How 'diving on concrete' shaped latest Maroons rookie
Trent Loiero counts Queensland hardman Michael Crocker among his muses.
But the Melbourne forward feels he's struck the balance between fire and finesse ahead of his own State of Origin debut.
Loiero, 24, will return home to the Sunshine Coast this week for the Maroons' camp - moved from their traditional Sanctuary Cove base - ahead of next Wednesday's opener in Brisbane.
The fiery Storm forward admitted he went too far at this month's Magic Round when he conceded a pair of costly penalties in a golden-point loss to Canberra.
Invited into the Maroons' camp last year, Loiero has worked on his ball-playing and opposition scouting to become a more complete player.
But the hot streak built during a childhood "playing rain, hail and shine, diving on the concrete, diving on the road" remains.
"It's always been there. It might just have come out a bit more in the past few weeks," he said.
"I've learnt my lesson. Aggression's good, as long as it's controlled aggression."
Loiero has been named on Billy Slater's bench and says he hasn't given any thought to the Blues' pack and if he'll be targeted as a rookie.
Not that he'd mind it, given Loiero cited two of the Maroons' great competitors when asked who he had modelled his game on.
"If you're talking about people who like to bring the heat, Mick Crocker was one," he said of the tough-as-nails forward.
"Also Matt Gillett. I loved watching Matt Gillett."
Reuben Cotter has seen enough of Loiero to know he'll fit right into a pack keen to turn the tables on the Blues.
"Mick Crocker, the sort of player he was in this jersey, all us middle forwards aspire to play similarly," he told AAP.
"He's (Loiero) a handy player; been watching him for a couple of years now.
"And he's played in some big games now too and it's good to have him in camp."
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The Advertiser
21 minutes ago
- The Advertiser
Gawn, May clash as Magpies win King's Birthday thriller
Melbourne captain Max Gawn and defender Steven May have clashed as Collingwood won a pulsating King's Birthday AFL clash by one point. With less than a minute left, Gawn's miscued kick after a mark in the back pocket went straight to Collingwood's Will Hoskin-Elliott to confirm the result, with the Magpies winning 11.6 (72) to 10.11 (71) on Monday at the MCG. May angrily approached Gawn on the final siren. The captain also made his feelings clear before pushing May away. Teammate Daniel Turner had his arm around Gawn and was trying to settle their hot tempers. "We just both want to win and I'm not exactly sure what actually happened - it was very loud with the crowd and what-not," Gawn told reporters later. "But we both want to win and it was a very disappointing last 30 seconds in the way it played out." Coach Simon Goodwin said Gawn and May soon sorted out their differences. "Two competitors, frustrated - two leaders (who) have an incredibly strong relationship, obviously disappointed with the outcome," Goodwin said. "They've moved on pretty quickly - they're in there having a good chat about it." Gawn said that after he took the mark, he was called to play on and he thought the best option was a big kick out of defence - but he miscued and turned it over. "I thought it was weird I got called to play on. I don't think I really moved," he said "And then a ruckman kicking from the back pocket, when he's called to play on, it's not the best recipe for us to try and win, so I thought a chaos ball was our best option. "Maysy just wants to win and he holds us all to high standards. "It was too loud for me to even properly say what was said." Collingwood led by 20 points in the third quarter, but fell behind early in the last term, before Dan McStay kicked the final goal. Both sides had further chances to score, but Gawn's snap at a boundary throw-in narrowly missed and a set shot by Koltyn Tholstrup didn't quite make the distance as the Demons fell agonisingly short. Almost a year to the day since last season's injury nightmare, Demons star Christian Petracca returned to the same stage with 26 disposals and five clearances. But it was some of Collingwood's stars who shone brightest as the ladder leaders made it five wins on the bounce and improved their record to 11-2 ahead of a mid-season bye. Jeremy Howe (26 disposals) was brilliant in defence, Josh Daicos (34) stood up in the middle and McStay kicked two important goals. Nick Daicos kicked one goal from 19 disposals as he struggled with a tight tag from rebadged Melbourne winger Ed Langdon. The Demons (5-8) had their chances as Bayley Fritsch and Kysaiah Pickett kicked three goals each. Pickett put Melbourne in front briefly in the final quarter and Clayton Oliver (30 disposals, nine clearances) worked hard. The Demons dominated centre clearances (16-7) and