1 00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:02,880 Speaker 1: Very hard when you're there to realize that there's something 2 00:00:02,960 --> 00:00:07,600 Speaker 1: else out there because you're scared, you're terrified of moving 3 00:00:07,640 --> 00:00:10,800 Speaker 1: on because it's what you know. I'd just say it's 4 00:00:10,800 --> 00:00:14,400 Speaker 1: okay to when it's okay to have failed. I think 5 00:00:15,240 --> 00:00:18,000 Speaker 1: one of the major steps is always accepting that shit, 6 00:00:18,160 --> 00:00:19,880 Speaker 1: you might have failed at something, but that's not the 7 00:00:19,920 --> 00:00:21,840 Speaker 1: end of it, that's not the end of view. And 8 00:00:21,880 --> 00:00:23,800 Speaker 1: then the other one is like, it's okay to take 9 00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:26,960 Speaker 1: the leap and flounder for a bit and to go 10 00:00:27,040 --> 00:00:32,600 Speaker 1: through a chaotic period where life isn't super stable because 11 00:00:32,640 --> 00:00:34,440 Speaker 1: I reckon you find something on the other side of it. 12 00:00:35,800 --> 00:00:37,160 Speaker 1: That's my experience for sure. 13 00:00:44,720 --> 00:00:46,640 Speaker 2: Kat, thanks for listening to the show. This is Better 14 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:49,680 Speaker 2: than Yesterday. Useful tools and useful conversations to help make 15 00:00:49,720 --> 00:00:52,400 Speaker 2: your day to day better than yesterday every single week 16 00:00:52,440 --> 00:00:55,400 Speaker 2: since twenty thirteen. My name is Josha Ginsburg. I'm so 17 00:00:55,520 --> 00:00:58,040 Speaker 2: grateful that you're here as a part of the show, 18 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:01,320 Speaker 2: and thank you for those who click on the link 19 00:01:01,640 --> 00:01:03,280 Speaker 2: in the show notes to leave a book review for 20 00:01:03,320 --> 00:01:05,920 Speaker 2: the brand new book So What Now What? That is 21 00:01:05,959 --> 00:01:08,120 Speaker 2: an enormous way that you can help me out. If 22 00:01:08,120 --> 00:01:11,280 Speaker 2: you've got the new book and you want to help 23 00:01:11,319 --> 00:01:13,440 Speaker 2: us out here at the show, just click on that link. 24 00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:15,920 Speaker 2: It gives people the social proof of like, I'm not 25 00:01:15,959 --> 00:01:17,680 Speaker 2: the first person to think this is okay. I can 26 00:01:17,720 --> 00:01:20,360 Speaker 2: buy this too. It would be enormously I'll put the 27 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:22,600 Speaker 2: link in the show notes. I'll be really great. Also, 28 00:01:22,720 --> 00:01:24,959 Speaker 2: if you want to check out the live show that 29 00:01:24,959 --> 00:01:27,920 Speaker 2: we're doing on the seventh of September, we're doing story 30 00:01:27,920 --> 00:01:30,680 Speaker 2: Club once again. We do it every month. Greteley Jackson, 31 00:01:30,880 --> 00:01:35,839 Speaker 2: John Glover, Nigel Marsh, Sashi Pereira, Kevin Han and myself. 32 00:01:36,440 --> 00:01:41,120 Speaker 2: We are bringing true stories based around the theme Pants 33 00:01:41,200 --> 00:01:43,640 Speaker 2: on Fire. I've read some of the stories and it 34 00:01:43,760 --> 00:01:47,320 Speaker 2: is going to be enormous. Tickets are on sale, there's 35 00:01:47,400 --> 00:01:49,520 Speaker 2: a few left, so get on Amongst that, it's part 36 00:01:49,520 --> 00:01:51,760 Speaker 2: of the Sydney Fringe Comedy and yeah, I'd love you 37 00:01:51,800 --> 00:01:53,880 Speaker 2: to be there. Come check it out. So I got 38 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:59,840 Speaker 2: a question about success, how do you measure success? And 39 00:02:00,200 --> 00:02:03,600 Speaker 2: for a seemingly similar but actually quite very different question, 40 00:02:04,760 --> 00:02:09,600 Speaker 2: how do you measure failure? Are these measures based on 41 00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:13,639 Speaker 2: expectations that others have set for you, maybe expectations whore inherited, 42 00:02:14,280 --> 00:02:16,360 Speaker 2: or are they ones that you've set for yourself, Do 43 00:02:16,400 --> 00:02:19,960 Speaker 2: they help you, can they perhaps lead you somewhere that 44 00:02:20,040 --> 00:02:22,760 Speaker 2: you might not want to be? And what happens when 45 00:02:23,639 --> 00:02:25,640 Speaker 2: win or lose the thing you were so bent on 46 00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:30,720 Speaker 2: succeeding in goes away. We're going to cover all of 47 00:02:30,760 --> 00:02:34,240 Speaker 2: that as so much more today with my guest, former 48 00:02:34,600 --> 00:02:40,680 Speaker 2: professional football player now journalist and author, Brandon Jack. To 49 00:02:40,720 --> 00:02:43,400 Speaker 2: say that Brandon was raised in a sporting household, it 50 00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:45,560 Speaker 2: would be a bit of another statement. He's the son 51 00:02:45,760 --> 00:02:48,519 Speaker 2: of rugby league legend Gary Jack, the younger brother of 52 00:02:48,560 --> 00:02:51,480 Speaker 2: the Sydney Swans captain Kiiran Jack. They were playing around 53 00:02:51,520 --> 00:02:54,880 Speaker 2: the same time, so it's not much of a surprise 54 00:02:55,360 --> 00:02:58,160 Speaker 2: that Brandon ended up playing in the Sydney Swims himself. 55 00:02:59,160 --> 00:03:03,520 Speaker 2: There he discovers interesting new relationships to his teammates, to 56 00:03:03,600 --> 00:03:09,040 Speaker 2: the pressure to succeed, and to alcohol. His career lasted 57 00:03:09,400 --> 00:03:13,280 Speaker 2: a total of twenty eight games, which is the average 58 00:03:13,400 --> 00:03:16,440 Speaker 2: career length of somebody in the AFL, and when his 59 00:03:16,480 --> 00:03:19,840 Speaker 2: career was over, he was left with no lack of 60 00:03:19,880 --> 00:03:22,520 Speaker 2: things to think about and reflect on. It was a 61 00:03:22,560 --> 00:03:24,400 Speaker 2: bit of a rocky road, but he wrote about it 62 00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:27,200 Speaker 2: in his memoir twenty eight. But he's got a new 63 00:03:27,240 --> 00:03:29,280 Speaker 2: book out. Now it's an even bigger step than that 64 00:03:29,680 --> 00:03:32,919 Speaker 2: because he's got his debut novel. He's written his debut novel. 65 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:36,840 Speaker 2: It's called Pissants, and it is a story that shines 66 00:03:36,840 --> 00:03:40,800 Speaker 2: a light on footy club culture, on masculinity, and what 67 00:03:40,880 --> 00:03:43,920 Speaker 2: happens when your dreams don't turn out as you had hope. 68 00:03:43,960 --> 00:03:46,320 Speaker 2: This is a great conversation. We talk about that very 69 00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:49,680 Speaker 2: particular male culture that can exist in sport, the factors 70 00:03:49,680 --> 00:03:54,520 Speaker 2: that contribute to it. We talk about expectation, identity, reinvention, validation. 71 00:03:55,280 --> 00:03:58,000 Speaker 2: What lessons did he get from being a part of 72 00:03:58,280 --> 00:04:00,640 Speaker 2: the big game, and what would he say to somebody 73 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:03,400 Speaker 2: who needs to find a new path in their own life. 74 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:05,360 Speaker 2: It's a great conversation. We're going to get to it 75 00:04:05,440 --> 00:04:17,720 Speaker 2: right after this break. All right, let's get to the 76 00:04:17,800 --> 00:04:20,239 Speaker 2: chat Brandon Jack. His new book is called piss Ants. 77 00:04:20,880 --> 00:04:24,760 Speaker 2: It is extraordinary. I think my favorite part about it 78 00:04:24,800 --> 00:04:26,440 Speaker 2: is the team and the whole book. The name of 79 00:04:26,480 --> 00:04:29,960 Speaker 2: the team has redacted. Enjoyed this conversation with Brandon Jack. 80 00:04:33,880 --> 00:04:37,880 Speaker 2: Look the analogies between sport and life. I mean, that's 81 00:04:37,880 --> 00:04:41,200 Speaker 2: why we have it, really, isn't it. Regardless, Thanks for 82 00:04:41,240 --> 00:04:44,040 Speaker 2: coming in brown. Tell you I'm good, mate, I am, 83 00:04:44,240 --> 00:04:45,960 Speaker 2: I'm good. You know. I think there's a little bit 84 00:04:45,960 --> 00:04:47,480 Speaker 2: of footy talk that we've started before. 85 00:04:47,520 --> 00:04:48,800 Speaker 1: This is the already started. 86 00:04:48,839 --> 00:04:53,760 Speaker 2: Shit, were already, We're already already away. How O were 87 00:04:53,800 --> 00:04:55,440 Speaker 2: you when you realize that your dad kind of had 88 00:04:55,480 --> 00:04:57,159 Speaker 2: a different job and it was unlike other dads. 89 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:01,640 Speaker 1: I think I always I think like my earliest memories 90 00:05:01,680 --> 00:05:05,160 Speaker 1: are of dad's jerseys hanging up at home, and I 91 00:05:06,600 --> 00:05:08,400 Speaker 1: the first thing I had in my family home when 92 00:05:08,440 --> 00:05:11,200 Speaker 1: you walked in was like Dad's Australian jersey framed and 93 00:05:11,200 --> 00:05:12,960 Speaker 1: then the New South Wales was one and the Bowmain 94 00:05:13,040 --> 00:05:15,479 Speaker 1: Tigers one. Like that's all I knew. I think I 95 00:05:15,520 --> 00:05:19,080 Speaker 1: was a little bit older when I realized that was different. 96 00:05:19,320 --> 00:05:22,720 Speaker 1: That was pretty special for a period, I think I 97 00:05:22,720 --> 00:05:24,960 Speaker 1: thought everyone's dad played for Australia. I think I thought 98 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:27,440 Speaker 1: like that, you know, your dad didn't, you know, win 99 00:05:27,480 --> 00:05:30,760 Speaker 1: the Golden Boot one year. There was a wild revelation that. 100 00:05:30,880 --> 00:05:34,320 Speaker 1: But I also knew that, you know, we'd go to 101 00:05:34,320 --> 00:05:36,240 Speaker 1: the shops a lot growing up and guys would stop 102 00:05:36,320 --> 00:05:37,920 Speaker 1: Dad always guys, and you could see the look in 103 00:05:37,960 --> 00:05:40,040 Speaker 1: their eyes and they just want to chat. To him 104 00:05:40,080 --> 00:05:43,560 Speaker 1: about Bawmain Tigers in the eighties, and I saw the 105 00:05:43,600 --> 00:05:45,479 Speaker 1: impact he had on people and that people kind of 106 00:05:45,480 --> 00:05:49,360 Speaker 1: idolized his success. So it was always there. And it's 107 00:05:49,400 --> 00:05:51,719 Speaker 1: an odd thing of thinking it's normal while also being 108 00:05:51,800 --> 00:05:53,160 Speaker 1: like it's pretty special. 109 00:05:53,440 --> 00:05:56,400 Speaker 2: It's a takes a mindset. I mean, certainly getting ready 110 00:05:56,400 --> 00:05:58,880 Speaker 2: to interview you. Of course I know who he is. 111 00:05:59,240 --> 00:06:03,280 Speaker 2: I mean, can rewatch some of that stuff. Yeah, well, 112 00:06:03,320 --> 00:06:05,240 Speaker 2: you'd be playing a game with three men on the field. 113 00:06:05,320 --> 00:06:07,800 Speaker 2: With the current way the game's played there, everyone who 114 00:06:07,800 --> 00:06:11,600 Speaker 2: gets sent off for everything. It was so fucking violent. Yeah. 115 00:06:11,640 --> 00:06:13,680 Speaker 1: I never saw Dad play live. 116 00:06:14,160 --> 00:06:15,159 Speaker 2: I think he finished. 117 00:06:15,200 --> 00:06:17,240 Speaker 1: He came back and played one year in Australia after 118 00:06:17,279 --> 00:06:18,800 Speaker 1: I was born. Because I was born, he went and 119 00:06:18,800 --> 00:06:20,919 Speaker 1: coached over in England for a bit. So I have 120 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:23,920 Speaker 1: no memories of him playing, but I've seen footage and 121 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:27,640 Speaker 1: like even the way he used to run at people, 122 00:06:27,880 --> 00:06:30,839 Speaker 1: he had no care for his own health and well being, 123 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:35,080 Speaker 1: and his body would have copped it. He was quite 124 00:06:35,120 --> 00:06:36,800 Speaker 1: a slender guy as well, he would have copped it. 125 00:06:36,839 --> 00:06:39,520 Speaker 1: And I always remember people stopping him and just telling me, like, 126 00:06:39,520 --> 00:06:41,719 Speaker 1: your dad was a hard bastard, Like that's all people 127 00:06:41,760 --> 00:06:45,039 Speaker 1: used to say to me, and yeah, the different era, 128 00:06:45,440 --> 00:06:48,240 Speaker 1: and it is kind of like, I think, I don't 129 00:06:48,240 --> 00:06:51,520 Speaker 1: know if he's suffered any effects of that prolonged I mean, 130 00:06:51,520 --> 00:06:53,600 Speaker 1: there's obviously a fear that a lot of those guys 131 00:06:53,600 --> 00:06:56,400 Speaker 1: that generation have about the ongoing effects of concussion or whatever. 