Hey Legends, Welcome back to The Mason Cox Show. Part two, Episode to the Grand Final. This is where things get a bit, let's say, out of the ordinary. It's the celebrations of the Grand Final, everything that happens after you win. The cop people. Phil Cox drinks a beer out of it huge. We get into that, the family's there, all the friends are happening, We go to the bars, we get the after party, then the after party, after party.
We party for a week straight and we roll through all the details everyone and then we talk about the journey. Let's be honest, it's a big one for me, so we're gonna talk about the hides, lows, everything in between. It is an incredible Part two. It's gonna be a big one, So listen in, tune in, settle down. It's gonna be big. But we'll get into it now. They kick down line. They go like, tap it down, Will,
and we'll kick it. Four of the son goes right and then the game's over and it's like a moment that I just I just like was just so exhausted. I just fell over and I was like, that's it it, It's done, thank God. And then the moment's like you're a premiership player, it's like, oh my god, the resurrection kind of just get back to your feet, and then you just go find the whole crew and Will Will it's there about and you just grab the hand. There's
a big hug, and everyone's freaking out. There's pandemonium and you kind of you go from like the exhausted like collapse and then your brain is like quiet, and it's then all of a sudden you kind of your senses come back, and then it's, oh my gosh, you like crazy experience that just happened, and this is it's done, and you're You've won the whole thing, and it's like just this amazing just flush of adrenaline that until it is.
It's seriously, it's it's a weird thing to say it and like describe kind of what the feeling was, but you just have that rush of like, oh my god, we did it. And then you find your teammate and you're like celebrating with them and it was just chaos, man like just absolutely chaos in the best way. And I didn't even I didn't shake a single Brisbane player's hand, Like I just didn't even see them. Like it was just like the whole, like the whole like field was
rushed by people. Right. You got like all the VFL and the afl blas of players come on, and if you all the coaches come down. You got all this like people and everything around, and the cups there and Peter Moores there, and you're you're hugging everyone. You're like sitting there like a high five and one you're like in just this crazy pandemonium, and it was just nuts and you get you get to that point you're like
we've done it, like we've actually done it. And then I think the first hype bit was like Brandon came up to me and he was like what God, They're just like he's a hype man, right, He's like chest bumps the shit out of you. And I was just like so like so happy for him, because you know, it's like, I mean, like it sounds like maybe a bit shit on my side, but it's not like been my life goal to be a premature. Yeah, it's an amazing experience and like you said, like fulfills this journey.
It's incredible. But like for someone who grew up from the age of five years old to go through oz kick and go through the whole experience and like dream of that moment. It was so poetic in the sense of seeing how much it meant to everyone else, And it meant a lot to me too, but like I got more happiness from other people there and the motions that were coming out of them of what it meant to And I'm not just talking players, I'm talking staff
and coaches and everyone else. Like that's that's the pit. Like that's the little part that I loved the most about that experience. It sounds like weird saying that, Like you don't think about yourself in that moment, but like for the next like five days, I couldn't help but just be so happy for everyone else that I knew it meant so much too.
Yeah, And each person that you would have gone up to in that hectic, chaotic moment, each person you saw, you would have just thought of everything that you'd been through with that in that moment, Oh my god, this and this and we've been on this journey and they've been through all these things, and you just embrace and you hug and you move on to the next person.
Because there's there would have been forty fifty people out there that you've all shared a moment over the past ten years with that has led to this that everyone's got. There's not many workplaces out there in the world that you're like striving towards one common goal, like one very specific common goal more than in sport, and like to
finally achieve that. Like it's not the same people from day one to the ran, like the people that do make it through together, Like I can't even begin to imagine how amazing that moment would have been before any self reflection, before a moment of like fuck, like I've done this, Like because you're looking at them going like
we achieved all of this. Yeah, so talk us along the way of like each little moment where something hit you because you go up you get the medal, like you're thinking all of these thoughts and you haven't had any time to collect yourself and then you've got to go receive your medal.
It just everything happens so quickly and you want to soak it in, like the experience everything, but like you go from one thing and you're being told to go up to the stand and you're going to get give them the medal and then the cap and then the walk around the field and it all just happens, and like, I mean, that's like an hour of like your life, right, but it's something like you just want to enjoy every second of and you want to last as long as possible.
So you go from starting going, collapsing, hugging the players, and I went to the sideline. I waited for Craig. Craig had to hug like twenty staff members before he got to me, so I waited for him patiently, just like an idiot, grabbed him and like celebrated with him, which was awesome.
I want to stop in that moment because obviously we've talked about it. Repay Fly on the inside of your collar, and this is the first moment that you would have seen your coach, the guy that taught you to kick daylight, taught you about the AFL, taught you what it is and what it meant. And you've done it. You've achieved it, you've succeeded, you've repaid fly what you set out to do the whole time. What did that moment mean in that instant did you both share that moment when you saw each other.
Yeah, I think it's like Hogman for the jb Ice game went by a point a prelim incredible to like experience just going to a Grand five and then winning it and then being able to like have that moment and like it was very queer because it's like there's just chaos everyone, but like, yeah, like inside the jump and repay Fly and there's still there's still more to repay him. I feel like there's not it's not like a finite done with this. You know, there's so much more.
You got another two years in.
Another two years, so he's going to drag that shit out. But I think like in that moment and like I was talking to Justin Lafitte about the other day, and we're just gonna spit bying like kind of the whole journey and stuff and how incredible it's been. He's like man like to meet someone like flies, like your first coach is like just so important to the whole thing happening.
Like there's not many coaches that would not only give so much of the time and energy to you to become a better player starting from scratch, but also to like help you in a personal standpoint, to be a better person. Like there's a lot of coaches you know, they've got so much going on that they don't have the time energy to put into people. But I think like Fly just saw something different than me and wanted to develop me on and off the field as a person.
And that was one of the things I'm super super fortunate for is to have him be kind of like my first mentor along with Anthony Roca, to go through the whole experience with. And he kind of treated me like family from day dot where I didn't know anyone. So to have that moment where now you feel like you've been part of something together that you've both sacrificed so much to be able to earn was pretty cool. Man Like, it's there's no word to really describe it.
I'll always be indebted to the man is just like such an important part of my life and has done so much for me. And I was telling like before the game, like I was, I was like so emotional before the games because I was so happy they had a kid and everything went well, you know, like every meeting, I feel like I went in there and I was like, how's she going, She going all right? How she feels she gonna cut you out? And he was so Stokedy now.
So to have that and like have that full circle moment of like him coming in here and me wanting to play for him, and me wanting to give back what he has given to me and give my time and energy and sacrifice for him to be able to reach the pinnacle with him as the leader of the club was just an amazing moment for me and probably him also in that sense to just sit there and say, like, you know, you've sacrificed a lot for each other and given a lot of your time and life and energy
to be able to hopefully reach this moment and you finally do it together. It's pretty cool.
