Nathan Buckley smacks down Collingwood coach over ugly claim in wake of latest AFL loss

Collingwood great Nathan Buckley says he cannot agree with Craig McRae's criticism of the officials in Friday night's shattering defeat to ladder-leaders Sydney. And fellow AFL pundit Kane Cornes insists the Magpies coach "was out of line" for suggesting his side would have got a crucial 50m free kick in the dying stages of three-point defeat, if the match had been played on their home ground at the MCG.

McRae was aggrieved that Dan McStay wasn't paid a 50m free kick after Swans star Tom McCartin appeared to encroach on the mark taken by the Pies player just inside the centre square. McCartin took several extra steps forward before McStay decided to play on but the Magpies weren't awarded a free kick that would have given them an easy shot in front to win the game.

And the Collingwood coach couldn't help but voice his displeasure with the non-call from the umpire, with McRae suggesting things would have been much different if the match was played on their home ground. “I reckon if it was at the MCG it would have been paid,” McRae said in post-match press conference.

“There’s definitely an advantage for the home ground. I thought it was a 50-metre penalty to the letter of the law. I’m sure the AFL will come out and say it was a 50-metre penalty. There were a lot of deliberates (out of bounds calls) tonight too, that was a bit of a circus. I’m sure they’ll come out and justify that too. Umpires don’t always get it right.”

But Buckley insisted the officials did get the call right, with the former Collingwood coach turning the spotlight back on the Magpies boss and accusing him of getting caught up in the blame game after his side's shocking late collapse. “He did say that he was wrestling with having a losing mentality. He spoke about being caught in the blame game,” Buckley said. “I think the reason he prefaced that was because he wanted to get caught in the blame game a little.

“I know how difficult it can be when your season has pretty much been ended on the back of 20 minutes of footy, you haven’t been able to get the job done and a few calls that might have gone your way didn’t. I thought the 50 (non call) was actually acceptable.” Buckley's swipe came after the Magpies gave up a 27-point lead in the final quarter to eventually be run down, leaving their finals hopes on life support.

Craig McRae gripe 'out of line' according to Kane Cornes

Discussing the incident with Buckley on SEN radio, Cornes said he agreed with McRae that it should have been a 50m free kick to Collingwood. But the Port Adelaide great said it was "a bit rich" for the Collingwood coach to bring up a gripe about favourable calls for home teams when the Magpies play so many games in front of their fans at the MCG - including of course, last year's grand final.

“I’m not sure Craig McRae needed to go down this path,” Cornes said. “C’mon Craig. 14 (games) at the MCG, 17 in Melbourne, you get to play the grand final on your home ground. So 14 times you get the rub of the green and one time you have to go and play in Sydney on a Friday night you’re complaining about that. It was the wrong time. I thought he was out of line.”

Buckley acknowledged McRae's gripe about the deliberate out of bounds calls and admitted many were "marginal". He also agreed the idea of home ground calls was "definitely a real thing" but Channel Nine reporter Tom Morris warned the AFL would likely take a "dim view" of McRae's comments, and could fine the coach based off previous incidents.

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“I wouldn’t be surprised if he (McRae) receives a ‘please explain’. What happens from there I’m not sure,” Morris said. “There are two comments that could draw the ire of the AFL. One is the MCG comment and the other is referring to the insufficient intent rule as a bit of a circus. I think the word circus doesn’t do him any favours.

“There are some non-Victorian clubs that were a bit bemused by his comments. The AFL does take a dim view to these sorts of things. Coaches in years gone by have been fined for these sorts of comments. Under this administration we haven’t really be tested too much yet.”