The final film that made premiership participant Brody Mihocek cry was the Pixar animation Coco.
When it was instructed that will make a very good headline, he instructed ABC Sport: “Do it, it is OK to cry.”
“A variety of youngsters’ animation, youngsters’ films would make me cry greater than the rest.
“The night time earlier than a sport, as a substitute of watching footy, I put a film on. A very good film can put me in a very good temper for a very good sport, bizarre sufficient.”
It’s a headspace a great distance from the place he was 10 years in the past, toiling away within the VFL.
Again then, he was shedding his love of footy, neglected in a number of drafts, working 40 hours every week and doing extras round that, all to attempt to get observed by an AFL membership.
Brody Mihocek was drafted at age 25 and is now a premiership participant and five-time membership main objective kicker. (Getty: Robert Cianflone)
It was not till he was 25 that he was picked up by Collingwood within the 2018 rookie draft after 4 years within the VFL.
This Saturday, he’ll run out towards West Coast for his one hundred and fiftieth sport, as a five-time main objective kicker on the Magpies, a father and premiership ahead.
“I might have liked to have been picked up at 18, and I imagine I ought to have, but it surely wasn’t meant to be,” he stated.
When he was not taken as a teen immediately, his managers instructed him he wanted to get out of Tasmania and transfer to Victoria.
“I simply could not afford to be out by myself, so I needed to keep in Tassie. I made the decision to only keep regionally, work a job, get monetary savings, to recover from right here,” Mihocek stated.
“I wanted to work completely different jobs. I used to be working in Cotton On. I used to be the primary male ever to work in Cotton On in Burnie. I used to be a plumber, labourer.
As quickly as he completed the season and acquired a automobile, he bought the boat over to Melbourne.
“(All) with the objective of constructing the AFL – and also you get so consumed in doing that, you lose the enjoyable of soccer,” he stated.
Collingwood has tabled a one-year contract extension for Brody Mihocek however the Magpie needs to play on. (Getty: AFL Images/Russell Freeman)
Mihocek rediscovered his love for the sport at Port Melbourne when his mentality shifted in the direction of attempting to take pleasure in the place he was at, as a substitute of getting the end result of “will it occur?”
“It was extra simply, if it occurs, good, if not, I am proud of the place I am at,” he stated.
But Mihocek was nonetheless placing in extras, doing laps of Melbourne Rectangular Stadium at 5am and getting fitness center periods in earlier than work.
“I really like the grind of all that and dealing onerous, but it surely does take a toll,” he stated.
“I did not know if it was all going to be price it, but it surely has been in the long run.“
He kicked 4 objectives on debut towards Fremantle in spherical 11 of the 2018 season and by no means fell out of the facet outdoors of accidents.
He admits his preliminary one-year contract was “nerve-wracking”.
“You would be out simply as quick as you bought in,” he stated.
Brody Mihocek with son Arthur and Scott Pendlebury after a Collingwood win. (Getty: AFL Images/Michael Willson)
Collingwood have at present tabled a one-year contract extension to Mihocek, which might take him by to the tip of 2026.
“It is a difficult one. You need extra as you become old and I do know it is a enterprise as properly,” Mihocek stated.
“I have not been on this place [before], so all you are able to do is go on the market and attempt to play footy and preserve it behind your thoughts.
“You’d like to signal immediately, however this stuff take time.”
Mihocek is one in every of many mature-age recruits to have made a major affect throughout the AFL lately.
Most notably, Tom Stewart was plucked from Geelong’s VFL system at age 23, then went on to turn out to be a five-time All Australian, premiership participant and two-time membership champion.
Following him, Shaun Mannagh and Lawson Humphries are making waves on the Cats this yr.
Callum Wilkie gained St Kilda’s finest and fairest after being runner-up twice and Sam Durham is now one in every of Essendon’s finest, as is Jai Newcombe at Hawthorn.
Brody Mihocek was drafted as a defender however moved straight into Collingwood’s ahead line. (Getty: AFL Images/Josh Chadwick)
Whereas a lot preferring to have been picked up as a teen, Mihocek says there’s something in coming into the AFL system with a bit extra life improvement below your belt.
“Coming in at 24 was good for my improvement as a result of I had moved out of house, I labored a full-time job,” he stated.
“And it was simply extra being handled like an grownup and I knew life outdoors soccer.”
Mihocek was fortunate, although, too.
The yr he debuted, he performed in a grand last (which Collingwood misplaced to West Coast) and has solely missed out on finals twice in his seven-year profession.
“Even below Bucks [Nathan Buckley], it was a particular staff and we had enjoyable,” Mihocek stated.
“And now below Fly [Craig McRae] it is much more enjoyable.
“I imagine what I’ve finished is sort of particular and numerous different blokes within the staff would say the identical.
“To get to 150 video games and to do what I’ve finished, I believe I ought to be very proud.”
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