Corey Oates Opens Up On The Darkest Point In His Career & The Man That Saved Him

Corey Oates Opens Up On The Darkest Point In His Career & The Man That Saved Him

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:12):
My Hard Podcasts, Year more Kiss Podcasts, playlists, and listen
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with Correos the podcast.

Speaker 2 (00:26):
In your life and careers, you always have sort of
tough times and low moments, And for me that was
twenty twenty one, And to be honest, I was just
stuck in my own world and my own ways and
just didn't listen to people and wasn't asking for help
and I ended up getting dropped because of it and what.

Speaker 1 (00:45):
You were just in your own head.

Speaker 2 (00:46):
Yeah, I just it's like I just didn't think I
was doing anything wrong, and you know, I wasn't realizing
that I wasn't doing all the same preparation and same
stuff that I was doing years before. And were the
Bronx losing it? Yeah, we were playing really bad, and
yeah I was in the blame for everything, and I
think all that's just really caught up. And it wasn't

(01:07):
until I got dropped. I went back to Souse Souse
Magpies and I was done, Like I was really I
was ready to retire. Really, Yeah, I just I've been
through a lot. I was sick of the mental battle
with rugby league and a few other things in the
background happened, and yeah, I end up going back to
South and I really thought my career was done. I

(01:29):
was at that stage where I was actually content with it.

Speaker 3 (01:32):
I really was, yeah, having to say say farewell, be done.

Speaker 2 (01:35):
Pretty much and I went back there. The coach at
the time, Steve Brotherton, I remember after the trials that
I played with him, he had a chat with me
one on one. He said, mate, what are you doing?
He said, what are you actually here for? I said, oh,
I just you know, I don't think I can do
it anymore like I used to. And he said, but why, like,
you know, what I bring isn't good enough and and

(01:58):
he said, well I think it is. And he said,
you know what you what you've built your career on.
He said, you do it so well and so much
better than other wingers do in this game. Still now,
he said, there's no reason why you can't be back
at that top level and one of the best in
the game. And he said, I can tell you right now,

(02:18):
this team doesn't want you here, he said out reason,
he said, they want you here, they love you, but
they don't want you to be wasting your career, you know,
playing for a Q Cup team. You're way better than that.
And he said, like, stop just going along with the ride,
and and we want to help you get back because
I didn't want to intrude in their game plan and world.

(02:39):
I just wanted to be a part of their team
and and and he said, so I want you to
get back. He said, that's our job is now. He said,
we all sincee it in you like it will happen.
And he said, we want to help it. And all, honestly,
eight rounds in I think or seven seven games are
playing with them. It was a game against Winter mainly,

(03:02):
and and if I'm honest, it was the best game
in football played for sixteen months. And I remember after
the game, Steve and I met in the middle of
the field and we just both just went, you're back,
and I sit on back and had a cuddle and
we both just got a motion. I was like, what
just happened? And He's like, all this hard work it's

(03:23):
paying off. And it's just because if I didn't have
that conversation with him, or if he didn't go out
of his own way and the team didn't didn't do
all that for me, I still got no idea where
I'd be, and he really did save my career because
people close to me, they knew I was done.

Speaker 1 (03:40):
Yeah, oh, let's talk to him, Let's get him up.

Speaker 3 (03:43):
Yep, Yeah, all right, we're going to come back because
Steve's been listening to all that. So we're going to
come back and chat with Steve right after this. Breatha,
you got to stay.

Speaker 4 (03:52):
Mate, I do.

Speaker 3 (03:53):
How are you very good? So this is Steve A brethaton.
He is the CEO of South Logan Magpies and Corey
was just telling us a story from twenty twenty one
when he got dropped down to Q Cup. Steve was
the coach of the team at the time and his
career sea.

Speaker 4 (04:11):
Yeah. I think he saved his own career with with
the work that he did. It just needed a little prolong,
but very touching to hear those those words. And I
do remember the game. We've nicknamed that corner h corner
because he's scored a try in the far corner from
the chuck pan at winn them and actually it was
the first game they'd lost that year, they'd won ten
in a row or something like that. Yeah, yeah, so yeah,

(04:38):
you did it yourself, because that's all I'll say.

Speaker 1 (04:40):
Mate, Yeah, Steve, tell me what you think about Corey,
because clearly he sees you as someone that was you
know that really is fundamental to who he is as
a human being. But you must see also a really
great guy, not just a footy player.

Speaker 4 (04:57):
I think it stems from his upbringing and everyone knows
that he's a bush kid, grew up in the bush
west of Rockhampton, and you know the way he was
brought up with some with some good ethics and and
done what he did in the game. You don't lose
any of that. Yes, you go through some hard times
and every now and again you lose your way, but

(05:18):
you don't ever lose what your epics are in life.
And he's obviously got good runs and you don't do
what he's done in his life and is actually transitioning
well out of foot ye now and doing what he's
doing on the radio. And the willingness to help kids.
You see something with the kids and wants to get
on board and try and help that. You know, we
get players that come to our club all the time

(05:38):
through affiliations and the career type stuff, and it's our
job to try and help them be the best that
they can be as well, so you could.

Speaker 3 (05:46):
Save all of our careers.

Speaker 4 (05:50):
Just gone through the room