WEBVTT - #157 Joseph Sua'ali'i: Inside the rise of the Wallabies Superstar 0:00:00.200 --> 0:00:07.039 Hi, my boris and this is Straight Talks Joseph Acuso. 0:00:07.320 --> 0:00:10.319 So Ali, welcome to Straight Talk, mate. Obviously they head 0:00:10.320 --> 0:00:12.000 one hundred you because someone who may be able to 0:00:12.039 --> 0:00:14.080 save the side. Do you feel pressure? 0:00:15.800 --> 0:00:17.560 The reason I wanted to go was always I wanted 0:00:17.560 --> 0:00:19.640 to play on a Lions tour. I still remember to 0:00:19.640 --> 0:00:21.639 this day the kid I watched it on TV and 0:00:21.640 --> 0:00:23.040 I was like, this is what I want to do 0:00:23.079 --> 0:00:23.440 one day. 0:00:23.720 --> 0:00:26.119 Do you think it'll encourage other younger blokes to continue 0:00:26.120 --> 0:00:27.080 on the rugby union path? 0:00:27.360 --> 0:00:29.560 You know what? I hope when we do play this 0:00:29.600 --> 0:00:32.320 spring tour and a Lions tour and a home Woord Cup, 0:00:32.440 --> 0:00:33.680 I feel like a lot of kids are going to 0:00:33.680 --> 0:00:36.280 be inspired to play in a green and gold jersey 0:00:36.560 --> 0:00:39.760 or warortized jersey. I feel like that's probably the biggest 0:00:39.760 --> 0:00:41.559 thing for you know, Australian rugby. 0:00:42.280 --> 0:00:44.520 You did get selected for Origin. In one game of Origin, 0:00:44.520 --> 0:00:47.520 we didn't last long. Can we just quickly talk about 0:00:47.520 --> 0:00:54.720 that what actually happened? Joseph Acuso, So a LEI get 0:00:54.720 --> 0:00:58.560 that right? Mate? Didn't I practice morning? I want to 0:00:58.600 --> 0:01:00.920 get right and I want to get right otherwise nickname 0:01:01.120 --> 0:01:03.880 at the Russes at least sou welcome to straight tow mate. 0:01:04.080 --> 0:01:05.360 Thank you very much, thanks for having me. 0:01:05.360 --> 0:01:09.320 It's cool, really cool. So we got you on this show, 0:01:09.520 --> 0:01:14.039 your med training. Now you're in the Wallabies. Not in 0:01:14.080 --> 0:01:15.800 the Wallabies that they haven't announced any at least and. 0:01:15.920 --> 0:01:19.319 Actually announced it the hour ago. So oh really yeah yeah, 0:01:20.400 --> 0:01:22.720 yeah that's so cool. I know. Yeah. I was actually 0:01:23.200 --> 0:01:25.679 yeah stoked. Yeah, family were calling and everyone was happy, 0:01:25.840 --> 0:01:27.559 so mad, everyone was over the moon. 0:01:27.680 --> 0:01:28.480 That's crazy. 0:01:28.640 --> 0:01:32.039 Yeah, I know, honestly, like seasons just finished and yeah, 0:01:32.120 --> 0:01:34.480 just straight into we had a camp on Monday Tuesday 0:01:34.520 --> 0:01:36.560 last week and then yeah, just straight into it. 0:01:36.600 --> 0:01:39.200 I knew you in the camp. I didn't realize it 0:01:39.240 --> 0:01:41.760 was so it's just been announced. Man, that's mad. Yeah 0:01:42.040 --> 0:01:43.080 are you feeling yeah? 0:01:43.160 --> 0:01:45.800 Good? Like it's actually yeah crazy, Like I was saying 0:01:45.800 --> 0:01:48.400 before light, it's the whole year. I was just looking 0:01:48.440 --> 0:01:51.240 at like like this time now, I've been reflecting a 0:01:51.280 --> 0:01:53.880 lot over like the last four years and especially this 0:01:54.000 --> 0:01:56.840 year as well, and how everything just honestly, it has 0:01:56.880 --> 0:02:00.360 gone so fast. It's gone way too fast. I just 0:02:01.240 --> 0:02:03.680 kind of you know, yeah, even now just been in 0:02:03.720 --> 0:02:06.040 the Lollaby squad, I'm just like, you know, just stoked. 0:02:05.720 --> 0:02:07.800 And just what position did they call you out? 0:02:08.680 --> 0:02:11.440 There's no no position. I haven't had a proper position 0:02:11.480 --> 0:02:12.320 where I've been training or. 0:02:12.280 --> 0:02:14.239 Anything announced twenty or what are the announced? 