Collingwood schoolmaster Craig McRae’s former boss Damien Hardwick, upcoming accountable for Richmond, famously declared he hated his facet being pressured to play games house video games 3 kilometres clear of the MCG.
Hardwick implied the Tigers’ legion of lovers didn’t flip as much as Surprise Stadium for the reason that AFL-owned venue lacked “soul” when in comparison to their ordinary bottom.
However Magpies schoolmaster McRae approaches the vital malicious in a different way, unfazed through taking part in the strange house recreation on the Docklands venue to meet league guarantees.
“We’ll play on the moon, mate,” McRae mentioned forward of Collingwood’s crash with the Western Bulldogs at Surprise Stadium on Friday evening.
“We don’t care where we play. We’ll go there and our fans will turn up – they always do – and we’ll put on a good show.
“Friday evening’s a just right alternative for younger guys who possibly haven’t performed (a lot) beneath lighting and beneath the roof. It’s a possibility to turn what they’ve were given.”
Collingwood, the league’s MCG specialists, trounced interstate opponent West Coast by 66 points in their previous home fixture at Marvel Stadium in round 10.
This time, they face a Bulldogs outfit that is more familiar with the Docklands venue than almost every rival, playing more than half their games there.
Both sides have been smashed by injuries, adding an intriguing layer to the contest, with the Bulldogs losing leading goalkicker Aaron Naughton (knee) and in-form midfielder Ed Richards (concussion).
But McRae is wary of the Dogs, who sit 11th with a 5-6 record and the second-best percentage (121.3) in the competition behind ladder-leaders Sydney (10-1, 150.1 per cent).
“Proportion is a superb reader of groups and theirs is in point of fact sturdy” McRae mentioned.
“They may be able to ranking in point of fact closely and a few outs for them kind of is helping us, however we’ve were given a pair out too.
“They’re a good clearance team, always have been, really good around the ball and contest and their hands out of stoppage is really strong.
“There’s refuse simple video games and we’ll need to be at our easiest to get this process executed.”
Collingwood sit seventh and are unbeaten in their last eight games – six wins and two draws – after losing the opening three matches of their premiership defence.
They have lost Scott Pendlebury (arm), Brody Mihocek (hamstring), Mason Cox (knee/concussion) and Joe Richards (foot) in further injury blows this week.
Jeremy Howe (groin) and Jack Bytel (concussion) return from injuries, with Oleg Markov, Ash Johnson and Finlay Macrae also back.
The Bulldogs have recalled James O’Donnell, Lachlan McNeill and Rory Lobb in park of Anthony Scott (concussion), Richards and Naughton.