Yeah, And it's it's going to be pretty cool moving forward because it's a snapshot, but it's those guys that he won the flag with. You be tied together forever, yeah, Like you will see each other every year, every other year,
every ten year, twenty year. Fly just met up with his teammate mates for the twentieth year, So you are tied together forever with like the all the people that you ran around, you hugged, all the people that you you know, got around after the game, all the postgame celebrations, Like you'll be able to share those moments, and you'll be able to tell the stories. Steel's kick will get longer every year.
You'll get to one hundred meters by next year, I'm sure.
But it's just an amazing thing. Now, before we get to hold up the cup, you go up, your name gets called out, your last because well your second to last because obviously Captain's last, but number forty six, Mason Cox. You go up to receive your medal. You've had a whole bunch of blokes, you know, give you an example of what to do and what not to do with the hat and the handshake very meticulous. Oh and my god, isn't everyone watching in judge, So did you have a
plan going up for the handshake? Because by McCreary, my god, he copt some flak for his and got the kid through the club, which is an amazing little thing.
In the moment, we didn't know that happened. Like everyone's too excited that it hits social media far right away, bang, and it's like that's the instant kind of thing of it. But I remember sitting on the side as everyone's getting the medals, I'm like kind of dissecting what to do right, and like I'm like, okay, yep, hat, first metal, second handshake, double cobras, right, that's the that's the transaction fall in line.
And I was like, oh, I remember Geelong. I gu three went up there and he I think it was a three. I want to say, no, it's Stuart went up and he like flicked the hat off the kid and then became a whole thing, right, and like nab ran a whole like media press thing with it, and he probably would have got paid thousands of dollars for that. So I'm thinking, yeah, throw the hat. I go one
step further Mason f yeah, far out now. But I do remember the kid came out, and I'm like, this is a fair way down, so I gotta get there and you get the hat and get the medal and stuff. And then luckily enough, I think the difference between Maxton because I snubbed the kid too. I don't think I gave the handshake and I went straight to the double cobras. But I think Bo. The problem with Bo's was his kids stuck the hand out and he just snuffed left.
And well, I'm pretty sure my child just didn't didn't didn't give the hand first, so therefore I didn't see it nor I was. I was just too excited to celebrate, and I think that got me away from the media scrutiny. Yeah, the kid was like free hat awesome, which I was all for too. So I unfortunately did the same thing as BO did. But luckily media didn't throw me under the bus. They were like, Mace is an American, he didn't know what the hell is going on. They're like us,
I U. But that was cool. One of the cool things I guys, looking back on it was like you go up on the stage right and you've got like obviously a massive crowd there to like watch it happen, and then you've got your teammates and stuff, and everyone's happy and smiling. And a lot of people were asking this question after the game and about like the USA chant and like it's it's a pretty unique, cool thing.
It's very different, and I guess it's somewhat it's nice because it's like an individual acknowledgment for something you do, right, Like, there's not many people that get that, and it's not something I did. Like I say, everyone chant USA like it just naturally happened. And when if I went up, like the whole team started chating the USA, which was really cool. When you get up there, you do the metal on the hat and then you're like hear the chant in the background. You're like and you look at
the stadium. This is sick. Yeah, like metal on like all eyes kind of on you and you just so Hyph're just like what you go yeah, And it was it was a cool moment. Man. It's like one of those you kind of see people do over the years, and to be able to experience that, you know, it's something that not many people can. So you soak it in. Darcy More goes up incredible human speech and then Dad gives the trophy to him, and that was that was kind of like a soft It was just like, man,
that's so cool. And then him and Craig hold it up and you're sitting there on the edge're going, hold up. We know the big photo is coming, right, so you know the photo cops lifted. The team runs onto the state so I'm looking around, I'm like, where do you Where do you want to go? Right? You want to position yourself. You don't want to be last on stage because then you're just going to be like out the back right.
Yeah, Jordy got himself through like front right.
Everyone's thinking this, you know, everyone starts creeping towards the front because they're like, like, we're going to lift the cop up, and I'm just like kind of sneaking off to the right. I'm sitting there behind besides DC I think it was and Darcy Cameron. I'm like, he's like, yeah, for sure. And I was like, let's take the right stairs and we'll get up the right side so then we can get on that side and we can be
front right. And so we get up there, and then as soon as I jumped up, there's like ten players in front of me, like, well there it goes that. I was like, I'll do what I do every single photo back center right next to but I was next to the cup in Darcy, which was sick, like iconic photo. Obviously that will you know, go down in the memory bank.
But that was epic. And then you come down and I don't think I actually even touched the cup until they had already done the full lap, like oh no, I went up and did the cup raised with Patty the pinske, which was sick and sketchy, super sketch by the way, like and the guys just holding your ankle and I'm sitting there.
Like that's worse.
At one point I grabbed Patty, but then Patty's just as like, you know, off balances me. So then we almost both went tumbling over the edge and I'm just sitting there like, there's this cheer squad and sorry to whoever the cheer squad remember was, but I'm pretty sure
I used their head as a balance point. And then my god, I've touched and yeah, so you sit there and you hold it up and that was all awesome, and like they had the flag and Patty's an absolute legend, a good friend and someone who you know, was played his role for the whole team and been through you know, trials and tribulations changing clubs, and he slided into our side, so well it was awesome to hold it up with him and everyone's doing their turn up in front of them,
you know, and that was that was epic, a really cool moment. But before that, what everyone was doing, I was like, oh, his sounds really cocky. And I haven't told anyone this. This will be clipped up, I'm sure. Ye. So before the game, before we go in there, you know a bit of confidence that we're going to win this thing. Yeah. I may and may not have gone down to my storage cage gotten my American flag and given it to my brother. I was prepped. Well. I told him, I said, I want two things if we
win this. I want you to bring the American flag to me, and I want you to bring me a cigar. He forgot the cigar, but he at least got the American flag. So I'm sitting there and everyone's holding the cup up, and you're kind of just like loving the moment, right, like experience and like you get Nick and Josh like holding the cup up. Awesome, iconic moment. And I'm like looking at the crowd and I see a few USA flags. There's a little kid that always brings the same flag,
which is awesome seeing him down there. There's what up on the concourse. And then I saw one out of the corner. My Mam'm like off to the right near the race, and I was like, oh, that's interesting. And then like the flag comes down a bit and I see my brother's head and I was like, oh shit. I was like, that's sick. My brother so like run over there and he's like ten rows deep product there's a million fans in front of him, and he like
tries to like throw the thing down. It lands like five people in front of him, and I'm like, can't get the flag into the flag. And I get the flag and he's like yah, And I was like, everyone move out the way. I was like, my brother's coming down and they're like what. I was like, he's there. That man right there is my brother. He's coming onto the field and everyone's like whoa and they like kind of like shuffles his way down, jumping over all the seats.
Anyone would do anything for you in those.
