Tension between teammates in Pies win; Josh Fraser juggernaut at Carlton continues to roll

Collingwood stars Dan McStay and Lachie Schultz had what appeared to be a tense altercation at three-quarter-time on Saturday, but it did not stop the Magpies from delivering a 34-point win over Richmond that ensures they remain firmly in the finals hunt.

In cold and damp conditions, the Magpies balanced their win-loss ledger with their seventh victory of the season [and a draw], meaning a berth in the wildcard round is a distinct possibility.

However, it wasn’t all smiles for the Magpies, in particular for McStay, who appeared to have a tense moment with Schultz after the small forward grabbed the ex-Lion’s hand and pointed him to where the final team huddle was for the afternoon.

Stand-in skipper Nick Daicos then went over to McStay, with the latter appearing to explain what was on his mind. Daicos then gave McStay a couple of pats on the back. Schultz then ran back and had a chat with McStay, who remained frosty towards his teammate and appeared not to utter a word. Schultz gave McStay a couple of pats on the back, too.

The incident was highlighted on Kayo Sports. AFL great Garry Lyon noted: “Right now, the two of them aren’t on the same page, it’s fair to say. I know this will get washed over pretty quickly, but there was a little bit in it.”

Australian Football Hall of Fame legend Jason Dunstall, also commenting on the incident, said, “Lachie Schultz comes back over and wants to have a chat. Dan McStay does not want to have a bar of it”.

When the cameras later panned to McStay on the bench, he still appeared angry, although he supported teammates when they left the field.

After the game, Magpies coach Craig McRae said he was unaware of any spat between McStay and Schultz, but said dealing with emotions had been an area the club had looked to improve in.

“I am not aware of that,” McRae said when asked about the McStay and Schultz exchange.

“We’ve had a bit of feedback for ourselves, that when things don’t quite go our way, or you’re making mistakes in the game, or not having a great game, what that looks like.

“How we move on from things and how we let things go. That’s been a theme for a number of weeks now. I feel like we are getting some progression in that.

“They’re two leads in our forward line. I’m not exactly sure what the exchange was but, yeah, I’ll have to follow up with this if there is anything untoward, but I don’t think that’ll be the case.”

In a season that hasn’t gone to plan through injury and an ageing list, the Magpies still boast arguably the league’s best defence, despite injured skipper Darcy Moore sighted as often as a blue moon.

It should be remembered that four of their seven losses have been by eight points or fewer.

A tight first term quickly gave way to a six-goal second term for the Magpies, after McRae had rallied his team against an opponent with only two wins to their credit.

Now with back-to-back wins, the Magpies will eye a triple treat when they face the slumping Suns on the Gold Coast next Saturday.

Jordan De Goey, contracted until the end of 2027 but working towards an extension, continued his fine season, while Jeremy Howe, on a one-year deal, remains a key plank in defence.

McRae said De Goey was in excellent physical condition, having collected 27 disposals and a goal.

“The things that you don’t see, the high-speed running was career-best today ... [he was] covering the ground at another level,” he said.

“So, yeah, although he didn’t have the scoreboard impact, and we left him forward at times ... [it was] another pleasing performance.”

Nick Daicos booted the opening two goals and finished with 37 disposals, including seven clearances.

“I feel we are building good momentum,” Daicos said.

Brother Josh, Jack Crisp and Dan Houston were also productive, while Ed Allan was a tackling machine.

Tigers coach Adem Yze wanted his team to treat this game as if it was a preliminary final – the mental games in play after their ugly loss to North Melbourne.

They put speed into the contest in the first term, and had a whopping 63 handballs in a bid to challenge the Magpies’ run. But this gave way to errors in the second term.

Scott Pendlebury had a hand in the Magpies’ opening two goals, and they had three in about three minutes to take charge. The Tigers scored once from 13 inside 50s for the term. By contrast, the Magpies had, at one point, nine scores from 16 inside 50s.

The Tigers have been hit hard by injury, but the young talent is clear. Emerging forward Jasper Alger is already a Rising Star nominee, and he added his name to a collection of odd individual goal celebrations.

After each of his two goals, he delivered a fist-to-the-chin celebration which was a real head scratcher. Defender Kye Annand appears to have the size and smarts to be a strong defender, while damaging midfielder Sam Cumming reinforced why he is central to the Tigers’ rebuild.

Maurice Rioli jnr completed his typical quota of run-down tackles, but his lack of productivity with ball in hand must be a worry for the Tigers. He has only one goal in nine games so far this season. That Steely Green is the leading goalkicker for the season – with 13 – sums up the Tigers’ woes inside their attacking 50.

