He was different,undoubtedly. He was celebrated for it then. That very September,he addressed a United Nations conference on global health in Melbourne,quoting Gandhi,also Archbishop Desmond Tutu:“What hurts one,whether or not we are aware of it immediately,hurts the other.″ How those words resound now.
Initially,O’Brien was on his own account self-absorbed. Most young footballers are as they try to establish themselves. Early in that premiership season,O’Brien resolved to look outwards henceforth. He also said he did not define himself by football,but would use his football identity to campaign for a better world.
He changed.This was true down to the detail of his name. He would say that Collingwood didn’t change. Sound familiar?
Four years later,the relationship had darkened. Volatility is not unusual in the intense environment of a football club,which are full of strong characters and where everyone is only as good as last week’s performance. Connections quickly strain and just as quickly mend. But this union was broken beyond repair.
Exactly why,this column can’t and won’t guess. Like friends of divorcees,I’ve heard from both sides and feel sad for both. Race relations figured centrally,and they are a thorny enough issue for anyone at any time without me putting words into anyone else’s mouth or ascribing motives to them.
But plainly enough,Lumumba had become disillusioned with Collingwood,and they had grown weary of him. As is so often the case,both felt hurt,perhaps unawares to begin. As is so often the case,so did family and friends,innocents. As is so often the case,no one won. They went their separate ways.