AFL 2026:Collingwood coach Craig McRae dismisses rumours about his off-field life as Magpies prepare for opening round match against St Kilda
“I’m really comfortable with my values and morals, and I can’t control what people say about me.”
McRae said he spoke to players for “10 seconds of a 30-minute meeting.”
“It just spoke to the world we were in,” he explained.
“There are heroes and villains, wins and losses, and we’re all in this together. We play the game… a game of kicks and handballs, this is the other game.
“Sometimes the other game tries to interfere with our shots, markings, and handballs that we try to train our players in. Maybe I was a living example of this.”
McRae said he did not try to find the source of the rumors.
“We are very comfortable in my private life,” he said. “My wife (Gabrielle) and I have never been happier. We can never control what other people write.
“Am I disappointed? Yes, but I’m not a victim. I’m here to do my job and how good is football?”
McRae will make his 100th appearance in charge of the Magpies against St Kilda at the MCG on Sunday after a week as an AFL life member.
He said Collingwood would add longman Jack Buller, recruited from Sydney, to their forward line.
“He’s being recruited for a reason and he competes hard. He’s a real forward for us, a competitive guy, and he’s already well-liked.”
McRae was confident the Magpies system would allow a back six to make up for the absence of captain Darcy Moore and senior defender Jeremy Howe.
But the Collingwood coach couldn’t resist a recent comparison that suggested St Kilda’s Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera had already surpassed Collingwood superstar Nick Daicos.
“Naz is an incredible player,” McRae said. “Wow, what an exciting player. You could build a whole club around him and there would be huge respect for what he does.”
“But I don’t like comparisons. In fact, I always tell our players, ‘comparisons are bad’ because you can never be like anyone else, so just be the best version of yourself. Nick is a pretty good version of himself, too.”
McRae said it was unlikely fans would see Wanganeen-Milera and Daicos face each other on Sunday.