It was a credit to supporters of both clubs that 62,117 turned up, but they were, at times, eerily silent, for this wasn’t easy on the eye. Neither of these proud clubs are where they want to be on the ladder.

McRae said Brayden Maynard was “touch and go” to return next week from a shoulder dislocation in the King’s Birthday clash against Melbourne.

“He did a really good session indoors yesterday, and a lot more one-on-one combative stuff that he got through that he needed to get through, and he did, and got some confidence himself,” McRae said.

Yze said the Tigers would continue to play attacking footy despite the likelihood of turnovers. The Tigers began well against the Magpies, but fell apart in the second term.

“I feel we’ve just got to embrace that while we are going through what we are going through,” Yze said of the rebuild.

“We’ve got some young lads out there but, like I said, the response was OK. We just weren’t good enough in the second quarter. ”

The Josh Fraser juggernaut continues to roll on

Andrew Wu

The despair from the first nine games of the season under Michael Voss has become a distant memory for the Blues, who made it six from six under their interim coach with a 53-point victory over West Coast on Saturday, 17.15 (117) to 9.10 (64).

There was no harmonica in the team song, but the Blues faithful were in full voice in the aisles at Marvel Stadium after young gun Jagga Smith signed off on another four points with a goal right on the final siren.

The wildcard berth that seemed a pipedream just a few weeks ago is edging closer to reality for the Blues, who have the chance to square the ledger at 8-8 next week if they account for Richmond.

“It’s awesome,” Carlton skipper Patrick Cripps told Fox Footy. “How the year was going, to put ourselves back in a respectable position on the ladder to attack the back half of the season is huge.

“Winning’s fun.”

Carlton’s dynamic duo of Cripps and Sam Walsh donned the capes as the Blues’ midfield ran riot against the Eagles’ undermanned on-ball brigade.

Walsh will likely edge out his captain for the three Brownlow votes with his game-high 33 possessions, while Cripps was brutal in the clinches with nine clearances in an entertaining duel with Eagles boy wonder Harley Reid, who fought a lone hand with 23 disposals and a goal.

The Blues had winners all over the field. Harry McKay, revelling in his role as a forward and second ruck, booted three goals, as did young livewire Talor Byrne, who unselfishly gave away the chance for a fourth deep in the final term.

George Hewett and Smith were the ideal foils for Cripps and Walsh, the former kicking his two goals in the first term when the Blues set up the game.

Harry Dean claimed another major scalp in the Eagles’ All-Australian forward Jake Waterman, who was held goalless. Waterman, often double-teamed, did not register a shot at goal until the final term when the result was beyond doubt.

Smith and Willem Duursma remain the favourites for the Rising Star award, but Dean is closing fast, rising to the challenge of being the Blues’ No.1 key defender in Jacob Weitering’s absence.

“He’s a star,” McKay said of Dean.

“I can’t remember a first-year key position player come in and have the impact he’s had. I love playing with him. He’s only going to get better and better, which is scary.”

The Blues shook off another bogey by kicking their first triple-figure score since the penultimate round of last season.

Carlton controlled contest and clearance, their major strengths during the Voss era, but it was their crisp ball movement through the corridor that repeatedly opened up the Eagles defence.

They controlled the pace of the game with their preparedness to chip the ball, and once clear they attacked with speed, often through the corridor.

“The way we use the ball is really helping our defence,” Cripps said. “[We’re] controlling the ball more and getting better field position.”

Cripps hurt his left hand shortly before half-time, but he was able to play on as Carlton entered the long break with a 32-point lead.

The Blues tallied a whopping 244 possessions to 144 in the first half, while they had 13 marks inside 50 to none for West Coast.

Carlton kept the Eagles at bay in the second half, and the Blues will be aiming for their seventh win on the trot when they take on struggling Richmond next week.

Josh Fraser’s stint as interim coach at the Blues has started with sixth straight wins, but he maintains the itch to apply for the full-time role hasn’t grown.

As expected, Fraser was again peppered in his post-match press conference with questions about whether he had changed his mind and would throw his hat into the ring for the full-time role.

“Not a bigger itch,” Fraser replied when asked if his itch to coach full-time had grown.

“I’ve had the ambition for a long time, and ... you never quite know when you’re ready.

“So this is giving me quite a unique opportunity to learn and grow in the chair, and it is an interim role, I’m acutely aware of that.

“But really my focus is on making sure the club’s better-placed at the end of the season.

“I just said to the boys, if I summarise where we’re at, I think we’re still going through some growing pains, and we’re doing it getting results, but there’s still parts of our game we’ve got to get to work on.”

With AAP