McRae keeps faith in Pies despite Crows loss as debate rages over non-free kick in dying moments

Adelaide hung on by the tips of their fingernails but, at long last, shook their Magpie monkey.

The nine-year Collingwood curse is dead. After 3318 long days, Adelaide busted one of the AFL’s longest spells, in front of 54,283 fans - the biggest ever AFL crowd at Adelaide Oval - beating Collingwood for the first time since 16 July 2016.

When the Crows last defeated the Magpies - some 3318 days ago - Barack Obama was still US president, Malcolm Turnbull had been sworn in as Australian Prime Minister and Scott Pendlebury was racking up touch after touch.

Well, some things haven’t changed.

More importantly, Saturday night’s pulsating three-point triumph all but sealed the Crows’ first minor premiership since 2017 - the last time they made the top eight.

Adelaide had to work overtime for this one, particularly their backline which was inundated by one Collingwood entry after another.

The Pies amassed a whopping 71-39 advantage in inside-50s but just couldn’t land the killer blow.

The brilliant Nick Daicos’s goal on the burst in the 27th minute of the fourth quarter was the game’s final score, Collingwood attacking hard to the finish line.

The Magpies had it all on their terms early, marching to a 25-point quarter-time cushion after 30 minutes of the footy almost exclusively living inside their forward half.

But no deficit is beyond Adelaide’s potent reach and they turned the tables emphatically with a 5.1 to 0.1 second term, allowing them to pinch a five-point half-time lead.

The heavens opened in the third stanza which descended into a defensive-dominated sodden slog, the Crows spending most of it on the ropes but repeatedly warding off glancing Collingwood blows.

Another goal drought followed in the fourth, finally busted by James Peatling in the 18th minute, Adelaide’s single-figure lead seemingly worth plenty more.

Riley Thilthorpe, largely subdued by ex-Crow Billy Frampton, took a huge clutch mark on his guy and converted to restore Adelaide’s nine-point lead.

If this was a September dress rehearsal between the cagey 2023 champions and the upstart challengers, the sequel looms as a beauty.

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Magpies star Nick Daicos has put the heat on his team’s midfield to improve how they are delivering the ball to the forwards.

The Magpies forward line continues to struggle and they’ve lost five of their last six games.

“It’s probably on the midfield,” Daicos told Fox Footy.

“I think the forwards set up well. It’s on us [the midfield] to tidy up a few things.

“If we can get our forward line out in space, we will be a better team.”

Matthew Nicks has revealed what premiership-winning veteran Alex Neal-Bullen told the group as they entered the final weeks of the season.

“A very experienced man told me that we haven’t achieved anything yet,” Nicks told Fox Footy.

“His name is Alex Neal-Bullen and when you bring players like him into your football club and can sit down and share experiences they’ve had. Murray Davis is another one.

“We haven’t achieved anything yet. We are not here to finish top with one round to go, we are here to have a real crack.”

Adelaide hung on by the tips of their fingernails but, at long last, shook their Magpie monkey.

The nine-year Collingwood curse is dead. After 3318 long days, Adelaide busted one of the AFL’s longest spells, in front of 54,283 fans - the biggest ever AFL crowd at Adelaide Oval - beating Collingwood for the first time since 16 July 2016.

When the Crows last defeated the Magpies - some 3318 days ago - Barack Obama was still US president, Malcolm Turnbull had been sworn in as Australian Prime Minister and Scott Pendlebury was racking up touch after touch.

Well, some things haven’t changed.

More importantly, Saturday night’s pulsating three-point triumph all but sealed the Crows’ first minor premiership since 2017 - the last time they made the top eight.

Adelaide had to work overtime for this one, particularly their backline which was inundated by one Collingwood entry after another.

The Pies amassed a whopping 71-39 advantage in inside-50s but just couldn’t land the killer blow.

The brilliant Nick Daicos’s goal on the burst in the 27th minute of the fourth quarter was the game’s final score, Collingwood attacking hard to the finish line.

The Magpies had it all on their terms early, marching to a 25-point quarter-time cushion after 30 minutes of the footy almost exclusively living inside their forward half.

But no deficit is beyond Adelaide’s potent reach and they turned the tables emphatically with a 5.1 to 0.1 second term, allowing them to pinch a five-point half-time lead.

The heavens opened in the third stanza which descended into a defensive-dominated sodden slog, the Crows spending most of it on the ropes but repeatedly warding off glancing Collingwood blows.

Another goal drought followed in the fourth, finally busted by James Peatling in the 18th minute, Adelaide’s single-figure lead seemingly worth plenty more.

Riley Thilthorpe, largely subdued by ex-Crow Billy Frampton, took a huge clutch mark on his guy and converted to restore Adelaide’s nine-point lead.

If this was a September dress rehearsal between the cagey 2023 champions and the upstart challengers, the sequel looms as a beauty.

Garry Lyon has called it “the worst non-free kick of the season” but I can’t agree with him.

With the ball out of bounds in the final minutes and rolling between two boundary umpires, Riley Thilthorpe appeared to kick the ball away.

But a second angle showed that the ball he kicked rolled towards the other, further away boundary umpire.

It could have been a free kick, but it was better to leave it and let the on field play decide the play - at least in my view.

I think the two clear throw passes that were missed in open play were far more troubling.