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Craig Starcevich turns down Collingwood and commits to Brisbane

Craig Starcevich signed a three-year extension with the Brisbane Lions after Collingwood approached him about returning to Victoria. He said he had already committed to Brisbane when Collingwood contacted him, and Tasmania had also shown interest.

AI-assisted synthesis · Based on 2 independent reports from 4 outletsHow it's made

View timeline · 7 entries
4 outletsLatest reporting 2 min readNo new reporting in 4 days
Coverage: Center OnlyL 0 · C 4 · R 0
File photo
Photo: Storm machine / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)

What happened

Key facts

  • Starcevich said Collingwood contacted him late to ask about returning to Victoria to rebuild its AFLW program; he said he had already committed to Brisbane.
  • Collingwood CEO Craig Kelly led the approach, according to the report.
  • Tasmania had also been interested in signing Starcevich.

The brief

Craig Starcevich has signed a new three-year deal with the Brisbane Lions, choosing to stay after Collingwood approached him about coaching its AFLW program. The decision keeps him at the club where he has coached since the AFLW began in 2017, according to ZeroHanger, which also reports that he has won two premierships with Brisbane.

Starcevich said Collingwood contacted him late, after he had committed to Brisbane. The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Collingwood CEO Craig Kelly led the approach and that the club asked Starcevich about returning to Victoria to rebuild its AFLW program. Starcevich said he could not give the offer much consideration because he had already agreed to remain with the Lions.

The approach nevertheless prompted thought, Starcevich said, because it recalled elements of establishing Brisbane’s program. He described the prospect as intriguing, while making clear that his commitment to the Lions was already in place. His remarks indicate that the conversation was not the deciding factor in his new contract.

Collingwood was not the only club interested in Starcevich. Both the Sydney Morning Herald and ZeroHanger report interest from Tasmania; ZeroHanger refers to the club as the Devils. The accounts establish that the club was among those seeking him, but do not detail a formal offer or the timing of its interest.

The Sydney Morning Herald places the approach in a wider AFLW coaching market: it reports that Collingwood, St Kilda and Essendon were seeking senior coaches after each recorded one win in difficult seasons. That context helps explain why Starcevich attracted interest, but the reported approach from Collingwood came after he had committed to Brisbane.

Starcevich told Brisbane players about the new deal on Wednesday morning, alongside Brisbane Lions CEO Sam Graham, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. He has led the club since the competition’s first season and, according to ZeroHanger, delivered two premierships.

The three-year extension secures his continued leadership at Brisbane, while Collingwood and Tasmania remain among the clubs reported to have pursued him.

Why it matters

  • Brisbane’s AFLW players have continuity in leadership through Starcevich’s three-year extension; he has coached the club since the inaugural season in 2017.
  • Collingwood’s AFLW program is seeking a senior coach, and its approach to Starcevich was aimed at rebuilding that program, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
  • The coaching market also includes St Kilda and Essendon, which the Sydney Morning Herald says each recorded one win in their seasons.
  • Tasmania also had an interest in Starcevich, while Brisbane secured his commitment with a new three-year deal.

What to watch next

  • Whether Collingwood names a new senior coach for its AFLW program.
  • Whether St Kilda names a new senior coach for its AFLW program.
  • Whether Essendon names a new senior coach for its AFLW program.
  • Whether Tasmania continues to pursue a senior coach for its AFLW side.

How it's being covered

Coverage analysisShow details
4 source articles · 4 unique outlets · 2 distinct reports
Outlet political mix: Center Only· 4 Center
Where the outlets are based: Asia 75% · Unknown 25%
Outlet political mix
Center Only
Left
Center
Right
0 outlets
4 outlets
0 outlets
The marker shows coverage balance: each unique outlet counts once.
Geography
Where the outlets covering this story are based.
4 unique outletsDominant coverage: Asia
Coverage imbalance
  • Coverage is currently concentrated among Center-rated outlets (4 of 4 rated sources); comparatively few Left or Right-rated outlets have published on the event.
  • Coverage is currently concentrated among outlets based in Asia (3 of 4 geographically-identified sources).
How we measure coverage

How outlets' accounts compare

1 framing difference · 2 uncorroborated claims · 2 information gaps
The reports repeat the same account with different emphasis; its central claims are not independently confirmed in the reporting Updat3 read.Compared across 2 reports whose article text Updat3 read.
Framing / emphasis differences
Sources emphasise different angles, actors or consequences of the same reporting.
  • The Sydney Morning Herald identifies Collingwood CEO Craig Kelly as leading the approach and describes its aim as rebuilding Collingwood’s AFLW program; ZeroHanger emphasizes interest from both Collingwood and Tasmania and notes Starcevich’s prior premiership with Collingwood.
Updat3: These are differences of emphasis, not disputes about what is reported. They do not show that the reported claims are true.
One-sided or uncorroborated claims
Claims that come from one party or one source family and are not independently corroborated.
  • Starcevich said the Collingwood call came late and that he had already committed to Brisbane.
  • Starcevich said Collingwood’s approach was intriguing because it recalled elements of setting up Brisbane’s program.
Updat3: Not independently corroborated yet — treat as a claim, not an established fact.
Not established by the reporting
Information the available reporting does not contain or confirm. This is a gap, not a disagreement.
  • The sources do not give details of the terms of Starcevich’s Brisbane contract beyond its three-year duration.
  • The sources do not specify whether Tasmania made a formal offer or when its interest arose.
Updat3: Updat3 cannot conclude anything about this from the current sources.

Timeline

Developments from this story's sources, dated background we compiled and fact-checked, and our earlier coverage. Each row says which.
  1. Craig Starcevich began playing senior football for Collingwood.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  2. Starcevich won a premiership with Collingwood in 1990.
    Reported in this story's sourcesSource:zerohanger.com
  3. The AFL announced it would establish a national women’s competition.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  4. Brisbane appointed Starcevich as its inaugural AFLW coach.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  5. The AFLW began in 2017 with eight clubs, including Brisbane and Collingwood.
    Background · from our historical context
  6. Brisbane won the AFLW premiership under Starcevich.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  7. Brisbane won its second AFLW premiership under Starcevich.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3

How we got here

Craig Starcevich became Brisbane’s inaugural AFLW coach in 2016, ahead of the competition’s first season in 2017. The Lions reached the grand final in that opening season, then won premierships under him in 2021 and 2023. Those results established his record at Brisbane before the later coaching approach became significant.

The AFLW began in 2017 with eight clubs, including Brisbane and Collingwood. Its launch followed the AFL’s 2015 announcement that it would establish a national women’s competition; the first AFLW draft took place in October 2016.

Original sources

4 articles from 4 outlets

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