132 00:06:56,440 --> 00:07:00,200 Speaker 1: But I think Dad's been pretty lucky. But yeah, I 133 00:07:00,240 --> 00:07:02,479 Speaker 1: just remember being told your dad's a hard bastard a 134 00:07:02,520 --> 00:07:03,200 Speaker 1: lot growing up. 135 00:07:03,960 --> 00:07:06,240 Speaker 2: That could be a blessing a curse. As a school kid. 136 00:07:06,320 --> 00:07:08,559 Speaker 1: Yeah, it just instilled in me from a young age 137 00:07:08,560 --> 00:07:12,040 Speaker 1: that if you're successful at sport, then you know, you 138 00:07:12,040 --> 00:07:14,080 Speaker 1: can get the ad espression in Australia, you can get 139 00:07:14,080 --> 00:07:16,800 Speaker 1: the admiration of people. And it's a we were just 140 00:07:16,800 --> 00:07:19,080 Speaker 1: talking before, I think before we started that it's something 141 00:07:19,120 --> 00:07:20,960 Speaker 1: that gives us a lot of analogies for life, but 142 00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:24,560 Speaker 1: it gives us people love bonding over sport. It's so interwoven. 143 00:07:24,640 --> 00:07:26,920 Speaker 2: It's just so I think sport is just so important 144 00:07:26,960 --> 00:07:29,480 Speaker 2: in Australia when we're living in such a fracturedly a 145 00:07:29,520 --> 00:07:33,600 Speaker 2: culturally fractured society, you absolutely have to have something that 146 00:07:33,640 --> 00:07:36,040 Speaker 2: two strangers can talk about. It's so important. 147 00:07:36,160 --> 00:07:38,880 Speaker 1: Yeah, and it's so funny. So now in the writing 148 00:07:38,920 --> 00:07:41,040 Speaker 1: world that I exist in, I thought I might get 149 00:07:41,040 --> 00:07:43,160 Speaker 1: away from For a long time, I really wanted to 150 00:07:43,160 --> 00:07:44,920 Speaker 1: get away from sports because I did. It's all I 151 00:07:44,960 --> 00:07:47,040 Speaker 1: knew growing up and had a career that, you know, 152 00:07:47,080 --> 00:07:49,920 Speaker 1: I kind of wanted to push away from. But even 153 00:07:49,960 --> 00:07:52,600 Speaker 1: in this writing world, or you meet some big intellects, 154 00:07:53,200 --> 00:07:55,920 Speaker 1: they just fucking love sport, like they just want to 155 00:07:55,960 --> 00:08:00,320 Speaker 1: talk about footy, and you realize that you can intellectualize 156 00:08:00,320 --> 00:08:02,000 Speaker 1: a lot of things in life, but sport. You can 157 00:08:02,040 --> 00:08:03,760 Speaker 1: do it with sport as well. But to be honest, 158 00:08:03,800 --> 00:08:06,760 Speaker 1: sometimes people just want a team to go for, want 159 00:08:06,800 --> 00:08:10,920 Speaker 1: colors to wear, and then they don't care about the 160 00:08:10,960 --> 00:08:12,640 Speaker 1: beliefs or anything of the other person next to them. 161 00:08:12,640 --> 00:08:14,800 Speaker 1: For a lot of the time, it's just we're both 162 00:08:14,840 --> 00:08:17,000 Speaker 1: going for this team who we hope scores more points 163 00:08:17,040 --> 00:08:20,920 Speaker 1: than that other team, and it's a nice escape from 164 00:08:21,360 --> 00:08:22,920 Speaker 1: everything else for a couple of hours every. 165 00:08:22,760 --> 00:08:26,160 Speaker 2: Week, all sports a story. Here's a bunch of guys 166 00:08:26,160 --> 00:08:28,680 Speaker 2: who may or may not be from this particular geographic area, 167 00:08:28,720 --> 00:08:31,360 Speaker 2: wearing this particular color clothing. Here's a bunch of other 168 00:08:31,400 --> 00:08:33,520 Speaker 2: guys wearing a different color clothing that may or may 169 00:08:33,559 --> 00:08:36,599 Speaker 2: not be from another geographic area, but half of the 170 00:08:36,720 --> 00:08:39,840 Speaker 2: MCG think it's really important that those guys get that 171 00:08:39,920 --> 00:08:42,920 Speaker 2: ball through there more than those dudes, and we will 172 00:08:42,920 --> 00:08:44,360 Speaker 2: share ourselves horse to make. 173 00:08:44,200 --> 00:08:48,000 Speaker 1: It happen, honestly, being like the MCG when it's packed, 174 00:08:48,080 --> 00:08:50,040 Speaker 1: I played through a couple of times in front of 175 00:08:50,080 --> 00:08:52,560 Speaker 1: decent crowds, but going to like Grand Finals and stuff 176 00:08:52,559 --> 00:08:56,280 Speaker 1: there when it's one hundred thousand people, nothing else gives 177 00:08:56,280 --> 00:08:59,680 Speaker 1: you that, like my heart starts racing and you feel 178 00:08:59,679 --> 00:09:03,600 Speaker 1: something in the crowd cheers, the kind of collective consciousness 179 00:09:03,679 --> 00:09:06,320 Speaker 1: or understanding of what's going on in the game, and 180 00:09:06,440 --> 00:09:09,680 Speaker 1: it's not scripted, and nothing else. I don't think anything 181 00:09:09,679 --> 00:09:11,359 Speaker 1: else gives us that level of entertainment. 182 00:09:11,559 --> 00:09:14,080 Speaker 2: We'd like to think that we're, you know, really smart. 183 00:09:14,679 --> 00:09:17,360 Speaker 2: We're not. We're hard to gatherers, and we're in and 184 00:09:17,360 --> 00:09:17,760 Speaker 2: out group. 185 00:09:17,800 --> 00:09:20,920 Speaker 1: Want to be a ball kicked between sticks because it 186 00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:21,920 Speaker 1: makes us feel something. 187 00:09:21,960 --> 00:09:24,280 Speaker 2: It's in and outgroup, all right, it's in a group, 188 00:09:24,280 --> 00:09:26,640 Speaker 2: in our group, and if our outgroup, if our in 189 00:09:26,760 --> 00:09:30,080 Speaker 2: group losers, then us and the other people that are 190 00:09:30,080 --> 00:09:32,559 Speaker 2: wearing our tribal colors gets us sit on the train 191 00:09:32,600 --> 00:09:35,400 Speaker 2: and go Yeah, that referee, then what do we have. 192 00:09:36,280 --> 00:09:39,040 Speaker 2: We're together, you know, the stranger and I we belong 193 00:09:39,120 --> 00:09:41,400 Speaker 2: to each other similarly on the other side. That's what 194 00:09:41,480 --> 00:09:44,240 Speaker 2: That's what it is, and that's what you know. We're 195 00:09:44,280 --> 00:09:47,160 Speaker 2: asking these athletes, people like yourself, can you please go 196 00:09:47,160 --> 00:09:49,520 Speaker 2: out their own risk, your ability to throw your children 197 00:09:49,559 --> 00:09:51,720 Speaker 2: in the air when you're an older man so I 198 00:09:51,720 --> 00:09:54,480 Speaker 2: can see an amazing mark or a great tackle. Please. 199 00:09:54,679 --> 00:09:57,600 Speaker 1: Yeah. And coming from a player's point of view, I think, 200 00:09:58,720 --> 00:10:01,600 Speaker 1: having been in that that's in my early twenties, it's 201 00:10:01,600 --> 00:10:04,600 Speaker 1: like you will willingly do that. You won't think about 202 00:10:04,640 --> 00:10:07,640 Speaker 1: anything else in the future because you just like you 203 00:10:07,640 --> 00:10:10,640 Speaker 1: get a sense of purpose and fulfillment from doing that 204 00:10:10,679 --> 00:10:12,720 Speaker 1: at that point in time. And it's exciting. It's just 205 00:10:12,880 --> 00:10:15,000 Speaker 1: it's exciting to be in the middle of a stadium 206 00:10:15,040 --> 00:10:18,720 Speaker 1: with forty fifty thousand people watching, like you're probably not 207 00:10:18,760 --> 00:10:20,960 Speaker 1: going to think about life twenty years down the track. 208 00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:23,840 Speaker 1: It's like, I'm here now and I'm a god. Some 209 00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:25,680 Speaker 1: people might feel like that. I mean, I didn because 210 00:10:25,679 --> 00:10:28,480 Speaker 1: I was pretty shit, But some people feel like that's 211 00:10:28,520 --> 00:10:29,440 Speaker 1: the height. 212 00:10:29,600 --> 00:10:31,120 Speaker 2: You were less shit than the people that didn't make 213 00:10:31,160 --> 00:10:34,640 Speaker 2: the team. Come on, man, like the new book, Pisance 214 00:10:35,000 --> 00:10:37,640 Speaker 2: is about the people that didn't make it. Really, It's 215 00:10:37,640 --> 00:10:40,680 Speaker 2: about the guys that we all want to be, you know, 216 00:10:40,760 --> 00:10:43,160 Speaker 2: full forward for whoever, we all want to be the 217 00:10:43,200 --> 00:10:45,800 Speaker 2: halfback for whoever center for. I'm just trying to always 218 00:10:45,800 --> 00:10:48,719 Speaker 2: just keep naming sports attack for whoever we want to make. 219 00:10:48,760 --> 00:10:53,080 Speaker 2: You know, and there's schoolboy, and then I you're pretty good, 220 00:10:53,360 --> 00:10:56,280 Speaker 2: and then there's club on the side. At what point 221 00:10:56,400 --> 00:10:59,680 Speaker 2: in your playing career did you start to notice that 222 00:11:00,640 --> 00:11:03,480 Speaker 2: I'm progressing faster than people I started with. 223 00:11:05,080 --> 00:11:09,880 Speaker 1: I think even though I came from a pretty you know, 224 00:11:10,559 --> 00:11:14,400 Speaker 1: notorious sporting family, I always felt out to work really 225 00:11:14,440 --> 00:11:17,080 Speaker 1: hard and I wasn't like the superstar kid growing up 226 00:11:17,080 --> 00:11:19,320 Speaker 1: at all. I think because of my last name, people 227 00:11:19,320 --> 00:11:21,120 Speaker 1: would watch me a bit more and give me more attention. 228 00:11:22,080 --> 00:11:25,520 Speaker 1: I'd say. I was probably sixteen or seventeen when I 229 00:11:25,559 --> 00:11:27,880 Speaker 1: switched from rugby league. So dad played rugby league. It's 230 00:11:27,880 --> 00:11:30,800 Speaker 1: all we did growing up, grew up in Sydney. At fifteen, 231 00:11:31,360 --> 00:11:33,400 Speaker 1: I switched to Ozzie Rules because my older brother Kieran 232 00:11:34,120 --> 00:11:36,040 Speaker 1: was playing for the Swans was doing quite well there, 233 00:11:36,080 --> 00:11:37,600 Speaker 1: so I said, well, shit, if Kieran can do it, 234 00:11:37,600 --> 00:11:40,240 Speaker 1: I think I can do it too, And then it 235 00:11:40,360 --> 00:11:42,360 Speaker 1: was really bad at Ossie Rules for a couple of years. 236 00:11:43,160 --> 00:11:45,160 Speaker 1: Then got put in the Swans Academy when I was 237 00:11:45,240 --> 00:11:49,920 Speaker 1: quite young, Swans Academy which surrounded me with the most 238 00:11:49,920 --> 00:11:52,360 Speaker 1: talented kids in Sydney and that really. 239 00:11:52,240 --> 00:11:54,320 Speaker 2: Far kids from all over the country people. Yeah. 240 00:11:54,400 --> 00:11:57,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, it fast tracked my development and then you know, 241 00:11:57,800 --> 00:12:00,080 Speaker 1: by the time I was eighteen was when it was 242 00:12:00,240 --> 00:12:02,599 Speaker 1: very much like, all right, your chance to get drafted. 243 00:12:02,240 --> 00:12:02,800 Speaker 2: To the Swans. 244 00:12:02,840 --> 00:12:05,880 Speaker 1: And even still wasn't one of the better players in 245 00:12:05,920 --> 00:12:07,760 Speaker 1: the New South Wales team, for example, it was probably 246 00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:10,760 Speaker 1: one of the bottom players. But I think because of 247 00:12:10,800 --> 00:12:14,760 Speaker 1: who I was, my name, they saw potential there. So 248 00:12:15,120 --> 00:12:15,960 Speaker 1: I'm very aware of that. 249 00:12:16,880 --> 00:12:20,679 Speaker 2: Get nobody's doing this for favors, mate, Yeah, I would 250 00:12:20,840 --> 00:12:24,680 Speaker 2: challenge you on that, all right. I used to because 251 00:12:24,720 --> 00:12:27,080 Speaker 2: I know I used to think honestly, I thought they 252 00:12:27,120 --> 00:12:29,559 Speaker 2: gave me the Australian Idol job as a favor because 253 00:12:29,559 --> 00:12:31,240 Speaker 2: I did not have the self worth. It was only 254 00:12:31,360 --> 00:12:33,120 Speaker 2: years later that I realized, oh no, hang on, they 255 00:12:33,160 --> 00:12:35,360 Speaker 2: could have chosen anyone to do, but they weren't for 256 00:12:35,360 --> 00:12:37,439 Speaker 2: the person that made the most business sense. 257 00:12:37,640 --> 00:12:40,240 Speaker 1: Yeah. Well, the business sense was I think they saw 258 00:12:40,280 --> 00:12:42,040 Speaker 1: the potential I had. I think I had that promise 259 00:12:42,040 --> 00:12:44,600 Speaker 1: of potential and a work ethic that they saw in 260 00:12:44,679 --> 00:12:46,240 Speaker 1: Kieran that they saw in me as well. 261 00:12:46,280 --> 00:12:48,360 Speaker 2: So that's what an academy. Yeah, well I've met some 262 00:12:48,400 --> 00:12:50,760 Speaker 2: of those kids. There was a sauna place I used 263 00:12:50,800 --> 00:12:53,240 Speaker 2: to go to in Kujie and I've sat in the 264 00:12:53,240 --> 00:12:55,920 Speaker 2: Sworna with some guys like seventeen eighteen all living in 265 00:12:55,920 --> 00:12:58,040 Speaker 2: a sharehouse in Maroona that was owned by the club. 266 00:12:58,520 --> 00:13:01,160 Speaker 2: What's it like when you're surrounded why people who are 267 00:13:01,679 --> 00:13:03,679 Speaker 2: all focused on the same thing that you are. What 268 00:13:03,720 --> 00:13:04,240 Speaker 2: does it give you? 269 00:13:04,800 --> 00:13:07,600 Speaker 1: Well, this is very much where this book Pissants kind 270 00:13:07,640 --> 00:13:12,360 Speaker 1: of draws on. It is it's interesting being an eighteen 271 00:13:12,400 --> 00:13:14,679 Speaker 1: year old. So let's talk say you're a professional level now. 272 00:13:14,720 --> 00:13:16,719 Speaker 1: So you're eighteen. You've been drafted by the Swans or 273 00:13:16,760 --> 00:13:20,040 Speaker 1: by football club. At the Swans because it was in 274 00:13:20,080 --> 00:13:22,240 Speaker 1: Sydney and a lot of guys came from interstate. You'd 275 00:13:22,280 --> 00:13:24,720 Speaker 1: go into a housing program where there'd be three guys 276 00:13:24,720 --> 00:13:26,440 Speaker 1: living at a house. You didn't really know each other, 277 00:13:26,679 --> 00:13:29,760 Speaker 1: and your common threat is footy. Well, what do you 278 00:13:29,760 --> 00:13:31,400 Speaker 1: think happens when you put a bunch of eighteen year 279 00:13:31,400 --> 00:13:33,400 Speaker 1: olds in house together with a bit of money and 280 00:13:33,440 --> 00:13:34,920 Speaker 1: a bit of you know, puff their chests out of it. 281 00:13:34,960 --> 00:13:38,200 Speaker 1: Because of footy players, we had parties. We didn't really 282 00:13:38,200 --> 00:13:42,160 Speaker 1: think about much else outside of footy and didn't really 283 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:46,400 Speaker 1: didn't really focus on personal development in a way. It 284 00:13:46,440 --> 00:13:48,760 Speaker 1: was like, you train, you go out for dinner with 285 00:13:48,800 --> 00:13:51,160 Speaker 1: the boys, you play on Saturday, and then well, let's 286 00:13:51,160 --> 00:13:53,560 Speaker 1: go out to a nightclub Saturday night because you're young 287 00:13:53,600 --> 00:13:59,160 Speaker 1: and you can. And from that you get very interesting friendships, 288 00:13:59,240 --> 00:14:03,760 Speaker 1: ways of bonding that are kind of connected to connected 289 00:14:03,800 --> 00:14:05,840 Speaker 1: to one the game you play, you spot in the team, 290 00:14:05,920 --> 00:14:08,640 Speaker 1: and alcohol as well. That was a big thing for 291 00:14:09,440 --> 00:14:10,520 Speaker 1: me when I was playing footy. 