AFL Coach’s clipboard: New Collingwood coach Craig McRae on his plans for the Pies
There’s plenty of buzz around father-son gun Nick Daicos, and he has impressed Collingwood’s new coach. But Craig McRae says Pies fans must keep one thing in mind.
It’s a new era at Collingwood.
A new president, new coach, new coaching panel and a club-changing father-son.
But can the Pies put the on and off-field horror of last season behind them?
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Turn around the Pies? That’s the task before Craig McRae.
Matt Turner goes one-on-one with the rookie coach in the first of News Corp’s Coach’s Clipboard series.
What have been the biggest take-outs of your first pre-season at Collingwood and in senior coaching?
It’s definitely Covid causing it, but there’s a group of players who just haven’t played much footy. We’ve got 20 or 21 players under 21, so there’s significant youth in our group and list, which haven’t played much footy. Take Nick Daicos, for example – he’s played six or eight games in two years. We’ve got guys on our list who’ve played a similar amount of footy in two years. So we’ve got a high priority on our fundamentals, which has been one of the biggest take-outs early.
Who or what has surprised you the most so far?
Probably just the level of want to work in the group. I started in September, the season had just finished, and nearly all to a man were in the gym getting to work, so the level of hunger to improve was smacking me in the face. It was just right there. Every day I was in trying to work out who was who and see a face to a name, and they were all in the gym, and they all wanted to improve, which was a nice starting point.
What does a Craig McRae team look like – what’s your vision for how you want this team to play?
You can’t help but think my time at Richmond is going to influence the way we want to play. Even Melbourne winning the flag (last) year. The teams that are up the top have a real, great contested method. They know how to compete. I want our group to have great pride and a great contested brand of footy that our fans would be happy to come watch us fight for every ball and every moment. I’m really striving to be that team and drive that. I think there was a lot of good work done with Bucks (Nathan Buckley) and the previous coaches around the defensive side of the game – that’s clearly there and I’ve seen it come to life at training. But I think we need to score more. We’ve defended well, but need to take the ball forward more and get the ball inside 50. So in essence, a really strong contested brand with a strong defensive mentality but an ability to score.
Do you feel any added expectation because your first senior gig is at Collingwood?
No, I don’t. I have high expectations on delivering a successful team wherever I am.
How did you assess Collingwood’s list externally? And why do you think the team slid down the ladder last season?
There’s a lot of variables to success but when I presented to the subcommittee there’s, clearly, if you put the best 22 on paper, a strong contingent of quality players. But like any team you don’t have your best 22 on the field, you’re going to struggle and that’s reality for this group last year and even prior years. You step in and see the youth of the list, and last year that youth got opportunities. There was a clear direction from Harvs (2021 caretaker coach Robert Harvey) when he took over that he was going to play a lot more kids. That brings opportunity but is also challenging too. There was a clear development focus at the end of the season versus maybe a winning focus, though again, I can’t really comment on things I wasn’t part of. All in all there’s a lot of variables but some of those things contributed to the slide down the ladder.
So externally you must have looked at the job with a lot of promise, not just because it is your first gig but because of the squad you’ve got?
I’ve had 15 years as an assistant and most of that’s been in development so that’s always been my eye and I saw a group that was youthful with an opportunity to develop, which is right where I do my best work. I don’t shy away from there’s a lot of work to be done with a development focus clearly front of mind.
What is a realistic number of wins supporters can expect this year? Can you play finals?
As coaches, we’re just not in the prediction industry. It’s so hard to predict anything. But we are in the business of getting better every day. I’d be really disappointed if our supporters don’t see a genuine growth and development in the group from individuals, through the team and the way we perform. What that equates to, time will tell. But I can tell you we’re striving to get better every day. That will be our focus.
Why has Scott Pendlebury been reappointed as captain?
He’s played the most games, he’s been a significant player, could go down as one of the best players of all time for the club – I think he’s earned the right, it’s his decision. He’s clearly a great leader. I was fortunate to work at Collingwood for five years (from 2011-15 as development manager) and watch him be a premiership player and grow as a young leader. When I left he was captain, so I got to see what his strengths were. I come back seven years later and he’s developed his own self more than anything. So I think there’s a lot of reasons why it was always his decision. I let him be, I didn’t pester him with it. We met (earlier this month) and I just wanted to get a feel for what he was thinking. He said he still had the fire in the belly for it and that was enough for me. All the leaders around him, I was specific in having conversations with them and they were all of the same view that he’s clearly the best leader we have, which is not a blight on anyone else, he’s just outstanding with the way he leads. We got board approval to do it and announced it. There’s many that could’ve taken over, so it’s not an issue that we don’t have one (successor). I think there’s probably four or five that could easily step up.
