‘I'm emotionally attached to the Rabbitohs': Freeman fires up Souths for Indigenous Round
The 400m gold medallist from the 2000 Sydney Games also recalled being intimidated by coach Michael Maguire when asked to address the South Sydney playing group before the 2014 grand final, and revealed winger Alex Johnston was the one player she feared taking on in a foot race.
Freeman rarely gives media interviews, but spoke to this masthead as she joined Souths to help celebrate Indigenous Round on Saturday night.
Freeman was asked to join Souths, who have no fewer than 11 Indigenous players in their line-up, having addressed the group the day before the 2014 grand final. She later appeared in a famous photo sitting next to the premiership trophy with Greg Inglis, who was due to lead the players onto the field for the game against Parramatta on Saturday.
The two Bunnies Freeman was keenest to meet for the first time were Mitchell, one of the biggest Indigenous sports stars in the country, and coach Wayne Bennett.
'Wayne's a bit of a legend, isn't he?' Freeman said.
'And while I've never met Latrell, I love the way he competes, the way he represents his family and community and culture, and the way he's captured everyone's imagination.
'You also have to admire someone who uses their voice and stands up for what he believes in. That's never difficult to do if you are being true to who you are.'
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