Tommy Talks with Jake Waterman!

[Music] [Applause] welcome back everyone another massive episode of Tommy Talks today we go back to the West Coast Eagles and we got Jakey Waterman in the building the snake the mud flap we talk about his career growing up the influence his father's had on his footy some of his idols and how he's played alongside them uh we have a little bit of a chat about the dark days at West Coast when the injuries were occurring too frequently but now back on the right track the impact Harley Reeds had at the footy Club and how the snakes in career best form we talk about it all so if you're a diard footy fan a West Coast Eagles fan you'll love this one so tune in this episode is proudly sponsored by kpi Construction Services when it comes to construction sites reliability and efficiency are key that's where kpi Construction Services shines with a single call kpi provides a range of essential Services which includes labor hire crane hire and traffic control kpi is a progressive business buiness with modern plan and Equipment across all of their operating States focusing on Innovation and to avoid the business drifting is always front of mind we are proud to be align with and have such a reputable company partnering with the show Aces I know I always go on about the Ries but I got huge news we have all our styles and colors restocked on the website right now it's been months we ran out of stock but we're back get online grab some sun glasses at Ricky wear.com right now and use our little discount code Aces if you want a 20% discount code on the house Ro let's get into the [Music] show welcome back everyone another episode of Tommy Talks and we're heading back to wa again we love wa and we're very lucky to have another uh member in the building and Jakey Waterman the snake geez kicking bags every week uh and good to see you in the freem manal colors I can see the it's great to see you in the three colors Big Boy nice umy cheers for having me um mate uh we'll talk about your year and uh your footy career and everything else in between but let's start with a lot of people that um have been here from the start would remember the lockdown league and if they don't well we'll tell you what it was but you were a pivotal member of that and uh so was Oscar and it was a great time wasn't it I think it was 2019 when everything went lockedown and we thought let's create a FIFA competition with 30 AFL boys and two randoms and it was good fun yeah I remember getting the first message off you I don't know how how how did you even come I think I think scoey might have said you boys play and I was like oh perfect I need a couple of West Coast boys yeah and it was yeah it was it was good it was obviously during Co no one had anything to do really so um most bikes would have been smashing Cod off F anyway during those times so um yeah it was a good good little initiative by yourself and um ended up doing doing quite well and making it to the end but um yeah I love me FIFA there's a good little FIFA crew at West Coast and I know there are a few other clubs as well so it's good to get everyone involved and yeah have a bit of laugh we had a few dramas as well I remember it was a pretty funny weird time but I remember um we pre-recorded some stuff and I remember we got a few of you boys in trouble because I think one of the journal what me Tommy was it who was it Tommy Morris might have been lurking around calling me but they picked up that you know you boys were at the same house playing FIFA when you allowed to and then there was a new lockdown rule coming in and cuz we pre-recorded all that drama went down and then I remember we had McDonald's as a sponsor and you guys were Hungry Jacks and we were putting the jerseys up and I think you and Oscar made the granny and all of a sudden we've uh we've got West Coast V West Coast player in the granny we had to put like the blank jerseys on remember that yeah I do I was like oh this is a nightmare well I I didn't really pick up on any of that but I remember I can't remember what was spoken about but may I got caught into to a little meeting to talk about it and we just didn't see anything wrong with it but obviously like AFL like it's bigger fish to fry than just us and um yeah we I think we actually got told to just wrap it up like finish and we were in the final in a few days and me and Oscar were sort of looking at each other like we're playing to this we got out of it now so um yeah I mean probably should have got out now cuz I think he smoked me from if I recall correctly um but yeah yeah there was yeah bit of trouble you know we had a bit of stri with uh connection and my doo internet wasn't the the internet issues it was such a hard I look back now and I go it was so much fun like but it was so hard organizing it you had you had blocks some BLS could not even connect their internet I'm going well what help do we have trying to get I think we were bringing in audio from zoom and we were doing the and then all of a sudden someone's 3 one up and the internet crashes and I'm as the commissioner going off boys we're going to have to Res you know what the funniest thing