BRENT GODDE: You had the nickname 'Funky' during most of your playing career?

CRAIG MILLAR: Colin 'Funky' Miller won Test Player of the Year and I was playing under-18 TAC Cup for Tassie Mariners. I rocked up to training one night and Brodie Holland yelled out 'Funky' Millar's here. The nickname stuck for the rest of my career.

BG: You played alongside dual Osborne premiership coach Daniel McAlister during your time at Tassie Mariners?

CM: 'Macca' was a gun and good enough to get picked up by Essendon with pick seven in the 1996 draft. He's a ripping bloke off the field as well.

BG: You also played against McAlister?

CM: It's a small world, when I was at Myrtleford in 2005, 'Macca' was playing for Albury that season.

BG: Quite a few of your Mariner teammates including yourself went to the AFL draft combine?

CM: I think there were seven of us that attended the combine and five of my teammates got drafted, Russell Robertson, Gerard Bennett, Brodie Holland, Mark Harwood were a couple off the top of my head.

BG: The Tassie Mariners were good enough to make the preliminary final?

CM: Chris Fagan was our coach and I also played under his brother, Grant, who was senior coach of Clarence.

BG: Despite attracting the attention of AFL recruiters, you weren't a confident player?

CM: I always had the mindset I was the last player picked and every Thursday night at selection I would get anxious if my name was going to be read out or not.

BG: You made your senior debut for Clarence in the Tasmanian state league?

CM: It was against Glenorchy who were fierce rivals. I was thrown in the deep end and had to play on Glenorchy star Michael Maple who was a league medalist. Maple was an intimidating unit and I was a scrawny teenager. I didn't get too many stats that day.

BG: Clarence played its home matches at Bellerive Oval?

CM: They were good facilities but it was always very windy and cold in Tasmania during the winter. But it was a nice big oval and you could always find a bit of space.

BG: You had a fair bit of success during your time at Clarence?

CM: We won flags in 1997 and 2000 and finished runner-up in 1998.

BG: Peter German coached the opposition in 1997?

CM: German was playing coach of Burnie and I was still in my final year of high school.

BG: You crossed paths with German recently at the O&M season launch?

CM: We had a bit of a chat but he didn't remember me from Tasmania as I was still a school kid. But I definitely remember Peter who was one of the stars of the competition. We won the grand final by seven points.

BG: You played for Tassie Devils in the VFL in 2001?

CM: It was a great experience and it was during that time Tasmania was trying to gain entry into the AFL. The intensity and getting to play against players who were on an AFL list was fantastic for my development.

BG: You had a high-profile coach in Matthew Armstrong?

CM: Matthew was firm but fair and had the ability to get the best out of his players. Probably the biggest lesson I learnt was that you don't have to be the most talented player to have an impact.

BG: The following season you relocated to Melbourne to study sports administration at Deakin University?

CM: It was a bit of an eye-opener for me because once I relocated I had clubs ringing me to see if I would be interested in playing for them. That was something that was foreign to me and I literally only knew one person in Melbourne who was a mate of mine who I had played with at Clarence in Justin Arnold.

BG: You decided to join Lower Plenty in the Diamond Valley league?

CM: I was thinking of playing for Sandringham in the VFL but decided I wanted to prioritise my studies. So I decided to join Lower Plenty simply because they were the first club that contacted me.

BG: You spent three years at the club?

CM: It was tough football and a lot different to playing VFL in Tasmania. I learnt a lot about myself playing in that competition.

BG: You joined Myrtleford in 2005. Did you have a previous connection to the Saints?

CM: I had previously worked with Andrew Dale in AFL Tasmania. I was in my last year of study at Deakin University and Andrew approached me in 2004 about joining the Saints the following year.

BG: Dale was heavily involved with the Saints recruiting at the time?

CM: Andrew was basically their football manager while now he is establishing himself as one of Wangaratta's leading trainers.

BG: What was your initial reaction when Dale asked you to join Myrtleford?

CM: I said with all due respect Andrew, 'where is Myrtleford, I've never heard of it before.' I had only been in Melbourne for a couple of years and didn't even know the metropolitan area let alone the country areas.

BG: So you weren't interested in playing at McNamara Reserve?

CM: Purely out of respect for Andy I told him I would drive up to Myrtleford to see him and say g'day and stay for the weekend.

BG: You thought that would be it?

CM: Before I left he offered me the job of general manager of the football club if I signed with the Saints.

BG: Were you interested in the offer?

CM: I still had one year to go at university and hadn't even contemplated taking on a full-time job.

BG: You knocked back the offer?

CM: I ended up saying no and said I might reconsider the offer after I had finished my university course.

BG: You were a victim of a cunning stunt that you suspect Dale was behind?

CM: Unbeknown to me a story went in the local paper saying that I had signed with Myrtleford. I didn't know anything about it and people started ringing me and asking me if I was playing with the Saints.

BG: Did you confront Dale about the story?

CM: I rang Andy and said 'I told you I wasn't going to sign.' Andy replied 'it's going to be hard to retract the story now, you might as well come and play for us.'

BG: Were you fuming with Dale at the time?

