Welcome to Collingwood, Coach Craig McRae

[doriswilgus]

I think this is a great appointment by Graeme Wright and his panel.McRae seems more than qualified to be senior coach when you look at his CV.Every person who has worked with him speaks so highly of him,so that’s always a bonus.

He seems very calm and measured,and has good people skills,which is what you want from a coach today.I think he’s going to relate very well to our playing group.I don’t think they would have responded so well to other candidates who were mentioned like Lyon,Pyke,Voss and Clarkson,who all seem a bit bombastic to me.

[Dave The Man]

“I spoke to the playing group before about certain things we want to see in place straight away when we get back.

“And some of them put their hand up and said there’s things they want to make sure they want to do when they get back and we will hold them to account to that. We will get them to honour their word.”

I think that is Brilliant thing to say to the Playing Group

[BazBoy]

The Brief. He talked about a brief that GW sent him that was part of his decision to come over

What was in that “BRIEF” that sparked him

[RudeBoy]

The Brief. He talked about a brief that GW sent him that was part of his decision to come over

What was in that “BRIEF” that sparked him

Just four words..."win us a flag".

[K]

He seems to be in the mould of Clarkson and Hardwick which has to be a good thing.

How is he like Hardwick? Has he had an affair with a club staffer yet? Or whinged about Marvel Stadium or the AFL or the umpires? Or banned an entire radio station ('cos he didn't like an article written about the affair with the club staffer)?

[duggieboy]

There's a lot to like about McRae's presser, I think we've struck gold with him.

Not an ego guy, very much liked his emphasis on all the coaching team & assistants being a unit together, it's not all about the head coach.

I'm very encouraged with what I saw & heard today & there's a lot to be said about the due process that was followed to get us to this point. (Wrighty take a bow)

[What'sinaname]

Is a reigning premiership coach for three years but only won one premiership.

[Magpietothemax]

“I spoke to the playing group before about certain things we want to see in place straight away when we get back.

“And some of them put their hand up and said there’s things they want to make sure they want to do when they get back and we will hold them to account to that. We will get them to honour their word.”

I think that is Brilliant thing to say to the Playing Group

Yes, agree. Our new coach impresses me in every way.

[K]

[K]

"Akermanis, a 25-year friend of McRae’s since the pair’s playing days at Brisbane, said McRae had questioned whether he was a big enough name to get the gig at such a storied Victorian club.

“When I said to him when Buckley stepped down, I said, ‘you should go for that job’. And he said ‘I’m not high enough profile for that job, there’s no way I’ll get it,’” Akermanis revealed to The Age on Wednesday."

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/ake ... 58ns3.html

[duggieboy]

^^^ yeah great quotes K - interesting point regarding Clarkson's non availability

[Jezza]

First club interview with McRae.

https://twitter.com/CollingwoodFC/statu ... 2023816192

[K]

McRae: "Leigh's like a father to me."

[doriswilgus]

[Pies2016]

“I spoke to the playing group before about certain things we want to see in place straight away when we get back.

“And some of them put their hand up and said there’s things they want to make sure they want to do when they get back and we will hold them to account to that. We will get them to honour their word.”

I think that is Brilliant thing to say to the Playing Group

McRae is very big on empowering players. He gets them to set their standards and then he will make them uphold them.
Bucks was more “ this is what I want from you and this is what you need to do to achieve it “
The difference is subtle enough but one style is talking with a player and the other style is talking at the player.