0:02:14.760 --> 0:02:19.280 I think how many is it? I noticed two squads 0:02:19.280 --> 0:02:22.360 as of Wallabys A like Wallabies A and then the 0:02:22.360 --> 0:02:25.800 Wallabys are going on a spring tour, so yeah, I'm 0:02:25.840 --> 0:02:26.880 not sure how many in the squad. 0:02:27.320 --> 0:02:28.919 Do you have any idea where you might be playing that? 0:02:29.840 --> 0:02:32.680 I think I spoke spaited a coach like thirteen fifteen 0:02:33.320 --> 0:02:35.440 that's where like I'll be training and then they just 0:02:35.440 --> 0:02:37.160 see where where I would go from. 0:02:37.080 --> 0:02:39.320 There for a meneral audience. What is thirty and fifth? 0:02:39.680 --> 0:02:42.760 Thirteen's outside center and the fifteens a full back? So 0:02:43.919 --> 0:02:47.400 you ever a preference? Not? Not really, to be honest, 0:02:47.560 --> 0:02:51.200 I grew up playing yeah, thirteen fifteen wing. I've always 0:02:51.200 --> 0:02:55.000 played like a lot of positions growing up in union. Yeah, 0:02:55.080 --> 0:02:57.240 a bit different league we played like growing up in 0:02:57.240 --> 0:03:00.239 the league, I honestly just played fullback five eight, I 0:03:00.360 --> 0:03:02.280 was it. I never ever played in the center or wing. 0:03:02.360 --> 0:03:04.600 I was always four bout five eight like the swim psition. 0:03:04.720 --> 0:03:06.440 So yeah, that was good. 0:03:06.720 --> 0:03:08.560 So I like to go back a little bit. So 0:03:09.240 --> 0:03:10.480 a lot of people do know you, but a lot 0:03:10.480 --> 0:03:12.240 of people don't know you. A lot of who know you, 0:03:12.680 --> 0:03:15.760 they know of you now. But let's go back to 0:03:16.240 --> 0:03:22.079 young Joseph, going back years ago. Let's you're running only 0:03:22.080 --> 0:03:23.320 twenty one. I think you're in twenty one. 0:03:23.280 --> 0:03:24.040 Don't ye. 0:03:24.120 --> 0:03:27.280 Yeah, let's go back to when you're when you're at Penrith, 0:03:27.320 --> 0:03:29.880 before you went off to King So what's the deal. 0:03:29.960 --> 0:03:33.399 Like your dad samone. 0:03:32.800 --> 0:03:35.720 From somemhow or born in yeah, born there. 0:03:35.760 --> 0:03:38.280 Yeah, yeah, so your dad and he's married to your 0:03:38.320 --> 0:03:41.280 mum obviously, but your mum's background. 0:03:40.880 --> 0:03:42.600 As what Cambodian Australian. 0:03:42.640 --> 0:03:45.400 Cambodian Australian. Okay, so that's an unusual mix. 0:03:45.840 --> 0:03:48.200 Yeah, I know. Yeah, some old man. He come over 0:03:48.240 --> 0:03:52.520 from someone when he was maybe twelve or thirteen, like 0:03:52.600 --> 0:03:56.640 we'll get quite young. And yeah, mum was, yeah, brought 0:03:56.720 --> 0:03:59.160 up in Australia, grew up here. Her grandpa come over 0:03:59.200 --> 0:04:02.240 from cambode Yeah, when he was like maybe twenty or 0:04:02.280 --> 0:04:05.360 twenty one. And then yeah, I think like the Vietnam 0:04:05.400 --> 0:04:07.400 War happened over there and then he couldn't go back, 0:04:07.440 --> 0:04:09.400 so he ended up just staying, staying here, and then 0:04:10.000 --> 0:04:13.320 my parents end up meeting at a train station now Kingswood, Yeah, 0:04:13.320 --> 0:04:15.400 I think Kingswoold train stations were at a club out 0:04:15.440 --> 0:04:17.920 there actually, yeah, Kingswood train station. I think they met 0:04:17.960 --> 0:04:19.160 so yeah. 0:04:19.440 --> 0:04:21.479 And then junior. 0:04:21.320 --> 0:04:25.120 Yeah yeah, Pendell Jr. Growing up played under fours or 0:04:25.120 --> 0:04:27.360 was that? Started at s Mary's and then under fire 0:04:27.480 --> 0:04:29.400 was that brothers, And then from there just played at 0:04:29.440 --> 0:04:31.400 Glenmore Park. Yeah, gone Park, Brumbies. 