292 00:14:11,240 --> 00:14:12,080 Speaker 2: How do you feel? 293 00:14:14,200 --> 00:14:18,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's so eighteen to twenty three. I was at 294 00:14:18,520 --> 00:14:23,200 Speaker 1: the Swans doing that and you how do you feel? 295 00:14:23,200 --> 00:14:25,240 Speaker 1: No one, no one was asking fucking how do you feel? 296 00:14:25,240 --> 00:14:28,480 Speaker 1: But our way of almost doing that was to drink 297 00:14:28,520 --> 00:14:31,600 Speaker 1: a lot together and to and I come with this 298 00:14:31,680 --> 00:14:34,200 Speaker 1: now from everynewed perspective of being, like, well, that was 299 00:14:34,920 --> 00:14:37,280 Speaker 1: kind of all we knew. How that was our way 300 00:14:37,320 --> 00:14:39,400 Speaker 1: of bonding. And you look at it from the outside 301 00:14:39,400 --> 00:14:42,480 Speaker 1: and say, that's really toxic and it's wrong. Yeah, in 302 00:14:42,480 --> 00:14:45,080 Speaker 1: a lot of ways it is, but that's all we 303 00:14:45,160 --> 00:14:46,800 Speaker 1: knew how to do, and if you took that away 304 00:14:46,800 --> 00:14:49,240 Speaker 1: from us, then it was like we fucking wouldn't talk 305 00:14:49,320 --> 00:14:54,120 Speaker 1: and it'd be more lonely. So pistance became a kind 306 00:14:54,120 --> 00:14:55,880 Speaker 1: of study of that in a way of well, let's 307 00:14:55,880 --> 00:14:58,920 Speaker 1: look at how eighteen to twenty three old blokes bond 308 00:15:00,240 --> 00:15:05,280 Speaker 1: and make people who wouldn't normally spend time with a 309 00:15:05,320 --> 00:15:07,640 Speaker 1: group like that. So if you don't really like footy, 310 00:15:07,720 --> 00:15:09,160 Speaker 1: or you don't really like those guys, or you see 311 00:15:09,240 --> 00:15:10,800 Speaker 1: them at the pub, you might walk away from them. 312 00:15:10,800 --> 00:15:13,120 Speaker 1: I'm like, well, let's give you three hundred pages of 313 00:15:13,120 --> 00:15:15,200 Speaker 1: a book where you have to sit with them and 314 00:15:15,240 --> 00:15:16,960 Speaker 1: you actually kind of learn a bit about why they're 315 00:15:17,000 --> 00:15:21,600 Speaker 1: doing the things they're doing. And it's yeah, it's a 316 00:15:21,640 --> 00:15:23,200 Speaker 1: lot of people have taken that from it. Some people 317 00:15:23,240 --> 00:15:25,240 Speaker 1: fucking hate it, which is good. I want people to 318 00:15:25,320 --> 00:15:27,880 Speaker 1: kind of hate what I write sometimes because it means. 319 00:15:27,640 --> 00:15:29,120 Speaker 2: It's what do they hate about it. 320 00:15:29,640 --> 00:15:32,480 Speaker 1: Some people just read it as this is a bunch 321 00:15:32,520 --> 00:15:36,440 Speaker 1: of bad blokes doing bad things and it's immature, which 322 00:15:36,520 --> 00:15:38,520 Speaker 1: is like, that's fine. If that's what you get from it. 323 00:15:38,560 --> 00:15:40,080 Speaker 2: Then I hate to break it to them, but people 324 00:15:40,120 --> 00:15:42,800 Speaker 2: who have that critique might have just never spent time 325 00:15:42,880 --> 00:15:49,560 Speaker 2: around a bunch of unsupervised, unparented eighteen years away from home. Yeah, 326 00:15:49,600 --> 00:15:53,080 Speaker 2: these guys exist. Everyone's searching for a father figure everywhere, 327 00:15:53,200 --> 00:15:53,400 Speaker 2: you know. 328 00:15:54,240 --> 00:15:56,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, And that's another thing I think somebody said to 329 00:15:56,520 --> 00:15:58,640 Speaker 1: me after reading the book that they were like, I 330 00:15:58,680 --> 00:16:01,120 Speaker 1: was looking for a father figure for these guys in 331 00:16:01,160 --> 00:16:03,320 Speaker 1: the book. And there's one coach who has a few 332 00:16:03,360 --> 00:16:05,920 Speaker 1: chapters and he's probably the worst father figure you can get. 333 00:16:06,000 --> 00:16:09,400 Speaker 1: He's a coke addict who's just always searching for cocaine. 334 00:16:09,440 --> 00:16:11,840 Speaker 1: It's all he's doing the whole book. And he's the 335 00:16:11,920 --> 00:16:16,680 Speaker 1: assistant coach of this team. So anyone who's looking for guidance, 336 00:16:17,720 --> 00:16:22,680 Speaker 1: there's nothing really there outside of this team ethos. It's 337 00:16:22,760 --> 00:16:26,040 Speaker 1: like we care about each other. We're driven to succeed. 338 00:16:26,080 --> 00:16:30,120 Speaker 1: All his marketing phrases and footy clubs have which doesn't 339 00:16:30,240 --> 00:16:32,240 Speaker 1: really steer them in the right direction with much. 340 00:16:32,840 --> 00:16:36,600 Speaker 2: I always think about you're dedicating your entire life to it. 341 00:16:37,080 --> 00:16:38,520 Speaker 2: As you said, you played league for when you were 342 00:16:38,520 --> 00:16:41,760 Speaker 2: a kid, and you switch when you were fifteen so easily. 343 00:16:41,840 --> 00:16:45,000 Speaker 2: Probably eighteen years of your life from when you first 344 00:16:45,120 --> 00:16:46,680 Speaker 2: got past the ball you could catch and you have 345 00:16:46,760 --> 00:16:49,080 Speaker 2: the coordination to catch a ball easily, eighteen years of 346 00:16:49,080 --> 00:16:51,520 Speaker 2: your life been dedicated to getting really good at this thing, 347 00:16:52,400 --> 00:16:55,960 Speaker 2: and then it's gone. How do you know? How do 348 00:16:56,000 --> 00:16:58,200 Speaker 2: you look at yourself? What happens to your self identity? 349 00:16:58,280 --> 00:17:01,040 Speaker 1: It's a I don't think as many the professions, like 350 00:17:01,080 --> 00:17:03,920 Speaker 1: I think modeling, modeling might be the only comparable one 351 00:17:03,960 --> 00:17:06,560 Speaker 1: where you kind of are used by date is on you, 352 00:17:06,800 --> 00:17:09,520 Speaker 1: and then everything you've kind of spent your life doing 353 00:17:10,560 --> 00:17:14,880 Speaker 1: is then gone, and not even gone, but it's it's 354 00:17:15,600 --> 00:17:18,040 Speaker 1: you can't really go back and do that thing again. 355 00:17:18,160 --> 00:17:20,080 Speaker 1: Like once I was out of the system, I was like, okay, 356 00:17:20,280 --> 00:17:21,840 Speaker 1: I'm out of the system. I'm not going to go 357 00:17:21,880 --> 00:17:28,440 Speaker 1: back and plays rules again. It's tough because your whole 358 00:17:28,480 --> 00:17:30,560 Speaker 1: identity becomes tired up in it. You know, when your 359 00:17:30,560 --> 00:17:33,520 Speaker 1: whole identity is about being the best player you can 360 00:17:33,560 --> 00:17:37,640 Speaker 1: be on that field, and then that's taken away from you. 361 00:17:38,320 --> 00:17:42,760 Speaker 1: I felt this huge sense of I felt like I 362 00:17:42,760 --> 00:17:44,680 Speaker 1: was falling for like three or four years. I really 363 00:17:44,680 --> 00:17:47,640 Speaker 1: I came out and I started going to a UNI 364 00:17:47,640 --> 00:17:50,080 Speaker 1: full time, started playing a bit of music as well, 365 00:17:50,119 --> 00:17:52,159 Speaker 1: and doing a few other things. But I didn't have 366 00:17:52,200 --> 00:17:53,920 Speaker 1: any sense of what the fuck I was actually doing. 367 00:17:54,000 --> 00:17:58,760 Speaker 1: I was just falling. And then you know, that's when 368 00:17:58,880 --> 00:18:03,000 Speaker 1: alcohol and dry become something that you gravitate towards, not 369 00:18:03,040 --> 00:18:07,879 Speaker 1: because you just want to feel good, and those become 370 00:18:08,040 --> 00:18:10,639 Speaker 1: things that make you feel they just give you an 371 00:18:10,680 --> 00:18:13,800 Speaker 1: instant burst. You're just so sad you need something, and 372 00:18:13,840 --> 00:18:16,919 Speaker 1: it's a lot easier to gravitate towards those things than 373 00:18:16,960 --> 00:18:19,240 Speaker 1: to pull yourself up and be like, oh shit, I've 374 00:18:19,240 --> 00:18:22,080 Speaker 1: got to face some kind of things here that are 375 00:18:22,119 --> 00:18:25,840 Speaker 1: quite difficult, you know. I've got to go maybe see 376 00:18:25,840 --> 00:18:27,879 Speaker 1: a therapist, and I've got to put some things in 377 00:18:27,920 --> 00:18:29,679 Speaker 1: place in my life that give me a reason to 378 00:18:29,680 --> 00:18:33,560 Speaker 1: get out of bed. And that took me three or 379 00:18:33,560 --> 00:18:37,119 Speaker 1: four years to get to. And I'm my fingers kind 380 00:18:37,160 --> 00:18:38,840 Speaker 1: of on the pulse with myself and I do a 381 00:18:38,840 --> 00:18:41,879 Speaker 1: lot of self reflection, but it's still it took me 382 00:18:41,960 --> 00:18:44,800 Speaker 1: three or four years of feeling shit and depressed to 383 00:18:45,040 --> 00:18:47,719 Speaker 1: then start making those and I'm still making them now. 384 00:18:47,720 --> 00:18:49,240 Speaker 1: I've been out of the system for eight years and 385 00:18:49,280 --> 00:18:54,160 Speaker 1: I'm still see a therapist once a month on antidepressants. 386 00:18:54,160 --> 00:18:55,840 Speaker 1: I started taking those a couple of years ago, but 387 00:18:56,800 --> 00:18:59,439 Speaker 1: it was just a long journey to realize, you know, 388 00:18:59,480 --> 00:19:01,159 Speaker 1: there's some things I need to do to help me 389 00:19:01,440 --> 00:19:05,160 Speaker 1: confront or to deal with this sense of a sense 390 00:19:05,200 --> 00:19:07,520 Speaker 1: of failure that you feel from a career that's over 391 00:19:07,640 --> 00:19:08,040 Speaker 1: so young. 392 00:19:08,640 --> 00:19:12,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's just such a huge risk that we ask, 393 00:19:12,320 --> 00:19:15,320 Speaker 2: you know, men and women to take for our entertainment, 394 00:19:15,680 --> 00:19:19,840 Speaker 2: not only putting your body on the line. Your career 395 00:19:19,880 --> 00:19:22,520 Speaker 2: could be over like that. You know, you could blow 396 00:19:22,560 --> 00:19:25,800 Speaker 2: an emptl and then miss your training window and then 397 00:19:25,840 --> 00:19:28,560 Speaker 2: never get back to the squad and that's it gone. 398 00:19:28,800 --> 00:19:32,560 Speaker 2: It's interesting the idea that alcohol is used as a 399 00:19:32,560 --> 00:19:35,800 Speaker 2: part of it when you're younger to help the guys. 400 00:19:35,800 --> 00:19:37,240 Speaker 2: You know, I get the boys getting it getting again 401 00:19:37,280 --> 00:19:39,840 Speaker 2: and like it's bonding and as a thing that's always 402 00:19:39,840 --> 00:19:42,000 Speaker 2: around that can put some distance between you and there 403 00:19:42,040 --> 00:19:44,359 Speaker 2: is comfort of I'm sitting with someone from Uriepta from 404 00:19:44,400 --> 00:19:46,560 Speaker 2: South Australia. I don't know anything about them, but we 405 00:19:46,640 --> 00:19:48,880 Speaker 2: both wear the same T shirt when we go to training. Ah, 406 00:19:48,960 --> 00:19:51,320 Speaker 2: let's have a beer. Now we've got something in common. 407 00:19:52,040 --> 00:19:53,919 Speaker 2: And if we start to use I mean, like, you know, 408 00:19:54,280 --> 00:19:56,120 Speaker 2: let me be really clear. I'm fifteen and a half 409 00:19:56,200 --> 00:19:58,879 Speaker 2: years sober, so I know exactly how alcohol can be 410 00:19:58,920 --> 00:20:02,320 Speaker 2: a problem when you're using it to get to you 411 00:20:02,440 --> 00:20:04,960 Speaker 2: over the line in a social situation. But if you 412 00:20:05,040 --> 00:20:09,560 Speaker 2: never develop the skill because of that, then you just 413 00:20:09,600 --> 00:20:10,239 Speaker 2: need more of it. 414 00:20:10,359 --> 00:20:17,840 Speaker 1: That's what it is. It's low as your inhibitions. If 415 00:20:17,880 --> 00:20:20,600 Speaker 1: you're an anxious person and you're with people you don't know, 416 00:20:20,720 --> 00:20:23,240 Speaker 1: it's like and I still feel this today. So I've 417 00:20:23,320 --> 00:20:25,280 Speaker 1: gone back and forth in my life about having problems 418 00:20:25,320 --> 00:20:28,720 Speaker 1: with alcohol. Sometimes I know I'm using it to self medicate. 