In the early 2000s, the Brisbane Lions didn’t just dominate the AFL on the field; they were undisputed champions of celebration off it, thanks to the ingenious Craig McRae. The three-time premiership player turned the Lions’ victory celebrations into legendary events.
McRae has revealed on the Howie Games Podcast that with the full backing of skipper Michael Voss, the Lions Mad Mondays became meticulously planned events that brought the entire team together.
“I said, you know what? I’m going to run it. I’m going to make it an event. “
The pinnacle of these celebrations came in 2003, creating a spectacle that had to be seen to be believed.
“The grand poohbah of the best events was the 2003 one when we actually had a ring for boxing, like oversized gloves and we had a card of the Main Event…”
“There’s so many layers to it.”
From the national anthem sung by Joel Macdonald to an array of other meticulously planned details, McRae orchestrated an event that went down in AFL folklore.
Now the Collingwood Premiership coach, McRae has brought a similar sense of fun and camaraderie to his current team, although he modestly downplays his role as the ‘master of fun.’
“It’s a long bow to think that I’m the master of fun for the game, but I do want to make sure that our players have that deep wins shallow losses mentality. So when they leave the game, that their cup’s not empty and not fulfilled because we’re in such a competitive game,” McRae explains.
His philosophy is all about ensuring players experience the highs of victory without dwelling on the lows of defeat.
For a deep dive into the mind of the genius behind the Brisbane Lions’ legendary celebrations as well as a deep dive into the Magpies 2023 Premiership, listen to the latest episode of the Howie Games podcast.