On the eve of his 400th game, Shaun Burgoyne spoke to AFL Record and SEN senior writer Ashley Browne. Here is the full interview.
What’s the secret to getting to 400 games?
There’s no real secret, just a fair bit of luck to be at two really good clubs. Port Adelaide was winning a lot of games in my first nine years there and then I ended up coming to Hawthorn at the right time. Two strong and professional clubs and two stable coaches my entire career – Mark Williams and Alastair Clarkson.
And how do you feel about reaching such a milestone?
It’s a pretty significant milestone and I’m pretty embarrassed about when you think there have only been four other players in the 400 club. It’s probably a more a reflection of the hard work and dedication of everyone who has been involved with me along the way - coaches, doctors, fitness staff and then the support of my wife and kids to get me to get me here, to be honest.
Without Amy agreeing to come to Melbourne we probably wouldn’t have gone on for much longer. Since coming here, the support she’s given me my entire career has been really good and being able to live through this and understand the significance of playing not just 400 games but AFL footy in general is something we hope we can pass on to our kids as well.
Your kids are getting big. They’ll always have vivid memories of their dad playing in the AFL.
Our oldest is about to turn 15, and the others are 12, 8 and 5. They’ve enjoyed a lot of success, Grand Final parades, being on the MCG after Grand Finals and have run through more banners than most kids get the opportunity to.
The thing that I love the most is creating the memories with them. They’ve been such a great support, going through the tough times like we are now, I come home and my kids are smiling and happy. I talk to them about schoolwork, their footy and their netball… we’re creating happy memories with them which is something I cherish.
How great is it to bring up the milestone against Port Adelaide?
It’s pretty weird how it turned out. At the start of the year, I thought I’d play 10 games and it would be against Gold Coast in Darwin in the Indigenous Round which would have been significant game. Being born in Darwin, with my mother’s family there, that would have been really special.
But then with the syndesmosis, I didn’t know how long it would keep me out for. But then it turned out to be against my former club and I don’t really know howe to describe the feeling.
Do you still feel affection for the Power?
I’ll always have a soft spot for Port. My nephew plays there and another nephew will probably be drafted there as a father-son. I played in a premiership there, two Grand Finals, multiple finals and lots of games and training sessions with a lot of teammates I can ring up and chat to anytime. The friendships there and thew tradition I came through with the Port Adelaide Magpies will always be there.
And what about the Hawks?
Hawthorn is a pretty powerful club. They have given me three premierships and that’s something for which I will forever be grateful. They took a risk on me at the time. Clarko, Graham Wright, Mark Evans and the club doctors backed me in after having major knee surgery and they wanted me to be part of the future.
Clarko said to me, ‘I want you to come here and help us win multiple flags. Here is the future and here is the plan,’ and to think what he originally told me then came true I’m forever grateful for. (Club doctor) Peter Bacquie saw the scans and said that we can make this work so I’ll be forever grateful. If he didn’t give the OK, Hawthorn might have never gone through with the trade. I felt bulletproof up to that point. It was my first ever surgery.
Clarko said, well, it has to be three years or there’s no point coming over. But if you come for three years, we can have a crack at winning a flag. He said we had a good team and I’d add to it, but it had to be three years. The club was pretty straightforward in painting a future and for me to part of it.
Tell us about your two senior coaches.
Choco was someone who has always believed in me even when I came through the Port Magpies when his brother Stephen was my coach. He would give me feedback during games and some of it was harsh even though he wasn’t my coach.
Clarko was the same. He was my line coach at Port and I established a good bond with him and one of the reasons I came Hawthorn was to play underneath him. He wouldn’t have got me across if he didn’t believe in me. He’s backed me the whole way. He is honest, caring, makes time for my wife and kids and we have become family friends.
What are your favourite football memories? That’s like trying to pick your favourite child. You can’t. You love them all.
But as I’ve got older, I have reflected on my journey a lot and when we went through the lows at Port Adelaide and at Hawthorn, I have enjoyed them. The losses are tough to take, but you went through them with your teammates and you form these great bonds.
The Grand Final wins were very special at both clubs. Finals wins at both clubs. Pre-season camps in different countries…they all come back to you.
You will be remembered as a great utility, but where do you think you played your best footy?
I started in the forward line at Port and that was really good. I then transitioned to the backline and did well there and then went into the midfield and did well there also.
You will also be remembered as one of the great Indigenous footballers and your efforts in that space off the field.
When I came into the League, you’d look at the senior indigenous players playing great footy and being outstanding role models and I wanted to be just like them and have the same influence.
Michael Long and Gavin Wanganeen were my childhood idols, especially Michael who helped create a better country for us. Those are the things I wanted to strive to be like it but takes time, it takes experience and I guess as you get older you realise that’s becoming you and now that is me.
How can I help? How can I assist young indigenous players enter the game, stay in the game, have long and fulfilling careers and then transition out of the game? Whatever role I can play … I want to help and be part of that, so the kids coming through can follow the same path as me, as I did before them.
It is rewarding to have an impact on someone’s life. To get a text message from someone to say thanks for the help.
I was watching the Hawthorn-Essendon broadcast recently and you were deep in conversation with young teammate Tyler Brockman before the game. The awe and respect he had for you was so apparent.
That’s gratifying. If I could, I’d go back and be where those kids are with their whole careers in front of them. Young kids like Tyler, he’s on the right path and I’ll do whatever I can to help him, to make sure he enjoys Melbourne and wants to play his whole career at Hawthorn. We connect. Our families have been through things but we chat…it feeds me.
Chad Wingard openly admits he came to Hawthorn because of you.
It’s interesting when people say that sort of stuff. Chad is on the same path as me. He’s an experienced player and if I can have that influence on him then hopefully, he can have that influence on other players on their journey.
Success has followed you but the last couple of years at Hawthorn have been difficult.
It is really tough at the moment, but every club goes through it. You try to help and be part of the solution and to fix what’s going on.
Hub life was tough for everyone, even the teams that were winning. It is what it is. You try to help and build relationships to get through the tough times, whether you win or lose. One if the young players asked last week was footy is as tough when you are winning and I said that AFL footy is tough and hard whether you’re winning or losing. You do it with a smile when you’re winning and a bit angry when you’re losing.
You were so durable for so long at the Hawks, but the injuries have crept up on you. How have you managed that?
Every player gets injuries. I’ve been lucky to play through a few, and as you get older you slow down. I’d be kidding myself if I didn’t think I’d slow down as I get older. I’m a realist and I know that’s happening and I’m just trying to enjoy what’s left of my career.
I’m looking for the bright light and that’s developing these young kids and helping out the coaching panel on the field, talking and developing and setting things up so there’s a benefit even in the losing.
Is your post-football career here in Melbourne or back in Adelaide?
We’re not sure which one yet. We’ve set up a business, ACS Indigenous Property Services for life after footy. It’s a cleaning business and there might be some part-time media work as well. But our kids are set up well with school, sport and friends so we’re working through various scenarios.