1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,040 Speaker 1: You are listening to Mix one oh four point nine. 2 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:04,040 Speaker 1: Now we have just been told we are going to 3 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:07,800 Speaker 1: be catching up with the Northern Territory Chief Minister Leafanochiro 4 00:00:07,960 --> 00:00:10,880 Speaker 1: in about ten minutes time, so we'll be catching up 5 00:00:10,880 --> 00:00:13,000 Speaker 1: with her to find out more about this situation when 6 00:00:13,039 --> 00:00:15,560 Speaker 1: it comes to flooding across the top end. But look, 7 00:00:15,600 --> 00:00:17,360 Speaker 1: if you were listening to the Week that was and 8 00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:19,360 Speaker 1: to the show earlier in the week, we know the 9 00:00:19,400 --> 00:00:22,919 Speaker 1: big news that will annoyed a lot of Territorians was 10 00:00:22,960 --> 00:00:25,479 Speaker 1: that Air Asia has pulled the pin on Darwin to 11 00:00:25,560 --> 00:00:28,960 Speaker 1: Bali as well as Darwin to kl and it's now 12 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:32,720 Speaker 1: causing some headaches for Hockey NTA and the Territory Stinger's 13 00:00:32,800 --> 00:00:36,920 Speaker 1: Malaysian campaign. Joining us in the studio is Jason Butcher, 14 00:00:37,200 --> 00:00:40,320 Speaker 1: the chief executive of Hockey nt Good morning, Botch. 15 00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:41,000 Speaker 2: Morning Katie. 16 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:43,720 Speaker 1: How are you very well? Mate? When did you guys 17 00:00:43,720 --> 00:00:45,600 Speaker 1: find out that air Asia was pulling the pin. 18 00:00:46,159 --> 00:00:49,040 Speaker 2: We got a sort of off the record heads up 19 00:00:49,040 --> 00:00:53,040 Speaker 2: about twenty four hours before actually went public, so probably 20 00:00:53,200 --> 00:00:54,880 Speaker 2: similar timelines as everybody else. 21 00:00:55,240 --> 00:00:58,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, what was your reaction. I'm assuming a 22 00:00:58,760 --> 00:01:01,440 Speaker 1: few colorful words. We've not say those on the radio, 23 00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:02,440 Speaker 1: but disappointment. 24 00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:08,160 Speaker 2: Definitely disappointment, but we have a mentality of these things happen, 25 00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:10,720 Speaker 2: so it was like, Okay, how are we going to 26 00:01:10,760 --> 00:01:13,160 Speaker 2: solve this out? Our biggest challenge was we've been waiting 27 00:01:13,160 --> 00:01:15,399 Speaker 2: for the Malaysian Hockey League schedule, which is late because 28 00:01:15,440 --> 00:01:19,080 Speaker 2: of their World Cup qualifiers, so we're literally booking things 29 00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:21,360 Speaker 2: as this happened, which has thrown all of that work 30 00:01:21,400 --> 00:01:27,520 Speaker 2: into disarray, significant extra costs, all the direct flights gone, 31 00:01:27,959 --> 00:01:30,520 Speaker 2: so the logistics around getting our athletes in and out 32 00:01:30,560 --> 00:01:33,000 Speaker 2: and the cost stuff as sort of lander on our 33 00:01:33,040 --> 00:01:34,959 Speaker 2: head at the worst possible timing. 34 00:01:35,240 --> 00:01:39,200 Speaker 1: So tell me, you know, and for our listeners, like 35 00:01:39,520 --> 00:01:43,880 Speaker 1: how often are you heading across to Malaysia and what 36 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:46,399 Speaker 1: kind of logistical nightmare does this create? 37 00:01:47,120 --> 00:01:51,040 Speaker 2: So we play a ten week season, we candense it 38 00:01:51,080 --> 00:01:53,720 Speaker 2: into two and a half three weeks so that it's 39 00:01:53,800 --> 00:01:56,880 Speaker 2: viable for our players with time off work and so forth. 