Craig McRae alters the record | Gerard's Editorial (14.07.26)
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Tuesday morning, this is your town. This is your station. This is Waitley. Good morning. Craig McRae has altered the record. He wants picks and players. He told us on 360 last night, his long referenced mantra, I don't want picks, I want players, first uttered in this studio was club policy at the end of 2024 rather than personal philosophy. Collingwood has no intention of embarking on a rebuild and nor should it.
Why does Craig McRae say 'I don't want picks, I want players' and when did he first say it?
but the Magpies will protect a draft hand to bring high-end young talent to the club. When McRae won his premiership in 2023, the club was rather remarkably paying $1.25 million of its cap to players no longer in black and white. It subsequently traded present and future picks for Lockie Schultz and Dan Houston. They led a preliminary final at halftime last season and seem bound for the wildcard finals this year. They're now treading water. An equilibrium, though, has been reached. Two players and two picks might be the new mantra. The established players it will bring in this year will come through free agency rather than trades. Lachie Neal seems certain to join Collingwood on a rich three-year deal.
He'll certainly make them better. for the next couple of seasons. If I was having a guess at the second player, I'd stump for Hawthorne forward Mitch Lewis, who is also an unrestricted free agent. McRae describes his forward line as licorice all sorts. Lewis shapes as his focal point. Two players that cost salary cap space, but nothing more. Collingwood has its first and second round picks to acquire teenagers, and it needs to hit. The free agents don't need to be 200 game players, but the draft picks do. And then there's the question of what to do with the brigade of veterans. Some of these are legacy decisions for a footy club, not just your standard list management. Who continues to make the team better next season and who is reaching the natural conclusion?
Collingwood is dead honest, but not in contention. More the gatekeeper of the wildcard positions. McRae is eager to alter that, along with the record. Can a two-player, two-pick strategy propel the Magpies back to the top six next season?
But I don't want picks. I say to this management committee, I don't want picks on players. Come on, let's bring players in and make us better, not just any player. Players are going to make us better.
How has Collingwood's recent trades and salary cap decisions shaped its list strategy since the 2023 premiership?
I honestly haven't spoken about this ever. I've just let it be out there for the narrative of being written about me or about that quote. But that was never my agenda or my philosophy. That was something that was happening in the background through a trade period that You know, funnily enough, Justin Lepage asked me to say that publicly so then it would support a trade. But that's so far from my philosophy or my want.
So that's Craig McRae. This studio, September 2024 with Andy and Gacy and last night with us on 360, altering the record and altering the thoughts around his philosophy. Can a two-player, two-pick strategy propel the Magpies back to the top six next season, along with the big decisions that have to be made around the veteran brigade?
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