Former Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley expects Craig McRae to be crowned the 2022 Coach of the Year.
While McRae’s season with the Magpies ended at the hands of the Swans in last Saturday’s Preliminary Final, Buckley thinks that the award isn’t simply based on who guided their teams to the most wins.
Having claimed the honour in 2018, Buckley explained that the award is typically given to the coach that exceeds expectations more so than any other, which he thinks McRae has taken the Magpies from 17th to top-four.
“I think the Coaches Association Coach of The Year award is largely around who the coaching fraternity believes is at the helm of a program that has exceeded expectations,” Buckley explained on SEN Whateley.
“I think if we put it in that light, Craig McRae has exceeded expectations the most at the head of the Collingwood football program.”
The other top contenders for the award are Grand Finalists Chris Scott and John Longmire, and Buckley praised them for consistently meeting high expectations.
“It’s really interesting when you put it against John Longmire and Chris Scott,” Buckley said.
“They’re bona-fides as long-term coaches, they’ve both had slight dips, Chris Scott less so, only one time out of the finals.
“John Longmire, I think both of them seem to be the most even-tempered, emotionally considered, intelligent coaches over a long period of time.
“I think they’re so consistent that it’s difficult to see the highs and lows, there’s no over-exceeding or under-exceeding.
“They’re generally hitting the mark, and I think there’s something to be said for that consistency.”
Ignoring what he expects will occur, Buckley gave his votes in order of who he’d vote for if he was still in the coaching fraternity.
“But I think for the brilliance of a one-year outcome above expectation I think I’d probably go McRae (first), Longmire (second), Scott (third),” Buckley said.
“I don’t think that is fair on either John Longmire or Chris Scott, to be honest.”
Simon Goodwin won the award in 2021, but Ken Hinkley (2020), Chris Fagan (2019) and Buckley (2018) are recent winners who didn’t claim that year’s premiership.