BRENT GODDE: You are well-known for your nickname 'Doggie'?

SCOTT McGRATH: I got christened that as an eight-year-old.

BG: How did the nickname come about?

SM: I used to go and watch my uncle, 'Nifty' Stevens play rugby league for Albury Roos. The match was at Greenfield Park and somebody kicked a field goal, so I took off after the ball.

BG: It didn't end well for you?

SM: I was chasing the ball and wasn't looking and got run over by a car. I was literally stuck under the car and a few spectators had to lift the car up so I could crawl out from underneath.

BG: Were you seriously injured?

SM: I walked away with a couple of bruises and my nickname 'Doggie' which has stuck since. 'Doggie' because the people who saw what happened thought I was like a dog chasing a ball.

BG: You played all your junior football at Culcairn?

SM: Except for one season where I played for Lavington Little League.

BG: You made your senior debut for Culcairn in 1990 under coach Neville 'Nifty' Hensel?

SM: We had won the thirds flag the previous year and 'Nifty' showed a bit of faith in the young blokes from that side and promoted Andrew Robertson, Murray Watson, Steve Schultz and myself.

BG: How did you rate Hensel as a coach?

SM: 'Nifty' was obviously my first senior coach and no doubt had the biggest influence on my career.

BG: You were a huge fan?

SM: 'Nifty' had just called it quits on his O&M career and was an inspirational leader. I found him to be a great motivator as well and you felt like you could run through a brick wall after listening to him address the players.

BG: Hensel gave you some sound advice as a teenager?

SM: 'Nifty' told me I had two of the biggest assets highly sought as a footballer, pace and a left foot. I don't know why but that stuck in my head throughout my career.

BG: Hensel had a couple of Lions legends helping him run the bench that season?

SM: Both Frank Ravenna and Billy Taylor were on the bench who I regard as master tacticians.

BG: You were built like a whippet as a teenager?

SM: I reckon I weighed 60kg. It's funny I pulled out an old VHS tape of the 1990 grand final to show the young bloke about six months ago. He was laughing at how small I was.

BG: What was your playing weight in your prime?

SM: Once I filled out a bit and put on a bit of muscle I was around 72kg.

BG: You were fortunate enough to play in a flag in your first season of senior football against Tallangatta?

SM: I was a bit lucky in that I hurt my groin late in the season and missed a few matches but got back in time for the finals series.

BG: It was a huge year for the Lions with all four grades making the grand final?

SM: It was and I remember looking into the crowd at Sandy Creek and seeing a sea of maroon and blue. Winning all grades except for the reserves was one of the club's finest achievements.

BG: The senior side was predominantly all local talent?

SM: I think the only two players who weren't local were Peter Nugent and Brett Heathcote. A lot of the blokes in the side either worked at the abattoirs or the tannery at the time.

BG: Your memories of the grand final?

SM: I kicked a couple of goals but looking back at the tape my passing to teammates was fairly ordinary that day.

BG: 'David Boogie' Moore proved to be the matchwinner when the match was up for grabs in the last term?

SM: It proved to be a masterstroke by Frank and Billy to switch 'Boogie' from the wing to the forward pocket in the last quarter. His two hangers and goals proved to be the difference in the end.

BG: Tallangatta boasted an experienced side?

SM: Bert Hollands was coach and they had players the calibre of Mark McSweeney and Scott 'Physco' Carroll. I played on a wing against Phil Partington for most of the match.

BG: The following year you had a breakout season and won the Barton medal as an 18-year-old?

SM: It was actually a four-way tie between Laurie McInnes, Hughie Giltrap, Jay McNeil and myself.

BG: There weren't too many bigger legends running around in the Tallangatta league during that era?

SM: Laurie was actually declared the winner after a countback. A couple of years later they changed the constitution and declared there were four winners.

BG: So you received a retrospective medal?

SM: I did and I kept the runner-up trophy as well so I double dipped.

BG: You originally weren't at the count which was held at The Stump Hotel?

SM: I didn't receive an invitation to attend, so I was sitting at home and the phone rang and it was Glenys Watson who said the league president Laurie Forrest was looking for me.

BG: Did you drive into Wodonga?

SM: I had a quick shower and got dressed and made it there before the count started.

BG: Were you surprised to see how well you polled?

SM: For sure, I was only a kid and the mere mention of the name of Hughie Giltrap used to put the fear of god into most blokes back then and here I was standing alongside him.

BG: Did you do much to celebrate the win?

SM: From memory I had a couple of beers with the father-in-law Johnnie Crawley at the Culcairn Hotel.

