McRae in disbelief at Collingwood heroics

Even Collingwood coach Craig McRae thought this game was beyond the Magpies.

After Carlton produced a stunning eight-goal surge in the third quarter to take a 24-point lead to the last break, the Blues’ AFL finals drought looked over.

But Collingwood saved their biggest heist, for their fiercest rival, in the final game of the home-and-away season.

The Magpies kicked 5.1 to Carlton’s 0.6 to secure a one-point win, a top-four spot and consign the Blues to the ultimate heartache.

McRae was left speechless about everything he witnessed at the MCG on Sunday, with Jamie Elliott kicking the match-winning goal for the second time in five weeks.

“I don’t know what to say,” McRae said.

“I just can’t believe, I really can’t, we’ve found another way to win.

“I tried to get a couple of minutes by myself to take it all in because it’s hard to realise what we just did.

“I didn’t tell the players that, but I did think that (Collingwood could lose).

“There was a moment when they were peppering in the last quarter, I thought they get one of those goals and we’re done.”

After finishing 17th last season, Collingwood will enter the finals with 12 wins from their last 13 games, nine of them by less than 10 points.

“This is a unique thing, the history of the game says that, no one has won as many close games in the history of the game as we have,” McRae said.

“It’s been quite remarkable, I’m sure at some stage we’ll sit back and reflect and just admire what we’ve done in this space.”

McRae, in his first season as coach after taking over from Collingwood legend Nathan Buckley, thinks his side’s form will give them confidence in the finals.

That is despite the Magpies again being dominated in key stats on Sunday, including inside-50s, contested possessions and clearances.

“It’s not sustainable, but we’ve just found ways to challenge the opposition when we need to,” McRae said.

“If we get to a final and it’s close, this group is going to believe.”

Amid all the chaos, McRae admitted he felt for Carlton coach and his former Brisbane Lions premiership captain Michael Voss.

“I put my arms around him after the game … I just really care for him and told him I love him,” McRae said.