It’s the full story of the victorious 2023 Collingwood Premiership coach.
Craig McRae shares his journey – including the perseverance and resilience which has formed him as a player, a teacher, a father and a coach.
The coach relives the struggles required to achieve success, he recounts his early life in South Australia, his three-premierships at the Brisbane Lions and life on the edge as a player, his role in Mad Monday’s and also goes on to unveil the defining moment that turned the Pies around as well as all the emotion and strategy of winning one of the best Grand Finals of the last 20-years.
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🎧 The Howie Games is Australia’s #1 Sports Podcast. Where the biggest names in the world of sport go one-on-one with sports journalist Mark Howard. From ultimate highs to tear-jerking lows, Howie lifts the lid on the real stories behind the headlines. He sits down with the biggest names in Australian & world sport, finding out how they started out, what makes them tick, how they deal with the big wins and the big losses, and how they take on sport and life from here.
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And the S sound surreal feeling you can’t put it to words you don’t realize what you’ve done I you see the smiles on people’s faces and then they see the tears wow this is incredible so my attraction to carton was the blue and white and I bu for
Carton as a young lad know if I should say that out loud it’s going to hurt a lot of people I’ve always wanted to play League football running and training really hard I’m going to play fo0 I want to play f fo0 I kept getting knocked back just too small not good enough
Whatever back then it was ruthless yeah I like your hustle but your cut you know the old simpon episode want to be successful there’s a few speed HPS coming and Lee said we can offer you minimum wage which was a big set back from where I’d been and I said
Now do I just back myself in like I’ve always done I’d rather have success than the money whatever you know I’m not at Colwood without my brisman stuff this is a defining moment for this group we played Frid night Saturday morning I couldn’t get out of bed tossing and
Turning of what to do and my wife comes and gets me you got the solutions girl you know what to do just be you now I had this Moment of clarity gone right I don’t care what we’ve just done or what we’ve been this is who we’re going to be
And then we just got to work the of ofion how many times you watched the game back I’m probably close to 10 Close well early days I’m thinking I’m a bit bored there’s nothing else on let’s just Whack It On well this is exciting uh the reigning Premiership coach who just walked in
Here and said I don’t really like talking about myself so this is going to be an interesting hour and a half Craig McCrae welcome to the show mate I am very appreciate your time how you going thanks Al yeah good to be here it’s not my favorite topic myself I must admit so
How how are we going to negotiate I I said you as soon as you walked in the last person to say that was the wonderful superstar that is Elise Perry I said Elise you’re going to have to talk a little bit about yourself I don’t feel comfortable with that yeah no you
Probably see me sort of fidgeting and jumping out of my seat but see where we go huh we’ll try and make it as comfortable for you as possible um I was just thinking uh MJ who’s been with me on this show from the start and he’s a massive Collingwood fan and he was
Excited about you coming in here and I I was driving up and I was reflecting on some of the people that been on this show um and three struck him a my mate John aloisi penalty guy in 2005 he’s had 18 years of people wanting to talk positively about him Kathy Freeman’s now
Had 23 years of it but the one that really struck me is uh I don’t know if you know him a guy called John bertran oh you know John right well we can talk about John in a moment so 983 wins the America’s Cup so that’s that’s
Four he’s had 40 gigs fly of people coming up and positively engaging with him because he did something very Monumental in their lives so you’ve had four months of it what’s it like when you walk in a room and there’s a blokey like MJ and it
Means the world to him what you and your Club were able to achieve it means a lot it means a lot and um I haven’t lost sight of the the the nature of the success for Collingwood and you just in the storytelling you know even just yesterday just someone sharing a story
About their their sick brother and he got to see the game and what it meant to the whole family and there’s many many tales like that um yeah tried to I’ve tried to as much as I can um step outside of the job and step into shoes
Of others and and and my way of doing that in some ways after every win and we’ve had lucky enough to had a few I I’d go home and have a red wine and watch the replay and and then I watch the crowd and I listen and and um and
Embed myself of of others feelings if I could or if I can um so I doesn’t I don’t lose sight of it and and and one of the things I wanted to do when I took over from the job was to take the fans on on the ride bring him along because
Of Co because of disconnection because of paying membership without getting to go one reason but I think the club itself coling would I wanted to give the game if the the club back to its people a bit as much as I could realistically um so that’s been a bit of the the
Storytelling um but I don’t lose sight of the fact that this means a lot to a lot of people it will happen for you for the next 40 50 years of your life you will be that connection point where people want come and say hey mate I was
Here I was there I was watching it in Tokyo or I was with my dog or whatever it may be well John Bertram you mentioned his name I I’ve I’ve been lucky enough it was literally the first week I started we went for a walk of of
The tan and um all the staff we just going to go for a walk and get to know each other and and I saw John at the lights up the top of um the town and and we got a young staff that had no idea
Who he was but I did I grew up watching um well I was only young at M you similar to me at the America’s Cup yeah and I remember how big it was and Bob Hawk and all the stories that they go with it and so I introduced myself and I
Knew B I knew um John was recently or previously involved with coling some capacity I don’t know if he was on the board but I knew he had I’d seen him in the club before a long time ago um anyway introduced myself and we started
Walking a little bit to he was getting a coffee um and I just said oh John would would you mind maybe we could catch up and walk the T together and and we exchanged numbers and the next week here I am next week walking the town with
John Bertram and I just can’t I’m just idolized the man he I’ve got a huge man crush he I’ve said this before but he he just makes my mind think like I’ve never thought and and listen to his storytelling and he provokes questions and he’s very inquisitive I I remember
We finished the podcast and he gave me 25 minutes of questions about the podcast and how it works and how you can increase your viewership or how you can make he ask me all this question I thought I’m four years into this and I haven’t thought of any of these and then
He said yeah next week I’m off to Silicon Valley on see why I know he’s he’s such an inspiration isn’t he and his wife um Raza she’s swimming in in um yeah International meats or not quite but Masters events and things at her age and they just an inspiration so yeah I I
I like surrounding myself with with people like this that make you think differently and Inspire to do different things so yeah he’s one of the he’s one of the true Legends of the world isn’t he so I’m sure because there would be so many of them but is there a particular
Interaction you might have had with someone post the Grand Final that that maybe you didn’t know that has expressed to you and yet to hit you and thought wow this means so much not not to just us as our organization but to the Greater Community oh many many yeah
Walking out to my doorstep two days after the grandf final have an old man walking his dog just cry in front of me was like wow you like just smacked me right in front in the eyes and um no there’s just many many and and and even
Just getting back to work now where you see so many fans with just still Smiles on their faces you know and and that’s what the luxury of a Premiership does is you get that six-month window of that you haven’t lost a game you haven’t missed a kick haven’t missed a goal and
So you get to sit in it a bit I I think that’s a bit of a luxury that people lose sight of how many times you watch the game back uh I’m probably close to 10 close but and you watch it for different things just watch it for the joy it
Provides well early days I’m thinking I’m a bit bored there’s nothing else on let’s just whack it on um but yeah I think I’ve seen little bits of it just in recent time we’ve had a lot of um you know the the things for for um commercial opportunities that you
Know we’re doing cometary to certain parts of it and so it gets put back in your face I’m not quite tired of it yet but I’m I’m definitely nearly close to just like let’s get busy and move on um there Comes A Time doesn’t there well
Talking about moving on I I can only imagine you normally finish on a Saturday at say 5:00 I don’t know how quickly your mind well say say coling would finish a game at 5:00 you’re in the room to sing the song how long till your mind in a home and away flicks to
What’s happening next Saturday at 2:00 week to week yeah um reasonably quickly and I and I’ve I must admit I’ve changed a lot in my life like um yeah I would I would go what’s next really quickly like we talking that that night oh halfway through the song Some sometimes
Sometimes my previous Life as a person I would be thinking really quickly and and it could be yeah it’s halfway through the song in my life but I’ve changed so much and I and and we all want to evolve and be better versions of ourselves well
At least I do and and I I want to smell the roses more I don’t know what I don’t know why I haven’t in the past but I haven’t had an ability to do it well and and maybe it’s helped me move quickly okay in good and bad so you know good
Times so let’s keep moving and bad times I’m going to keep moving so it’s helped me get through and be resilient and things and but I I’ve got to a point in my life I don’t want to keep doing that and I’ve said this to the PES particularly postgame we want to have
Deep winds and I I heard a podcast pppa gra and brne brown talk about deep winds and shallow losses and it really hit me I go no what that’s just true and talking about how people can feel unfulfilled after success because they have you know shallow winds and what’s
Next and what’s next and and I think I reflected bit I thought yeah that’s true and I don’t want to I don’t want to have our players leave the game unfulfilled and their premierships can be joyful but do they fulfill you there is a difference um success is exciting and
Everyone wants it but doesn’t really fill your cup and so we we we want to we want to have an environment where we’ve created and we pretty much this year we we tried to have deep winds sit in it for a bit longer as much as we can smell
It taste it hey we’re okay here and then get have an ability to to get to work Monday and get better and then conversely if you lose hey boys sh losses we’re learn lessons we’re moving on so that was been of a bit of a mantra
So you rock up Monday and you wouldn’t know if who one I lost but yeah I’m just suddenly trying to buy more roses and how how long did you have the Roses period before you thought about season 2024 after season 2023 yeah it was probably about 6 weeks and was
That just a fantastic six weeks yeah yeah it was it was it was nice to sit in that and and like I said about the winds post Grand Final you get a bit more grace um you know you don’t have 5 days to prepare for the next game or you know
The the what ifs and if only’s in life uh so yeah we sat in it and as a family and and and then you know at the same time there’s a lot of nepes to be changed yes yeah so so there’s been it’s been a great time and I I don’t recall a
