View source for Craig McRae

{{Short description|Australian rules footballer and coach (born 1973)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2015}}
{{Use Australian English|date=September 2015}}
{{Infobox AFL biography
| name = Craig McRae
| image = 
| caption = 
| fullname = Craig McRae
| nickname = Fly<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/i-know-the-process-of-winning-mcrae-challenges-pies-stars-to-drive-success-20210903-p58ogj.html|title='I know the process of winning': McRae challenges Pies stars to drive success|first=Michael|last=Gleeson|newspaper=[[The Age]]|date=4 September 2021|quote=It’s because he’s so seldom called Craig. His name is “Fly”, from before he was drafted.}}</ref>
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1973|9|22|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[South Australia]]
| death_date = 
| death_place = 
| originalteam = [[Glenelg Football Club|Glenelg]] ([[South Australian National Football League|SANFL]])
| draftpick = No. 22, [[1992 AFL Draft|1993 Pre-season Draft]], {{AFL BB}}
| height = 176 cm
| weight = 72 kg
| position = 
| statsend = the 2004 season
| currentclub = {{AFL Col}} (head coach)
| years1 = 1995–1996
| club1 = {{AFL BB}}
| games_goals1 = {{0}}39 {{0}}(56)
| years2 = 1997–2004
| club2 = {{AFL BL}}
| games_goals2 = 156 (176)
| games_goalstotal = 195 (232)
| sooyears1 = 1999
| sooteam1 = [[South Australia Australian rules football team|South Australia]]
| soogames_goals1 = 1
| nationalyears1 = 1999
| nationalteam1 = [[Australian International rules football team|Australia]]
| nationalgames_goals1 = 2
| coachyears1 = 2022–
| coachclub1 = {{AFL Col}}
| coachgames_wins1 = 88 (62–24–2)
| coachstatsend = round 15, 2025
| careerhighlights = '''Playing'''
* 3× [[List of Australian Football League premiers|AFL premiership player]]: [[2001 AFL Grand Final|2001]], [[2002 AFL Grand Final|2002]], [[2003 AFL Grand Final|2003]]

'''Coaching'''
* [[List of Australian Football League premiers|AFL premiership coach]]: [[2023 AFL Grand Final|2023]]
* [[All-Australian Team|All Australian Coach]]: [[2023 AFL season|2023]]
* [[AFL Coaches Association awards|AFLCA Coach of the Year]]: [[2022 AFL season|2022]]
* [[AFL Coaches Association awards|AFLCA Assistant Coach of the Year]]: [[2019 AFL season|2019]]
* [[List of VFA/VFL premiers|VFL premiership coach]]: [[2019 VFL season|2019]]
* VFL Coach of the Year: [[2019 VFL season|2019]]
}}

'''Craig McRae''' (born 22 September 1973) is a former [[Australian rules football]]er and the current senior coach of the [[Collingwood Football Club]].

==Playing career==
===Glenelg Football Club===
McRae played for [[Glenelg Football Club]] in the [[South Australian National Football League|SANFL]] from 1993 until 1994, for a total of 41 games and 59 goals.<ref name="australianfootball.com bio">{{cite web|url=https://australianfootball.com/players/player/Craig+McRae/13399|title=CRAIG MCRAE|access-date=15 February 2023}}</ref>

===Brisbane Bears===
McRae was drafted by [[Australian Football League|AFL]] club [[Brisbane Bears]] as the 22nd pick in the 1994 draft and had an immediate impact, kicking two goals in his first game in 1995, and played every game of that year. McRae was known for his ability to kick goals from beyond the fifty-metre line, his fierce tackling, and his scouting of the ball spilled from the hands of taller players.<ref name="australianfootball.com bio"/> He played for the Brisbane Bears from 1995 until 1996 for a total of 39 games and 56 goals.<ref name="australianfootball.com bio"/>