about the whole thing was we we had an a whole AFL war players um Zoom call or something to speak about obviously what was going to happen and or the AFL PA one the AF PA one and um I think Mary threw to the floor and like bles were were asking questions and they would turn their um the thing off so just say unknown and like all the questions would just be like hey Jake Waterman here Mar blah blah blah blah blah blah and I'm sitting there on my head's about to blow off like it was first it was just the West Coast boys doing it I think other Lads started joining from other teams and I just remember checking our lockdown League chat and all the boys were just going off in there I was about to have like I was about to have an M I was just I was I was losing it but looking back at it now some of the some of the funny [ __ ] was so it was like a thousand players and they're all saying that they're Jake wman oh I was pacing up and down the house I was I thought it was done I was done for they are good calls cuz no one no one talks to them except for like the you know the key personnel and then Josh Kennedy Trent C's like asking serious questions it's like ask J Waterman here morning about golf don't even play golf yeah I do remember that I remember the group chat actually going wild like this is crazy I still get it to this day I mean I think it was must have been the Bulldogs boys doing it but every time I play some teams I'll would just be like ly for a go I'll he someone go Hey Jake Waterman here like I'm just like I just piss myself straight away when I'm trying to concentrate so good so good well yeah anyway this um the lockdown League was a good I mean was obviously a little crisis there but we made the most of it with and we had a couple of um randoms in I remember a big kit jumped in gave it to S and but yeah I remember when I started o American Aces I used the lockdown League kind of YouTube and and Instagram whatnot and um some of the people like what the [ __ ] is this I haven't signed up for this I like come on guys like up still the same crew here we're just doing a bit more podcast and less FIFA but yeah good old times mate let's talk about you I guess the way I like to start is we just um can you just skim over you know where you grew up and give everyone a bit of an Insight um to you know how you got to the West Coast Eagles footy club uh yeah wa boy obviously um sort of grown up all over W I guess um started sort of South River then um old man got a job coaching Peele Thunder in the waffle so I moved down manag away for a few years there absolutely loved it down there it was sort of a good place to grow up in that sort of age group um he got the job at subie in the waffle so moved back up and pretty much been sort of where I am now um ever since played footy for Mars Junior Football Club um just sort of affiliated with my school Newman College there um and then yeah come up through clemont footy Club done the development squads and and Colts and and whatnot played a bit of wa footy as well so um probably a pretty generic sort of upbringing of someone sort of making their way through the AFL obviously um had a bit of a watch on me as well with the old boy um playing for West Coast so there's always a bit of chatar the the father son sort of stuff but um no I mean I've been very lucky um sort of with my upbringing um one of two brothers so there was always something happening in the household and um yeah parents sort of gave me every opportunity to to play a bunch of different sports and sort of get the best out of myself and um to the point where I was you know able to get on a list and sort of create my own path from there yeah nice and well said mate what about we'll stay there for a second but the other sports you look like You' be a gun cricketer or something did you play cricket yeah I could just tell You' be a baller wouldn't you yeah you can just tell a big dog coming up with the with the big snake with the with the mullet flying off the back Bing heat mud flat hanging off the back the mud flap um no I've always loved playing like different sports so just as a kid you always want to just do as what whatever you can but um probably never really got serious with the cricket but I love playing you know first 11 and stuff and and anything like that um usually get the first change bowler just let the boys have the new rock and I'll I'll put it on a 50 cent piece it doesn't matter but um yeah I playing Cricket with the lads there something about you know being in the Outfield and just chat [ __ ] with the lads something I something I do miss but um yeah I'll probably get back there one day and play do play like do you have a like I know the Giants right they every Christmas break before we go away we have a cricket game and they I've only played one but it was so much fun do you guys do much like that at West Coast yeah I've seen I think Saints do it as well um and we've got a few um a few boys at the club that that play cricket we've actually sort of got like a running first 11 G where like every year just get Success With both getting retired or or the footy club and Young Guns coming in and um I