REFLECTIVE. But not regretful.
That is Collingwood coach Craig McRae's take on the public comments he made at the Magpies' 2025 best-and-fairest function which some took to be unfair criticism of Brownlow Medallist Matt Rowell.
"I did reflect, and I'm not regretful, because it gives me a chance to ask myself, 'Who do you want to be, and how do you want to represent yourself authentically?'" McRae told AFL.com.au.
>> WATCH CRAIG McRAE'S FULL INTERVIEW WITH DAMIAN BARRETT BELOW
"I want to love and support our players and I made comments in sarcasm about Nick (Daicos) not winning (the Brownlow Medal). But it was really about love and care for Nick. I want this lad to get everything.
"Even the thought that I would denigrate Matty Rowell … no! No! No way at all! What a deserving winner, as Darcy (Cameron) was (of the Pies' best-and-fairest). All upon reflection, I want to be a winner and in those moments I didn't think I represented myself or the footy club as a winner. Again, I keep aiming to be better, I am not going to be perfect."
On Copeland Trophy night, McRae, before the count won by Pies ruckman Darcy Cameron, had said: "Congratulations to Nick Daicos, who is now a three-time All-Australian at the age of 22. He came runner-up in the Brownlow Medal again. Maybe a few more 16-disposal games might get you there next year."
In a wide-ranging interview with AFL.com.au, McRae also:
- Said the Magpies maintained hope that 2023 Norm Smith Medallist Bobby Hill, who missed the latter part of the 2025 season and the 2026 preseason for personal reasons, would "walk back into our building"
- Encouraged the AFL industry to explore systems which would "future-proof" the decorated but at times contentious standing of the Brownlow Medal
- Said he would take more leave from the club during the home-and-away season, following a club-ordered extended break over summer
McRae said Hill would not be representing Collingwood in the early months of the 2026 season.
"Bobby is not in the program but we are really comfortable he is getting to work on himself, and we are working through that," McRae said.
"I think it has been reported that we are preparing for life without Bobby and that might be the case in the early parts of the season, but we have hope that at some stage he will walk back into our building, and we will wrap our arms around him and support him to be the best version of himself.
"We haven't completely ruled him out, we have hope for Bobby."
In a recent meeting with the AFL's new second-in-charge Tom Harley, McRae suggested all major AFL industry stakeholders come together to analyse the future of the game's most prestigious individual award, the Brownlow Medal.
"When (St Kilda's Nasiah) Wanganeen-Milera doesn't get three votes in that game (his all-time great performance against Melbourne in round 20 last year), doesn't that say something about the system being not quite right?" McRae said.
"That's the way I look at it. There is no judgement in saying this, and I don't want my past (comments on Rowell) to be part of this, but I said to Tom: 'what if we future-proofed the Brownlow?'
"If you put the Brownlow Medal in 50 years' time, and I want this to be the decorated award it is in 50 years' time … get Leigh Matthews and Kevin Sheedy and Gary Ablett junior and executives and media in the room and ask: how do we future-proof this?
"I just want to make sure we get the right system to ensure to get this award to be future-proofed.
"I know there will always be an element (of surprise), and history will say there is, but why does the future history have to be the same as it always was? I love to grow. Have the conversation as an industry and ask how do we future proof this? Are we happy and can we live with Wanganeen-Milera not getting three votes? Well, if we are we open to this award maybe diminishing itself, I'm not sure."
Collingwood vice-president Paul Licuria recently succeeded in convincing McRae to take an extended period of leave, and the Pies coach now wants all key club staff to be provided with the associated benefits.
"This has been led by the club. We want to be industry leaders and I want us to drive this and I want our staff to be able to do family time – like, take your kids to school, pick them up from school, have another couple of days off at certain times," McRae said.
"Every player and staff that had kids were there for the first day (of the schooling year). With me, there was nothing deeper than taking time with my family. And my garden looks pretty good right now.
"I was here for trade period and draft and set agendas up and when I got back, I presented with an energy of gratefulness. One, that the club can see my family is important to me, is important for my own well-being; and two, the trust in the building that leads to standards. They don't need one person to lead standards. I saw a lot of positives in it."
Subscribe to the Your Coach podcast series to listen to Craig McRae's full interview with Damian Barrett in the coming days.
