McRae rules out defender for Kangaroos clash 🔄

Fly out at Black Park today again for you.How have you been enjoying that?

It's been good.There's less cameras out there.I've been able to do a couple of little things we can't quite do here because of all the eyes and things.But I had a really good session out there.The oval's in great condition and it's the third week in a row and there's a real good energy in the group right now.

Just on your Balti Bridge, did you see any of the Pam the Bird stuff this morning when you were out there?

No, I didn't.No, I didn't.I live in Williamstown, so it's nice just to pop over the bridge.But thanks to Melbourne Grammar for giving us the ground.We appreciate it.

Is that actually a legitimate part of why you're doing it, just to be able to do some stuff you wouldn't be able to?

No, we reviewed our season last year and the oval out here isn't quite at the level that allows us to have the high intensity that we require, particularly when we're playing Marvell indoors in a fast track and then we go to the Gold Coast in a similar fast track and we had a lot of injuries last year around this time.And we thought the oval was a contributor to that.We're not alone in the middle of winter in Melbourne.I think there's a few other clubs with similar issues.So, yeah, we're looking for high performance and intensity in what we're doing and we found an oval that provides that.

Do you think that's correlated to a bit of a lift in form over the last three weeks, just the ability to train with more intensity?

Well, there's a number of things maybe you can't measure.That one, in terms of our load and our intensity in our training, suggests that we're training at a good intensity.We're always thinking internally that training standards equate to good performance.Whether that's a placebo or not, we certainly think it is.

What's the issue then?We'll go for a walk and have a look.

It's a bit soggy and hard as well.We've got some work to do on it.It's not a quick fix unfortunately.It probably needs a full reconstruction at some stage.

A big few days out, have you seen all the main art stuff with the umpiring play out?

Yeah, we internally reward our spirit.There's definitely a coming together and an energy when we rally together.We love our inspirational leaders, in Nick and Brazzi in particular, that it matters.We want to stand up for something or stand for something.So that's something we've reviewed and we'll continue to water what we want to grow.And then the other part of it is that obviously we don't condone violence and things, but there's a protection of the umpires that we want to abide by.

We all want to live that, if that's what you're asking.

Do you have any particular measures that you look at to try and balance that aggressiveness on the field with overstepping the mark?

One of them, there's two of us, but within the rules, because we don't want to give away free kicks and goals, this game's too tight.We give away a goal from any of those situations, we don't win that game.So there's definitely a balance.I thought it was incidental as it was graded.I could see how you could make a case for wanting to make a stand to protect the umpires.We want to make sure that's the case too.

I know they've changed the rules.in recent, not rules, but the positioning in recent weeks around contact.And there's been a mandate from clubs to make sure we look after them.We want to play a part in that.That's significant in making sure this game operates well.So we want to play a part within that, but I do think it was incidental.

I hope so.

I hope so.I think it's great for the game.I think anyone watching that game would have been excited.Seeing our players walk in at a half time,with a real look in their eye and an energy.As a coach you go, oh come on how do we get that?

Now sometimes you have to manufacture it.You want your players to be dialed in and hungry.That's what we wanted in our four walls.within the rules, but we don't always want to run around having $16 ,000 worth of fines every week.That doesn't make sense either.You're not playing the game within the rules.

Anywhere we can get a fine line of being on the edge, we're going to hunt the opposition and again we'll try and do it this week, again within the rules.

In what regard?Oh, just as far as against violence goes.It's not something that we want to see.It's something my wife said when we were watching it on Sunday morning with the kids.She said, this probably is a bit too much.

Yeah, well, she better not watch the 1980s and 90s, because that was a different level, wasn't it?I can see a case for it.My little girl's playing under 10s.We want to set a good standard.But there's also a level of, do you want to see someone hit off the ball?If you're in under 10s and someone gets hit off the ball, what are you doing as a parent?

So there's a level of, hey, come on.We're not going to accept that, are we?I take the question though for what it is.We want to set a great example for our young boys and girls playing the game and people watching at home want to feel like, hey, I want to go to the footy and be safe, but also there's an energy of competitive sport that we all go to watch too.

