Footy great reveals the shattering reason he used to pray that his team would LOSE their matches
The 42-year-old enjoyed a glittering career in the AFL, joining the Saints alongside his good friend Nick Riewoldt as a pick one and two swoop in the 2000 National Draft.
The New South Wales-born forward, who would also play as a ruckman for the Victorian outfit, would go on to boot 247 goals across 200 appearances or the footy club before hanging up his boots in 2013.
Koschitzke has been open on his struggles with concussion and mental health following his retirement, having stated back in 2022 to 3AW that he doesn't remember multiple AFL games that he played in.
This week, the 42-year-old has again been reflecting on his career and revealed to Hamish McLachlan on Channel 7's Unfiltered, that there were some occasions where he hoped his side would lose games.
'It was here at the MCG, it was an elimination final that year against Melbourne,' he said to the legendary broadcaster, during an episode of the show which is set to air on Wednesday.
The 42-year-old (right) enjoyed a glittering career in the AFL , joining the Saints alongside his good friend Nick Riewoldt (left) as a pick one and two swoop in the 2000 National Draft
'Melbourne got three or four goals up in the third quarter or late in the fourth.
'Internally, I was the happiest person in this stadium, or anywhere in Australia, that Melbourne were going to win and I didn't have to play the next week.
'Twenty years ago, that's the first time I've publicly said that. It became the worst two hours of the week.
'Then the shame you carry with that. I've got the best job in the world and you try and convince yourself (you do).'
After joining the Saints in 2000, Koschitzke would go on to be crowned the AFL's Rising Star in 2001, but the following season, he suffered a hamstring injury that plagued him for the 2003 and 2004 seasons.
During the 2006 season, he suffered a devastating fractured skull during his side's Round Six victory against the Western Bulldogs. He was subsequently ruled out for a large chunk of the season, having struggled to retain hearing in one of his ears.
Speaking on The Agenda Setters, Riewoldt also spoke on his mate's mental health issues, but added the former footy star was in a 'much better place now.'
'I'm aware of Kosi's struggles, we're still really good mates,' Riewoldt told The Agenda Setters.
'It'll be a really confronting watch for people. Kosi's in a much better place now. But in reference to that, the footy field had just become a really dangerous place for Kosi on the back of head knocks and concussions and stuff like that.
'It just shows you never quite know what's going on in the minds of some of the people you think you know really well, including some of your teammates.'
Having sustained several head injuries during his career, Koschitzke opened up in 2022 about how his mental health was, several years after having retired from the sport.
'There's multiple games I can't remember finishing the game or driving home and that's just ludicrous when you think about it,' he said on 3AW's Footy Then and Now Podcast.
He added: '[My] mental health goes up and down, there's memory loss, there's mood swings, there's all sorts of things.
'And I'm sure there's a lot of other players out there that feel the same.
'It's just a management thing, knowing how to work on it and navigate through a lot of stuff.'
If you or someone you know is struggling with depression or anxiety call Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 24 at any time of the day, seven days a week for anonymous support and guidance.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Belfast Telegraph
6 hours ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Captain pays tribute to collective effort as Waringstown breeze past Holywood to net Women's Senior Challenge Cup
The Irish international got her side back on track after they lost the wickets of Amy Caulfield and Charlotte Lyons inside the first eight balls of the game after electing to bat first on winning the toss. Murray counter-attacked, hitting six boundaries in a thrilling 43 from just 31 balls, adding 65 in nine overs for the third wicket with Abbi Harrison (20). The game swung again when the duo and Naomi Matthews fell in quick succession to leave the contest evenly poised at 102 for five. Skipper Sophie Hinds was then joined in the middle by Kiwi Abigaile Gerken, and the pair shared a match-defining partnership of 100 from only 75 balls as the total went over 200 and beyond. Gerken top-scored with 45 (five fours), while Hinds also missed out on a half-century, hitting seven boundaries in a fluent 34-ball 42. Holywood didn't help their cause with an erratic bowling effort that saw them concede 53 extras – 28 of them wides and no-balls – as well as nine penalty runs for a slow over rate. Nina Kerr picked up four wickets, but a total of 240 for seven – a Final record – was always going to be an uphill battle for the Seapark side. Madison Landsman did her best to keep Holywood in contention, dominating an opening stand of 51 with Eva Cupitt (six). Irish international Lara Maritz struck a few lusty blows, but when she sliced Lyons to third man for 16, Holywood's chances diminished severely. Landsman, a South African-born Netherlands international, went on top-score with an even-time 59 (five fours), but her dismissal saw the game come to a rapid conclusion with Holywood losing seven wickets for just 20 runs – all out for 115 in 26 overs. Murray claimed four wickets to make the Player of the Match award a formality, while former skipper Lyons claimed three scalps and young left-arm spinner Penny Speer two. 'We've been pretty confident batting first this season, so I had no hesitation in batting first,' said Hinds after the match. 'I looked at our team and saw that they could bat right down the order. The fact that the Cup is 30 overs meant we prepared a little differently, but a lot of our squad is used to longer matches with representative sides. 'The ground was in great shape today, super job from the ground staff, and 240 was a really brilliant effort from the team.' Captain Hinds paid tribute to all her team, especially the impact of the return of Murray from international commitments that meant they were at full strength for the clash. 'It was certainly great to have Cara back in the side along with Abbi Harrison and also Abigaile Gerken, who has come over from New Zealand. They gave us real quality and depth and we showed today just what we can do,' she said. The teams are also battling for the Premiership title, and leaders Waringstown will have the chance to complete the double when they meet at second-placed Holywood in two weeks' time.
