The RJ Hickey Award recognises those who have provided outstanding service to Australian Football, and there are few people, in my view, that have had the impact on the game that Colin Carter has had across his remarkable career.
On Tuesday night at the club’s Annual General Meeting, Colin was recognised for everything he has done, not just in his time at the Cats, where he was president between 2010-2020, but for his service to the game going back to 1985 where he was a consultant to the then VFL Commission.
My career overlapped with Colin’s for a decade, and when I was asked to share my thoughts on this recognition, there were four qualities of his that came to mind.
I admired his calm and considered approach to his role.
There were many occasions when Colin would appropriately wear his very knowledgeable corporate hat to help educate and pass on his experiences to me as a player Leader at the Geelong Football Club.
His work on various Boards was something that I was able to benefit from when we caught up for a chat about all things Sports and Business.
I shared his passion for preserving the history of our game:
Colin has a strong interest in preserving the history of our great game and he fought willingly to emphasise the importance of recognising the game, from its origins.
I found his drive inspiring:
The impact that Colin has had on various organisations throughout the world is not achievable without a driven and compelled approach.
His ambitious nature diffused into the Geelong Football Club fabric and set up the Club for long and lasting success, and that has been prefaced on a willingness to drive high standards and expectations of behaviour.
Finally, his strategic thinking left a lasting impact on me.
The strategic thinking conversations that Colin shared with me were invaluable lessons, that have assisted me in my current Management Consulting role. In particular, lessons learnt regarding financial modelling has been of great significance to me.
It’s clear that through a legacy of impact that Colin has provided an outstanding contribution to our game and our club, and on behalf of myself, and the club, I want to thank him for everything he has done.