CM: I was disappointed that I had been conned initially. But then after having I rethink I thought that I have got nothing to lose and I had a job as a general manager and there was no pressure on me to play.

BG: Do you regret your decision?

CM: It's funny how it all unfolded but I rate it the best year of my life in regards to my football. Personally, I also met my wife, Anna, during the season and professionally it really kick-started my career.

BG: You relocated to Myrtleford but still had to travel to Melbourne to complete your degree?

CM: Every Tuesday night I would drive to Melbourne after training, go to university on Wednesday and then drive back to Myrtleford. I did that for the whole season.

BG: Myrtleford were pioneers in regards to appointing a full-time general manager during that era?

CM: Full credit to Myrtleford. They took a huge risk in employing a full-time general manager. But my job was made easy with Bill O'Donohue as president, Andrew Dale on the board alongside some other local powerful entities that were also on the board.

BG: The football department headed by Dale focussed on getting its local talent back to the club?

CM: Matt Cavendon travelled back from Wagga, Brad Murray returned from Perth and Andy Carey came back from Adelaide to name a few.

BG: How did the season unfold?

CM: I think the previous year Myrtleford won one match for the season and were thumped by Wodonga by around 200 points in the final match of the season.

BG: You played Wodonga in the opening round of 2005?

CM: We beat Wodonga who were still a powerhouse by a couple of goals which was an extraordinary turnaround.

BG: Did you know Saints coach Travis 'Hoggy' Hodgson previously?

CM: No, I only got to know him during the season. But I had a good relationship with 'Hoggy' and he was able to attract some class players in Brent Piltz and Todd Baxter.

BG: The Saints did boast a star-studded line-up?

CM: It was when you think about it. There are not many bigger names in the league than Brad Murray, Andy Carey, Travis Hodgson, Brent Piltz and Matt Cavendon. We also had a couple of recruits as well like Rhys Fitzpatrick and Shane Peters. Shane just rocked up at the club from nowhere basically but he had some tricks.

BG: You and Andy Carey basically swapped in the midfield and playing in attack for most of the season?

CM: We did but late in the season I spent more time in attack.

BG: You won the Doug Strang medal after booting 89 goals?

CM: I was lucky enough to stay injury-free that season for one of the rare times during my career which was plagued by knee and soft tissue injuries.

BG: Kicking 89 goals as a small forward is a phenomenal effort. Did you catch the attention of the umpires in the Morris medal?

CM: I polled less than 10 votes from memory and our captain Brad Murray deservedly won the medal that season. Even in the Myrtleford best and fairest I think I finished eighth or ninth because we just had that many good players in the side.

BG: I think Myrtleford won the minor premiership?

CM: I'm pretty sure we did with 14 wins from memory. It was a fairly tight competition with not much between Wodonga, Wangaratta, Lavington and us.

BG: You had an outstanding second semi-final against Wangaratta, booting eight goals and instrumental in the Saints making only their third grand final since joining the competition?

CM: I think we won by about five goals and it was just a huge relief to take the direct route into the grand final.

BG: It proved to be a spiteful clash and Saints captain Brad Murray was reported and sent from the ground after a large melee erupted in front of the interchange area.

CM: That was obviously the biggest talking point after the match, whether Brad would be able to play in the biggest match of the season.

BG: Myrtleford's biggest fear was realised when Murray received a one match ban at the tribunal?

CM: The whole club was devastated when the decision was handed down. But to the club's credit they decided to roll the dice and appeal the decision.

BG: The club left no stone unturned in its bid to get Murray off and hired high-profile player advocate Ian Findlay who had previously represented Dermott Brereton, Gary Ablett, Greg Williams and David Rhys-Jones?

CM: Brad was our captain and an inspirational leader and won the Morris medal that season, so it was no surprise really to see the club hire the services of the best in the business in Ian Findlay. But we were preparing to play without him.

BG: Findlay was able to enhance his reputation and Murray was cleared in the lead-up to the grand final?

CM: I'm not sure how Findlay did it but Brad obviously played in the decider.

BG: Did you see the incident and should Murray have missed the grand final?

CM: I can honestly say I never saw the incident. What I can say is Brad is a competitor and there is a process when it comes to appealing decisions and clubs are entitled to follow those processes.

BG: No prizes for guessing the build up to the grand final would have been massive with a success starved club like Myrtleford being one win away from the holy grail?

CM: It was massive and a real eye-opener to me after having never previously lived in a country town. The whole town is red, white and black, you go up the street and everyone wants to stop you and wish you all the best. It was hard not to play the game before we got there.

BG: It was obviously a massive week for you work-wise as well?

CM: That's right, win, lose or draw we had to have a function back at the club and being the end of the season it was also busy from an administration perspective.

BG: The bus trip to the match was memorable?

CM: I remember as we left the outskirts of Myrtleford there was a poster of every player on the guide posts with your number and nickname. It was something that I had never seen before and just showed how much it meant to the town.

BG: Arguably, the Saints would have the most passionate supporters in the competition when they are up and about?

CM: It's probably hard for me to comment after only spending one year in the competition. I will be able to make a more informed decision after a couple of years in my new role I guess. But those smaller communities like Corowa and Yarrawonga, everybody gets behind you when you are winning in both football and netball.

