Brayden Maynard has had a lot to deal with, even before fans repeatedly reminded the defender on Monday what they think of him.

Maynard was among the Magpies’ best in the King’s Birthday blockbuster at the MCG as they easily won.

Collingwood coach Craig McRae also revealed post-match that Maynard had endured unspecified off-field stress in the days before the game.

The last time these teams played, Maynard’s collision with Angus Brayshaw in the qualifying final last year led to a controversial tribunal case, where the Collingwood player was cleared and went on to play in their grand final victory.

Amid the obvious on-field focus on Maynard for this game, there also had been matters for him to deal with in his private life.

“He’s had a lot going on this week—I won’t share the details of it—but off the field it’s been really hard for him,” McRae said of Maynard.

“So I’m sure he wanted to put on a good performance for the stuff that’s happened outside of here.

” Asked if he thrived amid the boos, Maynard laughed and replied: “We all do, don’t we? We love it when the fans get involved, but I guess it’s all part of the game.

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