It feels like he's a bit of a spiritual leader.Has he been the captain moving forward?

It's a great balance both of them have.The will to win, you see Nick's reaction after the siren and then you see Braden's.Come on boys, we're going to go get this.It's a great dynamic, I feel, obviously with Darci out for the rest of the year.They've been sharing it when they've both been playing.When Braden was out, Nick was inspirational in his own right.

and it's not a bad duo at the moment.

Is this the best year and the best patch of form that you've seen Nick Dacos have since you've been coaching him?

He's remarkable and the little things go into another level.The ball on the other side of the ground, I don't know what court it was, when he just handled forward and he just came from nowhere and hit it at top speed and then hits A couple of bounces hits Dan McStay on the lead.I'm on the ground going, wow, did you see that?And I said that to him when he came off me and I said, that's exceptional.So his numbers would suggest it's his best form.His impact on our games is significant and he never ceases to surprise me.

Yeah, Pendle's trained today and he's put himself up to be available.So we'll have a match committee shortly and Quain are not quite there.He did most of the session and then got a little bit sore late.So he's close, but he won't play this week.We never put ceilings on anything and it's funny when one of our players was interviewed after the game by one of our staff last week and the question was like oh you must be excited by having the wild card there as a target and I'm sitting there going oh no way, why would we sell ourselves short?We're in this game to be the best we possibly can, we're still in the qualifying phase, seven games to go and For me, that's seven opportunities to make as most of those games as we can.

Of course, the season will give us full length of it, it will give us feedback, but we put no ceilings on things.It's probably an exaggeration from Brozzi.No, he hasn't had scanner and he trained really well today.He'll be fitting fine.

Ross Lyon and Lenny Hayes took Lachie Neal out for dinner over the weekend.How do you one up that?You take him down to a winery or something like that?

I'm staying away from any conversations around dates or catch -ups.I learnt some good lessons last year.I'll leave that up to others to wine and dine.Until any free agent's signed, and I've said this a number of weeks, we've got a strategic plan around looking at who's available and we'll just keep keep our hat in the ring and see how we go with that.Yeah, he seems like he's starting to really settle into it and probably the first time he's had a comfort that he doesn't have to wait for selection to see if he's in the team and that's hard when you're living that.I heard Chris Judd say the first 50 games are the hardest of your career because you're sort of trying to find a place and then from then you start to have a sense of belonging.

Our team is starting to really appreciate the stuff that Ed's doing.There's a an affirmation amongst the players about what he's doing right now.It's good to see him growing week to week.I'm not sure what it looks like this week.We'll set a target for sure, we'll have someone.I'll leave it up to others to do that.

His form will warrant it.If he keeps doing what he's doing, I don't think it's an issue.

You locked up Billy Frampton for another couple of years, a few weeks back.How proud are you of his form this year and covering Darcey Moore's absence?

Yeah, I make sure I tell Bill every time he does something well that we acknowledge it.Just at training today, he's just reading the play really well.I'm super proud of him.He's had a long journey.He's had a lot of people tell him he's not quite good enough or not wanted and he's found a home here where he's got a lot of love and support and care for what he does and he's been significant.He's so important to us this year with Darcy going down and Howie missing some games and Bruzzie missing some games.

He's been a rock down there for us.us and we're really proud of what he's doing right now.

We can appreciate that this is outside of your remit, but just with the passing of Matt Fitzgerald, just wondering what your emotions are in relation to that and whether that's been a talking point amongst other players?

Yeah, sadness.Sadness.That footy community, you know, just watching on the news last night.You see what many grounds in Australia would have, a protection over a cricket pitch in just an incident.Will we send our love and support for the family and community around that young lad?You don't like to see that at all, but I wish them all the best.

Do you think there should be changes made?Should players be able to play on a pitch such as that with a cricket pitch like that?

I'm not going to step into that oven and show my respect to the incident.and again to the community around that and rallying support if there's anything we can do.If there's Collingwood supporters come, we'll come and do something to support that if we can.But yeah, love and support to those families.I'm sure there'll be a big crowd there, lots of calling for supporters and we'll expect our best.It should be a great game.