When Collingwood premiership player Tyson Goldsack tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) on the eve of the 2018 season, his playing career hit a crossroads.
But the time spent on the sidelines with a Pies teammate inspired an urge to put a coaching cap on, which has held him in good stead for nearly a decade.
"I started doing it when I did my knee in 2018," Goldsack told Zero Hanger.
"I worked closely with Ben Crocker, who's a good friend of mine. Being able to work closely with him, and getting that little taste of coaching from a player-to-player perspective, I really enjoyed that, and that led me to pursue it a little bit more, and think about it and chase the opportunities when I finished.
"It wasn't until the last two years of my career that I thought maybe coaching is the way for me."
Remarkably, Goldsack played in the club's grand final loss to West Coast following one of the quickest turnarounds from an ACL injury.
And even though his playing days became numbered, subsequently retiring at the end of 2019, life after football emerged, and with that, the idea of becoming an AFL head coach spawned.
"That is the plan," Goldsack said.
"The ultimate goal is to be a head coach.
"When I got the taste of it as a SANFL head coach, I really enjoyed that. To be able to run your own program, to get to do things your way that you find beneficial, and you get to experience the challenges of it.
"For me, (AFL head coach) is certainly a goal long term."
After retiring, Goldsack headed to South Australia to be closer to his wife's family and took a development coaching role at Port Adelaide, while playing for the Magpies in the SANFL.
He applied his craft in helping and assisting the next generation of Power players, as well as those in the reserves, helping them develop into AFL-ready players.
His work was rewarded with the head coaching role of the Magpies in 2023, before being promoted to the AFL side for a couple of seasons. And now, Goldsack, a Pies favourite, returned to where his football began under Craig McRae as Collingwood's forward-line coach.
"It was a tough transition early on, trying to learn the ways at Collingwood," he said.
"Club to club, there's a lot that's the same, but there's a lot that's different. Whether it's terminology, game style, or personnel. It took me a while for the dust to settle and get into the groove. We've hit a nice little sweet spot in the last six weeks.
"Being a coach rather than a player is so different.
"You're doing a lot more computer work, trying to prepare your players the best way you can, and that looks very different from player to player."
Making those early days even more difficult is the unavailability of Collingwood's 2025 leading goal kicker, Jamie Elliott, as well as Norm Smith Medallist Bobby Hill.
Goldsack has been limited by the absence of scoring powers Elliott and Hill, but has maintained a forward line rage, especially in recent weeks. Since Elliott went down in Round 11, the Pies have averaged 91 points, including two games over 100 points.
Key forward pair Tim Membrey (22 goals) and Dan McStay (29 goals) have hit the scoreboard regularly, while Lachie Schultz (21), Nick Daicos (20) and Jordan De Goey (16) average a goal or more a game.
Collingwood and Goldsack turn their attention to Carlton on Saturday night at the MCG, looking to extend their win streak to five, further entrenching their position in the finals picture.
