Collingwood young gun Isaac Quaynor has spoken on his close relationship with former Magpies defender Heritier Lumumba.
The 21-year-old has played 15 matches in the black and white since making his debut for the club in 2019 and will be looking to cement his place in Nathan Buckley's side this year.
Quaynor has shown plenty of flare and pace coming out of Collingwood's defensive third, with plenty of glimpses mirroring Lumumba's run off half-back in his 199 games with the Magpies.
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Speaking to The Herald Sun, Quaynor revealed he has looked to Lumumba for career advice, with the former Magpies defender offering plenty of praise in return.
“I have actually had a little bit of contact with (Lumumba) in the last six months,” he said.
“He has been really positive and has been saying ‘you are doing well'.
“To have him staying somewhat connected to my journey, I am grateful for.
“Every now and again, I get a little Instagram message just in terms of him tapping into my football, and I think that's pretty cool.”
"'There's Harry O'Brien (Lumumba's former name) … that looks like Harry O'Brien'", Quaynor heard people saying.
“That was something that really stuck with me.
“It was the first connection with me that he (Lumumba) just looked similar. I had the ‘fro. I had the same skin colour, I played the same position (defence).
“It was a no-brainer for me as a kid.”
Both Quaynor and Lumumba hail from African heritage, with Quaynor of Ghanian decent while Lumumba was born to Brazilian and Congolese-Angolan parents.
Lumumba has been vocal on the Magpies' dark racial history since leaving Collingwood, with an individual report confirming systematic racism was alive within the club.
The damning review has led to a major cause of action within the club, with now-former president Eddie McGuire stepping down from his role following uproar from his reaction to the report, where he deemed the report's surfacing as a "proud day" for the club.