Crisp's VFL/AFL record for consecutive games is in danger of ending after the Collingwood veteran laid a tackle that concussed North Melbourne's Tom Blamires at Marvel Stadium on Friday night.
After playing 279 games in a row, starting in round 18, 2014, when he played for Brisbane, Crisp faces a nervous wait before match review officer Michael Christian hands down his findings on Saturday.
McRae insisted he hadn't seen the incident but spoke about Crisp and his extraordinary record.
"If he's tackled him and he's been concussed, obviously there's something to answer for," McRae said after the Magpies' thrilling 13.11 (89) to 12.13 (85) win.
"But that'll be disappointing.
"I thought Jack had a great game. Critical moments.
"It'll be a big loss, and he hasn't missed a game for so long - he'll be shattered.
"That's a record that's his for a long time."
McRae laughed multiple times when talking about Crisp, but explained it was only because he had joked about resting the 32-year-old recently.
Blamires, who was coincidentally working in Collingwood's commercial department before taken by North earlier 2026, was placed in the AFL's mandatory 12-day concussion protocols.
Under the AFL's bid to protect players from head injuries, any tackle that leads to a concussion generally results in a suspension for the offending person.
North Melbourne forward Paul Curtis was only returning from his own three-week ban following a heavy tackle that left West Coast's Hamish Davis with concussion.
But Crisp could be saved by the fact he didn't pin Blamires' arms in the tackle, unlike Curtis on Davis.
North were left perplexed by Curtis's suspension, with former captain Jy Simpkin finding himself in trouble for some social media comments about the case.
But Kangaroos coach Alastair Clarkson refused to compare the two cases, claiming he hadn't seen the incident.
"You guys can make whatever comment you like about that, and even if I did see it, I wouldn't comment," he said.
"A surprise to me when they came me and said he's been assessed.
"Then we got the call from the docs that he hasn't come out of the HIA well."
Crisp, who has played 291 AFL games, broke late Melbourne legend Jim Stynes' long-standing consecutive games record of 244 in round eight last year when the Magpies played Geelong.
7°C