Insane It is crazy. What a medallion that's gold that looks like this will get you in this in this city. It's it's insanity. But we digress to the next thing. But he comes down and then he's like, oh, I don't want to get on the field security ball. I said, Nolan, fuck them, you're coming on the field. I don't have
whatever you want. Have anyone else here that's like part of my family, Like you were at like mom and dad and stuff are down in the race, Like I don't see them anyway, Like you just came on the field. Who cares. So I have the flag and I'm sitting there and I look back securities not looking. So I just hold the flag up and I go jump and he just jumps over the fence and gets on the
field and we just start walking around and chatting. We got a photo together on the field which was epic awesome and like the camera guys know who it was, so they came over and took a photo. So yeah, So I did a little bit of prep work and that's how I got the American flag, so it wasn't stolen out of the audience. It was actually my own property.
It was good and it sets up for so many amazing photos. And we did touch on this year over your journey with your brother. He was your agent, your first manager, and there's the moment where you, you know, you walked into the MCG for the first time and yeah, you get the this could be your office.
No one actually posted that photo.
Yeah, and now full circle, yeah your office. You know, you go out there one hundred thousand people, grand final day and you get to share it with your brother who started the whole journey with you. Like, how much did that mean?
In that moment, it's incredible, Like he's he's been there through the good, bad and very ugly, and there's been times like that. So it was awesome that he was too scared to walk around the ring with us, like around the circle, like around the field. I try to get him to deal it with me. But now he's kind of been someone who I've definitely leaned a lot on.
You take, I'll try to get emotional here, but someone will ever you know you're in those depths, like he gives that energy to you to make you get through it, If that makes sense. I think a lot of people probably have that in their life, where you might have a partner as someone who whenever you're in not a great mood, they give some of their energy of positivity
to you to lift you up. And he's always been one of those people for me, Like I couldn't tell you probably how many times I've called him and said like fuck, I don't know if I want to do this anymore, which is pretty incredible. So he's been someone that's always been a supporter of me, has always pushed me to be better and try to do more for other people and like realize the journey and the situation,
how fortunate you are in that sense. So to be able to share that with him who's kind of been there throughout the experiences of the highs and lowers, and be out there like he loves it just as much as me, he says, up to two am, just with the same as like the mom and dad and the brother Austin too. They all stay up watching the game. So for them to be in that moment and share it with me, it was something I'll never forget and something I probably value at the highest because without them,
I don't exist in that scenario. I don't have that moment like and it's just as much of their moment as mine as I feel like in time, so even after the game, like the dad, everyone knows Phil Cox is a mad Colin Wood enough, he's so to see his smile after the game and him wearing the metal and all that kind of stuff was all so it's as much for them as it is for me now, and it's more to I think the older you get, the more you just want to share the successes with
other people and bring people along with the journey, and whether it be the Magpie Army, the family, the teammates, the staff and the admin or whoever it is. It becomes less about you the older you get and the more about you know, giving other people some something amazing.
And that's kind of like us in that moment to have him on the ground, And I didn't really think about it until after of like, how far from that moment whenever we were on the ground nine years ago, of like not knowing anything like it, and then being to that point where you got a Premiership Metal or undrneck. It's a long journey, a tough one and long road. But without him, I know for sure I wouldn't be there.
So it was awesome to have him on the field in him probably look back at the crowd and realized just like how special of the moment it was.
And there is a bit of you did mention it that most of the boys in the team have been on a very different journey to you. So it's like, as much as we've heard your journey, their understanding of your journey wouldn't be as as strong as your family. Like to share that with your family, you know, you're all part of the risk that you took to come over here. You're all part of that story that journey.
It must have been an amazing moment. And it didn't stop there because we finally got off the field, went downstairs.
You do the lack of honor and that's just chaos. I see Abby, and then she interviews me that it's a bit emotional, and then you kind of get to the end and yeah, you go down to the rooms and it's like you sing the song in these.
The first moment that the whole you know, like the players are together, looking at each other, eyeballing from across. You see everyone together in one group, and you sing the song, like how did that feel?
It still always leads us off, so it was everyone goes quiet and then still kind of goes nuts and you start with a chant and it's and I think you'll ever sing it as past as you do on that day, because it's it's the finality of the year, the finality of understanding. You've accomplished something that you've dreamed about and kind of worked so hard for, and you got the cup in the middle, and you got everyone sitting there looking at each other in the eye and
being like, we did it. We sacrifice for each other to be able to earn this, and be able to you know, have this attached to our name forever. So yeah, that was awesome, man, Like it was you know, you sing that song every week you have a win, but to sing on that day it's like just a different
feeling that you can't really explain. And and then after that you sing it again with the staff and Adamin as any bigger circle, right, And that's just like something that's just incredible and not only for us, but to share that moment we talk about culture and what we want to build and have everyone come along with the ride with fans and you know, staff and Adam and everyone else that makes it so good and helps us
along the way. It's it's cool to see them get just as much recognition as the twenty three and have that experience. So everyone sacrifices, from you know, the boots cleaner to you know, the equipment manager, to the coach's assistant coaches to VF to the players to the head coach. Everyone sacrifices so much to try to reach that goal and to have everyone there to sing the song in that circle, it is pretty pretty phenomenal to to have
and a moment a lot of people will never forget. Right, you know, you get those pictures outed on the wall because they always bring back those happy memories. So that was epic and then weird thinking about this, like as soon as you've done with that song, I've never seen this before, but it the media just was everywhere. It was mix in your face, free, it was a free for all. Usually it's like you have three things, you got triple NBO fox for you get this right, and
it's sorted, it's all organistic. It was just literally and like it was a watering hole in the safari.
And anyone's in there, anyone.
And everyone just was banged straight into you. And I remember just sitting there and I think it was an apologies to whoever this was that came out to me, but someone from like the ABC and someone else that was radio just like kind of came up to me. And I remember just like sitting there looking like just like shocked a bit after kind of saying that song,
and I kind of look up. I'm trying to find my family, and I finally see my brothers and my mom and I kind of tell them because I usually we don't meet in the main area, tell them it comes to the hallway because it's a bit of chaos, and I go to a quieter area. So the ABC guys like, go get your injurview. I was like, no, I'm going to go see my family, and like they moved away, you know, I kind told them to move
to the corner. So we have this little there's this little hallway in the back that you're not really supposed to go to a family. But like, my family just came out, the four of them, and we just kind of sat there as a group and got to give the medal. So all the brothers with the two brothers and mom and dad, and they were kind of, oh, this is so cool, you know. And that was kind of like a moment well, you know, soaking together of
the experience of that and just being tore. I took a photo together after it was just kind of like, holy shit, you've done it kind of thing. It's pretty cool, pretty cool. Dad's got Beaman face as well. It's just love in the moment.
And yeah, especially in such a hectic environment. You did say that you kind of like to sneak up and get away out to the silence of the stand. I imagine even more so on you know, kind of grand final day because it's just being an hectic from day, like from the second year guys made the Grand Final through to you know, the aftermath would have been nuts.