===Brisbane Lions===
At the end of the 1996 season, when Brisbane Bears merged with [[Fitzroy Football Club|Fitzroy Lions]] resulting in the formation of the [[Brisbane Lions]], McRae was one of the players from the Bears to join the Lions. He played for the Brisbane Lions from 1997 until 2004 for a total of 156 games and 176 goals.<ref name="australianfootball.com bio"/> He was a member of Brisbane Lions' 2001, 2002 and 2003 premiership sides. McRae retired from professional football after the 2004 Grand Final loss to [[Port Adelaide Football Club|Port Adelaide]].<ref name="pies">{{cite news|title=Magpies sign up Matthew Lappin and Craig McRae|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/lappin-joins-magpies/story-e6frf9jf-1225937733721|access-date=20 November 2010|newspaper=Herald Sun|date=12 October 2010}}</ref>

==Coaching career==
===Richmond Football Club assistant coach (2007–2009)===
In 2007, McRae served as assistant coach in the role of Player Development Coach with the [[Richmond Football Club]] under senior coach [[Terry Wallace]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://richmondfc.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=301983 |title=Official AFL Website of the Richmond Football Club |access-date=2006-10-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070104190731/http://richmondfc.com.au/default.asp?pg=news |archive-date=4 January 2007 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> Midway through the 2009 AFL season, McRae took up the head coaching position at Richmond's VFL affiliate club [[Coburg Football Club|Coburg]], when their former coach and fellow Richmond AFL assistant [[Jade Rawlings]] was appointed caretaker senior coach at Richmond, after Wallace resigned in the middle of the 2009 AFL season after Round 11, 2009. 

===Brisbane Lions assistant coach (2010)===
In 2010, McRae took up an assistant coaching position in the role of development coach position at the [[Brisbane Lions]], returning to his old playing club under senior coach and former teammate [[Michael Voss]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Craig McRae|url=http://www.collingwoodfc.com.au/season/coaches/craig-mcrae|website=collingwoodfc.com.au|publisher=Collingwood Football Club|access-date=16 August 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150816235044/http://www.collingwoodfc.com.au/season/coaches/craig-mcrae|archive-date=16 August 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.collingwoodfc.com.au/news/2015-10-15/former-cat-joins-magpies|title=Former Cat joins Magpies|publisher=[[BigPond]]|work=collingwoodfc.com.au|first=Sarah|last=Allen|date=15 October 2015|access-date=15 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016140820/http://www.collingwoodfc.com.au/news/2015-10-15/former-cat-joins-magpies|archive-date=16 October 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Collingwood Football Club assistant coach (2011–2016)=== 
McRae joined {{AFL Col}} as an assistant coach in the role as head of development in 2011 under senior coach [[Mick Malthouse]] and then under senior coach [[Nathan Buckley]] from 2012. He remained at the club for five seasons.<ref>{{cite web|title=Craig McRae|url=http://www.collingwoodfc.com.au/season/coaches/craig-mcrae|website=collingwoodfc.com.au|publisher=Collingwood Football Club|access-date=16 August 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150816235044/http://www.collingwoodfc.com.au/season/coaches/craig-mcrae|archive-date=16 August 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.collingwoodfc.com.au/news/2015-10-15/former-cat-joins-magpies|title=Former Cat joins Magpies|publisher=[[BigPond]]|work=collingwoodfc.com.au|first=Sarah|last=Allen|date=15 October 2015|access-date=15 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016140820/http://www.collingwoodfc.com.au/news/2015-10-15/former-cat-joins-magpies|archive-date=16 October 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Richmond Football Club assistant coach (2017–2020)=== 
He returned to Richmond at the end of the 2016 season, serving as an assistant coach under senior coach [[Damien Hardwick]] and head coach of the club's reserves side in the VFL. He took the side to a losing grand final in 2017, before winning a premiership in 2019 and winning the VFL's coach of the year award and [[AFL Coaches Association awards| the AFL coaches' association's assistant coach of the year award]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Richmond finalise AFL coaching structure |url=https://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/2019-11-07/coaching-announcement |access-date=9 November 2019 |work=Richmond FC |publisher=Telstra Media |date=7 November 2019}}</ref>

===Hawthorn Football Club assistant coach (2021)===
In 2021, McRae joined the [[Hawthorn Football Club]] as an assistant coach in the role of forward line coach under senior coach [[Alastair Clarkson]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Craig McRae|url=https://www.hawthornfc.com.au/news/849446|access-date=2021-08-14|website=hawthornfc.com.au|date=15 January 2021 |language=en}}</ref>

