Craig McRae insists it is "pretty naive" to suggest Collingwood targeted West Coast as an easy kill to celebrate Scott Pendlebury's record-breaking AFL match.
Pendlebury will play his 433rd game when the Magpies host the Eagles at the MCG on Saturday, after being left out of the team in two of the previous three rounds.
The Pies drew with Hawthorn and suffered a narrow defeat to Sydney without Pendlebury, after he had starred in the Anzac Day thrashing of Essendon.
McRae has repeatedly defended the 38-year-old's management plan, which has drawn plenty of criticism as the club prepares to cash-in on a huge crowd.
On Thursday, McRae hit back at accusations Collingwood had "hand-picked" the 15th-placed Eagles for the milestone match.