There's a photo of you and it kind of looks like your first moment of silence, sitting like out on the field draped in the American flag, and it kind of just looks like it hit you in that moment. Yeah, like what was happening in that moment and what was going through your hair.
So you see the family and then kind of we have like the meeting after and then everyone comes back out and I think at that point we all went up the race as like Steph Nadman players only twenty three going to the center of the ground and the cup goes in the middle, and we all have a bit of a you know, say that says twin Us, and everyone kind of talks about, you know, the experience
and stuff in their life and whatnot. Before that, they're like everyone's coming out there, I'm celebrating the confetti's on the ground. It's like this cool kind of experience. There's not many fans left on the stands, so it's just like the crew that you know, like the staff and
people that did it and made it possible. And I don't know why I did it, but I kind of just was like I kind of like went and sat in the center circle and a few boys kind of were over there, and I was like, I kind of want a moment to myself, like just to soak it all in, like kind of taken in. So kind of walked over to the opposite side of the ground and towards like the fifty I just kind of like sat down,
just kind of looked around as like holy shit. And it kind of brought me back to that moment of like the first time I saw the MCG, I was like, this place is like huge colosseum like experience insane, and there's those moments of like a full MCG is awesome,
Like there's a vibe to it. There's there's a bit of like goosebumps to it, but there's also a weird, like eerie, beautiful feeling to an empty MCG of like knowing the history that's gone there, knowing all the amazing like moments that have happened on that ground in that place, right like it's something like spiritual about it. And so I just sat down and it did kind of hit me. I was trying to be telling it too emotional about it, but like I just sat there and just soaked on in.
I was like, holy shit, like it's happened, Like it's it's actually happened, Like it's You've gone from never hearing a sport, zero understanding of everything, like no clue, to being at the Pinnacle and winning a premiership. Like you have experienced everything in AFL, Like there's nothing that's left bar winning it again. Maybe there's almost nothing more you
can experience that goes with this journey. And it's like one of those moments I just sat down, I was like, holy shit, I'm so glad I did it, Like I'm so fortunate I did it and was able to get through it and still continue to do it. But I just had like an emotional moment that I was just like burst into tears and I was like, holy shit,
it's all it's all happened, like it's actually happened. Like ause you think about it, you talk about it and all this kind of stuff, but like once the moment actually like occurs just almost some disbelief and it doesn't like really register in the moment but I sat there and I remember just looking down, like seeing the metal
and seeing everyone celebrating in front of me. And the one person that comes over to me first is like Darcy Moore, who has been there since Yeah, trying to get the emotional but he's been there since day one, so it was cool to see him walk over to me. I had a few words and stuff, and it was cool to like to share that moment together on the field where his family's been massive for me. He's been massive for me, he's been huge for this whole team.
And then yeah, and then DC comes over, who's been the right hand man the rock for a while, so we kind of had a bit of a laugh and then everyone kind of gets together and it was an incredible moment. But yeah, that was a real full circle experience for me, sitting there on my own American flag trader from my shoulder like an absolute idiot, but all on my act, just looking through like all the moments and everything you sacrificed to get to that point, all
the friends, weddings, boris, family situations you've been through. Brother just got married early this year. I miss it, all things you give up to have that experience. Kind of hit you once and that was kind of like the moment for me. Oh I came tell that realization of like it's it's completed, like you've done it.
I think, yeah, yeah, you could tell that it was like a special moment. And yeah, you definitely you can almost hear the echoes, like the cheers are still ringing in your ears from like the game just gone. I think it's also like important to touch on like that. It was so close to not happening so many times, So how many times, like did that cross through your
mind that it was you know, eye surgeries. You're playing in the VFL two months ago, and like to be sitting there after the Grand Final, you know, metal around your neck still representing like America because you're not like forgetting where you came from, Like, yeah, it must have been a really special moment.
It was cool. Yeah, it just I said, I'll probably sat there for two or three or four minutes before kind of like anyone kind of came out to me and you just start thinking about like the beginning and yeah, like the eye surgeries, the drops to VFL throughout your career, Like I've been playing for nine years and played like one hundred and ten games or something like either two things have happened. You've either been dropped a fuck load of times, you've been injured for a decent amount and
both of those that happened in my career. So yeah, you think about all those times of like people have helped you through those moments, and like you think about you know, like relationships you've sacrificed to be able to be in those positions, and people have supported you in the tough times, and the people have always been there for you no matter what happens, and that all just
kind of like hits you in the moment. And that was like something I always be super happy I did, because I was like, you're kind of just getting this, like you just don't believe it's it's going on right, and you kind of celebrate on and like you're like, oh, how good is this primship players? And it's like chaotic. But you think about it's like for me, like a large majority of my life is on my own, Like I will live alone. I like live in a country on the other side of the world, away from my
family and stuff. I don't go have like Sunday dinners with mom and dad.
So even just the cultural difference is like coming over here.
And you always know you're different and it's okay, it's not it's not an issue to be different. But you know you're not going to fully one hundredson fit in with anyone over here because you just had a different
experience in life. And that's okay. But I just feel like you you have those moments where you have most of your life you're on your own, and to have that time of success of being able to soak in that moment on my own, of like think of all the dark times you've been sitting and you know, by yourself, thinking like I don't want to do this anymore, and then to have that moment to sit there and be like, holy shit, like all those times you question it, all
those times that you were sitting there going like is this all worth it? To read the pitting courts, like all right, sick, Like I've done it, like I've experienced it all, Like everything I came here to do, I've experienced, and whatever happens from here is just be honest.
So what happens from there where we're at the ground, You guys have your moment out in the middle of the ground. Is it off to the after party?
Yeah, well suits suits on, so right away you bring a suit to the game, whether you want to lose.
How's that shower set up?
Oh mate, the greatest shower beer I've ever had in my life, hands down. I've had some great shower beers in my life, but that one definitely tops it. So in twenty eighteen we lost, We had to bring our suits and went to like the most depressing dinner you could possibly fathom. Awake. It was worse than a wake, I feel like, and this one the opposite side. Right, everyone just like crazy. Suits are getting like, tires are
getting thrown around, Your jackets are just getting tried. Everyone's just like in nuts mode trying to get ready for this scene. You get straight out of there, straight on the bus, straight over to the post dinner. Then's asking me to get on stage. Bang. Everyone has like a little bit of dinner, sit down. Coaches address all this kind of stuff, right, sayee for you different things, and you get to the point where everyone starts partying and it's pretty loose. Like on the bus, I was chugging
beers out of the cop like I was. I was college drunk in all the good ways.
Brows you back to all those stories that you wouldn't.
Tell us, never tell. But I hope no one tells too many of those stories from the not of But I will say this, Darryl Braithwaite did come up on stage, did a few little songs. Darcy Cameron went up sung horses, and the USA chant went up to try to get me onto there, but I wasn't one hundred percent sure the lyrics of horses, so I decided to just duck off stage right and you could just couldn't read them.
