Peter Daicos loves watching his sons Josh and Nick star for Collingwood on a weekly basis.
Daicos, who himself played 250 games for the Magpies in becoming one of the club’s greatest ever players, says it’s a joy to watch his boys do something they truly love.
With Nick and Josh both key pieces in Collingwood’s dominant start to the 2023 season, the Magpies great was asked how he fanned the flames of his children’s love of footy at an early age.
“The resources being made available to kids these days is pretty vast and broad,” Daicos told SEN WA The Run Home.
“One of the things that I continually did was I was involved in my kids’ sport, which I think is - whether as a coach or just turning up - is really important.
“I'm stating the obvious, but I think taking them to the football … I even used to take both boys into the commentary box when I was involved in commentary and media, I'd always have them there and we'd go to games, and they necessarily didn't have to be Collingwood games.
“I'd take them to a game, and they'd get all excited, we'd go home and kick a ball for an hour or so in the yard or in the living room.
“There was always that banter too when replays were on around the football side of things and the deft touches in football and anything that went on.
“So even subconsciously if they weren't really taking notice, they were really taking it in and taking it on board.
“I don't know what the secret is but, one of the things was that I was continually taking with the football and their love of the game has just grown and grown.
“As I say to the boys today, ‘You're doing something you love and you're getting paid for it’. There's not a lot of people that can say they're doing that.
“They put a lot of time and effort into their football.”
While Daicos was always hopeful his sons would make it to the top level, he says knew the boys would always be a reasonable chance of getting there given how committed they were at a young age.
“As a parent it doesn't matter what your kids are doing,” Daicos said.
“In this case with their football, I'd sit in the stands with them I reckon like three quarters of the dads would be saying, ‘It's when, but not if they make the grade’.
“I was always hopeful because again I get back to just the boys’ love of football … I knew they had a real appetite for it because even on rainy days - and half the time I was hoping they'd say no - but I'd say, ‘Let's go and have a kick’, it’d be pouring outside and they’d go, ‘Yeah, beauty’.
“They’d go and get their gear on and I'd take them to the park, and we'd have a kick, they'd get used to the conditions with a heavy slippery ball.
“I always knew they were half a chance to get close because of just their love of the game.
“It was never a chore for them to get them to a park or to be sitting in the park for a couple of hours just getting the touch right.”
Cleary Peter’s training techniques worked well, with both Nick and Josh with the brothers two of Collingwood’s most skilful players.
The Daicos boys will hope to lead Collingwood to a 9-1 record when they face Carlton in a huge clash on Sunday at the MCG.