‘Just remarkable players’: Craig McRae praises star Daicos brothers after 68-disposal masterclass (2025)

Collingwood coach Craig McRae hailed the performances of the “remarkable” Nick and Josh Daicos after the brothers combined to torch the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba on Thursday night.

The Magpies handed the defending premiers their first defeat of the season, winning by 52 points to extend their own unbeaten run to five matches.

The Daicos boys were instrumental in the win, combining for 68 disposals, of which Nick had a game-high 38, as well as 1244 metres gained.

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“They’re just remarkable players, aren’t they?” McRae said.

“Josh is having a great season off half-back. They had 68 touches between them, but it’s more the metres gained, Over 1000 metres gained (combined) from both those players ... I had a chat to Nick a couple weeks ago when Dan (Houston) was out, and I said `we wouldn’t mind you just playing a little bit more back and keep those metres gained that Dan gives us’.

“They tag him at times too ... just remarkable players.”

The Lions attempted to tag Nick in the third quarter with Jarrod Berry, but it failed to quell the Magpies’ star’s influence.

“We decided to have more of a team focus on him, which didn’t work in the first-half,” Fagan said.

“Then we put Jarrod Berry on him in the third-quarter and that didn’t work either, so nothing we tried to do worked on Nick. He was fantastic tonight.”

As was Collingwood’s overall performance, much to McRae’s delight.

“It’s pleasing. You build confidence, you build belief and there’s evidence. We talk constantly about evidence (being) confidence, and here are the facts,” the Magpies mentor said.

However, despite Collingwood’s dominant display, McRae said there were still things to work on ahead of next Friday’s clash against Essendon at the MCG.

“They (Brisbane) still had 104 marks. That’s a high number so we’ve got some work to do on that, but they were moving the ball in different ways, and couldn’t quite get through it,” he said.

“We came here with a deliberate plan. We didn’t quite execute it ... (but) we’re just managing moments better than we once did. This version of us is a nice version, and we’ll stay here for now.”

McRae said captain Darcy Moore should be available for the match against the Bombers despite being substituted in the final quarter after copping an accidental knee to the side of the head from teammate Jeremy Howe which left him with a split ear.

“It just required some stitches but otherwise he’s fine.”