Magpies coach Craig McRae 'disappointed' in his handling of umpire critique
Collingwood coach Craig McRae has avoided a war of words with Sydney counterpart John Longmire following his comments concerning the umpiring during his side's three-point loss to the Swans last Friday night.
McRae admitted that his post-match comments, which saw him cautioned by the AFL this week, were "selfish" as in the heat of the moment he allowed his frustrations to get the better of him.
Following the match, McRae used his press conference to express his anger at two non-calls from the umpires in the closing stages of the game, which he believed would have been paid at the Pies' home ground, the MCG.
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Craig McRae addressed his contentious post-game comments which have since caused a stir. Nine
He described the umpires' adjudication of deliberate out-of-bounds decisions as "a bit of a circus" and criticised an unpaid 50m penalty to forward Dan McStay when opposing defender Tom McCartin appeared to run a few metres over the mark.
Longmire subsequently called out the contentious comments, claiming McRae's MCG stance was an "extraordinary admission" from the coach of the club which boasts the biggest home-ground advantage in the competition.
On Thursday, McRae acknowledged that his comments were inappropriate but refused to involve himself in a back-and-forth about Longmire's reaction.
"I reflect really heavily on everything I do and I'm disappointed that I went into a frustration mode versus a disappointed mode," McRae said.
"I'm allowed to be disappointed, because who wouldn't be? That shows that I care.
"But to be frustrated I think was a bit selfish, so I reflect on those things.
"But I don't want to retract on things that I've done because they're all good lessons for us, and for me in particular."
McRae also stated his "enormous respect" for Longmire and his coaching credentials.
Collingwood coach Craig McRae after his side's three-point loss to Sydney in round 22, 2024. AFL Photos via Getty Images
"This job is a really difficult one, so for someone to do what he's done over such a long period of time – that's an inspiration," he said.
"It's a real challenge and he's obviously interstate, too, which adds different layers to it.
"So I'm not going to get caught up in it again other than to show again my respect for what a good coach he is."
The Pies' hopes of a finals berth hang by a thread with a loss to the Lions at the MCG on Saturday almost certain to end their 2024 campaign.
