Garry Lyon says Collingwood’s upset one-point victory in Saturday night’s elimination final against West Coast was a win “for the ages” considering what they had to face in the build up to the clash.
The Pies were forced into seven days of quarantine in a Perth resort, where they were only allowed to leave to train and play the game.
Despite the unusual circumstances, Collingwood was able to defeat West Coast at Optus Stadium, the first time they had lost at the venue this season.
Lyon also said Buckley’s decision to use Darcy Cameron in the ruck over Brodie Grundy in several high-pressure centre bounce situations against Nic Naitanui was an inspired choice.
“It was the win for the ages,” he said on SEN Breakfast.
“For the hub life reasons and all the different things … West Coast (were) undefeated on their home deck (coming into the final) and (were) playing the team who had to travel and go back into a hub.
“Then when the teams came out, we all went ‘what’ when Darcy Cameron was included and in the end, it was a masterstroke.
“What I loved, when it mattered most they preferred Darcy Cameron in the ruck over Brodie Grundy, Nathan Buckley isn’t going come to out and say that Cameron was more competitive over Naitanui than Grundy, but that’s exactly what’s happened.
“At the start of the third quarter, they went with Cameron, at the start of the final quarter, they went with Cameron and the most important centre bounce of the match, they went with Cameron and that’s fine.
“That’s not a knock on Grundy, he wasn’t 100 per cent and he’s a team man and he gets that. In those particular occasions, Cameron was the preferred option and that’s absolutely fine.”
Collingwood will face off against Geelong in a Semi Final at the Gabba on Saturday night, with the winner to play Brisbane in a fortnight’s time.