Time in my life where um I probably probably Ed analogy that have been a bit of a circus juggler in life you know trying to keep the balls in the air and of all sorts of things and and I haven’t had too many times in my life
Where I felt like I’m juggling all the balls right now right which is great to hear before we get to where it all started for you um I know that the boys came back and you were on a a management course and I know coaches do a lot of
This who Chris got to it in the past did you go to Harvard I did yeah so but before you what did you learn what like how could Harvard yeah well the whole experience was incredible you know you you look at the rich history and you know you think about who’s been there
And uh and then I’m embedded in this course with 150 people from 75 different countries and and not many know AFL footy the only ones that knew it were the other Australians that were there right um so it was a great experience the course itself was on authentic lead
Leadership which means what well being authentic and and leading with authenticity and most people that know me think that’s bit of my onewood and and I’d like I have good self- awareness I think I do have good um yeah ability to be authentic and be real and so I’m
There and the lecturer stands in front of us and says we’re here to transform you and change you I’ve just got my f neck up you’re not going to change me and uh like most people in in the world we don’t like to be changed or told they’re going to
Change you but I I like to grow so old Greg here from Solomon’s beach in adelade not prepared long way from Harvard a long way from Harvard if you Google Maps that you’ll find it’s a long way from Harvard and I uh put my hand up
And said uh don’t really like the way change um I’m here to grow and most people I think that I work with with in our industry like the word growth not change and um and I’m looking forward to the opportunity for that and not sure if
The lecturer liked it but um you get kicked out on day one did you day one I’ve got a there there’s a warning yellow card but but I think that sort of sums me up a little bit I’m prepared to say what I what I feel and I
Think that’s been authentic and and not doesn’t always mean i’ have to please everyone but I did have this wrestling with myself about my wife’s and I have just had a baby she’s home by herself looking after her kids D MC has just done his night literally the day before
The course started and I’m thinking to myself if I’m authentic just go home and I’m sitting in this course 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. with all this opportunity that I’ve been thankfully given but I couldn’t help but think I just wanted to go home MH so I’m wrestling with this in
My head and then it was it was a full we days and I got to Wednesday and I thought you got to step in and my wife guys now step in and and from from that moment when I sort of released the inhibition if you like I I embedded
Myself in the relationships with the people that we working with which was really powerful when we get to the Grand Final I was watching it and I was watching certain players kick goals and every one of them had a story and I thought I think I’ll go through the Grand Final
With with the coach and at certain moments okay penry kicks a goal here how’s he achieve what he has which which will get to but the block that wasn’t there is Dan mcstay and then he’s reinjured himself so with your well I don’t know if it’s your
Coach’s hat your human hat did you ring him what do you say well you can go into a private conversation as much as you want but what do you say about someone that you love and has strived and worked with you and then it’s taken away well
The obvious thing is you don’t know what to say and and whatever you you say you’re thinking that it’s not going to help other than I I just generally go to a love and care and love and support mindset where I’m just here for you mate
And I don’t know what that looks like in your eyes I just I just want to be here for you and yeah I’m offering an arm to put random or a hug or you know just some form of You’re Not Alone um and and everyone’s different you know some some
Are standoffish and everyone goes to their own grieving period and coming to terms with things he he had a incredible positive mindset right from the start which funny enough has really helped his rehab is well ahead of schedule so I don’t know if that that’s something for
Others to think of of course it does has to be yeah you’d wonder whether it’s it’s significant but I but I think of Dan um like others that lose something one you have perspective I’ve just hurt my knee there’s far many other things that have worse this than this in
Life um but the perspective of go all right and I and I try to embed this because I think it’s a great way of thinking of things I’ve lost this but what can I gain and when you have an ability to go I’ve lost this what can I gain then you do
Change your mindset to go right where’s my energy go and then you stop thinking about things you don’t have and I think there’s a great opportunity for those like Dan that’s you know going to be out of the game to improve himself or find something else or you create something
More if you go you look at him physically they go wow he’s gain he looks massive he’s huge and strong and so that’s one thing the other part of it is you know how does improve himself a young man that you has their opportunities to improve himself in
Other ways so there’s there’s some of the things that not at the time but as the as the dust settles a little bit and there’s an opportunity to then look a bit clearer there’s some things we’ve talken about we’ve talked about tell me about Sullivan’s Beach and footy and
You’re growing up as a young father this is going to be hard now he’s nervously reached for a glass of water you’re rubbing your arms before and I thought there’s not a man that’s relaxing now you’ve gone for the maybe Tommy can get something col every every bik in your
Teams brought out a Premiership wine maybe we should have lined a few of those up with DAR Mo or Scott penbury I’m really proud of um where I’ve come from really proud which is where oh Solomon’s Beach it’s south of Adelaide it’s near Christie’s Beach uh near South
Adelaide footy Club um my mom we lived in this house it’s a very um Housing Trust house that my mom just sold and got a record price for not much money but she’s moved into a retirement home um on our street it was a really small
Stre Street uh in this suburb of a thousand people um I had another guy that we grew up with he played AFL 42 he was a year older than me maybe two and there’s two guys that played AFL 40 from this one street that you go wow how does
That happen and I don’t know we just had this unique uh maybe most people in that in that time would just be the same storytelling is is we we we got home from school and you didn’t need to come home until dinner was ready mhm and
Quite often that was you know get inside dinners on the table stuff so we would ride bikes play cricket kick the fo0 all the time you know we had this incredible big park at the end of the street where we had the luxury of hitting golf balls
As far as we could hit them play footy the footy clubs down the road school was a walking distance it was just such a good time and so we were so so constantly doing something so that 10,000 10,000 hours R of learning the skill we’d had that by six yeah like
We’re that busy doing Sport and and we were right near the beach too um so we had the luxury to go to the beach and yeah I’m very fortunate for my up upbringing it was um dad’s was a welder um worked extremely hard he taught me
Great work work ethic 40 years as a labor a worlder um mom was a stayhome mom and just provided for us um mom’s 4′ 10 is she yeah yeah so so um yeah she doesn’t look up to people look up to her not quite but she’s a she’s got a beautiful caring so
Um and but so your dad was old school yeah work E Yeah Dad Dad was old school um I do recall being sort of I was Tiny as you know praying to God that I could grow um and a late mature too I i’ finished um high school at 16 for some I
Don’t know how this happened I still don’t know how but I finished high school at 16 and I went to to to University to be a teacher and I’d finished my union degree at 19 wow and and I look back and I I could I barely
Had chest on my hair you I was a late late developer you miss a you didn’t go from year seven to year n i I don’t know no one can explain to me so I pict like underdeveloped hadn’t gone through puberty finishing year 12 it was it was
Awkward yeah like and so then pitched that also M 4′ 10 I’m not a overly big guy skinny and small and and playing you know footy and and i’ like to think I was you know a pretty good footballer at that age um but Dad made me earn
Everything I got I keep I keep referring this story at Christmas time uh I kicked 12 goals one day in an under 13 game and dad was the the coach but also had to be the Umpire for some games and then will do 321 votes and um so I kicked 12 goals
One and I missed out on winning the the league best and fairest by one vote but Dad didn’t give me a vote that day tell me two kids had 70 and five I’ve gone the other kids must have been pretty good wow but he and he still tells me
You had to learn the lesson I was like what lesson is that yeah kick 12 and don’t get it get a who who was the other chap in your street that played footy Mark visery name is played for the crows okay um right yeah and so we had yeah a
Lot of lot lot of Joy growing up but yeah that’s somewhat of a snapshot of of where I come from and so who’ you first play 44 I played I played for Solomon’s Beach primary school and then went to high school and played for hackam for a
Bit and then back to a Solomon’s Beach Club really close to home and um yeah all all my mates now I went back at Christmas time I go back and stay at caran Park not far from where I grew up um and and yeah I catch up with all my
Mates they come over to the Grand Final I my friends now are the ones I have nine since Primary School and kindergarten and we we’ve had 50th birthdays together still it’s a great connection to and and I and I stand by I’ll never forget where I come from and
Did you always want to play footy was footy just something you did like obviously you were going down You’ obviously educated yourself as well so there was a plan B but footy was plan a or no yeah I I used to sleep with a
Little soft footy I I I yeah I I love footy AB who you go for I went for South Adelaide which was the blue and white Panthers and they didn’t have much success back then I must admit um still not sure if they’ve had much
More and like and a guy called Mark NY who unfortunately passed um he played state of state of origin 40 for South Australia and he went to Carlton yes so my attraction to cartton was the blue and white and I Buri for carton as a
Young lad craw up so I don’t know if I should say that out loud it’s going to hurt a lot of people and who who are you guys apart from Mark NY as Steven kah Craig Bradley South Australians and and then growing up the state of origin was
The biggest thing you can imagine like watching these guys at against Victoria at footy Park and the cold winter seats and yeah that were my memories and I idolized it and I wore wanted to play League football or South Australian snfl football was really strong at that time
There was no grows so I had aspired to play South Australian footy and yeah yeah I’ve always had an ambition to and as as those as you do as a kid you have dreams and then as you become an adult they become goals so my dreams become
Goals and I vividly remember um running and training really hard um and then you know when you get into a rhythm of breathing like that sort of stuff I would constantly just run go I’m going to play F fo0 I want to play F fo0 wow and I
Just drove myself to this yeah to this goal that I had an ambition for and with the guys you eventually played with on Purely a talent level if well I don’t know you can tell me who was a 10 that you played with Talent level whe whether it was aam
Manis or V or brown what number did you sit on the talent scale of 1 to 10 uh I’m going to be I’m going to be low down the the order comparing to those guys um it’s funny that just quickly go back to Sullivan’s Beach I had a mate who was a
State basketballer and and he played for an opposition team to to toight um Christy’s Beach and he kicked 150 goals in under 16 or Elite State basketball and and he didn’t want to play over footing yeah he and and I still love him Ashley B of you listen to
