What are doing with yourself these days?
My full-time employment is now in scaffolding - I work for a company called Central Scaffolds. We do a lot of commercial stuff in and around Melbourne and are based in Dandenong.
(You can contact Central Scaffolds on 03 9793 2233 or visit www.centralscaffolds.com.au for more information)
I’ve been in the scaffolding game since I finished football, which has been around 15 years now. It helps keep you fit because you’re on the go all the time. It’s better than sitting in an office, I say.
You recently returned to the field as part of a Lions Legends team that played in between the Brisbane Lions’ NAB Cup matches at Etihad Stadium. How did you pull up?
I didn’t pull up too well after havig a bit of a kick and run, I can assure you that. It’s funny when you don’t do it too often how sore you can get for the next couple of days.
It was good fun. I still catch up a bit with ‘Doc’ Wheildon, we go away and do a spot of fishing a couple times a year, so it was good to get out there and have a kick with him.
I actually got a bit of a kick behind my knee - I don’t know how it happened. I ended up with a huge bruise down the back of my leg for the next week. I thought, geez, I never got a bruise like that throughout my playing career. Maybe it was because we’d had a couple of lagers throughout the evening which might have gotten the blood flowing a bit. It was a good night.
Do you keep an eye on the AFL these days?
I’ve got a Supercoach competition going on at work, so I need to keep in touch with at least a bit of it. There are so many young kids to keep up with these days.
Footy is obviously a lot more full-time now than it was back then. The game has gotten so much quicker. It’s hard to keep in touch with the rules and their interpretations. But they’re certainly getting good crowds in, so whatever they’re doing must be right.
Any hot Supercoach tips?
There’s a few of these young kids you should look at. But you have to pick some of these Gold Coasters I reckon - they’ll be the cash cows.
Do you have children? Are they heavily involved in AFL or sport in general?
I have a daughter who is near eight years old. She is into gymnastics and has also done a bit of athletics.
The young bloke is going to be four this weekend and is into just about anything at the moment. He’s a nutcase, I’ve gotta stop him climbing fences.
What are your fondest memories from your Fitzroy days?
Probably the friendships, most of which I have kept with me after football.
But it was just an honour to play against blokes like Tony Lockett, Jason Dunstall and Garry Ablett - and also run out alongside guys like Roosy, Richard Osborne and Perty who are Legends of the game.
Do you get still get recognised much in the streets?
There’s a few every now and then on the worksites around the town, but only from some of the old Fitzroy supporters who would’ve seen me play.
The Brisbane Lions are currently in the process of updating their database of past players and coaches. If you played a senior match with Fitzroy, the Bears or the Brisbane Lions (or know someone that has) and haven’t remained in contact with the Club, please email your phone and address details to melbourne@lions.com.au so that we can keep you in touch with any future events with past players.
