While Robbie Hicks was enrolled in a business course at university, his mind was understandably stationed on football. In addition to his responsibilities with Richmond, Hicks also had to train at Coburg, the club's VFL affiliate.
"On my day off, I wasn't motivated to go to uni at all," Hicks says. "I just wanted to switch off, do nothing and act like an 18-year-old kid."
Hicks was just trying to live out his dream. A graduate of Essendon Grammar, he was picked up by the Tigers as a rookie at the end of 2009. But after three games in 2010, he didn't play at all the next year, and was delisted.
He chanced his arm at Werribee in 2012, hoping a strong season would catapult him back into the AFL. But in his own words, he had "an average year," and by the time he was 21, his energies had to be directed towards his off-field career.
Before the big time: Robbie Hicks playing for Vic Metro in 2009. Photo: Tony Ashby
Hicks has seen former teammates in similar predicaments struggle, and concedes attempting to lead dual lives is difficult.
"Trying to tell a player who's in and out of the door in two years, that in these two years you should be focusing on this but also be focusing on a backup, it's a lot for an 18-year-old," he says. "You're just finishing school, you've got this, you're thrown into one environment and then, within this short period of time, [after] you've worked so hard to get to one place, all of a sudden, you've got this change of mindset."
Hicks now plays football for fun, because he has plenty of serious business with which to occupy himself. "Lucky enough I got in touch with Nick."
You probably haven't heard of Nick Polce. He played fewer AFL games than Hicks. In fact, Polce never made it to the elite level. The West Australian appeared in 58 games at senior level for East Fremantle between 2003 and 2008 before immersing himself full-time in the corporate sector, a journey that included a stint in London.
Polce has risen to become a partner at corporate consulting firm Charter Mason. But what he hasn't forgotten is what he saw in the WAFL: semi-pros struggling to manage their football ambitions and the dreary reality of day-to-day life.
"I noticed from my time there with guys exiting the AFL system, the transition was really tough for them," Polce says. "They're used to the rigour, be at this place, this time. I saw some guys really battle with their self-worth.
"From that point in time I wanted to do something about it, and I've got to a stage in my career where I can do something about it."
So, 12 months ago, Polce approached the AFL Players' Association with a plan that would have former AFL players integrate into the workforce via Charter Mason, while simultaneously continuing their learning at Swinburne University.
Hicks, who now works at Charter Mason as a business analyst, was the second player to become part of the program. The first was Daniel Harris. While both men are part of the same program, their roles at Charter Mason differ. That's fitting, because Hicks and Harris had very different AFL careers.
Harris actually made it. A first-round draft pick from Bendigo, he was a Kangaroos regular for the best part of a decade. But about the same time as Hicks was plucked by Richmond, Harris had just been let go by North Melbourne. He soon got a second football life at the Gold Coast, but that, too, was shortlived, thrusting him into the big bad world at 29.
"The trap is an easy one to fall into," Harris says.
Star: Daniel Harris trains during his time at the Kangaroos. Photo: Vince Caligiuri
"You get a false sense of security. You relax a little bit and don't really think about life after footy. But then it got to a point where I thought, yeah this is getting serious, football's going to wind up soon and I need to get a career."
Harris says some of his former teammates got the right idea during their playing days. "Leigh Colbert had a good balance of footy life, social life and work life." Former Geelong and North star Colbert now works for Tiger Air, after studying to be a pilot during his playing days.
Harris floated around a number of jobs away from football, but never seemed to find his off-field calling. Among other things he studied real estate, was in civil construction with former Roos teammate Kris Shore and worked on the railways.
These experiences have led him to believe that, when contemplating life post-football, it's often about eliminating careers that aren't the right fit. He also thinks players don't realise the networks they have at clubs, and encourages them to tap into them.
While Hicks is a business analyst, Harris' role at Charter Mason is in business development, helping to nurture relationships for the company. What the affable former midfielder lacks in business acumen, he makes up for in people skills.
Polce is almost evangelical when he talks about the traits of former footballers.
"We've got highly driven, motivated guys, which most AFL guys are, and we can upskill them and provide them with the education they need," he says. "Methods and things like that can be taught. The beauty of footballers from my perspective is that stakeholder engagement."
The earning graph of former AFL players is the inverse of the average person. While most people earn less in their late teens and early 20s before reaping the rewards of study, footballers can benefit from the windfall of the draft, before later paying the price for their single-mindedness. Polce wants to address the situation.
He openly admits Charter Mason won't be a panacea but he wants this story to plant the seed for other companies that can benefit from an injection of former AFL players.
But he sees a major opportunity, and says he has had preliminary discussions with the AFL, which supports him running a trial.
After the game: Robbie Hicks and Daniel Harris are enjoying their new life, Photo: Penny Stephens
"And effectively that's what Daniel and Robbie are, trials on our program," he says. "And they've been huge successes in their own right.
"We're one small organisation that has 150 consultants across Victoria and NSW predominantly. There's only so many ex-AFL players we can take on every year. We're on the search for more."
He adds that there's only so much the players' union can do as well.
"[The] AFLPA is essentially a small organisation with about 50 people. It doesn't have the capacity to fund homes for these AFL players. It needs to be a community effort. Hopefully this raises awareness to help that cause.
"It's a challenge. And I think it's a challenge the clubs and the AFLPA are still coming to grips with. I don't think we're anywhere near the solution we need to be. There's a whole heap of issues that come off the back of it, with guys who now have all this spare time on their hands but money on their hands. It can lead to other social issues."
In any case, the AFLPA is enthusiastic about the initiative, always keen to expand the support and services offered to players via its career pathway programs.
AFLPA alumni manager Brad Fisher is a fan of what Charter Mason are doing. "[We're] committed to supporting our transitioning athletes and we're working on a pathway that will give our players exposure to meaningful and long-term employment opportunities," Fisher says.
"Daniel and Robbie have received one such opportunity through Charter Mason. Our players leave the game with a unique and valuable skill-set which is transferable across the corporate landscape."
Meanwhile neither Harris nor Hicks lay blame at the feet of AFL clubs, whose primary responsibility is to their members and supporters. As lovely a notion as it may be, clubs aren't there to be halfway houses for players. While more than 100 players entered the AFL system last week, they were merely replacing others whose races had been run.
"You leave, someone else comes in. It's the nature of the game," Hicks says.
Harris agrees. It's why he exudes such enthusiasm when he discusses what comes next for footballers. "I've got a huge passion in trying to help guys transition out of football. Because there is a period where you go through a sort of post-AFL syndrome.
"Some guys find it hard to really let go of their AFL dream. They don't realise it's over."