419 00:20:29,160 --> 00:20:31,240 Speaker 1: There are times when I know, in a social situation, 420 00:20:31,320 --> 00:20:33,560 Speaker 1: I'll have to stop myself from drinking because I know 421 00:20:33,600 --> 00:20:35,680 Speaker 1: i'm doing it because I am not developing that skill. 422 00:20:35,760 --> 00:20:39,120 Speaker 1: Like you said, if you're always feeling uncomfortable, then you drink, 423 00:20:39,800 --> 00:20:41,919 Speaker 1: you never learn how to. I can actually be okay 424 00:20:42,040 --> 00:20:45,280 Speaker 1: with the discomfort of not knowing these people. And that's 425 00:20:45,720 --> 00:20:47,160 Speaker 1: my other fact that you know, fifteen and a half 426 00:20:47,200 --> 00:20:48,280 Speaker 1: years sob. But that's incredible. 427 00:20:48,800 --> 00:20:52,680 Speaker 2: That was good to die. Yeah, okay, you know, still 428 00:20:52,680 --> 00:20:56,080 Speaker 2: well done the choice as well. Look the choices and 429 00:20:56,080 --> 00:20:58,400 Speaker 2: the things that you mentioned lower and inhibition. But yeah, 430 00:20:58,680 --> 00:21:02,040 Speaker 2: the choices that became really good ideas when I was 431 00:21:02,080 --> 00:21:05,040 Speaker 2: drinking sot to be pretty fucking bad choice, yes, and 432 00:21:05,200 --> 00:21:08,080 Speaker 2: I was. My dopamine system got so just regulated I 433 00:21:08,119 --> 00:21:10,960 Speaker 2: was unable to not do it anymore. And that's the 434 00:21:11,000 --> 00:21:12,920 Speaker 2: thing that well, I don't understand about addiction. It's not 435 00:21:12,960 --> 00:21:15,119 Speaker 2: a choice. I'm not choosing to drink. I just can't not. 436 00:21:16,520 --> 00:21:18,560 Speaker 2: The best way to not drink is to not start. 437 00:21:18,680 --> 00:21:20,119 Speaker 2: And that's I. 438 00:21:20,119 --> 00:21:23,760 Speaker 1: Think I got to, you know, probably thirty so last 439 00:21:23,840 --> 00:21:25,840 Speaker 1: year before I realized like, ah shit, I've used this 440 00:21:25,880 --> 00:21:27,639 Speaker 1: as a crux for a lot of my life, and 441 00:21:28,359 --> 00:21:29,919 Speaker 1: it would have been quite easy to go through the 442 00:21:29,920 --> 00:21:31,880 Speaker 1: rest of my life without realizing that as well. 443 00:21:32,160 --> 00:21:32,760 Speaker 2: So it's. 444 00:21:34,240 --> 00:21:37,400 Speaker 1: It's definitely in the fabric of those environments. 445 00:21:37,440 --> 00:21:40,240 Speaker 2: If you're good at the game and going to work 446 00:21:40,400 --> 00:21:44,000 Speaker 2: means let's say it's e MCD, for example, at a minimum, 447 00:21:44,160 --> 00:21:49,560 Speaker 2: there's fifty five thousand people screaming your name. That's a 448 00:21:49,760 --> 00:21:52,679 Speaker 2: thing that you remember and it becomes like, oh no, 449 00:21:52,760 --> 00:21:55,360 Speaker 2: this is what it is to be me. Fifty five 450 00:21:55,400 --> 00:21:59,320 Speaker 2: thousand people scream my name, And what do you do 451 00:21:59,400 --> 00:22:02,160 Speaker 2: when that high gone? How do you get that back? 452 00:22:02,200 --> 00:22:04,520 Speaker 2: It's a high yeah, man. That's why I'm going to 453 00:22:04,560 --> 00:22:06,280 Speaker 2: get running back out there next week. I'm going to 454 00:22:06,560 --> 00:22:08,200 Speaker 2: you know, train real hard and I'm going to figure 455 00:22:08,240 --> 00:22:09,480 Speaker 2: that out, and I'm going to work on their set 456 00:22:09,520 --> 00:22:11,160 Speaker 2: play because i want to hear that sound again. 457 00:22:11,640 --> 00:22:14,400 Speaker 1: That would have been my dad's career. Dad played two 458 00:22:14,440 --> 00:22:19,600 Speaker 1: hundred and forty four games and played for Australia and like, 459 00:22:19,960 --> 00:22:22,879 Speaker 1: did everything you can do in rugby league. And then 460 00:22:22,920 --> 00:22:26,840 Speaker 1: I think about when I grew up. I at times 461 00:22:26,880 --> 00:22:30,879 Speaker 1: I resented Dad for how kind of how outward he 462 00:22:31,000 --> 00:22:33,080 Speaker 1: was with his career success and how he would have 463 00:22:33,119 --> 00:22:36,080 Speaker 1: his jerseys on display, and I remember for a long 464 00:22:36,119 --> 00:22:38,959 Speaker 1: time kind of being like, well, I was pissed off 465 00:22:39,000 --> 00:22:40,880 Speaker 1: at Dad because I felt like he set me up 466 00:22:40,960 --> 00:22:43,800 Speaker 1: to feel like a failure because I'd never achieved what 467 00:22:43,840 --> 00:22:45,240 Speaker 1: he did. And I was like, I wish you weren't 468 00:22:45,760 --> 00:22:48,520 Speaker 1: or were showing your success. But then you know, again, 469 00:22:48,560 --> 00:22:51,359 Speaker 1: the older I've got, the more I'm like, well, Dad 470 00:22:51,440 --> 00:22:56,080 Speaker 1: was just fucking proud of his career. And I know 471 00:22:56,119 --> 00:22:58,600 Speaker 1: after Dad finished footy player in the eighties, he then 472 00:22:58,680 --> 00:23:01,560 Speaker 1: coached for a bit, he became a real agent. My 473 00:23:01,720 --> 00:23:03,440 Speaker 1: memory of my dad is being a real estate agent 474 00:23:03,480 --> 00:23:06,680 Speaker 1: in Blacktown, so not being Gary Jack at the center 475 00:23:06,720 --> 00:23:09,359 Speaker 1: of you grand final. It was him selling houses in 476 00:23:09,359 --> 00:23:11,639 Speaker 1: Blacktown and coming home and talking about commission. He was 477 00:23:11,800 --> 00:23:16,240 Speaker 1: scared about losing. I feel for him to have experienced 478 00:23:16,240 --> 00:23:19,119 Speaker 1: what he did and then to go the rest of 479 00:23:19,160 --> 00:23:23,840 Speaker 1: his life kind of chasing that high. And Dad, oddly, 480 00:23:23,880 --> 00:23:26,280 Speaker 1: that wasn't a drinker, Dad, That was I never outside 481 00:23:26,280 --> 00:23:28,520 Speaker 1: of having a drink with dinner. Maybe I never went 482 00:23:28,520 --> 00:23:32,120 Speaker 1: to the parbor, didn't things like that, But he did, 483 00:23:32,200 --> 00:23:36,840 Speaker 1: like talking about his career, and I'm like, yeah, sure, 484 00:23:37,040 --> 00:23:40,119 Speaker 1: you know that was That was him just trying to 485 00:23:40,119 --> 00:23:40,720 Speaker 1: feel some joy. 486 00:23:40,760 --> 00:23:42,720 Speaker 2: Still, I think it's also your job as a sun 487 00:23:42,840 --> 00:23:46,479 Speaker 2: to go you know, there's also that, but in New 488 00:23:46,520 --> 00:23:49,240 Speaker 2: York case, because you did go to pursue that. It's 489 00:23:49,280 --> 00:23:52,159 Speaker 2: in many ways it's It's been documented the challenge of 490 00:23:52,400 --> 00:23:54,720 Speaker 2: you know, a sign or a daughter of a successful 491 00:23:54,760 --> 00:23:59,440 Speaker 2: person trying to do their thing. It comes with extra scrutiny. 492 00:24:00,640 --> 00:24:04,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, it does. And to be honest, the most scrutiny 493 00:24:04,560 --> 00:24:08,120 Speaker 1: I always felt was for myself though it was stigmas real, Yeah, 494 00:24:08,200 --> 00:24:11,240 Speaker 1: it was never I could care less if there was 495 00:24:11,240 --> 00:24:13,919 Speaker 1: an article being like only half as good as his 496 00:24:14,000 --> 00:24:16,280 Speaker 1: dad or is like I think I'm proud of them. 497 00:24:16,280 --> 00:24:18,720 Speaker 1: I'm like, I'm they're my family, Like I'm proud of them. 498 00:24:18,840 --> 00:24:20,760 Speaker 1: But it was always internally. I think I had this 499 00:24:20,920 --> 00:24:24,160 Speaker 1: expectation where it wasn't just sex. Someone wrote that no, 500 00:24:24,200 --> 00:24:27,280 Speaker 1: but if maybe, I don't know if they did. The 501 00:24:27,320 --> 00:24:31,679 Speaker 1: stigma came from internally, because I always felt that I 502 00:24:31,720 --> 00:24:34,479 Speaker 1: was never just proud of playing professionally. Yeah, I was like, 503 00:24:35,960 --> 00:24:38,160 Speaker 1: I was like Dad played two hundred and forty games, 504 00:24:38,240 --> 00:24:41,840 Speaker 1: Kieran played two hundred and fifty games, like unless I 505 00:24:41,840 --> 00:24:44,320 Speaker 1: played two hundred games, Like, I viewed my career as 506 00:24:44,320 --> 00:24:47,880 Speaker 1: a failure. And I'm still reconciling that, Like, it's still 507 00:24:47,960 --> 00:24:51,119 Speaker 1: very hard. I played twenty eight professional games, which is 508 00:24:51,800 --> 00:24:55,639 Speaker 1: thereabouts the average career length through an AFL player. But 509 00:24:55,720 --> 00:25:02,040 Speaker 1: I still very much struggle to not kind of not 510 00:25:02,200 --> 00:25:04,679 Speaker 1: self deprecate about that and not to be like, well, 511 00:25:04,720 --> 00:25:06,040 Speaker 1: I was pretty sure I did it before. I'm like, 512 00:25:06,080 --> 00:25:08,040 Speaker 1: I'm a shit player. Like it's just it's a really 513 00:25:08,080 --> 00:25:12,520 Speaker 1: easy way to cope with that. Yeah. Yeah, so that 514 00:25:12,560 --> 00:25:14,520 Speaker 1: but that was always internal. 515 00:25:15,400 --> 00:25:19,919 Speaker 2: The I mean, it's no comparison at all, but I 516 00:25:19,920 --> 00:25:23,280 Speaker 2: I recently would I did the Dancing with the Stars show. 517 00:25:23,400 --> 00:25:28,399 Speaker 2: I saw that, yeah, right, And one of the Chris Brown, 518 00:25:28,440 --> 00:25:30,120 Speaker 2: asked me, oh, do you worry about what they say 519 00:25:30,160 --> 00:25:34,160 Speaker 2: to you. I'm like, you don't understand. Whatever they say 520 00:25:34,200 --> 00:25:36,040 Speaker 2: to me is nothing compared to what I've got in 521 00:25:36,040 --> 00:25:40,480 Speaker 2: my head. So I don't care. You literally don't care. 522 00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:42,840 Speaker 1: Yeah. I think there's a there's a level you can 523 00:25:42,920 --> 00:25:46,199 Speaker 1: kind of get to, even even now with this, with 524 00:25:46,240 --> 00:25:48,359 Speaker 1: this book that's come out. It's quite funny. I have 525 00:25:48,359 --> 00:25:51,199 Speaker 1: a friend, my best friend. I've told him to go 526 00:25:51,320 --> 00:25:53,159 Speaker 1: on good Reads every now and then and find me 527 00:25:53,240 --> 00:25:55,159 Speaker 1: like the worst reviews of the book you can find. 528 00:25:55,680 --> 00:25:57,840 Speaker 1: And I'm like, just find me the most abhorrent thing 529 00:25:57,920 --> 00:26:00,000 Speaker 1: people are saying. And some of the ones he sends 530 00:26:00,080 --> 00:26:03,199 Speaker 1: me are like fucking classic. We got one of them 531 00:26:03,200 --> 00:26:05,200 Speaker 1: blown up and put on a billboard actually in Paddington 532 00:26:05,280 --> 00:26:08,560 Speaker 1: last week. Just it was like essentially it said this 533 00:26:08,600 --> 00:26:10,879 Speaker 1: is not literature. In a round about it said this 534 00:26:10,920 --> 00:26:13,399 Speaker 1: is not literature. But it was a paragraph long and 535 00:26:13,480 --> 00:26:15,560 Speaker 1: I saw it and was like, that's awesome. You put 536 00:26:15,600 --> 00:26:17,399 Speaker 1: it on a billboard. We put it on a billboard. Yeah, 537 00:26:17,560 --> 00:26:21,760 Speaker 1: why did you do that? Well, the whole the campaign 538 00:26:21,880 --> 00:26:25,680 Speaker 1: was pissants, It's not for everyone, and then nice yeah 539 00:26:25,840 --> 00:26:28,640 Speaker 1: marketing brain and then that quote, and then we had 540 00:26:28,760 --> 00:26:32,360 Speaker 1: a photo of Aaron Gox, who's a comedian. Goxy looks 541 00:26:32,400 --> 00:26:35,520 Speaker 1: like the classic suburban footy player him reading the book, 542 00:26:35,560 --> 00:26:37,720 Speaker 1: and then the quote next to it from the person 543 00:26:37,720 --> 00:26:39,720 Speaker 1: who hated the book, and it just kind of looked 544 00:26:39,760 --> 00:26:42,159 Speaker 1: quite funny. And it was blown up in Paddington outside 545 00:26:42,200 --> 00:26:44,639 Speaker 1: of retail store. So I feel for the I feel 546 00:26:44,640 --> 00:26:46,640 Speaker 1: for the women in that store who had to stare 547 00:26:46,680 --> 00:26:49,280 Speaker 1: out at Goxy's thighs all day. It was a fucking 548 00:26:49,359 --> 00:26:52,119 Speaker 1: massive postern. It was like eleven meters by three meters. 549 00:26:52,160 --> 00:26:54,160 Speaker 2: How did you get your publisher to pay for a billbook? 550 00:26:55,560 --> 00:26:58,800 Speaker 1: A lot of marketing is me reinvesting my advance with 551 00:26:58,880 --> 00:27:03,400 Speaker 1: this book. I I I want to be a writer. 552 00:27:03,440 --> 00:27:05,240 Speaker 1: I want to be an author for like long term, 553 00:27:05,280 --> 00:27:09,639 Speaker 1: and I'm not financially motivated. I'm motivated about people knowing 554 00:27:09,800 --> 00:27:13,560 Speaker 1: my books out there and reading it. And book marketing 555 00:27:13,600 --> 00:27:15,919 Speaker 1: is slender, you know this comme on book marketing is slender. 556 00:27:16,560 --> 00:27:16,879 Speaker 2: It is. 557 00:27:17,200 --> 00:27:19,919 Speaker 1: I took my advance and was like, how can I 558 00:27:20,040 --> 00:27:23,840 Speaker 1: use this to create more buzz interest in the book? 559 00:27:23,960 --> 00:27:28,160 Speaker 1: And I'm happy doing that because that's it's a part 560 00:27:28,160 --> 00:27:32,000 Speaker 1: of me is literary wank, like I just love writing 561 00:27:32,040 --> 00:27:33,240 Speaker 1: and want people to read the writing. 