For those footballers lucky enough to play at AFL level, a career can be long, glorious and profound - or short and sweet.
When a footballer’s career comes to an end, once feted players are at risk of the confronting crash of reality. Fortunately, many players and clubs now better understand the need for ‘another life’ – preparation for the real world.
Clubs understand it and promote education and life skills that many of the kids drafted so young could miss; and the football fraternity – the supporters, the coteries and the caring families deliver something of a safety net.
Lifetime Carlton supporter Gary Gardiner is perfectly positioned to understand the importance of education and training. A long time contributor to the Civil Contractor’s Federation (and current National CCF treasurer), Gary understands the need for skills development. It is a mantra of the CCF to introduce new players, providing training pathways to ensure the health of the industry.
Some 18 months ago Gary combined his love of football and his contracting business, Civilworx, to offer Carlton big man Matthew Kreuzer a role as he looked beyond the boundary fence.
A mentor had instilled the mantra of giving back to the industry in Gary. “You have to be involved to help secure the future of the industry whether it is regulation, health and safety or training newcomers – anything to do with the future health,” he said.
Generational change is a foundation of a vibrant industry and a new guard must be conditioned to play, he reckons. “That’s why when someone like Matt comes along you do what you can to help them.”
The relationship between Gary and the Carlton ruckman developed when Gary was looking for corporate level involvement with the club. He eventually joined the coterie group, the Carltonians. “During a parents day my son met Matthew’s mother and it started from there,” he explained.
“Matt contacted me and he explained what he wanted to do and I felt it shouldn’t be a case of him just working for us – I thought we need to add more skills training to the mix.”
Gary tapped into his CCF contacts for advice resulting in Kreuzer undertaking a Level 3 Certificate in Civil Construction.
“I’m not sure what he’d like to do at the end of it but if it helps him learn it is a good thing – I certainly encourage it. If he ends up working for us or staying in the industry in some capacity then that would be great for Matthew."
Kreuzer said it was important to look to the future. “I’m 24 and its time to look at a direction in life that can take me past football,” he said.
“You never know when it will finish so it would be good to be able to move straight into something else.
“Earthmoving is an industry I’ve always had an interest in, so I want to get as much knowledge and training behind me while I’m still playing footy - who knows over time I might end up with a couple of machines myself."
Kreuzer studies at home and a CCF trainer attends for on-site on-assessments. “I haven’t found it difficult to get a balance with football life – you can concentrate on football too much so digging trenches and laying pipes gives you a totally different view of the world and keeps you fresh," Kreuzer said.
“I love it – it’s good fun getting out there and in some ways it’s like a footy club working with all the boys and getting through the jobs and having a laugh.”
The variety the contracting industry offers is another factor in its appeal for Kreuzer. “There’s so many different elements to the business that can be an opportunity,” he said.
“Gary has been good letting me have a go at all the machines from excavators to graders and dump trucks – it gives you a good base and understanding – and he’s got a few nice Cat excavators which are great to operate."
