Lachie was an easy child to bring up.

He was the kind of kid who would smile and wave at anyone, from when he was in the pram to when he was able to walk.

He was kind and generous, and always made friends easily.

He was also a sports fanatic.

There would always be a ball in his hand, whether it was a footy, basketball or cricket ball.

I know a lot of kids say it, but he always wanted to play football.

That was always his dream. 

Lachie wasn’t gifted with the ideal physical attributes to chase his dream.

He was never the tallest, never the quickest nor the most skilful player.

But I tell all my kids that anything is possible as long as they are willing to do the hard work.

If it’s something they really want, they can achieve anything they want in life.

And that’s what Lachie has done. He kept working hard. He kept his eye on what he wanted.

I was so happy for him when he got drafted and I’m still very proud of him.

Even with him on the other side of the country, we’ve remained close.

In year 10 he was lucky enough to get a scholarship to St Peters in Adelaide.

We thought that he would have better coaching in the road to the draft, so he went away to boarding school in year 10.

Since then, I’ve always known he is only a phone call away, or a drive and even now it’s just a plane trip away.

We talk regularly on the phone so I am happy as long as he is happy and following his dreams.

The day I dropped him off and drove away, I cried for an hour or two on the way home, but that was it.

We miss having him around but we are just so happy that he is doing what he loves.

 

It’s been amazing seeing Lachie get recognition for his work, from winning the Doig Medal to the Brownlow Votes he got last year.

He’s a quiet achiever that keeps working away and working away.

I do think it’s nice for him to be getting some recognition. He is not fussed about the accolades but it is nice that he is getting rewarded for his effort.

Off the field, I’m equally proud to see Lachie continue to develop as a person and a leader.

His ambassadorial work with the Starlight Children’s Foundation is very important to him and our family.

When Lachie’s sister Amelia was born she was quite sick.

Most babies with her condition are stillborn so we had a pretty harrowing eight weeks.

Lachie was at an age then when it really scared him and he was quite concerned.

Even when we knew she was going to be okay, Lachie didn’t believe me so I had to sit him down with the nurses and doctors and get them to explain that she was going to be okay.

She is a bit of a medical miracle and he witnessed that first hand.

For his 100th game, the five of us and my dad are going to jump in the car and drive to Melbourne.

I hope that he goes out there and enjoys it and plays the best game he can.

He has been a very good son and I just love him to bits – and I can’t imagine a better way to spend my Mother's Day.