How this swans player is investing to build a life beyond football

Get Started Investing

Sydney Swans forward Hayden McLean shares his journey from a disciplined saver to a strategic investor, emphasizing patience and long-term p

Key takeaways

• Consistent dollar-cost averaging over time can lead to significant wealth accumulation, even with modest contributions.

Main topics

• Long-term investing strategies
• Dollar-cost averaging

Notable quotes

"If I started when I was 16 or 18, I would have been way better off than what I am now."

Conclusion

Hayden McLean's story illustrates how perseverance, discipline, and early financial

Transcript preview

Speaker 3 (0:00) So totally I was like, oh, I saw it growing. I was like, I'm making money on money that isn't my money. I was just like... Is Speaker 2 (0:05) that what clicked? Yeah, it was Speaker 3 (0:06) so exciting. It was about the same time. Oh, Speaker 2 (0:08) 100%. To Speaker 3 (0:09) get that course, sort of to relive it now, you know. I think I was working at like a rebel sport outlet then. I was just like, okay, let's go for this. Yeah. I think it's not really exposed in school either. No. It's not until you're 20 or... whatever and if I started when I was what 16 or 18 I would have been way better off than what I am now I think if you can build a good foundation and actually do it yourself you sort of have that appreciation for it as well thank Speaker 2 (0:34) you so much to shop back for sponsoring the series and helping keep all of our content free Welcome back to Get Started Investing, a show that helps you make the most of your money. This is how I got started. It's a series where I sit down with a community member and I get to hear the highs and lows of their journey to investing. These are real stories and we hope they're going to give you the confidence that investing is for anyone. Today, I'm joined by 27-year-old Sydney Swans forward Hayden McLean. From missing out on the AFL draft to earning his place at the Sydney Swans, Hayden's story is one of discipline, patience and just trusting the process. Those same qualities have shaped the way he approaches money too. From budgeting, and saving for his first investment property to building a long-term investment portfolio while preparing for a life beyond football. This is how Hayden got started. Hayden, welcome to Get Started Investing. Thank Speaker 3 (1:19) you so much for having me. I'm excited. Speaker 2 (1:21) Yeah, good to have you here. Now we start every interview with the same question. If money was a friend, what kind of friend would you be to it? Speaker 3 (1:28) Yeah, I think everyone's probably got this one friend. I think it's that friend that 90 % of the time they're pretty serious, dedicated, probably fit, whatever, but that 10 % they do like to have fun every now and then. So I think money, I'm pretty good, but I think there's probably that 10 % that sometimes... I Speaker 2 (1:42) feel like that's allowed. Speaker 3 (1:43) I think it's allowed, yeah. I think you need that balance to be able to... Speaker 2 (1:46) Enjoy life. Do what you're doing Speaker 3 (1:47) and be serious, but then to enjoy it. That's why you make it at the end of the day. Speaker 2 (1:50) 100%. I love that. Speaker 3 (1:52) Now, Speaker 2 (1:52) before we rewind, can you paint a picture of what life looks like for you today? Speaker 3 (1:57) So I'm living in Sydney now, originally from Melbourne. Yeah. So I play for the Sydney Swans. I moved up here eight years ago now. Really enjoy my time up in Sydney now. Studying commerce on the side, just part-time at UNSW. I feel like I've sort of got to a point where I can balance life well. Sounds Speaker 2 (2:13) like a lot going on though. Speaker 3 (2:14) Yeah, it can be, but I think we get a lot of flexibility and a lot of help around us to be able to try to do what we can. So I'm just enjoying it while I can and basically living the dream. Speaker 2 (2:24) Yeah, and Bondi boy. Speaker 3 (2:25) Yeah, Bondi boy now. So I was in Coogee for four years and now Bondi and it's a great lifestyle. Speaker 2 (2:30) Oh, it's the best. I love it. Yeah, it's really good. But I think Speaker 3 (2:32) everyone has to sort of enjoy it for a year or so if they can. Speaker 2 (2:35) 100%. It's Speaker 3 (2:36) definitely a lifestyle change and it's one of the best beaches in the world. 