In this week's AFL Record.
“LOUDER AND MORE PASSIONATE”: MCRAE STOKES THE FLAMES AHEAD OF COLLINGWOOD-RICHMOND BLOCKBUSTERBy Ash Browne
SEN
27 March 2023Not much is needed to stoke the flames ahead a Collingwood-Richmond blockbuster, but Magpie coach Craig McRae has good-naturedly opened proceedings ahead of Friday’s MCG clash between the two clubs.
In an interview with the AFL Record, McRae said Collingwood had the best supporter base in the AFL, including Richmond, which like the Pies, also had 100,000 members last year.
“I'm going to say something controversial. Collingwood’s 100,000 members are a lot louder and more passionate,” he said.
“I know I'm not here to say we're the biggest and the best,” he continued. “But one thing I do know is that our supporter base is unbelievable. And I was part of Richmond with their 100,000 members.”
McRae is in his second season as coach of Collingwood, having previously spent several years at Richmond. He coached the Tigers' VFL team to a premiership and was an assistant to Damien Hardwick as the Tigers won three flags in four years between 2017 and 2020 and smashed AFL membership records along the way.
He was at Hawthorn for 12 months before joining the Magpies.
In the interview, published last weekend, he said what he noticed about Collingwood is the constant noise and excitement surrounding the club, which reached fever pitch during last year’s run of close finishes and which is again evident early in 2023 after the club’s unbeaten start to the season.
“There's always cameras here. There's always a story that's trying to be created. It didn't happen at Richmond. It didn't happen at Hawthorn,” he said.
More than 90,000 fans are expected at the MCG on Friday night for the clash between the Magpies (fourth) and the Tigers (sixth). It is a Collingwood home game.
https://www.sen.com.au/news/2023/03/26/louder-and-more-passionate-mcrae-stokes-the-flames-ahead-of-collingwood/
