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As he took hold of the premiership cup, his first as coach of Collingwood, on an afternoon when the roar around the MCG had been deafening, Craig McRae had more good news to deliver the Magpie army.<\/p>\n
Just hours before the Magpies had claimed their 16th flag before 100,024 fans, this time by four points over the Brisbane Lions, he and wife Gabrielle had welcomed a baby daughter Maggie into the world.<\/p>\n
In the bowels of the home of football an hour later, McRae said while Gabrielle had gone to St Vincent\u2019s hospital overnight, she had allowed him to sleep in at home to 5.45am, when a call came to get to the hospital.<\/p>\n
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Awestruck: Collingwood coach Craig McRae and Darcy Moore.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>AFL Photos \/ Getty Images<\/cite><\/p>\n Maggie arrived two hours later – this was McRae\u2019s third child – the coach leaving hospital at midday, but without his shoes. A new pair was quickly found.<\/p>\n \u201cThe tears flowing this morning, at 7.45am, my wife has been remarkable. She went into labour and went to the hospital with her sister, and went without me to let me sleep in. I had no idea what was going on,\u201d McRae said.<\/p>\n \u201cShe is just so amazing, it\u2019s going to make me cry. I am just so proud of her.\u201d<\/p>\n There were also tears in the dressingroom on Saturday evening. This premiership was particularly special for the Magpies, for it placed them alongside fellow power clubs Essendon and Carlton as the record-holders for most VFL-AFL premierships.<\/p>\n Craig McRae with Brayden Maynard.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>AFL Photos \/ Getty Images<\/cite><\/p>\n \u201cTwo years ago we started this journey, this campaign, it\u2019s been a hell of a ride,\u201d McRae said.<\/p>\n In only his second season in charge, McRae was in possession of the holy grail.<\/p>\n \u201cTwo years ago we started this journey, this campaign, it\u2019s been a hell of a ride,\u201d McRae said.<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t an easy afternoon. In temperatures topping 30 degrees, the Magpies had needed to fend off an opponent which refused to go away. They led by four points at the final change, and the Brisbane Lions had the lead at the 19-minute mark when Charlie Cameron edged two opponents and snapped truly on his left foot.<\/p>\n But goals to reformed bad boy Jordan De Goey and veteran Steele Sidebottom, the latter from 50 metres, having won a 50m penalty, all but sealed the result. Sidebottom\u2019s epic kick will long be remembered. Joe Daniher cut the lead to four points with 1.33 minutes left, but time soon expired.<\/p>\n Steele Sidebottom\u2019s already-famous goal, a classic Bobby Hill mark and Craig McRae after the siren.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>The Age<\/cite><\/p>\n The Magpies had managed scores of only 58 and 60 through their two winning finals, but on Saturday they conjured 90 points.<\/p>\n \u201cClearly, we moved the ball differently, that was our whole theme of the week. Let\u2019s not do what we did the week before [against Greater Western Sydney], didn\u2019t look to change the angles, didn\u2019t look to bring the ball into the corridor, didn\u2019t look to switch off turnovers. We showed the footage of it – we knew what we had to fix because it was right in front of us,\u201d McRae said.<\/p>\n In the rooms afterwards, the sons of guns Nick and Josh Daicos, and Darcy Moore, were ecstatic. Bobby Hill (four goals) was best on ground, but Nick Daicos (29 disposals) was close, while Josh Daicos (17 disposals) also had a day to remember. Darcy Moore, while having only seven disposals, had been the defensive centrepiece.<\/p>\n Their famous fathers, Peter Daicos and Peter Moore, were also jubilant.<\/p>\n \u201cIt feels surreal. It\u2019s just bizarre, So much work has gone in for so long,\u201d Darcy Moore, who became the 11th Magpies premiership captain, said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just incredible. It was fun to play in, not sure if it was fun to watch.\u201d<\/p>\n The vision of Moore being presented the premiership cup by his famous father Peter, the latter having had so much grand final heartbreak as a player, was fun to watch.<\/p>\n Darcy Moore with his father Peter Moore.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>AFL Photos \/ Getty Images<\/cite><\/p>\n Craig Kelly had experienced all of this before, having been part of the breakthrough 1990 mob. Now as club chief executive, he also had premiership teammate Graham Wright, now the Magpies\u2019 head of football, by his side.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s Daics, Peter, even having my boy [Will], there – he, obviously, didn\u2019t play. But just being around the club and embracing the family and past players, is a really big thing that \u2018Fly\u2019 [McRae] wanted, and that we do,\u201d Kelly said, unsure whether to have his tie on or off.<\/p>\n \u201cStanding in the middle of the ground today, after this with Daics on one side and Wrighty on the other, the last time we were here was pretty special, this is pretty good now.\u201d<\/p>\n As he was embraced by families and board members, Kelly said times had changed since \u201990 in terms of how grand-final week and the day was embraced.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just a lot bigger and a lot more \u2026 slower. Everything is organised, like all of this [in the dressingroom], everyone walking to the game before the game, embracing it. We were all a bit precious, not that [coach] Leigh [Matthews] was, but it seems to me that the whole industry is better, and we get to enjoy it a lot more. It\u2019s amazing,\u201d Kelly said.<\/p>\n While the Magpies led by less than a goal at the final change, history was on their side, for they had been 15-0 this season when leading when heading into the final term. The Lions, however, had other ideas. They pounced on wasted Magpie opportunities early in the final term, and had the lead when Charlie Cameron delivered a left-foot snap. Enter De Goey and Sidebottom.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen the siren goes, I don\u2019t even know how to explain that feeling,\u201d forward Billy Frampton said. Frampton replaced the injured Daniel McStay at selection, and had the job of trying to negate Lions interceptor Harris Andrews.<\/p>\n Asked what it meant to have a premiership medallion around his neck, Frampton, hunched over, added: \u201cI don\u2019t think that will ever sink in, that I am an AFL premiership player. I was in tears out there, thinking about the ride. Unfathomable.\u201d<\/p>\n Keep up to date with the best AFL coverage in the country. <\/i><\/b>Sign up for the Real Footy newsletter<\/i><\/b>.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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