coach said.

“I think the game is probably harder than ever to maintain a lead. I’m watching last week, and Essendon did the same thing to Freo, and you just go through it, like we’re having to go through that in the last couple of weeks of being in a position to win the game and then having to hold on.

Brodie Grundy and Luke Parker celebrate a goal in Sydney’s win over Collingwood at the SCG.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images

“I’m just reflecting myself now without the vision in front of me. But you’re thinking, maybe the method’s not the right one, but this is a competition thing.

“We started some stuff a couple of years ago that makes it really hard to hold a lead. You know, if you take enormous risks, and credit to Sydney, they really got their game going from contests.”

McRae kept the Collingwood players behind closed doors for a lengthy period of time following the heartbreaking loss that means they won’t make the finals and won’t be able to defend their premiership crown.

“It hurts. It really hurts. To play well, and then let a game go like that, and then, yeah, it hurts,” he said.

“I’m sure our fans at home are hurting, and we’re no different. We’re human. We have emotions to attach to this. It means a lot to a lot of people.

“It doesn’t feel comfortable right now sitting in this chair because there’s a lot at stake in these games.”

McRae said it was difficult to speak to the playing group about a loss that affectively ended their year.

“I think when you have a result like that, we sort of speak about a couple of things,” he said.

“We’ve openly talked about what winning looks like and behaviours like that, and then losing behaviours, and I think blame is a real losing behaviour, so I’m wrestling with that at the moment.

“Yeah, wrestling with trying to blame others or blame umpires or blame whatever, because that’s really difficult when you lose.

“We talk about other things. Good perspective, too. Harvey Harrison looks like he might have done an ACL today, in the VFL, so put a bit of perspective on things.

“We lost the game, and it may mean more than that, who knows, but we talk about a bit of perspective as much as it’s hurting us.”

Q: John, your heart rate must be high. How are you feeling?

John Longmire: Really proud of what the players were able to do. Sometimes when you’re just in that, you need to find a way and that last quarter was as good a last quarter as I’ve seen, considering the situation and being able to turn it around and do what we were able to do.

There were some huge efforts in the last term, and Chad (Warner) and Isaac (Heeney) their contest, the amount of contest that we won, the 50-50 balls, it’s probably a bit unfair to simply have a couple, but there was an enormous effort across the board. That last quarter, we had plenty of run, so much hardness and winning 50-50 footy, and it’s amazing what happens when you get that right.

Q: To do that in the last quarter when the legs are running heavy as well, that must also be amazing?

Longmire: Yeah, absolutely. And sometimes it takes, you know, just a couple of big contests to win, and we’re able to do that – just the ability to be able to, just a couple of those blokes in the last quarter, they just played enormous quarters.

I think across the board it was just, you just see everyone lift when they, and it was just fantastic to watch. It would have been, the last quarter was as good as I’ve seen us play for what was needed.

Q: Was there anything particularly you did to spark that response?

Longmire: Unfortunately, I can’t claim that quarter. The last quarter was something magical ... it just doesn’t work like that. I wish it did because I would turn to it a bit more often. Sometimes it’s as simple as just, just winning your contests, and it’s nothing more than that at times. We started to turn the tide in the real contests, you know, some big contests in the marking contests, which I thought we got beaten a bit too much in the air. But the last term, we turned that around and then we played the last, we hit the front with four minutes to go, and I thought we played it pretty smart. You know, there’s some things that the team did and we played that out really well.

Q: Errol Gulden had a pretty dirty night, unusual for him, but then he’s bobbed up late to kick what turns out to be a pretty decisive goal.

Longmire: Yeah, that’s right. I mean, Steele Sidebottom (who tagged Gulden) is one of the all-time great players. He’s amazing, he’s so smart, he’s got a great tank. You know, he’s a very good player. And so to keep persisting, you’re a young player, you know, you’re still finding your way in the AFL world with high expectations on yourself, not so much elsewhere, but on yourself, and to keep persisting and to kick that goal was terrific.

Sydney 13.11 (89) d Collingwood 12.14 (86)

Brodie Grundy and Luke Parker during Sydney’s thrilling victory.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images

Key points

NEVER-SAY-DIE SWANS: Sydney have defied the odds to hold on to top spot after the month from hell. They lost last week to Port Adelaide by 112 points, they had lost four of their past five and in the final term against Collingwood at the SCG on Friday night, they trailed by 27 points.

In anyone’s language, that is game over. Sainara. Good night. Goodbye. Season kaput.

Except someone forgot to tell the Swans’ midfield. Luke Parker (two goals) was swung into the guts in the final term, and he was able to spark Isaac Heeney (32 disposals, one goal) and Chad Warner (33 disposals, two goals) into action. They took over the game, continually winning the ball at the contest, as Collingwood missed the strength and composure of injured Jordan De Goey.

