Take the Steps - the Club’s new documentary following the 2023 final series, takes you places you haven’t been before.
Whether it’s inside the three quarter-time huddle on Grand Final day, in the physio room during an injured Nick Daicos’ knee rehab, or driving home with Craig McRae following the Preliminary Final, the film gives viewers the ultimate behind-the- scenes look at one of the greatest Septembers in Collingwood history.
While holistic in its coverage of the 2023 finals, the documentary follows four main protagonists in Head Coach Craig McRae, Captain Darcy Moore, Club legend Scott Pendlebury, and young star Nick Daicos.
All intent of achieving the same common goal, the quartet share their own unique stories throughout the September journey.
In his second year at the helm, McRae navigates the journey to become just the sixth premiership-winning coach in Collingwood history. Moore, the son of Collingwood great Peter Moore – who has lost four Grand Finals –fights to lift his father’s premiership curse in his first year as the Club’s Captain. Club great Pendlebury, who is nearing the end of his career, has the opportunity to experience ultimate team success once again. Daicos, in his second AFL season, fights in a race against the clock to return to the field from injury.
Opening with never- before-seen footage of the AFL squad climbing the MCG steps in December 2022 – the ultimate metaphor for the year ahead - McRae outlines what it will take to reach the ultimate glory in the coming season.
“There’s no lift to the top of the AFL. But if you take the stairs, there could be a premiership cup,” McRae tells the squad as they sit in level four of the MCG.
The story unfolds across the final month of the season, with the team convening at the MCG in the pre-finals by as they prepare to embark on their journey.
Unique vision offers different perspectives of some of the campaign’s most famous on-field stories, however it is the behind-the-scenes moments that encapsulate the emotion.
Solo Daicos training sessions, insights into team meetings, and reflections with Pendlebury are all part of the film, as viewers are given snapshots into the lives of professional athletes and coaches.
In an AFL first, the documentary will be exclusive to HOYTS Cinemas across the country.