0:04:31.920 --> 0:04:33.160 Did you play footing in some More? 0:04:33.480 --> 0:04:33.640 Yeah? 0:04:33.720 --> 0:04:37.240 Yeah he did, he did. He played. He actually played 0:04:37.240 --> 0:04:39.360 a little bit over here too, but he had my 0:04:39.640 --> 0:04:42.640 sister quite young, at maybe seven to eighteen. He had 0:04:42.640 --> 0:04:45.840 my sister, and then yeah, from there he just kind 0:04:45.839 --> 0:04:48.039 of just stopped playing foot and then after the kids. Yeah, 0:04:48.040 --> 0:04:48.640 he's looking. 0:04:48.440 --> 0:04:50.239 At the kids and is your mum sporty? 0:04:50.800 --> 0:04:52.560 Yeah, she played a bit of volleyball on that little 0:04:52.560 --> 0:04:55.400 bit growing up. But she always says that My old 0:04:55.400 --> 0:04:58.760 man always says that I'll get more athletic athletic ability 0:04:58.800 --> 0:05:01.400 from him, But it's quietly in the background saying that 0:05:01.440 --> 0:05:01.839 it's from me. 0:05:02.480 --> 0:05:04.880 So who do you look more like? Though? Like I mean, because. 0:05:04.800 --> 0:05:07.680 Actually I look like my mom a lot. Yeah, but 0:05:07.800 --> 0:05:10.240 my old man he's like short and like stocky, so 0:05:10.760 --> 0:05:13.000 I don't look like, yeah my dad at all hype 0:05:13.040 --> 0:05:16.480 from it's weird. My uncle's all tall, So my dad's 0:05:16.480 --> 0:05:19.520 like he's really short, and you look at my uncles, 0:05:19.520 --> 0:05:22.360 they're all like tall, all like six three six four, 0:05:22.400 --> 0:05:25.120 and then my old man's like way on six foot 0:05:25.600 --> 0:05:29.640 but solid. Yeah, he's like yeah, he's built. 0:05:29.440 --> 0:05:33.080 Totally built. So that's a pretty unusual combination, by the way, 0:05:33.560 --> 0:05:38.120 sort of two totally different backgrounds. Yeah, yeah, what do 0:05:38.160 --> 0:05:41.039 you what do you think that culturally you get from that? 0:05:41.200 --> 0:05:44.680 Let's put sport aside, foot your what I just just 0:05:44.760 --> 0:05:47.240 put culturally, what do you get out of mum being 0:05:48.000 --> 0:05:52.479 from Asia background, your dad being from Pacific Islands? 0:05:53.040 --> 0:05:55.640 I think the from like Pacific Islands. I get a 0:05:55.640 --> 0:05:58.680 lot of that. Just being very proud of like family 0:05:58.760 --> 0:06:04.440 where I'm from sometimes like what can you say, very 0:06:04.880 --> 0:06:07.800 like outgoing. I can be outgoing, but from my mom's side, 0:06:07.920 --> 0:06:12.680 Mum's very like intrinsic, says my grandpa is very intrinsic, 0:06:12.839 --> 0:06:15.280 very you know, so spoken kind of thing like that. 0:06:15.320 --> 0:06:18.479 So I feel like I've got a good bars between both, yeah, 0:06:18.880 --> 0:06:20.760 ye and yang. But yeah, I feel like I get 0:06:20.800 --> 0:06:24.560 a bit of both from Yeah, like that outgoing and 0:06:24.560 --> 0:06:26.760 then you know when on my home, like when I'm 0:06:26.800 --> 0:06:29.480 comfortable around people, I feel like I'm very out there 0:06:29.600 --> 0:06:31.680 and you know, say we go out like I'm very 0:06:32.040 --> 0:06:33.240 dance around and stuff like that. 0:06:33.320 --> 0:06:39.640 But yeah, Joey runs that, as Joey runs that, so 0:06:40.040 --> 0:06:41.000 we do a little bit of that. 0:06:41.040 --> 0:06:43.800 But I feel like, yeah, culturally, I still want to 0:06:43.839 --> 0:06:46.120 learn a little bit more about my converting side. I 0:06:46.120 --> 0:06:48.400 feel like I haven't really tapped into that a lot. 0:06:49.160 --> 0:06:50.440 My old man used to try to teach me a 0:06:50.480 --> 0:06:52.080 lot someone and stuff, and I was going up, but 0:06:52.120 --> 0:06:55.000 I was a very I just didn't listen. I didn't listen. 