#18 Finlay Macrae

[Mr Miyagi]

Hope the commentators spell his name right

[dalyc]

Back to the twos

[Pies4shaw]

Callum Brown was the better option - but I think they probably wanted to have a look at Macrae in a big MCG game before the finals, just to see what he offers at the moment. Not much - still looks too small and too slow but getting this sort of exposure will assist his development, albeit it didn't assist the team much.

[Mr Miyagi]

Not a great game for Fin but it was his first senior call up in a long while. Jury out

[Ronnie McKeowns boots]

Callum Brown, with 5 seasons in the system, is a better option; well who would have thought?

[RudeBoy]

Carmichael is surely our super sub.

[Meredith1965]

Callum Brown, with 5 seasons in the system, is a better option; well who would have thought?

Yes, as Josh Daicos has shown, even elite talents get better with years at the caper. I think Callum has deserved a better go at it now. He, Adams, Grundy and de Goey might make up a midfield extraction team that works.

[LaurieHolden]

Coming off the back of a Jospeh Wren, it's hard to not think this will be Finn's year to finally emerge as a regular starter in the 22.
He's pure midfield, hopefully he's not played out of position.

While every highlight reel could have the equal clanger reel, I do like this montage.
When it arrives in '23, here's hoping this kid grabs his opportunity.

https://twitter.com/CollingwoodVFL/stat ... j94uupEVyQ

[Harrysz]

Everyone's talking about how we were smashed in the ruck by Brisbane and that's why we lost the game. Well, I think that our midfield was soundly beaten and that wasn't only because our rucks were beaten.

Finn Macrae is doing well week after week in the VFL. Last weekend he had 23 disposals in a side which was smashed. He was probably our best player. This is his third year in the system. The club extended his contract even though he's played very few games. He should be in the side to help bolster the midfield and he should be given at least 3 games in order to acclimatise.

Who should he replace? If Patrick Lapinski was fit he'd be in the side. Macrae should replace whoever would've made room for Lapinski.

[MatthewBoydFanClub]

It's the problem you have when you introduce a player like Tom Mitchell into the senior team. Macrae just has to bide his time until a senior player retires or we get more injuries, until Macrae gets a game. And while Mitchell and Sidebottom were down on form against Brisbane, you can't dismiss the fact that we were being belted out of the center by the Brisbane rucks and the ball was only coming to us 10-20 meters further towards Brisbane's goals. When you lose so much territory to the opposition by the time you lay hands on the ball your mids are at a major disadvantage throughout the game. Macrae won't correct that and there's no way he's going to get a game at the expense of Mitchell, Sidey, Pendles, Adams, Crisp and De Goey. As I said he has to bide his time until there's a vacancy.

[Pies4shaw]

He looks like he may be one of the many players who lacks the pace or stength to make the transition from solid VFL contributor to good senior footballer. I hope he does make the transition but he never really stands out as a star in the VFL, even when he gets a fair bit of the ball - and his efforts in the seniors have been anonymous. I was watching the Carlton round 23 game last year recently and I saw him on the field - but for that, I would never have remembered that he played. Nothing he did stood out as an indicator of a player about to make the leap to a regular senior spot.

[Boot]

I too wouldn't mind seeing Finn Macrae's form in the VFL be rewarded by a call-up into the AFL team, even if it is via the sub position. I think Finn Macrae is a classy player with lots of upside to improve his game as he overcomes his back injury that curtailed his preseason this year. I still have high hopes that Finn will develop into as good a player as his brother at Footscray.
When he was first recruited, I thought he would be the perfect replacement for Steele Sidebottom when Steele retired. Three years on and Sidebottom is still playing good football so Macrae has had to look to surpass others such as Adams, Crisp, DeGoey, the two Daicos boys and of course Tom Mitchell's arrival at the club has pushed Macrae further down the pecking order. The form of Ed Allan is another player who will be competing with Macrae.
The good news is that Finn Macrae is doing everything he can to be in the best position to step up to the AFL in case of injury or form of those currently ahead of him so he will eventually get his opportunity and I hope he makes the most of any opportunity that comes his way.

[Harrysz]

Thanks Boot.

[dalyc]

I too wouldn't mind seeing Finn Macrae's form in the VFL be rewarded by a call-up into the AFL team, even if it is via the sub position. I think Finn Macrae is a classy player with lots of upside to improve his game as he overcomes his back injury that curtailed his preseason this year. I still have high hopes that Finn will develop into as good a player as his brother at Footscray.
When he was first recruited, I thought he would be the perfect replacement for Steele Sidebottom when Steele retired. Three years on and Sidebottom is still playing good football so Macrae has had to look to surpass others such as Adams, Crisp, DeGoey, the two Daicos boys and of course Tom Mitchell's arrival at the club has pushed Macrae further down the pecking order. The form of Ed Allan is another player who will be competing with Macrae.
The good news is that Finn Macrae is doing everything he can to be in the best position to step up to the AFL in case of injury or form of those currently ahead of him so he will eventually get his opportunity and I hope he makes the most of any opportunity that comes his way.

I think Finn is the wrong type of player to be sub. For a sub I think impact. I think Finn is more dour.

[Rick]

Wouldn’t be surprised if he requests a trade at seasons end if he doesn’t cement a spot in the seniors.