40 00:01:57,320 --> 00:01:59,960 Speaker 2: So generally we fly in as one big group for 41 00:02:00,080 --> 00:02:02,840 Speaker 2: that period. We've now been told midstream as well from 42 00:02:02,880 --> 00:02:06,720 Speaker 2: Malaysian Hockey Confederation, from their major sponsor, the men's league 43 00:02:06,800 --> 00:02:09,120 Speaker 2: will have to go back in October to play finals, 44 00:02:09,200 --> 00:02:12,320 Speaker 2: so they may expanding their league. So it's successful, but 45 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:14,960 Speaker 2: that creates another new problem for us because that was 46 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:20,200 Speaker 2: not planned for, nots trip across for our men. So 47 00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:22,320 Speaker 2: and then we have some athletes that come in and 48 00:02:22,360 --> 00:02:25,720 Speaker 2: out different timings offset because availability of work. So we're 49 00:02:25,720 --> 00:02:30,280 Speaker 2: managing two squads of twenty five over originally two trips, 50 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:31,839 Speaker 2: but now it'll be three. 51 00:02:32,080 --> 00:02:34,120 Speaker 1: So that's the mens and women's squads. 52 00:02:34,240 --> 00:02:36,799 Speaker 2: Yeah, so our trip in May will be taking fifty 53 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:37,840 Speaker 2: eight people across KO. 54 00:02:38,080 --> 00:02:40,400 Speaker 1: Well, that's a lot of people and a lot of 55 00:02:40,400 --> 00:02:43,079 Speaker 1: people logistically, but also financially. 56 00:02:43,720 --> 00:02:48,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, obviously financially, and we were getting better with our planning, 57 00:02:48,320 --> 00:02:51,679 Speaker 2: great support from the government and the Air Asia thing 58 00:02:51,720 --> 00:02:53,760 Speaker 2: that they put in play, so things were looking better 59 00:02:53,800 --> 00:02:58,040 Speaker 2: and better. So not to be for this one. 60 00:02:57,760 --> 00:03:00,359 Speaker 1: Yeah, it is. Look, it makes things tough. If there's 61 00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:02,480 Speaker 1: one thing I've learned about you after interviewing you over 62 00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:04,680 Speaker 1: the last couple of years, but that you're not a 63 00:03:05,639 --> 00:03:08,720 Speaker 1: You're a can do person. So I would imagine that 64 00:03:08,760 --> 00:03:10,880 Speaker 1: you're trying to work out ways that you can still 65 00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:14,320 Speaker 1: make this happen because really, you know, you've got all 66 00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:17,160 Speaker 1: these territorians that really want to be able to go 67 00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:18,799 Speaker 1: across and get these opportunities. 68 00:03:19,120 --> 00:03:22,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, look, we made decisions as a sport ten years 69 00:03:22,080 --> 00:03:26,040 Speaker 2: ago that we're only just recovering from now. And what 70 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:28,480 Speaker 2: they probably didn't understand at the time, and what we've 71 00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:31,519 Speaker 2: learned and we believe in is without aspiration an opportunity, 72 00:03:31,760 --> 00:03:34,720 Speaker 2: then your sport slowly dies. And so these things have 73 00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:38,000 Speaker 2: been significant parts of our junior resurrection, just the whole 74 00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:40,600 Speaker 2: energy in our hockey community and the support we get 75 00:03:40,600 --> 00:03:44,840 Speaker 2: around that. And so it's I get it, it's really difficult, 76 00:03:45,080 --> 00:03:47,200 Speaker 2: and I get why some people opt out and go, well, 77 00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:50,760 Speaker 2: it's not viable, but for us, the alternative isn't viable either, 78 00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:52,160 Speaker 2: So we just got to get it done. 79 00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:54,000 Speaker 1: So how's this going to look? You're going to maybe 80 00:03:54,080 --> 00:03:57,320 Speaker 1: be catching flights then hiring a big buss. What is 81 00:03:57,400 --> 00:03:57,960 Speaker 1: going to happen? 