AFL

100-game star Daicos 'destined to be an AFL great'

Apr 15, 2026

Collingwood's Nick Daicos has reached incredible heights as he prepares to play his 100th AFL game. -AAP Image

Collingwood coach Craig McRae believes Nick Daicos is destined to become an all-time great, comparing the Magpies superstar to a former star teammate.

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Ahead of his 100th game, Daicos has comfortably been Collingwood's best player for at least three seasons and is arguably the No.1 performer in the league.

McRae, a three-time premiership winner as a player for Brisbane, believes Daicos is tracking to have accolades similar to Simon Black, who won a Brownlow and Norm Smith Medal across 322 games for the Lions from 1998 to 2013.

An Australian Football Hall of Fame member, Black has one of the most decorated CVs in football after starring in the Lions' three-peat in the early 2000s.

"I saw a young Simon Black come into the game, he had an incredible career, Simon," McRae said.

"This guy's (Daicos) got every attribute to be one of the great players of all time.

"He (Daicos) does things that I don't think I've seen others do.

"I use Simon Black as an example, he's one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet in your life. Unassuming. If he lived in Melbourne there'd be statues everywhere of him.

"I'm seeing some things in Nick that, without forecasting the future, will be every bit as equal as what Simon's done in the game."

Daicos was drafted as a father-son in November 2021, just months after McRae was announced as Collingwood's coaching replacement for club great Nathan Buckley.

At just 23, the majestic Magpie is already a three-time All-Australian, and played a pivotal role in Collingwood's 2023 premiership.

"In terms of what he's been able to do for us, I started the same time as him and I'm very grateful for him to be a part of our footy club at the same time," McRae said of Daicos.

"He's just made such a difference to us.

"His growth as an individual and as a leader and as a player has taken us on an incredible journey the last four years.

"He's destined to be a leader of this footy club, it's just a matter of when. He already is."

Daicos missed Collingwood's thumping Easter Thursday loss to the Lions due to a corked calf, but gathered a game-high 31 possessions on return in a close Gather Round loss against Fremantle last Friday night.

After losing three of their past four matches, the Magpies will be desperate to continue their recent dominance over arch-rivals Carlton in an MCG blockbuster on Thursday night.