The second episode of Collingwood Conversations has landed, telling the story of Wally Lovett, the first Indigenous player to represent the Magpies.

Lovett spent just one season at Victoria Park, but left a lasting impact on teammates and supporters alike.

He played 15 games in 1982 – the year coach Tom Hafey was sacked after three consecutive Grand Finals – before transferring to Richmond, where he played a further 13 games in the next two years.

Fifteen Indigenous players have since followed in Lovett’s footsteps, though he remained the only Indigenous player to have represented the club until the arrival of Robbie Ahmat in 1995.

“It felt a very safe place and a welcoming place,” Lovett told Collingwood Conversations of his Magpie experience.

“Having all the supporters come up to you after a game made you feel really special.

“To be the first Indigenous player to represent Collingwood is something I’m very proud of.

“A lot of people mention it to me now. A lot of Collingwood people brought it up many years ago. It made me stand a bit taller.” Ancestry

Other talking points include:

- A look at the club’s jumper for the 2018 Indigenous Round (1.04)
- Lovett’s earliest football memories (1.46)
- Challenges in Lovett’s life (4.07)
- A family’s war story (11.21)
- Lovett’s path from the country to Collingwood (14.18)
- Memories of his league debut (18.37)
- A move to Richmond (26.40)
- Helicoptered to a wedding after a match at Waverley (29.45)
- Adjusting to life at Punt Road (32.07)
- Does Lovett wish he’d stayed at Collingwood? (35.25)
- Lovett’s experiences as an Indigenous player in the 1980s (37.28)
- Pride in stands taken by Indigenous players against racism (43.41)
- Giving back through the Past Players’ Association (49.29)

About Collingwood Conversations:

Collingwood Conversations is a podcast exploring some of the most fascinating figures and compelling stories in Magpie history.

Each episode, club greats past and present sit down with author, journalist and club historian Michael Roberts to tell the tales of their lives in the Black and White jumper.

Click here to listen to the first episode of Collingwood Conversations where Travis Cloke reflects on his 246-game career as a Magpie.