Collingwood coach Craig McRae couldn’t hide his “overwhelming disappointment” after his side’s season came to a bitter end in Saturday night’s preliminary final loss to Brisbane at the MCG.

But McRae thinks the Magpies went in well prepared, despite a calf injury to Scott Pendlebury in the opening minutes, and he refused to make excuses after a controversial non-free kick to Jamie Elliott in the fourth quarter that denied the hosts a key opportunity to stay alive.

Collingwood led the grand final qualifier by 13 points at half-time but gave up 11 goals in the second half as its midfield was overwhelmed by Brisbane’s starpower to fall by 29 points, 11.5 (71) to 15.10 (100).

Preliminary Final

AFL Sep 19 7:40pm AEST FT Geelong 115 Hawthorn 85 MATCH CENTRE *Odds are curre

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