Collingwood coach Craig McRae says he is the last person to get involved in high-performance discussions amid criticism of the club's injury management of star duo Darcy Moore and Nick Daicos.
Moore returned in Round 3 against GWS after an interrupted pre-season due to soft-tissue issues, but suffered a fresh hamstring injury that has sidelined him for up to a month.
Despite clutching at his hamstring and heading down to the rooms during the game, the Collingwood skipper later returned to the field.
"Darcy played 60 percent of game time and made a huge difference to the rest of the squad. If he doesn't take those minutes, then other guys are loaded up going into a six-day break," McRae said.
"And there was no chance of further injury. So, like it or not, we probably put a guy out onto the field that couldn't kick, not ideal, but it is what it is.
Only a week later, Daicos was withdrawn from the Easter Thursday clash against Brisbane 30 minutes before the start of the match with a corked calf.
The Pies champ looked extremely uncomfortable during his fitness tests, but it begged the question why he was even considered given how proppy he looked.
"I am the last person to ask about medical stuff," McRae said.
"Hence when you ask me questions, I need to get advice on that. I'm here to coach the team around strategy and other things. That's what you do, you employ the best people who know they can do their jobs, and trust them to do their jobs.
"I've got great trust in our high-performance team. We like to challenge the norm at times.
"We always review everything we do. I go back to what they say and do, and I trust it. It doesn't mean I can't challenge things.
"They're not always going to get it right, but you stand here and back your team in.
"If you look at Nick in isolation, we had all intentions for him to go up and play, and it just didn't quite progress. It happens. We get up there with good intentions, and you have to pivot."
Daicos is set to return in Gather Round against Fremantle, while Moore is still a few weeks away.
Despite the criticism, McRae backed his high-performance team, who have placed the club in a relatively healthy order, with Harry DeMattia the only other listed player on the injury list.