0:06:55.040 --> 0:06:58.280 I wish it's interesting, Joe, because like I come from 0:06:58.320 --> 0:07:01.600 a mixed background mind there too, and one always dominates, 0:07:01.600 --> 0:07:03.880 but one ends up usually when the most people are 0:07:04.160 --> 0:07:06.560 like my dad's side's got more family, bigger family. It 0:07:06.680 --> 0:07:10.240 just sort of dilutes my mother's side. And but as 0:07:10.280 --> 0:07:12.080 I got when I've been start again, I just have 0:07:12.120 --> 0:07:14.080 become much more interested in the Irish part of it. 0:07:14.160 --> 0:07:17.480 But do you think that is it because your dad's 0:07:17.520 --> 0:07:19.520 sides a much bigger family, because and by the way 0:07:19.560 --> 0:07:22.440 some owns a Pacific Islands generally. I mean, I wasn't 0:07:22.480 --> 0:07:24.520 aware of this, and part of me for my ignorance, 0:07:24.520 --> 0:07:30.360 but I always knew that Pacific Islanders generally are very 0:07:30.400 --> 0:07:33.440 family orienteded. But when we had recently out of the roosters, 0:07:33.480 --> 0:07:36.360 out of the stadium, we got all the guys who 0:07:36.400 --> 0:07:39.400 are leaving and their parents and their wives or kids 0:07:39.440 --> 0:07:42.160 and brothers and sisters stuff like that, I got like 0:07:42.520 --> 0:07:47.320 blown away by the importance of family amongst all of 0:07:47.320 --> 0:07:50.520 you guys in our side, just in our team, particularly 0:07:50.560 --> 0:07:53.160 the ones and particularly the ones who are leaving, and 0:07:53.200 --> 0:07:55.920 there's a few like you and Jared, et cetera. And 0:07:56.040 --> 0:07:58.160 what you've sort of looked like to me, you guys, 0:07:58.280 --> 0:08:02.480 you've dragged along the Aussie guys as well, like to 0:08:02.640 --> 0:08:05.360 sort of participate the same way. You know, Teddy's got 0:08:05.400 --> 0:08:10.560 his wife and family there, and you know, like kaz Kiri, 0:08:10.600 --> 0:08:13.240 he's got his family. I can it's sort of like 0:08:13.240 --> 0:08:16.440 like they've seen you guys with your family elements, and 0:08:16.520 --> 0:08:18.200 actually you brought the best down in them. And I 0:08:18.200 --> 0:08:21.040 don't want to the rats are the same. I don't 0:08:21.040 --> 0:08:23.760 want to overplay it, but do you see that, like. 0:08:24.320 --> 0:08:27.520 Yeah, a little bit you could, you could say, especially 0:08:27.560 --> 0:08:31.080 with my family, Like every game I've played, they've been 0:08:31.120 --> 0:08:34.160 at every single game, Like even my aunties, my uncle's 0:08:34.240 --> 0:08:37.480 my like extended family, like it've come to every single game. 0:08:37.520 --> 0:08:40.280 Like even we're playing Brizzy, they'll drive all the way 0:08:40.280 --> 0:08:42.480 to Brizzy to come watch. Even in Melbourne they all 0:08:42.559 --> 0:08:43.080 drive down. 0:08:43.240 --> 0:08:43.480 Wow. 0:08:43.679 --> 0:08:46.840 Yeah, And it's just like I've always you always felt 0:08:46.880 --> 0:08:49.040 out support kind of thing as you as you're playing. 0:08:50.160 --> 0:08:53.520 It's very I don't really say much to my family, 0:08:53.559 --> 0:08:55.640 say obviously I'll say thanks for coming and stuff like that, 0:08:55.679 --> 0:08:58.760 but it's a big thing when you're playing knowing that 0:08:58.840 --> 0:09:01.040 your family's in the crowd someway. Sometimes you don't see 0:09:01.080 --> 0:09:04.439 them when you running out, but it's very it's weird, 0:09:04.480 --> 0:09:06.640 it's like you can't really put words to a kind 0:09:06.679 --> 0:09:09.440 of thing, but it's honestly it's very comforting. Yeah, comforting 0:09:09.800 --> 0:09:11.880 like that you know if if my mum and dad 0:09:11.920 --> 0:09:13.760 are in the crowd and my cousins and all that, 0:09:13.880 --> 0:09:16.240 you know, you know forty thousand people are going to 0:09:16.280 --> 0:09:17.920 be in the stands, but you know about the people 0:09:17.960 --> 0:09:21.559 that you're playing for and you know why you're doing it. 0:09:21.520 --> 0:09:24.080 It's very yeah, comforting because. 