BREAKING NEWS ;; Collingwood players called out by Kane Cornes over ‘disrespectful’ act towards opposition

Following their Friday night surrender to the Swans in the fourth quarter, Craig McRae and his Collingwood team have come under fire for showing disdain for their AFL rivals. The final quarter at the SCG saw the Magpies lead by as much as 27 points before Isaac Heeney and Chad Warner took the game by storm and guided Sydney to an exciting three-point victory.

Furthermore, Kane Cornes attributes the fourth-quarter fade-out on McRae and his team’s disrespect for the elite players of competing teams. Cornes suggests that McRae should address the lack of accountability within his team, especially the midfielders who were overwhelmed by the Swans brigade, rather than talking about contentious umpiring decisions.

As seen in Kane Cornes to the right and Darcy Moore left
Craig McRae and his team have come under fire from Kane Cornes for their lack of regard for the best players on other teams. Picture: Getty
Cornes stated on SEN’s Sportsday that “Collingwood have, I think, the most unaccountable midfield running around.” They support their players in that manner, and they generally treat the greatest players on the other team with no regard.

“Recall how frequently the top opposing midfield player versus Collingwood receives absurd numbers. As a midfielder, you would love to play against Collingwood because they don’t respect you. Collingwood’s season was nearly lost due to 14 (dismissals) apiece for Warner and Heeney, as well as one goal apiece when the game was close.

After the close loss on Friday, McRae expressed his displeasure that Dan McStay was not awarded a 50-meter free kick after Swans player Tom McCartin seemed to intrude on the Pies player’s mark just inside the centre square. Before McStay made the decision to continue, McCartin took a few more strides forward, but the Pies were denied a free kick that would have given them a simple set chance to win the match.

The Collingwood coach also expressed his dissatisfaction with the umpire’s decision, stating that if the game had been played in Melbourne, the outcome would have been very different. McRae stated in a press conference held after the game, “I think it would have been paid if it was at the MCG.”

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – AUGUST 09: Sydney Swans players Isaac Heeney (left) and Chad Warner celebrate during the Sydney Swans vs. Collingwood Magpies 2024 AFL Round 22 match at The Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney, Australia. (Image sourced from Getty Images by Michael Willson/AFL Photos)
The Swans defeated Collingwood in an incredible fourth-quarter comeback led by Isaac Heeney (left) and Chad Warner. Picture: Getty
Speaking about the incident on SEN radio, Cornes said that although he thought Collingwood should have been awarded a 50-meter free kick, it was “a bit rich” for the Collingwood coach to constantly bring up the advantage of home team calls given how frequently the Magpies play in front of their supporters at the MCG, including the grand final last year. Cornes remarked, “I’m not sure Craig McRae needed to go down this path.”

Craig, come on. You get to play the grand final on your own field after 14 games at the MCG and 17 in Melbourne. You receive good fortune fourteen times, but you only have to attend to a Friday night performance in Sydney once, and you whine about it. The timing was off. He seemed out of line to me.