Bonus: Mason Cox Talks Prelim Pressures

And this is number one hundred. You are on the air with Jason Lauren clint here.

Too, getting said four footy finals pre lim weekend. They are often the most hotly contested of all finals. Of course, it kicks off on Friday night. The Cats and the Hawks, two teams that don't like each other. Friday, A couple of rivals who played off in a Grand final a few week years back in the Lines and the Magpies.

That's right from the Pies. Mason Cox is in the building, Good morning mate.

A prelim final hits a little differently. Some players say they are sort of more intense than a grand final.

Really, is that right? Like, what's it like a premium final.

It's there's more supporters from each team. It's a bit corporate grand final, yeah, where like you get the real die hards that like you know, are gone absolutely nuts out of and.

Then they can't get to the Grand It's so expensive.

It's like five hundred bucks for a ticket.

But I suppose the pressure of making the ground file is like a huge part of it as well.

Yeah, yeah, but I think like it's winter, go home no matter what from there on out. So yeah, it's exciting, it's a it's a crazy time. Mcg pack, be plenty of supporters.

And can you feel the energy in Melbourne at the moment? Like September just hits differently, doesn't it.

It is weird, isn't it. I think it's like that. And the fact that summer's around the corner, we really start feeling it.

I mean there's a few days in here. You God, okay, all right? Season already? No?

No?

No?

Should we do Should we take a leaf out of the NFL books and do tailgate parties?

Yes? Should we ideal? AFL take tailgate?

Can you run me through what exactly it is?

Beers? So like?

So is it people just hanging out in the car park outside stadiums?

Yeah?

Well essentially, I mean, like usually with college football, there's a lot of an NFL at the same time, right, all these games are played on the same day, so you have other games to watch while you're sitting in the car park. So people will bring TV satellites, all like of stuff. People bring big screen TVs and have in the back of their truck and watch other games. And then you essentially have a barbecue. Everyone barbecues out there,

Corn hole, throw those little bean bags in the car.

I thought it was food.

I'm quite good at that.

I'm very good at corn hob.

Yeah, so you kind of bring all that stuff. There's three or four cars at part next to each other. You kind of have like a little bit of like a block party kind of thing.

You've never heard of corn hops and then it's horrendous.

Then you go into the stadium to watch a live game.

Yeah, some people just go and tell some people don't even go to the game. And I always say, it's like the MCG. There's that car park around rich Man. You could do it there, or even better, you could just go and do it at the Tennis Center literally like two hundred meters from the MCG. You could do a huge bang there.

I think Ozie's a two will.

We used to have We.

Used to have car park parties on Grand Final Day, but they sort I don't know why.

They fizzled out.

Right in the car park at the members car park, you get your car part, you drive your car and back in the day you just have a little picnic in the booty come that.

Yeah, Well, I reckon, let's bring it back. Yeah, I'll be up.

You know, Let's get through this weekend, focus on the Grand Final and then and then.

Have you ever been to the Super Bowl?

No, it's on my bucket list.

It's like high, high high that those tailgate parties look like they hit.

Oh yeah, that's like that's not a tailgate party. That's like a real event.

So the Lions makes a big assignment for the pause you've had had a week off. Take us into the mind of Craig McCrae, because he is I am obsessed with him. He's just such a he's a bit peculiar, but yeah, also so he's.

Just he seems like a dad.

What's he like to get angry, not really disappointed, disappointed, his.

Quirks, He definitely has his quotes and stuff. But he's one of those people. I think that's like very personable. I think it's the best way to put it. And I think as a coach, like, I mean, you're gonna imagine there's forty four guys on a list, there's twenty twenty three that are playing every week, Like you have to be able to manage personal relationships and that's probably ninety five percent of the job sometimes is trying to keep everyone on the same page. Yeah and all that.

Looks like he's a dad to forty Ki.

Yeah. We do a lot of one on one time.

It's tough to do one on one with everyone every week. Yeah, he tries to for the guys that are obviously on the fringe and kind of you need to give that information too, He'll go and seek them out. But yeah, it's I think it's it's quite tough to be able to kind of see every single player for.

One on one. He'd come up to your hip. Yeah, well, I sit next.

To him in the meetings and it's quite funny because I look at my leg length and it is twice.

If you ever look over at his notes, what he's rutting down?

No, he never has notes.

No, he's always got obviously the screen with the big you know, big side show.

But I always wonder, what's the anxiety, Like if you're sitting on the bench and you hear the phone ring, you know what I mean, you know it's you know, it's Craig up top.

Now Craig stands next to me. He's on thet he'll give you back to your face. You look at the eyes and do it.

Would you prefer he was up in the box or you like having him there?

No? I like having him there. He doesn't really have a crack at chair. He just kind of gives you like kind of constructive criticism.

I like that, which is good.

I mean I remember, like twenty twenty three in the Grand Final, like I missed a set shot at goal in a Grand Final. I come to the bench and he's like, so you did this wrong. Whenever you're kicking, you got to you know, blah blah blah. And I'm sitting there looking at him like it's the Grand Final, like these lessons are like, well, truly fast, we're in the moment now.

Nice.

But he's always trying to like help out, you know. It's quite funny. And he's always looked after me. He taught me how to kick, so he's always given me advice.

I always think on the TV when you watch the footy, it's so mean. How when someone goes for a set shot and they miss the goal right, like you feel a bit embarrassed, and then they keep that camera on you well, they and they don't like the players don't know to st that pointing and yelling, and it's like it's like you're just trying to keep busy because you, like, I know, the cameras on me.

I don't know what to do it. I can't be disappointed. I can't be happy.

I don't.

Screen through your mind when you miss a sex shot.

Yeah, a few words, a few words, probably you're on camera, right, yeah. Yeah, But like I've had to stand in the mark quite a few times, and there's nothing better. I'll be able to really just shove that dagger deep in someone's back after they miss it.

I think there's been times. You know, you're not the only one who references the big screen. The umpire is quite often look at the big screen like a sneaky eye to see if their free kick was correct.

They do, yeah, right, well, hopefully no missed set shots. Hopefully no incorrect free kicks.

Big game ahead, kids, Queen's letters, Queens, how it's done.

Yeah, I'm from Queensland, but I want you to absolutely go and thrashing.

Good luck this weekend. Thanks but I appreciate it.

Good luck, Lauren, Lauren wake up feeling good following them on the socials,