think I'm Number 10 at the moment so there's plenty of debate about who fits in that 11 but who's won um opening oh I think it's gaffy fancies himself but me gaffy and wiow actually actually went and had a net session during the offseason and I've blown his front pad right off and he's still he reckons it's gone down leg but that thing was cting in the middle but um yeah I would love to we just yeah we just don't have enough don't have enough probably for two it would be fun we we do plenty of cricket just in the shed we've got a shed area and um and we're waiting to do wait till before training there'll be a good group of boys rolling the arm over and yeah it's just fun it's just like yeah nothing better nothing better did you play any other sports like basketball yeah bit of basketball but like I wasn't it wasn't very polished man I was in doing the Dirty Work in the post like just getting boards and throwing out to the boys but just setting pics like you know you know how it is but um yeah like real operation literally I was um I mean I was lucky that um I didn't really have to make a choice let's put it that way about different sports it was it was always going to be footy and um yeah we do have a bit of a gag at the footy Club about you know having the choice because we' obviously had like Brad sheffy come through who like always used to tell people that he that he had the choice like footy or cricket and like some of the some of the BLS like Joshy rotham always goes on about him having the choice to play foot or cricket and he's never figh game c in his life but it's all fun in games no it is good it's good to hear going back to um I guess just getting picked up by um the Eagles like what was that like where were you we love the Draft Day stories or was it kind of were you father son yeah oh so it's a bit different so when did you find out um like what did you find you find out in the I know like a few boys that I know like you know speaking about Mitch Wallace or you know Joey D going to they kind of know and they can't tell anyone were you similar like was it early in the yeah well it was sort of like um firstly the the club comes to you and they say that they want to nominate you so they want they want you as a fell son so if you go back and say yep I'm I'm a nominator as well that means you're definitely going to end up on a list so it was good to know that that was going to happen um it probably just because of the F sound the way it worked back then was like you know I had a little bit of interest from other teams but once I'd nominated um it was sort of like unless un that's a team once you're sort of like inside the top 30 like no one's really going to bid for you so I knew that there's probably a couple teams that um might have been ke and but once it got past sort of 30 or 40 I knew that you know West Coast just going to wait till their last pick to to pick me up because even if there's no point really any other team beaing on me because West Coast would just beid straight away so it was a long night I was last picking the draft so it was like four 4 and a half hours of waiting um but my best mate Josh rotham was still with us now got picked like 35 so that was great knowing that he was going as well um yeah my older brother Alec got picked up at I think he was 76 and I was 77 so I was a little bit flat about that but yeah I I guess sort of once I nominated the club I knew I was going to land there but um still nothing beats the moment where you know gets called out and it's just like wow like this is real now I'm officially an NL player and um now was good had friends and family over and uh big party yeah ventured into Northbridge that night that's great what was going around there Northbridge well it wasn't busy that night I popped in Brass Monkey which is like just a little p on the corner but um it wasn't like a big night I was just like stoked to be around all my M who were just yeah over the moon for me special night isn't it we kind of reflect a bit when we saw one of the boys but it's one of those nights I mean you just never forget you probably think more about it when you finish up but yeah cuz all your friends and family around it's pretty hard to get that these days normally with the boys then with the it's never all together at the moment yeah it was yeah it was M it was so special it was unbelievable you see um look back during Co and all those guys getting picked up and they're not allowed to have like their friends over and that you feel sorry for a little bit but because you know when you get picked up it's not only for you it's family it's for your mates that have been there for years playing footy and you know as much as it's special for you it's like it's just as special for them really because like you know they're going to hang on to you for for years and ride every bump with Thea um yeah you do a lot for them as well yeah well said mate now let's just talk about anyone out there would go well what's it like walking in a footy club and especially West Coast what year did you get picked up uh I think it was 16 draft so first year 17 yeah and what year did West Coast win the