562 00:27:33,280 --> 00:27:34,879 Speaker 2: But part of me is if you're going to do 563 00:27:34,920 --> 00:27:38,239 Speaker 2: that at least or at least a beanie, but not 564 00:27:38,359 --> 00:27:39,960 Speaker 2: roll at the back of your head. 565 00:27:40,000 --> 00:27:41,560 Speaker 1: But then the other part of me is like, no, 566 00:27:41,760 --> 00:27:45,119 Speaker 1: the book world is a business, and you need to 567 00:27:45,200 --> 00:27:47,679 Speaker 1: have people know your book exists. You need to go 568 00:27:47,720 --> 00:27:50,480 Speaker 1: into bookstores and talk to the bookstore owners and sign 569 00:27:50,560 --> 00:27:53,560 Speaker 1: books and do all those things because that then allows 570 00:27:53,560 --> 00:27:55,400 Speaker 1: you to write more books in the future. So there's 571 00:27:55,440 --> 00:27:58,480 Speaker 1: a split in my brain which which knows that there's both. 572 00:28:06,480 --> 00:28:09,320 Speaker 2: With sport in Australia, it's often the lens through which 573 00:28:09,359 --> 00:28:12,760 Speaker 2: we view either healthy or unhealthy masculinity. There's been a 574 00:28:12,760 --> 00:28:17,520 Speaker 2: lot of many examples of fairly unhealthy displays of masculinity, 575 00:28:17,640 --> 00:28:23,080 Speaker 2: and over time, certain clubs, certain codes have come around 576 00:28:23,119 --> 00:28:25,280 Speaker 2: and started to put a fair bit more effort into 577 00:28:25,720 --> 00:28:29,399 Speaker 2: Like your experience that you're telling me very different to 578 00:28:29,440 --> 00:28:32,439 Speaker 2: the one that I had. The conversation that I had 579 00:28:32,440 --> 00:28:35,080 Speaker 2: with those kids that were in the academy in that 580 00:28:35,160 --> 00:28:37,879 Speaker 2: sauna m two or three years ago. The kind of 581 00:28:37,920 --> 00:28:40,600 Speaker 2: lifestyle they were telling me about did not at all 582 00:28:41,520 --> 00:28:42,920 Speaker 2: echo what you just said. 583 00:28:43,400 --> 00:28:47,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, I've kind of two responses here to that. One is, yeah, 584 00:28:48,080 --> 00:28:49,880 Speaker 1: I think it has changed a bit. 585 00:28:50,120 --> 00:28:50,720 Speaker 2: I think. 586 00:28:52,200 --> 00:28:54,640 Speaker 1: My era was a decade ago, and I think that 587 00:28:54,680 --> 00:28:58,040 Speaker 1: there's been some learnings from that, and when I'm writing 588 00:28:58,080 --> 00:29:01,240 Speaker 1: piss Hands about this stuff, I'm kind of about that generation. 589 00:29:01,320 --> 00:29:05,800 Speaker 1: It was probably ten years ago. Is the nickname culture. 590 00:29:05,840 --> 00:29:08,200 Speaker 1: The tall poppy syndrome that exists in the book was 591 00:29:08,240 --> 00:29:11,040 Speaker 1: what I knew about how to bond with bokes, Like 592 00:29:11,040 --> 00:29:14,280 Speaker 1: That's how I knew to do it, and I wanted 593 00:29:14,320 --> 00:29:16,000 Speaker 1: to write it in a way that was also humorous 594 00:29:16,000 --> 00:29:19,320 Speaker 1: because to me it was funny and you want you 595 00:29:19,360 --> 00:29:20,800 Speaker 1: want people to kind of read it and be like, 596 00:29:20,800 --> 00:29:23,239 Speaker 1: ah shit, I get why this might draw people in, 597 00:29:23,360 --> 00:29:25,160 Speaker 1: Like it's I would never normally do this, but it's 598 00:29:25,200 --> 00:29:26,800 Speaker 1: kind of funny, and I want to be part of 599 00:29:26,800 --> 00:29:29,120 Speaker 1: this group now in culture out culture. Like you said, 600 00:29:29,760 --> 00:29:32,640 Speaker 1: The second thought I have on that is, if those 601 00:29:32,640 --> 00:29:37,640 Speaker 1: guys you're talking to are seventeen eighteen, they're fresh. They're 602 00:29:37,720 --> 00:29:42,040 Speaker 1: very fresh. It takes a couple of years to become 603 00:29:42,560 --> 00:29:47,840 Speaker 1: disgruntled piss ants on the outside and I think what 604 00:29:47,960 --> 00:29:52,320 Speaker 1: I provide to people is I know guys. 605 00:29:52,080 --> 00:29:52,680 Speaker 2: Who still play. 606 00:29:52,720 --> 00:29:56,480 Speaker 1: I know footy culture so well that anytime I see 607 00:29:56,560 --> 00:29:59,800 Speaker 1: like a really kind of you know, washed perspective of it, 608 00:29:59,920 --> 00:30:02,280 Speaker 1: or like a really nice looking view of it, and 609 00:30:02,280 --> 00:30:05,800 Speaker 1: I'm like, I'm probably too cynical. Sometimes I'm like, there's 610 00:30:05,960 --> 00:30:07,200 Speaker 1: other shit going on there. 611 00:30:07,040 --> 00:30:11,640 Speaker 2: So no systems perfect, but that with the people at 612 00:30:11,680 --> 00:30:14,520 Speaker 2: least paying attention to what's going on, and they, let's 613 00:30:14,560 --> 00:30:16,760 Speaker 2: be honest, it's probably because of the financial risk and 614 00:30:16,840 --> 00:30:20,000 Speaker 2: development risk and parents not wanting their kid to get 615 00:30:20,000 --> 00:30:21,120 Speaker 2: involved in that kind of. 616 00:30:21,080 --> 00:30:26,160 Speaker 1: Scene, and the way that I think the social media 617 00:30:26,200 --> 00:30:28,600 Speaker 1: aspect and media in general is heightened now. I mean, 618 00:30:29,160 --> 00:30:31,720 Speaker 1: the backlash that players get for stepping out of line 619 00:30:31,800 --> 00:30:34,880 Speaker 1: is it's a financial risk. And that's my view of 620 00:30:34,920 --> 00:30:37,280 Speaker 1: footy clubs as well. Like I was talking about publishing world, 621 00:30:37,320 --> 00:30:40,080 Speaker 1: it's their businesses at the end of the day, and 622 00:30:41,040 --> 00:30:45,320 Speaker 1: they have values and standards that they're set at clubs, 623 00:30:45,360 --> 00:30:48,840 Speaker 1: but I always view that there's a financial reason beneath those. 624 00:30:50,280 --> 00:30:52,560 Speaker 1: One of the things I least like about the sporting 625 00:30:52,560 --> 00:30:55,760 Speaker 1: world is performative gestures and when I can kind of 626 00:30:55,800 --> 00:30:58,200 Speaker 1: tell that they're taking a stance just because it benefits 627 00:30:58,240 --> 00:31:01,200 Speaker 1: them financially. But and then I on an existential crisis 628 00:31:01,240 --> 00:31:02,840 Speaker 1: about like, well maybe they need to do that in 629 00:31:02,920 --> 00:31:05,640 Speaker 1: order to eventually believe it or make change. I don't know, 630 00:31:06,720 --> 00:31:10,360 Speaker 1: I'm probably too cynical about sports. Sometimes that's all right, 631 00:31:10,520 --> 00:31:11,720 Speaker 1: that's okay. 632 00:31:12,000 --> 00:31:14,320 Speaker 2: It leaves you to be open to be surprised and 633 00:31:14,920 --> 00:31:18,720 Speaker 2: delighted writing this book. I've when I was a long 634 00:31:18,760 --> 00:31:21,920 Speaker 2: time ago, I was a roadie. Why we're hearing aids 635 00:31:21,920 --> 00:31:25,960 Speaker 2: now one of the reasons, and the shitty covers bands 636 00:31:26,120 --> 00:31:28,640 Speaker 2: and we ended up playing it, like you know, football 637 00:31:28,680 --> 00:31:32,640 Speaker 2: clubs in Queensland, outskirts of Brisbane, northern New South Wales, 638 00:31:32,720 --> 00:31:35,120 Speaker 2: that sort of thing. And it really seemed to me 639 00:31:35,240 --> 00:31:39,560 Speaker 2: like there was this culture of dudes who manufactured a 640 00:31:39,560 --> 00:31:45,360 Speaker 2: way to keep that peaked in high school feeling forever right, 641 00:31:45,640 --> 00:31:48,400 Speaker 2: never go too high. I'm never going to go to 642 00:31:48,440 --> 00:31:50,480 Speaker 2: those grades. No, here's why, because this, that and the other. 643 00:31:50,520 --> 00:31:52,600 Speaker 2: But never, you know, always be kind of like the 644 00:31:52,600 --> 00:31:54,680 Speaker 2: big fella, you know, the big dude around. 645 00:31:57,360 --> 00:31:59,960 Speaker 1: It's like even you're saying that, guys, I've played local 646 00:32:00,040 --> 00:32:01,600 Speaker 1: what you with come to mind? So you're right, you're 647 00:32:01,600 --> 00:32:05,240 Speaker 1: full You're right, local footy is its own beasts. And 648 00:32:05,480 --> 00:32:10,120 Speaker 1: I have this, I have this switch in my head 649 00:32:10,120 --> 00:32:12,040 Speaker 1: which I become a different person when I go back 650 00:32:12,040 --> 00:32:16,320 Speaker 1: to that local footy tape, and I just I think 651 00:32:16,360 --> 00:32:18,600 Speaker 1: that's why it became so easy to write Pissants and 652 00:32:18,600 --> 00:32:22,880 Speaker 1: all the ways, because I can just I talk different 653 00:32:22,880 --> 00:32:25,240 Speaker 1: as well. I kind of I go from being someone 654 00:32:25,280 --> 00:32:29,080 Speaker 1: who might explain things just being someone who will swear 655 00:32:29,160 --> 00:32:33,120 Speaker 1: a lot more or who will just call someone a 656 00:32:33,160 --> 00:32:37,840 Speaker 1: fuck wit like far more easily, and that becomes just 657 00:32:37,920 --> 00:32:40,920 Speaker 1: how we talk in that group and the group chats 658 00:32:40,920 --> 00:32:43,640 Speaker 1: we're in, it's the same thing. It's like I feel 659 00:32:43,640 --> 00:32:46,720 Speaker 1: like I regress, not regress, I just become a different 660 00:32:46,800 --> 00:32:51,000 Speaker 1: version of myself because that's what is accepted or what 661 00:32:51,080 --> 00:32:55,640 Speaker 1: makes me be accepted in that group. And it's taken 662 00:32:55,720 --> 00:32:58,440 Speaker 1: time to know when to not do that, to stand 663 00:32:58,520 --> 00:33:00,760 Speaker 1: up for something, but a lot of the time I 664 00:33:00,800 --> 00:33:04,800 Speaker 1: can feel myself falling back into that group, because, like 665 00:33:04,840 --> 00:33:06,760 Speaker 1: you said, you just want to be a part of something, 666 00:33:06,800 --> 00:33:08,680 Speaker 1: and it's always nicer to feel like you're a part 667 00:33:08,720 --> 00:33:13,760 Speaker 1: of something. So whenever I whenever I discuss footy club 668 00:33:13,760 --> 00:33:17,120 Speaker 1: culture and stuff now and writing piss ants about that. 669 00:33:18,720 --> 00:33:22,440 Speaker 1: I want people to understand why someone might be drawn 670 00:33:22,440 --> 00:33:25,040 Speaker 1: into that who otherwise you're like, oh, I thought they 671 00:33:25,080 --> 00:33:26,920 Speaker 1: wouldn't be like that. It's alluring. 672 00:33:27,320 --> 00:33:30,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, you don't want to be you don want to 673 00:33:30,440 --> 00:33:33,720 Speaker 2: be on the outer I mean any any like more 674 00:33:33,720 --> 00:33:37,320 Speaker 2: women listen to this show than men. Yeah, but I 675 00:33:37,360 --> 00:33:39,160 Speaker 2: would encourage them to ask the man in your life 676 00:33:39,600 --> 00:33:42,000 Speaker 2: about last time he felt so uncomfortable about something that's 677 00:33:42,000 --> 00:33:44,040 Speaker 2: shot up in a group chat, and they'll probably say 678 00:33:44,040 --> 00:33:46,440 Speaker 2: it was within the last three hours. Yeah, and that 679 00:33:46,560 --> 00:33:50,160 Speaker 2: is as twenty twenty five as it gets. It's and 680 00:33:50,440 --> 00:33:52,400 Speaker 2: this is now, and we all know, and I know, 681 00:33:52,480 --> 00:33:53,960 Speaker 2: and I sit in some of these groups like that, 682 00:33:55,600 --> 00:33:59,080 Speaker 2: I've known you for twenty five years and I don't 683 00:33:59,120 --> 00:33:59,920 Speaker 2: know what to do now. 684 00:34:00,520 --> 00:34:02,840 Speaker 1: You know, there's some olders, there's some I have. I 685 00:34:02,880 --> 00:34:04,440 Speaker 1: just like mute them, or I'll leave the group if 686 00:34:04,480 --> 00:34:06,320 Speaker 1: it's if it's something that's too far, like I know 687 00:34:06,360 --> 00:34:09,359 Speaker 1: when to fucking leave that. But some of them are 688 00:34:09,400 --> 00:34:13,239 Speaker 1: just like the ones I'm in were it's I was 689 00:34:13,280 --> 00:34:15,720 Speaker 1: added to a group chat last week with a bunch 690 00:34:15,719 --> 00:34:18,680 Speaker 1: of guys I played with at the Swans who so 691 00:34:18,680 --> 00:34:22,240 Speaker 1: we're all like early mid thirties. Now we played together 692 00:34:22,239 --> 00:34:24,200 Speaker 1: in our early twenties. They added me to this group 693 00:34:25,080 --> 00:34:28,719 Speaker 1: and they're just doing voice memo impressions of our old 694 00:34:28,760 --> 00:34:33,400 Speaker 1: coaches from like ten years ago. And it's the same 695 00:34:33,520 --> 00:34:35,839 Speaker 1: jokes we were doing then. And I'd be lying if 696 00:34:35,840 --> 00:34:38,239 Speaker 1: I didn't say I was pissing myself while I was 697 00:34:38,280 --> 00:34:41,200 Speaker 1: pissing myself listening to these And when one of them, 698 00:34:41,239 --> 00:34:42,919 Speaker 1: I could hear one of the guys as a kid. 699 00:34:42,920 --> 00:34:44,680 Speaker 1: Now the kid's like two years old and crying in 700 00:34:44,719 --> 00:34:46,719 Speaker 1: the back and he's doing an impression of our old coach, 701 00:34:46,760 --> 00:34:49,319 Speaker 1: and I was like, oh man, I was so torn 702 00:34:49,360 --> 00:34:51,480 Speaker 1: because I loved it, but I was also like, fuck, 703 00:34:51,920 --> 00:34:53,160 Speaker 1: it's been ten years guys. 704 00:34:53,400 --> 00:34:55,759 Speaker 2: But look, I'm here for that because as a group 705 00:34:55,840 --> 00:34:58,719 Speaker 2: chat with a theme. There's a mate of mine. He's 706 00:34:58,719 --> 00:35:01,640 Speaker 2: a stand up and he is involved in a group chat. 707 00:35:01,680 --> 00:35:05,200 Speaker 2: It's this legendary stand up comic group chat and it's 708 00:35:05,239 --> 00:35:08,759 Speaker 2: international and I'm talking people with Netflix specials' on this 709 00:35:08,800 --> 00:35:13,520 Speaker 2: group chat. It consists solely of audio recordings of farts. 