We will be back tomorrow with our Saturday footy blog so please join us then and there will be plenty more stories to come over the weekend and beyond.

Bye for now.

11.37pm on Mar 18, 2022

Daicos brothers shine as Magpies start new era in style

By Jon Pierik

The Daicos brothers were a fine double act, while Jordan De Goey was firmly back in the fold, on a night Collingwood began a new era under a new coach in style with a bubbly 17-point win over St Kilda.

The Magpies, now led by coach Craig McRae, gave their faithful hope this season may not be as tough as many had predicted by unveiling a new game plan built on run and carry, a want to score and a strong defensive press. And that suited the Daicos brothers, star debutant Nick and older brother Josh, former Bulldog Patrick Lipinski and De Goey just fine.

New era: Coach Craig McRae celebrates with Scott Pendlebury. Getty Images

Before a crowd of more than 40,000 at Marvel Stadium, Nick Daicos immediately made his presence felt across half-back. He was a ball magnet, having nine to quarter time, only one behind Lipinski, and he carried that good form on, finishing with 27 disposals. Josh Daicos had 21 and Lipinski, while he faded in the third term, had 30.

Click here to read the story.

11.29pm on Mar 18, 2022

‘It was frustrating’: Brett Ratten wants better ball use from Saints

You got close. What is your message?

It is pretty frustrating to be honest. We didn’t handle the pressure early in the game and that allowed them to fuel their appetite to keep doing it and we coughed the ball-up when we should have absorbed the pressure. It probably was that we didn’t apply the same tackling pressure.

Full credit to them but it wasn’t like we didn’t know it was coming. Their pressure in the preseason was very high. It was our inability to complete our plays. Missed targets when we have no pressure or minimal pressure on the players. That was a big disappointment. We have been solid for the past couple of years, I think 2020 we completed a lot of plays that give us good scoring power but we have been inconsistent them in the last 12 months. We are working hard in the last part was probably centre balances. When we did get some opportunity or dominance in the game we gave up the centre bounce.

An isolated incident but Jordan De Goey took a contentious mark late. What did you make of it?

The umpire made a call.

What do you make of his game generally it was pretty impressive?

He is a really good man. He has been given the opportunity and is looking for that. For him to perform the way he did, it is full credit to him. 18 touches for a big man, he competed and did what he had to do and showed everybody he is up to AFL level.

Will you keep a spot for Hayes when Ryder returns?

That will be interesting. It is great to see Hayes perform that way.

With Jack Hayes, if you don’t get the opportunity to look at him over during the preseason do you pick him?

It is interesting, I think we all do it, looking at the deficiencies that players have had before. Sometimes we do look at that way as coaches or recruiters. He has been around the mark and a lot of clubs have been so close to picking him but they have not for some reason.

Sometimes it’s because somebody else pops up and that changes your approach or your strategy going into the draft. It is a credit to him. He has put a good step forward in his AFL career.

He may not have the quantity of games but he does have the quality of games. He might not get to 300 because he started later but he will make sure that every game is a good one for him.

It is a storyline that has taken a bit in recent years, forward deficiency. How do you approach from that perspective?

When we got the ball we scored about 53 per cent which is a KPI that you go for every week. The supply was not good enough, though. We have to get that up a bit. Because we are starting with the ball going to the back and from the centre bounces we are giving up a lot of territory as well. As I touched on earlier, I thought our ability to use the ball coming out of defence, there was minimal pressure and we coughed it up. I do not think that helps the forwards at times if we get that supply back up, it will be encouraging for those players.

11.17pm on Mar 18, 2022

‘I loved the fight, spirit’: New Magpies coach Craig McRae

How would you describe your feelings given the way the guys responded?

We were excited in the rooms. We just reflected on the momentum swings of the early games and being able to capitalise when you have momentum. I think tonight was an example of that. I just love our fight and spirit. We tried to find a new DNA and offence when they come to watch us play we want to show we have some fight in us.

What about the DNA?

One of those things is to make sure we have a good fight. The game got away from us a bit in the second quarter, and in the third quarter their uncontested brand was there and that puts the pressure on. But in the last quarter, our pressure was really high.

What was your key message at three-quarter time? You really stuck to your brand.

I just said to the boys, let’s get back to being predictable. I think in the third quarter we moved away in the last 10 minutes, so I don’t really want to talk about it. I just want to talk about how we got the scoreboard on our terms. One of the parts of that was the pressure and getting that backup. Again we brought that strongly in the last quarter.

Has there ever been more pressure for a debutante than Nick Daicos tonight? How impressed with you with the way he delivered?

Nick is an elite decision-maker and kick, and it is nice to do that in an AFL game. You can do it in the practice games but to actually do it in front of a crowd and the opposition trying to take things away, that is pleasing. He is one of many young players we were happy with. Olly Henry - I thought he took a massive step forward and sort of fumbled the ball in that last quarter but then he ran over it and I thought what is going to do? Is it going to drop his head? He ended up kicking two last quarter goals and being critical.

How impressed we were with him able to keep his composure despite St Kilda roughing him up?

I think that was always going to come. Our guys were doing the same thing. He is a cool, calm young man and his character is there for everyone to see.

Another fresh face in Patrick Lipinski, probably one of your best players as well?

He has been a great acquisition for us early. We noticed when had ankle injury what it did to our team. He’s become a pretty important cog.

A clean bill of health from injury point of view, Darcy Moore spent a bit of time off at quarter time.

We are OK at the minute.

11.09pm on Mar 18, 2022

‘Don’t underestimate how much we missed this’: Pendlebury happy with win

Scott Pendlebury to Channel Seven:

How does this win feel?

I’m very happy, just to be back in front of the fans. It’s been awesome. Do not underestimate all the people watching at home, how much we all missed this.

What is the most pleasing aspect of this win? You were tested.

We didn’t go into our shells. We kicked some goals in the last quarter and created some chances. The first few minutes of the third quarter was electrifying, then we slowed down and managed to turn it back on in the last quarter.

Craig McRae takes his first victory as head coach. How has he been?

He has been great, it’s a bit of a new brand for us but we are embracing it and he has been very positive with us. Even at three-quarter time he was all about taking the game on and getting after the Saints.

10.41pm on Mar 18, 2022

‘It was unreal’: Daicos boys celebrate first win

Nick and Josh Daicos spoke with Channel Seven post game:

Was it everything you imagined?

Nick: It was unreal, just to get the win was amazing and then to play for the great club was just unreal.

How proud of you are you as a young brother?

10.35pm on Mar 18, 2022

FT: Collingwood 15.12 (102) d St Kilda 12.13 (85)

By Roy Ward

Nick Daicos shined, Patrick Lipinski did too as a reinvigorated Collingwood Magpies opened their season with a win over St Kilda.

New coach Craig McRae has his side playing with dare and run and while they made errors at times, the Magpies never stepped running and pushing the ball towards the goals with Lipinski picking up 30 disposals and a goal while Daicos had 27 touches in his first game.

A third first-gamer in Saints big man Jack Hayes was inspirational in the third term kicking two of his three goals and giving his Saints the drive they needed to come back into the game.