82 00:03:58,080 --> 00:04:00,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, the toll will go back on the athletes with flights, 83 00:04:00,920 --> 00:04:04,320 Speaker 2: layover periods, logistics for our staff to figure out fifty 84 00:04:04,360 --> 00:04:08,080 Speaker 2: eight people. So we've got decentralized athletes playing in other 85 00:04:08,200 --> 00:04:11,440 Speaker 2: countries and six of the other states and territories, so 86 00:04:11,480 --> 00:04:14,320 Speaker 2: we've got to bring them all into kl around the 87 00:04:14,320 --> 00:04:16,760 Speaker 2: same time for our first game. Both our men's and 88 00:04:16,760 --> 00:04:18,560 Speaker 2: women's games are an hour and a half out of 89 00:04:18,640 --> 00:04:21,200 Speaker 2: KL so they love having us there, but they don't 90 00:04:21,240 --> 00:04:23,000 Speaker 2: really design it to help us be successful. 91 00:04:23,120 --> 00:04:24,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, I get your name. 92 00:04:25,440 --> 00:04:27,839 Speaker 2: So it's really going to fall back onto the athletes 93 00:04:27,880 --> 00:04:31,680 Speaker 2: with and our staff to organize some really complex logistics 94 00:04:31,680 --> 00:04:33,359 Speaker 2: and some poor travel arrangements. 95 00:04:33,680 --> 00:04:35,760 Speaker 1: So you're thinking that you might have to fly from 96 00:04:35,760 --> 00:04:38,320 Speaker 1: here to Singapore first, into State first. 97 00:04:38,560 --> 00:04:41,440 Speaker 2: It's any geese, It depends on where they're coming from, 98 00:04:42,120 --> 00:04:45,160 Speaker 2: but most likely our core groups, especially the biggest group, 99 00:04:45,160 --> 00:04:48,119 Speaker 2: which is our dawn contingent, will probably have to drive 100 00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:52,920 Speaker 2: back to Singapore after our last game that night. So 101 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:55,240 Speaker 2: let's say let's say the girls play their final on 102 00:04:55,279 --> 00:04:58,120 Speaker 2: the seventeenth, they win, we get on a coach bus, 103 00:04:58,279 --> 00:05:00,440 Speaker 2: we drive through the border back to seat a poor 104 00:05:00,680 --> 00:05:02,320 Speaker 2: and then we fly at and get home at like 105 00:05:02,360 --> 00:05:03,239 Speaker 2: nine o'clock in the morning. 106 00:05:03,720 --> 00:05:06,320 Speaker 1: Just how big an impact is this going to have 107 00:05:06,320 --> 00:05:07,520 Speaker 1: on managing the budget? 108 00:05:08,360 --> 00:05:12,960 Speaker 2: Yeahs significant. It's significant, and of course we plan for contingencies, 109 00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:15,440 Speaker 2: so it will hurt and will be hard to stay 110 00:05:15,480 --> 00:05:17,520 Speaker 2: on budget. But the biggest thing is the lessons we 111 00:05:17,640 --> 00:05:20,120 Speaker 2: learned last year was that we have to not just 112 00:05:20,240 --> 00:05:22,839 Speaker 2: get there, find a way to get there and be there. 113 00:05:23,240 --> 00:05:25,640 Speaker 2: We have to find a way to improve our performance, 114 00:05:26,279 --> 00:05:28,719 Speaker 2: and so we're trying to invest in our people, the 115 00:05:28,760 --> 00:05:31,760 Speaker 2: welfare of our athletes, better support for our staff who 116 00:05:31,800 --> 00:05:33,960 Speaker 2: are trying to be success, all those things. So the 117 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:36,480 Speaker 2: first thing goes from budgets is all of that gets 118 00:05:36,520 --> 00:05:39,440 Speaker 2: taken out to try and stay close to budget, which 119 00:05:39,480 --> 00:05:40,520 Speaker 2: is going to be really challenging. 120 00:05:41,120 --> 00:05:43,440 Speaker 1: It's going to be tough. You know. If there's one 121 00:05:43,480 --> 00:05:46,440 Speaker 1: silver lining, I've seen you announce the squads and they 122 00:05:46,480 --> 00:05:48,239 Speaker 1: look like they are really strong. 