Collingwood Shuts Down Craig McRae Personal Life Rumours “Completely False and Unfair”
Collingwood Football Club has publicly rejected a wave of online rumours targeting head coach Craig McRae’s personal life, with the club condemning the speculation as baseless and harmful.
Table of Contents
Why Were Rumours Circulating About Craig McRae?
Two routine decisions during the 2026 AFL preseason fuelled unfounded speculation about McRae’s marriage. The Collingwood coach took a longer than usual Christmas break, and during preseason training he delegated several sessions to assistants Matthew Boyd and Hayden Skipworth. Neither decision was out of the ordinary, but together they sparked widespread online gossip suggesting a personal crisis.
The club moved quickly to set the record straight once the rumours became too widespread to ignore.
Collingwood CEO Craig Kelly Responds to Rumours Circulating About Craig McRae
Collingwood CEO Craig Kelly issued a formal statement on behalf of the club, defending McRae and criticising those responsible for spreading unverified claims.
Kelly confirmed that the extended break was arranged months earlier and had been planned since December 2025. He emphasised that McRae had always been scheduled to return when he did, and that there was nothing unusual about the arrangement.
The CEO also highlighted McRae’s character, describing him as a coach who has consistently led the AFL program with integrity and placed his family at the centre of everything he does. Kelly made clear the club would not tolerate harmful speculation about its staff or their families.
Craig McRae Addresses the Playing Group
McRae, 52, took the step of speaking directly to the Collingwood playing group to address the rumours before they could affect the team environment ahead of the new season.
The premiership winning coach, who is contracted at Collingwood until 2028, was candid in a recent interview about why he needed extra time away from the club. He described the relentless nature of the coaching calendar, where a finals campaign rolls almost immediately into trade period, followed by the draft and then preseason. With little room to decompress, McRae said the fatigue and pressure accumulate in ways that are not always visible from the outside.
He was clear that nothing inappropriate had occurred and that the break was simply a practical decision made in the interest of his long term performance and wellbeing.
Craig McRae’s Family Has Always Come First
McRae has never hidden his commitment to his family. In one of the most memorable moments of the 2023 AFL season, he announced from the premiership dais on Grand Final day that he and wife Gabrielle had welcomed their third child, daughter Maggie, just hours earlier. The moment captured the attention of the entire country and reinforced his reputation as a coach who leads with genuine values.
Collingwood begins their 2026 AFL Premiership campaign against St Kilda on Saturday, March 8.
No Comments