Craig McRae


Craig McRae is a former Australian rules footballer and current assistant coach for the Richmond Football Club.

Playing career

Originally from South Australian National Football League club Glenelg, McRae was drafted by AFL club Brisbane as the 22nd pick in the 1994 draft and had an immediate impact, kicking two goals in his first game in 1995, and played every game of that year. McRae was renowned for his ability to kick goals from not only beyond the fifty metre line, but also for his scouting of the ball spilled from the hands of taller players.
McRae was known for his determination and fierce tackling. The respected small forward/goalsneak retired from professional football after the 2004 Grand Final loss to Port Adelaide, which included playing in Brisbane's 2001, 2002 and 2003 premierships.

Coaching career

In 2007 McRae served as Player Development Coach with the Richmond Football Club. Midway through the 2009 AFL season, McRae took up the head coaching position at Richmond's VFL affiliate club Coburg, when their former coach and fellow Richmond AFL assistant Jade Rawlings was appointed caretaker head coach at Richmond.
In 2010 McRae took up a development coach position at the Brisbane Lions, before joining as head of development in 2011. He remained at the club for five seasons.
He returned to Richmond in 2016, serving as an AFL assistant coach and head coach of the club's reserves side in the VFL. He took the side to a losing grand final in 2017, before winning a premiership in 2019 in the same year he won the VFL's coach of the year award and the AFL coaches' association's assistant coach of the year award. In 2020 he will serve as forwards coach for the club's AFL side.

AFL playing statistics

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1995
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1996
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1997
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1998
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1999
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2000
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2004
! colspan=3| Career
! 195
! 232
! 196
! 1759
! 762
! 2521
! 477
! 362
! 1.2
! 1.0
! 9.0
! 3.9
! 12.9
! 2.4
! 1.9

Career highlights

Until the end of the 2006 season, McRae was involved in a sports administration business and various football broadcasting roles including radio station Triple M, where he hosted a football programme with former Brisbane teammate Jason Akermanis.