Mick McGuane on his time as a Collingwood player and supporter ahead of preliminary final against Sydney

Darren Millane embodied everything great about the spirit of Collingwood — Mick McGuane says his old side must channel the Magpies champ to win in Sydney.

Mick McGuane is loving the style Collingwood has played under Craig McRae.

Nothing is as nostalgic as remembering your childhood memories.

When it comes to talking footy or enduring past images and occasions, my mind immediately gravitates to when I was a kid barracking for Collingwood.

I was a fanatical one-eyed supporter who always dreamt that one day I would play with the team I barracked for and 1977 is a year that keeps flooding back.

I was 10 years old when Collingwood lost to North Melbourne in the Grand Final replay.

I hated the feeling that crept unwillingly into my body and mind that afternoon.

It even drove me to the extent of locking myself in my bedroom, abstaining from my mum’s home cooked Saturday night meal and even her Sunday morning demand that I get out of my room.

A marking contest in the 1977 Grand Final.

Wayne Harmes breaks Collingwood hearts in the 1979 Grand Final.

While I lay there during my self-imposed solitary confinement many thoughts entered my mind.

They were all about the future – both short and long-term.

I knew there would be ridicule coming my way at school come Monday.

If you didn’t barrack for Collingwood, you hated them.

Those who were of the black and white persuasion would get verbalised whenever there was an opportunity and after this Grand Final loss I knew I would be a target.

I knew that would lead to a “behind the shelter shed scrap” at St James Primary in Sebastopol to sort it out.

Shattered Pies players after the 1980 Grand Final.

Simon Beasley slams headlong into Mick McGuane.

There was no backing down, despite the numbers.

I knew I would be summoned to the office of our school principal – Sister Mercy – the next morning, the moment she heard I was involved in an altercation after school for sticking up for my beloved Magpies.

I knew I would be in further trouble once my parents received a call to notify them about my bad behaviour.

But back then I was happy to receive any punishment that was coming my way as I knew I would do it all over again if it meant I was sticking up for my team Collingwood.

Mick McGuane during his career for the Magpies.

I had no idea that in 1979, 1980 and 1981 that same feeling of disappointment, frustration and anger would engulf my mind and body when Collingwood lost another three Grand Finals to Carlton, Richmond and Carlton respectively.

During that period I hated watching the likes of the late Billy Picken – who’s No. 25 lived on my duffel coat – Wayne and Max Richardson, Ray Shaw and Peter Moore lay on the ground motionless and totally exhausted as they realised there would be no premiership medals hanging from their necks. Those scenes would live with me for years.

I saw their anguish and disappointment and the more I experienced the Magpies losing, the more determined I was to turn my dream into a reality.

I just loved footy and wanted to work hard so one day I could turn all those horrible days into a day of celebration and joy.

In my role as a writer for the Herald Sun, or with my radio commitments, I am always mindful of eliminating bias from my commentary.

I aim to be a straight shooter and call it the way I see it and sometimes Collingwood is in the line of fire.

Brayden Maynard, Josh Daicos and Nick Daicos after Collingwood’s semi-final win. Picture by Michael Klein.

However, this weekend my emotional attachment is hard to contain.

Let’s face it, preliminary finals are all about the supporters when two tribes go to footy war.

It is stake-in-the-ground stuff and territorial warfare.

The prize is in plain view – a Grand Final berth.

So please, just this once, let me have my head.

To have Collingwood in a Preliminary Final against Sydney at the SCG this weekend gives me another opportunity to be the passionate supporter I am.

I am attending the game and can’t wait to verbally applaud and get emotionally attached to it.

I will ride every decision, kick, mark, handball, bump and tackle in this pressure cooker preliminary final.

It’s a massive game between two tough and uncompromising teams who are layered with class and sublime skills.

Following our win last Saturday night, Peter Daicos declared he will walk from Melbourne to Sydney for our Preliminary Final against the Swans.

We'll be checking in with Daics across the next few days as he travels 900km by foot... 🚶‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/HwLZDbCmLI

— Collingwood FC (@CollingwoodFC) September 14, 2022

When I watched my great mate Peter Daicos interviewed on Channel 7 by Luke Darcy, Jobe Watson and our great coach Leigh Matthews last weekend, my childhood memories immediately returned.

