Collingwood coach Craig McRae was left in awe of his never-say-die Pies after their latest stunning comeback win, and revealed inspirational skipper Darcy Moore was unwell before the match and nearly unable to take the field.
McRae’s men overcame a brave but inaccurate Adelaide and some dubious late umpiring calls to move to the top of the AFL ladder, after Steele Sidebottom broke the deadlock with a behind with less than 30 seconds remaining.
Moore was outstanding and took the intercept mark that sealed Sunday’s one-point thriller at Adelaide Oval.
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While the coach wouldn’t detail exactly what Moore was suffering from, he confirmed it was a touch-and-go decision as the opening bounce approached.
“It was incredible … he was sick before the game and he was a chance not to play,” McRae said.
“You get to 20 minutes before the game, you think that he might not play, and you’re thinking ‘Oh, God, what do we do?’
“But then for him to go out and perform … it’s incredible.
“I think he’s fine now, but 20 minutes before the game it was a bit of an issue.”
The Magpies were 22 points down early in a tense final term but, as they have done on so many occasions under McRae, they dug deep to storm home for a pulsating win.
The result improved their record to 6-1 and put them four points ahead of second-placed Melbourne on the ladder.
“It’s just admiration for the never-give-up attitude,” the coach replied when asked about his immediate reaction.
“Today was a different version of it again, expressing yourself in different ways, but the will to win … we’ve got good method, so players go to a system, and they all know what they need to do through repetition.
“Last year we were in this position so many times, so we get to practice it more than anyone.
“I get that, but I just admire the want … it’s incredible.”
3 minutes, 3 plays: Pies’ EPIC comeback | 00:59
McRae admitted he was left incredulous by some late umpiring howlers, but will not approach the AFL for an explanation for three last-quarter incidents.
With just under 11 minutes to play, and with his side trailing by eight points, Nathan Murphy was left dazed and bleeding from the nose after a marking contest with Darcy Fogarty where he appeared to be taken front-on and high by the Crows forward.
No free kick was paid and to rub salt into the Pies’ wounds Jordan De Goey was penalised for deliberate out-of-bounds as the play went dangerously close to Murphy and the club’s medical staff as they left the field.
“I don’t know if there’s footage of me, but I lost my mind,” McRae said.
“Whether it was a mark or a free kick, you could argue either, but then (Murphy) had blood and he’s trying to exit the field and we didn’t get a chance to replace the player in a critical moment.
“I was astounded by that.
“He’s fine, but he had blood, I don’t know whether we need an explanation for it.
“I probably won’t search for one, but I just found it staggering.
“(De Goey) almost hit the doc, isn’t there a duty of care there?
“You can go through every decision they made or didn’t make, but that’s not where we live.
“We make way more mistakes than they do … you make mistakes, you move on, that’s the way I look at it.”
Ash Johnson was also unlucky not to be awarded a free kick in the goalsquare after he was taken high in the dying minutes.
Nathan Kreuger was subbed out of the game in the first quarter and was taken to hospital for assessment on his ribs after a clash with Fogarty.
McRae confirmed Scott Pendlebury will return from an eye injury for the clash against the Swans at the MCG on Sunday.
