Nathan Jones

And I had...

Nathan Jones is the head of sport there-

Yeah

... at Peninsula, so I was chatting to him.

And I'd got, actually got back, 'cause I did it the year before as well, so must've liked my work.

Shout out.

Uh, anyway, up there on stage with Nathan Jones, and I was like, "Hey, Nathan."

Mm.

It helped you compartmentalise your thoughts and focus on what's important.

And Nathan Jones told me, again, end of 2021, he got some advice from someone that if you're looking in the rearview mirror all the time and worrying about the past, then you're never going to be focused on what's in front of you and you're never going to be happy with your life.

So you've just got to get on with it and look out the front of the car instead of in the rearview mirror.

So let's talk about the things that you suspect might live on with you.

And 2021, an unforgettable year for that football club, but you were an emergency on grand final day.

I mean, how difficult was that? I mean, these are the realities of life at the top.

And Nathan Jones, you mentioned earlier, really tough for him as well.

How do you look back on that time? Bittersweet, I'd imagine, the memories with that?

So when I look at it at Sydney, probably read it more at Melbourne because they were struggling more, it was sort of this is Paul Roos as a player.

Oh, okay, that's what Nathan Jones is going through.

You know, that's what, you know, Jeremy Howe or Jack Grimes or whatever.

So it allowed me to sort of relate back and also hold me accountable.

I don't wanna embarrass you, and I don't know whether you heard.

Yeah, I used to talk a lot about you and Jack Riewoldt.

All right? And I think there was a moment, you know, I don't, I, I don't think, and I had this discussion with Nathan Jones, so I'll preface this, 'cause Jonesy must've heard me talk about, I don't know, after I'd finished coaching this, "You told, you said I was a selfish player." And I didn't mean it like that, 'cause I was similar to Jonesy.

I thought the best way for Fitzroy to win was for me to be the best player on the ground, and that's what Jonesy's philosophy, and I suspect for you and Jack it was the same.