ADAM Dowie hopes Josh Corbett's famed work ethic can inspire his North Warrnambool Eagles to build their intensity as they pursue a maiden Hampden league premiership.
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Corbett returned to his former stomping ground, Bushfield Recreation Reserve, on Wednesday to put the club through its paces on the training track.
Dowie said the Gold Coast Suns forward, who managed seven AFL games in 2020, initiated the training session and wanted to help his junior club.
"I know Josh was probably more excited than the players about coming back and joining in," he said.
"He loves the place. It's good for our guys to see that this is where he started, and this is the pathway he's taken.
"Not everyone is going to do what he's done but he's got two arms, two legs, he's obviously worked really hard with his fitness and now he's living his dream as a professional footballer."
Dowie said Corbett was an example of perseverance.
"He's obviously talented, but it's come through hard work. I didn't really know him - I'd coached against him - but he's an outstanding young person," he said.
"I know he signed a reasonably long deal with Gold Coast and they probably want someone like that around because he sets such a good example for other players in terms of work ethic and team-first attitude.
"We feel like we've got a good, young side and some good, young players. You just never know.
"There's lots of Josh Corbett stories out there. It's just about people who get the chance who thought it might have passed them by.
I've been using this quote from Shawshank Redemption a bit - 'it takes a good man to save himself, and it takes a great man to save another'.
- Adam Dowie
"That's not just in footy, it's in a whole lot of sports and careers and things like that. It's just a great example of persistence, hard work and the old 'good things happen to good people'."
Dowie, who delivered Hampden league premierships at Terang Mortlake, Koroit and Warrnambool before joining North Warrnambool Eagles, said the Bushfield-based club was "still getting there" in regards to work ethic.
He said coaching staff and senior players had noticed significant improvement in the Eagles' youth.
"Our young guys, they've been training really hard. We've been in the gym some early mornings and it's re-teaching or educating how hard you have to work," he said.
"In my head, I have a benchmark. I can't do it for (the players), they need to do it themselves.
"I've been using this quote from Shawshank Redemption a bit - 'it takes a good man to save himself, and it takes a great man to save another'.
"A lot of our best players will train super hard themselves, but what I'm trying to encourage is that you've got to drag others along.
"An Adam Wines, for example, is super fit and he's doing his weights and running. The next thing for him is drag some boys with you.
"That's the ultimate. The boys have got great intentions and they mean really well. It's just an ongoing process."
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