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Dave Hughes has launched a brutally scathing attack on Collingwood boss Craig McRae for holding secret ‘dates’ with Carlton star Jack Silvagni, in a bid to lure the key defender away from the Blues.
The comedian is a massive Carlton fan and didn't hold back while stood on the red carpet at the Logie Awards on Sunday, branding McRae a 'd***head'.
The subject of coaches attending meetings to tap up players has been a hot topic this season, with Hawks boss Sam Mitchell meeting up with West Coast free agent Oscar Allen at the start of the season. Allen, the Eagles' captain, was blasted for attending the meeting and later delivered an apology to West Coast supporters.
While on the Red Carpet, Hughes followed in suit of under-pressure Blues boss Michael Voss, taking aim at McRae who had openly admitted he had met with Silvagni in a bid to poach the 27-year-old from his beloved footy club.
McRae had also stated that he was keen for a follow-up meeting with Silvagni, who was drafted to the Blues back in 2016.
Carlton tragic Dave Hughes (right) launched a brutally scathing attack on Collingwood boss Craig McRae on the red carpet at the Logie Awards on Sunday night
McRae (pictured) admitted openly last week that he had gone for a secret meeting with Carlton key defender Jack Silvagni
Silvagni (left) is a free agent and is understood to have met with the Collingwood coach to discuss his options
'I'm not as upset as the Collingwood players who aren't contracted yet who are not getting the money they want because their coach is out dating a Carlton player,' Hughes said to The Herald Sun.
'That's a poor thing, he shouldn't have done that. McRae made a mistake then and he's paying for it.’
His comments came after Collingwood suffered a 27-point defeat by Brisbane at the MCG on Saturday night.
Logan Morris booted a whopping six goals for the Lions, with the lacklustre Pies being overwhelmed by the brilliance of Lachie Neale, Hugh McCluggage, Josh Dunkley and Will ashcroft - who all amassed over 30 disposals during the match.
'They (Collingwood) were s*** last night (against Brisbane),’ Hughes fumed.
‘Wonder why they didn't go as hard, maybe because you're dating a Carlton player during the week, you d***head.'
Voss was equally scathing in his appraisal of McRae’s decision to meet with Silvagni, hinting that his decision to go public on the secret ‘date’ was putting greater pressure the key defender.
'It''s unusual for a coach to announce something like that,' Voss said ahead of Sunday's clash with Fremantle in Perth.
'Regardless of what Craig did, it's not something we would do. We will respect the privacy of the player.
Micahel Voss (pictured) clapped back at McRae, claiming his public announcement over his meetings with Silvagni was something he as Blues coach would not do
Hughes, meanwhile, also poked a barb at Collingwood after they suffered defeat by Brisbane on Saturday night
McRae (pictured) also added that he would go on a 'second date' with Silvagni, adding that he would continue to keep exploring options with other free agents
'It's not for me to announce something like that on behalf of someone, because they're the ones that have to walk back into the locker room.’
Voss and McRae played together at the Brisbane Lions, but noting the backlash Oscar Allen received earlier this year following his contract furore, Voss said this is something his side would not have done.
'We'd choose not to make that sort of announcement,’ he said.
'And while I didn't necessarily read all the headlines around Oscar, I believe he came under a fair bit of heat.'
‘I want to be really clear - he's a very important player for us. We're certainly hoping he plays out the rest of his career with us,’ Voss said, noting that the defender is set to miss the remainder of the season with a groin injury.
Losing Silvagni would be another big blow for Carlton fans like Hughes, who are in the midst of a torrid run of form, while several figures in the AFL have questioned whether the team had a mean streak and a desire to win, after shocking vision had shown Blues players shaking hands with opponent players before games this year.
The Blues have slumped to 13th in the ladder having lost four of their last five games, as concerns continue to mount over Voss’ position as the side’s head coach. Among those defeats, the Blues have suffered a 59-point loss by Collingwood, a 37-point defeat by Brisbane, and more recently a 27-point loss by Fremantle.
Concerns among Carlton tragics like Hughes have begun to mount.
Eddie McGuire clapped back at Hughes (pictured) for his comments about Collingwood's performance against the Lions on Saturday, which the comedian said was 's***'. McGuire pointed to how Carlton were not innocent when it came to 'pillaging' clubs by using cash
But his criticisms of the Pies were not well received by former Collingwood president Eddie McGuire, who stated that Carlton were not innocent when it came to using cash to secure players.
'Hughesy must have a short memory when Carlton used to drop brown paper bags... zero sympathy in relation to Carlton pillaging clubs in particular down on their knees,' the ex-Magpies executive said.
'David Rhys-Jones and Greg Williams didn't just turn up.
'We're delighted he's so concerned about us, think he's got a few more things to worry about.'
Hughes had also been branded as ‘annoying’ by some Logies viewers after he appeared on stage alongside Guy Montgomery.
The duo presented the award for Best Telemovie or Miniseries. But Hughes made several jokes about having not previously won the award, while also cracking a punchline about having to eat a boar’s penis while filming I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here.