Are you great man super talent but he chose a different path way and and I think that’s probably um for me I maybe wasn’t as talented as him but I wanted it Y and I was prepared to do whatever it takes and try hard and things and I
Probably using that language when you compare me to uh trying to get me to rate myself versus brown I can Menace these guys you know I I was I had talent to make AFL fo0 but I I had a desire to get the best out of myself which which
Which on 200 plus episodes of the show and I always use the analogy for the four rcky pontings that have been on this show they’re ever going to make it there’s 195 Justin langers who got knocked back along the way but exactly what you’re talking about is desire yeah
Well I I remember getting through the pathway to Glen cuz funny enough where I grew up there’s a creek and then if you on the right side of the creek you C and this is such a small little pocket left side you’re South adade and I’m just a
Stone throw over the creek so I’m at CL pathway right I don’t know how it worked um baring for South Lake South La but I yeah I remember the pathway and I I kept getting knocked back you know just too small not good enough whatever and a
Turning point for me was uh under 1 um I’m trying out and to do the full preseason with a group of my friends and they they made it and I didn’t and I did the whole three months and I remember they saying um sorry guys you cut and
Back then it was ruthless yeah I like your hustle but your cut you know the old Simpson episode I didn’t expect the simp get a roll I like you but you’re cut and so I’m I’m you know getting looked in the eyes I’m cut but then they go what what
We what we’re offering is if you want to stay around you can keep training you can um but you you know we we understand go back to your local clubs well I stayed and I kept training without playing and I remember I just kept turning up and turning up and turning up
And it was like halfway through the year they going why is this little fell still turning up but I did and then you know back then a group of guys got sick middle of the winter and there you know five six guys couldn’t play and we’re
Going who are we going to pick oh not that little kid surely not it’s the water boy yeah is he still here and and they played me and I remember I I was so ready and I was so determined and I’d done all the work and I went out there
And I kicked seven goals kicked seven seven and then I’ve played every game after that yeah fogland El fog in your first game under seven age yeah so and then that sort of was it was for me it was just something I hung on to and hey
Don’t give up here never give up just keep persevering and and you things don’t always look Rosy for some and this is my story so in my head obviously you went to Brisbane and had that tremendous success but reading about it and talking about it with Tommy um you went to the
Bears mhm so you you got drafted to the Bears yeah so how how did that work what was it like yeah I was drafted the Bears I was drafted um in the mid SE or so the preseason draft back then then okay and what year are we talking 93 right and
Then Robert walls was the coach and back then they said I’ve grown up by now I’ve gone through puberty just you got some yeah but yeah just and then um I’m quite light so I was about 60 kilos and too 60 kilos 60 kilos but when you were bagging
Gowi lell yeah and but but I was I had speed and I was really quick and so that was an asset um and then yeah I could kick the ball a long way for a little fell so they left footer yeah left footer and so they said uh Robert walls
I remember talking to him over the not the pay phone you know normal ring the old phones he said I look to stay play it the next year with gleno develop yourself I thought this is perfect you know playing SFL Foy choco Williams my first coach and uh and you know I’m
Playing foot and I thought that competition is better than the reserves in Brisbane just my mind I don’t know if that was real that’s what I thought so I played the whole year with Glen and then I got a groin injury late where the old
Op type thing and I had to have an operation and that set me back in my mindset I thought well I wanted to go up there with you know here I come and I’m going to play but I didn’t have that excitement so I decided not to go and then I remember
Robert wall was going what do you mean like I got my dad to ring cuz I was scared to ring that Dad can you ring him tell I’m not going and my dad being as years he’s not Kevin Kevin I’m he’s not coming I remember I’m in the lry because
I don’t care what you say he’s not coming this is to wall yeah and I I can’t imagine how that’s going down the other day now that I know Wy that’s not going to be a great conversation for my dad to hear but um but I decided not to
Go and I stood my ground and and and somewhat naive but also somewhat of me being me and I’m just going to back myself in here if I’m going to have another year at SFL which again I thought was better than Queensland football if Brisbane Dro me off I’m
Going to have that good a year I’m going to work that hard that someone else will pick me up now I know that now is so naive but at the time that was my plan in my head um so anyway so I recovered from my grown operation then got to work
And and then had a really good you know season and then went up to Brisbane and what was because when we think brisban now you know we think that war kapper and carara and Wallie you know being a pretty rough coach and they being what was his name
Ruben that own the place and Christopher SK Christopher SK and like what what was the Brisbane Bears to you um at that time not it wasn’t had had no success attached to it and it was sort of like wasn’t really in my thinking just like I
Said to I’m breathing I want to play 40 when I’m running so it was a desire to wasn’t really about that and and and I knew that um there was a lot of Youth there and I didn’t know you know who and what at
That stage but I went up there and and I was 21 by that stage but still looking 16 and and so I’ve um gone up there and there’s all of a sudden I’ve Rock up and there’s young Jason aenis starting the same year as me Clark keing just
Starting Michael Voss was there Nel lepin had just been drafted Justin leich had just been drafted Chris Scott had just been drafted and then darl white was just in his second year yeah and and all of a sudden like we didn’t know at the time cuz you just think oh jez we’re
All young yeah and we were all growing up away from home in the same place and um we we we made the finals in my first year who who was your first game against first so you’ve been living and breathing who when do your first play played Waverly against Hawthorne we lost
By 10 goals against some mighty Hawks yeah 10 goals who’ you play on Andy Collins Andy Collins yeah kicked a couple of goals on him did you so he kicked a couple in your first game yeah yeah yeah and I remember back then it was fear the coaches were fear and Wy
Would we lost by 10 Ross L played in that game for memory um yeah we we we sat down after the game and this is my first game he Wallie just gets the finger at starts pointing at every play and telling them how bad they were and
He remember telling Chris Scott who was a big pumpkin head cuz he just won the rising star the year before and and he goes through and there’s some really big words that can’t be said here and and really demeaning stuff too like I’m not sure how this is helping like are you
Trying to make me feel bad and he gets to me and he points to me he goes well it was your first game we can’t expect much more and then and then the next one but you it was just crazy back then what what we thought was normal you yeah but
It’s funny to say that because to we’ll get back there but to jump forward I can’t remember which final it was we were calling it on Triple M and Dary Moore leads the team out and deo’s behind him and the two Doos boys and then I think the crisper and mayard and
I remember describing along the lines of these BLS look like they’re going to 21st like they just looked so happy and Jason and Luke not so much Nathan because Nathan is a very sort of happy go-lucky but Jason and Luke almost couldn’t identify with the that it was
Even the same sport that they were playing because they grew up exactly what you’re talking about jeans and and Terry for Luke and there’s BLS running out looking like they’ve had three vodka Cruisers and they’re off to 21st it’s extraordinary well I hope they’re not I’m sure they were but you’d be blowing
Away with the energy they have in the rooms before they go out there and I’ve let them have that like I shouldn’t say let them have that stairs I’m not in control of that um nor should I be but but we make match day um more of like
Not a celebration but an opportunity to go and do what we’ve done all week if you don’t do the work and this is not just in 4 you don’t do the work you you end up hoping things are going to come out yes when you do the work there’s
More a belief and we talk about that I hate the word confidence and if because in my head I don’t know what that means like what is it like I’m just I can’t perform cuz I’m not confident and I just had these 20-minute interviews with all
The young players in the last week or so and and the man of times players talk about jeez you’re going well oh cuz I’m confident I said okay tell me what that means and so so that word and it self we break down and so through actions you
You you do the work you believe you’ve done the work and then you should feel confident because you’ve done the work and confidence is an outcome so you you can’t jump up and do confidence for me but you can do things that um you can act confidently if that makes sense to
You but so we we we constantly put in front of the pliers evidence why they should feel confident GPS measures yeah pb’s in the gym you know training standards are really high a hard data hard data facts dealing facts and things that are real um number one pressure
Team in the competition right now boys let’s bring the heat we should feel confident in this way see the language is different let’s be confident and we can go win so we talk about talk about process a lot so when you do the work match day for us is uh and I’ve said
This before really my Utopia is to watch it in the pub with some mates because we’ve done the work players take over go do the job um that’s unrealistic I know but it’s a handing over of all right match St go and do you know go perform
And execute what we need to do um and the pliers themselves have got a space of comfort they allowed to express themselves we’re allowed to have a laugh like you said back in the day Robert walls I remember losing a game um you as we often did in Melbourne
And we’ get back after the game and he’d go I knew it I knew it I saw you attitudes on the bus when we arrived at the airport I saw it yeah I could see it coming I’m going oh god wow nood dous here we laughed on the bus so we lost
Now in in in reflection and hopefully W is not listening but that that is quite ridiculous yes isn’t it like yes that the drawing an analogy between laughing on a bus and not performing I think what we’ve what we’ve developed um over time is realizing that a lot of things don’t
Matter and the Really the things that matter are one doing the work to be prepared to execute and then two just doing it yeah just execute your role and be present to it so anything in between really you having a smile in the me in the meeting room or having loud music uh
Does it help or hindia I think individuals probably have to weigh that up it’s it’s you know what it is it’s a great example and I’ve used it with both my kids that the Dary more example that um my young BL at the moment he’s obsessed by cricket and he loves playing
Cricket but then if he gets out the world collapses on him and I was like mate look at those colal blocks they they’re getting paid a lot of money The Whole World’s watching them under pressure but look how much fun they’re having never lose sight of that so it’s
A great and I know you’re a father it’s a it’s a great example when when you talk about you just had meeting with with the young kids so not a specific player here so so you have a meeting with a god an 18-year-old M like I think
