S3E25 · Bailey Schmidt: A Year of Obstacles

Ready to get weird? Very weird. Welcome back to the Virtus Performance Podcast and apologies in advance. We are both battling a little bit, Bailey. Would you agree? Yep, Sunday scaries. Sunday scaries, very much so. It's about damn time we got you on the podcast. It's the last episode of Season 3. And it's the last chance you're going to have to join us for a while. Do you want to tell the audience what's going on? Why the fuck are you leaving us? Yeah, so moving to the sunny coast next week. Why? Something different. I felt like I was sort of stuck in this cycle of just same stuff, different day sort of thing.

And I thought why not change it? Mum lives up the coast so it was not like I have to go find a place to live or anything. It's there ready for me. So yeah, I thought why not. So you said you're stuck in a cycle of same shit, different day. For the ones that don't know, do you want to tell the audience who you are, what you do and what does the same shit, different day look like currently? Well yeah, Bailey Schmidt. I'm from down this way, born and raised in Seaford. I'm a fridgie at the moment and I work for my old man.

I enjoy it, it's good fun but I think the fun part is actually working with my dad because we get along pretty well. The actual work side of things, I'm not that into it which is why I'm sort of moving on a bit. I didn't know fridgie was an actual trade until earlier this year. What does a fridgie do? Well I don't really know, I'm not that good. There's lots of different things. Fridgies can be aircon and refrigeration. We do commercial, so we build cool rooms, refrigerate cool rooms, freezer rooms and create custom butcher displays and sandwich bars and all that.

So all things cold, you just look after them. And then a lot of other guys, like Harry Lane is a fridgie, he just does aircon and that I think. So that's not something I really got into. So I just sort of felt like, sort of in the last few months with me, I've always had footy as that outlet. And then the last, what is it now? Probably the last three months of having no footy, I sort of felt like I was just in this cycle of same shit, different day, of going to work, coming home and I'd come here three or four times a week.

That was good, that was a good release when I didn't have footy. But then I sort of was like, something just didn't feel right and I was a bit like, I need to do something about it. Spoke to my mum about it and just said like, I'm feeling a bit weird and I was a bit hesitant to talk to my old man about it because he'd put all this time into me. You didn't want to bail on him and his business. Yeah, so I didn't want to let him down. But I spoke to him and

mum sort of spoke to dad and dad sort of just sent me a message out of the blue saying like, I know you work for me but you're my son. I want to put you first, I don't care if you don't want to work for me, it's your choice, you just need to be happy and live your life. That's it, you work yourself up and you create all these stories in your head but he's your old man and he's not going to be pissed at you if you bail and want to look after you and your mental health and have a dabble in something different.

Yeah, exactly and I think getting that message from my old man was like, that was a massive weight off my shoulder because I was like, thank God, I don't have to... I don't even have to approach him about it, he's just done it, what a man. He was almost the one that sort of, not pushed me to move but he just said maybe you should just try something because mum had sort of mentioned it and I was always like, I don't know, not sure and then dad sort of said, why not, like nothing's holding me

back here, I haven't got a mortgage or a house or anything, don't have a girlfriend or anything so it's like, nothing's holding me back and I just thought, why not. So I just committed and then I think I started telling everyone as soon as I could because then I was like, if I sit on this and think about it, I'm going to want to pull the pig. If you put it out into the universe and say you're moving and you tell enough people then it's almost like accountability and if you're chickened out, pardon the pun,

then you've let down all these people that you've sort of, you've put it out there and you said you're going to do it and then you don't do it, what's Sunny Coast like? Sunny Coast life hopefully going to look like? Well I'm hopping off the tools, I think I've told myself... So we're transitioning? Growing up through school I always said, couldn't stand being a tradie and I didn't, I went and worked at Padua College for three years and really enjoyed that but I just didn't want to go into teaching, I more couldn't be bothered going

to uni actually and so I went and worked for my old man, I think I did that for the last two years and like I said, it just didn't work out and then now I'm going up Sunny Coast and I'm going to go into some support work, so yeah. Why support work? I think looking back on my time at Padua I really enjoyed working with kids and that and like I do a fair bit of footy coaching and that when I can and I like working with kids and feeling like you're having an impact sort

of thing and that was something my mum sort of does a bit of that sort of stuff and I thought why not give it a crack, so yeah. You did say growing up and throughout school being a tradie was the last thing you wanted to do, what did you want to be growing up and what was life, you know, growing up and going through school like as Schmitty? That's a good question, it feels like it was so long ago. You went to primary school in Seaford? Yep, Seaford North Primary School and then went to Flinders College in Cameron Downs for my high school.

I'm not actually sure, I think I always just enjoyed playing sports and that like footy and basketball and it was always, I always sort of thought something like that would be pretty cool and then I was kind of smart but I had real bad like shock and study habits, like I still remember my mum saying to me the difference between me and her going, me and my sister going through year 12 was like, my sister just like full studied non-stop and would like just lose it over not studying and I was sort of like. And you didn't give two shits or?

Yeah, I remember going into my maths exam without a bound reference, I just walked in with my textbook and I think I was the only person at year level. So you did VCE? Yep. I actually didn't know that. What are you trying to say? I'm not trying to say anything, I'm just making assumptions and I shouldn't. I'm a smart bloke. Did you do methods? No, I dropped methods because of my study habits. Fuck me, okay. I started methods in the unit three, started doing that and then the teacher sort of put me aside and said if you're going to do methods, you need to actually study.

I nearly went down that path myself, I did methods and it was a couple of months out from the end of year exam and I got three percent on a practice exam and also at the same year, I didn't give two shits and then I probably got that three percent and was like, right, something actually needs to change here and then we turned that around. But what happened with the role at Padua? How did you get onto that? Is it teaching something you wanted to get into when that was like your first foot in the door?

It was actually probably almost a bit of a stuff around applying, like I sort of wasn't even meaning to it. I was a teacher's aide for three years and the first year was through the AFL sports ready program, which I think they still do. Sort of like it's, I don't really know what it is, it just connects to schools and you do like a certificate in something, I can't remember what it was. I was just going through the website and there was a few openings because I left it pretty late because I was, I can't remember what I was doing, I was probably doing nothing.

And then I was at stingrays at the time because I went to school a year early. So my 18th year was when I was 17. You were like, man, you were young and you were 17 while your mates were 18. Yeah, so I was playing stingrays and I think in our stingrays team there would have been eight, maybe even 10 players that all went to Padua and they were all in the school and something came up on the sports ready website and it said, teachers aid job at Padua. And I went to training the next night and I was like, fuck, that'd be pretty funny if I was working and you guys were there.

