Gavin Crosisca Biography

Gavin Crosisca is inducted into Collingwood's Hall of Fame.

"Over the last few years when I'm in front of a group like this, I normally start with 'Hi I'm Gavin Crosisca, and I'm a recovering alcoholic and drug addict', but I won't do that tonight," Crosisca joked.

Crosisca battled alcohol and drug addiction for 25 years, beginning in his teenage years. He thanked his wife Nicole for her support in an emotional speech at the club's season launch.

"She's certainly one that's taken her loyalty and her unconditional love for me and has really helped me get through a really ordinary stage in my life," he said.

On the induction, Crosisca said he could scarcely believe it when he found out.

"I said to him on the phone, ‘The reason I'm not talking is because I’m in complete shock'," he said.

"I'm just honoured by this achievement."

Former Carton assistant coach Gavin Crosisca denies the club tanked in 2007.

"During the game, it's more of a fact of experimenting a little bit," he said.

"They definitely didn't go in saying we needed to lose this game and we needed to play poorly. It was definitely in the back of your mind that if the boys won fantastic and it's a great result for the guys and experimenting positions and so forth and if we did lose there was a little bit of a bonus there for us which we certainly didn't knock back."

Collingwood premiership hero Gavin Crosisca reveals he's an addict who used illicit drugs druing 25-year playing and coaching career.

"It's cost myself and my family enormously - emotionally, spiritually, materially, mentally, it cost us everything, especially my wife," he said.

"It ended up completely devastating my family and my life as I knew it. I regret hurting my wife and family the way I have."