He walked off the hallowed turf a premiership coach and the architect of Collingwood's record-equalling 16th premiership.
The Collingwood mentor stunned the capacity crowd when, as he accepted the Jock McHale medal, said: "Today was already the best day of my life because my wife gave birth to a little girl this morning at 7.45am.
"So darling, I'm coming home tonight with the cup. I love you."
McRae, in just his second AFL season at the helm, later expanded on one of the best days of his life - the birth of daughter Maggie, his first child with his new wife Gabrielle, hours before his maiden premiership as a coach.
"At 5.45 my wife rang me, she said 'you'd better get to the hospital, this baby's ready to go'," he said.
"My wife's been remarkable. Like she went (into) labour and went to the hospital with her sister without me and let me sleep in. I had no idea what was going on.
"She's just so amazing it made me cry. Just so proud of her."
He went straight from the hospital to the MCG, where his brother-in-law met him with a pair of shoes.
But they were two sizes too big, and after organising a quick swap, McRae masterminded the Magpies' epic 12.18 (90) to 13.8 (86) triumph.
It capped off a two-year stint where McRae has focused on making the Magpies family-friendly and a club that welcomes back its past players with open arms.
A three-time premiership player at Brisbane, McRae contemplated the significance of his achievement as a coach with former mentor Leigh Matthews.
"It doesn't compare," the softly spoken coach said said.
"Leigh said that to me after the game - I had a moment with Leigh and thanked him.
"It just doesn't compare. Because this is not about me.
"This is about 106,000 members. This is about the players and their stories. It's about all our staff ... I'm just the face of it."
After the rush died down, the players gathered in a circle in the centre of the MCG then serenaded the fans still left in the ground with a round of "Collingwood".
McRae plans for a far quieter night, with plans to get a photo of the cup with his wife and newborn daughter.
Down the road, he plans to watch the game over a fine bottle of red wine.
"We might get together at the right time as coaches and have that moment of quietness and just watch the game and appreciate it for the work that it was," he said.
"On reflection it was one of the best games I've ever been involved with
Every Collingwood premiership coach features on McRae's office wall - except one: himself.
He hopes it stays that way.
"We've got Leigh there and Mick (Malthouse)," McRae said.
"I hope when I go on holidays I come back and it's not there."
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