Daily Record
7 hours ago
- Daily Record
Brendan Rodgers 'fed up' talking Celtic transfers as squad screams for him and the message is obvious
The Hoops gaffer insists hard working is going on behind the scenes and there is still weeks of the window left to go Brendan Rodgers admitted he's fed up talking about transfers. Against St Mirren he let his squad do the talking for him. And it was screaming loud and clear that there's still plenty of work needing done to get this Celtic group up to speed. The Irishman is an expert in 4D chess and it was like his plan came together at Parkhead. Celtic got the win the wanted and the three points on the board to get off to a flier. But there was also plenty of evidence that this current side is nowhere near where it should be with a Champions League qualifier coming hurtling over the horizon. The need to start Yang on the wing, Adam Idah's continuing struggles in front of goal, finishing the clash with Johnny Kenny up top and Liam Scales as a stand-in left back. Rodgers didn't need to repeat his explosive pre-match ultimatum/cry for help. It's bleedingly obvious Celtic are short. They bossed Saints for 90 minutes but lacked a cutting edge. Who would have thought losing match winners such as Kyogo, Nicolas Kuhn and Jota and not having suitable replacements in the building would have an impact in the final third? Rodgers is having to make do for now and having said what needed to be said, there's no need to keep banging the drum. He said: 'We will wait until the end of the month, we concentrated on the players that are here and hope to do some business over the period. I am not going to get bogged down on it, we know what we need. We will continue to work to play like we did today. 'I am fed up talking about transfers. We have got to the end of the window, we concentrate on what is here. A lot of work going on behind the scenes to improve the squad. 'There is a long to go in the market. Today is about the players. Throughout preseason, all the staff as well, it's been a good preseason. It's always nice when you get that victory in the first game of the season, it's a victory for everyone. Really pleased.' After badass Brendan on Friday, this time he was going to play nice. A bit like his team at times. Celtic produced some decent stuff but having failed to find an opener, they fell a little flat. And the trouble for the manager was there was very little in terms of options to change things. Sub Luke McCowan did add a spark – and grab the winner – to put an entirely different slant on the entire afternoon. If points had been spilled? The reaction would have been wild. Instead, it turned into a pleasant afternoon for Celts. One that started with legend Paul McStay unfurling the flag, saw heroes John Clark and John Fallon given fitting tributes and then a late goal to get up and running with a win. Saints made it brutally tough – as they usually do – and Rodgers was determined to put a positive slant on proceedings. He said: 'To win in the first game of the season is always good and it rounds off a lot of the good work that we've done over pre-season. I'm absolutely pleased with the performance. 'Everyone knows St Mirren and Stephen Robinson's coaching qualities, they're such a hard team to break down. You have to be aware of the threat on the counter-attack, the physicality at set-pieces. 'At times we moved the ball really well. At other times we could have attacked a wee bit more when we got into certain positions and been a bit more aggressive. 'But overall, to play against that team, against that system, that's how you've got to work it and then you need better quality to finish it.' Rodgers insisted Celtic would have been out of sight if not for Saints keeper Shamal George. He said: 'I think it's clear. I think everyone who was at the game or watched it on TV would say that. Sometimes you need a wee bit of good fortune as well. "We didn't quite have that, but some of them hit the post and the bar. You have to give credit to their keeper and to St Mirren as a whole. 'Teams aren't just going to roll up here. There's no space, it's tight, it's compact and I thought the players came through so well.' It was an afternoon that highlighted some of Celtic's issues – but also some of their strengths. It shouldn't go unnoticed that while rivals Rangers lost a late goal to slip up 24 hours earlier, Celtic scored one to secure a win. The point isn't lost on skipper Callum McGregor, who thought he'd eased some of the rising tension only for his goal to be ruled out for a slight handball in the build up. He said: 'It felt harsh but if you are going by the ruling, it hit me quite high up. VAR looks at it and you have to accept it. Some you'll get, some you won't. 'We created enough chances to win two games. You are almost trying to suck the ball into the back of the net by the end, but good teams find a way to win. 'There are 38 league games and you want to play brilliant football but it's not always going to be the case. 'This squad is generally very good at that but there's more to come."
