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Past Craig McRae (1995-2004)

  • Thread starter Thread starter Roylion
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Pick 22 in the 1993 AFL National Draft

mcrae.jpg


Premierships:

2001

Code: 
B:       Chris Johnson     Justin Leppitsch   Darryl White  
HB:      Nigel Lappin      Chris Scott        Marcus Ashcroft  
C:       Jason Akermanis   Michael Voss (c)   Robert Copeland  
HF:      Shaun Hart        Jonathan Brown     Luke Power  
F:       Daniel Bradshaw   Alastair Lynch     Martin Pike  
Foll:    Clark Keating     Simon Black        Brad Scott  
Int:     Beau McDonald     [B][COLOR="Red"]Craig McRae[/COLOR][/B]        Tim Notting
         Mal Michael
Coach:   Leigh Matthews
2002

Code: 
B:       Chris Johnson     Chris Scott        Justin Leppitsch  
HB:      Luke Power        Mal Michael        Marcus Ashcroft  
C:       Shaun Hart        Michael Voss (c)   Martin Pike  
HF:      Des Headland      Jonathan Brown     Nigel Lappin  
F:       Jason Akermanis   Alastair Lynch     Darryl White  
Foll:    Clark Keating     Simon Black        Brad Scott  
Int:     Beau McDonald     [B][COLOR="Red"]Craig McRae[/COLOR][/B]        Tim Notting        
         Aaron Shattock
Coach:   Leigh Matthews
2003

Code: 
B:       Chris Johnson     Mal Michael        Darryl White  
HB:      Luke Power        Justin Leppitsch   Nigel Lappin  
C:       Jason Akermanis   Michael Voss (c)   Martin Pike  
HF:      Ashley McGrath    Jonathan Brown     Robert Copeland  
F:       [B][COLOR="Red"]Craig McRae[/COLOR][/B]       Alastair Lynch     Daniel Bradshaw  
Foll:    Clark Keating     Simon Black        Shaun Hart  
Int:     Jamie Charman     Blake Caracella    Marcus Ashcroft  
         Richard Hadley
Coach:   Leigh Matthews

Merrett-Murray Medal results:

1997: 16th (29 votes)
1998: 26th (5 votes)
1999: 9th (45 votes)
2000: 18th (14 votes)
2001: =18th (28 votes)
2002: 13th (47 votes)
2003: 19th (37 votes)
2004: 18th (31 votes)
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Brisbane Lions Team of the Decade:

Code: 
[B]B:[/B] 	Chris Johnson 	   Mal Michael 	        Darryl White
[B]HB:[/B] 	Marcus Ashcroft    Justin Leppitsch 	Chris Scott
[B]M:[/B] 	Nigel Lappin 	   Michael Voss (c) 	Brad Scott
[B]HF:[/B] 	Jason Akermanis    Jonathan Brown 	[B][COLOR="Red"]Craig McRae[/COLOR][/B]
[B]F:[/B] 	Luke Power 	   Alastair Lynch 	Daniel Bradshaw
[B]Foll:[/B] 	Clark Keating 	   Simon Black 	        Shaun Hart
[B]Int:[/B] 	Martin Pike 	   Tim Notting 	        Jamie Charman 	   
        Richard Champion
Coach: 	Leigh Matthews
 
Re: Craig McRae to retire at season's end

Roylion said:
According to news reports in Melbourne, Craig McRae will retire at the end of the season.

Underrated player, but a grand servant of the Brisbane Lions and the Brisbane Bears.

Hopefully he retires with four premierships to his name.
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Great servant, still a hard worker and his pressure in the forward 50 is a big part of our success.
 

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Re: Craig McRae to retire at season's end

The best defensive small forward in the league. Probably the right time to call it quits, and he leaves the club a much better place. He had skill, courage and a ready smile.

From the sounds of things he will be missed almost as much from the players revue as on the field! :D
 
Re: Craig McRae to retire at season's end

cjwalkley said:
The best defensive small forward in the league. Probably the right time to call it quits, and he leaves the club a much better place. He had skill, courage and a ready smile.

From the sounds of things he will be missed almost as much from the players revue as on the field! :D
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IMHO Rischitelli would be an ideal replacement for Craig next season. Riska's defensive work is of high standard and as we have witnessed vs the Crows he is'nt bad at getting amongst the goals as well.

Well done Fly. A great career comes to a close. Now if the boys can send you off with a fourth medal that would be sensational.

Cheers mate
 
Re: Craig McRae to retire at season's end

I vote we start a petition to make sure he comes back for the players revue as creative director etc etc. His segments were always the highlight for me.


Either way we will miss Fly on the field as well and wish him all the best for the future and even though I try not to think about 4, it seems fitting that we get that magic number for him. How good would his jersey look, framed up on the wall?!!!!
 
Re: Craig McRae to retire at season's end

Roylion said:
According to news reports in Melbourne, Craig McRae will retire at the end of the season.

Underrated player, but a grand servant of the Brisbane Lions and the Brisbane Bears.

Hopefully he retires with four premierships to his name.
Click to expand...
Saw that on Channel ten last night.

Great player will be sadly missed next year.
 
Re: Craig McRae to retire at season's end

the fly has been a great player since I have been a Brisbane lions supporter I used to Barrack for fitzroy lions I would be happy with played in 4 grand finals to my name. Have to wait and see.
 
Where Are They Now?: '03 Premiership Team

And Craig McRae, a 195-game Lion who was VFL premiership coach and Coach of the Year in 2019, claimed the AFLCA coach of the year in his first season in charge at Collingwood last year and now is coach of the 2023 ladder leaders going into the final round of the home-and-away season. He has two daughters.
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Brisbane Lions Hall Of Fame 2023 Re-Cap

Craig McRae was drafted at 63kg in 1992… jockey size. Just. He was too small for AFL football, or so he decided. Because after waiting 19 years to get drafted he then chose to wait another two years to see if he could play.

It’s not something your average want-to-be footballer would do… but the man they call ‘Fly’ is no average anything. And could he play! After two seasons post-draft with Glenelg he stepped straight into the Brisbane side in 1995 and there he stayed for 10 years. Through 195 games, 125 wins, 18 finals, four grand finals and three premierships, he was a star.

Ever dangerous around goals, with a deadly left-foot, he kicked 232 goals. Yet goals were secondary. He was the original ‘know your role, accept your role, play your role’ disciple of coach Leigh Matthews. It was all about tackles and pressure. A brilliant team player in a brilliant team.

Without fuss or fanfare, he retired after the 2004 grand final to begin football life - phase two. A qualified teacher, he was a man on a coaching mission. To Richmond, Brisbane, Collingwood, Richmond, Hawthorn and now the senior coach at Collingwood.

We can’t luv him, but we always will. A small man, a giant of the game… and a Brisbane Lions Hall of Famer… CRAIG McRAE

CraigMcRae.png
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Craig McRae is a class act who will always be a LIONS IMMORTAL. He’s a Triple Premiership Player and Member of the Brisbane's Lions Hall of Fame. He’s also still happy to cheer us on from the sidelines.

 
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