Yeah, literally get to work with your mates. Yeah, and they were sort of like, oh fuck, it'd be funny, I'd just do it. And I was like, alright, so I applied for it. So you're saying it started as a piss take? Sort of, yeah. It was something I was interested in because I applied for a few schools, I think. But it was a bit, I left it until mid-Jan or something and said most schools had already sorted it the year before, sort of thing, like in the December and that. And yeah, ended up having an interview and getting the job.

Yeah, worked there for three years and it was probably some of the most fun I've had. I did just heaps of random stuff. And then it sort of got to the stage where, what would it have been? That would have been end of 2019. No, 18, 19, no, end of 2020 and I was sort of at the stage where you had to commit to going and doing something to further. Okay, so you were still doing that in 2020 during COVID? Yeah, so that was when all that stuff happened, sort of, heaps of different stuff happened, you know, with all the schools shutting down and everything.

But got to the stage where it was like you need to do something and I wasn't really that set. I did want to do teaching, I think I still sort of have plans for something like that but it's not something I'm too interested in at the moment. Is that the uni barrier? Yeah, I think it's the uni barrier just purely because I know my own study habits. But I think if it's something that I really like and am passionate about, I know I would. You would, yeah. You'd find a way. Yeah, so that was good fun for three years and I really enjoyed it but yeah, had to move on.

You didn't get up to any mischief with your mates while they were students and you were a teacher's aide, did you? No, I made sure. Kept you separated? Yeah, nice and professional. Anything you learnt along the way as your time as a teacher's aide? Oh, probably just how different all the kids are. Kids might respond differently to one style of you telling them off, I guess, and then another group of kids might respond completely differently. So, it's like understanding that everyone is so different and you can't just use this one way. So, there's no one size fits all.

Exactly. It's like coaching the peanuts at Virtus, mate. Bailey Schmidt might respond to something and then Harry Lane might respond in a completely different way. Exactly right. I'm good to coach as long as you've got good music on. You are coachable and yeah, speaking of music, sorry if it sounds like there's a rave going on in the background at the moment. Mitch has got the AFLW girls in and the music's pumping fairly loudly. I'm not too sure if it's coming through these speakers but that'll be a later problem anyway. So, where are we now? So, 2020 you said you finished at Padua?

Yep. What was the next few steps there? Well, coming out of, I'd already worded up with Dad that we're going to go work for him. Yep. So, had the summer off and then yeah, got stuck into getting on the tools, started the apprenticeship and it wasn't bad. It wasn't amazing. Nothing special. It was just sort of like, get through it. It would have been about that time, start of 2021, where I think I first met you at Virtus. You were having your induction. You only had a broken shoulder at the time. What was going on there?

Yeah, that was, no that was, I had the shoulder 2019, end of 2019. Still giving you some problems? No, that's alright. As it stays, the fears look after me. Because you were transitioning from EDASP footy to YC. What was the change there and how has that change sort of impacted you? Oh, just something different. Something different? Yeah. You don't like the same thing for too long, do you? No, I thought I did but now I'm starting to realise I probably don't. Do you get bored easily? I think so. I don't know. Do I? I don't know.

You seem to hate doing the same thing over and over again. No, I'm just trying to find something, I need to find a place or doing something that I enjoy and that I feel like I get a lot out of it. You're trying to find yourself. So, you said you're going into support work when you move to the Sunny Coast. It's something your mum's been doing for a while, you said. Is it something that you've seen her do it and you've thought to yourself, I'd really love to give that a crack? Yeah, it's mum and

it's also like I've got a lot of mates down here that even do it and I sort of thought about just dipping into it down here but obviously the opportunity up there came along and I couldn't really say no. But yeah, it's just something that I think seems very rewarding and I've sort of done it little bits and pieces with like lived experience with older family members and that. But yeah, I'm just really interested to actually try and have an impact with some kids and that. Yeah, and I suppose that's a form of teaching. Even

though it's not formal, you've got to go through uni and get a teaching degree and then you're working as a teacher under this Victorian curriculum, like you're still having your impact on kids just in a way that you choose to do. And it's probably one of the reasons that I switched out of teaching myself because that's what I was first studying at uni into sports science and then here at Virtus because I still get to have an impact on young people but I just didn't like having to be really, really rigid to a curriculum and have to strictly teach what you have to teach in a school structure.

Yeah, exactly. I reckon you would get a different kind of relationship here as well as being in a school. I think it benefits to both of them but it's just those different relationships I guess. Yeah, it's probably more of a professional relationship inside of a school which there's nothing wrong with but it's probably not for me. I like to build more of a personal relationship and you can say the word fuck to them inside the gym mate. You're not allowed to do that in school and I'm a very sweary person. I don't have much of a filter.

Let's talk footy. You said you were playing stingrays for a few years. Was AFL footy something that you aspired to play? It was but I think I was a bit away from it. I like to think I was close but I don't really think I was that close. If you're not watching on YouTube, Bailey Schmidt's a really, really big and tall man. A ruckman. Hard position to play, I wouldn't know because I've never had to do that. He's a hard spot to play. What was that like growing up and always having to be the big man?

Growing up, I hated playing ruck. Genuinely hated it. Juniors, we were in a pretty good side and we had a few big boys. Did you play for Seeford? Seeford Juniors. I spent a year at EDS when Seeford folded. It was always playing in the ruck but then it sort of got to the stage where I didn't want to play ruck and we had a few other big boys so they got them in the ruck and I went and sat forward. Didn't really do much. I actually quit footy one year. I think it was under 14s I quit because I wanted to focus on my basketball.

I thought I was better at basketball which I don't know if I was. Were you wrong about that? No, well footy's got me partially further than basketball so I think so. But yeah I remember quitting footy, didn't do any pre-season that and then I think my good mates were like just come down watch and went and watched I think the first two rounds and I was like ah fuck I can't not play footy. Missed it too much. I'd just seen all my older mates go through the V-Line Cup which I don't think it's still called

that but it's like Stingray's under 15 competition I think that they sort of do with all the country teams and I was like alright I'll give it this season if I make V-Line I'll keep playing footy if I don't I'll just fully quit footy and then from there I think yeah made that and then just sort of kept going and going. Made it as a ruckman? Yeah made it as a ruckman. Just can't escape it. And then I think about 12 months later I'd given up basketball and just tried to focus on footy. Yeah and then went through Stingray's and that was probably some of the most fun I've ever had playing footy.

YC's probably gone pretty close. Up there? Yeah it's been good fun. Once you were in the Stingray's squad was AFL then something you thought shit like this were a chance here? I think in the back of your head you always sort of think and I think being a taller bloke you probably get looked after a bit more which was nice but it was also it was more for me I was just like happy being around mates like I was saying footy's always been my release and just being in the squad of like it was like

50 or 60 of us all from around this area and like we would just hang out every weekend and it was like just everyone sort of thinks I was just footy footy footy but it was like when it's time to lock in it was yeah footy but on the weekends and stuff it was just like. For the most part it's just hanging out with your mates. Yeah being with mates and it was just good fun so I did yeah gave it a bit of a crack but probably left it a bit late and realised same with my study habits my training habits.