100%. Now Speaker 2 (2:40) take me back, growing up, like what was money like for you and your family? Speaker 3 (2:44) We didn't speak about money a lot probably as a family. It was more, I think as soon as I was 14, nine months, I got my first job when you legally could. Speaker 2 (2:52) Yeah. Which Speaker 3 (2:53) was at a fish and chip shop first for about two weeks. Didn't like that, so then I went to Woolworths. Speaker 2 (2:57) I thought you got fired. No, no, I Speaker 3 (2:59) sort of left there. I thought it wasn't probably me. Yeah. So I did that and I think from a young age, my parents, especially my dad, really. taught me to try save as much as I could. Were you Speaker 2 (3:07) saving for anything in particular? Like why did you get that job so young? Yeah, Speaker 3 (3:10) I sort of, I had an older brother and sister and you see them buy their first car at 18 and, Speaker 2 (3:16) you Speaker 3 (3:17) know, sort of buy what they had with the money they had at the time. So I was a bit younger. I sort of saw them do that and thought of I start now. I've got four years of work before I can buy my first car. So it was basically save, save, save for that. Did you still have a Speaker 2 (3:27) bit of fun though, like that 10 % fun or were you like a hard saver? I was pretty Speaker 3 (3:31) hard as a kid. Really? I sort of saw it as like a. It's sort of like a game, but the more I could save, I could see the account grow and sort of like my little safety net if I wanted it. I'm so envious Speaker 2 (3:42) of people like you. I got my first job at the same age, Maccas, or Donut King first, but I didn't save a cent. I was just like, this is amazing. Yeah, Speaker 3 (3:51) so I was obviously living at home and didn't really have much bills. So I think while I could, I did it and I was trying to work the Sunday shifts because that was times two or whatever it was on a Sunday Arvo. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think it was a bit of a game for me to try and get as much as I could. Speaker 2 (4:04) Yeah, and you got the car? Speaker 3 (4:05) Got the car, yeah. I think it was a Holland Commodore wagon back then, which was popular, but Speaker 2 (4:10) I Speaker 3 (4:10) don't think they're around anymore. But I loved it, and then it made me cherish the car because I bought it myself. Parents didn't give it to me or anything like that, so I think that taught me that work ethic of money, but then getting what you want. Speaker 2 (4:22) Speaking of work ethic alongside learning those money lessons, football was obviously becoming a huge part of your life. Was playing AFL for you always the dream? Speaker 3 (4:31) Yeah, definitely. I think growing up in Melbourne, it's a dominant sport. Yeah. I Speaker 2 (4:35) actually lived there for a bit. I was an AFL fan for a bit while I was there. You have to be. Speaker 3 (4:39) Yeah, you have to be. There's no question about it. I was a kid at five. I had a football and I was playing around. As I said, I didn't know what a brother, so backyard with him. Dad played. sort of a higher level as well and my grandfather. So it was, I don't want to say it was meant to be, but like it sort of just as a kid was a thing that I really enjoyed and to be doing it now as a profession is really awesome. Speaker 2 (4:57) Yeah, because it wasn't always straightforward though for you, your journey. You actually missed out on being drafted the first time. So what happened? Speaker 3 (5:05) I don't know. I was going well and then sort of my last year I actually for the first half of Speaker 2 (5:11) the Speaker 3 (5:11) year I had glandular fever, which I didn't actually realise until. So I wasn't playing as good as I probably did and I missed the first draft and then I knew it was still a dream and I could get there. So I did another year in the VFL, so the second tier, and had a really good season at Sandringham, Zebras with the Saints, and then didn't get drafted again. I thought, oh, what can I do? I'll give it one more shot. So I went to Adelaide and within two months, Swan's signed me because I think a person got injured and then the spot came up. A lot Speaker 2 (5:38) of people I reckon would have given up by that point. What do you reckon kept you going? Speaker 3 (5:43) I think it's just a self-belief. I always wanted to and sort of saw and envisioned myself to be professional footballer and I saw people around me getting drafted and signed. I'm like, what have they got that I don't have? I think, yeah, that self-belief and I didn't want to give up with that what if or that's Speaker 2 (5:57) what Speaker 3 (5:57) I could have or. I admire Speaker 2 (5:59) the perseverance. Yeah, I think Speaker 3 (6:00) if I went to Adelaide, had a year there, didn't work, I could have come back and known that I gave it my all. You gave it your all. Yeah. And what Speaker 2 (6:07) did life actually look like for you at that time though? Like if you, while you were trying to