Here I was listening to my childhood hero talking about his club, what finals mean and how his boys are going.

To see my trusted teammate ooze excitement and passion as he spoke just reminded me how special this club is and how great a game we have.

To hear current crowds yell out ‘Daicossss’ when his sons Josh and Nick do something special jolts my memory back to the days when my own parents would take me to Victoria Park.

I would stand in the outer – on beer cans – and yell out that same surname as loud as I could.

My dad, Bryan, one day said to me, ‘Stop following the ball and just watch Daicos, observe where he runs, how he cuts off the ground, how many contests he gets to and what he does with it’.

Craig McRae has worked wonders in his first season as Collingwood coach.

He went on to say, ‘Look at his balance and how he veers to give himself space to have more time to sum up what’s the best option’.

They were valuable learnings for this self-confessed Magpie tragic who had future aspirations to be on that same hallowed green oval one day.

In the car driving home from any Collingwood game I would turn into commentator and relive play by play moments that resulted in a Magpie goal.

‘Ricky Barham takes a bounce, takes a second, looks up the field to assess his options, has space to take a third and then kicks to the lead of Phil Carman. That’s brilliant play by Collingwood’.

An elated Darren Millane at the final siren in the 1990 Grand Final.

A bumper crowd packs into the MCG for the 1981 Grand Final.

Now it is, ‘Sidebottom gets it, veers onto his left, comes back inside onto his right and kicks beautifully to Mihocek at Centre half forward. They are on a roll, the Magpies’.

To see the transformation in Collingwood’s attacking game style this season brings enjoyment to my heart.

This game is about instinct as much as it is intuition.

It’s about skill as much as it is about pressure.

Mistakes happen – just have a look at the oval-shaped ball that we play with which can bounce your way some days and not others.

Former St Kilda forward Stephen Milne knows that as well as anyone.

Craig McRae has encouraged a go-forward-with-the-ball, attacking game style, yet hasn’t ignored the defensive pillars and foundations that Nathan Buckley put in place.

Mick McGuane is loving seeing Pies royalty in the Daicos’ back in black and white.

What we are now seeing is greater balance between attack and defence but also an acceptance that mistakes will occur so don’t get caught up in them.

I gave my premiership teammate Graham Wright – now Collingwood’s football boss – a call a month ago and to hear the positivity in his voice made me so happy for him.

He is thoroughly enjoying the current ride, albeit he has some serious challenges which are about to confront him with the list and some hard conversations he will have to have.

I know he will sort it out and will do it with great honesty and integrity, in the best interests of the footy club.

One of the top-four players I played with – premiership teammate Gavin Brown – now has his two sons Callum and Tyler at the club and that is another reason why you can’t escape the emotional attachment.

Even though those young men won’t be out there on Saturday, I just know they will be cheering for their teammates to get the win.

Jordan De Goey and Craig McRae chat after Collingwood’s semi-final victory.

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree as Gav was always about the team.

Another 1990 teammate, Craig Kelly, was a tremendous competitor with great heart and intent and was a player made for finals football.

I can’t help but find myself looking up to see how his son Will played in the VFL each weekend.

He has had to endure some bad luck in his short career and I just hope it turns around.

Gavin Crosisca’s recovery from becoming a secret drug addict and alcoholic is uplifting.

I was so pleased to see him only a few weeks back and observe the great mental and physical state he is in.

He is working at the club and doing a great job by connecting the past with the present.

I spoke to another original member of “Coventry House” – where the club used to house young recruits – in Mark Orval just this week.

Better known by young folk these days as internet sensation ‘Angry Dad’, I checked in on how he is overcoming a recent cancer scare.

He has got on top of it but that was never in doubt as Orvs was always a bloody determined bugger. If it wasn’t for stress fractures in his feet, his footy career would read far differently.

His four goals against Essendon at the end of 1987 was proof of that.

Finals time for some reason has a tendency to allow me to drift into the past.