Training habits weren't there? Amazing so. Well they've definitely changed over the past few years because the training habits I see from you these days are pretty phenomenal but we'll get into that a little bit later. From there we went to Edie Asp correct Edie Asp Seniors? I was while I was at Stingrays I was at Edie so I went from yeah Seiford to Edie to YC so it was just something because I think what was it Seiford had dropped down to Division 2 and I loved Seiford but I sort of spoke with a few people and they sort of recommended trying to stay in Division 1 and Edie had.

Yader was the coach at the time Graham Yates I think he played for Melbourne a few games. Yader had a connection with Stingrays with Flanno as the talent manager because Yader used to coach Stingrays and they sort of hooked me up there and went over there for a bit and only played the four games because then I was back at Stingrays and that for the rest of the year and then moved on from there and COVID shut everything down. What did COVID look like for you? I don't know it feels like it was so long ago.

It does we've had a solid year of you know no COVID and I haven't had to check in for about a year now and everything's back to pretty well normal but you know through that COVID time I actually didn't know you like so what first year you would have been at Padua second year you would have been at Frigie like what did those two years look like how'd everything go with mental health and you know because as you said you don't like you don't like doing the same thing over and over and that's exactly well for me anyway that's exactly what COVID was it was the same shit.

Every single day for two years. Yeah Sabine it was different it was just weird like it was like especially I feel more for the kids that were at school probably than for people like that were sort of our age I mean everyone took it completely differently but I just feel like the kids in school they would have struggled so much like trying to do year 11 and 12 through that would have been insane. I would have just thrown the towel and felt like mate I'm not doing this shit. And fuck the study just missing the fun stuff like the like the underage parties and like turning 18.

And then you're going in and you can't even seep like I don't know shit. At Padua because the school shut I was over at the Tyab campus just doing maintenance so it was good I was lucky enough pretty much the whole whatever it was two years of lockdown or whatever however long it was I was pretty much working all the time. So at Padua yeah we're still working and then obviously with Padua started with small band and because we were fridges it was the what they call it the um. I know what you're trying to say yeah this is the uh this is the Sunday scary sorry folks we're a little slow in the head moment.

Yeah we were we were still working flat out and it was it sort of had patches where it slowed down a bit but I mean like because we do a lot we do a lot of work at like Dandy Market, South Melbourne Market and that and they were all still operating in that so. So it would have been like good to just get out and see people and it's I guess for COVID it's relatively buzzing and you're seeing people out and about. Oh it was just weird like drive on Nepean Highway 7am Tuesday morning no one's on Nepean Highway.

Yeah drive straight through takes you 25 minutes to get to the city instead of 45 so that was probably the weirdest part you're just driving around with no one on the road it was just like ghost town for so long. But yeah I mean I was yeah I think I would have struggled if I um was stuck at home I reckon I would have been a bit all over the joint but I was yeah lucky enough to still be working. So it's weird in a way like worse work sort of came a bit of a release.

Yeah and because obviously I didn't have that footy it was um yeah had had work to sort of keep my mind ticking along I guess. Yep and then we come to YC we finally finally got on the park because was it 2020 you started playing for YC or 2021? 2020 you wouldn't got on the track. Yeah so end of 2019 I signed at YC for 2020 and um I think that was when I started here as well because I was yeah coming back from my uh shoulder and got to work with the Fizz and all the boys Coops good man.

Shout out. Shout out Coops and um yeah what was it what was the question again? Um so well 20 sorry mate we're both battling 2021 you did you get on the track at all? Oh yeah well I see yeah so missed 2020 2021 got on the track and um yeah we had a pretty good year we were cruising along and then got oh yeah because then the lockdowns came again. Yeah so you wouldn't have finished the year. Yeah that was actually very shit because I think we ended up playing a game off a two-week lockdown with no training and then that was the last game we played and I'm pretty sure we played Rosebud that day and Rosebud thumped us.

What what was it like the transition to a new club like did you know many of the boys at YC? Um not really I well it all sort of came along. Like yeah was it was it daunting at all? Nah I like to think I'm a pretty open person that is very approachable or I can approach people and just sort of make mates. No worries yeah. But knowing you sort of I think everyone in the NPNFL league sort of knows that YC is sort of that club that's very opening and welcoming. I was it was

it sort of came about because I was like Luca Goon is probably one of my best mates and um his old man Gooch used to work at I was the assistant coach at Frankston VFL when I was there and he um he ended up getting the head gig at Frankston YC and that was when I sort of messaged Luca was at Mount Eliza at the time and me and him were talking and I was like should we get going and get a YC and he was like yeah I reckon let's do it and um that's sort of how that just came about.

Got there and I knew Luca um a few other boys I used to play stingrays with Bailey Anglin a couple other boys probably more but I can't think at the moment. Yeah join the club? Um yeah it was sort of just meeting people going to training and that it was a bit hard because I was still coming back from my shoulder so I was a bit out of it at the start and then um yeah after a few months and that it all just sort of clicked and. We'll talk about injury in a moment because you've had a few over the past 12 months especially but yeah past few years.

Uh 2022 comes along big expectation um you probably didn't go as you planned like from a footy sense and just life sense give us a bit of a year recap because yeah a fair few speed bumps. There was a few and two big ones but ah well shit happens um so yeah I was feeling pretty good start of the year and going after the season getting shut down in 2021 it was like alright I want to lock in and have a big 2022 and it was going pretty well pre-Chrissy thought I was training pretty well feeling pretty good and um.

You were like you know out of all the people that come through outdoors but both training for footy or other sports or just doing the group training and just want to feel better like you were definitely one of our more consistent um athletes for oh probably the past 18 months like you've been really really solid so those um study habits and training habits that um occupied your life for the past few years they definitely weren't present the past 18 months then uh shit went pear-shaped. Yeah so it was uh hottest hundred day down at uh

Ry one of the boys has a house down there um had a few went down to the beach um all just sort of stuffing around and running around the beach chasing a mate took a step sort of felt like I rolled my ankle a bit and I was like oh fuck that's a bit sore a bit tender didn't worry about it sort of hobbled my way into the water. Did you jump and land or you were just running? I don't know I think I was just running and like the scene just sort of went or something I don't know I don't know maybe stood on something don't know and then.

