Parkin said this had proven particularly pertinent during the pandemic and its long lockdowns and player bubbles.

An educator by trade, Parkin said there was plenty of research to back this up but he had also seen this and experienced it for himself through his decades in sport.

Parkin is about to meet this city's top performing athletes and learn what makes them tick when he is keynote speaker for the annual Ballarat Sportsmen's Club Sportsperson of the Year Awards.

For Parkin, a four-time VFL/AFL coach and a 1971 premiership player with Hawthorn, said one of the "most delightful" achievements in his life was getting on a postie bike each year and revving up support for men's health across the nation.

The almost-80-year-old is a prostate cancer survivor but the disease claimed his father and grandfather's lives and hit his brother.

Male Bag Foundation rides are a way Parkin can talk to men, particularly those in regional and rural communities, and make a practical difference.

Ballarat continues to be an important stop on the journey. Almost six years ago, the foundation delivered Ballarat Health Services the first transperineal grid prostate biopsy machine to an Australian public hospital.

The system, which reduces post-biopsy pain and infection risk for patients, is now in all major Victorian regional hospitals, there are four in southern New South Wales and three in rural South Australia including Mount Gambier thanks to Male Bag.

The machines are also going into Tasmania where men, if not private patients, would be forced to fly into Melbourne.

"It's sad so many men, especially in rural and regional Australia, don't care about going to the doctor until it's often too late. Travel time is a major interruption," Parkin said."There is still nothing between Ballarat and Mildura - all north of Ararat - and it's still a hell of a long way to travel to get a small biopsy done.

"...In Warrnambool, we did a talk to 130 people and 40 were women - that's 40 blokes who would not have come unless their wives or partners took them. Men need to be more proactive. we are getting better at it."

Parkin said there was an eclectic group of male and female riders on Male Bag rides. His son is joining the ranks with his best mate, which Parkin said was a pleasing way to get younger generations involved and aware in their health.

One man who attended a men's health night in Geelong was prompted to get a prostate check that saved his life. He sold two "magnificent heifers" in Warrnambool the past week to raise more money and awareness to deliver Male Bag's message.

Parkin said men's health would be a major focus in his Ballarat Sportsmen's Club address.

While his football profile helps Parkin draw attention to the issue, it was his role as a teacher that got him on the bike.

Two teaching students from Deakin University asked him to join their support team as an ambassador for the first Perth to Melbourne ride. Parkin thought the bikes looked like fun, so he quickly passed the test for his L-plates and joined in.

The rides have since raised in excess of $1.6 million.

IN OTHER NEWS

Parkin's playing days were when the nation's elite football was a part-time game. He was a qualified primary, secondary and tertiary educator and remains passionate about teaching and leadership - with plenty of overlaps in his football world.

Teaching has always a special part of his journey.

Parkin's first class, 53 grade three pupils at Monbulk Primary School - 47 he then taught in grade four - have invited him to a big barbecue catch-up every year since.

He also continues to play a key role in developing unique degrees, such as Deakin's bachelor of applied science and sports coaching.

Under Parkin as coach, Carlton was the first AFL club to introduce a full-time player welfare role. He also demanded every player had a job, an apprenticeship, was studying, taking part in community programs or had a completely unrelated hobby to get their heads out of the game.

That was "rule of thumb until 2000" when Parkin retired from the Blues as coach - it was all about thinking bigger.

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