In a wide-ranging interview ahead of the Magpies’ first home game this season, Browne outlined his hopes for 2024, rejected suggestions the club had celebrated the flag too long, revealed plans for Collingwood to grow, said they would be ultra-conservative with Nathan Murphy’s concussion issues and suggested that the players have provided him with inspiration in his health battle.
He has only sensed within the club a desire to get better and projects such as the documentary – which has attracted close to 40,000 filmgoers according to the club – are a way to show supporters a glimpse of what happened in that season. One idea is to establish a presence in western Sydney, stretching the Collingwood brand into non-traditional areas.
And Browne will package in his mind the memories that have sustained him through the first stages of his cancer battle, such as the moment that occurred when he returned to watch the first day of pre-season. “He’s having ongoing scans. They’re all good. And he wants to play. We are managing him very cautiously,” Browne said.