Craig McRae was born on 22 September 1973 and is a former Australian rules footballer and the current senior coach of the Collingwood Football Club.
18 Facts About Craig McRae
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Craig McRae was drafted by 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.
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Craig 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.
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Craig McRae played for the Brisbane Bears from 1995 until 1996 for a total of 39 games and 56 goals.
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Craig McRae played for the Brisbane Lions from 1997 until 2004 for a total of 156 games and 176 goals.
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Craig McRae was a member of Brisbane Lions' 2001,2002 and 2003 premiership sides.
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Craig McRae retired from professional football after the 2004 Grand Final loss to Port Adelaide.
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In 2007, Craig McRae served as assistant coach in the role of Player Development Coach with the Richmond Football Club under senior coach Terry Wallace.
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Midway through the 2009 AFL season, Craig McRae took up the head coaching position at Richmond's VFL affiliate 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.
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In 2010, Craig 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.
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Craig McRae joined Collingwood 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.
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Craig McRae 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.
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Craig McRae 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 the AFL coaches' association's assistant coach of the year award.
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In 2021, Craig McRae joined the Hawthorn Football Club as an assistant coach in the role of forward line coach under senior coach Alastair Clarkson.
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In September 2021, Craig McRae returned to the Collingwood Football Club, when he was appointed as senior coach ahead of the 2022 AFL season.
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Craig McRae replaced caretaker senior coach Robert Harvey, who replaced Nathan Buckley after Buckley stepped down in the middle of the 2021 season.
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Until the end of the 2006 season, Craig 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.
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Craig McRae has two daughters, one from his first marriage and his second daughter from a previous partner.