Milestone to remember
A Magpie tragic living the dream
THERE are milestones in football most players do not forget.
Be it their first game, their first kick, their first goal or their first win — when they are embraced by teammates in the circle and signing the club song — footballers have outstanding memories.
They may be dismissed at the time, but players can recall the special moments long after with relative ease.
So while Collingwood forward Will Hoskin-Elliott would have had little trouble remembering his 100th game, even it was a Sunday twilight clash at Metricon Stadium in front of 15,000 people, the fact he will run out in a Grand Final could just make it all the more memorable.
Hoskin-Elliott grew up as a Collingwood supporter and has black and white running through his blood.
In recent years, the 25-yearold has learnt his great-great grandfather was a member of its 1910 premiership side and he has been a fan of coach Nathan Buckley for as long as he can remember.
Having arrived at Collingwood from GWS via trade at the end of 2016, he knew it would take a little time for the team to return to September.
But after a whirlwind 12 months that has seen him marry childhood sweetheart Kirstie as well as become a father to son Flynn, he says the rewards are starting to pay off for the Magpies players.
“From the very beginning of pre-season the boys came in and wanted to make a change within the club,” he said.
“They had massive belief that we could go places and if we stuck to the structures then we could definitely do what we wanted to.
“I thought we would make it in the first three years after I first got there, the game plan and the structure was really good but we just weren’t performing on field.
“So I thought we would get there but I am not too sure if I thought it would be this quick.”
Hoskin-Elliott was at the drawn Grand Final against St Kilda in 2010 but factors beyond his control meant he was unable to make it to see Collingwood claim its first flag since 1990.
He has, like most supporters, watched the replay enough times to know about the heroics of guys such as Scott Pendlebury on that day, and while he may give former Giants teammate and Richmond premiership hero Jacob Townsend a call this week to see what he should expect on Saturday, he says there are plenty of wise heads to help the younger players handle the hype of Grand Final week.
“Once you make finals you have that little thought in the back of your head, ‘ can we make it?’ and now that we are here, I don’t know what to do, it is just unbelievable,” he said.
“We will just play what we know, we will come in and do the same things we have been doing and we will follow our game plan and not worry about what everybody else says.
“As people who haven’t been there, we will just go and see the older guys that have been there and ask questions and see what they reckon.
“Pendles and Steele just told us to stay humble, there is still next week to go, so just look forward to it and take it all in and just enjoy the moment.”
You get the feeling if Collingwood salutes again it will be a moment that HoskinElliott, and the entire Magpie army, will have little trouble recalling for countless years to come.