Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. TOTOTO Carlton have failed to shed any light on Harry McKay’s baffling knee injury after a moment of friendly fire sidelined the key forward during the Blues’ disappointing 21-point loss to Collingwood at the MCG on
Carlton have failed to shed any light on Harry McKay’s baffling knee injury after a moment of friendly fire sidelined the key forward during the Blues’ disappointing 21-point loss to Collingwood at the MCG on Saturday night.
McKay bumped knees with teammate Sam Walsh early in the game’s first quarter in an awkward clash that commentators described as harmless-looking because of its intensity.
But despite the seemingly benign nature of the impact, McKay was unable to run and picked himself up from the ground.
His absence left Carlton’s forward line starved and underpowered as they failed to capitalize on adequate supply, losing 14.6 (90) to 10.9 (69) to a more efficient Magpie team.
The defeat, the second in a row under interim coach Josh Fraser, has all but eliminated the Blues from the wild card race.
“Based on the information we got, he was not well to continue,” Fraser said of the moment the Blues lost McKay. “So we’ll do a scan and assess him early in the week.
“At this time I can’t shed any more light on Harry’s situation other than he was unable to return to the field.”
Fraser declined to discuss the severity of the confrontation.
“Those can sometimes look worse than they appear,” he said. “I don’t know. I haven’t received any more information about it.”
Fox Footy commentator David King was perplexed by McKay’s injury.
“No one questions whether he’s injured or not,” King said after the game. “We’re just wondering if it’s a pain issue or a structural issue. He’ll have scans so we’ll find out more.
“When he has so much influence on the group. He changes six or seven roles on the team, and they were in the game. It’s an important topic of conversation. It’s [an incident] “That seems really passive.”
Collingwood coach Craig McRae agreed that McKay’s absence for most of the night helped an undermanned Magpies backline, minus Darcy Moore (season) and Jeremy Howe.
“It’s important because there’s a flow effect in rucks and all sorts of things,” McRae said.
“I know that in our coaches’ box, you are busy and have questions: if he [McKay] “It’s getting out of control and he’s been playing a lot more in the ruck, which affects clearances and other things, so yeah, those things don’t help you.”
Carlton gave up the first three goals of the night, but managed to get back into the game, losing only two points in the quarter.
During the second and third periods of play they looked to have the measure of Collingwood thanks in large part to the hard work of Patrick Cripps and the class of young Jagga Smith.
But poor kicks on goal and the loss of winger Adam Cerra (hamstring) in the second period proved costly.
While defeat took the shine off Fraser’s honeymoon period, he remained circumspect.
“Nine weeks ago, we knew we had to continue to improve our game and play a style of football that we believe will be a great help to this football club,” he said.
“Part of that is understanding that we have to be able to change the way we play, and we’re not at that level yet.”
Playing Collingwood at the MCG has not been a happy hunting ground for the Blues.
In their sixth round clash this year, youngster Talor Byrne missed a shot on goal after the siren resulting in a five-point loss, while the night was overshadowed by Elijah Hollands’ unusual behavior during the game.
Fraser said the Blues were still supporting Hollands, 24, who likely won’t play again this year.
“My understanding with Elijah is that he is getting all the support he needs, both through the club and privately, and we are all in the space of wanting to see him return to full health, and we support him,” Fraser said.
For McRae, the injury-plagued Magpies continued to find a way forward, having won their fifth game in a row after falling outside the top 10.
On a night when they fielded inexperienced players like Liam Puncher (three games), Charlie West (four games), Sam Swadling (five games) and Angus Anderson (11 games), they still managed 90 points.
Necessity was the mother of invention.
During an 18-minute period of the third period, at a time when they were four points behind Carlton, the Magpies scored four goals in overall play: two each to Tim Membrey and Ned Long and Sam Swadling.
They did this by bringing the ball to the ground in dangerous areas, generally 30 meters from the goal.
McRae said they adapted their approach after Carlton defender Nick Haynes received six interception marks before half-time.
“Sometimes you can’t get the ball back,” he said. “Teams are too good at getting the ball back, but when you start getting it to the ground, that’s a different model.
“We don’t have many 200cm players who are going to jump over their backs to score. But when the ball hits the ground, all of a sudden we start scoring, so there was definitely a plan around that.”
Membrey was Collingwood’s top scorer with three goals, while Long, Daniel McStay and Beau McCreery scored two.
But the standout player of the night was once again Nick Daicos. He muscled his way into Carlton’s midfield with a game-high 36 possessions and almost certainly three Brownlow votes.
For the Blues, Cripps had 30 disposals and Smith had 29, but their Achilles heel was their forward line.
They will be sweating under McKay’s scans ahead of next week’s clash against the Gold Coast Suns at Marvel Stadium.
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