Collingwood coach Craig McRae has rubbished criticism of his team’s prolonged premiership celebrations after his former mentor Leigh Matthews urged the club to “stop revisiting what happened six months ago” in response to the timing of its premiership documentary release.
It came as he confirmed debutant Charlie Dean and John Noble would face GWS in their Saturday night season opener among a raft of changes from last year’s premiership side.
McRae said it was important to keep a grasp of the premiership success to help the Magpies launch another flag tilt, as he disagreed with Matthews’ call for his side to “leave it behind.
The Brisbane Lions three-peat and Collingwood 1990 premiership coach said he was concerned by the Magpies’ attitude towards the new season after the cinematic release of the club’s Take the Steps documentary and a series of other media projects reflecting on the grand final.
“You don’t want to be just enjoying and celebrating the grand final … I’m talking players and in-club people – you have to get back in the here and now,” Matthews told.“You have to get your mindset back to what it is, which is starting again … everyone starts afresh and that’s the attitude you’ve got to have going into the new campaign.
“Revisiting what happened six months ago … to me, that’s never helpful.”
McRae said he understood Matthews’ criticism but it was fine for the Magpies to take a different approach to their win compared to the Lions under his former coach…..
