“What is the problem?”: Lyon responds to McRae/Grundy uproar

Craig McRae’s boundary line coaching has again come under scrutiny in the wake of Collingwood’s narrow loss to Sydney at the SCG last Friday night.

The premiership coach made a comment to Swans star and former Pie Brodie Grundy as he crossed the boundary line near the interchange bench where McRae was stationed.

Grundy dead-batted the situation after the game while McRae suggested it was “all respect”.

But according to Caroline Wilson, the Swans and Grundy weren’t “particularly impressed” by the comments.

“Well, it might have been all respect but it certainly wasn’t ‘g’day old mate’,” Wilson said one Channel 7’s The Agenda Setters.

“I don’t think Brodie Grundy was particularly impressed by what Craig McRae said.

“We’ve agreed, after talking to the Swans, we’re not going to reveal what was said. Yes, it was positive, but it was personal. And it happened in-game.

“Four other clubs I’ve spoken to are quite astounded by some of Craig McRae’s (antics).

“You see that McRae says something to him. We’re in-game, Craig. For an opposition coach to go and talk to a player, even if it’s a positive message of a deeply personal nature, I don’t believe is on.

“I just don’t think it’s on, and neither did the Sydney Swans, and Brodie Grundy certainly communicated it.

“Nobody wants to say what was said, but no one at the Swans was particularly impressed.”

In response, SEN Breakfast’s Garry Lyon cannot believe the uproar around this situation.

He reckons that if the Swans are so unimpressed then why haven’t they complained?

“What am I missing here?,” Lyon said.

“McRae said post-game that it was all respect. Caro, in her own words, said it was all respect. Caro, in her own words, said it was positive.

“What is the problem? Where has life got to?

“And tell me the clubs who are outraged by it.”

Tim Watson asked: “On that Agenda Setters panel there are four people and none of them are shrinking violets.

“Why didn’t one of those people tell us last night what it was that was said? They all knew.”

Lyon continued: “I’m just reading this - the Swans were so unimpressed yet they haven’t complained.

“So if you’re not going to complain don’t go backgrounding people to whinge. Put your balls on the line and go, ‘No AFL, we’re not impressed but this, we want an investigation’.

“Come on! Come off it, this is just a beat-up.”