123 00:05:48,520 --> 00:05:50,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, the women's squad will come out in the next 124 00:05:50,440 --> 00:05:53,200 Speaker 2: few days. We're waiting on the Black Sticks program. You 125 00:05:53,520 --> 00:05:55,599 Speaker 2: have got an invitation which I can't talk about, so 126 00:05:55,640 --> 00:05:58,520 Speaker 2: the timing of getting that. But our men's squad is 127 00:05:58,560 --> 00:06:01,640 Speaker 2: probably the strongest squad ptent we've ever had. So we've 128 00:06:01,640 --> 00:06:03,520 Speaker 2: got the back end of our golden generation who are 129 00:06:03,560 --> 00:06:06,400 Speaker 2: fit and healthy and committed. We've got this new group 130 00:06:06,440 --> 00:06:11,039 Speaker 2: of aspirational or ambitious people that have never had a 131 00:06:11,040 --> 00:06:12,440 Speaker 2: shot at this, and then we've got all these kids 132 00:06:12,480 --> 00:06:15,359 Speaker 2: that are getting better. In this environment, we believe we 133 00:06:15,400 --> 00:06:18,479 Speaker 2: can win. It's going to be almost impossible because of 134 00:06:18,520 --> 00:06:22,120 Speaker 2: all the logistics, nine games, fourteen days, all the travel, 135 00:06:22,880 --> 00:06:25,560 Speaker 2: I'm going to say hostile environment again. They certainly don't 136 00:06:25,560 --> 00:06:28,800 Speaker 2: try and help us win, but we believe we can 137 00:06:28,839 --> 00:06:31,840 Speaker 2: do it, and we've been preparing from our learnings from 138 00:06:31,960 --> 00:06:33,520 Speaker 2: last year to get that done. 139 00:06:33,760 --> 00:06:36,239 Speaker 1: Everyone in the Northern Territory loves a good underdog story. 140 00:06:36,279 --> 00:06:38,960 Speaker 1: You'd have to say when you're having to catch buses, trains, planes, 141 00:06:38,960 --> 00:06:41,120 Speaker 1: and automobiles just to get to a game, that you're 142 00:06:41,120 --> 00:06:43,120 Speaker 1: the underdog in that sense, don't you reckon? 143 00:06:43,400 --> 00:06:47,080 Speaker 2: I think this team is unique in world sport. Every 144 00:06:47,240 --> 00:06:49,880 Speaker 2: element of underdog is who we are, but we've historically 145 00:06:49,920 --> 00:06:52,679 Speaker 2: shown what we can do with that situation. I guess 146 00:06:53,480 --> 00:06:56,240 Speaker 2: this is a really committed group that understand what's at 147 00:06:56,240 --> 00:07:00,440 Speaker 2: stake and what it can mean for our future. Proud 148 00:07:00,440 --> 00:07:02,320 Speaker 2: of them, but I also I believe that they can 149 00:07:02,360 --> 00:07:03,080 Speaker 2: get this done. 150 00:07:03,279 --> 00:07:05,680 Speaker 1: Well. It sounds as so you are going to be 151 00:07:05,760 --> 00:07:08,240 Speaker 1: doing what you can, anything you can to make sure 152 00:07:08,240 --> 00:07:10,480 Speaker 1: that this still happens and to make sure that those 153 00:07:10,760 --> 00:07:14,600 Speaker 1: men's and women's teams play, you know, to the best 154 00:07:14,640 --> 00:07:16,520 Speaker 1: of their abilities. So I think it's going to be 155 00:07:16,520 --> 00:07:19,880 Speaker 1: exciting to watch once they finally get out on the 156 00:07:20,240 --> 00:07:22,240 Speaker 1: on the field. It'll be interesting to see how it 157 00:07:22,280 --> 00:07:23,160 Speaker 1: all goes. Yeah. 158 00:07:23,200 --> 00:07:26,360 Speaker 2: Look, and the community and government and our partners have 159 00:07:26,440 --> 00:07:28,720 Speaker 2: been super supportive. They believe in the mission as well, 160 00:07:28,760 --> 00:07:31,600 Speaker 2: and it has become almost a crusade slash mission because 161 00:07:31,600 --> 00:07:35,640 Speaker 2: of the level of difficulty. But yeah, we're excited to 162 00:07:35,720 --> 00:07:37,520 Speaker 2: try and deal with those challenges as well. That's part 163 00:07:37,560 --> 00:07:38,400 Speaker 2: of who we are as well. 164 00:07:38,520 --> 00:07:42,600 Speaker 1: Yeah. Well, Jason Butcher, the Hockey and T chief executive, 165 00:07:42,720 --> 00:07:45,440 Speaker 1: always appreciate your time. Thank you very much for joining us, 166 00:07:45,440 --> 00:07:47,160 Speaker 1: and no doubt we'll talk to you again over the 167 00:07:47,160 --> 00:07:49,680 Speaker 1: coming months to hear more about you know, how things 168 00:07:49,720 --> 00:07:52,480 Speaker 1: are tracking and well hate getting over there and how 169 00:07:52,480 --> 00:07:54,120 Speaker 1: it'll all work. Thank you. 170 00:07:54,160 --> 00:07:55,480 Speaker 2: We'll get it done, yeah you will. 171 00:07:55,560 --> 00:07:56,200 Speaker 1: Thank you.