I couldn't read him. But I think at that point everyone was so drunk and happy, you could have just just yelled any incoherent words and people would have gone, yeah, just the course, let's just put the mic out to the crowd and most store out the rest. So that happened, and then from there you go down into the next place, which is a bit more like closer group, more admin and stuff and like people are part of the football club.
Family was down there. Epic. Phil Cox drank out of the Premiership Cop, which was something I always wanted to see. He did that. Both brothers drank out of it, friends drank out of it too. It was just sick.
And then he would be buzzing.
Oh my gosh, I've never seen a happier man in my life. That freaking human was just on cloud nine. I don't know if there's anything above cloud knine, if there's cloud ten or eleven or twelve, but he was on cloud one hundred. He was just insane to.
Get one eye on that cup. Oh that he could turn into a spadester if he needed to.
Well, he like is so funny. So he chugs the beer right out of the cop. Big drinker, no, never drinks, never drinks, Phil So he drinks the beer out of the cop and then miraculously, on cue the Calling with Dame song goes over the DJ set right and I'm sitting there looking at my dad, and I'm like, you've got to go. You've got the pristine, you know, the cop, You've got it, like, you've got the chalice. You've got to go bring to the people.
You probably thought he's dyed and gone to him.
So then are you sitting there? And he takes the cop and he goes into the middle of the dance floor with the crowd and starts singing the Calling with theme song. I've got the video of it, and it was just it were one of those moments you know you just never forget my dad just being so stuck and everyone holding the cup up with him and he's like, eh, you know, just loving it, so do that and then we go to the next place was in a bar.
I won't say the name of the box, just say someone got their face broken outside of it recently and it was just shouldered to shoulder. It was actually not enjoyable because it wasn't like blocked off. It was just casting anyone anyone. It's crazy, which is just not okay on the day like all four but I mean like it was just like people were very grabby.
People start drinking it like eleven ten, mate.
It was like we got out of there probably eleven or twelve, and then we probably got to the next place, like one. So like people were lit by that point, so there was no care in the world. Like people were grabbing the metal, like trying to rip it off your neck and stuff and whatnot. It was just chaos of this place. One thing I will realize, and this is the first time this happened, the power of the metal.
This thing has got some kind of magical power. You just stick this thing in the air and it's like Moses, the seas just part. The people just duck left and right, and then miraculously, the front of the bar just opens up. You want anything, It's on the house. It is incredible what this thing gets you.
How long do you reckon lost?
I don't know.
I'm gonna keep trying, still.
Wearing it, so obviously still breaking the benefits. But it was insane, like right not we go from there, drinks and whatnot, go to the next place. At one point I was on stage. I don't remember all of it. I was on stage just screaming at the crown. I'm gonna be very kind of loose on some of the details because I don't want to get myself in trouble here. But had a good time, like lots of drinks. Champagne was pouring, like euphoria of like the experience and everyone's
hypes because like, oh, the players are here. It's like, okay.
I feel like if everyone is ahead of you in drinks, you're fine because you were playing, they were drinking.
I was ahead of them somehow. I had made up for the four hours they started before me. Very quickly, and then we went to a party after that, and then I watched the sun come up from my apartment and that was a moment I realized I'm too old for this shit. I can't I can't do it. And it hit me like a ton of bricks. Like I was sitting there looking at my window, going like, this is just stupid. I should have gone home five hours ago.
I don't know why I decided to do this. I was shotgunning Celtzer's by the end of the night like an idiot. There was no need, just no need for it.
You swinging to meccas.
Apparently we got maccas. Do I remember getting McDonald's. No. I think we bought forty nuggets and I would have crushed half of them probably, but there was not a real clear record remembrance of that. Slapped for like three hours, well rough that morning, waking up not great. I'd been smacked in the face with a sledgehammer. Still be drunk, yes,
for sure. And we get to the point where you have to go at like nine am or something, we have this we have to meet at the club because there's like a function for all the fans on the ground, right and everyone's still wearing the jersey. Obviously I'm the medal and stuff. I've never seen a more dusty group of human beings rocking up to a function and everyone was still like I assume everyone was just still drunk.
Anyone under let's say twenty eight, twenty nine, they would have gone through surely like the whole probably yeah, me, No, like the family guys, all the old dogs, get out of there respectable time. You made it home three hours, pretty good.
I thought that was a great accomplishment on the night felt it.
I see Brandon Maynard going home at you know, eleven, getting some sleep.
You can't confirm it that I do not know. But we go into there and then there's media there, and I'm like, this is not a good idea. This is not a good idea to put media in front of people on three hours a sleep, probably still drink from the night before of celebrations.
I saw the interview with Channel nine and No and Nick Dacos and Josh comes over and he's like, we're going on to get our photos. It's like, mate, I'm on air. He's like, oh, don't then whatever.
He like walks like, why does me I need to like document that just please no, just close the doors. You can get the vision from outside. You don't need to be.
Asking us questions famously. And you know Old Collingwood would want me to bring this up. After the nineteen ninety premiership, Eddie dragged in a handful of players to present the news the next day the channel like the six pm news updates they're on just like oh, just like Chris So and Darren Lane and like all these guys are in there presenting the news like you rough couldn't be imagine doing that the next day, six o'clock at.
Night the next day. I'll sorry a boy that I did go on to Media Street. But speaking of the Great Man, AD did see him after the game up in his box and it was a cool moment of like, he's been there for a lot of the tough time, so it's a cool moment to acknowledge him and the fan up there, which was awesome. And I saw his kid out that night and he took a photo of the metal around his neck and I'm sure he probably
he was beaming. Love it. Absolute legend. And then the other person I saw, I saw Barks actually in the rooms after the game, and gave my heart and that was a cool moment too.
It's cool to hear that he you know, it's it sounded like he was conflicted by the whole thing, which is like natural emotions. But it's good that he can, you know, get around it. He watched the game with Nick Maxwell. They shared a moment of just like, you know, the club is still like a Wii, like in ten years when someone's playing Rock number forty six is taken on by some other poor side and they win the flag, you're just going to be roped back into it because
you're part of the club. You're part of like the fabric of the club. So it is cool that you know, all the older guys, all the people that have been there past and like present, can you know, celebrate it and they get a moment because you know, they come around every ten twenty years if you're lucky.
Yeah, thirteen years the last one one one, So yeah, it was we had twenty ten premiership guys come in before the game and it's pretty cool to I think steel and peddles are like the the longest gap between premierships was it, Yeah, which is a cool kind of accomplishment to know that you stick with the process for that long and be able to get to the pinnacle again. But yes, we have the media day, they're there, we go back to the fans the cup again. Make it
legendary turns into made it legendary. Yeah, a lot of this is a bit blurry brain. I'm not gonna lie it together. And then we go into the staff and players and stuff, and we get to really kind of like celebrate as as a group, which was really nice and went to a beautiful place and got to to pass a cup around stuff and I kind of really enjoy it with the people I've kind of been there throughout the year at the club. That was awesome. Big
night rolling to the next day, Mad Monday, geez. So he goes one after another, like three days in a row, a big night out that night. Next morning, I'm getting a six am. I'm getting up. My phone's going off, and I'm like, anyone with half a fucking brain knows that I'm sleeping right now or I'm out partying one of the two. And then seven am goes off again.