===Collingwood Football Club senior coach (2022–present)===
In September 2021, McRae returned to the [[Collingwood Football Club]], when he was appointed as senior coach ahead of the [[2022 AFL season]].<ref name="Collingwood announcement">{{Cite web|title=McRae appointed senior coach|url=https://www.collingwoodfc.com.au/news/1011722/mcrae-appointed-senior-coach|access-date=2021-09-01|website=collingwoodfc.com.au|date=September 2021 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-01/afl-collingwood-names-craig-mcrae-as-new-head-coach/100424756|title=Collingwood officially names Craig McRae as new AFL head coach|website=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] |date=31 August 2021|access-date=November 24, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/mcrae-a-very-new-collingwood-appointment-20210901-p58nuv.html|title=McRae a very new Collingwood appointment|date=1 September 2021|access-date=3 April 2022}}</ref> McRae replaced caretaker senior coach [[Robert Harvey (footballer)|Robert Harvey]], who replaced [[Nathan Buckley]] after Buckley stepped down in the middle of the 2021 season.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/coach-locked-in-collingwood-to-name-mcrae-as-buckley-s-successor-20210901-p58npm.html|title='I'm pretty pumpedd': McRae determined to build culture and success at Pies|date=1 September 2021|access-date=3 April 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/afl/story/_/id/32122346/afl-craig-mcrae-announced-new-collingwood-magpies-coach|title=Craig McRae unveiled as new Collingwood coach|date=August 31, 2021|access-date=November 20, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/sep/01/craig-mcrae-confirmed-as-collingwood-coach-as-harvey-departs-afl-club|title=Craig McRae confirmed as Collingwood coach as Harvey departs AFL club|website=[[TheGuardian.com]] |date=31 August 2021|access-date=November 20, 2021}}</ref> In his first season as senior coach, he led Collingwood to success, winning 16 games and finishing the 2022 season in 4th place after finishing 17th the previous season. Out of their wins, 11 were by less than two goals.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.afl.com.au/news/829145/dont-ever-write-em-off-pies-smash-record-for-close-wins | title=Don't ever write 'em off! Pies smash record for close wins | date=24 August 2022 }}</ref> In the [[2022 AFL finals series|finals series]], Collingwood reached the preliminary finals, where they lost to [[Sydney Swans|Sydney]] by one point after trailing by 23 points at the beginning of the last quarter.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/we-will-use-it-as-fuel-mcrae-s-message-after-devastating-magpies-loss-20220917-p5biww.html|title='We will use it as fuel': McRae's message after devastating Magpies loss|first=Peter|last=Ryan|newspaper=[[The Age]]|date=17 September 2022}}</ref> The following year, McRae coached Coached Collingwood to its 20th minor premiership <ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-08-25/collingwood-beat-essendon-to-win-afl-minor-premiership/102769614 | title=Magpies the minor premiers after 70-point win over Essendon keeps Port and Lions at bay | work=ABC News | date=25 August 2023 }}</ref> with 18 wins. On Saturday, 30 September 2023, Collingwood won by 4 points against the [[Brisbane Lions]] in the [[2023 AFL Grand Final]], giving the club its 16th premiership, their first since [[2010 AFL Grand Final|2010]], their first in September since 1958, and making McRae a premiership coach.