710 00:35:15,160 --> 00:35:15,520 Speaker 2: That's it. 711 00:35:15,680 --> 00:35:18,879 Speaker 1: Well, okay, there's a there's a thread here because this 712 00:35:18,920 --> 00:35:21,160 Speaker 1: group I was added to ten years ago, it was 713 00:35:21,640 --> 00:35:22,480 Speaker 1: that same thing. 714 00:35:22,560 --> 00:35:23,000 Speaker 2: That's it. 715 00:35:23,120 --> 00:35:24,720 Speaker 1: I think there's a some kind. 716 00:35:24,600 --> 00:35:27,120 Speaker 2: Of screenshots men and it's got this name. You're like, 717 00:35:27,160 --> 00:35:30,440 Speaker 2: holy fuck, I watched that guy's show and that's it. 718 00:35:30,600 --> 00:35:34,080 Speaker 2: That's it's three seconds long. It's genius. 719 00:35:34,520 --> 00:35:38,040 Speaker 1: Is that like the foundation of like mayor WhatsApp groups. 720 00:35:38,719 --> 00:35:42,360 Speaker 2: Those men and women in it? Yeah, yeah, yeah, that 721 00:35:42,520 --> 00:35:45,480 Speaker 2: is a part of masculinity. Parts are funny and sometimes 722 00:35:45,480 --> 00:35:47,080 Speaker 2: as a man, I want to find a way that 723 00:35:47,120 --> 00:35:49,000 Speaker 2: I can just laugh at a fart with another human. 724 00:35:49,440 --> 00:35:49,839 Speaker 2: All right. 725 00:35:49,880 --> 00:35:52,680 Speaker 1: When I got added to WhatsApp a messenger group, but 726 00:35:52,760 --> 00:35:55,560 Speaker 1: they were literally impersonating our coach from ten years ago, 727 00:35:55,640 --> 00:35:58,680 Speaker 1: I was like, oh my god, that's fucking hilarious. 728 00:35:58,719 --> 00:36:02,840 Speaker 2: Mate, Start doing that voice. But start you know, commentating 729 00:36:02,960 --> 00:36:06,160 Speaker 2: on news in the day, try and try and start 730 00:36:06,200 --> 00:36:08,279 Speaker 2: to steer it like the dealers. We only speak in 731 00:36:08,320 --> 00:36:11,239 Speaker 2: these words, but you know, start to steer it in 732 00:36:11,560 --> 00:36:13,000 Speaker 2: social commentary and see what happens. 733 00:36:13,160 --> 00:36:17,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, I might try that. There's like six or seven 734 00:36:17,360 --> 00:36:20,279 Speaker 1: monologues that we have that just come up again and 735 00:36:20,320 --> 00:36:23,719 Speaker 1: again and again, and it's like I would not have 736 00:36:23,760 --> 00:36:27,719 Speaker 1: talked to these guys outside of this for ten years. 737 00:36:27,760 --> 00:36:31,000 Speaker 1: And that's that's kind of footy friendships post playing together. 738 00:36:31,040 --> 00:36:33,160 Speaker 1: A lot of the time, it's like because you were 739 00:36:33,560 --> 00:36:35,879 Speaker 1: teammates and you were really good mates, but you then 740 00:36:35,920 --> 00:36:38,799 Speaker 1: don't need to There's probably three or four guys I 741 00:36:38,880 --> 00:36:41,400 Speaker 1: keep in touch with that I played with, but outside that, 742 00:36:41,440 --> 00:36:43,480 Speaker 1: if I saw any of my old teammates that I was, 743 00:36:43,600 --> 00:36:45,520 Speaker 1: you know, played with a fair beer, you'd stop and 744 00:36:45,520 --> 00:36:47,640 Speaker 1: have a chat and get a coffee or something or 745 00:36:47,640 --> 00:36:50,239 Speaker 1: get a beer. Like it's very easy to slip back 746 00:36:50,239 --> 00:36:51,400 Speaker 1: into those friendships. 747 00:36:51,920 --> 00:36:54,239 Speaker 2: When it comes to the kind of culture that you 748 00:36:54,320 --> 00:36:58,360 Speaker 2: write about in the book, you said it was something 749 00:36:58,400 --> 00:37:00,520 Speaker 2: based upon You said it was based on something like 750 00:37:00,560 --> 00:37:04,319 Speaker 2: more kind of ten years ago. But is there ways 751 00:37:04,360 --> 00:37:05,960 Speaker 2: that you can kind of see little bits of that 752 00:37:06,040 --> 00:37:09,799 Speaker 2: popping up in the game that we see. 753 00:37:10,320 --> 00:37:15,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, for sure, I am at its core. This book, 754 00:37:15,360 --> 00:37:20,719 Speaker 1: Pissanz focuses on a group of five players a it's 755 00:37:20,760 --> 00:37:23,920 Speaker 1: a professional grade football club. That's just the redacted football 756 00:37:23,920 --> 00:37:25,719 Speaker 1: club because I couldn't be fucked thinking of a name 757 00:37:25,719 --> 00:37:28,279 Speaker 1: for it. It's just a black bar football club. And 758 00:37:28,320 --> 00:37:32,160 Speaker 1: it's the five guys who are eighteen to twenty three, 759 00:37:32,239 --> 00:37:35,400 Speaker 1: is that at their range, who don't ever play in 760 00:37:35,440 --> 00:37:37,319 Speaker 1: the senior team. They never play in that team you 761 00:37:37,360 --> 00:37:41,560 Speaker 1: watch on TV, and the book follows their journey and 762 00:37:41,600 --> 00:37:46,120 Speaker 1: relationships with each other, and they're bonding rituals and the 763 00:37:46,200 --> 00:37:49,760 Speaker 1: anti secut up to during the week to kill time 764 00:37:50,120 --> 00:37:52,040 Speaker 1: to give themselves a sense of purpose because they're not 765 00:37:52,080 --> 00:37:54,160 Speaker 1: feeling it from their career. That's a kind of analytical 766 00:37:54,239 --> 00:37:59,640 Speaker 1: version of it. At every footy club there is that group, 767 00:38:00,239 --> 00:38:04,080 Speaker 1: whether or not they do the things that this specific 768 00:38:04,080 --> 00:38:07,560 Speaker 1: group of piss Hans does, maybe in some way, but 769 00:38:07,640 --> 00:38:11,160 Speaker 1: there's always a group of five or six disgruntled players 770 00:38:11,239 --> 00:38:15,120 Speaker 1: who are not playing and who are not filled with 771 00:38:15,200 --> 00:38:17,239 Speaker 1: potential coming through and the promises that they will one 772 00:38:17,320 --> 00:38:20,160 Speaker 1: day to deliver. They're in like no man's land. And 773 00:38:20,200 --> 00:38:22,920 Speaker 1: that's probably common to a lot of workplaces, right that 774 00:38:22,960 --> 00:38:26,040 Speaker 1: the people who aren't who never kind of became the star, 775 00:38:26,560 --> 00:38:29,880 Speaker 1: but who've been there long enough where there's no value 776 00:38:29,880 --> 00:38:32,640 Speaker 1: assigned to them. And it's a I can look at 777 00:38:32,640 --> 00:38:35,280 Speaker 1: any footy club list and probably give you an idea 778 00:38:35,280 --> 00:38:38,160 Speaker 1: of who those players might be because and you can 779 00:38:38,160 --> 00:38:40,360 Speaker 1: tell by their body language too. Sometimes I'll watch and 780 00:38:41,600 --> 00:38:43,640 Speaker 1: a player will get subbed off in the AFL. They'll 781 00:38:43,680 --> 00:38:46,239 Speaker 1: get subbed off at three quarter time, and you see 782 00:38:46,239 --> 00:38:48,200 Speaker 1: their body language when they go to the bench in there, 783 00:38:49,160 --> 00:38:52,040 Speaker 1: and you know if they've had like eight touches, they're 784 00:38:52,040 --> 00:38:54,960 Speaker 1: not a regular on the team. They're shitty because if 785 00:38:55,000 --> 00:38:58,319 Speaker 1: they got twelve, maybe thirteen touches, they could fight for 786 00:38:58,320 --> 00:39:00,319 Speaker 1: a spot next week. But eight touches is like, sorry, 787 00:39:00,320 --> 00:39:02,279 Speaker 1: you're not getting a game next week. And you can 788 00:39:02,320 --> 00:39:05,880 Speaker 1: just tell that that person is sitting there going Monday morning, 789 00:39:05,880 --> 00:39:08,160 Speaker 1: I've got to go in get told I didn't do 790 00:39:08,200 --> 00:39:10,480 Speaker 1: my job, have to wait around all week to get dropped. 791 00:39:12,080 --> 00:39:14,600 Speaker 1: That puts you in a really negative headspace and. 792 00:39:14,600 --> 00:39:16,480 Speaker 2: Still being expected to a high five the guy who's right, 793 00:39:16,920 --> 00:39:18,200 Speaker 2: it's going to take your spot next week. 794 00:39:18,280 --> 00:39:21,080 Speaker 1: Yeah. Well, finally, if my my my best mates at 795 00:39:21,120 --> 00:39:23,960 Speaker 1: the footy club became the guys who I'd swap spots 796 00:39:24,000 --> 00:39:26,439 Speaker 1: with every week. There was about four of us who 797 00:39:26,560 --> 00:39:29,920 Speaker 1: I lived with, one of them Dean Towers, and one 798 00:39:29,920 --> 00:39:31,600 Speaker 1: of us had come home from their meeting and be 799 00:39:31,719 --> 00:39:33,400 Speaker 1: like the other one'd be like, oh, how'd you go. 800 00:39:33,400 --> 00:39:35,280 Speaker 1: He'd be like, you'll be in this week, mate, don't worry, 801 00:39:35,440 --> 00:39:38,040 Speaker 1: you'll be in the team this week. And we're just 802 00:39:38,160 --> 00:39:42,359 Speaker 1: chop and change, and oddly our my best mates became 803 00:39:42,400 --> 00:39:45,920 Speaker 1: the guys who I probably had every reason to hate 804 00:39:46,040 --> 00:39:49,200 Speaker 1: because we were competing for the same spot, but we 805 00:39:49,320 --> 00:39:55,440 Speaker 1: kind of took Soulos in, like we're in this together. 806 00:39:55,800 --> 00:39:57,800 Speaker 1: They were the only ones who understood what it was like. 807 00:40:06,239 --> 00:40:08,880 Speaker 2: I. Even though he was a doctor, he had no 808 00:40:09,000 --> 00:40:12,000 Speaker 2: idea about the industry I worked in, and I lived 809 00:40:12,000 --> 00:40:13,680 Speaker 2: on the other side of the country, sometimes the other 810 00:40:13,719 --> 00:40:15,560 Speaker 2: side of the world. I'd still call my dad every 811 00:40:15,560 --> 00:40:17,000 Speaker 2: own again. He say, how are you going? So I'm 812 00:40:17,000 --> 00:40:19,439 Speaker 2: dealing with this, and you know, he'd have a few words, 813 00:40:19,440 --> 00:40:22,160 Speaker 2: and it was always something kind of interesting. Did you 814 00:40:22,160 --> 00:40:25,400 Speaker 2: you know, did your brother who'd been in through the system, 815 00:40:25,760 --> 00:40:27,160 Speaker 2: you know, would be able to reach out to him 816 00:40:27,160 --> 00:40:28,640 Speaker 2: and get some guidance in this time in your life. 817 00:40:28,680 --> 00:40:34,280 Speaker 1: It's tough because Kieran was the captain for my entire 818 00:40:34,360 --> 00:40:39,480 Speaker 1: time at the Swans. Kieran was the captain and I 819 00:40:39,719 --> 00:40:42,839 Speaker 1: was kind of after my first three years. I was 820 00:40:43,080 --> 00:40:47,640 Speaker 1: never really in contention. And I feel for him having 821 00:40:47,680 --> 00:40:50,240 Speaker 1: to be involved in all those match committee meetings where 822 00:40:50,840 --> 00:40:52,759 Speaker 1: they're talking about guys who could be selected, and he 823 00:40:52,800 --> 00:40:54,960 Speaker 1: would have seen my name magnet. He would have seen 824 00:40:54,960 --> 00:40:57,640 Speaker 1: it kind of getting pushed further and further to the side. 825 00:40:58,320 --> 00:40:59,520 Speaker 1: He would call me in. 826 00:41:00,280 --> 00:41:03,160 Speaker 2: So there's a whiteboard somewhere and people are shifting names around, Yeah. 827 00:41:03,040 --> 00:41:05,359 Speaker 1: And mine would have gradually moved further and further away 828 00:41:05,360 --> 00:41:07,520 Speaker 1: from where you want to be on the whiteboard. Footy 829 00:41:07,520 --> 00:41:09,840 Speaker 1: whiteboards are fascinating. You could sit and analyze those for 830 00:41:09,880 --> 00:41:12,440 Speaker 1: hours and hours and hours. But mine was moving the 831 00:41:12,480 --> 00:41:16,360 Speaker 1: wrong way. And Kieran would call me and be the 832 00:41:16,360 --> 00:41:20,080 Speaker 1: older brother that he needed to be, and I think 833 00:41:20,080 --> 00:41:23,040 Speaker 1: it would have been extra hard from him almost feeling 834 00:41:23,080 --> 00:41:26,279 Speaker 1: like he was involved in those discussions where I was 835 00:41:26,320 --> 00:41:27,440 Speaker 1: getting pushed away. 836 00:41:29,480 --> 00:41:29,719 Speaker 2: Yeah. 837 00:41:30,080 --> 00:41:33,080 Speaker 1: I know that he cared deeply about me in my career, 838 00:41:33,880 --> 00:41:35,879 Speaker 1: but he also had his own career as well, and 839 00:41:35,920 --> 00:41:38,640 Speaker 1: that would have been bloody hard for him to do both. 840 00:41:38,680 --> 00:41:40,600 Speaker 1: And I admire the fact that he could do both 841 00:41:40,600 --> 00:41:43,719 Speaker 1: the way he did, but it would not have been 842 00:41:43,760 --> 00:41:47,200 Speaker 1: easy for him, but he did. He sometimes he would 843 00:41:47,280 --> 00:41:49,600 Speaker 1: call and just like, let me cry on the phone 844 00:41:49,640 --> 00:41:54,680 Speaker 1: if I got dropped. For probably the breaking point in 845 00:41:54,719 --> 00:41:59,439 Speaker 1: my professional career was twenty fifteen. I'd played like seven 846 00:41:59,520 --> 00:42:01,239 Speaker 1: or eight on nine games in a row, which was 847 00:42:01,239 --> 00:42:03,200 Speaker 1: the most I'd ever played in a row, and then 848 00:42:03,239 --> 00:42:08,360 Speaker 1: we played a final in Fremantle against Freemantle Ever in 849 00:42:09,000 --> 00:42:12,319 Speaker 1: Perth and I played house, played shit ouse and I 850 00:42:12,360 --> 00:42:17,200 Speaker 1: got dropped. That week before our