Is investing something that you were always interested in? Did you kind of do it while you were playing or even before you were playing footy?

Yeah, I, um, I was lucky enough to get drafted when I was 17.

Had, uh, just finished year 12, and, um, uh, s- started my football career when I was 18, and, um, studied part-time.

I, I did a Bachelor of Commerce and, um, went on to do a Master's of Applied Finance and, and was lucky enough to, to play football professionally for 16 years.

So I, um, um, when I finished the master's, I, um, I started to, to work in the industry, albeit just part-time.

I worked under a fund manager and, yeah, I, um, thoroughly, you know, I've got a, a big passion for football, but there was always this passion for investing too and, um, and making the most of, um, the investments and I guess really being engaged and, and learning more about it.

And, um, yeah, I, I, I love it.

Yeah

playing on Buddy? Because he couldn't do anything, and he only kicked three, so he did a good job.

Well, Billy, what was hard is I did my syndesmosis the week before.

So I was running around on one leg.

Jeez.

the plan was that they would jab it up with local before the game and in each quarter.

So I was running around with a numb leg, and there's one kick you can actually see me get the ball, and I tried to bomb it down the line, and it went off on an angle, and I got called deliberate.

I had to say to the umpire, like, I can't feel my leg.

Fred's Big Run.

playing on Buddy? Because he couldn't do anything and he only kicked three, so he did a good job.

Well, Billy, what was hard is I did my syndesmosis the week before.

So I was running around on one leg and the plan was that they would jab it up with local before the game and in each quarter.

So I was running around with a numb leg, and there's one kick you can actually see me get the ball, and I tried to bomb it down the line, and it went off on an angle, and I got called deliberate.

I had to say to the umpire, like, I can't feel my leg.

Is it true your first game for Sydney, 2006, was against the Bombers and Roosie sent you to Lordy, Matty Lloyd, after he'd kicked about six goals in the first quarter?

Yes, yes.

Well done, well done, Billy.

Gee

...

the, the plan was that they would, um, uh, jab it up with local before the game and then each quarter to, um...

So I was running around with a numb leg and there was one, there's one kick you can actually see me get the ball.

[laughs]

...

Fred Hollows Foundation.

It would all of a sudden be about the Essendon coaching process.

I feel like

there's two cohorts.

There is the new talent, whether it's first-round draftees of 2025.

Probably what excites me more is... 2025 is significantly impacted by injuries.

Yeah, we're getting back a whole wave of let's call them recruits that we didn't get to see much of last year or if we did, we saw them a little bit and they're coming back to.

So what is 2026 going to look like with this injection of young talent returning experience and putting all that together with a few other decisions that have been made around the club? That's what's excited me.

And judging by the numbers here at training today, Yeah, middle of January.

How was that discussed and received? Are you proud of that decision?