Gregan plans a gritty finish

Sunday, May 13, 2007

WHEN George Gregan packs his bags this week before yet another Wallabies train-on squad gathering, there'll be no room for sentiment with the bottles of lotions and potions he's famous among teammates for using.

After 13 tough years and 127 Tests - 58 as skipper - Gregan is preparing for his farewell to international rugby in this World Cup year.

While he's still unsure about the role he'll play in the campaigns because coach John Connolly says he's looking at "options" across the board, Gregan will drum in the home truths to the new breed about surviving the rough 'n' tumble of international rugby.

The smarter members of the group will take notes because, since his debut against Italy in 1994, the now 34-year-old has not only set high standards for professionalism, he's also thrived in a game that can age players before their time.

"I remember my first Australian team," Gregan says. "It was at the Hong Kong Sevens and there were guys like Tim Horan, Jason Little, David Campese ... and David Wilson. What they promoted was positive reinforcement and self-belief."

Gregan's mentoring role has even greater significance this year. His last hurrah coincides with the emergence of a rich crop of rookies who are still wet behind the ears.

He'll reinforce to players such as Kurtley Beale, Josh Holmes, Quade Cooper and Lachlan Turner the importance of onfield communication; that you make your own luck by working hard and preparing properly; the need to remain flexible; that mental strength is as important as physical bulk.

"What you do to prevent injuries comes back to your diligence as a professional sportsman," he says. "As I've grown older I've realised how important flexibility is.

"You take it for granted as a young bloke, but over the last eight years Pilates has been an important part of my routine. It's helped me bounce back and not break when I've found myself in different positions.

"The mental side, too - there is a lot more analysis now and, while visualisation is a device, mental strength is a player remaining disciplined when he is fatigued or under pressure. That's when the mental side becomes more personality-specific."

Gregan, who will play for French team Toulon after the World Cup, has remained a key figure in the Australian team despite critics who have tried to shoot holes in not only his game but his personality. In an era when athletes are expected to hold court on issues ranging from greenhouse gases to education, he has been too hard a nut to crack.

The exception was when he revealed his son Max had epilepsy and that he had formed the George Gregan Foundation, which raises funds to build playgrounds in hospitals. Gregan has long guarded his privacy, but the decision to open up about Max's condition was easy.

"You don't always have to speak out about things to try to help or to change things," he says. "My family's experience is small compared with what some families go through, but I am in a position to help do something for the kids in hospital and the best thing I can do is set up playgrounds.

"Athletes are asked to do a lot. It can be hard for young players because, without being rude, young athletes tend to be selfish in the sense that the whole world revolves around them. As they mature their eyes open to the world and they take things on board.

"Once I spoke about Max's epilepsy the response, the support, was amazing. When Mat Rogers spoke about his father's battle with depression I thought it was not only a brave thing but the beyondblue foundation received great support."

Gregan has taken note of how three champion Australian cricketers said their farewells. He was moved by the efforts Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne and Justin Langer put into their games until their final balls.

"They challenged themselves," he says. "It was great to see Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne push themselves until the end. You could see they were trying to improve their games and still trying new things."