1966 set me up for a lifetime of frustration.
That year, Collingwood finished the season as minor premiers.
Unfortunately, the Magpies lost the final by one point in the game’s last minutes.
Sixteen premierships from 45 appearances is the very definition of a roller-coaster ride.
Now, people are talking about a golden age for the club.
The key to any dynasty is the captain.
When I first saw Darcy Moore, I wondered if he was the right man for the job.
It wasn’t the family name or the long, blond hair.
It was that ridiculous smile — captains should look angry.
They should run like they are mad at the grass under their boots.
But Moore proved me wrong.
There are four things you need to know about great captains.
First, they do not have to be the best player on the ground, but they do have to get the best out of their people.
Great captains inspire others.
He is the sort of person you don’t want to disappoint.
Second, great captains have very little to say.
They are not the life of the party; they do not give speeches.
When they do speak, they use few words.
Great captains play through injury and pain.
When a decision goes wrong, they get on with it.
A team will look to their captain when things are going wrong to see if it is time to give up.
Third, great captains work hard to give others success.
A great captain will pass the ball to a struggling player.
He often does the hard work so that someone else can kick the goal.
Finally, the captain is the hardest-working player on the ground.
Malcolm Blight said that winning and losing were often just three goals.
“Would three goals put us back in the game?” he would ask his players to inspire them.
Football is life.
In the movie Heaven Can Wait, Warren Beatty asks a question.
“If we were a football team, would we be in the finals?”
So, I will be watching Moore with interest.
So far, I like what I see.
Geoffrey Johnstone is the pastor of the Seymour Baptist Church.
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