During my time in the Navy I served in Vietnam on two occasions and I keenly kept an eye on things back home. Navy life had me move all around Australia, it was in 1979/1980 that I was stationed in a very remote part of North Western Australia and I was coaching a local team in town. We were about to play in the Grand Final and unbeknownst to me the supporters had contacted Collingwood and explained I was Collingwood supporter and would Tom Hafey have any tips for me as coach. To my surprise I received a telegram from Tom wishing me all the best. We won the Grand Final it was amazing as team had never won before. I still have the Telegram today. I now have a 5yr old grandson who is Collingwood mad and is in his first year of Auskick here in Perth. In my eyes he is a champion as he tells everyone Collingwood is the best forget the rest.

I was unfortunate not to get a 2023 Grand Final ticket but it didn't matter as I was able to experience the game at the Magpie headquarters... once the final siren went everyone was in elation. I looked in front of me and saw a young man to be in his early twenties wiping his face full of tears and smiling at the same time, as we all were... thank you for my great experience that I will NEVER forget. GO PIES!

Born into Collingwood at born after my father Alan, he took me to my first game when I was 4. I'm now 36 years old and a 30 year member. The bond we share supporting Collingwood is unbreakable even now when I've moved interstate. The memory that always sits with me is attending the 2023 Grand Final together. Our first premiership together in the flesh. He suffered a heart attack in September 2010 and couldn't attend the 2010 Grand Final with me. 2018 was our first Grand Final we attended together and we thought that would finally be our moment together but sadly we were left waiting. Dad had been to so many of our losing Grand Finals growing up and spent the 1990 Premiership at home with me as a one year old. As he was starting to reach his 70s I thought a premiership together might evade us but fortunately 2023 was our moment and it is something we'll both never forget. The embrace and tears on the final siren, a culmination of years of magic moments together, finally reaching the pinnacle together.