Outside perception seemed to be that given there’s been so much change at Collingwood, perhaps the time was right to hand over the baton.
There’s no doubt that was the thought process. You think for and against, and that was certainly something I thought about. Even just walking in (returning to the club) and getting a feel for the other guys who could step up, there were guys who were there. But I think he’s earnt the right. If you came into our four walls and see him lead, you’d go ‘wow’. You could see why he’s the captain. There’ll be a time that it won’t be the case. Pendles has got a two-year contract and this (role) is not going to be forever. There’s going to be a time that he’ll step sideways but I know if he wasn’t going to do it, he’d still lead the same, it’s just his character. We’re really comfortable with the decision. You’re never going to please anybody when you make a decision but within the four walls, when it was announced, were all in agreeance that it was the right decision.
Who are among those next in line to skipper the club?
There’s no perfect model of leader but there’s a lot of guys that have great leadership qualities. I think Darcy Moore comes to mind – he could easily step up to that position. You’ve got Taylor Adams. Jeremy Howe could easily captain, Brayden Maynard is showing some great qualities to lead from the front. A guy like Jamie Elliott, who’s never really been in a leadership position, is leading from the front, just to name a few.
How is Pendles’ recovery from his leg injury going?
This is the other side of Pendles some see, maybe not all. He’s one of the most professional players I’ve ever seen. He had a small leg fracture and he’s back training now. He was so diligent in his recovery and doing the right things, constantly preparing to be the best player that he can be. He’s a great role model for our players to see how to prepare to be an elite player.
What excites you most about Nick Daicos?
Nick’s shown already in the early pre-season that he’s an elite decision-maker and he’s an elite kick – those things stand out straight away. Whenever we get in game sets, he sees things that others don’t see and his ability to get in and out of traffic is standing out already in the short time he’s been with us. But he’s played eight games in two years, so we’ve got to be really conscious we manage his body well and are getting him through.
Where do you plan to play him?
I’m determined to play him in multiple roles. We’re going to try to play him across halfback and through the midfield, and then I’m certain he’ll play some time forward, too. It’s just a matter of trying to get him to adapt to the physical nature of AFL footy and then making sure we look after a guy that’s played not much footy the last couple of years as well.
What about Jack Crisp? More time up the field, revert down back or a bit of both?
We’re going to play Pendles across halfback a bit more. He’ll still play some time through the midfield, but he’s spending some time in pre-season in the back lines. That’ll present opportunity for some of our younger guys to come through the midfield, as well as guys like Jack, Nick Daicos, Brayden Maynard might go through at times. I think taking someone like Pendles out, being there less permanently, there’ll be opportunities for others to grow and develop into those roles. We’ve got a number of younger midfielders we want to give time to and expose, and find the right mix through there. Pendles being such a great decision-maker and an organiser, he can see the game really well for us at halfback and support the young guys in the midfield and backline. I think he can be really influential back there.
Most people probably considered Brodie Grundy to have been less influential last year. He touched on that before Christmas about losing a few kilos and wanting to get super fit. What else does he need to do to get back to his best?
He’s had an outstanding pre-season and is really standing out on the track. I want Brodie to connect with his midfielders, so that’s a real focus for him, spending some time making those hit-outs to advantage and connecting in other ways. We just want to be the best version of him, which is a real strong, athletic, hard-running midfielder. We give him a clear role and clarity around his role, so that he can execute better. I was fortunate to coach Brodie when he was young, so I’ve got a relationship with him and know what brings the best out in him. Clarity in his role is something we can really drill down on. I think (new midfield coach and coaching director) Brendon Bolton will be great for him.
Where is Darcy Moore going to play?
I’m really keen to let him lead from the front as a key defender for us. Having said that, I think there’s going to be times where the game may need an injection of him as a ruck or to go forward and kick a goal for us. But he’s been an All-Australian key back so that’s where we’ll predominantly play him.
Are you confident the club will re-sign him?
I have said to the playing group that I won’t speak openly about contracts. Wrighty (football manager Graham Wright) is employed to do that.