==Statistics==

===Playing statistics===
<ref>[http://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/C/Craig_McRae.html Craig McRae's player profile at AFL Tables]</ref>
{{AFL player statistics legend}}
{{AFL player statistics start with votes}}
|-
| [[1995 AFL season|1995]] || {{AFL BB}} || 4
| 23 || 28 || 22 || 231 || 113 || 344 || 47 || 38 || 1.2 || 1.0 || 10.0 || 4.9 || 15.0 || 2.0 || 1.7 || 1
|-
| [[1996 AFL season|1996]] || {{AFL BB}} || 4
| 16 || 28 || 19 || 181 || 49 || 230 || 38 || 18 || 1.8 || 1.2 || 11.3 || 3.1 || 14.4 || 2.4 || 1.1 || 1
|-
| [[1997 AFL season|1997]] || {{AFL BL}} || 4
| 18 || 19 || 16 || 172 || 70 || 242 || 42 || 27 || 1.1 || 0.9 || 9.6 || 3.9 || 13.4 || 2.3 || 1.5 || 2
|-
| [[1998 AFL season|1998]] || {{AFL BL}} || 4
| 16 || 13 || 15 || 150 || 79 || 229 || 48 || 17 || 0.8 || 0.9 || 9.4 || 4.9 || 14.3 || 3.0 || 1.1 || 0
|-
| [[1999 AFL season|1999]] || {{AFL BL}} || 4
| 24 || 41 || 32 || 267 || 73 || 340 || 69 || 37 || 1.7 || 1.3 || 11.1 || 3.0 || 14.2 || 2.9 || 1.5 || 3
|-
| [[2000 AFL season|2000]] || {{AFL BL}} || 4
| 16 || 9 || 11 || 164 || 69 || 233 || 48 || 28 || 0.6 || 0.7 || 10.3 || 4.3 || 14.6 || 3.0 || 1.8 || 2
|-
| scope=row bgcolor=F0E68C | '''[[2001 AFL season|2001]]'''<sup>#</sup> || {{AFL BL}} || 4
| 19 || 21 || 20 || 145 || 64 || 209 || 52 || 28 || 1.1 || 1.1 || 7.6 || 3.4 || 11.0 || 2.7 || 1.5 || 0
|-
| scope=row bgcolor=F0E68C | '''[[2002 AFL season|2002]]'''<sup>#</sup> || {{AFL BL}} || 4
| 24 || 29 || 27 || 193 || 108 || 301 || 61 || 66 || 1.2 || 1.1 || 8.0 || 4.5 || 12.5 || 2.5 || 2.8 || 1
|-
| scope=row bgcolor=F0E68C | '''[[2003 AFL season|2003]]'''<sup>#</sup> || {{AFL BL}} || 4
| 20 || 26 || 17 || 132 || 79 || 211 || 34 || 62 || 1.3 || 0.9 || 6.6 || 4.0 || 10.6 || 1.7 || 3.1 || 0
|-
| [[2004 AFL season|2004]] || {{AFL BL}} || 4
| 19 || 18 || 17 || 124 || 58 || 182 || 38 || 41 || 0.9 || 0.9 || 6.5 || 3.1 || 9.6 || 2.0 || 2.2 || 1
|- class=sortbottom
! colspan=3 | Career
! 195 !! 232 !! 196 !! 1759 !! 762 !! 2521 !! 477 !! 362 !! 1.2 !! 1.0 !! 9.0 !! 3.9 !! 12.9 !! 2.4 !! 1.9 !! 11
|}

==Head coaching record==
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;"
|-
! rowspan="2"|Team !! rowspan="2"|Year !! colspan="5"|Home and Away Season !! colspan="5"|Finals
|-
!Won!!Lost!!Drew!!Win %!!Finish!! Won !! Lost !! Drew!!Win % !! Result
|-! style="background:#fdd;"
![[2022 Collingwood Football Club season|COLL]]||[[2022 AFL season|2022]]
||16||6||0||{{winperc|16|6}}||4th out of 18||1||2||0||.333||<small>'''Lost to [[Sydney Swans|Sydney]] in [[2022 AFL finals series|Preliminary Final]]'''</small>
|-! style="background:#FDE910;"
![[2023 Collingwood Football Club season|COLL]]||[[2023 AFL season|2023]]
||18||5||0||{{winperc|18|5}}||1st out of 18||3||0||0||1.000||<small>'''Defeated [[2023 Brisbane Lions season|Brisbane]] in [[2023 AFL Grand Final|Grand Final]]'''</small>
|-
![[2024 Collingwood Football Club season|COLL]]||[[2024 AFL season|2024]]
||12||9||2||{{winperc|12|9|2}}||9th out of 18||-||-||-||-||-
|-
! colspan="2"|[https://afltables.com/afl/stats/coaches/Craig_McRae.html]||46||20||2||{{winperc|46|20|2}}|| ||4||2||0||{{winperc|4|2|0}}||
|-
|}