next final. Kieran called 851 00:42:17,200 --> 00:42:19,560 Speaker 1: me straight after and his ball my eyes out, because 852 00:42:19,560 --> 00:42:22,880 Speaker 1: I knew that that was kind of it for me, 853 00:42:23,000 --> 00:42:25,600 Speaker 1: like I'd done everything I possibly could and I still 854 00:42:25,680 --> 00:42:29,919 Speaker 1: wasn't good enough. And I remember he said that. Kieran 855 00:42:29,920 --> 00:42:32,680 Speaker 1: would always told me that I think he knew I 856 00:42:32,760 --> 00:42:35,719 Speaker 1: was not really a footy player at heart. I think 857 00:42:35,760 --> 00:42:38,640 Speaker 1: he knew I was going to go become a writer 858 00:42:38,800 --> 00:42:41,160 Speaker 1: or do something else one day, and he always subtly 859 00:42:41,160 --> 00:42:42,640 Speaker 1: reminded me of that. And so, you know, I think 860 00:42:42,640 --> 00:42:44,919 Speaker 1: that what you're going to do outside of this world 861 00:42:45,000 --> 00:42:47,280 Speaker 1: is probably going to be your thing more than inside 862 00:42:47,280 --> 00:42:50,880 Speaker 1: this world. I remember him suddenly saying that to me 863 00:42:50,920 --> 00:42:53,440 Speaker 1: a few times, and at the time I probably hated 864 00:42:53,440 --> 00:42:55,040 Speaker 1: hearing that because I was like, no, I just want 865 00:42:55,080 --> 00:42:57,960 Speaker 1: to play footy. But now, yeah, I think I think 866 00:42:57,960 --> 00:42:59,160 Speaker 1: he understood who I was. 867 00:43:00,080 --> 00:43:03,719 Speaker 2: Someone's listening and they find themselves, whether their work life 868 00:43:03,840 --> 00:43:06,400 Speaker 2: or home life or whatever, They're like, oh, yeah, I'm 869 00:43:06,480 --> 00:43:10,000 Speaker 2: the pissent I'm here. What would you say to them? 870 00:43:10,040 --> 00:43:13,640 Speaker 2: What rather than be stuck there and not know what's 871 00:43:13,680 --> 00:43:16,600 Speaker 2: going to happen. What's some things that you do with 872 00:43:16,640 --> 00:43:18,760 Speaker 2: the hindsight now that you might offer. 873 00:43:22,000 --> 00:43:25,759 Speaker 1: It's almost like a there's a there's a chance you 874 00:43:25,840 --> 00:43:28,879 Speaker 1: experienced some kind of Stockholm syndrome where you just want 875 00:43:28,920 --> 00:43:32,640 Speaker 1: to stay because you're scared of leaving. But obviously where 876 00:43:32,640 --> 00:43:35,720 Speaker 1: you are is putting you in a really negative space, 877 00:43:35,800 --> 00:43:40,680 Speaker 1: and it's making you detest your job and feel really 878 00:43:40,680 --> 00:43:44,399 Speaker 1: negative about your life and go towards these outlets which 879 00:43:44,400 --> 00:43:49,719 Speaker 1: are not conducive of a healthy lifestyle. Very hard when 880 00:43:49,760 --> 00:43:51,799 Speaker 1: you're there to realize that there's something else out there 881 00:43:51,800 --> 00:43:54,719 Speaker 1: because you're scared, you're terrified of moving on because it's 882 00:43:54,719 --> 00:43:58,960 Speaker 1: what you know. I'd just say it's okay to when 883 00:43:59,000 --> 00:44:02,080 Speaker 1: it's okay to have failed. I think one of the 884 00:44:02,120 --> 00:44:04,960 Speaker 1: major steps is always accepting that shit, you might have 885 00:44:05,000 --> 00:44:06,719 Speaker 1: failed at something, but that's not the end of it, 886 00:44:06,719 --> 00:44:09,280 Speaker 1: that's not the ind of you. Not everyone has to succeed. 887 00:44:10,719 --> 00:44:12,480 Speaker 1: And then the other one is like it's okay to 888 00:44:12,520 --> 00:44:14,759 Speaker 1: take the leap and flounder for a bit and to 889 00:44:15,719 --> 00:44:20,600 Speaker 1: go through a chaotic period where life isn't super stable 890 00:44:22,040 --> 00:44:23,839 Speaker 1: because I reckon you find something on the other side 891 00:44:23,880 --> 00:44:27,840 Speaker 1: of it, and I've that's my experience for sure. I 892 00:44:27,880 --> 00:44:32,719 Speaker 1: floundered for a long time. Was a university student doing 893 00:44:32,840 --> 00:44:36,840 Speaker 1: copywriting gigs for like fifty bucks, like a couple chrenty 894 00:44:36,920 --> 00:44:38,479 Speaker 1: bucks a week at one point, and I was living 895 00:44:38,480 --> 00:44:40,839 Speaker 1: off that and some youth allowance I was getting from 896 00:44:40,880 --> 00:44:45,120 Speaker 1: the government because I wasn't good with my money from footy. 897 00:44:45,760 --> 00:44:49,839 Speaker 1: Then eventually I kind of, you know, things lifted, reconciled 898 00:44:49,880 --> 00:44:52,600 Speaker 1: my feelings with my past of footy and could you 899 00:44:52,800 --> 00:44:53,759 Speaker 1: start writing things I have? 900 00:44:53,960 --> 00:44:59,480 Speaker 2: So what happens when you take the time, yeah, to 901 00:45:00,600 --> 00:45:04,840 Speaker 2: face the disgruntlement or resentment or something, to take the 902 00:45:04,880 --> 00:45:07,080 Speaker 2: time to be an acceptance of this is where I am. 903 00:45:07,600 --> 00:45:10,080 Speaker 2: And then how does that change when you're going to 904 00:45:10,120 --> 00:45:12,960 Speaker 2: apply for a job or possibilities that you see for yourself? 905 00:45:14,040 --> 00:45:17,759 Speaker 1: For me, for me, so for me, it was accepting 906 00:45:17,920 --> 00:45:20,320 Speaker 1: that my career had not gone how I thought, accepting 907 00:45:20,400 --> 00:45:23,240 Speaker 1: that my football career had ended with twenty eight games. 908 00:45:24,080 --> 00:45:26,560 Speaker 1: And I think I said earlier that took me two 909 00:45:26,680 --> 00:45:31,400 Speaker 1: three years to get through that. And my coping mechanism 910 00:45:31,480 --> 00:45:33,279 Speaker 1: initially was to get as far away from foot as 911 00:45:33,280 --> 00:45:36,879 Speaker 1: I had to just say I'm not a former football player. 912 00:45:36,960 --> 00:45:38,960 Speaker 2: Look at me. I felt hat and the guitar genuinely. 913 00:45:39,120 --> 00:45:41,200 Speaker 1: Anyway, maybe that's a story for a whole nother pod, 914 00:45:42,280 --> 00:45:43,880 Speaker 1: but yeah, I got as far away from it as 915 00:45:43,880 --> 00:45:48,759 Speaker 1: I could, and then life wasn't enjoyable doing that, though, 916 00:45:48,760 --> 00:45:50,160 Speaker 1: because you have this thing in the back of your 917 00:45:50,200 --> 00:45:52,640 Speaker 1: head that's still letting it control you, because it's driving 918 00:45:52,640 --> 00:45:58,200 Speaker 1: you away. For me, it was genuinely. When I started, 919 00:45:58,280 --> 00:46:02,000 Speaker 1: I saw a few different therapists, and I think it's 920 00:46:02,040 --> 00:46:03,680 Speaker 1: a big thing. If you see a therapist then know 921 00:46:03,719 --> 00:46:05,200 Speaker 1: that the first one you see might not be the 922 00:46:05,239 --> 00:46:07,680 Speaker 1: right one you have couldn't go anymore. You have to 923 00:46:07,719 --> 00:46:09,719 Speaker 1: find a connection with one. Otherwise I went in and 924 00:46:09,800 --> 00:46:12,920 Speaker 1: would lie to the one I audition process. Yeah, but 925 00:46:12,960 --> 00:46:16,200 Speaker 1: eventually I went in and found one who I felt 926 00:46:16,200 --> 00:46:18,680 Speaker 1: something from that. And it's been a gradual process of 927 00:46:19,040 --> 00:46:22,759 Speaker 1: a couple of years of realizing why I might feel 928 00:46:22,800 --> 00:46:26,480 Speaker 1: like a failure and being able to just accept that 929 00:46:26,480 --> 00:46:29,839 Speaker 1: that's there, not trying to fight it away. So coming 930 00:46:29,840 --> 00:46:31,600 Speaker 1: to terms with that was a big deal. And then 931 00:46:32,960 --> 00:46:34,480 Speaker 1: when I go into a job interviews now, or go 932 00:46:34,520 --> 00:46:38,360 Speaker 1: into interviews or things like that, now I have a 933 00:46:38,400 --> 00:46:42,479 Speaker 1: sense of I don't. I know who I am enough, 934 00:46:42,520 --> 00:46:46,640 Speaker 1: and I know that you know, I know where I've 935 00:46:46,719 --> 00:46:48,520 Speaker 1: ended up as a result where I've been as well, 936 00:46:48,880 --> 00:46:51,560 Speaker 1: and that's you can't change that. I can't go back 937 00:46:51,600 --> 00:46:53,720 Speaker 1: and change that career. I can't go back and rewrite anything. 938 00:46:54,880 --> 00:46:57,960 Speaker 1: And there's no predestined path that you should be on. 939 00:46:58,200 --> 00:47:00,120 Speaker 1: And I think for so much of my life I 940 00:47:00,160 --> 00:47:02,719 Speaker 1: felt a predestined path, and when I would sway from 941 00:47:02,719 --> 00:47:05,239 Speaker 1: that at all, that's not feel like a failure. And 942 00:47:05,239 --> 00:47:07,640 Speaker 1: I'd feel like, shit, you didn't play trundred games. You're 943 00:47:07,680 --> 00:47:09,640 Speaker 1: on the wrong path. Correct it, corrected, and the anxiety 944 00:47:09,680 --> 00:47:11,560 Speaker 1: would come and you'd try and fight it, which makes 945 00:47:11,560 --> 00:47:14,760 Speaker 1: it so much worse. So it's been a big practice 946 00:47:14,760 --> 00:47:18,360 Speaker 1: of letting go of the idea that you should be somewhere. 947 00:47:18,480 --> 00:47:22,879 Speaker 2: So now it's not like your first book was non fiction, 948 00:47:24,080 --> 00:47:25,680 Speaker 2: but to go out and now now I'm going to 949 00:47:25,719 --> 00:47:27,680 Speaker 2: write a novel, I'm going to write fiction. Now that's 950 00:47:27,680 --> 00:47:31,640 Speaker 2: a that's an entirely different tangent. Tell me about how 951 00:47:31,680 --> 00:47:34,759 Speaker 2: are you with the path? Now are you how do 952 00:47:34,800 --> 00:47:38,160 Speaker 2: you approach this, you know, adventure that you're on. 953 00:47:39,600 --> 00:47:43,279 Speaker 1: It's yeah, I never wrote fiction growing up I was. 954 00:47:43,600 --> 00:47:45,560 Speaker 1: I liked writing in school. I had teachers who would 955 00:47:45,600 --> 00:47:48,359 Speaker 1: encourage bit to write, but I was a woeful fiction writer. 956 00:47:48,400 --> 00:47:50,640 Speaker 1: I think my teachers would laugh at my fiction writing. 957 00:47:51,360 --> 00:47:53,239 Speaker 2: But I was back in the day when I laugh 958 00:47:53,280 --> 00:47:57,000 Speaker 2: at dumb kids did anymore? Apparently it's bad for them 959 00:47:57,040 --> 00:48:00,000 Speaker 2: because I'm a shitty sense of self. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. 960 00:48:00,000 --> 00:48:01,560 Speaker 2: This is while we have a nation of scribs. That's 961 00:48:01,560 --> 00:48:05,640 Speaker 2: why everyone's getting a prize. It fucking passed the parcel. 962 00:48:06,680 --> 00:48:07,440 Speaker 2: Fuck these. 963 00:48:09,239 --> 00:48:13,640 Speaker 1: The journey now is, I think specifically with writing, it's 964 00:48:13,640 --> 00:48:16,640 Speaker 1: interesting because I don't think about what to write next 965 00:48:16,680 --> 00:48:19,520 Speaker 1: now as well. I trust that while I would love 966 00:48:19,640 --> 00:48:22,560 Speaker 1: to be somebody who could write like a Trent Dalton 967 00:48:22,760 --> 00:48:26,640 Speaker 1: esque kind of novel, I could sit there and labor 968 00:48:26,680 --> 00:48:28,399 Speaker 1: away at trying to do that, but I would get 969 00:48:28,480 --> 00:48:30,919 Speaker 1: so shitty at myself that I can't write that way 970 00:48:30,960 --> 00:48:33,919 Speaker 1: and I can't create that book, which would then could 971 00:48:33,920 --> 00:48:35,520 Speaker 1: make me feel like a failure. I can't do that. 972 00:48:35,640 --> 00:48:40,240 Speaker 1: But instead, I've learned as a writer it's whatever instinct comes, 973 00:48:40,280 --> 00:48:43,399 Speaker 1: and story comes follow that, and you don't know where 974 00:48:43,400 --> 00:48:44,920 Speaker 1: that's going to come from. As a writer, you don't know, 975 00:48:45,280 --> 00:48:48,720 Speaker 1: it just comes. Sometimes and I've gotten better at following 976 00:48:48,719 --> 00:48:51,359 Speaker 1: that when it comes. So I think that's a good 977 00:48:51,400 --> 00:48:53,480 Speaker 1: analogy for kind of how a treat life at the 978 00:48:53,520 --> 00:48:56,320 Speaker 1: moment where I don't know what the next thing is 979 00:48:56,360 --> 00:48:59,920 Speaker 1: necessarily going to be, but I am open to the 980 00:49:00,120 --> 00:49:03,920 Speaker 1: idea coming in and then trusting. I got instinct around that, 981 00:49:05,239 --> 00:49:07,040 Speaker 1: and with piss Hands, that was the thing. Like I 982 00:49:07,160 --> 00:49:10,000 Speaker 1: tried to write a couple of books before that which 983 00:49:10,000 --> 00:49:12,279 Speaker 1: were just really bad. So after twenty eight, which was 984 00:49:12,280 --> 00:49:15,120 Speaker 1: my memoir, came out, I tried to write some manuscripts. 985 00:49:15,400 --> 00:49:17,960 Speaker 1: They were shocking. My publisher almost laughed at me for them, 986 00:49:17,960 --> 00:49:21,479 Speaker 1: which was again quite funny. But then one day piss 987 00:49:21,520 --> 00:49:23,040 Speaker 1: Ants came and I was like, that's the thing we're 988 00:49:23,040 --> 00:49:26,879 Speaker 1: going to do now. They say, it's finding your voice. 