Craig McRae has revealed why he opted to give Willem Drew no AFL Coaches Association votes for the Port Adelaide tagger’s role on Nick Daicos, despite the Power giving him five.
Ken Hinkley awarded his stopper best on ground for the role he did in limiting the extremely dangerous Daicos to 25 disposals and zero coaches votes. Considering it came after Daicos tore Port Adelaide apart in Round 2, it was a significant change between the two sides.
The AFLCA Power v Pies votes ended up:
9 - Connor Rozee (PA)
5 - Willem Drew (PA)
5 - Jamie Elliott (COL)
4 - Nathan Murphy (COL)
3 - Taylor Adams (COL)
3 - Sam Powell-Pepper (PA)
1 - Steele Sidebottom (COL)
It’s unusual for coaches to see the clash so differently. But McRae also revealed that he gave Nathan Murphy four votes, meaning Ken Hinkley offered none for the emerging Magpie.
Speaking on SEN’s The Run Home, McRae spoke on the performances of the thrilling two-point win.
“We do it as a match committee probably at the end of our review of the game and look at the influences of the game, what we see,” the second-year AFL coach began.
“It’s difficult to say what they’re talking about in their match committee but I can see why they would give Drew considerable votes because of his influence on the game.
“They would see things that we don’t and they’d set the game up in a certain way to reward that behaviour, playing that role for them, like we did with Murphy.”
Against Port Adelaide, Murphy had season highs in spoils (16), one percenters (16) in proving his side’s best defender as McRae suggested the two sides may have valued their own role players more.
“We gave Murphy four (votes), we gave (Connor) Rozee five, he’s a star young player… you reward behaviour and Murphy played the best game in his career in terms of his one percenters and things we really value,” he continued.
“So I get how you value your own a bit more than the others.
“Especially when there’s probably a combination of a lot of really good players but really no real standout players… this game in particular, there was a lot of good influencers in the game and maybe we both valued role players in the game.”
Daicos, who is leading the AFLCA’s Champion Player of the Year award, did not receive a vote on Saturday night.
Collingwood moved two wins clear atop the ladder as a result of the win over Port Adelaide and looks destined to claim the minor premiership for the first time since 2011.