1
00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:02,840
Speaker 1: Now, I think there's plenty of excitement around the Northern

2
00:00:02,920 --> 00:00:07,560
Speaker 1: territory as we get geared to watch the footy on

3
00:00:07,600 --> 00:00:09,760
Speaker 1: the weekend or on Friday night. We know that the

4
00:00:09,760 --> 00:00:12,680
Speaker 1: Brisbane Broncos are going to be clashing with the Parramatta

5
00:00:12,720 --> 00:00:17,720
Speaker 1: Eels at TiO Stadium and the King of Channel nine,

6
00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:20,759
Speaker 1: Wally Lewis, is touching down in Darwin tomorrow with the

7
00:00:20,840 --> 00:00:23,920
Speaker 1: team and joins me now to well talk us through

8
00:00:23,920 --> 00:00:26,079
Speaker 1: what we can expect at the footy tomorrow night. Good

9
00:00:26,079 --> 00:00:32,000
Speaker 1: morning to you, Wally, let's try that again. Good morning

10
00:00:32,120 --> 00:00:38,320
Speaker 1: to you, Wally, good morning, Yeah, wonderful, great to have

11
00:00:38,360 --> 00:00:41,000
Speaker 1: you on the show. Now, how are things looking ahead

12
00:00:41,040 --> 00:00:42,879
Speaker 1: of the footy on Friday night? I mean, we know

13
00:00:42,960 --> 00:00:45,760
Speaker 1: what the weather's like here in Darwin, Wally, it's been

14
00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:48,120
Speaker 1: glorious the last couple of days. But how are the

15
00:00:48,159 --> 00:00:50,960
Speaker 1: team's looking and are you all pumped to get to Darwin?

16
00:00:52,440 --> 00:00:55,560
Speaker 2: Yeah, certainly, yeah, And it's one of those situations I

17
00:00:55,560 --> 00:00:59,280
Speaker 2: think that they've been talking about it all whole month

18
00:00:59,520 --> 00:01:04,720
Speaker 2: in in Brisbane. Certainly it's a game. I guess that

19
00:01:04,720 --> 00:01:11,280
Speaker 2: that the Broncos never ever get to underage. I know

20
00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:16,640
Speaker 2: that they certainly do really respect their opposition, who of

21
00:01:16,720 --> 00:01:18,560
Speaker 2: course are the home team here and that's such a

22
00:01:18,640 --> 00:01:21,039
Speaker 2: good record whilst they're playing in the Northern Ends.

23
00:01:21,160 --> 00:01:23,559
Speaker 1: Yeah, it seems funny, doesn't it for the Paramatter Eels

24
00:01:23,560 --> 00:01:29,320
Speaker 1: to be the Northern Territory Paramatter Eels. I'm a Queensland

25
00:01:29,440 --> 00:01:32,200
Speaker 1: girl and my brother coaches with the Redcliffe Dolphins, so

26
00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:36,240
Speaker 1: I'm definitely a Queensland girl. But I tell you what,

27
00:01:36,319 --> 00:01:40,120
Speaker 1: I think there's a lot of Brisbane Bronco fans in Darwin.

28
00:01:41,720 --> 00:01:45,280
Speaker 2: Yeah here there certainly is. My previous visits there have

29
00:01:45,400 --> 00:01:48,440
Speaker 2: always got involved in talk about who they prefer and

30
00:01:48,680 --> 00:01:51,360
Speaker 2: certainly the Broncos have their their fair share up there

31
00:01:51,400 --> 00:01:54,000
Speaker 2: and they will will need a fair bit of that.

32
00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:57,760
Speaker 2: Despite you know, being from Sydney. I think the Heels

33
00:01:57,800 --> 00:02:00,480
Speaker 2: certainly do get plenty of respect from people of the

34
00:02:00,480 --> 00:02:03,760
Speaker 2: Northern Territory because they play an occasional game up there,

35
00:02:04,200 --> 00:02:07,000
Speaker 2: hopefully get a game a year to play up there

36
00:02:07,040 --> 00:02:09,160
Speaker 2: and to be able to share that, perhaps even increase that.

37
00:02:09,919 --> 00:02:12,960
Speaker 2: But they really do regard this game as one that's

38
00:02:13,160 --> 00:02:16,640
Speaker 2: important for the promotion of the game and they certainly

39
00:02:16,680 --> 00:02:20,600
Speaker 2: do not underestimate the conditions. They know that you know,

40
00:02:20,720 --> 00:02:22,200
Speaker 2: it might be a little bit warmer that there are

41
00:02:22,200 --> 00:02:25,040
Speaker 2: no excuses offered or accepted when you're involved in an

42
00:02:25,160 --> 00:02:26,640
Speaker 2: NRL match of this importance.

