Collingwood coach Craig McRae won’t blame Jack Crisp and his pending AFL investigation for the team’s first loss of the season.
The Magpies started hot but conceded 10 straight goals in the second and third quarter on Thursday, eventually falling by 33 points to the Brisbane Lions at a sold-out Gabba.
Magpies Jack Crisp and Steele Sidebottom during the team’s loss on Thursday.Credit: Getty Images
“I wouldn’t have thought so,” McRae said when asked if the episode had an impact on their preparation.
“We don’t make excuses for anything.
“Brisbane are really good, let’s face it. They’ve beaten Melbourne up here and everyone’s saying Melbourne are the team to beat and we’ve gone down as well.”
Crisp kicked a fourth-quarter goal but was relatively quiet in a 15-disposal performance that came a day after a controversial video was circulated on social media.
The video shows a person scrolling through several screenshots of Snapchats, many clearly showing Crisp’s bearded face.
Crisp is not seen in two images that show what looks like small plastic bags of white powder.
Crisp was cleared by the club and AFL to play on Thursday night but will be questioned by the league next week about the video, which the Magpies believe is several years old.
Crisp has played an extraordinary 191 consecutive AFL games – the most by a current player – dating back to round 18, 2014 when he was with the Lions.
“He’s like every player on our list, we love and support them and 100 per cent have got their back as people and humans,” McRae said.
“There’s lots of stuff that goes on with our players that I’m not always going to condone.
“I’m a father and I don’t always condone the things my kids do, but at the end of the day, we love and support them and that’s not going to change.”
AAP