BG: Did you win Culcairn's best and fairest that season?

SM: I think Jason 'Log' Lawson won it that year and I got the most consistent trophy.

BG: It was a physical competition during that era, did you get targeted much by the opposition?

SM: I was lucky Culcairn had more than its fair share of enforcers at the time. Blokes like Scott 'Filthy' Mackie, Mick 'Dingus' Brown and Dean Smith.

BG: You saw Mackie have his fair share of fights?

SM: I suppose you don't get the nickname 'Filthy' for nothing. I felt bulletproof when Scottie used to fire up.

BG: The following season in 1992 the Lions switched to the Hume league?

SM: I found it was totally different football on the bigger grounds. It was a lot more free flowing and we had a good side that could beat everybody except Osborne.

BG: The bigger grounds suited you a lot better?

SM: They did but our side was used to playing a lot more contested style of football on the smaller grounds in the Tallangatta league.

BG: Culcairn made the decider against Osborne in its inaugural season in the Hume league?

SM: We got beat by five goals and Osborne were clearly the better side that season.

BG: The following year in 1993 you decided to have a crack at the O&M and join Wodonga Raiders?

SM: It was a bit of a surprise to be honest how it all came about.

BG: You were on the recruiting radar of the Raiders?

SM: I was mowing my Pop's lawn in Culcairn and a car pulled up and a bloke got out and introduced himself as Simon Meehan.

BG: You had never previously met the Raiders' coach?

SM: We had a bit of a chat and I agreed to train a bit at Birallee Park over the pre-season.

BG: How did you find the change?

SM: I got to meet some great blokes in Ross and Scott Hedley, Simon Bone and Nic Conway and decided to sign at Birallee Park.

BG: Culcairn signed Peter Copley as coach in 1993?

SM: I trained with Culcairn a bit over the pre-season as well and 'Copes' was good. He basically said 'I'd love you to stay at Culcairn but I'm not going to hold anyone back from the O&M.'

BG: You established yourself as a senior regular at Raiders?

SM: I did but we only won a handful of matches for the season.

BG: You also missed out on winning a flag at Culcairn?

SM: That's probably a bit of a regret but I met a lot of good blokes at Raiders who I'm still mates with today.

BG: Ironically, Copley was appointed coach of the Raiders the following season in 1994?

SM: Brad 'Poaches' Smith, Grant Watson and Kerry Bahr followed 'Copes' to Raiders. But I didn't get to play under him much after I injured my knee during the pre-season.

BG: The following season in 1995 you returned to Culcairn?

SM: It was the club's centenary year and obviously I wanted to be part of it.

BG: The Lions made their fourth consecutive grand final since joining the Hume league?

SM: No prizes for guessing that we got beat by Osborne again. This time by six goals.

BG: Osborne and Culcairn were building quite a rivalry?

SM: It seemed that we could beat them during the year but Osborne had the uncanny knack of finding another gear in finals.

BG: The following year in 1996 you enjoyed another outstanding season and shared the Azzi medal with teammate Michael Killeen?

SM: It was a bit of a shock at the time to share it with a teammate which is unheard of really because normally that means you would have stolen votes off each other.

BG: You were a big fan of Killeen?

SM: 'Killer' had basically come straight out of the O&M and is right up there with the best players that I have played alongside.

BG: You obviously attended the vote count?

SM: I did but it was a bit awkward at the presentation because they only had one medal and one watch.

BG: What did you end up scoring?

SM: I took the medal and 'Killer' took the watch and then a couple of weeks later I got a watch as well and 'Killer' a medal.

BG: Who won the Lions' best and fairest?

SM: 'Killer' did and I ended up with another most consistent trophy.

BG: Surprisingly you never won a best and fairest at Culcairn?

SM: I never got close really, it seemed every year I would end up with the most consistent trophy.

BG: The following season in 1997 you sprung a surprise and joined fierce rival Holbrook?

SM: Ross 'Chuck' Hedley was the coach and I had a few mates from high school playing for the Brookers so I thought why not? Holbrook was obviously still in the TDFL at that stage.

BG: How did Culcairn officials take the news?

SM: I don't think they were too happy at the time but it only ended up being for one season.

BG: How did the Brookers go that season?

SM: We beat Dederang-Mt Beauty twice during the season by one point and then played them in the elimination final and lost by a point.

BG: You finally cracked it for a club best and fairest?

SM: It was my first senior B&F and certainly a lot better feeling than winning the most consistent.

BG: The following season in 1998 you returned to Culcairn?

SM: There was talk that Holbrook was a chance to join the Hume league and I didn't want to play against Culcairn.