The person that's calling me is Jace from Jason Law on the Morning, and I am that pissed off at him, not like I was probably both actually, but I was that freaking annoyed. And you know, whenever you wake up from a phone call, you can't go back to sleep. Yeah,
So I'm sitting there staring at the ceiling. I'm like, this is all Jason's fault, and I refuse to acknowledge him because I knew he would try to get me on or some of whatever was So then I get a text from the producer like what are you doing. I was like, I'm staring at the ceiling. Now I've got three hours till mad Monday, Like, what what do you want?
Yeah, sleep would have been handy.
Oh, it would have been so good. But there was no chance I was going to sleep. So I was like sitting there and like, do you want to come in? I was like, stuff it whatever. So they come pick me up in a car. I come outside my apartment complex, still wearing the jersey, still wearing the metal and I wanted to have a beer with Jase because Jase became
a calling with a fan. Yeah, So I go across the street to the IgA and I go and I opened up the fridge and the cashier goes, sorry, you can't do that, and I said, what do you mean, It's like seven thirty in the more. She goes, we don't start selling beer till nine am, and I was like, well, there you go. I learned something this morning. So I'm sitting there. This guy walks up to me, a lovely human, and he goes, mate, if she need a beer, I've got some of my office, come with me. So I
walked back cross street. I unfortunately didn't get up to his office and stuff because they pulled up around the same time. So I go into the car and they got me mocked up, and I go into Channel or I go into Kiss FM, and I do that, and still to this day, I'm not too shirt what was said. I was just I was so hungover and so sleep deprived. It was like I was, yeah, I was walking zombie.
They bought me mad because I crushed twenty nugs on air and then just literally laid down in the corner of the studio while they did ad reads for the next hour.
It would have smelt such it would have.
Been disgusting, like so gross, hilarious awesome time anyway, So and then they take me back. I go to the Mad MOUNDY get the kid on go to Mad Monday. Big dang, right, So you're going Saturday party, Sunday party, Mad Monday. Three days minimal sleep and now I'm thirty two. This is not eighteen year old Mason rolling around like an idiot, right, So I go to Mad Monday. At one point during Mad Monday, I was so sleep deprived. Someone goes, mate, there's actually a back room here, and
I was like, what's in there? They go, there's a couch and you go.
Better than anything you could have heard it.
That literally couldn't have asked for anything more. So in my just just snuck out the back fell asleep for an hour on the couch in the middle of Mad Monday, and it was the greatest nap I've ever had in my life. Nice and walked back up and we continued.
On nice get away, you can get it next morning.
So we're three nights now we've gone with minimal sleep, and I am I'm really hitting the wall here. I'm trying to push through Express Martinez are flowing. That's the only thing that's in my blood at the moment. I'm just half awake. Next morning, eight am, fasting. Yeah, So I have surgery on Tuesday shoulder surgery on Tuesday, so eight am you start fasting from so I get up at eight oh. You can imagine I was starving anything
and everything. I was hung as hell, and I'm sitting there and I'm like, I have to get my last drink of water in my last bit of food for the day. I check in at eleven, so eight am cold turkey, and that's all you want at that point. That's like what you know you need to get you over the line to get on in life and to live right. So honestly, I'm like, oh, my gosh, I have a little bit of food, and you know, eleven o'clock I end up going to the hospital and then
they're like, cool, we'll prep you and everything else. I sat there till about seven pm from eleven eight hours hung sitting there in the fetal position, sweating in the middle of that hospital bed on my own in just areas. It was one of the worst eight hours of my life. No food allowed, no drink allowed. Just everyone knows you've got the cotton balls in the back of your throat and you're sitting there going what was I thinking? Just
what in the world was I thinking? I get through to that, and I was hoping, like I was hoping, surely I get in here, maybe I get like an IV drip or something before, just give me pain, whatever it may be, just get it in, get it into my veins. Front. So seven o'clock old around, I finally get in there and I'm talking to the dock and he does the surgery and stuff, and all goes well from what I know, my shoulders moving around. I'm not
in a sling, so I assume it's good. Replace the live and the best I have felt from Saturday to Tuesday night was whenever I woke up from surgery. Usually you wake up and you're just you're sore, your head hurts, like your anesthesias kicked in, you're in a fog, whatever it is. I felt like a million bucks. I felt like I had finally got that nap I wanted, I had gotten ivy drip in me, and I was I was hydrated again. I was ready to go around six or wherever the hell it was at that point. So
that was the best I felt all week. Was after surgery, which is a wild thing to say, and he went straight back into it, and then that afternoon right so then so I sleep that night. I wake up the next day and I'm still in hospital.
Right.
You wake up the next day and I'll get this text from Pendles and Pendle's like, you're still coming tonight. He had organized a dinner for the twenty three that played, and he goes, he still coming to And I said, yeah, what do you mean. He goes, didn't you have surgery? And I go, yeah, I'm still in hospital. I was like, great, Yeah, I feel the best I felt out week. He's like, are you sure you want I was like, yep, I'm in. So that night goes into wine steak dinner, another night of drinking.
You would have eaten?
You would have eaten? Oh, I that many fries? It was unreal, chips, the hell you calm in this country? So we go on to that, and then finally I get like a day off on Thursday where I just sleep for about eighteen hours, so good, and then Friday cope one another night out. It was literally about I think out of the seven days, I would have been partying for six of them, and then I had surgery in the middle of the too.
Sounds almost as hard as finals, like, I got to get the body up my body.
Was more sore after those seven days than actually after the granny.
Right, Oh, I can't imagine it. I don't like, Yeah, I had two big ones and I was like, like, my organs actually hurt, and I kept like holding like areas, and people like, what's wrong with you. It's like, oh, my organs just hurt. But like maybe I don't know, maybe we're too old mates.
I went from not drinking for like the whole year essentially, yeah, to having one of the biggest weeks of my life.
I've always thought that do you get pissed way easier, like.
Like a beer and you're like, I was pissed on the bus before we got to the dinner after the game.
Oh my god. So we're getting close to the end of you know, wrapped up.
We've gone for entirely.
It's now officially our longest podcast. We'll split it up, and I reckon maybe because we will do a couple more, but I think the fan questions will do, like we can do a podcast on that, Like, there will be a few things that we can We got time to celebrate, time for the people. We got time for the people. Tatoo. You did mention on the last podcast that you would get a tatoo, and then you didn't want to talk too much beyond saying that you're going to go to
Dan Mixstay's Dad's tatoo parlor. Now is this going to happen? What are you going to get? What's what's the thought pattern?
Shout out Damn Stage Dad Swan Street tattoo po. They're there close to uh the train station.
I feel like they're doing a little pop up tattoo things.