overall clearances (39-29), and had a 54-45 advantage in forward entries, but couldn't make it count. Langdon wore Daicos like a glove from the outset and their tussle was central to multiple spotfires throughout a tight first half. Two Pickett goals bookended three straight Collingwood majors in the second quarter, his first a fortuitous hack off the deck from 45 metres. But the Demons managed just 2.4 for the term - to Collingwood's 4.0 - despite dominating the inside-50 count (21-9). The Magpies, who enjoyed an 18-11 advantage in free kicks in the first half, led by eight points at the main break after Tim Membrey slotted a set shot on the siren. Collingwood's victory extended their recent dominance of Melbourne to 11 wins in 13 meetings. Melbourne captain Max Gawn and defender Steven May have clashed as Collingwood won a pulsating King's Birthday AFL clash by one point. With less than a minute left, Gawn's miscued kick after a mark in the back pocket went straight to Collingwood's Will Hoskin-Elliott to confirm the result, with the Magpies winning 11.6 (72) to 10.11 (71) on Monday at the MCG. May angrily approached Gawn on the final siren. The captain also made his feelings clear before pushing May away. Teammate Daniel Turner had his arm around Gawn and was trying to settle their hot tempers. "We just both want to win and I'm not exactly sure what actually happened - it was very loud with the crowd and what-not," Gawn told reporters later. "But we both want to win and it was a very disappointing last 30 seconds in the way it played out." Coach Simon Goodwin said Gawn and May soon sorted out their differences. "Two competitors, frustrated - two leaders (who) have an incredibly strong relationship, obviously disappointed with the outcome," Goodwin said. "They've moved on pretty quickly - they're in there having a good chat about it." Gawn said that after he took the mark, he was called to play on and he thought the best option was a big kick out of defence - but he miscued and turned it over. "I thought it was weird I got called to play on. I don't think I really moved," he said "And then a ruckman kicking from the back pocket, when he's called to play on, it's not the best recipe for us to try and win, so I thought a chaos ball was our best option. "Maysy just wants to win and he holds us all to high standards. "It was too loud for me to even properly say what was said." Collingwood led by 20 points in the third quarter, but fell behind early in the last term, before Dan McStay kicked the final goal. Both sides had further chances to score, but Gawn's snap at a boundary throw-in narrowly missed and a set shot by Koltyn Tholstrup didn't quite make the distance as the Demons fell agonisingly short. Almost a year to the day since last season's injury nightmare, Demons star Christian Petracca returned to the same stage with 26 disposals and five clearances. But it was some of Collingwood's stars who shone brightest as the ladder leaders made it five wins on the bounce and improved their record to 11-2 ahead of a mid-season bye. Jeremy Howe (26 disposals) was brilliant in defence, Josh Daicos (34) stood up in the middle and McStay kicked two important goals. Nick Daicos kicked one goal from 19 disposals as he struggled with a tight tag from rebadged Melbourne winger Ed Langdon. The Demons (5-8) had their chances as Bayley Fritsch and Kysaiah Pickett kicked three goals each. Pickett put Melbourne in front briefly in the final quarter and Clayton Oliver (30 disposals, nine clearances) worked hard. The Demons dominated centre clearances (16-7) and overall clearances (39-29), and had a 54-45 advantage in forward entries, but couldn't make it count. Langdon wore Daicos like a glove from the outset and their tussle was central to multiple spotfires throughout a tight first half. Two Pickett goals bookended three straight Collingwood majors in the second quarter, his first a fortuitous hack off the deck from 45 metres. But the Demons managed just 2.4 for the term - to Collingwood's 4.0 - despite dominating the inside-50 count (21-9). The Magpies, who enjoyed an 18-11 advantage in free kicks in the first half, led by eight points at the main break after Tim Membrey slotted a set shot on the siren. Collingwood's victory extended their recent dominance of Melbourne to 11 wins in 13 meetings. Melbourne captain Max Gawn and defender Steven May have clashed as Collingwood won a pulsating King's Birthday AFL clash by one point. With less than a minute left, Gawn's miscued kick after a mark in the back pocket went straight to Collingwood's Will Hoskin-Elliott to confirm the result, with the Magpies winning 11.6 (72) to 10.11 (71) on Monday at the MCG. May angrily approached Gawn on the final siren. The captain also made his feelings clear before pushing May away. Teammate Daniel Turner had his arm