You had a few and your memory of the event is cloudy. I wasn't like I wasn't full on like. I was we know what you mean I was okay yeah you're right uh went for a swim swam for like half an hour and then went to walk in and I was like fuck something's not right here and um couldn't put any weight on it and all my mates going oh he's just you know it's just a rolled ankle. Yeah there's nothing worse than when you hurt yourself and you're pissed and you can feel it and

it hurts it's like geez if I'm pissed and I'm feeling it this bad something must be wrong and then almost people like don't believe you or they think you're just in your own head or they think you're being a pussy. Yeah exactly and so I because I'd uh broken my foot in 2016 and I was like nah this is I'm feeling this is similar yeah and I was like fuck this isn't good. Is that the same foot? Nah that was my left in 2016 so this uh January was my right okay so did that and uh went went back to the house I think they carried me to the car to be honest.

Geez good effort. I know good blokes um got there and then they all went they were all going to the pub and I was like there's no chance I'm just gonna try and sleep it off. Went to bed wake up the next morning me foot's half purple I reckon. Fat as I knew you showed me a picture. And then I had to drive home on pen link. And it was your right foot too yep. And I was like probably shouldn't have been driving but I had to drive my car was there and um yeah I

was struggling to drive home got home and it was a Sunday so I couldn't go get x-rays I didn't want to go away to the hospital I was like fuck that so went on Monday morning got x-rays and um yeah. Yeah nice little fracture on the fifth man Jones fracture I think it was. So that sort of put the dampener on the start of the year. That derailed all the work you'd been doing so how did you cope with that and what was what was copping that news like after all the work you've done like you finally turned your shit training habits around you're putting in work pumped for a big year.

We've fucked off COVID though this is it YC we're gonna win a flag and then you're gonna miss the first half of the year. Yeah I think that was that was probably when for me I think it went a bit pear shaped because I like I said. What went a bit pear shaped like mental health? Yeah I think it was me mental health like I struggled a fair bit at the start of the year and I um I think I spoke to you a bit I spoke to Locky a lot and um just sort of

got to the stage where like footy was at release and then all of a sudden it was taken away and the work because it's always been like footy work family and those were the three things it was like. As long as one or two of them's going alright I'm going alright and so footy obviously went from there with the broken foot and it was just like everyone sort of gets around you and looks after you but you're not there and you're not playing it's just shit. And then the work stuff was just like wasn't really enjoying it and then I'm in a boot trying to work and shit.

It's just a battle it's just a slog. Yeah and then I think I was sort of missing family a bit because my mum had moved. Yeah had she moved by then? Yeah mum moved first week of Jan so Jan was a massive fuck around because I uh what was it mum moved first week of Jan me and my mate drove up with mum helped her move in and then we spent a week driving home and on the way home we got COVID and then um and then the next I think the day I got out

of so I missed my first week back of work because of COVID and the next day was the hottest 100 and I broke my foot so I was yeah dad wasn't too happy with me. But um yeah it was like that mum had moved my sister had moved I think my sister moved about six months before that she lives in Gold Coast so she's sort of near mum and um obviously still had my brother and my old man but it was um it was just like felt like everything had just sort of gone to shit me and my mum were very close like I'm close to my dad but me and mum are sort of that more emotional.

I know what you mean yeah yeah yeah. I can still have that chat but it's just yeah different with mum I guess. You got that relationship with your mother um so your mental health struggled like what what sort of things did you do and how did you sort of turn that around? Yeah um I just sort of you find your mates like I mean I have heaps of mates but you know the ones that you can properly go to and have that conversation with and I spoke to yeah Lockie a lot like heaps of just I actually started reading heaps of books he gave me all these books and I read I read a fair few books I reckon.

And um I was pretty happy with myself for that. You're doing better than me on the reading department lately. Oh not lately but this was yeah back then and then because I think I was just in the moon boot sitting home I was like fuck I'm not just gonna sit on the Xbox all day so. Good man, better man than I am. Spoke to Mitch a lot I think I spoke to you a fair bit and just sort of yeah a few boys from the footy club were getting around me a lot and uh just like yeah mates family everyone just sort of gets around you.

Yeah so yeah any advice for anyone that's struggling maybe not just with injury but just with mental health or they're feeling a bit isolated from family or quite not enjoying their work like what would you say to them? Um I'd probably just say like don't think you're a burden on anyone I think at the start I sort of thought that and then I like came to my senses I was like I do feel shit and like this sucks but me feeling like this isn't gonna be a burden to anyone else like I needed to talk

to people and I had people to talk to but if I tried to keep that in like it would have just gone more and more and more and just keeps piling on and just so shit like it's so much easier to just talk to someone about it and they're not gonna think of you as a burden. No it's not burdensome at all like they appreciate it they're gonna really appreciate you reaching out to them one because I guess you know they're gonna believe that you trust in them and two like they just want the best for you.

Yeah exactly and that's sort of what I like to think as well I'd like to think with my mates if they're struggling like I want them to come to me because I feel like I went to them. Yeah no shit. I want to return the favor but understand everyone's different but even the sort of stigma around like go and see a psychiatrist I did it. I went and got a mental health plan. Yeah. And I was really weird about it like didn't tell anyone I don't even think I told my parents didn't tell anyone literally told no one and I was just like this was when I was doing like that.

I think I'm. Was that earlier this year was it? Yeah. And I still felt like I was like a bit of that burden and this is like around my birthday as well and it was all sort of like didn't really want to talk to anyone yet. Yep. And I'd heard about the mental health plan thing and I had one friend that I was really close with who sort of said just do it. I did it and it helped me so much and that was sort of the last bit and I was like fuck it. Yeah. I just went and got it and did it and yeah spoke to I think it was Paul down in Seyford.

He was a legend helped me. So you had a request to like rather see a bloke so just anyone. Yeah it was sort of anyone and that was I remember a few years ago when my when my parents split up I was a bit weird and the Padra actually offered to say like you can talk to someone and at the time I was like I don't want to talk to a random person about shit like it just didn't feel right but now after doing it like it was actually a massive relief because it was just no judgment and it's just like let it all out.

And I felt he's better I reckon I probably went like yeah four six times or something and it was yeah I actually found it really beneficial so it was probably that's probably the other thing is the stigma of it like especially the blokes being the footy players and that. It's outrageous man. Try and act tough but actually don't. I know this is your podcast but just from my experience like I for a month and a half ago like did the same thing went and got a mental health plan just a few things like started accumulating

and building up nerds to the point where I couldn't tolerate it anymore and I didn't for me it was not so much about being a burden to other people I just had this weird thing of like what are they going to think of me I don't want them to think less of me or think that I'm weak or think just just think differently of me like you know if I tell them something and let them in on what I'm feeling then they're always going to have a different picture of me in my head and that was the big thing.

For me so that's why I wanted to go see a psychologist myself and I've only done two sessions it's been like phenomenal and I haven't done a great deal of sharing X again it's that fear of what are they going to think of me but like as my psychiatrist said and she's a girl because I requested a female so I don't know why I requested a female. I think probably the same reason you have that relationship with your mother I'll probably prefer a bit more of a softer person to talk to. She said like it's

literally my job and I'm not going to judge you I just have your best interests at heart and it just makes it that much easier to talk and get out whatever you're feeling. Yeah 100% like that's what I don't even think I told many people I told a few mates and because a few of my mates started struggling with some shit. I'm the same I didn't tell anyone this is probably the first time I've told anyone myself too like my parents don't know. I don't reckon I've told one of the five people. I made it real secretive this big secret.

