Jeff Browne reveals premiership winning Magpies’ approach to new season

Collingwood president Jeff Browne says the club won’t rest after winning the premiership and revealed the players’ mantra for the upcoming season.

Collingwood president Jeff Browne has revealed the theme of Collingwood’s premiership defence is getting “back to work”.

Browne said the club wouldn’t rest after achieving the ultimate result from “two years hard work”.

“We’re not talking about back to back at Collingwood, we talk about back to work,’’ Browne said.

“So we’re going back to work and we’re going to do the things we did last season pretty well and we’ll see what happens.”

Browne spoke with Swans chairman Andrew Pridham and former AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan on the relaunched MA Financial “What Matters” podcast, hosted by Adam Spencer.

Collingwood president Jeff Browne with the 2023 Premiership Cup. Picture: Supplied

In a wide-ranging chat with plenty of banter, Browne explained the Grand Final win for Pridham’s benefit after he took a slight dig at the Magpies.

“It’s always good winning at home, too, isn’t it? Sorry you don’t know what away is,’’ Pridham said.

Browne said: “It is a thrill. In Collingwood’s case a culmination of two years’ hard work.

“Fought hard for the year and won a lot of close games and a close Grand Final. It was a reward for effort. We do know what away is because last year we played a preliminary final on what is technically called a ground, I’ve got a saucer at my place that’s bigger than that, and unfortunately we got beaten by a point.”

The trio also discussed the battle for equalisation.

“I think the only place where equalisation exists is a graveyard. It doesn’t exist,’’ Pridham said.

“It’s a good thing to try and keep the competition competitive. I remember when Gillon announced the relief that North Melbourne received, and it’s no coincidence that was Gillon’s last meeting in front of the presidents. He had to go.”

Jeff Browne, Andrew Pridham and Adam Spencer speak with Gillon McLachlan on the screen. Picture: Supplied

McLachlan added: “The competition now is as equalised in my view as it’s ever been. I think Fremantle finished 14th and had won a final the year before.

“There is an amount of talent that gets distributed that is obviously very important. It’s right coaches, the right culture, the right leaders, presidents, CEOs. If you have one of those key pillars out of whack it’s very hard to go and win the flag. You need the right people in the right slots and you need the right culture. The talent is clearly part of it. But for me the winning and losing is much for than that. It’s actually the whole machine working as well as possible because that’s what equalisation does, it forces you to be great everywhere.”

McLachlan said he was enjoying having a break before deciding his next move.

“I’m having a nice time. It’s actually not bad out here in the real world, it’s good,’’ he said.