Of myself at 18 and what I didn’t know about the world you have a meeting with an 18-year-old and he’s exhibiting behavior that you can see is going to I don’t mean going out on the turs but just not Behavior that’s going to allow him to succeed in his football career for
Example how do you impart that wisdom on him is it right there and then or do you put in your mind right over the next six months I got to keep an eye for Joe blogs to to work in how do you go about shaping those young men to helping they
Achieve what they want to achieve when they don’t know yet what they need to yeah that’s right and and you reflecting that I thought I had to be serious before a game was the in time was the worst thing possibly for me right um personality profiling brought that to my
Attention L MCC and and so you’re trying to for many of these young lades trying to get the habits right you create the habits and so you back in the day when I was um development coach for 15 years I always have a checklist and it wasn’t my
Checklist it was theirs but it was put into a check L things that you want to achieve Monday to Friday so then Saturday you could just pack your bag and have comfort to go play so we’d work it out we sit down what it looked like
For some it would vary but it was things like you know sleep what time I’m going to bed tick you know my diet have I managed my diet blah blah blah all the way down to training standards and and then some whatever so but Scott penre doesn’t have a checklist but he’s done
It for so long he just does it it’s a it’s habitual now so he trying to develop habits that will then become habitual and then you don’t have to think about them for some one young lad come with this incredible list of um things that he’s
Doing to to now be confident like he said I just feel really conf why and he go well look at this this is what I’ve done and it was extensive I go wow credit to you but that’s not for everyone no so you got to find guys that don’t have structure develop structure
For them so then these habits and then guys that have structure don’t let the structure control you too much yeah you got to find the balance of like just hey you let something of that go and just be free so everyone’s a little bit different but I think bottom line to
Answer your question is trying to create continuous habits that just become your routine and then the habits will become muscle memory so then when you’re a Brisbane and you’re the well you’re not a kid at this stage and you’re going into your successful period you’re coached by Lee Matthews did did you have
Personally these one-on ones with Lee no right so so you Lee’s never instilling anything new as an individual no yes many things many things but but they bit more Wise Old Al stuff yeah the great story of of you know um humbleness and gratefulness and appreciative what you got and team
That’s to the group is it as opposed to the individual so you’re not wandering into Le’s office and he’s saying okay no I I think I’ve probably had one or two conversations a year with with Le and that’s mainly in the hallway as we walking past each
Other but that that’s no reflection on him or you that’s just how professional sport has changed and you’re at the Forefront of that change obviously yeah and I think going back to the way we were coached um it was yeah being told and it was fear we most of us were
Coached through fear so you played through fear yeah mostly I think Lee had a Nora as opposed to fear still does to be fair when I see him in the media area I’m like I feel like calling him Matthews I seriously do yeah he’s got an
Aura and he has a presence and um yeah and I think he has an incredible ability to manage people and what people need and and Coach individuals to what they need but but it’s different now like you know teaching was different teaching now it’s it the whole world evolves we we I
Think rightly so um yeah we’ like to be we like to have affirmation for when we do things well and and so we should enjoy things um have fun doing it like you’re saying to your young ones like let’s let’s have fun doing it um because
There’s a lot of lot of things in life that aren’t that much fun aren’t they so but uh yeah life’s changed a lot isn’t it so three premierships like you’re regardless of coaching like you you’re a triple Premiership player which in our game is the you know the creme creme
It’s an extraordinary thing that you and your team achieved and they great to watch your football team from those three premierships just give me it doesn’t have to be a significant moment just give me something that sticks out in the mind in a game of football in a
Grand final post a grand final just something that you hold on to you think gee I was part of something pretty cool yeah that there’s many there’s many there’s I probably probably even now when we catch up like it caught up the day after the Grand Final um and when in
Saw most of the guys were there including Lee so there was a reunion up so you just won the premiership and you went to the brisan reunion was I went the year before and and I thought to myself um I’m always going to turn up cuz back to my Salan Beach days never
Forget where you come from I’m not here without my Solomon spee days I’m not talking to Howe how how games and podcast feeling uncomfortable drinking your water good gab I’m I’m on I’m on I’m on I made it g my wife um but I’m not I’m not at
Colinwood without my brisman stuff so I go back with great respect and and admiration for my time there and and gratefulness so so I go back there and one of the things that stands out for me now I don’t know what comes first and I still don’t know the answer to this
Maybe you do um Quality character of people and success or success and then because and then we’re all just good people like what I’m I’m torn in between you clearly you need talent but there’s so many quality people in that proship group you know it’s just and different
Versions of it Pocky p is a unique individual but wow what a what a caring guy that’s put this whole thing together reunion there just just different qualities but there’s amazing depth of quality amongst the humans there um which I don’t lose sight of so I’m great
To be part of that team but there’s so many people there that I just admire and INSP inspired by you talk about now you’re try and enjoy the the the depths of the Winds as a player once you win your first Premiership are you reving in that or are you Kelly Slater
Starting to think about the second uh Le Lee was probably the Catalyst for us all to move quickly and we if anything become more Le by the end of it but early days wining is like a good luck that we’re going to enjoy this for the
Rest of our life but then reality sets in that you get back to work you know 6 weeks later whatever it looks like even even more than that um I do remember when the first Premiership and I I spare parts player didn’t play much game time
On the grand final day so you’re sort of like yeah I won but there’s this little bit of like oh get me on the ground I want to do more I know you played all year and contributed to helping the team sort of Travis Kelce gely pushing sh the coach did not
Quite no but but it’s there’s this so and I was out of contract and then there’s some after the first one yeah and and Lee rang me about a week later said I can I come over and we lived in the same sub and he I thought oh God a
Better tidy up Lee coming over and he he comes he’s there in 5 minutes and he tells me we don’t have a contract for you and and so this sort of stuff just keeps repeating in my life that you going to have to keep earning things to
Get where you got to you want to be successful there’s a few speed HS coming and and so there’s don’t have a contract for you celebrations for two or three days don’t have a contract I go what do I do and he goes explore your options
And and and I’m going okay wow right get on the phone me still didn’t get a tattoo but the tattoo is still wet for most and I’m trying to resonate with this and come to terms with all this um and then so my manager got busy and
There was a couple offers to go back to Adela and and that was really getting really close to happening to go to the crows crows and it was three-year contract and way more money than zero um and then so I started to think God I’m
Going to have to go back to adite and not that I wanted to at that time and somehow within that 3 4 week period of finding what NE what’s next um Lee said we can offer you minimum wage um and and games money per game which was a big
Setback from where I’d been a sort of sevene player eight year player um and I said I’ll do it why why did you take that over the comfort and security and going home onee contract too uh onee contract uh minimum wage earn your money pay to play pay to play and I thought
Get injured on in travel um I I just I just back myself in like I’ve always done like I said I’m not going to go to pris you know what I’m going to have a great year I’m going to train like I’ve never trained I’m going
To I’m going to prove you wrongly and you know you’re going to and I just had this show you know show you I can do this hence maybe the knockbacks along the way here it comes repeating the same story and and I did I I didn’t stop
Training and I trained and and was fitter than I’ve ever been and had a great season 2002 um one another Prem ship one another Premier ship and then what do you reckon Happ H oh he didn’t come again did he unfortunately we don’t have enough money in the the second one
Y and then what do you going have in the third one how it’s just a one year contracts at minimum wage really and and at after the first one I realized you know what this is just what it is I’d rather have success than than the attachment is it money whatever you know
So I wanted to be part of a a great team and um yeah I got paid minimum wage and earned my money throughout the whole time um throughout all the premierships that’s did he ever I know it’s a different generation and I don’t know Lee on intimate level
But did he ever pull you aside and say you stuck it out you’ve done it and now no not really no but but he he had this and these are the lessons I’ve learned and I used continuously Val I was a role player he would value all of us Sean
Hart myself you know guys that would play play roles for the team Brad Scott was an incredible role player and and he he’ glorify our roles to the group cuz fosy he getting that Simon blacks winning Brown l m AK is all Australian LEP is all Australian and all this is
Going on and but that’s little fellas you down here doing you know doing L bit for the team and and yes sir no sir three packs we’re in yeah I’m I’m I’ll do whatever the team needs uh he he would make sure that the whole group valued it um and the external world
Didn’t find it sex to be a chasing forward at that time and that’s what Le valued but the external World finds it sexy that you’re a triple Premiership player and one of the greatest teams ever played the game yeah and and I’m I’m grateful to be part of that and and
Happy to be mentioned I don’t even know where my medals are but that yeah the attachment to the team and I and I see that now I’m a role player at Colwood you everyone’s sort of saying yeah you’re the coach and you can I get a selfie but I’m the role player because
I’m just doing my job what the club needs right now you don’t know where your Premiership midal at I don’t know where my my um pris ones are I think my wife’s got them in a um makeup bag somewhere I don’t know they are but but
You were the uh and I heard Michael talk about this um in an interview I think with was on the wireless on Triple M which I didn’t know that you you were the king of Mad Monday organizations yeah I think this is where my coaching stuff started from right okay well this
Is a this is a theme I’d like to explore yeah it’s it’s a part of um like I like having fun I do like I I like having fun um I wouldn’t drink all year nor could I cuz I I was on a nice Edge for to try to
Keep myself in the game um but I was disciplined but after the season and bossy was the same we we were great mates we we’d have beers you we we’ drink together and celebrate the successes and and um so mad Monday really it stemed from before the premier
Ships we’d have Mad Monday and we had a group and and some would just cause a bit of trouble and I hated it like I didn’t drink at I want to have a beer with the boys and so we my idea was go to H have a beer with the boys have some
