BRENT GODDE: Did you have a nickname during your playing career?

TOM DOOLAN: Jay McNeil nicknamed me 'The Buzzard' during my time at Albury.

BG: You were raised on a farm at Burrumbuttock?

TD: I made my senior debut for the Swans as a 16-year-old in 1969 under coach Bill Barton.

BG: Despite your age you played at centre half-forward?

TD: My nickname at Burrumbuttock was 'Little Tom' because I was the smallest kid in the class from Year 7-10. But once I hit Year 11 I shot up and was tall enough to play a key position.

BG: You were lucky enough to play in a flag in your first year of senior football?

TD: Howlong were raging favourites to win the grand final but we were good enough to cause a boilover.

BG: What are your memories of the decider?

TD: I used to go to school with Jack O'Halloran who was a gun player. Jack won the league goalkicking that year with 92 goals which was a huge effort for a 16-year-old. Anyhow after we won I was looking forward to going to school on the Monday to give Jack a bit of lip but he didn't turn up.

BG: The following year you joined Albury under coach Bob Spargo. Any particular reason you chose to play at the sportsground?

TD: David Dynan, Bill Strang and Bob Spargo came out home to see me. They bought my old man, Bill, a few beers so dad told me to sign with Albury.

BG: No doubt Spargo would have been good for your development after playing for Footscray and West Perth?

TD: Bob was a terrific coach and put a lot of faith in me as a kid. I mainly played on a forward flank with Barry Edmunds our centre half-forward that season and captain.

BG: Did any VFL clubs show any interest in you?

TD: I got best on ground one day for NSW in a representative match when I was playing in the South West league. Anyhow I got a phone call that night from Carlton inviting me to have a training run with them. Turned out it was my mate Brian Lawrence playing a prank on me but I fell for it at the time.

BG: You departed Albury after only one season?

TD: I went to university in Wollongong to do my teachers degree and ended up playing rugby union for three years.

BG: Did you have any success?

TD: I ended up playing in two losing grand finals.

BG: So you didn't play any football for three years?

TD: The first year I played a few matches for Bradford in Canberra who were coached by Colin Trevaskis. I used to fly in from Sydney to play but I only played a handful of matches because of injury.

BG: After you finished your teachers degree you were posted at Narrandera?

TD: My wife Claire was pregnant with our second child, Tom, and we were desperate to find a house to rent but rentals were scarce at the time and hard to find.

BG: You decided to seek help from the football club?

TD: I thought they may be able to help me out but they didn't do me any favours.

BG: You ended up playing for Leeton?

TD: Col Trevaskis was coaching Leeton and heard I was looking for a house. So he helped me find a rental and I signed for Leeton.

BG: It proved to be a smart move?

TD: We won the flag in my first season in 1975. It was a good standard of football back in that era.

BG: You spent two years at Leeton?

TD: I was interested in coaching so I left Leeton to coach Whitton in 1977.

BG: It was a tough initiation to coaching?

TD: From memory they were on a 24-match losing streak when I took over. We got a few recruits from Tasmania and we finished sixth in my first season.

BG: In 1979 you got a job transfer to Murray High School and rejoined Albury as an assistant coach under Jack Clancy?

TD: Having previously played for Albury it was an easy decision.

BG: How did you find Clancy as a coach?

TD: It's fair to say that Jack was an unorthodox coach and my first impression was this bloke can't coach.

BG: Clancy won you over?

TD: I'll be the first to admit I was wrong. Jack had the uncanny knack of bringing blokes together and they all wanted to play for him. He was a great player as well and led by example.

BG: Jack had a big influence on your coaching career?

TD: Being a school teacher I was a bit black and white in my approach but Jack taught me to look at things a bit differently.

BG: In 1981 you replaced Clancy as coach and took over a side firmly in the premiership window?

TD: I did but we lost our first five matches and I thought I was a chance to be sacked at the time.

BG: You were able to turn things around?

TD: Looking back we may have lacked a bit of leg speed but once the grounds started to get heavy in the middle of winter, we were unbeatable.