The Swans kicked the next five goals of the game to snatch the lead with three minutes remaining.

The win means they hold top spot for another week, and maybe they have rediscovered flag-winning form. They play Essendon at Marvel Stadium next Friday night.

Should it have been a 50m penalty?: The talkback radio lines will light up tomorrow with Collingwood fans spitting chips. They will say, and perhaps rightly so, that forward Daniel McStay should have been paid a 50m penalty inside the final minute.

McStay had led up the centre of the ground and found himself on the end of a pinpoint pass from Magpie teammate Josh Daicos. The controversial moment came next. Swans defender Tom McCartin was hot in pursuit of his Collingwood opponent, and he overshot the mark by more than five metres.

The umpire called him back, but was it too little too late? The commentary teams were divided. Some thought it was an infraction deserving of a 50m penalty, others thought that there was nothing else McCartin could have done.

It was a line ball call with significant consequences. Had McStay been paid 50m, he would have been kicking at goal from 15m dead in front with 30 seconds on the clock. Had he kicked truly, the Pies would have edged three points ahead and they would still be in the finals hunt.

End of the line for 2024 Magpies: The loss means that Collingwood is done for the year. Sadly, they won’t be around in September to defend their premiership crown.

That’s a strike against the club. So what happens next?

The Magpies have some ageing stars on their list. Former skipper Scott Pendlebury is 36 and has signed for another year. The futures of Steele Sidebottom, 33, and Jeremy Howe, 34, are less certain.

Collingwood coach Craig McCrae said during the week that the list management could not “quite commit” yet to a number of players. But it’s hard to see Sidebottom and Howe not being asked back.

Sidebottom was one of the game’s better players on Friday night. He had 21 disposals and kept Errol Gulden quiet.

The Magpies went missing in the final term, and their prime movers were reasonable well held. Nick Daicos was kept to 25 possessions, Josh Daicos managed 26 disposals and Scott Pendlebury toiled away with 17 possessions.

There is no doubt the Magpies copped a raw deal with injuries this year. Maybe they need a rest.

Sydney have held on. After a desperate last minute, the siren sounded and the Swans were in front by three points.

The final minute was not without controversy. Magpie Daniel McStay took a mark on the lead at centre half-forward, and it appeared that defender Tom McCartin ran more than five metres over the mark which should be a 50m penalty.

Had it been paid, McStay would have had a shot at goal from 15m. That would have put the Pies in front with less than 30 seconds on the clock.

But it wasn’t paid, and the Swans held on.

Collingwood kicked the first goal of the last term to lead by 27 points and then the Swans woke up and they kicked the next five goals of the game.

The spark came from Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner and Luke Parker.

We are down to a minute. And the Swans lead by three points. The ball is in Isaac Heeney’s hands after a brave mark at half-back.

Errol Gulden has put the Swans in front. A beautiful snap sailed through for a goal and the SCG crowd is going nuts. That’s five consecutive Swans goals.

Swans by three points, three minutes to go.

Warner-Heeney-goal.

We haven’t heard enough of that lately.

The Swans have kicked four in a row and they have closed the margin to two points.

The Magpies led by 27 points at the 14-minute mark of this final term. What a turnaround.

That last goal came as Chad Warner burst around the boundary line, centred the ball and it landed in the hands of Isaac Heeney just 20m from goal. He was able to kick a simple major.

Swans fans are back on their feet, as their team makes a late charge at Collingwood.

Chad Warner snapped a 45m goal to close the margin to eight points and suddenly the Magpies are looking shaky. It was Warner’s second of the night.

The Swans have now kicked three straight in this final term - through Will Hayward, Logan McDonald and Chad Warner.

What a finish. Pies by eight points, six minutes remaining.

The Swans have a pulse. They were down, but no longer out

A strong pack mark and goal to Will Hayward brought them back to within 19 points and then Logan McDonald landed a follow-up blow. He kicked a beautiful long bomb from outside 50m.

They now trail by 13 points with almost 10 minutes remaining.

This is not looking good for the Swans. They have given up an early last-quarter goal.

Magpie midfielder Ned Long was awarded a free for a fierce tackle and converted the shot at goal. The Magpies have had 18 tackles inside 50 compared to the Swans’ four.

Coach John Longmire has a worried look on his face. And so he should. This season is slipping away.

Collingwood defender Isaac Heeney celebrates a rare goal.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images

The Swans are a big chance to lose top spot by the end of this round. They are chance to slip out of the top four at the end of the season. It’s hard to get your head around what has happened.

Collingwood lead by 27 points, five minutes into the final term.