43
00:02:26,919 --> 00:02:29,160
Speaker 1: And Brisbane is currently top of the ladder, aren't they

44
00:02:29,200 --> 00:02:31,160
Speaker 1: So are they expecting to keep it that way?

45
00:02:32,320 --> 00:02:36,200
Speaker 2: Well, they're hoping to. It's absolutely astounding Brisbane. They were

46
00:02:36,200 --> 00:02:39,600
Speaker 2: given no chance pretty much by all of the top

47
00:02:39,639 --> 00:02:42,799
Speaker 2: tipsters in town that said that they're about to pull.

48
00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:47,720
Speaker 2: They'll make sure that they drop away. Can't be considered

49
00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:50,720
Speaker 2: as a genuine premiership contenders. Well, they're sitting at the

50
00:02:50,760 --> 00:02:54,280
Speaker 2: top of the ladder and I think the most inspiring

51
00:02:54,320 --> 00:02:56,720
Speaker 2: thing came from the coach, Kevy Wants, who said that

52
00:02:57,480 --> 00:02:59,560
Speaker 2: we might be at the top, but we nowhere near

53
00:02:59,600 --> 00:03:01,959
Speaker 2: our best at the moment and that certainly does promise

54
00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:03,440
Speaker 2: great things for the Broncos band.

55
00:03:03,639 --> 00:03:06,800
Speaker 1: Yeah, it certainly does. Wally. How important is it that

56
00:03:06,880 --> 00:03:10,240
Speaker 1: we have games like this in places like the Northern Territory,

57
00:03:10,240 --> 00:03:13,440
Speaker 1: in places like Darwin and other footy games that are

58
00:03:13,480 --> 00:03:16,079
Speaker 1: played in, you know, in more regional parts of Australia

59
00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:17,320
Speaker 1: in terms of growing the game.

60
00:03:18,440 --> 00:03:21,120
Speaker 2: Yeah, the promotion of the game is an absolute priority

61
00:03:21,160 --> 00:03:23,600
Speaker 2: and to be able to take it to to Darwin.

62
00:03:24,639 --> 00:03:28,160
Speaker 2: Games have previously been played in Perth, We've had games

63
00:03:28,200 --> 00:03:30,880
Speaker 2: in Adelaide. Of course, a State of Origin game coming up.

64
00:03:30,919 --> 00:03:33,839
Speaker 2: So that's that's taking it, and I'm sure that there'll

65
00:03:33,880 --> 00:03:35,920
Speaker 2: be plenty of people saying that, you know, we'd like

66
00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:39,680
Speaker 2: to get an origin game back here in wa. It'll

67
00:03:39,720 --> 00:03:42,760
Speaker 2: be exactly what we're after, the finest, the finest game

68
00:03:42,800 --> 00:03:45,960
Speaker 2: from the finest players and certainly if that can go on,

69
00:03:46,080 --> 00:03:48,640
Speaker 2: there will be an outstanding promotion for rugby League one

70
00:03:49,040 --> 00:03:51,080
Speaker 2: that can't be overvalued.

71
00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:54,720
Speaker 1: Now, Wally, have you had the opportunity to play footy

72
00:03:54,840 --> 00:03:56,920
Speaker 1: in the top end before over your years?

73
00:03:58,280 --> 00:04:01,240
Speaker 2: No, No, I'm I'm I'm very much in the old

74
00:04:01,240 --> 00:04:03,720
Speaker 2: timers come from coming up to being.

75
00:04:05,680 --> 00:04:08,320
Speaker 1: That. God.

76
00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:10,240
Speaker 2: Well, I'm not far. I've ben a pensioner. I know

77
00:04:10,360 --> 00:04:14,240
Speaker 2: that all of my mates remind me of that every

78
00:04:14,360 --> 00:04:16,840
Speaker 2: single day. But I would have loved the opportunity. I

79
00:04:16,839 --> 00:04:22,440
Speaker 2: had a lot of opportunities that actually I often get reminded.

80
00:04:22,600 --> 00:04:25,960
Speaker 2: I had a friend of mine that attended luncheon that

81
00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:28,840
Speaker 2: I spoke at in Darwin. This is a long time ago,

82
00:04:28,920 --> 00:04:32,200
Speaker 2: probably ten years ago, where actually it was a long

83
00:04:32,279 --> 00:04:34,400
Speaker 2: way longer than that, where I was speaking at a

84
00:04:34,480 --> 00:04:38,320
Speaker 2: luncheon and I do I did supple supper from epilepsy.