0:09:23.880 --> 0:09:27.079 It's funny and again sort of mostly this year, I've 0:09:27.120 --> 0:09:29.360 noticed it more than I ever noticed before. But and 0:09:29.400 --> 0:09:31.079 it's not just us, it's you know, they do it 0:09:31.080 --> 0:09:34.240 at Penrith, et cetera. But I've noticed and I don't 0:09:34.240 --> 0:09:37.200 know what is it? Lay? What's that the thing they 0:09:37.200 --> 0:09:39.080 put around your necks at the end of the game. 0:09:39.120 --> 0:09:40.160 I should know what it's called. 0:09:40.440 --> 0:09:43.080 But you know, it's sort of like a wreath, but 0:09:43.120 --> 0:09:44.680 it's not a wreath. It's a lay or something like that. 0:09:44.760 --> 0:09:47.120 And it's got like it's got lollies or something. What's 0:09:47.120 --> 0:09:47.640 going on there? 0:09:47.800 --> 0:09:50.720 Oh yeah, I know what you're talking about. Oh yeah, 0:09:50.760 --> 0:09:54.880 so a lot a lot like lollies. It's just like, yeah, 0:09:54.960 --> 0:09:58.800 a lot of colors. Sometimes they put like tongus for 0:09:58.880 --> 0:10:01.719 their culture, like the like symbols and stuff behind it. 0:10:01.880 --> 0:10:03.880 Some womans might do it that the same. I feel 0:10:03.920 --> 0:10:06.760 like that's every like someone graduates from school. They would 0:10:06.760 --> 0:10:09.760 do it after a big game and while Stone like 0:10:09.760 --> 0:10:12.160 fatility and played his hunt game and his whole family 0:10:12.200 --> 0:10:16.040 come down and suddenly give his whole neck was totally Yeah, 0:10:16.080 --> 0:10:18.760 it was awesome. It's good. I feel like that's It's 0:10:18.800 --> 0:10:22.200 funny because the aunties would stay overnight just doing it. 0:10:22.200 --> 0:10:23.800 It takes a long time just even do one. 0:10:23.880 --> 0:10:25.439 The handmaking yeah yeah, he make it. 0:10:25.520 --> 0:10:27.560 Yeah, and it's just it takes takes a long time. 0:10:27.640 --> 0:10:30.120 So I thought, like, that's just you know, a special 0:10:30.160 --> 0:10:32.720 from you know, your aunties, your uncles and every loved 0:10:32.760 --> 0:10:34.959 one would come and give you one. So and then 0:10:35.280 --> 0:10:36.840 most of the boys that don't give one to the 0:10:36.840 --> 0:10:38.280 boys kind of thing like that. So it's just like 0:10:38.400 --> 0:10:39.360 sharing a lover around. 0:10:39.440 --> 0:10:41.520 I've never really noticed before. This year seemed to be 0:10:41.640 --> 0:10:44.800 much more prevalent. Meant, I saw Penrith doing it as well, 0:10:45.360 --> 0:10:52.920 and I saw Spencer's family do it too, So just 0:10:53.440 --> 0:10:56.400 maybe you just for my sake, explained to me. Is 0:10:56.440 --> 0:10:58.840 it much difference you mentioned Toman, Is it much difference 0:10:58.840 --> 0:11:01.880 between someone and tongue and cultures? 0:11:02.320 --> 0:11:08.120 Yeah, yeah, they're they're based around the same like family, religion, 0:11:08.920 --> 0:11:12.040 it's based around the same things. But there's it's very 0:11:13.640 --> 0:11:17.720 it's weird. It's like competitive, it's very competitive. It's very competitive. 0:11:17.760 --> 0:11:19.240 But at the end of the day, we you know, 0:11:19.240 --> 0:11:21.640 we love each other, but it's very competitive at the 0:11:21.640 --> 0:11:25.200 same time between tongs and someone you grow up and 0:11:25.320 --> 0:11:27.920 like you're proud someone you know and you're going to 0:11:27.920 --> 0:11:29.680 get the song and you're like no, no, some was better. 