The Guardian
12 hours ago
- The Guardian
Pissants by Brandon Jack review – is this novel a critique or a celebration of toxic masculinity? Even it isn't sure
'Virgil and Homer would recognise these hulking airborne men,' Helen Garner wrote of AFL players in her most recent book The Season. As the celebrated author and footy tragic watched her grandson play in an U16 league, she found in the sport 'a kind of poetry, an ancient common language between strangers, a set of shared hopes and rules and images, of arcane rites played out at regular intervals before the citizenry.' Garner has enthusiastically blurbed the scabrous debut novel of former AFL player Brandon Jack: Pissants, a book mostly dedicated to the arcane rites that play out off the oval – preferably as far from the citizenry as possible. Whereas Garner lovingly traces the epic dimensions of teenage footy in the suburbs, Jack depicts AFL culture as a crucible for addiction, misogyny and brutal conformity. As readers of Jack's 2021 memoir 28 will know, this novel draws from the well of personal experience: much like his characters, Jack spent his early adulthood adjacent to AFL stardom, playing 28 senior games for the Sydney Swans before being unceremoniously retired. William Burroughs, Irvine Welsh and Charles Bukowski are the poets who would recognise Jack's Pissants, a group of players relegated to the fringe of an unnamed footy team, hoping to get a game. They cushion themselves against humiliation and ego death in the traditional manner: getting wasted, obsessing about their dicks (and everybody else's) and treating women like disposable props. Collateral damage includes a dead woman and a dead dog. There's very little in the way of plot to speak of and abundant variations on themes of degradation and anti-authoritarianism. Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning We know the Pissants only by their nicknames and the brittle stories they tell about themselves. There's no one noble protagonist on a journey of personal growth or redemption; perhaps the stars who kick game-winning goals each week are entitled to an individual character arc – but not these guys, whose identities have been deformed under the pressure of club culture. If Pissants has an agenda, it might be to demonstrate the conditions that produce such obnoxious young men, withhold their agency and shield them from the consequences of their behaviour. Most of the novel takes the form of interior monologues delivered by the various Pissants, interspersed with found texts – Pissant arcana, if you like. The players are piss-eloquent narrators: reckless, funny, profane. In its best stretches, Pissants is a work of rowdy polyphony; reading it is a bit like being on the town with a bunch of big talkers just before things fall apart. There's Fangs, the grandiose ironist; Stick, an arsehole; and Shaggers, who is just trying to keep it together. Welsh's 1993 novel Trainspotting is a clear influence on the hectic vernacular mode of Pissants (and respectfully invoked through frequent references to suppositories and shitstains). But the problem with relying on the interior monologues of desperate, wrecked narrators to carry a novel is that – as is the case with so many front bar nihilists – things get messy and repetitious. That it's not all slapstick vignettes might be the point here, but even so, the pace of Pissants is slowed by tedious disquisitions on such topics as the protocols of Mario Kart. Sign up to Saved for Later Catch up on the fun stuff with Guardian Australia's culture and lifestyle rundown of pop culture, trends and tips after newsletter promotion Jack recently told Guardian Australia that 'there's no agenda to this book for me'. To me, that seems like a bit of a cop-out, because it's hard not to read Pissants and its cast of damaged, charismatic narrators as a compassionate, even forgiving account of toxic masculinity. Jack was acclaimed for his unflinching self-portraiture in 28. Here, he seems determined to withhold judgment on the Pissants and their behaviour and the result is a book that cannot decide whether it is a critique or a celebration of the culture it observes. Yes, the Pissants are aggressive, entitled gronks who drink each other's urine on the regular, but our attention is always drawn back to their charm, their vulnerability and their love of a good laugh. Of course the Pissants themselves are largely indifferent to women, being mainly interested in each other – but the novel isn't much interested in them either. The only woman with a moderately developed character is Belle Thompson, 'the incestual sister who everyone messaged on a night out and wanted to fuck after a few drinks'. She gets to crack rape jokes, but for some reason she doesn't get to speak for herself. Only the fellas get access to the first person. In the periphery hover the silhouettes of other women: nags, sluts, a power-suit-wearing AFL executive called Kiwi Kel, an ex-girlfriend or two. One Pissant does incur narrative consequences for sexual misconduct right at the end of the novel, but that reckoning is a travesty of justice, played for shock value. These authorial decisions about how to represent gender and gender relations can't be brushed aside as having 'no agenda'. We know that footy culture brutalises young men and that it fails to protect young women, both in this novel and in Australia in 2025. To be honest, reading Pissants has left me a little weary of the poetry of footy. It might be patriarchy that silences women and exonerates male violence, but it's the bloody poets who continue to exalt these athletes, who let grace, discipline and ambition serve as excuses for each and every transgression. Pissants by Brandon Jack is out now (Simon & Schuster, $34.99)