Fun and so then we get kicked out everywhere I’m oh God this is the fourth place we’ve been kicked out are you serious we just can we not do this like what are we doing this is not fun why are we doing this like guys dropping trays of glasses what are you doing
Could they not and so I I was determined not to have that repeated that was one year before I said you know what I’m going to run it I’m going to make an event and so they had a whole year of planning this and I got bossy on board
He’s the captain yeah yeah FES running the Mad Monday so he gave me the the green light to go ahead of it and then I got leper involved and and we made it an event and it just grew over the years what what type of an event well the the
Grand poo bar of the best events was the 2003 one where we actually had a a ring for boxing oversized glove and we had um you know a card of like the main event versus and we had star fighting players with big gloves and we had the corporate
Corporates come down had a corporate box for them and um we had toad races we had toad r that sounds real Queensland yeah was and and then we had uh yeah there’s so many lies to it we had National Anthem with Joel McDonald was a player
He was a great singor he played the national anthem and we had everything you yeah referees and and when we moved the some of the guys liked having a bit on the races and we moved defent I decided to move and there was n none of
That and I got some backlash so so I recorded on the VHS some of the races stuck them on and I put them on and put our own odds to it so and then we auction it off if you wanted to buy it so little it went
Pretty big that was the that was probably the most memorable do you think um it’s just struck me and it’s not it’s not yours holy and solely and I know that’s what you’ll say to me but do you think maybe the the biggest gift you’re giving to football is making up
Fun uh it’s a it’s a it’s a precious thing like it’s such a serious industry Anis you know this has a good this week and heated because you know he didn’t mark this ball running back with a flight and but it’s fun with you well
It’s a long bow to think that I’m the master of fun for the game but I but I I do want to make sure that our players have that deep winds shallow losses mentality so when they leave the game that the Cup’s not empty and they’re not fulfilled because we’re in such a
Competitive industry that you know we’ve got to find balance we’ve got to find balance within what we’re doing and and if you come to training and watch Us train we have this boundary line philosophy that you step over it and you are on and when I say on it’s some of
The best standards you’ll ever see and when it’s not I’m driving I’m going hang on that’s not us but you step off take a breath talk about what you’re doing tomorrow yeah and have a laugh go get a drink get some Mage whatever all
Right boys back up on the L we ready to go for the next drill run on and we go and I think you the analogy of a wicket keeper that that is in the in the um field for 90 overs yep he’s not on for
90 overs he sit there ready for the ball grabs it throws the slips crosses his arms talks about yeah look at that over there like that that’s the approach we want to have now in 90 minutes of footy or 120 Minutes of footy on on Saturday
There ain’t much space in there to find for the breaths so there there’s we got to find places where it fits I love it how are you finding just talking about yourself so far I don’t know how’s it going it’s going beautifully okay maybe a little bit less about me okay we’ll
Talk about what about you how what’s going on with you well the first it’s funny the first thing you walked in here and you said oh you just finished the cricket is not long with footy and you said How’s your balance and it’s it’s a really good question in 2024 I think for
Everybody isn’t it how’s your balance yeah yeah I um because like your role I I’ve I’ve seen and I’ve worked with BLS that have done it you know I worked with Rossy when he came out a Freeman and and various people and it’s like it just
Seems to be all consuming it is so how how do you achieve the balance it is and this is back to you now yeah thanks man that was clever wasn’t it yeah 15 love um Brennon Bolton went to a leadership course the other day and came back with
This thing about um we’re all busy everyone is talking to one of our young players the other day and um I’m trying to not use the word busy it’s it’s you got to be careful you don’t use it as a badge of honor hey might have been flat out Su been working
The ring off having seen the wife and kids hang on yeah yeah that’s right and that’s exactly how we described it to me so um so I’m trying not to use the word because we all are we all have a different version of it and so I’m
Talking to a young Bo M Bo mccre the other day and I said what do you got on today oh Shez I’m busy I said oh funny enough I’m trying not to use the word but yeah yeah it’s a lot going on and he goes yeah yeah I’m really busy and I
Said what are you doing this afternoon goes oh I don’t know I’ll get some lunch this is a man without kids yeah this is a man that’s still having a 3our for Carter and coffee with his mats but but he’s busy we all think we are and um but
But I think more than ever the world we’re living in yeah it’s a tough world out there and so everyone’s finding less time to do things for themselves or less time to do things as a family and and it’s a struggle it really is so I’m
Determined to try to keep finding that I know in our schedule I’m deliberate and we are deliberate in giving gaps you know we’ve brought in that we start um a Tuesday late so you can drop your kids at school staff and coaches drop their kids at school start at 10:00 and we
Finish another day early so you can pick your kids up from school and it’s amazing the energy that’s giving our staff including myself it’s the best day of the week to Dro My little girl at school it is walk in and yeah said hold your hand I know it’s gold and and so
Think about that not going to be forever yeah so this time that’s lost that I don’t know for you this is my 90th year and in coaching footy and the amount of time I’ve lost through the way that the system set up that you know we got to
Work to the bar and you got to code the game after the game at midnight CU we need a meeting at 7:00 a.m. it has to be ready that is not going to be the environment I’m involved in so I’m trying to create a schedule we are trying to create a schedule where
There’s air and balance now what you do within that time including myself I’m struggling to find the right amount of balance and what that looks like um but family first is a i thing we have at our club so any decisions around family they come first completely separate path
Talking about family first you have daughters is anyone going to Taylor Swift yeah I’ve got are you going yeah yeah oh now I got questions for you now okay before you go into this so I’d promis my daughter y tickets and then I got busy and I didn’t get the tickets
And I was like [ __ ] so I hope my boss is not listening on the second T20 I thought right I got got to do something about this so I announced we’re on the world feet so it goes everywhere that I need some ta and I now have secured some well done
Um via a very friendly person that was listening to the cricket that could no longer go got in touch by email told my daughter and uh I was in Perth and I rang her and said I just I just got to send you a text message and
I sent her a message of the ticket and she declared it now her mom who is a Trojan and a Wonder Woman has been with those kids all summer doing everything and I’ve sent a text message of the ticket to which my daughter declared it the single greatest moment of her life
And I’m thinking this is good for me as a dad but I think we need to show Mama a little bit more love but then I pick her up yesterday and she explains to me Craig so you are you going yes right so you may not know this but you need to
Decide this you have to dress yes relating to one of the eras I know right so my daughter is going the love era which seems to be cowboy boots a skirt and a top and and then she said to me dad what ear are you going with I don’t
Like to swear on this podcast Craig but I was like [ __ ] I’m out of my depth here so what when are you going and what year are you going Saturday night right what are you going to wear are you going to dance well oh maybe maybe maybe to the
Dance probably get caught up in it some but it was Valentine’s day yesterday and my wife got me a Valentine’s gift yes the outfit for the concert oh outstanding and the the outfit is a Kansas City’s Chief Travis Kelsey t-shirt a this is good so maybe you got
To get yourself to Rebel Sport they might be sold out maybe that’s what I need because some of the outfits you running past me I’m thinking sweetie I can’t pull that off yes you may be stay in your line and stick to it so that
Yeah I’ll be I’ll be there with be uh and and it is my my little seven-year-olds got um a fringe cut and she might not listen to this until she’s older it’s not a great it’s not a great look right we love you but it’s not it’s not working
For you but hey that’s at the depth that these kids are going to they love it huh this this is big but it’s what you’re talking about about balance and family and I I that was my best moment of my whole summer yeah was thinking how excited my daughter was and that I’m
Going to be able to share it with her and we’re driving up together and we’re going together we’re staying in town yeah no you can’t get that stuff back can you I guess you can get a footy training session back but you can’t get that back yeah and that’s essence of
What we’re trying to do at the club is that you know we got all the kids in there and the families come they school holidays they’re running water with it and it’s just giv the place a whole different feel and you know all the wives and and partners are there I’ll
Share a story um Alex Pender’s uh Mom Wendy Wendy came to um this is couple years ago now we just tried to do some afterm matches and Co had just been and uh Alex peny comes up say f i just introduced you to my mom I said I love
You to meet you and nice to meet you Wendy and my wife was there and and she goes oh um yeah Wendy goes this is the first time I’ve been to the club since Scots played and you’ve been there forever 16 years at that stage and I thought wow we’re getting somewhere yeah
Like this is cool this is cool yeah you’re all welcome and you’re starting to feel safe and valued and appreciated and the families are in anyway within about 6 weeks there’s Alex B his cousins and uncles and aunties and everyone and it become this real big thing match so
We got this family feel about the but that’s what like I live in a small Country Town Bon hedge you go into the rooms afterwards that’s what that is yeah that comes back to telling your kids to have fun playing footy that’s what it is your uncle’s there and your
Brother’s there and your wife’s there yeah yeah and we wanted to make it feel like that I wanted to feel like a country foood club where you to the point we almost have a me tray raffle at the end of the game you know so we went
From the MCG back to our facility and it just got bigger and bigger and and to the point where it just feel like a club and AFL 40 doesn’t always feel that way and and we’ve we’ve brought everyone in the kids and family so that end of that year we play a pril
Final and all our partners go as well so we don’t travel much I say that out loud so but the partners go with their kids we lose by one point to Sydney stunning game of football great great game of footy and and I’d never been involved
With a game where you lose a final and the whole crowd claps you off and and and that’s we talked about being winners and winning is not always on the scoreboard and and we found ways to reference winning without the scoreboard but the whole crowd capped us off and we
We we you tow between the legs we didn’t qu we went quite good enough I get in the rooms and this is the motion you know there’s this tears flowing and there’s emotion and I didn’t want to look at my wife cuz I knew I’d cry and