0:11:29.880 --> 0:11:32.640 Kind of It's always like that kind of thing. But 0:11:32.960 --> 0:11:34.439 at the end of the day, like when we come 0:11:34.480 --> 0:11:36.800 back together, it's like, you know, we're like brothers at 0:11:36.840 --> 0:11:37.360 the end of the day. 0:11:37.480 --> 0:11:40.319 Yeah, totally. And because what we in Australia originally have 0:11:40.640 --> 0:11:43.640 really any ever knew was Mari and and it's probably 0:11:43.640 --> 0:11:45.320 been over the last ten years we started to become 0:11:46.480 --> 0:11:49.480 I guess also with the Pacific Islands matches that have 0:11:49.520 --> 0:11:52.000 been played like they've been played at the moment, we 0:11:52.400 --> 0:11:55.640 Australians never really thought about Fijians as regul league players 0:11:55.760 --> 0:11:59.200 or as a real big culture or someone or Tongue 0:11:59.200 --> 0:12:01.440 and or Cook Island for that matter. We just looked 0:12:01.480 --> 0:12:05.040 at Mari. But what's become a really important part of 0:12:05.080 --> 0:12:08.160 our culture now in rugby league at least is all 0:12:08.200 --> 0:12:10.760 of them. And there may him be more that I 0:12:10.800 --> 0:12:12.960 haven't named. I don't know anymore, but there may have been. 0:12:13.080 --> 0:12:15.200 There may be more than I haven't named. As a 0:12:15.320 --> 0:12:17.240 kid growing up, were you aware of that when you 0:12:17.240 --> 0:12:20.360 were living out of Penrith or is it just normal 0:12:20.440 --> 0:12:24.360 out there, well, there was a lot of like Pacific Islanders. 0:12:24.440 --> 0:12:26.880 Yeah yeah, And I was just normal growing up where 0:12:26.920 --> 0:12:29.520 I grew up in, like Western Sydney. There's a lot 0:12:29.520 --> 0:12:32.360 of everyone. My old man's like he grew up in 0:12:32.679 --> 0:12:36.520 me Andre. That's what a lot of Pacific Islanders are like. 0:12:36.520 --> 0:12:38.760 When you played footage, you going against like, you know, 0:12:38.920 --> 0:12:41.080 Pacific Island. These boys are big. Like I'm saying, I 0:12:41.120 --> 0:12:43.640 was big as well when I was growing up. But yeah, 0:12:43.600 --> 0:12:46.720 I feel like it was just everywhere everywhere I went 0:12:46.760 --> 0:12:49.640 because why you know, my aunties and uncles would live 0:12:49.640 --> 0:12:52.079 around the corner. I was just brought up in that, 0:12:52.280 --> 0:12:54.400 you know, like a village, yeah, village kind of thing 0:12:54.480 --> 0:12:57.520 like that, and like obviously you know friends like dad's 0:12:57.559 --> 0:12:59.880 work friends would be you know, Pacific Honors, and then 0:13:00.360 --> 0:13:03.040 it was just always around that Pacific going even going 0:13:03.040 --> 0:13:04.959 to church growing up as well, it was always ad 0:13:05.240 --> 0:13:08.040 Pacific Islanders. So it was just normal kind of thing. 0:13:08.280 --> 0:13:11.719 So when you're I read some with that, were you 0:13:11.760 --> 0:13:15.800 a jumper? Yeah, yeah, I can't remember, like fifteen or 0:13:15.840 --> 0:13:16.320 something like that. 0:13:16.559 --> 0:13:19.800 Yeah, No, So it was actually I started doing high 0:13:19.840 --> 0:13:24.000 jump maybe like four U five and then you're six, 0:13:24.400 --> 0:13:27.800 like in Primuel. Yeah, twelve years old. I honestly it 0:13:27.880 --> 0:13:29.560 was just dawner just to get days of school. 0:13:29.960 --> 0:13:31.640 Yeah, but you were good out of that. 0:13:31.840 --> 0:13:32.000 Yeah. 0:13:32.320 --> 0:13:35.480 Actually yeah, I alright trying to jump over anything. Now 0:13:35.559 --> 0:13:39.040 you'd be big. You're skinny kid, Yeah I was. I 0:13:39.080 --> 0:13:42.960 was always like maybe you four going into U five. 0:13:43.000 --> 0:13:44.760 I hit like a gross bert and I went up 0:13:44.760 --> 0:13:48.120 to Honestly, I was like six three, yeah, straight away 0:13:48.160 --> 0:13:51.400 like you five and you six see before in high school? Yeah, 0:13:51.400 --> 0:13:53.720 before high school, I had like no, yeah, I know 0:13:53.800 --> 0:13:55.760 because I was just like a normal like honestly, I 0:13:55.800 --> 0:13:59.800 was just normal high like skinny bone kid. And then yeah, 0:13:59.840 --> 0:14:02.480 I think you're going like five six around there is 0:14:02.559 --> 0:14:05.560 shot up straight to six three. My shoe sides went 0:14:05.600 --> 0:14:08.720 straight to fourteen, and I was just my mom was like. 0:14:09.240 --> 0:14:11.959 What's going on? Like I was getting to doctor and 0:14:12.040 --> 0:14:13.840 I was eating that one's food. I was crazy. I 0:14:13.880 --> 0:14:15.560 was like I still remember our home. I was just 0:14:15.600 --> 0:14:18.319 like eating everything and then yeah, shot up and then 0:14:18.559 --> 0:14:19.720 yeah I was six three. 0:14:19.920 --> 0:14:21.600 So we're always athletic at that point. 0:14:22.240 --> 0:14:25.360 I was always like nippy, like nippy fast. I was 0:14:25.400 --> 0:14:27.960 always around like football like my old man, and I 0:14:28.040 --> 0:14:30.600 used to like who kicked the ball like all day, 0:14:30.680 --> 0:14:33.080 like honestly with just any top of ball like basketball. 0:14:33.240 --> 0:14:35.480 Was just always like I was always out of the about. 0:14:35.520 --> 0:14:38.280 I was always just like fullot energy. I'm not sure 0:14:38.280 --> 0:14:39.440 if I had anything wrong with me, but I was 0:14:39.480 --> 0:14:42.640 always just like always outside, just like you know, just 0:14:42.680 --> 0:14:44.560 trying to do something. Yeah. So I was always like 0:14:44.600 --> 0:14:45.160 that as a kid. 0:14:45.240 --> 0:14:49.520 But were you playing footy in the panrithicon Rugby League 0:14:49.520 --> 0:14:50.760 and rugby n or just one of. 0:14:50.680 --> 0:14:53.840 The rugby League? And I started playing union to get 0:14:53.920 --> 0:14:59.120 days of school? Yeah, before kings in like ye five 0:14:59.120 --> 0:15:02.280 and six went to a school primary school in Glamwell 0:15:02.320 --> 0:15:05.800 Park ORed region for public school. And then yeah, it 0:15:05.880 --> 0:15:08.680 was funny because I, honestly I was just there's like 0:15:08.760 --> 0:15:11.120 a thing where you make like news of pub teams 0:15:11.200 --> 0:15:13.240 and like, so if you make a district team you 0:15:13.280 --> 0:15:16.600 get one day off, If you make state like ours 0:15:16.680 --> 0:15:19.160 was City West right, you get three days off, and 0:15:19.200 --> 0:15:20.920 then if you made the New South Wales team you 0:15:20.920 --> 0:15:24.400 get a week off. And then in year five I 0:15:24.520 --> 0:15:28.240 made like union and league, and then in year year 0:15:28.320 --> 0:15:33.000 six I made league, Union, Basketball, Athletics and AFL and 0:15:33.040 --> 0:15:36.240 then I was in contention for touch But then I 0:15:36.240 --> 0:15:38.960 couldn't because one of them crossed over. And then it 0:15:39.040 --> 0:15:42.360 was funny. I was actually shout out to more primary 0:15:42.400 --> 0:15:44.840 school teacher because she actually helped me big time because 0:15:44.880 --> 0:15:47.840 I was I wasn't at school. I wasn't. I was 0:15:47.880 --> 0:15:50.080 always out, like I was always playing and we was 0:15:50.120 --> 0:15:52.560 always used to have to travel and then always get 0:15:52.600 --> 0:15:54.440 back at the you know, sit down and study and 0:15:54.440 --> 0:15:56.520 then Yeah, it's honestly like, it was actually one of 0:15:56.520 --> 0:15:59.000 the best times in my life doing that, just like 0:15:59.040 --> 0:16:01.040 traveling around the state and stuff like that. It was 0:16:01.040 --> 0:16:02.520 actually great fun. 0:16:02.680 --> 0:16:04.600 So how'd you end up a king Is because that's 0:16:04.600 --> 0:16:08.760 a pretty expensive joint, pretty sort of elite place to 0:16:08.800 --> 0:16:09.520 get educated. 