I know that's just the way it is but yeah cause a few of my mates started going through shit and they all knew that I went through it and they just said like how'd you go and I just said man you probably don't want to hear it but I was like go see a sucker. It starts to be like it'll help and I mean it might not help some people might not like that but I honestly thought I wouldn't like it and then I was just like you know one chance and after one session I was like yeah I'm gonna keep cheating this bloke.

Yeah I was speaking to one of our good mates like Laffa and he said oh let me know how you go with the psychologist cause like myself I didn't have too many I didn't find it that beneficial but I know many people have so let me know how you go. So Laff went very well but yeah everybody's different everybody's gonna respond differently to different modalities. Yeah so that was the start of the year had the broken foot and then just some mental shit going on and then from there I think it was a bit of

a long one it was six weeks in the boot and I think last time it was about 12 weeks all round but I think I got blown out to about 14 to 16 weeks because I had something happened I think with the mending didn't mend right I had to go get an MRI or something. Yeah I vaguely remember this yeah it's a long time ago. Yeah they were contemplating putting a pin in or something cause they didn't think it had mended right but they eventually got it. So yeah came back mid season I think playing

Mount Eliza was my first game spent the first two weeks in the rezzies blowing off the cobwebs and trying to get a kick which got a couple so that was alright but I was yeah I was a bit behind I was pretty unfit at that stage. Yeah how was the return like I have asked you but it's that long ago I can't remember like how did you find it were you blowing up were you able to run out four quarters? I was blowing up my first game was at YC Jubilee it was pretty big oval

and I just remember going Hutch I was just saying to him mate give me like five a quarter and then let me sit for a bit and so the first game I took it pretty easy and it was good because our rezzies were pretty unreal and they were a good site. I don't think yeah they were a game all year actually so it was nice to be able to go and play with them and not have to try and do everything. Not have to try? Definitely have to try I can tell you that. But yeah

then the next week we played 80 and I was still in the rezzies and 80 was pretty good because it was a much smaller ground. Didn't have to look behind your head to see if there were any fists coming this time? No 80 was good because it was a smaller ground so I could cover the ground a lot easier and then from there I think we had a week off after that because I think my first like eight games back was like two weeks on one week off two weeks on it was like queens birthday and then there was the bye week or something so I was pretty lucky that I could get a rest in every now and then.

Yeah played out the year back into seniors and felt like I was going alright playing some decent footy a bit up and down and got to finals and I was pretty keen it was YC obviously being such a strong club and in juniors we played in a lot of finals. And they were the favourites? Yep. Sorry I cut you off you juniors played a lot of finals did you win any flags? Yeah we won five in a row. Lost under 11s and then 12s, 13s, 14s, 15s, 16s. Big. So it had been a while since

I had played in the final and especially like a senior final was a lot different to a junior final so I was just keen to get out there and I remember going into the game had a bit of a sore foot. Okay so I didn't know this like you actually had a sore foot prior to the match? Yeah so I think it was in the last round of the season against ED I think I got stood on like nothing just being in the ruck and planting your feet and shit. Oh it happened like in any position you can get stood on and it fucking hurts because you got the cleats.

I think I remember getting stood on in that last round and I was like a bit sore probably just a bit of bone my foot was a bit bruised and I was like it's just bone bruising like nothing felt bad like I'd broken my foot twice so I was like it doesn't feel like anything like that. And then got to, we had the week off because we finished on top so I just spoke to Gooch and he was like yeah just don't train this week give it a rest and I was like yep sweet. And then going into that final against Bomb Beach I obviously trained that week leading in so coming off the week off felt pretty good.

And then the Tuesday night got through training all sweet. Thursday night training and then got stood on again at training and I remember yeah Luke Agunin stood on me foot. I was just about to say name and shame who did it it was Luca. Luca's the one that did me shoulder at stingrays as well so Luca your fault. So Luca what you're saying is you've cost him a flag Luca. And then yeah Luca stood on me it was pretty sore again I remember going to work on the Friday I was like fuck man this is real sore but I was like it's just bone bruising it's the final I'll be right.

Couple of Panadals. Yeah got some stronger ones I can't remember what they were but they were decent ones. Weren't endones were they? No wasn't on the heavies. You'd be flying on the footy field. And then got to had a couple Friday nights Saturday woke up had a couple more get to the game was feeling pretty good strapped up and that ready to go. Started playing felt it was sore but it wasn't bad get to half time and we went in you have your 15 10 15 minutes in the rooms just feeling alright and then we go to run out after half time and I was like fuck.

I was like man I can't run. Started like I was looking around I was like I hope none of these bonnie blokes are looking because I was like and like the game was pretty tight at this stage and I was like I'm struggling. Fucked. And I think Gooch might have yelled something out to me and I was like no don't worry I'm I'm sweet and played out the game and I think I was a pretty good game actually that day. I think for memory but it sort of helps because bonnie bonnie don't really. We'd say Gooch yelled out something to you so he saw you like limping or like struggling to move or just.

Yeah I think I just said yeah I'll be right and tried to soldier on and. Classic. Every time I think I'd come off for like five minutes quarter and like those five minutes of sitting on the bench getting cold and I was like fuck man this is killing. Just every time it's just getting harder and harder to get back up. Yeah and so we got to last quarter and I'd just come off for a spell and I think bonnie had just hit the front now as well. And I remember like sitting there with the physio and I was saying to him man if we lose this there's no chance I'm playing next week like this is fucked.

And luckily enough the licky painter ends up kicking the goal to put us in front in the last minute or two and got back on there and we finished game one and I was like alright sweet. Tick. Get off the ground and I was like in my head I was like my foot's fucking sore but I was like just bone bruise. Yeah we'll get through. And then. And I remember you come and trained at Virtus like that week and you said the same thing like your foot was fat and it was purple ish. Yeah so

I remember leaving the rooms after the game like hobbled my way to the car and I was trying to like make sure no one could see. And I was like nah I still feel alright like it's just blown up because I've just played in a week's wait. And then I actually put my moon boot back on just for that week because we had the week off again because we'd obviously gone straight through to the granny. And I put the boot back on and just sort of made sure I wasn't going places where people would see me.

I think even coming here I would leave the boot in the car so no one knew I was wearing the boot. Yeah well that's it like we got a few MP NFL players. Yeah there was a few bomber boys because bombers were in the prelim against Bonnie. And then got to like the Wednesday and I was still in a fair bit of pain and I remember speaking to Rob Wallace, the master. Yep. And he. The strapping extraordinaire. Yep. Went there every Saturday morning this year and got strapped before the game. And he actually said oh he's like I'll just come in because I was going to go see him anyway just to get a bit of work done.