granny 18 so you're walking into a club that's flying what was the like walking in with some of these BL and name some of the guys that you remember just being in a of funny I'd been around the club for a few years so I saw and knew a few of the boys but I it was pure coincidence that on kitchen the park at subie I rolled in with Josh Ro one of my best mates at the time walked in together with him we like we sort of looked at each other like y this is it good luck buddy on the other side walk in open up the first two people standing right there m PR and Sam Mitchell two brown L medalists and I've like [ __ ] myself like I I know Prett obviously didn't really know much and shook everyone's hand and um just sort of wanding around Drew pet come to the club as well um big jof JS running around vs come in and then obviously all the legends at West Coast already leer JK Bunger Eric McKenzie you know this goes on but yeah it we were a really mature list at that time so we didn't have many younger players everyone it was really set list so it was more for me it was more just work hard but sit back and just watch you know sort of the old seene not heard T tyer setup there but um yeah going from 17 to 18 it it flipped on its head because you know either BLS retired or BS left the football club and all of a sudden the the average age dropped right down I think went from oldest to close to the bottom and youngest and it it was it was a cool thing to be a part of because it just opened up so many Avenues to sort of younger players like myself going from nowhere near the first 22 to like Jesus I think there's like might be a spot for me there if like trying hard this preseason but um yeah the whole whole experience was it was cool I was I was out most of my first year with um a stress in my foot and actually played a bit of waffer footy and then got in the squad for the last game ever at subie the adade game which got us into the finals um obviously went out the next week but oh no two weeks later we had shy kick that that goal in the um against PA massive um but yeah the the 18 years was just yeah I mean we all know what happened there no one no one gave us a sniff I think few few the media pundits thought were going to come last so um yeah that was a special year was lucky enough to play a lot of footy that year I think I played 18 games in the Prem year and unfortunately just fell out a favor at the wrong time but um yeah that was just a whirlwind and um so happy for so many of the boys like JK and Lea to sort of be a to I mean Lea wrapped it up after that game but just to fulfill a lifelong dream and win a flag it was yeah amazing to see so good and even being a part of that people don't realize like you're I mean you're quite young and raw but as you said those older guys that are wrapping it up the day after like it's so special but any memories from the week you know like obviously when especially someone like Le I'd imagine he's going hard cuz he's like I don't have to rock up again boys I'm done but it would have been as a young guy you just the energy you're providing them is is enormous cuz you think now like I mean you're only what 26 I remember now like you you're still providing energy but the young guys they've just got they've got so much energy and they just don't stop they love it so is there any times that you remember that just you know just great that you can share um well yeah I mean I look it's funny cuz I look back at it now and I'm just like if I if I missed a flag right now I would be like beside myself I wouldn't be able to cope but because I was you know n you know I was playing for a successful successful side you still think it's still going to come and obviously with us right now it hasn't worked out that way but nevertheless it was I was just so over the moon at the time I was just like I'm I'm a part of this like I don't care what anyone say I know they say people aren't part of it but like I played a bit of foot this year so like I feel like I'm a part of it and yeah we the whole week was just like a blur it was just you know one piece up to another and I'm I'm still sitting there as a young kid like looking at my Idols going like I'm having a beer with Jos keny how good's this like skits there was there was a few there was a karaoke bar one night um at Northbridge it might have been a few days after granny that was heus praw you know he's just like motor mouth like just he literally had the microphone in his hand the whole night and oh M like I can't get into too much detail but it just imagine like just proper like hysterics like ab ab pain laughing the whole night at him just like going off his head just fting out songs oh just yeah just like it was just like roaming BR like but he's just he was either singing or just like talking to himself and you can just hear what he was saying out of the corner yeah oh it's just like it it was amazing but yeah that the whole week was just just an absolute blur and um yeah loved every minute of it so good yeah it's exactly um you I know exactly how you feel I remember being at um 3o 2013 when it was my second year as well and like I was emergency and you