With Collingwood on the verge of announcing that three-time Brisbane premiership player Craig McRae will become their 16th full-time coach, a raft of other changes are reportedly in the works.

According to Fox Footy, 2021 interim coach and long-term assistant, Robert Harvey, has departed the Holden Centre after a decade of service, with a return to Princes Park under his former mentor, Ross Lyon, appearing likely.

Harvey, 50, guided the Pies across their final nine-games this season for a record of two-wins and seven-losses.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JULY 04: Robert Harvey, Caretaker Coach of the Magpies addresses his players during the 2021 AFL Round 16 match between the Collingwood Magpies and the St Kilda Saints at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on July 4, 2021 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

The St Kilda legend had previously worked under Lyon during an assistant stint at Moorabbin, with the pair first joining forces at the Blues following the dual Brownlow medallist's retirement in 2008.

In a report filed by Tom Morris and Ben Cotton on Tuesday, it was also suggested that another of Nathan Buckley's former assistants in Brenton Sanderson could join Harvey in heading for the exits, with a contract extension unlikely for the 47-year-old.

Sanderson has called Collingwood home for the past seven seasons following his sacking as Adelaide's head coach in 2014.

Brenton Sanderson of the Crows looks on during the round 19 AFL match between the Adelaide Crows and the West Coast Eagles at Adelaide Oval on August 2, 2014 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Morne de Klerk/Getty Images)

Although it is yet to be officially announced, McRae is seen as a certainty to fill Buckley's void on a permanent basis, with an announcement expected by the end of Wednesday.

However, Morris tweeted on Tuesday morning that the 47-year-old had already toured his new facilities and terms between both parties had all but been agreed upon.

Having honed his craft at the Lions, Tigers and Hawks, McRae is seen as an ideal candidate by many to help steer Collingwood's rebuild.

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Speaking on SEN, McRae's premiership teammate, Justin Leppitsch, claimed that if his previous posts had proven anything, the South Australian had the capability to get the Pies humming from next season.

“He was always bringing the team together,” Leppitsch told Gerard Whateley on Wednesday morning.

“There wouldn’t be a person who doesn’t like ‘Fly’. He’s that sort of person, he gels people together.

“That’s his strength, that’s his one-wood, is the fact that he’s respectful of everybody. He understands the big picture, he knows he can’t do this job on his own.

“He’s lived through almost every scenario in footy from the high of the high to the low of the low.”

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - DECEMBER 07: Craig McRae the assistant coach of the Hawks looks on during a Hawthorn Hawks AFL pre-season training session at Waverley Park on December 07, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Leppitsch and McRae had also spent time together during their tenures at Tigerland, with the former stating that his friend had a thirst to improve whenever possible.

“He’s got that well rounded experience. He worked at the Melbourne Storm as well so he seen a lot of different sports in what he’s done,” Leppitsch continued.

“It’s not bad, is it? That’s why it’s a really mature appointment from Collingwood going down this path.

“It’s almost saying, ‘What do we need at our footy club?’. They know what they need, they went out seeking it and they’ll put the parts around that.

“That’s what long term success is about.”

As mentioned, an official statement from Collingwood is expected to be made before the close of business on Wednesday.