Click here to watch the third and final installment of the interview with Gavin Brown at Victoria Park.On former teammate Darren Millane
He was larger than life. It has been well documented that he was just a great player who was cut down in the prime of his career.
He was a great athlete and a great player at the same time.
He was ahead of his times in that way. ‘Pants’ was fantastic for me because he was an extrovert and I was an introvert and he was the one that gave me my nickname ‘Rowdy’.
I remember being out here one day and it was just about in this pocket that we were down with (Peter) ‘Crackers’ Keenan and (he) was calling me over to join their group. He said, “Browny come down here” and 'Pants' said, “Nah its not Browny its Rowdy”. Just instantly off the cuff. It just stuck ever since.
On potentially going to Melbourne in 1997
The end of 1995 I had a few injuries and in 1996 I had a few more injuries and couldn’t get going. It looked like my body was packing up a little bit. I knew myself it wasn’t and it was a bit frustrating.
Other people doubted me. They (Collingwood) were keen on giving me a one or two-year contract. The whole time I was playing I had been offered three-year contracts and I wanted one of those.
It wasn’t a standoff. It was a situation where the club only wanted to give me one but I was never going to go.
Melbourne was interested. It was never going to be a situation where I was going to leave. I never used that situation to my advantage.
I was very grateful to the club that they gave me a three-year contract.
On captaining the club from 1994 to 1998
It’s a huge honour. To win a premiership is what it's all about. But to actually captain the club I barracked for as a kid I would have never had dreamed that.
I was always big on leadership. It’s about leading by example. I was really confident I could do that. I remember Leigh Matthews in the race grabbed me and said, “We are going to go with you as captain.” He shook my hand and said, “But I don’t want you to change the way you go about your footy.” And I said, “Yeah no worries.”
What Collingwood means to him
It’s been my life. It’s been everything I know. It’s been my profession. When I have woken up in the morning to when I end the day it’s been about Collingwood. It has shaped who I am and what I am.
Part one: Gavin Brown on arriving at Collingwood, moving to the wing and playing in the under-19 sidePart two: Gavin Brown on winning the 1990 premiership and playing for VictoriaPart three: Gavin Brown on Darren Millane, on potentially leaving the club, on being captain and what Collingwood means to him
