Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy had a hand in two convincing preliminary wins on Friday night, a few hundred metres apart.
Apart from guiding the Storm to the NRL grand final, Bellamy also spoke to Collingwood this week ahead of their shock AFL preliminary final triumph over reigning premiers Richmond.
The fireworks that boomed over the MCG before three-quarter time proved fitting, given they signalled the Storm's 22-6 win over Cronulla across the road at AAMI Park.
Told of the Storm's win, Magpies coach Nathan Buckley happily noted "two for two".
Buckley added: "what a gesture, for a coach who's in the midst of his own endeavours, to spend an hour, come across to a rival code ... to give his thoughts.
"It was awesome and the boys really enjoyed it.
"A bloke who's had his level of success, we took those words and those lessons and absorbed them."
The Collingwood coach said there was nothing complex about Bellamy's message, but it struck a chord.
"Keeping things basic, keep them simple - a lot of people beat themselves in these situations," he said.
"We don't think we're a team that beat themselves, we have to be beaten if you're going to get us."
Former Magpies premiership captain Nick Maxwell works at the two clubs and Buckley said that led to Bellamy's talk.
"We've had a great respect for how Melbourne Storm have gone about it," Buckley said.
"They're amazingly successful over a long period of time.
"We're in our infancy in regards to anything like that.
"To glean anything off that is of benefit to us."
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