The Collingwood Magpies rapid rise back up the ladder after Craig McRae's appointment had the AFL enraptured.
The fabled club could seemingly win from anywhere in his first two seasons, memorably orchestrating brilliant comeback after brilliant comeback. McRae was seemingly as intoxicated with the ride as Collingwood's fans were.
His relentless positivity was a driving factor in the success. Talks of the nurturing culture he'd cultivated dominated back pages, and the Pies' on-field performances franked such yarns.
The black and white fell one point short of a Grand Final berth in Fly's first year, and saluted as premiers in his second on the same day his wife gave birth to a baby girl, which the family fittingly named 'Maggie'.
It was serendipitous. It was feel-good. It was beautiful.
But, ever so slowly, the gloss has scuffed. The sheen has dulled, if you will.
In his fifth season, the AFL public is experiencing a tiredness with the relentless positivity, which, unintentionally and very occasionally, has landed the 52-year-old in hot water.
Winning in the early days of his tenure papered over a lot of cracks in the Pies' list. With the club attempting to follow Geelong's blueprint for sustained contention, Collingwood have continuously topped up with established talent, as opposed to heading to the draft, and when they, they've scarcely nailed their selections.
McRae himself infamously sent talkback radio into a frenzy and pundits reeling when he openly stated he wanted "players not (draft) picks", with the forecasted unsustainability of that list-building method, ridiculed.
This high-risk approach has brought with it an intense scrutiny - even more than the Victorian powerhouse is used to. With the Pies sputtering to start the season, and with their midfield badly exposed in Nick Daicos' unexpected absence on Thursday night, Pies fans are calling for more mongrel from McRae.
Supporters can never be sure whether or not players are getting hit between the eyes behind closed doors, but a publicising of such angst would allay the concerns of a fanbase growing tired of the same old adages.
Waxing about "getting back to work" and "still taking positives" from nine-goal losses may need to make way for selection statements, a firm hand and some home truths.