And he was like I'll just go get a scan just in case because I wasn't going to get scans at all because it's like it's sore but I was like it's fine. I remember after Rob told you that I think you said to me like I don't want to get a scan like in case it does show something then I fucking have to sit down. Yeah well in my brain I was still like nah it's not going to be anything. Do you reckon you were in denial or did you actually believe you were fine? I didn't think I was fine.

I knew something was wrong but I didn't think it was broken. Yeah. And so then I remember going on the Wednesday getting scans, came in after I did a session and the Thursday morning I get the notification like your scans have been uploaded. I was going to see Rob on that Thursday night, get the um get the results and straight away I logged in and looked at him on my phone and straight away I looked at it and I was like fuck. Wait so you looked at the picture or you looked at what they wrote? No I looked at the picture.

Yeah. And this is to your untrained eye even like saw like fuck even I know that's broken. Yeah so there was a decent crack through the second meet this time so I was still on the right foot but a new different bone this time and I had a crack and straight away I got on the phone to Rob. Well I think Rob had called me and said have you seen the scans and I was like yeah and he's like you know don't you and I was like yeah it's broken and he's like yeah and I was like I think I was at work and I said I can't talk right now I was like let's just I'll see you later.

And I was that sort of when it started to hit me and I was like fuck man this isn't I don't know what's going to happen here. What was actually first question what was the remainder of that day at work like just trying to digest all that? I think I was just being like fuck man I don't know because we were in a grand final already and I was like this isn't looking good and then the Thursday night went and saw Rob and um yeah he felt pretty bad and was just trying to sort of say look I don't think you can play.

And I went and saw my old trainer Bryce Marshman who he's a bit of a magician as well he's a lot like the Fizz and um spoke to him and he just said look I don't really think you can play and I went and saw someone else as well. Did you chat to the Fizz? Yeah I think I spoke to I think I gave the Fizz a call as well and he just said look being so young it's just not worth it like you can get injections and that where you won't be able to feel your foot or whatever it is the I can't remember what that was.

But I was like he just said if you do that there's a very strong chance like you probably might not even be able to run for the game because you can't feel your foot. And then secondly even if you can run every time you run, step, get stood on it's going to just destroy the bones and get loose fragments everywhere and then sort of the thing where it's like if you're 35 and about to retire you might go out with a bang but when you're 22 and you've got your whole career ahead of you it's not worth it.

So um yeah it took that pretty shit to be honest I remember sitting in my car after called mum I think I started crying on the phone to mum I think I just called her and she's like oh what's up because I speak to mum a fair bit and I was like I'm not playing. She goes what and I was like I'm not playing in the grand final. She goes what do you mean? I was like the foot's broken and mum was flying down and everything for the granny so. Oh yeah shit. Yeah and then

just bursting to tears on the phone to mum and I was pretty beside myself because I mean the boys won in the end which is awesome but in my head I was like sort of very selfish at that point and I was just like fuck man this isn't good and I was just yeah lost it. And then I remember going home, walked in and I think as soon as I saw dad I just started crying that's why. And he was like oh what's up and I was like oh I'm not fucking playing and um yeah

he was pretty he was I mean everyone was shattered for me but and then the hard part was then going to footy training and it's hard to speak to Gooch and I went up to Gooch and had a meeting with him before training just said I'm not going to be able to play. Had to tell all the boys. Made it a bit easier having pig Zachy Barrett running around in the twos because I reckon he's the ones rapping anyway I mean he showed it, played it awesome grand final but made it a lot easier knowing I had him like if it were.

The boys were in good hands. Yeah it wasn't like though I was like there was no one there like Zach was ready to go probably should have been playing seniors all year anyway he was in and out and um yeah it's good for him like he deserved it anyway but it made it a lot easier for me and then obviously um yeah telling everyone at training I think I lost it again and everyone's bloody giving me these cuddles and shit and I was like. That's it and like you said earlier with one of your other

injuries like you know the boys get around you and they make you feel nice but it's just probably not quite the same was it how was how was it watching the grand final and what was the feeling like and the celebrations after like. I was bittersweet. Yeah. I mean there's no denying I was like couldn't I couldn't believe how happy I was for the boys I thought I'd probably take it a lot worse to be honest like game day I was feeling alright and everyone's still getting around me and all that sort of shit. Yeah

it's weird like you see AFL like um when Bob Murphy and when Andrew Graff Andrew Graff punched Frazier when he missed the grand final he was destroyed after West Coast one like everyone's going to react differently what were your sort of reactions. Um watching the game I was pretty confident we were going to win all day Bonnie gave us a bit of a scare but I was I was confident in the boys and um so I went and it was sort of I think the first one I grabbed was um Kai Adeze and he just sort of grabbed me and was like this is you're a part of it and I was like just go away.

Shut up. And it was sort of like because everyone runs onto the field and I'm in my booboo I can't run so I'm just sort of like. Just speed walking. Trying to hobble out there. Were you on crutches or were you walking? And then all of a sudden all the boys sort of started running over to me and I was like alright and it was yeah it was just awesome like they made me feel so part of it and I still feel like I was I mean I didn't play on the day but I felt

like I had good impact throughout the year and that and um it was awesome but it was um I think I made sure I celebrated like I played I can tell you that. Yeah that was going to be my next question. Yeah made sure that everyone knew I was there. You made your presence known you couldn't make your presence known on the field but you definitely made it known off the field. Yeah. And that's so true um about like you know they wouldn't have been there without you there would have been that many times throughout the year you know in close games that you know you probably had a pretty big deciding factor on a win or a loss and.

Hopefully. Well and truly dictated their ladder position and got them into the grand final. Yeah but yeah so it was yeah it was very bittersweet but it was um the end of the day boys got the win and I was part of it for most of the year so I'll take it but yeah it was looking back it was just a frustrating year two two broken feet both the same foot and it was just couldn't get that continuity I wanted so hopefully get it going next year. Before we talk about next year let's talk about those celebrations who was best on ground?

Probably Chinnie Blake Milane. Yeah we've got a question from him later too so. It's gonna be a shocker I can already tell. Yeah it's not good it's not good we've had better ones. 2022 sucked ass we've got a few more days left what do they look like you're driving up to the sunny coast is he you're driving up solo you're gonna make to support you again or? My mum's coming down for Christmas so she was gonna fly back but we're just gonna drive back up together so because obviously yeah I wanted to do like a road trip but a few of my mates are all sort of busy and I was just like oh fuck it.