85
00:04:38,360 --> 00:04:42,600
Speaker 2: I was a long time epilepsy suffer. And about halfway

86
00:04:42,640 --> 00:04:45,880
Speaker 2: through my speech I felt a seizure coming on. This

87
00:04:45,920 --> 00:04:48,280
Speaker 2: isn't going to be good. Leak your pants, wet your

88
00:04:48,279 --> 00:04:51,120
Speaker 2: pants whilst you're standing up in front of a sports

89
00:04:51,120 --> 00:04:54,960
Speaker 2: loving crowd. And it didn't go too well. But thankfully,

90
00:04:55,000 --> 00:04:56,680
Speaker 2: not long after that I got to be able to

91
00:04:57,200 --> 00:05:02,760
Speaker 2: head to Melbourne where the finest epilepsy surgeons and I

92
00:05:02,800 --> 00:05:06,479
Speaker 2: had it removed and I hadn't pantsy.

93
00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:13,560
Speaker 1: Oh, Walie, you look honestly though, what you have done

94
00:05:13,600 --> 00:05:16,920
Speaker 1: in terms of raising awareness then around epilepsy has been

95
00:05:17,400 --> 00:05:20,320
Speaker 1: a really important thing to do. And I know that

96
00:05:20,440 --> 00:05:22,480
Speaker 1: last time you were in the Northern Territory, last time

97
00:05:22,480 --> 00:05:24,560
Speaker 1: you're in Darwin, you actually caught up with the family

98
00:05:25,080 --> 00:05:28,560
Speaker 1: of a young girl whose life was lost due to

99
00:05:28,600 --> 00:05:31,120
Speaker 1: an epileptic fit. And I know that you're a very

100
00:05:31,160 --> 00:05:34,360
Speaker 1: generous person, but to her family, I'm sure that was

101
00:05:34,400 --> 00:05:36,800
Speaker 1: an incredibly important thing to do.

102
00:05:38,240 --> 00:05:43,320
Speaker 2: Yeah, I do those quite regular. One of my jobs

103
00:05:43,360 --> 00:05:46,120
Speaker 2: at Channel nine and working in the sports department is

104
00:05:46,160 --> 00:05:49,520
Speaker 2: also fielding calls from people that ring up and pretty

105
00:05:49,560 --> 00:05:52,960
Speaker 2: much the questions the same all the time. Their child, son,

106
00:05:53,040 --> 00:05:56,560
Speaker 2: or daughter, you're suffering from epilepsy. What should we do?

107
00:05:57,240 --> 00:05:59,320
Speaker 2: I explained that I'm a doctor. I can't tell them

108
00:05:59,360 --> 00:06:01,000
Speaker 2: what to do. I can tell them what the options

109
00:06:01,320 --> 00:06:04,320
Speaker 2: may be and why I made the options. I was

110
00:06:04,360 --> 00:06:06,520
Speaker 2: just sick and tired of having seizures, particularly the ones

111
00:06:06,560 --> 00:06:08,400
Speaker 2: that I had on air while I was reading the

112
00:06:08,400 --> 00:06:11,520
Speaker 2: sports news. So I had the option to go ahead

113
00:06:11,520 --> 00:06:14,320
Speaker 2: of the brain surgery, which I did, and that was

114
00:06:14,360 --> 00:06:17,400
Speaker 2: in February two thousand and seven, and I still haven't

115
00:06:17,440 --> 00:06:20,320
Speaker 2: had a single seizure since that day. So I get

116
00:06:20,360 --> 00:06:23,120
Speaker 2: to be able to speak to those dealings with you

117
00:06:23,160 --> 00:06:25,839
Speaker 2: and give them some advice. I do warn them that

118
00:06:25,880 --> 00:06:28,920
Speaker 2: we're not all the same and things could possibly be different,

119
00:06:28,920 --> 00:06:32,279
Speaker 2: but if it's at all possible, get the best possible

120
00:06:32,320 --> 00:06:34,599
Speaker 2: advice and a decision will be a simple one.

