October 2002, Melbourne, Australia

Thank you to CUB and the Association

Thank you to everybody at Channel 9, I’ve called football for something like 30 years and i can’t remember a more enjoyable season. I’d like to say congratulations to Cos Cardone who put the project together for Channel9 , and also thank Eddie McGuire. He is like the Red Adair of football in this town —starts fires, puts them out but I’ve got to say he’s never kissed me.3

it’s been a thrill working on the AFL this season and as i say i can’t remember a better season, but things changed very quickly in football, and in broadcasting. I’m reminded of just a short story—

i remember when i took over as coach of West Perth in the WAFL and I got a call from Graham Campbell who was the outgoing coach. He said, ‘Do you know about the tradition of the two envelopes?’ I said, ‘No I don’t.” He said, “It’s self-explanatory I’ll be straight over.’

He arrived at my doorstep with two envelopes. Written on one was “to be opened when things go bad”. Written on the other was “to be opened when things get even worse”.

First season was okay, halfway through the second season we lost about four in a row and I decided to check inside the first envelope. It said, “blame your predecessors”.

Well of course that is the first fallback position of anyone in football. A failed coach, that’s what you do automatically.

Unfortunately, we lost a few more games, probably another five straight as I recall, I decided well it’s getting bleak, there’s almost rebellion in the camp, I better have a look at the second of the envelopes to be opened when things get even worse was written on that one

And inside when I looked it said, ‘prepare two envelopes’.

Thank you very much.