Just get it done. Yeah get it done so um what is it the 18th another yeah it's next Monday. Less than two weeks? That's close. Pretty cooked. Yeah so I've got what do you say eight days oh yeah till you leave next Monday yeah so um just catching up with mates and family and just trying to see as many people as I can so I had a pretty big weekend catching up with a lot of people and then this week I got work break up on Monday or Tuesday I don't know but it's sort of

yeah it's weird when I tell people I've got work break up because I think it's just me and my dad so we work at a factory and it's sort of like four or five different companies that all sort of work together I guess and um it's probably like 16 of us so we'll see. 16 of us so we'll have work break up Tuesday or Monday and then yeah just seeing family a few of the boys and um Christmas and then fang off Boxing Day probably try and leave it I think we've got to get to Newcastle so I reckon it'll be about good I think Newcastle's about 12 hour drive.

Boxing Day I reckon it'll push out to probably 13, 14. Yeah see that just sounds like a nightmare to me. I think hopefully try and leave by like three or four am. Is it is it over three, three, four am? Well we've got to get we've got to check into the bloody joint we're staying at. Yeah fair enough. Is it over because like I've moved a couple times in my life but never really too far and you're never too far from your mate so I've never had to have a big going away or anything. Is

it overwhelming when you're moving so far away like doing all these formalities and ticking off the going away's and say and see you later to the people that you want to? It wasn't but I think this morning it all sort of hit me. Yeah you've only got eight days to cram in because Friday night pile on Christmas and. Yeah Friday night one of the girls moved to Scotland for study so it was sort of her thing and I'm just sort of mates with them as well so I went out and saw all them and was

feeling pretty good and then last night was just with all my mates that I've sort of hung around with the last five or six years and was good like it was good fun just being around everyone and then one of the boys actually came back from England yesterday he's been gone for six months so it was sort of like last time we're all together again. And yeah this morning when I woke up before I came here I was sort of just sitting in bed I was like that might have been the last time I was

with all my friends before I go so I'll see them all like sporadically over the next week but I don't know if we'll all be together again. Yeah I'll see it and I know it's only it's still like you say it's that far it's a two hour flight so it's still. It's not and the ones again the ones that do care about you like the two hour flight and the money for the flight is nothing it's nothing to go and see. And I'll be back anyway I'm already coming back in March for my birthday and that so I'll.

And you'll be popping into Virtus? Yeah I'll make sure of it. Yeah that's three months away so yeah I'll make sure of that so then from there I'll have to figure out what I'm doing next but yeah it is it's weird it's weird like it's starting I think it's starting to kick in now I'm like fuck and this is what I was saying about how like I needed to just lock in and tell people I was gone. Yeah because if I'd have got to like now I'd be like fuck nah I don't want to go. Yeah especially with the silly season and you spending time with your friends and your family it's like I don't want to leave this.

Yeah nah it'll be good. You gotta. Live with mum again and get close to me sister again so. Yeah you gotta you gotta do it. What do you anticipate 2023 will look like and spoiler alert it's not going to turn out anything like you anticipate but like what do you what do you sort of hope comes from the next 12 months and beyond? Like is Sunny Coast like going to be a semi-permanent thing again obviously you don't know but like. No I think I'm going in with like just no plans sort of gone no expectations

yeah good and just go from there like there's just who knows what's gonna happen like you just don't know might love it up there might hate it might meet someone might not meet someone like I think sporting wise and like health wise and that I want to not get injured that'll be nice so get through a full footy season up there be good fun. You're in no injuries. Yeah. No broken foots no concussions which we'll talk about in a sec. And then yeah just sort of meet new people make some mates and just have a good time like just enjoy it up there because I'm only 22 I've got.

You're young you are young. I am. Better weather up there. Yeah I know it's been shocking down here. Shit house mate. I know man it's mid-December I've been wearing jumpers. Seriously? Not good but I know I'm gonna get up there I'm gonna be sweating bullets. Good problem to have I reckon. Yeah I reckon the community's gonna that's gonna be the hardest thing. It's gonna teach you a lesson. Yeah. I want to talk about one more injury you've had before we take some Q&A questions. Concussion you got earlier in the year? Yeah. At Strawberry? Strawberry music festival?

Yeah Strawberry Fields up on the Murray. Yeah. Yeah that was a good one. Just with a few mates. Had a doof. Had a few too many and. Because this is when you were in the moon boot too wasn't it? No Strawberry was the week I took it. You just got it off yeah that's alright. Yeah so had a few definitely a few too many and uh walking around and like it's like yeah it's every festival like just campers tents and shit everywhere. Yeah the people look at their ropes and. Yeah so we were walking from

our camp to go to another to go to one of the stages or something and I was pretty out of it and uh tripped over a tent rope and ate shit face first and just I don't even I honestly don't remember much from the whole weekend I just remember I mean I don't actually remember I've been told I tripped on this thing face first bang hit the ground like pretty hard apparently mates like got me up and then they like making sure like you're alright mate you're alright and I was like yeah yeah yep and it sort of I didn't I don't think I was out I think it was just like a bit all over the joint.

Just dazed. And they got me up and they'll hold me for a sec and then they they let me go because I said I was alright and then apparently I just went again bang face first out cold. Or no I don't think I was out cold actually I don't think I went out at all but I was just like I don't remember it. And so I woke up the next morning in the medical tent with no recollection of what had been going on. Well that's it because that's the way you've told the story to me that you just you tripped over and you woke up in the medical tent.

Yeah and so I was actually awake the whole time because there's like I've seen videos I've been amazing with video on it and I was awake the whole time but I was a bit definitely out of it and now I just remember yeah going waking up in the medical tent the next morning thinking like what the fuck I was like what has happened and I was like I think in my head because no one was walking around at the time and I was like I think I must have just got real drunk and like passed out somewhere.

In someone's future and taken to your medical. And then I was like all of a sudden had all these the thingies on my chest. Yeah the little ECG heart monitors. I was like what the fuck and I started pulling them off and then this chick comes in and starts yelling at me. Don't do that. And they had to do it and they did the thing and they said yeah you're all sweet and then I remember like oh you're right and then got up out of the medical tent and they're like oh do you know where your camp is?

I think it was like a trick question because they obviously knew because they got me on the stretcher to get me there and everything. And I remember just being like I just need to get out of here and I was like yeah I know where I'm camping I know it here I'm camping. Walk out the medical tent and I look around and I was like fuck how am I going to find my mates at my camp. Am I still at Strawberry Fields? And I dead set just looked to my left and I see this flag that one of the boys had set up at our camp and I was like oh mate you are kidding and it was right there.

I go oh yeah we're just there and she goes yeah we know and I was like thank fuck for that. And then yeah walked over and crawled back into me swag to get a bit more sleep because this was like six in the morning and I remember like still I was still thinking of just being passed out because the people didn't tell me. I didn't tell you anything. Did you have a headache? Probably. I don't know. And it got to I slept for like another hour or two and mates woke me up and one of my mates came in because my keys were in the swag and he's like got the keys out and he's like oh you alright?