There there and I’m trying to console people and be stoic and and then um I was overwhelmed by emotion when I saw my wife but then I saw Jack Chris little girls playing chasy running around the chain rooms and I thought no we’ll be okay we’ll be okay because when
Something goes really well in your life who do you ring family family when something goes bad who do you ring family family and so we’ve got our family there when things go well Grand final day what a great experience they’re all sing the song with us and
When things go bad PR and final year before they’re there for us as well so we don’t fall as far I we could go through um your your vast gain of experience but let’s just say you are Callingwood you’re the coach now I did want to ask you about how you
Address or loss but you’ve explained to me because I wanted to ask you about that game just in that first year before we get to the successful year I just had a look on that footy data website whatever it’s called AFL tables it’s called it’s got everything when you’re
Trying to commentate a game so you started seeing your coach had two wins and people forget this and then there’s three losses so your game three four and five are losses at that point when it’s the biggest Club in the land and you’ve had three losses and I’m sure you’ve got
Things you’re sticking to does it start to weigh on you or or not how does the pressure of three losses go five games in your coaching career yeah it was Heavy I do remember we lost the west coast to it finally I don’t know if they won too many more
Games that year um but there this is the reality of sport and now reflect it now and I’m I’m more aware of it now than ever that people forget the struggle of success I had I if you’d said to me Craig lost three of his first five games
I thought no no as soon as he got there they started winning no and and and it’s not the case and and same as last year we had struggle we had no Ruckman for six weeks there’s struggle and there’s abs and flows you lose three last five
Games this year or just gone no that I I don’t lose sight of that year and there was another period where we lost two in a row including a Friday night game yep and I don’t even know what we were on the ladder but um we went going so well
I remember going to a board meeting and we just lost two in a row we might have been like I don’t know you got it there have you I actually took a photo of it for that reason so 1 one lost three one two then lost two more lost by 27 were
On the ladder at that stage well I don’t know way on the ladder of your first uh one two 11th on the ladder Tommy’s all over it and you’ve lost five of your first nine games yeah so we’re five and four or something like that yeah so I don’t
Remember that yeah I don’t remember that I do well and then it’s one by 4 Points Four Points 11 points 5 Points 7 five five four four but we can get to that so we w we won 10 in a row from that point so there’s a board meeting yeah so just
Before the board mean that so we lost it on a Friday night um we had a few guys sick pendal was a late withdrawal and and if you look at the team we put out there it was really an experienced team and and we’re in a a formation of trying
To change game plan and things I remember um this is this is a defining moment for this group that uh that I was home we played Friday night Saturday morning I couldn’t get out of bed and I’m just going I can’t get out of bed and I’m just tossing and turning of what
To do you what’s the next move and my wife comes and gets me might have been lunchtime you got to get out of bed I said I can’t and she goes you got the solutions gray you know what to do and I said I don’t she goes yes you do just be
You and it was so profound what a great wife and she’s incredible and she goes just be you I said what she goes be positive CG it’s the only way through and so I had this moment like of clarity going right I don’t care what we’ve just
Done or what we’ve been this is who we’re going to be and I rang all the assistant coaches said don’t come on Monday and tell me what we’re not doing go and find the evidence of the things we’re going to be don’t come and show me yeah this that
And the other so I walked in on the Monday and with that analogy at this stage we weren’t talking deep win cell losses but on a Monday just rocking you wouldn’t know if he want to lost I walked in with a complete out positivity that the group weren’t
Ready for they were thinking they’re going to get whacked and allar come you are smiling on the bus you were smiling on the bus mate and now you’re off the bus no but it was complete opposite of what they were expecting and I had all
This evidence of like and it was back if anything we might have been moving too fast thinking that the players had got what we were trying to be went straight back to a DNA which we had a slide that we wanted to be and all this evidence of
Us doing it from pre season to now and we went straight back to basic off but the positivity was something that like this group was going it was a moment like oh okay all right we we I’d like um in my time to coaching some teams that that sometimes teams can get depressed
And and I don’t want to as a group as a group I don’t want to use that word in in context cuz I know it’s it’s so different in sport to life no I understand the so so so sometimes there’s a dog in the corner that’s been
Kicked a few times and likes to stay in the corner and you have to just ease its way out you and and and Pat it a bit more and and reward the behavior and I like in this team to that so I I was I was patting and and and taking the dogs
For walk and and encour ening more than just one little strike that dog is going straight back to the corner and I felt this group was a bit like that um yeah so yeah that was the method that was the method to go positivity reward Behavior
Don’t care what you were been and it it really drove us to not really just letting things go A bit it was probably the start of it like ah yesterday’s done today’s a new day tomorrow’s going to be this and and then we just got to work
And like you said we I think we won 10 in a row and or crazy close games um I I’ll mention them because Tommy We to put her in there so you beat freemer by 36 then you beat Carlton by four Hawthorne by four Melbourne by 26 gws by
11 Gold Coast by five North Melbourne by seven Adelaide by five it’s it’s ridiculous isn’t it esam by four Port Adelaide by six Melbourne by seven it’s it’s like nothing else it is it’s laughable but it was such you know Jamie Ott’s kicking goals to win matches and it’s all of a
Sudden I I’ve I’ve never been someone to um I’ve never had like a I hate this that’s not me as a person I hate King I hate carton I just but when you’re working it but the the thing was when you would go to a Col came to work you
Knew it was going to be a great night at work because of just the whole joy that was happening and we’re finding ourselves we didn’t know what our best version looked like but during all these close wins we were reviewing it deep what about the second you could have
Wasted there what about that if you we got 2 minutes to go boys we can’t do this um we got to move the ball a little bit that way what and we we really drill down to like I’ve never done before so because we’re living in it so constantly
And it just become a formation like a foundation for what Grand final days just was and the final series we’d learned all these lessons for two years of how to win close games when we’re behind we got to do this and we’re we’re forming this almost I shouldn’t say it
But it’s it was such a bulletproof plan that players just knew what to do and fly enough because we’re in it so much the opposition aren’t living like we are and become such a competitive Advantage for us and they know that was the thing you’d be you’d come back out 34 time
Break calling will behind by 15 points but X knows they’re coming like the whole ground and therefore the opposition must be in the back of their mind oh it’s like it’s like when we used to play the West Indies and we have a Fifer you knew dujon was going to come
Out and save me or what you just knew it was going to happen so it would happen yeah and then and then comes back to the point I my before belief and confidence through actions so we we kept feeding this information to him and so there a
Huge belief hey we’re the best last quarter team in the competition by far yes doesn’t matter what that scoreboard saying let’s get the method now we know we have a system and a method in place plus the belief then you get outcomes like that so it’s there’s so many ups
And downs let’s um because I can’t have you here for all day as much as I’d love to Let’s skip to the the sugar hit of a grand final uh tell me something in Grand Final week that had a positive impact on you around the club the group The supporter base
Something where you thought this is good um oh there’s so many flashbacks you think about the crowd that turned up to our training session yeah they’re bring out a movie how it’s coming out it’ll be out 28th of Feb I think right and I got to see the
Last um cut of it a couple days ago like a Collingwood Collingwood movie a documentary around our final series plus the Journey of last year did it give you a goosebump yeah it’ll take you you you’ll laugh and and cry well I cried good and and it shows it follows around
You know pendel myself Darcy Moore and Nick Doos for the final series and it just tells a bit of story takes us a bit deeper than what you’ve got and so some of the stuff is close to my memory because I’ve just watched this but the
The crowd of Grand Final week the parade um that I don’t think the footage does the parade Justice living it I’ve never seen that many people calling with supps in one place mainly that that that that was such a memory um yeah now there there’s many um it was incredible time
And then obviously um it’s been well publicized but you had an unusual Grand foral morning because you had a baby yeah well my wife went into labor in the car on the parade on on the actual parade yeah and she didn’t tell me about it she just said she got some stomach
Cramps um you didn’t put two and two together no no I guess your focus might have been elsewhere but how how pregnant was you you’re painting there are you okay how pregnant was she she was du the next day she was du Grand and she said St cramps
He didn’t husband he didn’t Pi up on that I may have taken a negative and what should be a positive there no no it’s true um yeah there was a lot of things that that at that time that makes more sense now than what they did then
Uh well you obviously would have had a split Focus as well yeah yeah I I I can and this is such a strength of mine but it can be a huge weakness is I just don’t get too consumed in things I can’t control and I just stay really present
Here I think that’s I think that’s a superpower but also it’s so such it can be a weakness but all our strengths are aren’t they it can be a a weakness at home great what about what are we doing for the pregnancy look let’s just it’s a
Long way away we have to qualify but and then to call and then and then you get and then we make the files Craig what about now oh look let’s make a prelim file and cig we’ve made the pr final what about now oh look it’s the opposite
TR saying a week late let’s not worry about Craig what what it’s Grand Final week what don’t worry it’s going to like to see how my strength now can be the structures and processes I like it so it it it it come in my eyes and and ears
Unexpectedly but it’s it’s due date um yeah but what what a what wouldn’t want to change a thing but what a way to start your day you and your wife celebrating which is the greatest moment days of your life yeah that’s right um no it was incredible and somewhat um
Everything’s going to be compared to that that now like there’s anything else that’s joyful in my life will go yeah it’s not quite as good as that day but but how on Earth um how on Earth it like and there great vision I I watched the
Um I can’t wait to see the docker cuz I watched the half an hour yesterday which was a lot of music and lead up and players in the rooms and then you going in there and tell them that you’d had a baby boy when you’d actually had a girl
Coach but that that’s that explains like the Euphoria in my head and how much I was just buzzing like I like you can imagine the I’m just buzzing so there’s no fear of any and and I must my personality profile I actually have yeah I’ve done a profile I
