Craig Starcevich

Craig Starcevich
Starcevich holding the AFLW premiership cup in 2023
Personal information
Date of birth	(1967-05-16) 16 May 1967 (age 57)
Original team(s)	East Perth (WAFL)
Debut	Round 1, 1987, Collingwood vs. Sydney Swans, at Victoria Park
Club information
Current club	Brisbane Lions (women's coach)
Playing career1
Years	Club	Games (Goals)
1987–1993	Collingwood	124 (162)
1994–1995	Brisbane Bears	020 0(16)
Total		144 (178)
Coaching career3
Years	Club	Games (W–L–D)
2017–	Brisbane (W)	78 (54–23–1)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1995. 3 Coaching statistics correct as of the end of the 2023 season.
Career highlights
AFL premiership player: 1990 Harry Collier Trophy: 1987 AFL Women's premiership coach: 2021, 2023
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Craig Starcevich (born 16 May 1967) is a former Australian rules footballer and current senior coach. Starcevich played for Collingwood and the Brisbane Bears in the Australian Football League (AFL), known as the Victorian Football League (VFL) prior to 1990. He is the current senior coach of Brisbane in the AFL Women's (AFLW), having led the team since its inception. Starcevich was the first person to win both an AFL and an AFLW premiership, having won the latter as coach.

Starcevich was recruited from East Perth, for whom he played 37 games for after he won the 1986 F. D. Book Medal for being judged their best and fairest player. On the back of this, Starcevich was recruited to Collingwood in the VFL.

Starcevich made his VFL debut in 1987. He played the role of a key-position player, coming off the bench in Collingwood's 1990 premiership side to be a solid contributor during the grand final. He played 124 games and kicked 162 goals for Collingwood before moving to the Brisbane Bears at the end of 1993 as part of the trade that saw Nathan Buckley go to Collingwood. He played 20 games and kicked 16 goals for the Bears before retiring at the end of 1995.

Following his retirement from AFL football as a player, Starcevich became one of the most prominent fitness trainers in the AFL.

In 2006, he was recruited as part of the St Kilda Football Club's head of training services in an attempt to turn around the club's large injury list in the 2005 season. During the 2006 pre-season, Starcevich adopted a controversial policy whereby players were banned from wearing thongs, citing the fact that they could increase the risk of injuries to feet. He left the Saints before the 2007 season, citing "family reasons".^[1]

In March 2007, Starcevich joined A-League team Queensland Roar as strength and conditioning coach.^[2]

In June 2016, Starcevich was appointed head coach of the Brisbane Lions women's team.^[3] Starcevich guided the Lions to the minor premiership in the inaugural season of AFL Women's in 2017. By finishing first, the Lions qualified for the 2017 AFL Women's Grand Final. The team lost to the Adelaide Crows in the decider. In the league's second season, the Lions once again lost the Grand Final by six points under Starcevich, in a game which ended 27–21 in favour of the Western Bulldogs.

Since arriving in Brisbane at the end of 1993, Starcevich has been involved in every one of the Brisbane Lions' four premierships (three AFL and two AFLW) and eight grand final appearances (four AFL & four AFLW).

Starcevich's son Jackson played for Collingwood in the VFL, and nephew Brandon currently plays for Brisbane in the AFL.^[4]

Statistics are correct to the end of the 2023 season

Notes