The men behind the machines
by *Tim Gavel

...... a number of footballers who have become household names by virtue of their performances on the field for the Brumbies and the Wallabies.
Steve Larkham and George Gregan are the last of the foundation players and it's only fitting that the Eastern Grandstand is named in their honour tonight.

Hooker Jeremy Paul, then the Queensland-based Australian Under-21 hooker, joined the Brumbies two years later in 1998 as Marco Caputo's understudy.

Brilliantly loyal to the end

The other side of George

Also coming through the Canberra ranks at the same time as Larkham in the early to mid 1990s was George Gregan.

Educated at St Edmond's College, Gregan had a tough choice to make early in his career as he was courted by both rugby union and cricket.
In the end, rugby won out and he went on to play his debut Test for the Wallabies in 1994.

In only his fourth Test that year he made that memorable tackle on All Black Jeff Wilson as he appeared headed for a try that would have won the Bledesloe Cup.

The ball jolted out of Wilson's arms and a legend was born.

These days, George Gregan is renowned for his utter professionalism in his approach, with nothing left to chance in his preparation for games. It wasn't always the case.

Kim Thurbon gave him the nickname 'Clocks' because he was never on time as he struggled to get his less than new Holden HQ to training on time.

Thurbon says he knew Gregan would become a champion when he saw him play for the under-19s at Royal Military College. As he was being tackled into touch he managed to pass the ball between his legs to the winger who scored.

His talent was there for all to see in 1994 as part of the ACT side that defeated NSW in Sydney. Teammate Paul Cornish had given him a new nickname on the bus trip.

He was now known as the 'Gov' short for the Governor General with his initials GG.

From the time he played his first Test Gregan seemed to be under constant scrutiny, with the criticism relentless.

When he was chosen for his first Test against Italy in 1994 there were those who thought Peter Slattery should have been chosen, and it has been continuing ever since with Chris Whittaker, Matt Henjak, Sam Cordingley and Matt Giteau put forward by the anti-Gregan squad as supposedly better candidates.

Whether or not it's the tall poppy syndrome, it's hard to work out why a player who has played 127 Tests would come under so much fire.
Former Brumby Marco Caputo believes that if Gregan was playing for England he would have been knighted.

When the Brumbies travel to New Zealand and South Africa the fans besiege him seeking a moment of his time such is his prominence, yet in Australia it seems his every move is criticised.

For his part George Gregan doesn't take too much notice of the critics, which include former ACT player and Wallaby David Campese.

The only time it seems to trouble him is when it affects his family or teammates.

Caputo says he is one of the most loyal mates he has ever known and regards him as the greatest captain he has played under because of his ability to bring out the best in the players that he plays alongside.

When I met his parents, the pride they have in their son is obvious and the closeness of the family unit was apparent.

There are many positives to come out of the current era of professionalism. One of the downsides, however, is that the true personality of players is often shielded from the public.
The only image they have of the player is what they see on the field or a brief contact away from it.

The public and private personalities of George Gregan could not be more different. On the field you get the impression that he is a man possessed.

Yet off the field he has established strong friendships with rivals, such as All Black Justin Marshall. Among his friends and teammates he is known as a prankster.

One story has Gregan ringing up a rookie teammate pretending to be a journalist.

The youngster is told to meet the journalist outside, only to be greeted by laughter from his teammates looking down from the balconies as he waits in full team uniform for the bogus reporter.

Of course these days George moves in different circles with his business interests, while his charity the George Gregan Foundation has changed the lives of many, with the foundation building playgrounds in hospitals for sick kids in.

In a way the media is responsible for not allowing us to see this other side of George because of the constant criticism. It has resulted in him becoming reluctant to give them any ammunition.

While George Gregan has the look of 'approach me at your peril' before games, Jeremy Paul is the complete opposite.

Last weekend former teammate *Bill Young wished him good luck after the players went through their preparations on the field.

Instead of a simple acknowledgement, Paul was keen to find out what Young was doing after the game.

He then went on to play one of his best games for the Brumbies this season.

Paul's laid-back nature is an extremely endearing aspect of his engaging personality, but it may have also presented the wrong message to those in charge. Given his natural ability he probably should have played more Tests.

Caputo says when Jeremy Paul arrived at the Brumbies in 1998 he was more than happy to give the young hooker plenty of advice. In 1999, Paul had become the starting hooker with Caputo relegated to the bench. Needless to say from that moment on Caputo says he was reluctant to be as forthcoming with his advice as Paul went on to become the most capped Australian hooker of all time.

Numerous junior clubs in Canberra have contacted me to tell me about Jeremy Paul's generosity with his time.

Paul has taken junior hookers under his wing; training and teaching them in his own time.

It's that generosity, as well as his ability on the field, which has endeared him to so many young players in the ACT.

All three players are winners in their own way, on and off the field and as a community we are richer for their time spent playing for the Brumbies.