121
00:06:34,880 --> 00:06:36,960
Speaker 1: Yeah. Well, Wally Lewis, I'll tell you what. You're the

122
00:06:37,040 --> 00:06:39,240
Speaker 1: king mate in so many different ways. We love you

123
00:06:39,320 --> 00:06:41,800
Speaker 1: for your footy, love you for your commentary. You do

124
00:06:41,839 --> 00:06:44,400
Speaker 1: a phenomenal job. When are you arriving in the top

125
00:06:44,520 --> 00:06:47,279
Speaker 1: end and are you excited to spend a couple of

126
00:06:47,320 --> 00:06:48,080
Speaker 1: days in Darwin.

127
00:06:49,279 --> 00:06:53,080
Speaker 2: Yeah, I certainly am. I'm coming up there tomorrow looking

128
00:06:53,120 --> 00:06:55,560
Speaker 2: forward to getting around a little bit throughout the course

129
00:06:55,560 --> 00:06:57,200
Speaker 2: of the day. I think we get in and around

130
00:06:57,200 --> 00:07:00,160
Speaker 2: about lunchtime. I've got some work on very early in

131
00:07:00,240 --> 00:07:03,479
Speaker 2: the morning before flying up there and making sure that

132
00:07:03,520 --> 00:07:11,200
Speaker 2: we do get around and be able to to a

133
00:07:11,200 --> 00:07:13,280
Speaker 2: a group of fans. I guess that that will be

134
00:07:13,560 --> 00:07:17,600
Speaker 2: quite inspired by what they're about to take part in.

135
00:07:17,680 --> 00:07:20,520
Speaker 2: And you know, it's it's fantastic to be able to

136
00:07:20,560 --> 00:07:23,880
Speaker 2: go to a game of this importance, and it will

137
00:07:23,920 --> 00:07:27,120
Speaker 2: be a pretty serious event because the Broncos and the Yields,

138
00:07:27,360 --> 00:07:30,280
Speaker 2: they're not best of friends. They never have been and

139
00:07:30,320 --> 00:07:32,520
Speaker 2: I don't think they ever will be, but they do

140
00:07:32,640 --> 00:07:35,840
Speaker 2: respect each other and I can I can guarantee that

141
00:07:35,840 --> 00:07:38,640
Speaker 2: that this one will start in a real mood. It

142
00:07:38,680 --> 00:07:40,760
Speaker 2: will be quite fantastic to watch.

143
00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:43,920
Speaker 1: And while you're obviously tipping that the Broncos are going

144
00:07:43,920 --> 00:07:45,760
Speaker 1: to have a win tomorrow.

145
00:07:46,640 --> 00:07:49,840
Speaker 2: Yeah, not with any great confidence though, And that's you know,

146
00:07:49,880 --> 00:07:52,240
Speaker 2: despite Brisbane being on top of the ladder, they've had

147
00:07:52,240 --> 00:07:55,000
Speaker 2: a sensational start of the year. Kevy Robles, the coach,

148
00:07:55,040 --> 00:07:58,800
Speaker 2: has done an excellent job looking after them, but the

149
00:07:58,920 --> 00:08:03,800
Speaker 2: yields they really sort of haven't found their best form yet.

150
00:08:04,040 --> 00:08:06,840
Speaker 2: That is just around the corner. Will it be tomorrow night, Well,

151
00:08:07,360 --> 00:08:10,560
Speaker 2: I don't hope that it is, but the Broncos certainly

152
00:08:10,760 --> 00:08:13,040
Speaker 2: will respect and this will be an absolute beauty of

153
00:08:13,080 --> 00:08:15,680
Speaker 2: this game. I think it'll be open, it'll be entertaining

154
00:08:15,720 --> 00:08:19,080
Speaker 2: and attacking football on show. Why bore the people that

155
00:08:19,680 --> 00:08:21,920
Speaker 2: have come a long way to watch a game. It'll

156
00:08:21,920 --> 00:08:24,040
Speaker 2: be certainly worth its way, most.

157
00:08:23,920 --> 00:08:26,280
Speaker 1: Certainly will Well, you find a lot of things in Darwin,

158
00:08:26,400 --> 00:08:29,760
Speaker 1: so let's see where the Paramatta finds their form and

159
00:08:30,320 --> 00:08:33,640
Speaker 1: no doubt it's going to be a fantastic game. Wally

160
00:08:33,720 --> 00:08:36,360
Speaker 1: lewis lovely to talk to you this morning and we

161
00:08:36,400 --> 00:08:38,680
Speaker 1: will see you in Darwin tomorrow. Thanks so much for

162
00:08:38,720 --> 00:08:39,520
Speaker 1: your time.

163
00:08:40,160 --> 00:08:41,679
Speaker 2: My pleasure. Indeed, thank you, thank you,