BG: You thrashed Wodonga by 92 points in the second semi-final?

TD: We got the conditions to suit.

BG: In a stunning turnaround you faced Wodonga in the grand final but got rolled by 27-points?

TD: Don't worry I was worried about facing Wodonga and knew we needed to inject a bit more leg speed for the grand final because it was going to be played in dry conditions.

BG: Did you make any changes at selection?

TD: It was a long night at the selection table but at the end of the day how do you drop someone from the side who won my 92-points a fortnight earlier?

BG: Your worst fears were realised?

TD: Wodonga were far too good on the day. To their credit they went with youth and speed and made about half-a-dozen changes from the second semi-final side. They ran us off our legs.

BG: Who did most of the damage for Wodonga?

TD: They were well coached by Dave McLeish. Peter Sharp was damaging and Craig Walsh was only playing his first or second senior match and dominated.

BG: The following season you coach your first flag after proving too good for Lavington in the grand final?

TD: That really was a star-studded side with Rod Coelli, Terry Cross, Peter Cross, Jay McNeil, Daryl Bakes, Tony Hughes and Peter Gorski all stars of the competition.

BG: You had a heated argument with Jay at training?

TD: As a coach, Jay could be a bit hard to handle at times. One night at training he got under my skin and we had a bit of an argument and I told Jay to come back when he grows up.

BG: Jay walked off the training track?

TD: Jay stormed off to the change rooms and I followed him after a couple of minutes. When I got there he was walking out and he said 'I won't be back Tom, you're an idiot.'

BG: What was your reaction?

TD: I thought to myself, Jay is my best player, I can't just let him walk out on the club. But it all worked out in the end. I was just trying to give Jay a bit of a scare but he ended up giving me a bigger scare. It nearly backfired on me big time. If he had of quit the club it would have been one of the biggest mistakes of my career.

BG: The club asked 'Wrecka' Leahy to give the players a motivational speech in the lead-up to one of the finals that season?

TD: I knew 'Wrecka' played VFL and could play but being a school teacher I questioned why they would want to get a publican to address the players. From my experience with 'Wrecka' I didn't think he would be a great speaker.

BG: You reluctantly agreed?

TD: To my amazement, 'Wrecka' did a brilliant job and I couldn't believe how well he spoke. I went up to 'Wrecka' after he finished and congratulated him on how good a job he did.

BG: 'Wrecka' didn't rate you as a player?

TD: I shook his hand and 'Wrecka' said to me 'I don't rate you as a player but I rate you highly as a coach. You know why? Because the players want to play for you and that's your No. 1 job as coach.' I have never forgotten that for some reason.

BG: The club decided to have a pot-shot at Lavington on its banner with the slogan 'You don't need pokies to win today's jackpot.' As coach, were you aware of it in the lead-up to the decider?

TD: I had no prior knowledge of the banner. But I thought it was quite clever after I found out because Lavington were the most financial club during that era because the pokies were a goldmine.

BG: Do you know who was the mastermind behind the banner?

TD: I could be wrong but to my knowledge it was Shane Togher.

BG: If you knew about the banner in the lead-up would you have forced the club to change it?

TD: No, I loved it. Any chance you get to pot Lavington, you take the opportunity.

BG: How would you describe the rivalry with Lavington during that era?

TD: Lavington were similar to Collingwood in that all the other clubs hated them. They thought they were a bit special and the intensity would certainly go up a few notches every time you played them.

BG: Any players in particular that got under your skin?

TD: Peter King was a pest and one of the more lippier players I've come across. Peter Copley was another bloke I wouldn't have minded belting but I could never catch him.

BG: You hand one hand on the premiership cup after kicking eight goals to two in the opening quarter?

TD: It was basically over at quarter time. After losing the previous year we were that motivated to not let another golden opportunity slip.

BG: What are your memories of the decider?

TD: My memory is not the best these days. I blame Doug Norton-Smith for that after all the whacks he gave me to the back of the head when he was playing on me.

BG: Peter Copley flogged your premiership jumper after you crossed paths with the Lavington players at a wine bar during the celebrations of the flag on the Monday. Did you hate or rate the prank at the time?

