>Click here to watch Alan Toovey speak to CTV in the rooms after the draw

COLLINGWOOD captain Nick Maxwell says replaying Saturday’s drawn grand final next week, rather than playing extra time, is an “absolute joke”.

A crowd of 100,016 people were left stunned on Saturday as the Saints reeled in a 24-point deficit early in the third term to force a replay against the Pies, who kicked a wasteful 9.14 (68) to 10.8 (68).  

Interviewed moments after the final siren, a visibly shattered Maxwell said: “It’s probably going to take this for the AFL to change the rules. It’s an absolute joke.”

A replay will be staged at 2.30pm next Saturday, with five minutes of extra time each way to be played in that game if required.

The AFL says it would be unfair to ask teams to play for a third straight week, should next week’s result be a draw.
 
It was only the third drawn grand final in VFL/AFL history, following the Melbourne-Essendon draw of 1948 and North Melbourne and Collingwood’s tie in 1977. Both were replayed a week later.    

Drawn matches in the first three weeks of the finals have been resolved with extra time since 1991, with replays previously being staged a week later, pushing all other finals back seven days.  

Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse said everyone entered Saturday’s game knowing the rules.  

“We’ve always said the grand final’s the one where if it’s a draw you play again. We all know that,” he said.

“How often does it happen in the AFL? It hasn’t. It’s unique and we’ve got to treat it as such.

“We’ve just got to bring back as quick as we can a sense of normality, which is obviously going to be really difficult.”

Collingwood ruckman Leigh Brown said he had been unsure if extra time would be required and he was already anticipating the replay.  
    
“My mind was a little bit all over the place,” he said. “It’s going to be a great challenge. I look forward to another great battle.”