IT has only been a month and a half but Brad Ebert is well and truly settling into life away from football.

The 30-year-old left the playing arena at Adelaide Oval for the last time on October 16 in emotional scenes that will live long in the memory of many Port supporter.

In the 52 days since, Ebert has enjoyed some final celebrations with teammates and a family holiday before getting down to work with his studies and business interests.

And there are certainly no regrets about his decision to call time on his 260-game career.

“It’s been good the last little bit. I’ve enjoyed it,” Ebert told portadelaidefc.com.au of his time since announcing his retirement.

“I’ve had a bit of down time, a bit of time with the family.

“I got away to Hamilton Island, which was unreal and unbelievable and then the last couple of weeks I’ve been getting back into the swing of things, thinking about what I’m going to get up to, what I’m going to do in the long term and just getting busy with Hey Diddle.”

While Ebert is working on a few opportunities for what comes next, there is plenty on his plate with his two young sons Leo and Henry, his MBA studies and his wife Bec’s physiotherapy practice PhysioXtra in Pirie Street in Adelaide’s CBD.

“Bec’s got a physio practice and she’s been working there three days a week and seems to enjoy that flexibility, which gives us both time to explore our passions but also spend plenty of time with the kids,” Ebert explained.

“I’m still going to finish off my MBA and combine that with a bit of work.

“I’m four subjects in so I’m still a little way off but I’ll look to get it done by the end of next year if not half way through 2022.

“I’m working through some options on the work front with some new opportunities to come but at the same time I’ll probably be doing one or two days a week at Hey Diddle.”

Hey Diddle is the wine label Ebert co-founded with Port Adelaide captain Tom Jonas along with Toby Yap and Ben Chipman from Tomfoolery Wines.

Having more time on his hands has meant more opportunity for Ebert to sink his teeth into being more hands on with the label, and Jonas is already making the most of it.

“He’s already putting the feet up,” Ebert joked.

“He went away for a few weeks just when this new tawny port was coming up so that was handy, but being retired and unemployed from a football sense I’ve got more time so it wouldn’t surprise me if this becomes a thing.”

In all seriousness, Ebert is eager to grow the label after Hey Diddle was able to try a few new things in 2020.

“The vintage we just came off gave us low yields but with different varieties it allowed us to grow in different ways, so we’ve branched out with some whites, which we haven’t done before, we did a couple of reds that we hadn’t tried before, and now we’re having a crack with a tawny.

“There’s definitely room for growth and it’s at that point where I can sink my teeth into it, get a bit more hands on and try to grow it as we can.”

Pride of place in the Hey Diddle stable at the moment is its Port Adelaide Football Club 150 Years Commemorative Tawny, which has just been released.

Ebert has claimed it as his idea, based on a nod to history and a club which has given both him and Jonas so much.

“In my kitchen I’ve got a few of the Russell Ebert Magarey Medal ports and a couple on the shelf and in the wine cabinet,” he explained.

“I don’t mind having a bit of port and a few of my mates are the same, so it was just one of those things where those ports have been synonymous with premierships and big celebrations – as I said, I’ve got the whole collection of Russell Ebert ports, there are a number of premiership ports out there, and we just thought it was a cool, funky way for us to pay homage to the club that has given us so much across the journey and do it in our style.

“The label has that Port Adelaide feel with our own take on it and we had a renowned wine writer who is a real staunch Port Adelaide man, Nick Ryan, come in to write the back blurb as well so there are cool little ties throughout the thing.

“It’s been a good little passion project for us.”

And while he won’t be running out in the Port Adelaide colours in 2021, there will be no stopping him from getting to as many games as possible to cheer on his beloved club.