BG: Did you ever get paid during your time at Culcairn?

SM: I think when I came back from Wodonga Raiders in 1995 Brad 'Snake' Gardiner was on the committee and offered me $75 a game.

BG: You worked with 'Snake' at the tannery at the time?

SM: After I signed 'Snake' said to me at work 'I was prepared to go to $150 to get you back' and I replied 'I was prepared to play for nothing.'

BG: That was the only season you got paid at Culcairn?

SM: It was never about the money for me. I just used to love playing alongside my mates at my home town club.

BG: Your good mate Andrew Robertson was appointed coach of Culcairn in 2000?

SM: I remember playing Lockhart at home one day and the Demons were warming up in our goal square where we traditionally warm up.

BG: Robertson wasn't happy?

SM: Robbo said 'stuff these pr**ks, we're going to run through them.'

BG: What happened next?

SM: There were a few punches thrown but it did rattle them. They were second on the ladder and we scored an upset win that day.

BG: After playing at Culcairn from 1998-2000 you decided to take the coaching gig at Hopefield Buraja?

SM: I played football with Graeme 'Buster' Barber and his cousin Andrew was on the committee at Hopefield Buraja and it all went from there.

BG: Your coaching career wasn't as illustrious as your playing career?

SM: It's fair to say that we had an ordinary list and didn't win a game.

BG: Did you take anybody from Culcairn with you?

SM: I didn't want to do the wrong thing by Culcairn but Jason Chomatek came out for a run and did his knee.

BG: How was training?

SM: A lot of times I would get there on a Tuesday night and there would be four blokes at training. Then you would rock up again on the Thursday night and there would be 50.

BG: You had a handy developing ruckman in Zach Martin?

SM: Zach was a good player but he could only play home games because he suffered from car sickness and wouldn't travel to away games.

BG: His father Wally was an umpire?

SM: Wally was the only umpire that ever reported me throughout my career. I copped two weeks for striking against Jindera.

BG: Numbers were also slim at the league presentation night?

SM: There were four of us, the president Greg Filliponi and his wife and my wife Mandie and myself.

BG: The following season in 2002 you head back to play for Culcairn?

SM: Jason Hollard took over as coach of Buraja and was keen for me to be his assistant but I decided against it.

BG: In 2005 you played in another grand final against Osborne under coach Allan Abele?

SM: We just scraped into finals and got on a bit of a roll during September.

BG: Culcairn notched one of its most famous finals wins over Holbrook in the preliminary final?

SM: Holbrook were red-hot favourites to beat us and we heard during the week that they were going to rest a few players with niggling injuries because they didn't see us as a threat.

BG: Who did the Brookers rest?

SM: From memory it was Jarrod 'Nutter' Hillary, Corey 'Hooter' Whittaker and there was at least one other player but I forget who. It certainly provided us with a bit of motivation.

BG: The move backfired on the Brookers?

SM: It ended up being ordinary conditions and turned into a real slogfest which suited us fine and we won by a couple of points.

BG: It was a sweet victory over the arch rival?

SM: I suppose you could say we did 'Nutter' and 'Hooter' a favour and gave them six months to get over their niggling injuries.

BG: Culcairn faced Osborne in another grand final?

SM: We were huge underdogs but Abele was on fire throughout the finals series.

BG: Abele produced a highlight of the grand final?

SM: There was a strong wind andt I'm not exaggerating but Al kicked a high ball into the wind which went about 30m and he charged forward and marked his own kick.

BG: Abele suffered a head knock in the decider?

SM: Al started the match well but clashed heads and broke his nose, cheekbone and was heavily concussed. Osborne won the decider by five goals.

BG: In 2007 Culcairn swung a surprise and appointed Henty's Matt Klemke as coach?

SM: I was surprised at the time because I was also on the committee. Gordon 'Froggy' Finlayson was president at the time.

BG: Finlayson didn't want to advertise the position was available?

SM: 'Froggy' was of the opinion that if a club advertised its coaching position that they couldn't find anyone and were getting desperate.

BG: You used to play on Klemke when he was at Henty?

SM: I got a phone call from Matty out of the blue one day and he told me that he was going to coach. I thought he must have meant Henty but he said Culcairn. I nearly dropped the phone.

BG: Did you think it was a good appointment at the time?

SM: I didn't have an opinion really, I'm not the type of person to hold a grudge and it didn't really worry me that Matty has played mostly for Henty.

BG: Klemke landed a recruiting blitz?