Have zero fear of failure right and there’s a strength yeah and and so that helps in this job but I so I’ve just got this joy and I’m I’ve even seen some stuff on socials only recently after the game and I’ve said some stuff that’s just not real I’m just like yeah we’ve
Named Maggie after the magp no we didn’t cabel’s middle name is Margaret right but it’s the it’s the just I’m just like I was drunk I was drunk on Joy yeah and um so I said some strange things um Fly enough nothing that was affecting the
Game I just over the silly stuff around the edges of it but I was in this complete Clarity and and almost in the zone like a play when you play your best footy or you just living him so present to everything I could see the particles
Of air you like really I was so present it was it was crazy and to talk to you about the Grand Final you answer as long as you want just give me brief thoughts on what I ask you as we go through the Grand Final so the Grand Final
Starts Nick Doos kicks the first goal unbelievable year how did you deal with Nick after he hurt himself is he going to play is he not going to play how did you deal with that I live in this space that I don’t want to put ceilings on things I thought it
Was going to be unlikely that he got back but I wanted to believe that he would and our high performance manager Jared white is incredible um he’s he drives similar thought process around let’s not put a seal on this but it was originally a 8 to 10 week top injury and
There there wasn’t 8 to 10 weeks left so credit to him he he’s he works like no one else his at his game and himself and um yeah referring back to this movie you’ll see it you’ll see the the struggle he had to do to get back and
There was you can see him only a couple of weeks before the finals not looking like he’s going to make it Zach biley kick two if they’d won they would have been Luke hod story Grand Final goals what’s happening in the box when a BL like Zack Bailey who
You might think is going to get 20 and play a good game all of a sudden kick two in the first turn yeah what a player oh what a player I think I’m trying as best I can to yeah we we get you know accolades for winning but I’m trying the
Best I can to make sure that Brisbane are recognized and and history maybe won’t see this but what what an incredible game and small margins again small margins and his goals you McCarthy’s goals um you Charlie Cameron’s goals the game itself Dan her the game itself was such a cracking game
Of footy bris were really gallant and so so to see the best of the best yeah I’m I’m in all watching it so but in a decisionmaking process how’s it working in the box like is it is it this is what we don’t see are you calmly saying who’s
On Bailey or what are we doing about this or that doesn’t not how it works no Justin Lepard has got this incredible model for us he’s developed where we sit down the day before and whatever scenarios in the game that we think are going to transpire we’ve already got
Answers to them all and it comes up like a traffic light system of and and so he’s developed this so most of the things that are happening um goals kicked whatever but it’s about how the goals are being kicked with it’s from you turnovers and transition or stoppage
And then we have yeah we we we know how bris all their strengths are in there and you generally they try to get territory on you and keep you hem him the game wasn’t really being played like that that we were dominating a bit of Terr but they were getting sort of
Through the back of us so it was our defensive system was failing us at at times but um the Brilliance of individuals you have a bit of a wh if around it but some of that you just can’t control it’s how the ball’s getting there is what you can control
Sometimes yeah Nathan Murphy gets knocked out do you speak to him on the phone at all no no I I leave it again I’m in the moment yep that’s done can’t control it move it to the side care about the individual but at that time you can’t
Because he’s taking off for 20 minutes so I’m just like all right there we go what was our plan right if we lose it back we’re moving this I think it might have been Jack chrst was we need a support so we asked that question is
That’s still the move that we want to do y chisby goes back so there’s a level of calmness because you already made the decisions um but then there’s always a cost oh he’s going quite well there we sure we want to just do that yep what
About this no no let’s stick with the plan so that’s the you know pragmatic approach to it then there’s the Human Side yes he comes back being sort of ticked off the green light I think he’s passed the concussion test is what we’ve been told he’s sitting there ready to go
On so okay oh good good and then the moment he started to get some delayed reactions and doesn’t feel he’s right still don’t have enough time to step outside of the game to go and console the guy but you can’t in your head you [ __ ] I hope he’s okay um
And then the game keeps moving but if you see at the time pendel goes and consoles him it was it was a real good moment it was a good moment in reflection of what we the way we want to live ourselves and look after each other
I said you at the start of this that if if anything comes up that I ask or that you answer that you want to cut out um and this hadn’t occurred to me so answer this as your will and if your answer doesn’t come out right we will cut it
Out um obviously there’s been you know we’ve seen Patty mccarten retire from the game various players retire from the game as a oh as a person do you have concerns about someone like Nathan like he wants to play footy but then there’s the other side of it how do you approach that yeah
I think this that’s a balance again um I care about Mur more than him as the footballer of course you do and I had this chat to money last week said I want the best my best interest is you mate let’s let’s worry about you yeah footy’s
A game yeah last forever and so there’s there’s this level of like comfort that we could just check generally about that um we’ll support him and you know we allow him to have the time he needs to feel comfortable to be able to go out
And play again and um we don’t want to put any time pressure on there’s no time pressure needed for that um he’s a valuable player in our team very valuable player but he’s he’s more value as a as a human and hopefully a father someday and and a and a husband and
Within all that so there’s a lot more life to give and I think I think the scary thing right now there’s so much unknown so much unknown in in this part of sport but there’s more being more being put in your face to be worried about isn’t there there is as a
As a parent too um okay Deo kicks a goal for 10-point lead after the sign I get to go second quarter they kick a couple of early goals Cameron you mentioned McCarthy um and then you’re down by 13 which I I didn’t remember calling the game you don’t remember it 7 Minutes 53
To go do you have a sense in the box that everything still okay like it’s funny because in my head I’ve asked you the wrong question cuz I said Bailey’s kick to and I’m like do you think about changing the player on him but you without even without
Pulling me up you explain that it doesn’t work like that you said it’s our defensive structure is is everything still okay in the game at two goals down deep in the first half no there was a there was a wave against us at stoppage most of it was coming from stoppage and
Then losing at aerial contest losing ground level goal that that was it so so we’re we’re we’re addressing what we’re doing around the stoppage we’re addressing the aerial contest we feel like that the Defenders aren’t getting kill SPS on it and it’s hard when Dan has 204 and you know house 190 whatever
He is so you can’t get clear the area and they’ve got so much damage at ground level so you got to get it away from there soft drops Cameron kicking goal soft drops you know they’re getting involved in the game so those are the things um address the address the source
Try to fix it if if we don’t and then even the ground level that Defenders positioning we sort of talking through that a bit too so half time we sort of put that in front of them a bit um but at that time there’s definitely definitely a thought price of jez we’ve
Got to wrestle some momentum back here and um we kicked a great I think crispy kicked a great goal outside 50 not long after they hit 13 points up yeah he did so but before that 547 to go um Bobby Hill takes a hanger yeah yeah so Bobby
Hill takes a hanger um and then he’s kicked his fourth so this is a blow from the Giants had testicular cancer um he’s got his own story to tell tell me um about Bobby Hill I don’t know where you want to start my first encounter with Bobby was the
Year before we wanted to get him on the books and um he had as any sights and we were sort of like sitting there yeah first slip and it didn’t it didn’t work out um the Giants didn’t want to do the deal with essin and we were trying late
To come and and it just it got too late I was communicating with Bobby V text and when it didn’t work out I didn’t I didn’t drop the phone I kept going and I just wanted to wish well and we be watching with interest we’re really keen
On your M and I kept the text alive throughout the year and and not not to the point where it would have been overwhelming for him just little bits and when he got ill just hoping you I hoping things go really well really really thinking of you and again it’s
Not overwhelming but it’s just enough to to show that hey M we we’re not just this one moment care about you we’re going to be caring vure for and hopefully planning seeds out you know you’re in our environment we’ got a level of of love and support um and then
It just eventuated that there was the door opened and and I met met him he lovely young lad got his own struggles got a young family um yeah and the the the world’s aligned and um and then he got to our club and and one thing I
Noticed with Bobby when he arrived was like how much how happy he looked and I and I just said Bobby keep smiling and and it like Smiles like more like come on so he looked happy and he looked motivated and then I started doing stuff at trying going War this
Kid’s ready to explode wow so but but having having only played 30 odd games at that stage and only couple years and had a few setbacks and not a regular contributor or whatever we felt like our environment could help him fast track a bit of that um and then the year goes
And he plays most games and what we saw Grand Final day probably is a combination of the smiling and the training and the love and support and the family connected at home and I tell you this and I can’t share much more there was a lot of struggle throughout
The year for him as well this is not all the Grand Final Days like I always say yeah he knows the struggle for success as as we all do um but I was smiling I was smiling with him the crisper one of my favorites I love the crisper who’s
Got an unbelievable finals record unbeliev finals record kicks a goal after saen to leave by a goal one thought why is Jack crisp never missed a game when he’s been at the coling football club well he should have missed a few like we talked about wrestling players last year managing him and uh
All the like penals and these guys go up to Chris tell them you’re going to rest him when he’s like at 220 in a row or something yeah Jeremy H goes do it Fly come on and film it the boys will love it um cuz he just deter not he’s got
He’s Got This Record now that he’s hanging on tight to it even when he’s like he won’t tell people he’s injured maybe I’m not sure if that’s real but to that point that’s how focused on this record he’s got um but it it it’s a great example of someone that just
Prepares so exceptionally well to perform um yeah he hasn’t missed a training session almost as well like it’s not like he’s yeah he’s consistently turning up um obviously ability to play with with injuries that others don’t along his journey he would have had to um but it’s a remarkable
Record and he’s always whenever they discuss him oh he was the I can’t remember the deal but he was the steak knives etc etc third quarter Bobby Hill takes in the pocket everyone thinks he’s going to have a shot he kicks it to pendlebury 226 to go um he put your Five
