Tup wondered if he was coming to a club with big aspirations. He quickly became convinced that Foote was setting the club up for success.
“The big idea is that we want to play the final,” Foote said.
Kevin Foot took inspiration from Collingwood coach Craig McRae.Credit: Getty Images
“Last year the table was wobbling and we were just one point away. Once you get to the final it’s week after week, so we’re definitely still focused on getting to the final this year.
“Rugby in Victoria, it’s a challenging job to be honest. You’re not overwhelmed by a lot of depth. But it’s very special to me to do this job with people you admire and love and we There’s a great coaching staff and a really good leadership team.
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“My feeling is of course we can win games, I’m a very optimistic guy, but I also learned that we have to get into that position first, and by playing a good brand of football, the belief will come.”
Sound familiar?
“I like Craig [McRae] Doing things around values and acting like a winner has 100% made an impact on me,” said South African-born Foote, who Served as stand-in for Matt Damon in the movie never give in.
But while the Magpies developed an insatiable belief in winning from any position, even if it meant trailing by four goals in the final change, Foote took a slightly different philosophy given that rugby union is entirely different.
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“We may have been a bit conservative in the past,” he said.
“If you have to chase a game, I’m not sure people believe they can do it, whereas if you start with offensive football, and you score a lot, I think it’s easier to dial in defensively than the other way around.
“I’ve definitely given the players permission to attack and express themselves and be fearless, but now I have to balance them between being determined and being tough.”
Collingwood isn’t the only cross-code connection Foote has made. He developed a healthy relationship with the Melbourne Storm, the state’s only NFL team, and hired Hawthorne’s performance psychologist to split his time between clubs.
While many have been surprised that the Rebels have won two of their seven games this season, Foote is not resting on his laurels and is not afraid to dream of an unlikely Premier League – which would guarantee another A movie starring Damon.
“We were probably more disappointed with some of the other results, not getting them, but we weren’t surprised to beat the Reds and Waratah,” Foote said.
“We have a good feeling about our game and how it’s going. We just want to reflect that in some New Zealand teams now.”
The rebels hosted the crusaders at AAMI Park on Friday night.
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