'Blow your mummas a kiss!' Footy Mum Julie McCreery's magnificent pre-game address

This is a BEAUTIFUL video and almost melts my cold, Collingwood hating heart.

I’ve watched this five times and can’t get enough of it. From the thumbs up on entrance, to the fist pumping finale, it’s just great. It actually made me think — no wonder the team is playing with such joy, footy is FUN at Collingwood at the moment.

In terms of speech analysis, Julie McCreery’s words are simple, but being a woman standing in a room full of your son’s workmates and peers with a camera in your face isn’t. And yet she handles it pefectly. Watch for:

1. Embracing the joke and the surprise. Her opening ‘hello boys!’ is in coach mode, and there’s such a warm smile and ownership of the podium that everyone immediately knows she’s confident, and going to nail it;

2. Julie goes heartfelt early. She thanks the boys for the enjoyment they’ve been providing, she establishes what the players and mums and partners mean to each other;

3. Use direct language, and short punchy sentences. Especially for a motivational coach’s address

4. Modulate volume. It’s when she goes louder that the joke kicks in. The players help her out by roaring approval after every exhortation.

5. Julie is great with her hand gestures. I reckon she’s done a fair bit of speaking and public presentation, or maybe is just a natural.

Anyway, it’s glorious. Well done Julie McCreery. You’re as much a star as your talented son, and well done Craig McRae and Collingwood.

You can visit speech transcript here, or upgrade to paid status and read it below.