On the flight back from Sydney with the team, he leaned over the seat to ask Collingwood’s premiership coach Craig McRae a simple question: Did he know what went wrong?

When McRae said “yes”, Browne stopped him before he went into further detail. That’s all he wanted to know. He had faith the coaching staff would resolve the problems.

The jolting loss was a reality check, amplifying the concern 1990 Collingwood premiership coach and Brisbane Lions director Leigh Matthews expressed leading into the game – that the Magpies had celebrated their flag for too long.

‘An easy, predictable thing to say’

That club leaders and players attended the premiere of the documentary Take the Steps, reflecting on Collingwood’s 2023 season, just weeks before opening round helped fuel a perception Browne rejects.

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“It’s just an easy, predictable thing to say, particularly when you lose in [the first round]. We gave up a bit by going up [to play at the Giants’ home ground] but I am happy that we did. Development of the northern states is really important to the competition,” Browne said.

He has only sensed within the club a desire to get better and projects such as the documentary – which has attracted close to 40,000 filmgoers according to the club – are a way to show supporters a glimpse of what happened in that season.

Browne admits, however, that accepting the flag from AFL chairman Richard Goyder during last week’s launch was an emotional moment.

“I was holding this thing that is so hard to get. It is a symbol of everything we set out to achieve,” Browne said.

In his speech he thanked all the clubs for the competition on display in 2023, but he did not specifically mention his regard for the Lions, who were the other side fighting out the epic decider.

“I didn’t mention Brisbane because I reckon they are sick of hearing it,” Browne said.

His mind is on what Collingwood can achieve as a club with the team firing and more than 100,000 members following every move.

One idea is to establish a presence in western Sydney, stretching the Collingwood brand into non-traditional areas.

Another plan is to take the club’s future fund from $23 million to $50 million, a goal he thinks can be achieved in the next three to four years. Extended deals with long-term sponsors such as La Trobe and Emirates as well as last year’s $6 million profit give him reason to be confident.

‘Mighty Collingwood Ground’ and how to combat hubris

Along the way he jokes that the MCG stands for the “Mighty Collingwood Ground”, a phrase sure to push the buttons of the majority of football fans who won’t take long to stop flirting with any ideas they don’t mind the Magpies.

The obvious question is: How does he stop such passion turning into hubris?

“In the past hubris could have been a problem but the cultural reset [means] we all want to be better. We are grounded,” Browne said as he sat in an office at Collingwood’s training centre.

“We’re so happy to win the premiership, make no mistake about that, [but] we know there was so much hard work [needed and] if we don’t work harder, because the other teams [will] improve, we might not be able to do that again.

“[We are] confident this year we can challenge again as long as we go out and compete really hard.”

Raising the flag at 6.24pm on Friday night (that might be taking the “making the minutes count” motto a bit far) will put the full stop on 2023 as the fans return for the first time to the scene that gave them so much joy.

And Browne will package in his mind the memories that have sustained him through the first stages of his cancer battle, such as the moment that occurred when he returned to watch the first day of pre-season.

“[I was] standing on the boundary and the Daicos boys, Brayden Maynard, Darcy [Moore] and a couple of the other boys came up and gave me a hug. I thought, that is better than any drug they can give me,” Browne said.

“That got me pretty fired up and raring to go. The club is in a really strong position.

“We need to work hard. We need to be modest and we need to achieve the best we possibly can this year.”

‘I want him to be safe’: Further scans for Nathan Murphy

The club’s care for its players ensured Collingwood arranged for premiership defender Nathan Murphy to undergo further brain scans after Melbourne midfielder Angus Brayshaw’s shock retirement on the eve of the season.

The cautious approach is part of the ongoing assessment of the 24-year-old, who has not played since being subbed out of last year’s grand final with concussion.

His playing future was uncertain throughout the off-season until he received medical clearance to play on from the club doctor and the AFL’s concussion panel.

The Collingwood board had already met with Murphy and his parents before Christmas to ensure he understood the risk before he committed to play on in 2024.

Browne said the club was handling the issue with sensitivity and would continue to manage him cautiously, but they are expecting him to return to play at some stage in the season.

“He’s having ongoing scans. They’re all good. And he wants to play. We are managing him very cautiously,” Browne said.

He said the board’s decision to meet with Murphy and those closest to him before Christmas was “solely about his health and wellbeing” rather than being designed to protect the club from future liability. Browne said the club was making certain every step was taken to protect Murphy’s health.

“The health and safety of everyone at Collingwood is my concern and responsibility

“It’s not about protecting us from future liabilities, it’s about doing the right thing by him. I’d love him to be playing and I want him to be safe,” Browne said.

Murphy decided in mid-February to remain sidelined indefinitely until he got himself into the right frame of mind to play in a competitive manner. The courageous defender has a history of concussions and admitted he needed time to adjust his technique and rebuild his confidence before resuming. Out of contract at the end of 2024, he said he expected to play again.

“I am trying to live in this space at the moment. I am not really contemplating retirement, that is not on my agenda,” Murphy said.

Browne also supported the confidentiality provision of the game’s illicit drug policy as negotiations kick off between the AFL and the players’ association on what it should look like following its review.

Ex-Collingwood president Eddie McGuire reported that key people at clubs were pushing for a player to be outed if they test positive under the policy.

Browne said he had faith in the medical view that underpinned the program, which players agreed to voluntarily.

“The best chance you’ve got of rehabilitating someone if they have a problem is that confidentiality through treatment and I do actually support that in principle. If I don’t know [individual results], I’m not concerned about that,” Browne said.

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