And I was like yeah I woke up in the medical tent and he's like yeah I know and I was like oh. He's like are you like okay though? And I was like yeah why? He's like what do you mean why? And I was like well I don't know I was just passed out didn't I? A bit drunk. And he was like no you like full fell over and got concussed and I was like no. He's taking the piss out of me. And so got up and a few of the other boys were up and they were all saying it and like me and my mates we have a bit of banter and I was like nah.

Everyone's just in on this joke. And I was like nah these boys taking the piss out of me and then a few of the girls start waking up and they were all like worried as well like oh you like feeling better? And I was like fuck maybe this has actually happened and then someone pulls out their phone and shows me this video and I was like what the fuck? I was like I can't believe this has actually happened. Is that a video of you in the tent or like you stacking? No that was me. Stacking? No that was me.

No that was me. Stacking? No that was me. Stacking? No that was me. Stacking? No that was me. Stacking? No that was me. Stacking? No that was me. Stacking? No that was me. Stacking? No that was me. Stacking? No that was me. Stacking? No that was me. Stacking? No that was me. Stacking? No that was me. Stacking? No that was me. Yeah don't remember a whole lot from that weekend. That's phenomenal. Where do strawberry fields rank in festivals you've been to? Because I've had a couple of mates tell me that it's the best I've ever been.

I've never been to Straub's. Where does it rank for you? Nah. Give us your top three favourites. You love a doof. You've eaten to a few over the years. I've eaten to a few. Give us your top three. Oh. Pitch is pretty good. Strawberry they're all different. Strawberry was good because it's just where it was but the strawberry we went to was split over two weekends and it was a lot like my mates went to the strawberry the year before and they said it was way bigger and heaps better but that one I went to

was real good like because you're sitting on the Murray and we're good at we had unreal weather so like you're swimming each morning and that pitch was good our pitch was real good it's just they're so far away BTV I didn't mind it but it BTV was just sort of that last one I went to was a bit of a shit show. That was the 2019 one yeah yeah it was yeah just a pain and then we through COVID my mates sort of fuel my mates DJ and that and we just sort of did our

own thing it was good fun yeah and they're probably sometimes the best ones or it's just you and your crew and someone's just got property somewhere yeah go up to the Murray I think we went for the my 21st went up to the Murray and caused a bit of ruckus and just ran around there and had a bit of fun yeah love that yeah that was good fun almost off some Q&A questions I got one more for you you know the classic you're stranded on an island you can only bring three things bring X amount

of people I've got one for you you're stranded at a festival for three days you can only bring three things and you can only bring three people keep the things you can bring PG please well I'd be bringing some sort of shade I reckon the marquee if I'm stuck there for three days I'm thinking of marquee I'm gonna need a swag to sleep in you can sleep on the ground under the marquee mate that's true no no unless it's a winter yeah you never know you never know what's gonna happen yeah that's right we'll just

say an s might meet somebody full esky yep that'll do me cool because it's about the festival so the speaker's not going so esky swag market I need some sun shade maybe I'd swap out the uh swag for a chair because I can sleep in a chair and then I can sit in the chair so I reckon marquee chair and an esky who are you bringing with you only three only three I can't a car full so four yeah but I don't know I'd probably bring a mate or is that a bit too stiff no

I don't know that's a lot that's a lot to think about to just put me on the spot like that I'm trying to think just random people that'll be funny I reckon if you know theo von no I don't know many people from around this but he's not a per he's lucky oh he's like some american dude he's funny as yeah go ahead post his weird shit yep he's funny let's say him I reckon a random one someone like elon musk would just just be yeah to see and then that's what you want when you

get back to the side at four am and you've got elon musk there with you um I don't know you put me on the spot here I'm trying to think and I'll probably just bring two mates just at least I've got my mates with me yep good I won't name names because I don't want to dog any it's a bit stiff yeah it's a bit stiff elon musk and theo von theo von will be a cracker now we've got six fan questions I've got them on my phone and my phone's filming so I'm going off

the top of my head here which I do remember them because I've been looking at them for the past few hours just following off making sure make sure they're pj questions yeah they're pj questions first one's from charlotte inkster when are we getting matching matching barley tats matching tats bales was what it was not barley tats we'll have to we'll have to book that in without him what would you get with charlotte um that's a good question well she's got a she's got a bit of traditional stuff as well so I reckon we just get

some random shit on the leg somewhere yep uh chinny blake milane chinny boy you got a 30 budget and 28 minutes to cook what are you cooking me just go chicken schnitzel mate chicken stencil and some salad well that's that's five dollars of your budget what are you doing with the next 25 um just beers yeah six pack good that'll do it beer of choice I don't drink beer so you don't either um couple of cruisers mate another one from chinny where you're very close to making the afl and what was the kicker was it

your height um nah it wasn't that close I spoke to a few clubs but like I said it was just me training habits I reckon yeah just needed to knuckle down more and I was probably talking about the dufs and that was probably a bit loose yeah away from footy and um I think people started to realize that so um yeah I wasn't that close another one from luki painter what makes you such a great mate thanks um what makes me such a great mate well like I was saying before I reckon I'm a very

approachable person good to talk to and I think I'm like inclusive and just in uh in like the footy setting sort of thing like it's just getting around everyone getting around everybody the old boys everyone in between and like just making everyone feel part of it you don't discriminate yeah I reckon that's sort of me being a good mate and I'm just yeah that like I was saying I'm more always there to like talk to someone and just be there for a mate yeah I reckon I reckon that's what makes me good mate yeah good

there were two other questions on the instagram poll but I can't remember my phone's filming so that's my fuck up but hey if I don't remember them they must have been that good but what I'll do is I'll tack them on to the quickfire 30 episode which we're about to film but any more final messages anything you want to teach the vertice family uh no just make sure that someone's still playing good music when I'm gone well hey how about you just probably carried on because you oh you listen to a lot of stuff I

listen hey who's got the best music out of all the coaches I would probably say you I don't know what jazz listen actually but I would probably say you because we listen to a lot of the same shit and that's what we wanted to hear and that's put it to bed loki easily worst mitch I can deal with because I don't mind mitch changes a lot which I'm happy to change with but loki just loki is annoying when he's got the music hey well he's not coaching in 2023 so well we've been saved yeah lucky

for everyone that's training anything else anything we didn't cover that you want to quickly say no no I can think of lovely tune into the quickfire 30 episodes we'll have those instagram poll questions on there and 30 other lucky ones lovely it was slow the brains were slowly ticking over the first 20 minutes but I think the conversation started to get rolling the last 45 minutes or so mate yep sure beautiful thanks very much for coming on good luck in the sunny coast thanks for having me