SM: I don't know what his secret was but Luke Schuberg, Marcus Gostelow, Ben Bussell, Tim Lubke and Nat Stroh who were all more than handy performers. Jayden Kotzur played as well.

BG: Klemke proved to be an innovative coach?

SM: Matty was an ultra-professional. Basically our side comprised a stack of midfielders with Shannon Gilson, Graham Fruean, Brent Barber, Lachie Hutchins, Ben Schulz, Clint Brown and Bussell.

BG: Klemke was the first coach in the Hume league to introduce heavy rotations and predetermined rest breaks?

SM: Bursts of seven minutes were the normal rotations. For instance Fruean, Gilson and myself would come off and Hutchins, Bussell and Brown run on.

BG: It did bamboozle the opposition?

SM: It did in regards to if the opposition decided to tag anyone because with the rotations they didn't know who they were playing on next.

BG: Supporters are quick to argue why have your best players on the bench, were the players supportive of Klemke and the tactic?

SM: I certainly didn't hear any arguments.

BG: There was a fair bit of experience in the side with Brad and Paul Smith, Craig Bosley and yourself?

SM: We were dubbed the four 'dinosaurs' because we were a fair bit older than the rest of the group.

BG: Culcairn enjoyed one of its biggest wins ever over Osborne in the second semi-final?

SM: We smashed them by 75 points to take the direct route into the decider. We had the side but we played out of our skins that day.

BG: Klemke knew the job wasn't done.

SM: During the week off before the grand final we probably trained the hardest we had for the whole year.

BG: The Saturday before the grand final was gruelling?

SM: Everybody trained on the Saturday morning and we just ran, ran and ran. I think it was a 2.5 hour training session.

BG: Graham Hart was coaching Osborne and did his homework after the second semi-final and changed a lot of his match-ups for the decider?

SM: I still played on Darren Howard which I had for most of my career but Hart did make a lot of changes.

BG: Obviously you had some terrific contests with Howard throughout your career?

SM: We had some terrific battles but I guess you could say Howie won the war because he ended up with a lot more premiership medals than I did.

BG: You were both lightning quick but who was the fastest?

SM: It's funny I think whoever had the ball was the quickest. I probably had Howie for pace early in a match but he had me for endurance and I could never catch him late in a game.

BG: So if Howard got the ball and had one metre on you, you knew you couldn't catch him?

SM: 'Howie' was a smart footballer. He knew he could have one or two bounces before I would get close but if he had any more I had some chance of catching him.

BG: Apart from Howard, were you confident once you had the ball that nobody else in the competition could catch you?

SM: Pretty much.

BG: You would always swing around on your trusty left boot?

SM: I lost count the amount of times I heard the opposition yell out 'he's a left-footer' when I got the ball. But I would always back myself to run around my opponent and use my left foot.

BG: You were a big fan of Fruean?

SM: 'Fruey' is on the podium as one the best footballers that I have played alongside. I'm not joking, I would lose concentration on my own game sometimes because I was too busy watching him.

BG: You saw Fruean do some freakish things on the field?

SM: I used to marvel at the way he could back into a pack and take a one handed mark.

BG: In 2009 you won the Bevan Odewahn medal for the league best and fairest in the reserves?

SM: I was a bit embarrassed to be honest because I only played eight games and got 24 votes.

BG: In 2010 you notched your 300th senior match with the Lions and joined some illustrious company at the den?

SM: To have your name on the honour board alongside club legends such as Splinter Liston, Harry Gardiner, Hayden Hensel and Garry Smith is a huge honour.

BG: You still were playing good football as a 38-year-old?

SM: I knew I was getting towards the end because I was getting frustrated with young blokes from the opposition running me down and pushing my head into the ground and calling me an 'old bastard.'

BG: You played in another grand final in 2010 under coach Luke Donnan against Howlong?

SM: We had a good first half but probably didn't apply enough scoreboard pressure. We got blown away in the third quarter when the Spiders piled on 10 goals.

BG: How many matches did you play?

SM: I think it's 333 senior matches for Culcairn, probably 100 in the reserves plus a stint at Raiders, Holbrook and Hopefield Buraja.

BG: You were a lippy player throughout your career?

SM: I used to love sledging, especially the bigger blokes. Blokes like Noel Coutts, Andrew Schmetzer and Trent and Ryan Storey. I don't expect to get Christmas cards off them after a few things I said.

BG: Did your sledging ever land you in hot water?

SM: Looking back I don't know how I didn't get belted but I somehow got away with it.

BG: You were named in Culcairn's best side of the past 25-years from 1990-2015?

SM: I was picked on the wing which was an honour when you see some of the names that missed out.