Liken't post something was like a you know, like a like a sale on from ship tattoos for them. So I don't think we'll get it soon. I think we'll get it maybe whenever we all get back from holidays, because we haven't really organized it yet. But I know
there's some there's some ideas fulling around. If anyone has any like if there's an art artist out there that like puts together a cool like you know, little drawing that has like twenty twenty three premieres and maybe a cup in a magpie somehow included.
Play with goggles.
Now we're talking, that's pretty good. I would get a tattooed on me if it's cool enough, I'd do it. Just make room for other ones.
I do want to touch quickly on your journey before we wrap it up, because although we have touched on it numerous times. You you know, you take over Marcus Smart's position after he goes hamming. You're defending like for three weeks. Yeah, I guess Joe l Embiid Like NBA Superstars. You go to the draft combine you get in twenty fourteen, that's when you figure out this sport exists. Yeh, Melbourne, you head across, you do the Big Australia Grand Tour.
There's a photo of you and your brother in full port Adelaide kit. Not a great interview. You come out of it. You get picked up by Collingwood twenty fourteen. Twenty fifteen, you're playing VFL footy. You're going out to Ballarat, dunking your hands in buckets of water to keep them warm in the blizzard.
Rough times.
Your debut twenty sixteen Anzac Day, first kick, first goal, pretty impressive in front of a massive crowd. Dominates the twenty eighteen Prelimb, goes into the Grand Final, you lose. You're standing on the markdumb Shed kicks the goal over your head. Is it ever? Going to happen, sadness. This is the down, This is the downarc gets worse and you're thinking this movie is starting. Then get etched out the script starting a right itself. Eye injuries twenty nineteen
six surgeries on the eyes. You join the Goggle Gang twenty twenty two, Fly gets appointed coach. You go from seventeenth to losing the pre limb by one point against Sydney away from home. One year later, you become an Ossie citizen. You play you one hundredth game, you kick your hundredth goal, You get your spleen smashed in, almost die from almost die from a erupted spleen. You get dropped to the VFL only weeks before the end of the season.
Sign new contract to the VFL.
Sign a new contract, good time, got the two years. Then you go through the final series, back in the team, win a premiership, premiership player. That's your journey nine years. It's a bit to go two years ago, big legl You've got a load.
Up and go again after that whole bit.
Oh my god, how does that sit with you? Like where you come from to where you are now and what you've got left? Can you imagine going at least another two years going into this what you'll be thirty five. Yeah, oh that's a lot. That's a lot.
Thirty five is a big number.
You've been going into your eleventh year. You're pushing Pendles numbers.
I don't got that far now. It's looking back and like think about the whole journey and stuff. It's it's pretty incredible. And like I said, there's a lot of people have got me to this moment and this part of life, and a lot of people to thank for, like including yourself. Man, Like we've been din friends for a long time of it and you've helped me through a lot of different stuff and we've chawed through a
lot of different experiences, which is pretty cool. So not only yourself, but a lot of other people have you helped me through the journey and it's it's pretty incredible, And a lot of people have reached sounds. You write a book, you have to do a daco or wherever it is, you know, and eventually maybe if someone's ever interested,
I'll do one. But for me, it's a it's a very cool life experience because you talk about taking risks and like talk about you know, coming over here, with no idea what it was, what was going to happen and what was going to actually play out. And then for me now to have one of these moments where it's a reflection time of you know, you have a bit of success and you get to reflect on all the reasons you got to that point, it's pretty incredible.
Like it's just something I never could have imagined, you know, being a goofy nerd coming out of Oklahoma State as a walk on basketball player. So now sitting there and being well, let's be honest, world Champs, Well chance hasho World Champs. Suck that, John bid Ab So it's it's it's like this kind of complete moment of full circle and yeah, you think about the whole journey and being able to, like I said, experience one hundred percent of it.
Like you go from nothing of knowing zero about it to then being at the pinnacle and experiencing the ultimate euphoria of winning your premiership. It's it's something not many people get to experience. But then to come from where I've come from and you know, have the journey I've had, it just makes it that much more special and that much more unique. I guess within its own sense to have been able to experience it. Like, yeah, I mean there's like I said, there's been so many moments I've
questioned it. There's so many moments I've probably wanted to quit, and so many times I've thought, you know, like what am I doing here? And why am I putting myself through this? And mental health and all that kind of stuff.
You have your battles and you kind of get to these moments and you realize, like you've become a better person for having the experience, and like you've also been so fortunate to be able to have that success and be able to share with some amazing people along the way, and players and teammates that you know are no longer with the team and teams are teammates are still there and the teams you've you've been through the thick of it.
It's it's putting your life on the line on a weekly basis, and you know, eventually being able to to have that ultimate success as something so special. It's it's incredible and there's no words that can really describe it.
And I think that's what it is. It's not like it's not over. The journey is not over. It's just that you have experienced every emotion and everything that you can do in this sport, highs and lows, which makes it all the more incredible. And I think as we talk about risk and stuff, but you're coming out of this, like it's good that you have your health after going
through what you have. You've been through damage damaged liver by the sounds of it this week, But you come out of it and you're going to be thirty three, thirty five, like your life's only just beginning. And like that's the crazy part about all of it, that it is good that we can sit here and kind of reflect on the journey that's been. But like you like you got that much to achieve outside of the game. It's like it's been a fun part of your life.
It's been like it's been a great buddy. Yeah, ups and downs, but like.
People always talk about that and I'm like, it's been awesome to win the Grand Final. It's been incredible, like such a cool experience. But you always have that motivation to do something bigger. That's a weird thing to say whenever you think like the pinnacle is getting a metal round your neck and raising the cup. But there's always something more you're showing for where it'd be two three premierships, whoever it may be. And then you go, what's your
legacy in the game. Can you, you know, bring this game to a bigger audience? Can you, you know, be that middleman that you know is able to help the
AFL reach that next you know, next run on the ladder. Now, I hope there's something that I can look back once I'm at the end of my life to go that was an amazing accomplishment, but like overall, that led to something even bigger in life, to be able to do whether it means, you know, giving this experience to someone else who like passes the baton at some point, I'm going to retire. At some point someone else is going to have to be the main ruck at this club.
And there's another point where I hope there's another American that comes in, there's another American that goes to the same kind of stuff, and I get to pass my information and wisdom onto them to be able to help them be successful. And you get the older you get, the more you help those opportunities happen. And that's kind of one of those things that fulfills you even more.
I feel like then you know, successes of holding a cup of material things and all that is knowing that you've made a difference to other people on the way to make them a better person and help them reach the successes they want to reach in their life.
Much of this journey you've been one out, but you know the next person that comes through will have a path already kind of forged for them, and you'll be able to help them out along the way.
So it'd be exciting. Who knows what snakes.
