Two of Collingwood's most successful cross-code athletes have come together on the Club’s podcast Common Thread to chat all things sport, moving from home and the highlights from their careers.
156-game Pie and former NFL punter Saverio Rocca and Irish triple-threat and current AFLW Magpie Sarah Rowe met for the first time ahead of their episode but quickly hit it off as they discovered their similarities.
Rocca – who forged a 257-game AFL career before spending six seasons in the NFL as a punter – was buoyed by hearing some of Rowe’s stories about moving to the other side of the world to pursue a sporting dream.
Rowe did so in 2019 after growing up as a star Gaelic footballer and soccer player, moving to Australia when the AFLW was still in its early years.
The pair were able to share their experiences in moving away from their home country and learning a whole new set of rules, meeting new teammates, and fitting into a new culture.
While Rowe is still in the midst of her career, Rocca’s reflections having been retired for over a decade offered nice comparisons.
Similarly, Rocca’s journey from starting as a natural AFL player before switching codes, compared to Rowe coming into the AFLW having never played the sport, saw some brilliant stories exchanged.
Common Thread Episode Three: Saverio Rocca and Sarah Rowe
00:00 – Introduction
00:23 – Saverio and Sarah chat about their childhoods
02:19 - Saverio chats about his early days at Collingwood
03:55 - How Sarah heard about the AFLW
06:04 - How Saverio made the switch to NFL
09:17 – The cultural differences between AFL and NFL
11:12 - Irish culture and loyalty
15:04 - The pair’s move overseas
18:10 - Learning new rules
20:09 - The professionalism of Gaelic football
22:59 – The end of Saverio’s career
26:53 – Sarah’s aspirations away from sport
30:56 - Philadelphia Eagles fans
34:38 – Sarah’s experience kicking a Sherrin for the first time
37:12 – Saverio’s role change from full forward to punter
42:14 - The pair’s memories at Victoria Park