Darren Millane and finals courage go hand-in-hand.

‘Pants’ showed enormous courage during the 1990 finals series, playing through a broken thumb.

To the current players: Don’t use fatigue or a small hurt as an excuse that interferes with performance, effort, will to win or will to compete.

Just find a way like Darren did 32 years ago.

I was rapt to have had the last kick in the 1990 Grand Final and pass it to my great mate and fittingly Darren finished with the ball that day.

Who’s to say that can’t be Jeremy Howe this year?

As we grow older we have a tendency to get caught up in what we now do but – as a footy lover – the one thing that draws you back to your team and your club are those that are currently still involved in some way.

This game is still about people.

Talk about irony – two weeks ago my son Thomas was invited to the qualifying final between Melbourne and Sydney and ended up not only in the Swans’ cheer squad but wearing red and white.

Chad Warner is a favourite in the McGuane house.

Mick McGuane's son has a photo with Chad Warner. Pic: AFL/Instagram.

One of his footy teammates from Keilor under-16’s – Riley – is a passionate Swans supporter and is a member of the cheer squad along with his mum.

My son found himself in a Sydney Swans jumper and in a photo with one of our favourite players (outside of Collingwood) in Chad Warner.

It was a special treat and an experience that won’t be forgotten.

The Sydney connection runs a little deeper, with Jake Lloyd having generously inked his signature on a Swans singlet last year and sending it down to my son through his dad.

As much as I appreciate what those two Swans have done for my young bloke, it will pale into insignificance come Saturday.

It will be all about the black and white jumper and who’s wearing them.

Just watch Scott Pendlebury will be the message from Mick McGuane to his son.

Scott Pendlebury and Steele Sidebottom have had exceptional careers and are two of my all-time favourite players.

When he was five years old, my son asked me what number he should put on his Collingwood jumper.

I promptly responded, “No. 10”.

I told him Pendles is our best player, who plays the game with grace and class.

Now that my son is 15 years old and understands footy pretty well, my messaging to him on Saturday will be to stop watching the game and just watch Pendles.

Look at what he does at stoppages, watch his organisational skills and where he runs in general play. Also look at how many contests he gets to and watch how he uses the ball – both with his hands and feet.

Sound familiar?

Mick McGuane would love to see a Brayden Maynard-Isaac Heeney match-up.

Darcy Moore will have his hands full with Lance Franklin again.

Now it’s my son doing the dreaming while at the same time listening to an old, washed-up former player delivering his one-eyed passionate pleas through supporter’s eyes.

I will stand up out of my seat on Saturday and applaud when Brayden Maynard gives his first of many bone crunching tackles.

If he starts in defence, hopefully it’s on Isaac Heeney just to let him know he is in for a hard day, or will Luke Parker be on his radar if he starts in the centre square?

I can’t wait to yell out, ‘Great stuff Darcy, that’s another intercept mark and by the way you’re killing Franklin’.

‘That’s it Jordy, keep hunting the footy. Mills can’t go with you, you’re up to clearance number seven and disposal number 15’

‘Come on Jack, keep putting your head over the footy and attack the ball as the free kicks will come’

‘Give it to Nick, use him, get him into the game early to test out Ryan Clarke as a defensive forward, we want the ball in his hands to start our counter attack on the smaller SCG’

‘Make the ground big fellas, well done Josh and Sidey, keep getting width on the game allowing others to run into the space you’ve selflessly created’

‘Come on Coxy, stop running under the flight of the ball, we need you to bring the ball to the ground to bring those around you into the game’

‘Bloody hell Isaac, stop ball watching and play tighter as Papley is finding too much space and looking dangerous’

‘For crying out loud fellas, locate an opponent quicker to take away the Swans’ uncontested marks, a strategy they will use to take away Collingwood’s pressure game’

I can’t wait for Saturday’s game and to be a part of the hostile crowd there.

This week it’s all about Us vs Them.

It’s NSW v Victoria.

The winner is in the Grand Final and the loser will ponder what could have been.

Let the fun begin.

Originally published as Mick McGuane on his time as a Collingwood player and supporter ahead of preliminary final against Sydney