[Watch the episode here] Two premierships. A Brownlow Medal. 300 AFL games. But ask Gavin Wanganeen what defines success today, and his answer has very little to do with football.
In this special Shaped Finals Series episode, Gavin sits down with Trent to reflect on the moments that shaped an extraordinary life and career.
From humble beginnings and wearing his footy boots to school, to arriving at Essendon as a teenager and becoming part of the famous 1993 Baby Bombers, Gavin takes us inside the year that saw him become the first Indigenous player to win the Brownlow Medal before experiencing premiership glory just days later.
He opens up about the incredibly difficult decision to leave Essendon for Port Adelaide, the difference between winning premierships at 20 and 31, and why experience taught him just how rare those moments really are.
Away from the field, Gavin speaks about family, culture, the sacrifices of the generations before him and the challenge of finding purpose after football. He also shares how Indigenous art became an unexpected second chapter in his life.
And when Trent asks what has shaped him most, Gavin doesn't point to a Brownlow or premiership. He goes back to the hardships and sacrifices of his grandfather and great-grandfather stories that he says set the tone for the person he became.
A conversation about football, family, identity, resilience and what really matters when the siren eventually sounds.
Shaped by Trent Cotchin: Finals Series, presented by MAGEZE.
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