around Gawn and was trying to settle their hot tempers. "We just both want to win and I'm not exactly sure what actually happened - it was very loud with the crowd and what-not," Gawn told reporters later. "But we both want to win and it was a very disappointing last 30 seconds in the way it played out." Coach Simon Goodwin said Gawn and May soon sorted out their differences. "Two competitors, frustrated - two leaders (who) have an incredibly strong relationship, obviously disappointed with the outcome," Goodwin said. "They've moved on pretty quickly - they're in there having a good chat about it." Gawn said that after he took the mark, he was called to play on and he thought the best option was a big kick out of defence - but he miscued and turned it over. "I thought it was weird I got called to play on. I don't think I really moved," he said "And then a ruckman kicking from the back pocket, when he's called to play on, it's not the best recipe for us to try and win, so I thought a chaos ball was our best option. "Maysy just wants to win and he holds us all to high standards. "It was too loud for me to even properly say what was said." Collingwood led by 20 points in the third quarter, but fell behind early in the last term, before Dan McStay kicked the final goal. Both sides had further chances to score, but Gawn's snap at a boundary throw-in narrowly missed and a set shot by Koltyn Tholstrup didn't quite make the distance as the Demons fell agonisingly short. Almost a year to the day since last season's injury nightmare, Demons star Christian Petracca returned to the same stage with 26 disposals and five clearances. But it was some of Collingwood's stars who shone brightest as the ladder leaders made it five wins on the bounce and improved their record to 11-2 ahead of a mid-season bye. Jeremy Howe (26 disposals) was brilliant in defence, Josh Daicos (34) stood up in the middle and McStay kicked two important goals. Nick Daicos kicked one goal from 19 disposals as he struggled with a tight tag from rebadged Melbourne winger Ed Langdon. The Demons (5-8) had their chances as Bayley Fritsch and Kysaiah Pickett kicked three goals each. Pickett put Melbourne in front briefly in the final quarter and Clayton Oliver (30 disposals, nine clearances) worked hard. The Demons dominated centre clearances (16-7) and overall clearances (39-29), and had a 54-45 advantage in forward entries, but couldn't make it count. Langdon wore Daicos like a glove from the outset and their tussle was central to multiple spotfires throughout a tight first half. Two Pickett goals bookended three straight Collingwood majors in the second quarter, his first a fortuitous hack off the deck from 45 metres. But the Demons managed just 2.4 for the term - to Collingwood's 4.0 - despite dominating the inside-50 count (21-9). The Magpies, who enjoyed an 18-11 advantage in free kicks in the first half, led by eight points at the main break after Tim Membrey slotted a set shot on the siren. Collingwood's victory extended their recent dominance of Melbourne to 11 wins in 13 meetings.
The Advertiser
21 minutes ago
- The Advertiser
One down, one up as McRae lauds Daicos double-act
If one Daicos doesn't get you, the other one will. Collingwood star Nick Daicos had his usual sharp impact blunted by a tight tag from rebadged Melbourne wingman Ed Langdon in the King's Birthday thriller. But older brother Josh stepped up in a best-afield display, tallying a game-high 34 disposals from half-back in the Magpies' 11.6 (72) to 10.11 (71) victory at the MCG. "It's a nice duo, isn't it?" Collingwood coach Craig McRae said of his super siblings. "Josh has had an enormous year. He starts on the bench and he just looked like a different player to everyone else when he came on. "Everyone was fumbling, but not Josh. I'm really happy for him. "He's worked really hard on his game, he's never played backline before and he's working really hard to be the best player he can be. "Right now everyone's seeing that." Langdon wore Nick Daicos like a glove from the outset and frustrated the Pies' Brownlow Medal fancy, who had just seven touches in the first half. Daicos had another seven in the third quarter and almost had a major say in the last, when he kicked one goal from a 50 metre penalty and missed another set shot when Langdon conceded a free kick. Langdon had just four disposals himself and raised eyebrows with some of his close-checking tactics, but McRae conceded the hard-running Demon played his role well. "I thought Nick was well handled today," McRae said. "They did a great job on him and Nick fought through it, but Langdon would've had the honours." The physical battle between Langdon and Daicos sparked a series of spotfires between players from both sides in the first half. McRae felt it was a "nil-all draw" in the way his players looked