BG: Ok, let's get to the grand final, what are your memories?

CM: Obviously we were in front with not long to go. You can reflect on the match and say we should have done this or that but at the end of the day it was Lavington's day and Darryn McKimmie's moment to nail the goal after the siren. It was a beautiful kick by McKimmie but it was also the dagger in the heart to everyone who supported Myrtleford.

BG: My spies told me despite you being the Saints' leading goalkicker, you spent a large chunk of the final term on the pine including the dying minutes.

CM: I did and am the first to admit Clint Dickins had the better of me that day. I kicked three but never really thought I was in the game. It wasn't through supply or anything like that, I was just really well held by Clint.

BG: Were you frustrated personally to be on the bench considering how tight a contest it was?

CM: I understood the reasons why, not that it was explained to me at the time. Our attack just wasn't clicking that day and as a coach, 'Hoggy' had to change the dynamics to shake things up and as I said, I wasn't having a great game.

BG: It's hard to kick goals on the pine though?

CM: It would have been nice to be out there. I have always been a believer it might not be your day but it doesn't mean it can't be your moment.

BG: Did you watch McKimmie take the shot that sunk the Saints?

CM: I obviously did because we were all praying that he was going to miss it. I didn't actually hear the siren go and when Darryn nailed the shot everybody started running onto the ground and I thought to myself 'what's going on here?'

BG: So your thought there was still time left to win the match?

CM: I did, I knew there wouldn't be much time left but I thought there maybe a minute or less to go.

BG: You vividly remember McKimmie taking the shot?

CM: I was watching him run in and I thought he is moving alright here and he kicked it flush. It didn't look like missing.

BG: Obviously it is sheer devastation in the Saints camp after getting rolled in the cruellest of circumstances?

CM: Getting beat by a point after the siren is sheer jubilation for one side and the worst nightmare for the other. Personally I never got too emotional after matches. But in my general manager's role at the club I knew how much it meant to the supporters and the volunteers who had done it tough for so long with the Saints' one and only flag way back in 1970. When that kicked sailed through, it broke the hearts of everyone involved with the club.

BG: What was it like after the match?

CM: We all went back to the clubrooms and as you can imagine it was a sombre feeling. Emotions were still running high but there was still a huge attendance at the club. Even though we got beat, it was still I guess a celebration of what we had achieved for the season.

BG: What was the emotion of the playing group?

CM: There was just this steely resolve to come back again next year and go one better.

BG: Was there any finger pointing or inhouse fighting in the aftermath?

CM: None that I was aware of.

BG: Have you ever watched a replay of the grand final?

CM: Never, I have seen the last 40 seconds on Youtube a couple of times but that's about it.

BG: You only ended up spending one season at McNamara Reserve after you received a job offer you couldn't refuse with AFL Queensland?

CM: It was the general manager's position of one of the State league club's up there. I thought I was out of my depth but I flew up there and the next day I was offered the position. I was close to signing with Myrtleford again but I knew it was time to make my career my No. 1 priority. It was probably the most nervous 48 hours of my life because I had become really fond and emotionally attached to the footy club and community of Myrtleford.

BG: No doubt you would have been proud of the job you did at Myrtleford in guiding them into a strong position off the field?

CM: I'm not sure that I guided Myrtleford that much to be honest. As I said before the board of directors and the committee were all successful businessmen in their own right. All I did was support them and their initiatives.

BG: What would you consider your legacy during your time at Myrtleford?

CM: Probably just the professionalism of how the club presented itself at events, match day and just the attention to detail. It was an amazing football club to be at and I cherish my time spent there.

BG: Did you play football in Queensland?

CM: I did and was lucky enough to win my first senior best and fairest. But it was a long season after we lost 40 players over the summer and we got hammered most weeks.

BG: You retired mid-way through 2007.

CM: I think I was only 28 but my body kept breaking down because I couldn't dedicate the time necessary to train and prepare for matches due to work commitments.

BG: What would you rate at the highlight of your career?

CM: The 2000 flag with Clarence is right up there. Also the euphoria of winning the second semi-final with Myrtleford. I remember singing the song in the change rooms at W.J. Findlay Oval and it felt like the whole town was in there.

BG: Any regrets?

CM: Probably that I didn't keep playing VFL football when I left Tasmania and relocated to Melbourne. My advice to anybody is to play at the highest level you can for as long as you can because there will come a time when you don't have the choice.

BG: You have held some high-profile administration roles throughout your career including most recently as player development manager at Carlton?

CM: I was at Carlton five years if you include last year when I was stood down because of COVID-19. My last role there was integrity and projects manager. I had also been player development manager the previous three-and-a-half years.

BG: You must be thrilled to be back living in Myrtleford and general manager of the O&M?

CM: COVID-19 has had a huge impact on everybody across the board. It made me reflect on the importance of family and to a degree I had been selfish to my family in regards to my career. I'm lucky to have a supportive wife in Anna but I've got three boys. I didn't get to see them for 11 weeks during the lockdown. I was fortunate enough this position became available and jumped at the opportunity.