I first met Paul Couch in the late eighties when I was at a school boy footy carnival in Warrnambool in country Victoria. Paul, who was already starring for Geelong in the VFL, came down to help out.

It was the start of a friendship that lasted many years, and has sadly ended far too soon.

Paul was an idol for players like myself and Wayne Schwass coming out of Warrnambool.

He was a man’s man and tough as nails on the football field. He was as competitive as they came, as you have to be to be crowned a Brownlow medallist.

During our respective playing careers we came up against each other on several occasions and we trained alongside each other as part of the Victorian State of Origin squad in the nineties.

As I said, Couchy was one of the toughest players you’d ever encounter, but as soon as the final siren went at the end of those games between Geelong and Footscray, we’d always seek each other out to share a few laughs and trade jibes about the rivalry between my South Warrnambool Roosters and his old club Warrnambool.

During our playing days and the years following, we’d often run into each other back in Warrnambool during the off-season and share a beer, a laugh and a punt on the horses.

He was a great family man and the sort of person who could see the lighter side of everything.

I still remember hearing the shocking news of Paul’s passing last week, and it moved everyone at our young footy club, just as it did the rest of the football world. His loss is a reminder to all of us how important life is.

My thoughts, along everyone’s at the GIANTS, are with the Couch family today as we farewell a wonderful person.