Collingwood coach Craig McRae has shared the beautiful first photo of his baby Maggie who remarkably was born just hours before the Magpies claimed the 2023 AFL Grand Final.
A clearly proud McRae said he was trying to embrace the “euphoria” of it all, and laughed as he revealed his initial plan was to keep his daughter’s birth a secret – but ended up blurting his news to the world.
“I try not to cry, but it’s just such an incredible thing,” he shared on AFL360.
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“It’s just the joy – anyone lucky enough to be a father and you have this baby in your hands.
“The tears and appreciation for what my wife did and continues to do and how special this moment is.
“(I was) wiping the tears away for two hours and then I’ve got to go to the grand final!
“It’ll be a day that’ll never be repeated.”
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The private McRae said his wife Gabrielle was shocked to learn the coach had announced their baby joy just moments after the final siren of the four-point win over Brisbane.
“I’m such a private guy, and my family are really private … I said ‘I’m not telling anyone today that we’ve had the baby’. And then I started to go, ‘oh maybe I’ll tell the players’,” he revealed.
“I told the players and there’s footage of me going a bit silly in the rooms. And then after the game I’ve told the world (laughs) and she’s going, ‘what happened?’
“There was a moment and (the baby news) did fill the room full of energy and a bit more joy.
“That was just a perfect opportunity to share it.”
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McRae revealed that little Maggie did arrive exactly on her due date – September 30, as he shared a conversation with his premiership coach Leigh Matthews – who famously warned his players of “no unprotected sex in January” after Lion Daniel Bradshaw missed a final when his wife went into labour.
“When we got told the due date was September 30th – I had a quick look through the calendar and I’m going, ‘that’s grand final day’,” he said.
“We deliberately didn’t talk about it. Kept putting it off, knowing there’d be so many moons have to align for that to work.
“I saw Leigh yesterday … But Leigh said it didn’t apply to coaches so we’re OK.
“The reality is that I was always probably going to go coach the game.
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“The odds of this happening, that we’re making a grand final and then the baby being born on the day was like, I don’t know the odds of that.”
McRae said while his players are revelling in the post-grand final glory, he was just happy to get time with his newborn daughter and wife – after also attending Brisbane’s premiership reunion on Sunday.
“Today was the first day I got to sit with my little girl and wife and take a breath. It’s just been an incredible time,” he said.
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