Looking back through photos from the past four years at the Rabbitohs, there’s plenty to smile about. Trips, match days, some very good people and experiences I feel lucky to have had.
The photos bring back plenty. They also remind me how much happened in moments I don’t have a photo of.
Conversations in the corridor. Someone sitting down in the office. Asking how things were at home. Having a laugh before getting into something that had been on their mind.
Those everyday moments became a big part of what I valued about the job.
Beyond the scoreboard
My role was in psychological wellbeing and player development, helping players think about their lives within football and beyond it. There were team sessions, individual conversations and plans for what might come next.
Many of those conversations never discussed the scoreboard.
We talked about fatherhood, relationships, sleeping well, managing commitments and starting businesses. Being proud of something. Being frustrated. Feeling uncertain about the future.
Everyone had a wider world going on. Just like the rest of us.
Something at home could affect someone’s energy or patience at training. Something at work could follow them home. Understanding what else was happening often helped us make sense of the thing they first came in to discuss.
It reinforced something I’ll carry with me: being experienced and very good at something doesn’t mean you have everything figured out. You can be performing at a high level and still benefit from somewhere to talk, think and work things through.
I was grateful people felt comfortable doing that with me. Taking an interest, keeping my word, following up and giving someone time were all part of building those relationships.
And there was plenty of enjoyment in it too. The laughs, the camaraderie and everyday chats were a big part of what made it such a good place to spend four years.
A question I could have answered better
Of course, understanding people was the work. It didn’t mean I always got it right.
In one team session, a senior player asked whether they needed to write something down. I got frustrated. In my head, we’d covered this already.
When we spoke afterwards, he explained that he was asking on behalf of others who weren’t sure what was expected.
It was a reasonable question. I could have answered it better.
I’d reacted to what I thought the question meant before understanding why he was asking it.
That stayed with me. Knowing someone well didn’t mean I always understood where they were coming from. Having a session prepared didn’t mean I’d made everything clear.
Sometimes I needed to ask another question, explain something differently or manage my own frustration. I had a part to play in how the conversation went.
Across the role, people needed different things from me. Sometimes a practical tool or a plan helped. Sometimes talking gave someone a chance to put words to something they hadn’t quite understood. Sometimes we came back to it another day.
The next step had to make sense to the person taking it.
What I’m taking forward
Over time, I wanted to make more room for those conversations earlier. A chance to recognise what was going well, give something attention before it became harder to manage, or think properly about an opportunity.
That’s a lot of what I’m taking into ACE.
I’m excited to keep doing this work with individuals and teams: helping people understand themselves, work through challenges and put their energy into things that matter to them.
That might mean having a conversation they’ve been putting off, making a decision about what comes next or finding a way to pursue an ambition that leaves room for the people and parts of life they enjoy.
Breaking things down so life feels lighter is the simplest way I can describe it.
The past four years have given me plenty to build on, and plenty I’ll miss. I’m grateful to the people who made me feel at home, trusted me and challenged me to get better at my work.
A great four years. A lot to take forward.