AFL 2023: Snubbed Auskicker gives Collingwood player Beau McCreery birthday invitations for Pies team at meeting

An Auskicker was gutted after he was left hanging. And when the premiership Pie met up with him, the youngster asked him — and many other players — for a big favour. WATCH the video.

Hunter Armstrong met up with Beau McCreery after his handshake snub.

Elation turned into despair in an instant for Auskicker Hunter Armstrong on grand final day.

Living out any young Collingwood fan’s dream as part of Team Auskick in grand final week, the diehard supporter walked up to the dais to hand Magpies forward Beau McCreery his premiership medal.

The transfer of premiership medal and hat went smoothly, but as Hunter raised his hand for a high handshake, he was unfortunately left hanging by McCreery, who was on top of the world after achieving the ultimate.

A hug from midfielder Jack Crisp, who Hunter had met during the year, and a kiss of his premiership medal afterwards eased the pain somewhat, but the Newcomb youngster was still gutted that he had seemingly been rejected by one of his Magpie heroes.

Hunter Armstrong was left hanging on the dais. Picture Channel 7

“He was pumped when they won, very, very excited. And then we obviously had the fail to handshake situation which was a little bit difficult for him because obviously Pies are his life,” Hunter’s mother, Erin, recounted.

“When they all got their medals Jack Crisp actually came up afterwards and gave him a hug and got him to kiss his medal which was really cool. He’s had a couple of interactions with Jack this year so that was incredible.

“Immediately after (the missed handshake) the eyes were welling up and he was feeling a bit deflated about it and then he told me about Jack (and I said), ‘well that’s great, take the positives from it’.”

A meeting was organised a few days later between the six-year-old and McCreery to “right the wrong” of the missed handshake.

McCreery had copped flack over the supposed snub and his ‘call me’ celebration when he turned away, which was a nod to UFC champion Conor McGregor.

That criticism died down after Collingwood documented the meeting between the pair on social media.

It was an experience of a lifetime for Hunter, receiving a heartfelt apology from McCreery, a signed T-shirt and getting to chat with McCreery for close to an hour.

The pair regaled about the big win, stats, and the Pie’s travel plans after the celebrations.

But that was after Hunter seized on the opportunity to execute his biggest wish: for the Collingwood players to attend his birthday party.

Hunter had become fixated on the prospect of mailing invitations to each and every Magpies player earlier in the year – and he knew this was his big chance to make it happen.

McCreery was in stitches as Hunter handed him a stack of envelopes complete with handwritten nicknames and all; ‘Crispy Chicken’, ‘Checkers’, ‘Fly’, ‘Sidey’ and more.

McCreery gifted Hunter a signed premiership T-Shirt.

“Within a few days they reached and said they’d like to right the wrong and they invited us down to AIA and Hunter spent about 45 minutes with Beau which was really, really cool,” Erin said.

“Beau flipped through all the envelopes and was laughing because he had handwritten all of their nicknames on front of the envelopes and everything.

“He is really holding out hope now that he gets at least one player to his birthday party.

“It was fantastic what they did for him, he was very happy and all is well in the world of football again.

“When Collingwood posted (the meeting) on their socials and a few media outlets caught wind of it I was happy to see that all over social media so that Beau didn’t look like such a villain.

“People confused his little ‘call me’ thing. He told us it is something that Conor McGregor does, the UFC fighter. And they’re all into that sort of stuff. That was his little thing and he said, ‘god I got in so much trouble over it!’”

Such was his desire to get football players to his party, he even handed an invitation to Greater Western Syndey captain Toby Greene.

MEETING MOORE AND MCRAE

It wasn’t Hunter’s only brush with fame over a whirlwind week.

With the Auskick group after the grand final parade, Hunter spotted Darcy Moore setting up for a press conference and did a runner over to the Collingwood captain.

When Erin caught up to him, she overhead her son asking Moore to come to his birthday party in December.

Hunter rushed over to see Darcy Moore — and invite him to his birthday party. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Hunter with Craig McRae.

“And obviously he had the press conference but he squatted down and had a chat and Hunter said ‘I put an invitation in your mailbox, I need you to come to my birthday.’” Erin chuckled.

Not long after that interaction with the Magpies skipper, the eagle-eyed Hunter managed to find coach Craig McRae as he was walking to his car at the AIA Centre.

And he had an important message for young Hunter.

“When I caught up with him and Craig he said, ‘I hope I’m still coaching Collingwood when you’re ready to play, mate’,” Erin said.

Erin is sure Hunter, who wants to be Nick Daicos when he grows up, will do everything in his power to be alongside McRae in 2034.

“Lots of kids have lots of interests but my son has one and that’s football and Collingwood,” Erin laughed.

Originally published as AFL 2023: Snubbed Auskicker gives Collingwood player Beau McCreery birthday invitations for Pies team at meeting