989 00:49:26,880 --> 00:49:28,799 Speaker 1: I don't know if that's my voice, but it's it's 990 00:49:28,840 --> 00:49:29,120 Speaker 1: you know. 991 00:49:29,360 --> 00:49:32,400 Speaker 2: But there's really it's not it's you know, it's not 992 00:49:32,480 --> 00:49:35,680 Speaker 2: the fifty five thousand people at the MCG. Yeah. But 993 00:49:36,520 --> 00:49:39,359 Speaker 2: when and I've had this experience is when you send 994 00:49:39,400 --> 00:49:43,319 Speaker 2: someone the idea and they go fuck, yeah, like, oh 995 00:49:43,600 --> 00:49:46,160 Speaker 2: there it is. You stay a little straighter, you know. Yeah, 996 00:49:46,239 --> 00:49:48,319 Speaker 2: it's that's the feeling like Okay, there's something here. This 997 00:49:48,400 --> 00:49:50,319 Speaker 2: is where we go, and it's listening to those things 998 00:49:50,360 --> 00:49:52,879 Speaker 2: and being sure to not ignore the science for them. 999 00:49:52,920 --> 00:49:55,640 Speaker 2: That is can often illuminate the path. It's when we 1000 00:49:55,960 --> 00:49:58,239 Speaker 2: can get Oh no, I know you're just saying that 1001 00:49:58,280 --> 00:49:59,960 Speaker 2: to be nice to me. As we can we're just ignored. 1002 00:50:00,400 --> 00:50:03,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, data, there's a there's a big sense of validation 1003 00:50:04,040 --> 00:50:06,560 Speaker 1: you can get from writing, and I'm also wary of 1004 00:50:08,080 --> 00:50:11,080 Speaker 1: I know when I'm writing to get validation. I did 1005 00:50:11,080 --> 00:50:13,480 Speaker 1: this a lot when I started doing some freelance journalism 1006 00:50:13,560 --> 00:50:16,560 Speaker 1: stuff and writing short stories. I'd write stuff really quick 1007 00:50:16,560 --> 00:50:18,319 Speaker 1: and send it away to get a pat on the 1008 00:50:18,360 --> 00:50:20,960 Speaker 1: back from somebody, to get an editor be like, yeah, 1009 00:50:21,000 --> 00:50:24,200 Speaker 1: we'll publish that now. I don't do that now. I 1010 00:50:24,680 --> 00:50:27,840 Speaker 1: wait until it's something I really believe in. Yeah. I 1011 00:50:28,640 --> 00:50:30,880 Speaker 1: am not going to rush the next book or anything, 1012 00:50:31,880 --> 00:50:34,600 Speaker 1: because I don't want to ever write from a place 1013 00:50:34,600 --> 00:50:38,600 Speaker 1: of wanting approval just for the sake of approval. I 1014 00:50:38,680 --> 00:50:40,120 Speaker 1: like that I write. I sit in my room and 1015 00:50:40,160 --> 00:50:42,839 Speaker 1: I write, and I laugh at it and I'm like, huh. Then, 1016 00:50:42,880 --> 00:50:45,160 Speaker 1: regardless of what happens, at least I've enjoyed doing it. 1017 00:50:46,360 --> 00:50:49,440 Speaker 2: How would you like to see parents go about their 1018 00:50:49,520 --> 00:50:50,280 Speaker 2: kids in sport. 1019 00:50:51,760 --> 00:50:54,040 Speaker 1: Again, this is one that I'm always asked if I 1020 00:50:54,080 --> 00:50:56,160 Speaker 1: do have kids, would I want them to play sport? 1021 00:50:56,200 --> 00:50:58,200 Speaker 1: And fuck yeah, I would like if they if they 1022 00:50:58,200 --> 00:51:02,719 Speaker 1: want to play sport. Sport is a great way for 1023 00:51:02,840 --> 00:51:05,200 Speaker 1: kids to be in a team environment and to learn 1024 00:51:05,239 --> 00:51:08,360 Speaker 1: how to learn resilience, to learn how to cooperate in 1025 00:51:08,400 --> 00:51:10,800 Speaker 1: a team, to learn that you win and you lose, 1026 00:51:10,880 --> 00:51:13,520 Speaker 1: like sport teaches us lessons that nothing else can at 1027 00:51:13,600 --> 00:51:16,680 Speaker 1: such a young age. The thing I felt like I 1028 00:51:16,719 --> 00:51:20,000 Speaker 1: missed in my family was I don't think I was 1029 00:51:20,000 --> 00:51:25,000 Speaker 1: ever asked in that critical age of you know, your 1030 00:51:25,000 --> 00:51:27,920 Speaker 1: teenage years, if I wanted to keep playing. I don't 1031 00:51:27,960 --> 00:51:29,920 Speaker 1: think I was ever and I was at times. I 1032 00:51:29,920 --> 00:51:33,240 Speaker 1: think it was pretty obvious I didn't. Like I'm pretty 1033 00:51:33,280 --> 00:51:35,200 Speaker 1: sure it was obvious that I didn't want to play. 1034 00:51:35,280 --> 00:51:40,399 Speaker 1: But I think Mum and dad of that era would 1035 00:51:40,400 --> 00:51:42,200 Speaker 1: just like just see it through, just see it through, 1036 00:51:42,320 --> 00:51:46,200 Speaker 1: And not that they pushed us by like setting up 1037 00:51:46,200 --> 00:51:48,080 Speaker 1: cones in the backyard and be like go on train. 1038 00:51:49,160 --> 00:51:51,480 Speaker 1: They just kept taking us to training, and I, as 1039 00:51:51,480 --> 00:51:53,840 Speaker 1: a result, was like, well, Mum and Dad are spending 1040 00:51:53,840 --> 00:51:55,560 Speaker 1: their time on me. I should pay them back by 1041 00:51:55,600 --> 00:51:59,279 Speaker 1: doing it. I just think that I don't know. You've got, 1042 00:51:59,400 --> 00:52:03,279 Speaker 1: like I said, you've got young kid get a sense 1043 00:52:03,320 --> 00:52:05,040 Speaker 1: of if they're actually enjoying it or not, and asked 1044 00:52:05,080 --> 00:52:06,279 Speaker 1: and be like, do you want to keep doing this? 1045 00:52:07,960 --> 00:52:13,080 Speaker 2: But it's immensely, immensely beneficial. The part about the sport, 1046 00:52:13,160 --> 00:52:15,279 Speaker 2: the lessons of sport I've seen. I missed out on 1047 00:52:15,280 --> 00:52:16,279 Speaker 2: them when I was a kik be cause I don't 1048 00:52:16,280 --> 00:52:19,000 Speaker 2: really play much, but I've seen them in Georgia immensely. 1049 00:52:21,239 --> 00:52:23,320 Speaker 2: They're learning how to win, but learning how to lose. 1050 00:52:25,600 --> 00:52:28,719 Speaker 2: When you look at your career and you look at 1051 00:52:28,760 --> 00:52:31,880 Speaker 2: the twenty eight games that you play, what do you 1052 00:52:31,920 --> 00:52:35,880 Speaker 2: think is the most valuable lesson you've learned about? This 1053 00:52:36,000 --> 00:52:39,319 Speaker 2: isn't going the way I want it to. So this is. 1054 00:52:40,840 --> 00:52:43,560 Speaker 1: Because at times I've handled feedback and failure really badly. 1055 00:52:43,600 --> 00:52:46,640 Speaker 1: There's been times I've handled it really poorly. But I 1056 00:52:46,680 --> 00:52:51,120 Speaker 1: do think I am good at losing, and like I 1057 00:52:51,160 --> 00:52:55,920 Speaker 1: can handle losing quite well and getting knocked back. So 1058 00:52:56,400 --> 00:52:58,360 Speaker 1: for example, with the writing stuff, it's held me in 1059 00:52:58,360 --> 00:53:02,239 Speaker 1: good stead. So when I sent my pub previous manuscripts 1060 00:53:02,280 --> 00:53:05,840 Speaker 1: and Literallyane Jane Palferman, who's my publisher, who was a 1061 00:53:05,920 --> 00:53:07,680 Speaker 1: formidable force in Australian publishing. 1062 00:53:07,840 --> 00:53:09,440 Speaker 2: She's feared by a lot of people. 1063 00:53:09,680 --> 00:53:13,440 Speaker 1: I sent her this manuscript and she read it was 1064 00:53:13,440 --> 00:53:16,160 Speaker 1: like seventy eighty thousand words and she read it and 1065 00:53:16,200 --> 00:53:20,759 Speaker 1: her email almost said like, you know, you can get 1066 00:53:20,760 --> 00:53:24,520 Speaker 1: writing lessons like like a nice like a nice ish way, 1067 00:53:25,080 --> 00:53:26,759 Speaker 1: because it was a crime book. And she was like, 1068 00:53:26,960 --> 00:53:28,320 Speaker 1: if you want to write this kind of book, Brendan, 1069 00:53:28,320 --> 00:53:31,000 Speaker 1: you can go and get writing lessons for it, which 1070 00:53:31,080 --> 00:53:33,040 Speaker 1: was a big fat no to the manuscript that I 1071 00:53:33,200 --> 00:53:36,719 Speaker 1: just spent like six months of my life devoted to, 1072 00:53:36,840 --> 00:53:41,120 Speaker 1: like every day. I think some people might be so 1073 00:53:41,360 --> 00:53:44,400 Speaker 1: crushed by that they just don't write again. But for me, 1074 00:53:44,480 --> 00:53:46,799 Speaker 1: it was like, well, all right, that's not it's what's 1075 00:53:46,840 --> 00:53:48,480 Speaker 1: the next thing I can do. I'm not going to stop. 1076 00:53:50,320 --> 00:53:52,239 Speaker 1: That's what I've taken from sport and I was. I 1077 00:53:52,400 --> 00:53:54,600 Speaker 1: was at various points in my career like that. As 1078 00:53:54,600 --> 00:53:56,480 Speaker 1: a player. I was like, well I'll just train harder. 1079 00:53:58,360 --> 00:54:00,319 Speaker 1: So that's always been in me. I can handle loss 1080 00:54:00,320 --> 00:54:02,120 Speaker 1: and rejection without it being the end of the world. 1081 00:54:02,200 --> 00:54:04,760 Speaker 1: It's like, well, it's stuff's in my control. 1082 00:54:04,800 --> 00:54:08,319 Speaker 2: What can I do next, and reminding yourself of those 1083 00:54:08,320 --> 00:54:11,600 Speaker 2: things that you can control, it gives us that sense 1084 00:54:11,640 --> 00:54:14,400 Speaker 2: of it can arrest that free ful feeling. 1085 00:54:14,960 --> 00:54:18,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, and I think that's something I've gotten better at, 1086 00:54:18,680 --> 00:54:21,560 Speaker 1: as well as to even trying to sell a book. 1087 00:54:21,600 --> 00:54:24,160 Speaker 1: Now it's like you want everyone to read it, but 1088 00:54:24,239 --> 00:54:27,719 Speaker 1: I can't control how many people see the book or 1089 00:54:27,800 --> 00:54:30,879 Speaker 1: I can't control that, and I just have to come 1090 00:54:30,920 --> 00:54:33,360 Speaker 1: back to saying, well, I wrote the book I wanted 1091 00:54:33,400 --> 00:54:35,640 Speaker 1: to write. I controlled that part of it, and now 1092 00:54:35,680 --> 00:54:38,279 Speaker 1: you let it out in the world and you do 1093 00:54:38,320 --> 00:54:40,279 Speaker 1: some marketing for it. But if people see it, they 1094 00:54:40,280 --> 00:54:42,399 Speaker 1: see it. If they don't, it's not a reflection of 1095 00:54:42,680 --> 00:54:47,080 Speaker 1: you or the writing. You know's that's really what I 1096 00:54:47,120 --> 00:54:48,560 Speaker 1: am reminding myself of at the moment. 1097 00:54:49,400 --> 00:54:51,719 Speaker 2: I needed to hear that today because I put it 1098 00:54:51,760 --> 00:54:53,040 Speaker 2: on out two weeks ago and I still don't know 1099 00:54:53,080 --> 00:54:56,080 Speaker 2: how it's coming. You don't know in book world. 1100 00:54:56,160 --> 00:54:59,680 Speaker 3: I know it's crazy, but thank you, welcome, thanks for 1101 00:54:59,680 --> 00:55:03,200 Speaker 3: writing book, and thanks for opening the window to a 1102 00:55:03,239 --> 00:55:07,480 Speaker 3: part of Australia that is so instinct, so intuitive, so 1103 00:55:07,520 --> 00:55:08,680 Speaker 3: intuitively Australian. 1104 00:55:08,800 --> 00:55:12,839 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's guarded for reasons that I read the book, 1105 00:55:14,600 --> 00:55:16,319 Speaker 2: but it kind of helps us understand a little better. 1106 00:55:16,440 --> 00:55:18,839 Speaker 2: Like when you go to work and you're like, how 1107 00:55:18,840 --> 00:55:22,480 Speaker 2: the fuck are you a grown man here saying that here? Like, 1108 00:55:23,160 --> 00:55:25,879 Speaker 2: what world did you come from? This world where it's 1109 00:55:25,920 --> 00:55:28,040 Speaker 2: been fine the whole time? I don't know, but I 1110 00:55:28,040 --> 00:55:30,919 Speaker 2: did my two hour induction video about how to speak 1111 00:55:30,960 --> 00:55:33,680 Speaker 2: to people in meetings. I should be fine. I can't 1112 00:55:33,840 --> 00:55:37,000 Speaker 2: call you big guys. I can't call him big guys 1113 00:55:37,280 --> 00:55:40,360 Speaker 2: in a company he's got big guys. 1114 00:55:39,239 --> 00:55:39,560 Speaker 1: Big guys. 1115 00:55:39,600 --> 00:55:40,000 Speaker 2: Laughed at it. 1116 00:55:40,000 --> 00:55:40,680 Speaker 1: Come on, he laughed at it. 1117 00:55:41,040 --> 00:55:44,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, he's thinking it's funny. It's a thing that I 1118 00:55:44,600 --> 00:55:48,240 Speaker 2: think it might help more people understand that you can't 1119 00:55:48,320 --> 00:55:49,799 Speaker 2: take a while to turn a cruise ship man. 1120 00:55:50,480 --> 00:55:52,879 Speaker 1: Yeah, maybe that's what the whole fucking book is. It's like, 1121 00:55:53,200 --> 00:55:55,839 Speaker 1: this cruise ship has been going the same way it's 1122 00:55:55,880 --> 00:55:57,640 Speaker 1: been going for a long time, and we're not just 1123 00:55:57,680 --> 00:55:59,840 Speaker 1: going to go hard ninety degrees other way. 1124 00:56:00,040 --> 00:56:03,239 Speaker 2: Those induction videos into suburban football clubs, life will be 1125 00:56:03,239 --> 00:56:14,479 Speaker 2: better for them. That was Brandon Jack. The new book 1126 00:56:14,560 --> 00:56:17,839 Speaker 2: is called Pissants. It's out right now. His other book, 1127 00:56:17,880 --> 00:56:21,200 Speaker 2: twenty eight you can also get. That's his memoir. It's 1128 00:56:21,239 --> 00:56:23,800 Speaker 2: a Repper read, thank you so much for listening to 1129 00:56:23,880 --> 00:56:26,920 Speaker 2: the show, and thanks for getting around. So what now? 1130 00:56:26,960 --> 00:56:29,600 Speaker 2: What the new book that I've written. If you own it, 1131 00:56:30,200 --> 00:56:32,120 Speaker 2: please write a review for it. If you don't own it, 1132 00:56:32,440 --> 00:56:34,719 Speaker 2: you can buy it and then write a review for it. 1133 00:56:34,719 --> 00:56:36,560 Speaker 2: The links to both those things are in the show notes. 1134 00:56:36,840 --> 00:56:38,200 Speaker 2: Thanks for being a part of it. I'll be back 1135 00:56:38,200 --> 00:56:51,040 Speaker 2: here on Monday.