after Daicos in slippery conditions that made for a hard-fought contest. "There were times when we could've done a few things different, but it's a different game right now," McRae said. Not to be outdone by his sons, Collingwood legend Peter Daicos stood out dressed as Heath Ledger's iconic Joker in the pre-match Big Freeze fundraiser. The Magpies' fifth straight win gave them an 11-2 record on top of the ladder at their mid-season bye. If one Daicos doesn't get you, the other one will. Collingwood star Nick Daicos had his usual sharp impact blunted by a tight tag from rebadged Melbourne wingman Ed Langdon in the King's Birthday thriller. But older brother Josh stepped up in a best-afield display, tallying a game-high 34 disposals from half-back in the Magpies' 11.6 (72) to 10.11 (71) victory at the MCG. "It's a nice duo, isn't it?" Collingwood coach Craig McRae said of his super siblings. "Josh has had an enormous year. He starts on the bench and he just looked like a different player to everyone else when he came on. "Everyone was fumbling, but not Josh. I'm really happy for him. "He's worked really hard on his game, he's never played backline before and he's working really hard to be the best player he can be. "Right now everyone's seeing that." Langdon wore Nick Daicos like a glove from the outset and frustrated the Pies' Brownlow Medal fancy, who had just seven touches in the first half. Daicos had another seven in the third quarter and almost had a major say in the last, when he kicked one goal from a 50 metre penalty and missed another set shot when Langdon conceded a free kick. Langdon had just four disposals himself and raised eyebrows with some of his close-checking tactics, but McRae conceded the hard-running Demon played his role well. "I thought Nick was well handled today," McRae said. "They did a great job on him and Nick fought through it, but Langdon would've had the honours." The physical battle between Langdon and Daicos sparked a series of spotfires between players from both sides in the first half. McRae felt it was a "nil-all draw" in the way his players looked after Daicos in slippery conditions that made for a hard-fought contest. "There were times when we could've done a few things different, but it's a different game right now," McRae said. Not to be outdone by his sons, Collingwood legend Peter Daicos stood out dressed as Heath Ledger's iconic Joker in the pre-match Big Freeze fundraiser. The Magpies' fifth straight win gave them an 11-2 record on top of the ladder at their mid-season bye. If one Daicos doesn't get you, the other one will. Collingwood star Nick Daicos had his usual sharp impact blunted by a tight tag from rebadged Melbourne wingman Ed Langdon in the King's Birthday thriller. But older brother Josh stepped up in a best-afield display, tallying a game-high 34 disposals from half-back in the Magpies' 11.6 (72) to 10.11 (71) victory at the MCG. "It's a nice duo, isn't it?" Collingwood coach Craig McRae said of his super siblings. "Josh has had an enormous year. He starts on the bench and he just looked like a different player to everyone else when he came on. "Everyone was fumbling, but not Josh. I'm really happy for him. "He's worked really hard on his game, he's never played backline before and he's working really hard to be the best player he can be. "Right now everyone's seeing that." Langdon wore Nick Daicos like a glove from the outset and frustrated the Pies' Brownlow Medal fancy, who had just seven touches in the first half. Daicos had another seven in the third quarter and almost had a major say in the last, when he kicked one goal from a 50 metre penalty and missed another set shot when Langdon conceded a free kick. Langdon had just four disposals himself and raised eyebrows with some of his close-checking tactics, but McRae conceded the hard-running Demon played his role well. "I thought Nick was well handled today," McRae said. "They did a great job on him and Nick fought through it, but Langdon would've had the honours." The physical battle between Langdon and Daicos sparked a series of spotfires between players from both sides in the first half. McRae felt it was a "nil-all draw" in the way his players looked after Daicos in slippery conditions that made for a hard-fought contest. "There were times when we could've done a few things different, but it's a different game right now," McRae said. Not to be outdone by his sons, Collingwood legend Peter Daicos stood out dressed as Heath Ledger's iconic Joker in the pre-match Big Freeze fundraiser. The Magpies' fifth straight win gave them an 11-2 record on top of the ladder at their mid-season bye.
News.com.au
38 minutes ago
- News.com.au
McRae full of praise for clutch Pies
AFL: Magpies coach Craig McRae has addressed the media following his side's thrilling victory over the Demons
