Sports - AFL
Collingwood re-signs McRae as Frost confirms AFL retirement
Craig McRae has extended his Collingwood coaching tenure to 2028 as Hawthorn shared emotional footage of Sam Frost announcing his AFL retirement.
Collingwood has locked in premiership coach Craig McRae on a new two-year deal, while Hawthorn has shared emotional footage of Sam Frost breaking down as he announced his AFL retirement to teammates.
The Magpies confirmed on Tuesday night that McRae has re-signed until the end of 2028. The 52-year-old guided Collingwood to the 2023 premiership and has been senior coach since 2022.
Club president Barry Carp said McRae had reshaped the club's culture, crediting his focus on connection, resilience and daily improvement. He said the coach had reconnected the club with its people and members, while reinforcing a family-first approach internally and strengthening ties with supporters.
McRae, a three-time premiership player with Brisbane, moved into coaching after his playing career and held a range of assistant roles from 2007 before landing the Collingwood job. Under his leadership, the Magpies reached preliminary finals in 2022 and 2025, missed finals in 2024, and claimed the 2023 premiership.
Also on Tuesday night, Collingwood awarded life memberships to 2023 premiership players Will Hoskin-Elliott, Jeremy Howe and Oleg Markov at the club's annual general meeting. Football department staffer Mick Dugina and former player and board member Brian McKenzie were also honoured.
Meanwhile, Hawthorn released vision of Frost announcing his retirement to players in an emotional address. The 32-year-old played 185 AFL games across GWS, Melbourne and Hawthorn between 2012 and 2025, including 94 matches for the Hawks after joining the club in 2020.
Frost, who was delisted at the end of this season, said he felt it was the right time to gain closure and move on, adding that he was proud of what he achieved across his career.
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