Points up is I remember watching that thing there is no way Scott penbury is going to miss this goal like put it in the book um give me tell me something about Scott oh p is um I’ve just seen him really really mature and have a at ease
With with where he’s at um his Grand Final was one of his best games ever surely surely and uh the last quarter in particular um great father great husband the things I see and and just a guy that’s I think he’s just really happy that he’s got to finish his career like
This because it could have gone a different way and now he’s seeing the comfort in that um and appreciating what he’s got but he’s he’s an incredible teacher and Coach I I feel like he’s an assistant coach and I I I’ve built a relationship with him I feel really
Comfortable to share anything with him and vice versa yeah what an asset final quarter 5:30 to go Cameron kicks a goal the line’s lead it by two mhm and I remember thinking the whole way through calling the game you don’t get much time to think about it but you
Think collingwood’s got this game that like they seemen him be in control and I remember looking at D he’s pointing at the scoreboard it’s like [ __ ] Brisbane are in front here um and then for me pendal to deos who’s midair when he flicks that har pass out to
Deoy and it’s like he’s across the body from nearly 50 to [ __ ] y um go aside you stuck by through some tough times um and you really put your arm around him when the world was saying you know he’s he’s made a mistake overseas or whatever drop him get rid of
Him he should never play football again the reactive world that we live in which is the pile on tell me about your relationship with Jordan to going I’m I’m extremely proud of jordy’s growth as a human and he’s still a work in progress as we all are uh but I’ve never
Seen another a young man more comfortable in himself than now like yeah this preseason and he’s had his he’s well I’ve never seen him have a preseason so this is he’s in great physical shape and mentally in a great place um we’re all on a journey of
Discovery aren’t we yes some just take you a little bit longer to do it and we don’t all do it under the public eye in our 2023 like this’s the thing I don’t understand if I if I look at me and my mates if we were under public scrutiny
At age 23 we’d end up in the front page of the paper as well yeah and we would have been and the back page H yeah and well no I wouldn’t have been the back page I think it would have been more the front page to be honest yeah like and
That’s we understand it the competitive Sport and you know the attention that this state in particular gives and um yeah I’m just I’m just wrapped that we we did wrap our arms around him and we did bring him closer than not push him away um and we and we allow people to
Make mistakes and grow instead of make mistakes and go over there and you can’t be here anymore um but that’s an evolution of us as a organization too we we’ve evolved how we handle things um we trust a bit more maybe than once we once prior um but there has to be
Accountability to this too they can’t be just like a you know you can just make mistakes and that’s okay that’s not what we’re saying I’ve used the analogy before I don’t yeah if my kids I don’t condone everything they do but I’ll love them and that’s and that’s the way when
I treat our people that you’ll make mistakes and we’ll have to have accountability to some certain things but the end of the day we sit down and have dinner together and we you you sit around and tell each other what we’re Greatful for we love and support each
Other so then so that’s that’s the essence of the environment we’re creating um but it’s never finished and it’s always moving isn’t it there’s there’ll be another version of it somewhere that we’re going to have to wrap our arms around someone and then show accountability and educate and move
On that’s it’s just forever 50 m penalty to steal side bottom I guess he’s 53 out do you think he can kick the golf no no on the bench where we’re sort of having a giggle down he’s no chance do you think he’ll pass it do you think he’ll
Kick it to the top of the square um geez he flushed it didn’t he oh absolutely flushed it um post eye yeah um how many seconds on the clock when 4 minutes 30 to go after he kicks that from memory so how is that how is that
Last four minutes um like Dan kicks that goal can I just can I say you know those two points 7 points four points that you talked about yeah we learned so many lessons in that time about how much time we could save with the ball with the
Ball and how much time is too much time anything over 6 minutes very hard to to stop a team from scoring okay and maintain the game in essence without giving too much away two to three minutes is about the ballp that you can maybe control the game without anyone
Scoring maybe you still have this could happen umis or whatever it’s very difficult um so we’re we’re watching clock and minutes but then we’ve learned how to kill 7 Seconds 11 seconds we learned you know we value time so much we started off playing the minutes that
Was a metra we end up playing the seconds and what happens when there’s 135 on the clock and D here kicks the goal and they’re a kick away from in the Grand Final yeah yeah there’s there’s that level of uncertainty but then there’s a level of trust just get the
Get the job done go and execute players are so well driven you know where you need to be you know what’s required we’ve done it x amount of times go do it and so that we just have to do the plan and the S sound Joy yeah
Um surreal feeling like you just don’t you can’t put it to words just craziness craziness and then you don’t realize what you’ve done until until you see the smiles on people’s face and then they see the tears and then you see your family and it just all just
Comes comes to you like wow this is yeah incredible final one I have for you this is the most important question I have it’s uncomfortable there two men that don’t know each other that well you have to look me in the eye this defined you as a father a husband a Premiership
Player brisman Callingwood coach proud South Australian Craig McCrae pineapple on Pizza yes or no yes Tommy I told you the man was worth getting on the show I know cuz you’re a c man Tommy you didn’t want to have him on you’re against it outstanding answer outstanding um we
Always finish this the same way and being a teacher and a father you will understand the way to this question you’ve had an incredible journey Craig and congratulations with everything you’ve achieved and it’s a brilliant podcast people are going to love it you didn’t like talking about yourself but
You did an amazing job um for those youngsters that are growing up that want to achieve success in their field whether it’s sport the Arts entertainment science what advice would you give them that you picked up along the way oh so much weighty question it is it’s a heavy one
Um never quit never quit anything um be prepared to struggle to succeed set goals well have have a dream first dream big dream big then set goals um and have fun doing it and be grateful for what you got cuz it’s not always going to be there is it it’s a great
Answer um you just actually said to me when you came back from your break that you have to go in and tell some young men that their future is not with a coling football club how do you wake up in the morning knowing you’re doing that
Well it was hard last night knowing that we’ve made a decision around what that looks like um heavy heart uh try to put myself in their shoes and then yeah just I think you got to go straight to the point don’t mess around with it you got to tell them what’s
Happening but then try to offer some form of love and support while you’re doing it difficult difficult to do I appreciate your time um I mentioned earlier on you brought funder footy which from the outer and when you’re commentating it’s great to watch May there be many more 21st style runouts
From your football club mate congratulations and may there be much more success for you and coling wood and I appreciate your time um and your ability to talk about yourself when you weren’t always comfortable thanks for coming on the show thanks every cheers man well done thank you
25 Comments
Another sensational interview Howie, your ability to ask the posing questions is elite.
I could listen to Fly all day
Thank you Howie. I had always hoped you would start uploading the episodes on YouTube as well. I listen to the show all the time, and now I will listen to some episodes and watch others.
This was a great show episode, I’m not a Collingwood supporter but you have to love Fly and his positive nature and how he articulates things. He is such an incredible person. We ran into him late last year, and started talking footy and he had a genuine interest as my younger brother had his training top on in his journey. My younger brother has the potential to make the AFL but last year was a bad year for him, multiple injury blows and by the back end of the season he had lost all confidence and Fly was able to get that out of him through asking questions etc. He spent a good 25 minutes giving him advice, and motivating him to keep going etc and by the end of the conversation my brother wanted to go and train. He is now as driven as I have ever seen him and in the best shape I have ever seen him in at this stage of the year. Fly has that effect on everyone it seems and so it’s no wonder he was able to turn the Pies around so quickly
Excellent interview, and McCrae is a unique individual, we could all learn from him
Great interview with an amazing person. Fly has a mindset and willingness to grow that inspires many more than his 44 sons. Thank you for so much joy.🎉
Craig is great as always, but gee whiz for a professional journos clueless waffles on and interrupts way too much blows my mind so few journos know how to shut up and let person talk
Surely there’s a part 2?
Sucess doesnt come from copying a trend, you need to evolve and be your own person..
this is gold thanku gentleman
Time will Prove how "GOOD" Craig McRae is. – The only downer is when younger he barracked for Carlton – "Never Never"
Unbelievable interview
McRae will win more flags, no doubt in my mind
great interview
I'm a hard core Carlton man, What a Great guy, Brilliant, I wish him all the best but not against Carlton
This guy i hate too say it will bring the Pies so much success on and off the field… There is something about that 2000 Lions team. Look at the quality of Coaches and people from that team…
This was the best podcast i have ever watched thank you both for such an engrossing chat!
Carna Mighty Magpies may we Fly for many years to come?
I could listen to Craig all day. What a great leader…..Howie excellent interview as always. Thank you for all your Pods love them
WOW
What an amazing interview! We need Howie commentating blockbuster games on channel 7! He is by far the best commentator I've ever heard!
Fly is an inspiration. Every time i listen to Fly, he inspires me to improve. How lucky we are to have him coaching the Collingwood football club! – A forever greatful CFC supporter!
Great insight to John Bertrand, and his legacy Howie. Huge credit also has to go to Ben Lexcen, an engineering virtuoso! And I also believe Allan Bond needs to be given the credit he deserves too!
Winning the Americas Cup in 1983 is, and always will be Australia’s greatest sporting achievement on the world scale! The story needs to be retold to educate new generations of how incredibly talented their predecessors are!
its going to come down to all the dots joining,,,,if the planets align and every starting player is 20 pc a better player,and they click as a team,,,,then bang it could get very exciting,,,,but if they cant combine or gel,,,then no top 8,,,,i remain optimistic,,,remember in 2008 wooden spoon,,,big recruitment into 2009 and they came close to a GF save for a jarrod hayne masterclass
sorry i responded to the wrong podcast,,,,,and im a collingwood supporter,,,was referring to the canterbury nrl side cast
The best Coach at the best Club, thank you Fly for what you are doing at the Mighty Collingwood Football Club, we love you 🖤🤍🖤🤍🖤🤍🖤🤍🖤🤍
Brilliant interview howie! Classy, insightful and entertaining. Fly is a beaut
One of the best interviews ever with a Legendary Coach and Leader of Men. So many life lessons imparted here. Thank you Howie!
https://youtu.be/ZmLo5neGR6s?si=55cy5WRVdCxx9dIC