COLLINGWOOD coach Craig McRae has received an official warning from the AFL but no further sanction for his boundary-line interaction with Greater Western Sydney coach Adam Kingsley on Sunday.
McRae, coaching from the boundary at Engie Stadium on Sunday afternoon, yelled in the direction of the Giants bench as tagger Toby Bedford came from the ground and spoke with Kingsley after he'd given away a free kick.
Kingsley then responded, sending some words back and pointing at McRae as the Pies coach resumed his seat on the bench.
Both coaches played down the incident after the match, but AFL.com.au's Kane Cornes and Damian Barrett both expected the AFL to act given Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley had been fined $20,000 for an interaction with Hawthorn's Jack Ginnivan during last year's finals series.
However, McRae has received just a warning from the AFL, who said interactions between opposition players and coaches "need to continue to be conducted in a professional manner".
"After reviewing the AFL match manager's report and speaking with both clubs overnight and again this morning, the AFL Football Department has warned Collingwood coach Craig McRae and reminded him of his responsibilities while coaching from the bench. No further action will be taken," the AFL said in a statement.
"McRae said 'well done' to an opposition player who gave away a free kick as he came to bench. GWS coach Adam Kingsley saw the interaction and then told McRae 'he was better than that', with McRae then sitting down.
"When on the bench or on-field, interactions between officials, coaches and/or opposition players need to continue to be conducted in a professional manner."
Kingsley worked alongside McRae as assistants to Richmond coach Damien Hardwick during the Tigers' 2019 and 2020 premiership campaigns.
On Monday morning, Barrett had revealed more details of the exchange.
"What I've been told overnight, is that [Kingsley] actually said phrases like 'You have to be better than that' and to, when he admonished him, 'sit down'," Barrett shared on Access on AFL.com.au.
"The Giants aren't making a big deal about it, but they were hearing words coming from the bench.
"Maybe not all of them from Craig McRae, and it wasn't just Toby Bedford who was the subject of the words being spoken to.
"The two benches are quite close together at that particular stadium."
Last September, Hinkley was fined $20,000 after he was found to have breached AFL Rule 2.3(a), conduct unbecoming, for his interaction with Hawthorn players after their semi-final at Adelaide Oval.
It was the same financial sanction that Greater Western Sydney football boss Jason McCartney was handed a week earlier for making contact with Sydney player Tom Papley during the quarter-time break of their qualifying final at the SCG.
At the time of the Hinkley sanction, AFL general counsel Stephen Meade had said "opposition officials and players inappropriately engaging each other is something we don't want to see because of the potential to escalate and the example that it sets for football at lower levels and we are disappointed the moment took away from what was one of the great finals matches".
In 2021, Geelong coach Chris Scott received a $10,000 suspended fine for his interaction with Brisbane players during a quarter-time break.