TD: I did see the funny side of it.

BG: The following season in 1983 you once again met Lavington in the grand final. It's fair to say that as coach you had more drama in the lead-up to the decider than any episode of Home and Away?

TD: It was an eventful week to say the least.

BG: Your father-in-law, Alan Knight, passed away the same day as the preliminary final?

TD: Sadly he did. But the preliminary final that year against Myrtleford was one of the most bizarre matches that I have ever played in.

BG: Gary Ablett played in the preliminary final?

TD: Ablett was playing but it was also the day Terry 'Woolly' Doolan was watching his brother Steve play for Albury. Steve got into a scuffle with Robbie Wright and next thing 'Woolly' jumps the fence and tries to sort Robbie out for fighting with his brother.

BG: It's certainly one of the most bizarre incidents in league history. 'Woolly' is your first cousin?

TD: I just remember seeing this bloke on the ground wearing a maroon corduroy jacket, belting the shit out of a Myrtleford player. I had to look twice and I couldn't believe my eyes when I realised it was 'Woolly'.

BG: What did you do?

TD: I said to 'Woolly' 'what are you doing?' and he looked at me and replied 'this dirty Myrtleford prick just hit my brother.'

BG: The incident changed the momentum of the match?

TD: Myrtleford were four or five goals up but went to water after that. I've got no doubt we only made the grand final because of what 'Woolly' did.

BG: Then after the match you find out your father-in-law had passed away?

TD: Claire's mother was over in America at the time as well, which wasn't ideal.

BG: Then on the Thursday night of the grand final you made the tough decision to drop a young Paul Spargo from the grand final side?

TD: Spargo had played well in the preliminary final but Peter Gorski missed with injury and was fit to play. Gorski won the Morris medal the previous season.

BG: How did it unfold?

TD: I had to drive around to Spargo's parents house after selection to tell him. Unfortunately for me, his mum, Gail answered the door and gave me a bit of a spray. I was hoping Bob would answer the door.

BG: So Gail gave it to you.

TD: It wasn't nasty, she just said 'you haven't dropped Paul have you?'

BG: How did Paul take the news?

TD: To his credit he took it well and was drafted by North Melbourne the following year. We have all moved on now.

BG: Did you make the right call?

TD: If I had my time again I would have picked Spargo. Gorski probably wasn't right to play in the end. But that's the beauty of hindsight I guess.

BG: You had your fair share of injuries in the grand final.

TD: Daryl Bakes and Peter Cross broke down and we had a day to forget. Lavington won by six goals and deserved the victory.

BG: Surprisingly the following year in 1984, Albury finished with the wooden spoon?

TD: All our good players were in the twilight of their career and to be honest I had nearly had enough myself. It was a long year and I started to play the next generation of stars including Jeff Duck.

BG: You had the misfortune of going toe-to-toe with Mrytleford's Peter Light that season.

TD: It was the first match of the season and I was probably getting a bit old and cranky. Anyhow Light was playing on me and started niggling. So we started a bit of push and shove off the ball and I punched him as hard as I could. He just shook his head and then he gave me one and knocked me out.

BG: You would be no doubt proud of your coaching record at Albury.

TD: I was proud to play in three successive grand finals but would have loved to have won another flag.

BG: The following year in 1985 you coached Wodonga Demons in the Tallangatta league?

TD: We got beat in the grand final by Holbrook and I retired after that. But I made a lot of friends during that time and ended up owning the Birallee Tavern in Wodonga.

BG: What do you consider your career highlight?

TD: I always enjoyed the challenge of coaching.

BG: Any regrets?

TD: Probably the 1983 season. In my opinion we were the best side in the competition but things just didn't go as planned with a few unexpected hurdles during the finals series.

BG: Who did you rate as your toughest opponent?

TD: I always found it hard to get a kick against Steve Smith from Wodonga.

BG: Your eldest son, Ben, played 101 matches for Essendon and Sydney. Have you got any favourite stories about Ben during his time at the elite level?

