With player payments to be slashed due to the coronavirus pandemic, The Border Mail's BRETT KOHLHAGEN caught up with a country footballer who was happy to play for the love of the game in the hope of ultimate team success.
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ROBBIE Mackinlay has no complaints.
Despite playing 369 senior matches between 1980 and 2006 without receiving a cent from Holbrook, Mackinlay says 40 finals was more than enough compensation.
Mackinlay believes the Brookers' local brigade felt the same way.
"I remember my first year of senior footy in the Farrer league in 1980 when we won one game and then we moved to the Tallangatta league and we might have won two," Mackinlay said.
"The players got together and said we wanted to have success.
"The locals didn't expect money but we wanted the club to go out and get a few good coaches and players and that's how it panned out.
"We got Alan Curtis as coach in 1982 and it sort of went from there.
"To finish with a couple of premierships under your belt and play in 40 finals, you wouldn't swap it for anything."
The 1994 Barton medallist says he never detected any jealously between locals and paid players at Holbrook.
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"I never once thought he's on that much and I'm not getting anything," Mackinlay said.
"It didn't cross my mind.
"If you recruit the right people, it's not a problem.
"Players like Cameron Jones, Wes Black, Denis Lees, Paul Rossiter and Matty Whitley all did the same thing when they played and just wanted success.
"I don't begrudge anyone who makes money out of footy because clubs need to recruit, it was just a personal decision I made."
Lockhart stalwart Ian Pertzel said the Demons' locals adopted a similar approach.
"We were happy to play for nothing, then more money came into it and it might go back the other way a bit after this," Pertzel said.
"My biggest worry with not playing at the moment is kids might lose interest and not come back to footy.
"Once they get to a certain age, a lot drop off and this won't help."
Former Culcairn president and long-time player Gordon Finlayson, who is now living in Queensland, said revised salary caps could give clubs the opportunity to reset.
"It's going to be hard for clubs to find sponsors for a while so it's got to start with the players," Finlayson, who was president of the Lions from 2005 to 2014, said.
"They are going to have to work together and communicate or clubs will just fall away.
"People have to realise it's a community-based sport.
"In 1990 when we (Culcairn) won the premiership I think we only had two or three paid players.
"I think players will accept that again."