I'm big on the like, learn to love the journey, not the destination, because it's awesome to have the goal of winning the premiership, but if it didn't happen, if you look back over the course of your career and the course of your life and what you've done, the memories that you've made their priceless. Like you talk about all the friends that you've made along the way, all the you know, experiences that you've had. You met fucking Joe Biden sat in the stands. You've seen more of
australiger woods. You've seen more of Australia than any Australian than I know. So like I always think, and I see a lot of football, let's get caught up with it. But like learn to love the journey, not the destination, because like it doesn't happen for everyone. Like not everyone finishes their career with a flag. Most players don't finish their career with the flag because some hungry teams win two or three in a row. But yeah, it's it's yeah,
it's a massive thing. It's a massive accomplishment. But I feel like if you looked back on like your life when it's at the end, it's the it's all the memories in the moments that like you'll remember.
It's somewhat of like a sad way to look at it, but a beautiful way in the same same time as like on my death, mad Am, I going to be upset that I didn't take the opportunity and take the risk. We're going to be be with complacency, and like that's always the way I've kind of looked at any opportunity or anything that's come across my desk is like, at the end of the day, am I gonna sit on my death bed and go, oh, this that one time shouldn't have done that? You know, I'm probably gonna go.
I don't even remember doing that. That was forty years ago. Like who cares? Like there's bigger things in life that you know that I accomplished, and the little things just don't matter. Like where you know the big decisions in life and stuff like that is what sticks out to you whenever you're at the end of your life and what you're most proud to sit there and look back upon. So I don't know I have that's advice to people
out there to think like that somewhat negative. Don't get me wrong, but I think we tend to stress about the little things in life too much comparatively to the to the big things that matter the most, whether it be family, friends, experiences, travel, growing up, becoming like an adult, all these things that last forever and are part of your legacy. Like it's that means so much more than little ticky tak things that we get caught up in a daily life.
It's a good way to finish.
That's a good one. This is probably six hours long, to be honest, but I'll let you do all editing. Brother, that's where you got at.
It's a big one. I don't know how many pieces I'll split this up into but yeah, it was amazing.
It was fun to watch. I had a moment after the game that was just letting it all out and it was just I was it was less So I think we're all connected to the club all the past, like staff and everything, but like just to see you in that moment that it's it's come full circle and it was, Yeah, it was not the end like we've said, but just like fuck, like it's been just a crazy journey and you look out there and there's so many
stories from all those guys. Oh you look at like I was so stoked for Pendles to win another one after like you'd think so many fucking times that it's never going to happen again for him Steal going out there and all the stuff that he's been through, like how are leaving his.
Club after club and was like had the worst win loss record I think of any player.
Broke his arm at the start.
Of the year, snap in the hospital and being like this is fucked. Like this guy's like he's he had like surgery four times just to clean up because he kept getting infected. And we've had a podcast with Jermany about it. To go listen to that. It's incredible what he's gone through.
Oh, Leg Markov, He's.
Recruited halfway through the year and then we didn't pick him up until literally the day of the deadline, and we had someone with had chas Dino Chaz ended up getting injured and he got on a long injury list. Then we picked up Oh while he was probably like training at Carlton. He had the full Carlton gear. That's what he wore him out Monday Hunt. I get that opportunity to come to the club and then be a premiership player with it after like three months of being there is insane.
All the way. My check, Brody, my check was a VFL defender for Port Melvine gets picked up and wins a flag as it.
VFL game on did his knee. I landed on his knee and he was like injured for however long. Next thing you know, he gets he gets drafted, bursting beause do you remember who who I am? I got no fucking IDEA.
Leaning goal kicker in a premiership year.
He's been leading goal kick here for about four years now.
And Josh take us when's when's the best and fairest from his brother that.
Only should have won the brown line.
Yeah, and probably didn't get it because he was like injured in the last few rounds. And there it's just Darcy Moore father son gets it gets the cup from his dad. Like there's that many stories and it's good that you guys, like forever we'll just be able to meet up. You had thorough merit at the club earlier in the week, ninety years old and he's still tied to the club, Like that's you guys, forever.
It's flying. The coaching staff create that culture and as one last thing is never to play for our club, like you forever connected to us. And you feel that from the fans, you feel from the players and the staff and everyone hopefully whenever you come back there. And we always open arms to explayers to come back and experience, you know, what we're doing and be a part of it. And you know, the biggest thing we want to do is bring you know, people along with this amazing journey.
And that's like something flies you know preach for a long time, is it's not just about us. It's about the people who bring along and the happiness we give to other people and the hope and smiles that you know, or I guess like part of us being successful. It's like it's something we can give to people, an experience we can give to people by going out and run around circles kicking bath sticks.
Yeah, this is simple, isn't it. We will finish because you are wearing a medal and I'm not sure if people can see that on the camera, but the twenty twenty three Premiership medal.
It's heavier than I thought it'd be.
What's written on the back? Do you want to finish off the podcast with that? You're written on the bank.
AFL commissioner some Richard goiter Ao can't forget the AI whatever that means. He's a chairman of the AFL commission. Shout out to Richard. Hopefully you're a great man. You're my boss. One day to compete and win on Grand Final day is every player's dream. As a member of the premier team. You are now part of the history and culture of the greatest game of all.
Congratulations Mason Cocks, Premiership player.
Pretty big a. It's pretty freaking cool, right, that's it. Thanks everyone for listening. Absolute legends, his lows and everything in that podcast and very long but hopefully you've enjoyed it. Hopefully you celebrated just like we have over the last week and it's been an incredible time. This is not the end of the podcast for the year. There are many podcasts coming back, but obviously this is a massive one.
We don't know how it's going to roll out from here, but it'll.
We'll find a sponsor. Probably is a number one, hopefully, So if you know anyone, please send them my way. But now, in all honesty, obviously, like you'll followed around the football journey from round one and we've done a lot of football talk on this and been through a lot of different things. So massive thank you. Throughout the whole season of tuning in, listening in, I've had so many people come up to me and say they're a massive fan of the podcast.
Good omen the podcast we did last year, very successful year. This year the most successful year.
We continue, Yeah, I think we'll continue it next year. But it is incredible to have amazing support from y'all. And this doesn't exist without you listening, without you telling your friends, and without you watching the social clips and everything else. So a massive thank you to everyone out there. I hopefully you've enjoyed this episode. It's been a massive one, but one that's going to be incredible and go down in the history books. So a massive thank you for
being a part of it. Hope you loved it, and continue to support us through it, whether it be buying gear, telling friends, whatever it may be. And there's gonna be plenty more. This isn't the end of the year. There's plenty more to go. We'll have trade talks, we'll have fan questions, We've got beyond the Valley coming up. There is still you.
Got to catch up with some of your premiership teammates. Maybe the coach I want to get want to get the flying.
He's going to the state soon, but I'm trying to get them on and some of the teammates will definitely come on too. So Darcy Moore has told me is coming. That's a little hint for you at some point, so I will follow that up. But thank you everyone for listening in incredible podcast. I appreciate we appreciate the support, and continue to support us through this whole whole journey and tell your friends see yea peace