How is Jordan De Goey being reintegrated into the squad?
We just want him to be all in. We’re not looking back, we’re going forward and want him to be the best version of himself. If anything, a better version of himself.
It felt like Patrick Lipinski should have played more often at the Bulldogs. Why were you guys so keen to recruit him?
He’s already shown in the early stages of pre-season that he’s an elite runner and can just transition in and out of congestion really well. His hands are standing out in any match play. He was starved of opportunity and searching for opportunity. He would be playing in most other teams. If you look at the calibre of players he was having to get in front of at the Bulldogs, that happens. My time at Richmond, the same thing happens with players – they miss out. He’s setting himself to have a great season on the basis of getting opportunity and being able to display all the things he’s good at. Without having seen him train with us, we thought (he was suited to) a wing or high half-forward role, but he’s been expressing his talents through the midfield so he’ll get good opportunity right through there.
Do Trent Bianco and Caleb Poulter get more midfield time this year?
Both those guys and many others will get opportunities with Pendles going to halfback. We’ll expose them and give opportunities to develop in those roles: midfield, wing, high half-forward.
Collingwood was the third-lowest scoring team in the league last year. How do you plan to get the team scoring more?
We were last in inside 50s too and that was something I presented to the footy subcommittee – we’ve got to get the ball inside 50 more, that’s the reality. We’re trying to develop a method where we take the footy forward more. Some of those things take a bit more time and it’s going to be a part of our game that’s constantly reviewed and improved.
Is ex-Cat Nathan Kreuger someone you envisage can help up there in attack?
We saw an opportunity within our forward line to provide support around (Brody) Mihocek and some others, and find players that can play as a key forward. Nathan played a bit back for Geelong, but I watched some of his footage from when he was at South Adelaide. He’s got really electrifying speed for a big guy and can really cover the ground. It’s a matter for Nathan of getting an opportunity but also he’s got to learn the patterns and craft of being that player. He’s been in the system four or five years, but we’ve got a new system too and it’ll take some time in that role. But he’ll get opportunities to be that player.
You obviously know Justin Leppitsch well. What does he bring to the club?
I’ve had 25 years of friendship, so that’s a great starting point. I’m just really lucky to have Leppa and Bolts. They’ve both been senior coaches previously and I constantly bounce ideas off them. They’re the two best assistants I’ve ever worked with. To know what Leppa’s going to bring to the table with his defensive teachings and the way he educates and his knowledge of the game, it’s such a great acquisition for the whole footy club and the players. Bolts’s experience around educating and working environments and the way he manages people … I’m very lucky in this role as a first-time senior coach with such experience around me. I’m really grateful they’ve chosen to come on board.
What does Leppitsch’s head of strategy role entail?
I’ve just said to Leppa – and he’s going to work with a guy called Anthony Stoitsis, who leads our analyst team – I want him to look forward. What’s happening next? I know there’s a lot of stuff done around Amazon web services in Swimming Australia, so I’ve asked him to explore a bit of that. In the industry, we copy a lot and because of the constant nature of ‘what’s next’ we don’t often have time to show great initiative. I want to give Leppa space to explore where the game’s going. I don’t want to play catch-up, I want to look for opportunities to be ahead of the game. So game-plan related and also strategy around how we can do things as a group better. He’s got a great strategic mind and, having known Leppa for 25 years, I know the areas he excels in and strategy is certainly one of them.
What advice have Leppa and Bolts given you about what you are stepping into?
Leppa said to me ‘watch how much time you get consumed with things that aren’t footy related’ and it’s constant. Until you live it, you can’t say ‘I know what you’re talking about’. But there’s many bits of advice and they happen daily. I keep saying though, I’m a first-year coach but I’ve got a lot of grey hair and wrinkles so I’ve been around for 15 years of assistant coaching and working alongside Clarko (Alastair Clarkson) last year and Dimma (Damien Hardwick). So there’s a lot of things that come with comfort knowing they’ll be needed somewhere. It gives you clarity when things express themselves. There’s a lot of things in footy I haven’t lived but most things in footy tend to repeat themselves. I was at Brisbane as a player in 1998 when we finished bottom and the same reasons were there when I was at Richmond as a coach (and the Tigers claimed the 2007 wooden spoon). The same with winning – the teams that were successful at Brisbane and Richmond looked a lot alike. Hopefully all those experiences will stand me in good stead.
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