0:16:10.080 --> 0:16:13.040 Yeah, I was Actually it was actually funny. We train 0:16:13.120 --> 0:16:15.320 in year six at Kings and I said to my 0:16:15.400 --> 0:16:18.560 mom walking away from the school, I was like, Mom, 0:16:18.720 --> 0:16:20.200 like I want to I want to go here, and 0:16:20.320 --> 0:16:22.880 my mom like, Mom, like knew straight away. She was 0:16:22.920 --> 0:16:25.080 like she kind of not laughed at me, but she's 0:16:25.120 --> 0:16:28.440 always given me like belief and faith. She's always been like, son, like, 0:16:28.640 --> 0:16:30.600 you know, it's going to cost like sixty grand a 0:16:30.680 --> 0:16:33.560 year like one of these schools, and then me being 0:16:33.560 --> 0:16:35.200 O believing, I'm like no, I want to like I've 0:16:35.240 --> 0:16:36.680 always had that thing. I'm like, no, I want to 0:16:36.680 --> 0:16:38.040 do it, like this is what I want to do. 0:16:38.240 --> 0:16:40.840 And then anyway, I applied at different schools, like I 0:16:40.880 --> 0:16:44.400 applied to Scott's New Inton, I think as well, and 0:16:45.040 --> 0:16:47.640 Scott's gave me a scholarship like maybe like not a 0:16:47.640 --> 0:16:51.680 full scholarship, but my parents couldn't We still couldn't afford it. Anyway, 0:16:51.800 --> 0:16:54.880 Then I'm rolled into my primary, like my local high school, 0:16:54.880 --> 0:16:57.320 which was like Jameson High School, and then maybe the 0:16:57.360 --> 0:17:00.440 supporting school. I don't think it is. I think it's 0:17:00.480 --> 0:17:02.960 just like one of the local state school. And then 0:17:04.880 --> 0:17:07.159 in my head too, I was like still just no, 0:17:07.240 --> 0:17:09.479 I want to go to one of these schools. And maybe, 0:17:09.760 --> 0:17:15.639 like two weeks before orientation, the Penasenes will Panasene's at 0:17:15.680 --> 0:17:19.359 paramatter he got he was starting the eight at Kings 0:17:19.880 --> 0:17:22.520 and they they dropped my name saying like, oh, as 0:17:22.520 --> 0:17:24.800 a kid you know who wants to come here like 0:17:24.800 --> 0:17:26.600 blah blah blah, plays a bit of sport and stuff 0:17:26.640 --> 0:17:29.480 like that, I feel like he can be benefit to 0:17:29.520 --> 0:17:32.000 the school. And then I did my interview and then 0:17:32.880 --> 0:17:36.360 honestly like yeah, maybe. Then on the day I went 0:17:36.440 --> 0:17:38.960 for orientation at Kings, Like, I didn't have any uniform 0:17:39.000 --> 0:17:41.000 and nothing rocked up put a uniform on. I was 0:17:41.040 --> 0:17:43.399 just just gone, like just like just like that. It 0:17:43.480 --> 0:17:48.200 was just like, yeah, honestly crazy, but yeah, schools just yeah, 0:17:48.240 --> 0:17:49.720 the King's School was honestly not one of the best 0:17:49.720 --> 0:17:51.160 things that's happened to my family. 0:17:51.200 --> 0:17:54.359 And ill, yeah, no, it's well. And of course, you know, 0:17:54.400 --> 0:17:57.119 everyone heard about you. You know, I remember stories. I 0:17:57.119 --> 0:17:58.680 don't know, I don't even know if they're true or not. 0:17:59.400 --> 0:18:02.080 The kid nine, he's playing in the first fifteen and 0:18:02.080 --> 0:18:02.880 I don't know, were. 0:18:02.720 --> 0:18:05.960 You, Yeah, stuff like that. Yeah, I played first basketball 0:18:05.960 --> 0:18:09.000 in year seven. Yeah seven, Yeah, he's seven. I played 0:18:09.000 --> 0:18:12.160 first basketball in year seven. It was yeah, it was cool. 0:18:12.280 --> 0:18:15.159 It was we're looking back on now. I'm just like 0:18:15.960 --> 0:18:17.399 a lot of things I could do. Back when I 0:18:17.440 --> 0:18:19.520 was younger, I was just like just pure, just off, 0:18:19.880 --> 0:18:24.040 you know, just having fun. Just like obviously hard work too. 0:18:24.080 --> 0:18:26.160 My old man he was always train a lot as well, 0:18:26.600 --> 0:18:28.720 but I was just like, I was very full. I 0:18:28.720 --> 0:18:31.320