Who is new Collingwood coach Craig McRae?

Luke Beveridge set the precedent when he gave his premiership medal to Bob Murphy, but classy new Pie coach Craig McRae did the same for a shattered Tiger.

It was a private moment that nonetheless cast a light on the character of new Collingwood coach Craig McRae.

Richmond’s VFL coach couldn’t bear to see Jake Aarts go unrewarded after the club’s premiership in 2019.

Aarts had toiled away for 65 VFL games across five determined years, only to cop a four-match suspension in the preliminary final.

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Neither man has ever spoken about the emotional moment McRae gave Aarts his own premiership medal — and they want to keep it that way – but Tigers VFL captain Steve Morris said the Luke Beveridge-like gesture came as no surprise.

Tigers VFL captain Steven Morris says new Collingwood coach Craig McRae is “not the ranter and raver”. Picture: AAP

“I mean, he (McRae) used to go for a walk before training with one of the property stewards, who had a goal of losing weight and improving his health,” Morris said on Wednesday.

“He used to meet with him before training to walk around Punt Rd oval with him.

“I reckon that’s friggin’ cool.”

Those McRae walks with Tigers stalwart Shane Harris go to the core of Collingwood’s newest senior coach.

So grateful to @CollingwoodFC for the opportunity to coach this amazing football club. Thank you for all the messages of congratulations & support.
Looking forward to making all the Pies supporters proud.
Side By Side 🖤🤍

— Craig McRae (@flybags4) September 1, 2021

McRae, pictured with former Lions teammate Daniel Bradshaw in 2003, was king of mad Monday during his days in Brisbane.

Jake Aarts was suspended and missed the Tigers’ VFL grand final. Picture: AAP

He’s got a way with people. He makes them feel special and loved.

Once the king of Brisbane Lions’ Mad Mondays (think Leigh Matthews impersonations, prop jokes and putting the gloves on Brad and Chris Scott), McRae has since proved as popular as a cold beer on a hot day.

“When you’ve got a coach that sets that sort of example it helps you understand that you need to value the less sexy roles within teams,” Morris said.

“It just sets that example of how you want to be as a teammate and a person around the club.”

And the little man with a large heart helps others because he cares, not because the cameras are rolling or eyeballs are watching.

It’s real over razzle dazzle, authentic over ostentatious.

For example, McRae’s exchange with Aarts came without fanfare – it has never been talked about publicly – and that no-fuss theme carried over to Wednesday’s low-key appointment over Zoom.

Perhaps it marked a new mindset for the Maggies, 22 years after Eddie McGuire unveiled Michael Malthouse amid a puff of smoke and with Malthouse seated in a Volvo for a cheesy sponsorship stunt.

The men McRae has mentored spent Wednesday night telling their Magpie mates that their club had picked a beauty.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re the toilet cleaner or the reigning best-and-fairest – he treats everyone the same,” one player said.

Another said it felt like McRae was only coaching him – and not a bursting list of VFL and AFL players – such was his care factor.

Aarts has lived both lives – a VFL-listed battler-turned-AFL-listed man – and couldn’t believe how McRae managed to mesh both programs.

McRae spent time at Hawthorn under Alastair Clarkson. Picture: Getty Images

“Something we still speak about now in the AFL team is our connection with staff and players and (McRae) really drove the connection,” Aarts said earlier this year.

“It’s probably the biggest reason why we were so successful, both at AFL and VFL level through Fly’s (McRae) connection.”

Speaking last October, Tom Lynch declared: “He cares about you individually”.

The question for curious Collingwood folk is obvious. Could McRae’s cuddles curtail control?

“Look, he’s not the ranter and raver,” Morris said.

“But the relationships are built on the back of care and that helps him have those more difficult conversations, because he has shown that care over a sustained period of time.

“So it allows those difficult conversations to be a lot easier.

“When he absolutely loses it, it has more of an effect.

“It’s like that parent that’s not angry, just disappointed.”

He played in three flags during Brisbane’s dynasty.

Like Aarts, Morris marvelled at how McRae spread the honey.

“The VFL coach of an (AFL-)aligned team is in a really difficult position,” Morris said.

“They (AFL-listed players) don’t want to be there, really. They want to be playing in front of 80,000 two hours later.

“But he just set up an incredible safety net for players to be able to come back and work on their deficiencies.”

In 2016, Frankston snapped a 24-game losing streak against the Tigers.

The club‘s VFL Twitter account – manned by a media intern who bled yellow and black – described the loss as “demoralising”.

McRae didn’t like it.

But while some hot-headed coaches would’ve made someone read this kid the Riot Act, McRae extended an invite to the inner sanctum.

This bright-eyed Richmond diehard was able to witness first-hand the connection, trust and empowerment McRae’s program was striving for.

The lesson was learned with everlasting effect.

Fast forward 18 months and Richmond played Port Melbourne in a Grand Final that was decided after the final siren.

The trophy went to Port Melbourne, and so did a gracious text message from McRae to counterpart Gary Ayres as the beers flowed for the Borough.

“The text was along the lines of respect and well done and congratulations and also the exposure to the VFL,“ Ayres said on Wednesday.

“Clearly, it’s something you take to heart because when you lose it deeply affects how you feel.

“But he took the time to flick me a text and that was very much about his ability as a person and a character and we’ve loosely stayed in touch.

“I believe he’s had a wonderful grounding to become the head coach of Collingwood, so it’s a terrific get.”

Originally published as Who is new Collingwood coach Craig McRae?