== Honours and achievements ==
=== Playing ===
'''Team'''
* 3× [[List of VFL/AFL premiers|AFL premiership player]] ({{AFL BL}}): [[2001 AFL Grand Final|2001]], [[2002 AFL Grand Final|2002]], [[2003 AFL Grand Final|2003]]

'''Individual'''
* SA state-of-origin representative: 1999
* [[International Rules]] representative for [[Australia international rules football team|Aus]] v [[Ireland international rules football team|Ireland]]: 1999

=== Coaching ===
'''Team'''
* [[List of VFL/AFL premiership captains and coaches|AFL premiership coach]] ({{AFL Col}}): [[2023 AFL Grand Final|2023]]
* [[List of VFL/AFL minor premiers|AFL minor premiership]] ({{AFL Col}}): [[2023 AFL season|2023]]
* 3× [[List of VFL/AFL premiers|AFL premiership assistant coach]] ({{AFL Ric}}): [[2017 AFL Grand Final|2017]], [[2019 AFL Grand Final|2019]], [[2020 AFL Grand Final|2020]]
* [[List of VFA/VFL premiers|VFL premiership coach]] ([[Richmond Football Club|Richmond VFL]]): 2019

'''Individual'''
* Jock McHale Medal: [[2023 AFL Grand Final|2023]]
* [[All-Australian team]]: [[2023 All-Australian team|2023]]
* AFL Senior Coach of the Year: 2022
* AFLCA Assistant Coach of the Year: 2019
* VFL Coach of the Year: 2019
* AFLCA Development Coach of the Year: 2012

==Other work==
Prior to his appointment as Collingwood Football Club senior coach, McRae was a part-time kicking and catching coach with the [[Melbourne Storm]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Greenberg |first1=Tony |title=Flying Storm |url=https://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/141662/flying-storm |access-date=18 September 2022 |work=richmondfc.com.au |date=13 September 2018}}</ref>

Until the end of the 2006 season, McRae was involved in a sports administration business and various football broadcasting roles including radio station [[Triple M]], where he hosted a football programme with former Brisbane teammate [[Jason Akermanis]].

==Personal life==
McRae has two daughters, one from his first marriage and his second daughter from a previous partner.

McRae married his second wife, Gabrielle, in 2022. Their daughter (his third child) was born the morning of the [[2023 AFL Grand Final]], and McRae announced her birth during the post-game presentation.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://au.sports.yahoo.com/craig-mcrae-drops-baby-bombshell-collingwood-triumph-afl-grand-final-082350990.html|title=Craig McRae drops baby bombshell after Collingwood triumph in AFL grand final|last=Goodwin|first=Sam|website=[[Yahoo Sports|Yahoo Sport Australia]]|publisher=[[Yahoo]]|date=30 September 2023|access-date=4 October 2023}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
*{{AFL Tables| ref =C/Craig_McRae.html}}

{{Collingwood player squad}}
{{AFL coaches}}
{{2001/02/03 Brisbane Lions triple premiership players}}
{{2023 Collingwood premiership players}}
{{Collingwood Football Club coaches}}
{{Jock McHale Medal}}
{{2023 All-Australian team}}
{{Allan Jeans award}}
{{Brisbane Lions Team of the Decade}}
{{1999 Australian international rules team}}
{{1999 South Australia State of Origin players}}
{{1993 AFL pre-season draft}}
{{Southern Football League Greatest Exports Team}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:McRae, Craig}}
[[Category:1973 births]]
[[Category:Brisbane Bears players]]
[[Category:Brisbane Lions players]]
[[Category:Brisbane Lions premiership players]]
[[Category:Collingwood Football Club coaches]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Glenelg Football Club players]]
[[Category:South Australian State of Origin players]]
[[Category:Australian rules footballers from South Australia]]
[[Category:Coburg Football Club coaches]]
[[Category:Christies Beach Football Club players]]
[[Category:Hackham Football Club players]]
[[Category:Australia international rules football team players]]
[[Category:VFL/AFL premiership players]]
[[Category:VFL/AFL premiership coaches]]