McRae was particularly disappointed with their ball use against St Kilda last Thursday. Of Sidebottom’s 11 kicks, eight were clangers or ineffective, while Pendlebury has also had his issues.

Mindful his team has had a busy start to the season, McRae suggested either Pendlebury, still averaging almost 22 disposals per game, or wingman Sidebottom, averaging 16 touches, could be rested, or even used as the substitute.

“I am not sure. Time will tell. I would like to think we back people in. That is something we have done over time,” McRae replied when asked if both men would play in the grand final rematch against the winless Lions.

“And we just weigh up – after six-day, six-day, six-day (breaks) – what does that look like, what is coming as well, and where the players are physically. I think we will just manage everyone individually.”

AFL great Leigh Matthews has questioned Pendlebury’s form, while Jonathan Brown – a triple premiership teammate of McRae’s at Brisbane – speaking on Fox Footy’s On the Couch on Monday, questioned whether “father time” had caught up with the 386-game veteran.

“All of a sudden, the game starts to look like it has quickened up for Scott Pendlebury, when for 15 years he has made the game slow down,” Brown said.

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McRae, however, stressed Pendlebury and 312-gamer Sidebottom were still excelling when it came to their fitness.

“I think those two, in particular, we look for things we can measure. Most of them are doing PBs (personal bests), in the gym, out there for GPS, high speed – all the things that we can look at and see they are at the top of their game. Those things are real and right in front of us,” McRae said.

“I think everyone physically at the start of the year is at their absolute optimum. That’s real. We are very conscious of that. The game is very high-transitional early in the season. June, middle of June, wet, a little bit slower, experience is really important, so we have to be very careful what we see now and what is potentially coming.”

Tom Mitchell, another veteran, donned the white guernsey at training, the colour typically given to reserve players, while pressure-forward Harvey Harrison and defender John Noble, also in white, pushed for selection for the Gabba blockbuster.

“We have got a huge respect for Brisbane, three games ago we were playing in a grand final against each other. I would like to think there are a lot of good players that are looking to make amends, I am sure,” McRae said.

The coach was hands-on at training. He spent time umpiring match-simulation drills and, at one point, called the players in for a quick, animated chat, before play resumed. He later said the chat was about a change in structure.

Premiership stars Jack Crisp, Jordan De Goey and Brayden Maynard have also not been at their best this season, while Moore even handpassed straight to the opposition for a goal last week.

“Most things in life you have adversity – we are living a bit of that now. I am sure we will be better for it. This is a great challenge, and exciting challenge,” McRae said.

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“I am not going to change. We like to back people in. We believe in people and give them a chance. We are very honest internally, things need to get busy for a couple; the whole footy world knows that. But we like to be loyal and back people in or go and make amends, or show us what you have got, and believe in people.”

McRae insisted the Magpies had trained up to the standards required through the pre-season to remain at the pointy end of the competition.

“They were well prepared for what is right now. We kept speaking about it. We did more work than what the game is going to require of us. We had nearly 40 of our guys on our list do nearly all of the pre-season, so physically we are ready,” McRae said.

“We just have to sharpen up the mind a little bit at the moment, and look hungry in what we are doing.”

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