As soon as he heard it, Gary Coyne knew he wanted to be a part of it.
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Didn't have to, had already spilled blood for his club. Won two premierships while he was at it. Including their first ever. Thirty years ago.
But he wasn't happy with just being a part of the Canberra Raiders' past. Coyne wanted to be part of the present. And the future as well.
He helped build the club's foundation through that premiership triumph in 1989.
Now he's helping with the foundations of their swanky new centre of excellence. Helping make their next premiership dream come true.
Not only did he win the Green Machine's very first title, but he was the first to sign up to buy a foundation stone as well.
Not exactly pocket change either. Just a cool 25 large for the honour of having his family remembered at their spiritual home.
Gary, Gail, Natalia and Jordan Coyne. It wasn't just for him. It was for everything his family sacrificed during his career as well.
A handy business career post Raiders has helped him make it happen.
Not one, not two, not three, but eight. A handy little collection of McDonald's he has in North Brisbane. He's gone about his business career exactly how he went about his football one. Successfully.
"I purchased a foundation stone I think they call it. Basically as a recognition of my family and their commitment to my career," Coyne said.
"Both my kids were born in Canberra.
"I think there's only 25 of them being sold. When it was mentioned at the [season] launch I thought, 'That's a bloody good idea I might pick one of those up.'
"It's just recognition of the club and the club showing faith in me, bringing me down from Queensland, from Brisbane.
"It's just a good fit. Why not do it and support the club and have some sort of recognition for the family.
"I just think it's a great idea and it's something I jumped at."
The second rower was down in Canberra for his old club's season launch. Met the current crop of Raiders while he was there. Will be back for their Forever Green reunion dinner in round 18 as well.
What about this crop? Got a few handy back rowers in it. Three to be precise.
Coyne played two Tests for Australia and had 11 Origins to boot. Knows a thing or two about what's needed to live on the edge.
Likes what he sees. Didn't get to meet John Bateman, just the other two. Reckons they look strong. Has him "a bit excited". Reckons these Raiders could go alright too if they keep the doctor away.
Thinks they could even take down the Melbourne Storm later in the year. Has the game already circled on the calendar. Just a bit of "stage fright" got them in round two.
By then Bateman might've even "found his feet".
"I'm a big fan of Elliott Whitehead. I think his commitment and his skill is fantastic for the club," Coyne said.
"To have a guy like Bateman come in, who I didn't know much about. I knew he played for England and he's come with a bit of a reputation, but playing in the NRL's different to playing for England against some of these other teams.
"But he's certainly showing himself and in four games he's going along alright at the moment. I think he's still trying to find his feet myself.
"So look out when he does find his feet. I think we'll see a better player again."
Coyne came down from Queensland. Was part of the batch of banana benders who formed the backbone of the Raiders' golden era.
Mal Meninga, Gary Belcher, Steve and Kevin Walters. Add Coyne to that list too.
Now the Green Machine has a new frontier. England. The land of the rising Poms. Bateman, Whitehead, Josh Hodgson, Ryan Sutton. Maybe another on the way in George Williams.
But back to Queensland.
Coyne just came down to give it a crack. Didn't want to live in Sydney so chose Canberra. And look where it ended.
"I had no idea [of what I was going to be part of]. I just knew I was coming down to a pretty newly established club," he said.
"They'd signed some players from the Brisbane league that I knew like Mal Meninga, Gary Belcher and Steve Walters.
"I just thought it's a great opportunity to go and give it a crack. Just give it a go and see where it took [me]. And look at where we ended. We did alright ... I'd do it all again."
Let's travel back in time. Back to '89. What was Coyne's lasting memory of the grand final win over Balmain?
Was it Steve Jackson barging over from 70 metres out? Chicka Ferguson jigging his way across the line? Fire engines hosing the Canberra airport runway as the players landed later that night?
Naaa. It was a Queenslander. Perhaps the greatest of all.
"What I can always remember was Mal kicking the goal to make it 14-all. At that point there I had a fair idea we were going to go into extra time and I just believe we were the better team all day," Coyne recalled.
"We were never in front for the whole 80 minutes so to get it to 14-all I was just confident - I was off the field by then, I'd been replaced - but I just had a feeling if Mal kicked that goal.
"Chicka scoring that try was fantastic too, but you just thought something was happening.
"I just had a feeling that we were going to win it and I couldn't wait until the end.
"We had the momentum, we had control of the ball, we just had it all happening. And we got better as the game went on."
Green Machine foundation laid. Canberra's soul forever made. Now Coyne's helping build the foundation for the new era.