TD: One match I was listening to Kevin Sheedy telling Ben he wanted him to stand in the hole in front of Tony Lockett. I remember the concerned look on Ben's face and who could blame him?

BG: One of the most unenviable jobs in AFL at the time?

TD: It didn't end well for Ben and I've got a photo down in the cellar of Lockett cleaning him up.

BG: Ben followed in your footsteps and was coach of Albury in 2000-01. It's fair to say Ben's two year tenure at the sportsground was surrounded by controversy?

TD: There is no doubt about that and personally I don't think Ben was ready to coach at the time.

BG: It did end in tears?

TD: It did cause a bit of a faction within the club. I thought Ben was treated badly in the finish with a few people out to undermine him and personally I was tainted by it.

BG: Did you still go to watch Albury matches after Ben and the club parted company?

TD: Not really but it wasn't because of what happened to Ben. When I went to watch I used to look forward to watching my mates kids play. But there was a stage there where it seemed there were hardly any locals in the side so I lost a bit of interest.

BG: Colin Joss became heavily involved in the football club after Ben departed?

TD: It was around the same time and Colin has done a tremendous amount for the club.

BG: You were a teacher at Murray High School for more than a decade. What was your motivation to become a publican?

TD: I resigned from Murray High in the heat of the moment one day after a bit of an argument about a forced transfer. I still had a young family and needed to buy a job basically. So after a bit of homework, Claire and I decided to buy The Termo.

BG: That was your first business venture.

TD: It was a good little railway pub. But we decided to take an option on the freehold and decided to turn it into an entertainment venue.

BG: It was a big financial risk at the time.

TD: We basically put every cent we had into the venture, mortgaged everything to the hilt and away we went. We bought it off Graeme Bosse and Mal Hutchison so I was a bit nervous because they are good operators.

BG: It took a lot of hard yakka to get the business booming?

TD: Claire and myself and my business partner Wayne Reid all helped out in the kitchen initially.

BG: You also lived upstairs?

TD: We lasted 12 months but the kids hated it.

BG: You were able to transform The Termo into the most popular pub on the Border?

TD: We did and it was mainly because we kept putting money back into the pub and it seemed like we were constantly doing renovations. My good mate Tony Heather was our builder. Great builder and I thought a bit under-rated as a footballer at Albury. I rated him highly as a player.

BG: You were also able to lure some of the nation's biggest bands to the pub?

TD: We had some big acts including Fleetwood Mac, Daryl Braithwaite, James Reyne and Chocolate Starfish.

BG: The local tradies also supported you?

TD: I introduced a nail hammering competition in the front bar which was a knockout competition to see who was the fastest which proved popular. We were also the first pub on the Border to introduce the wheel with discounted drinks.

BG: How long did you initially own The Termo?

TD: We were there eight years and then decided to build the Birallee Tavern and lease it out. The kids also had a stint of running The Termo.

BG: Dan Murphy's bought your bottleshop off you?

TD: I did the deal at the kitchen table where you are sitting now.

BG: No doubt you would have been saddened when The Termo was destroyed by fire in 2005?

TD: It was a sad day and the pub should have never been torn down in my opinion. I have never been into First Choice Liquor and I never will. I know a few people who are the same as me. The Termo was a landmark building and it should have been repaired because it wasn't that badly damaged.

BG: Do you suspect foul play was involved?

TD: Definitely. I've seen CCTV footage of the culprit, they just can't identify who it was.

BG: More recently your business interests include four bars and restaurants in Melbourne and a national bus company?

TD: My son Tom and daughter Angela alongside the partners run the bars and restaurants while Ben and his partner Kellie manage the bus business.

BG: You are good mates with Des Sheather who regularly house sits for you when you are away?

TD: Des does a bit of house sitting but I don't get him to do much else after one incident.

BG: What happened?

TD: I was away one weekend and asked Des if he could put a load of sheep on the truck when it arrived to take to the Corowa saleyards. When I got home my prized sheep dog was missing. Turns out he went for a roadtrip to Corowa with the sheep after Des forgot about him.