Scott Pendlebury tried not to get drawn into responding to criticism from Kane Cornes, but still made his feelings towards the Channel 7 commentator known.

Cornes has been a vocal critic of the Magpies’ careful and deliberate management of Pendlebury in recent weeks as he approaches the VFL/AFL games record.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Scott Pendlebury responds to Kane Cornes ahead of record-breaking game

That Pendlebury will surpass North Melbourne great Brent Harvey’s mark of 432 games in front of Collingwood’s home fans at the MCG is no mistake.

The Pies have orchestrated it that way by resting the 38-year-old for their Round 8 draw with Hawthorn and their narrow Round 10 loss to Sydney in the past three weeks.

Preceding those two breaks was a 43-disposal, two-goal, Anzac Day Medal-winning performance against Essendon, and a 27-disposal, one-goal game against Geelong.

“Pendlebury would’ve been handy,” Cornes said after the Pies’ draw with Hawthorn.

But Collingwood coach Craig McRae has staunchly defended his club’s management of their former captain and six-time best and fairest winner.

“Well, do you want to celebrate the record for the most games in the history of the game here tonight, or would you rather do it next week at the MCG?” McRae said after the loss to Sydney last Friday night.

“That’s a simple question and, respectfully, when Pendles has played that many games, we want to make sure we celebrate him in the right manner.

“His body isn’t as bulletproof as you think he is. Five and six-day breaks — all the data says he is just getting to the line, and we are looking after him. And we will celebrate him appropriately.”

Stream The Agenda Setters live or watch anytime on-demand at 7plus

On Monday night’s edition of The Agenda Setters, Cornes doubled down, calling on the Magpies’ opponents this week, West Coast, to take it personally that they have been “hand-picked” to help stage Pendlebury’s “greatest day of all time”.

“If they have not circled this as motivation and said, ‘Collingwood have hand-picked you as the team that they know they are going to beat so we can have a great day for Scott Pendlebury’ — it’s the greatest motivating factor that I’ve seen for any team in recent times,” Cornes said.

“Put it up on the whiteboard.

“If I see any West Coast player go and shake hands with Scott Pendlebury before the game, if I see the coach during the week pump up Scott Pendlebury, ‘How good is he? What a champion’.

“No, no, no — they have hand-picked you to beat you to make sure it is Scott Pendlebury’s greatest day of all time.

“Do whatever you want afterwards, but go and win the game of footy, you are good enough to win this game of football, and the disrespect shown to the Eagles, I haven’t seen anything like it.

“They’ve (Collingwood) actually said, ‘You’re our team, we know we can beat you, we know it’s going to be a great day because we’re playing West Coast at the MCG’. If you’re not motivated by that as a player, you are in the wrong game.”

Speaking to Sunrise on Tuesday morning, Pendlebury tried not to weigh in to the debate — but it’s clear what he thinks of Cornes.

“I think that’s just Kane’s nature, isn’t it? Trying to draw himself into headlines,” Pendlebury said.

“I don’t need to comment on that.

“I’m looking forward to the week and it should be really exciting.”

Pendlebury and Cornes are technically colleagues at Channel 7, with the Collingwood champion contracted to join Seven’s coverage on select games this season.

Cornes said Eagles star Harley Reid, who was dominant in West Coast’s upset victory over GWS at the weekend, should be wanting to spoil the party on Saturday.

“If he’s not motivated by this and if those senior players don’t want to come along for the ride with him, then something’s wrong with this group,” Cornes added.

“I expect a far closer game this Saturday than what Collingwood are expecting.”