and I same with you like look back now and you think it's just going to happen the next year but it's just not the case is it and like you said now it's you it's you're way more desperate but you still do feel a part of it you played a few games and whatnot and it does take I mean what's your thoughts on that it's a weird one because of our culture but it's a weird one as well because I don't know I feel like the metal around the neck if you didn't play I just still don't know how I'd go happening it if I didn't play you know a bit like the NBA players that sit on the bench but does take everyone doesn't it so do you think they should give medals to everyone or do you think it should still just be 22 no I I don't think so I I think to play in a Premiership would just would just be like you know you're you're one of 22 or 23 now but it's just like you you boys went to war on that day and you got it done as much as you know there might have been another 15 BLS play that year um yeah I I know the NBA do the rings and stuff and whether you you played every game or none you still get one but um I just think as as a tradition tradition in our in our great game that it should probably stay that way um yeah yeah I don't think I'd I'd feel right either walking around with a with a medal that um it might be different if you if you're someone who's a star and played every game and does his H like Bob Murphy or something yeah like yeah like just someone who you know definitely should be playing um but like you can't you can't how do you tell like how do you yeah it's too great so it's just kind of it's just it is and it it does create a lot of stories doesn't it people miss out people get in look at Piet from Richmond I think his first game was um on the flag I think yeah we had we had uh will scoffield played but he probably wouldn't have if shephy didn't do his hammy but you know and he was one of our best on the day it's just like funny way funny way of coming around but yeah to answer your question I I reckon it's probably just the players that played now let's talk about you know your career now you've um back to you this year in particular like it's you're kicking a large amount of goals and it's amazing to see mate and um it's it's yeah it's going to be exciting I think West Coast list what you have done in a short period of time um is is great it's great for the competition there's no easy games there might be a couple here and there but West Coast certainly aren't easy and I've got two questions here but we'll start with your form and the second one was we'll go to last year and how tough it was seeing how um banged up your list was but this year you you've clearly taken your game to another level um Oscar's been out a little bit more what has it been has it been the fact that you're starting in the Square more are you feeling more confident a lot of work you've stacked over eight years is starting to come out what what what what would you put it down to uh I think it's a range of of things um it probably all starts with with preseason I know people talk about getting a good preseason is key but I you know I buy into that and you know when when you're fit you're able to go on a footy field and because I think I'm a pretty smart player I'm able to you know do things that you know I see the game the way it is so might be able to get to a contest or run a little bit hard to get somewhere and I think it just opens up so many more Avenues as a forward especially getting split off your opponent um being able to sort of grind into the into the ground and you know get on top of him in the fourth quarter or whatnot but obviously Oscar going out as well um just probably you know makes you more relied upon going forward um get a few more targets and um you know just it's you're naturally going to you know win a few get a few more marks a few more goals that way but um yeah all all of that with probably a little sprinkle of lck and it helps it you know we've got some pretty handy midfielders in there at the moment that are actually winning clearances most games and um you know there a massive difference from 30 inside 50s to 50 and um yeah I I've gotten lucky on a few of them but yeah I guess I've been able to play some pretty decent footy and you're sharp shooter as well like how much how much practice have you done on set shot have you always been a great set shot or goal kicker what would you put that down to um I guess I've always been a decent uh drop hunt so um um I I do do a lot of work on it um but I I think set shots is it's a bit of a mental thing as well and when you're when you're in form you know when you've got the ball and you can hear the crowd you know some when you're out of form you're just like you're [ __ ] it and like you can tell sometimes when you grab the footy you're like yeah Mom just no chance here like this could come off me Shin but when you're when you're confident and you're up and about and you're inform it's just like yep just go with the flow and things happen naturally but um yeah you've got do a lot of practice on it it's you know as as as a forward you need to have when with your set shot goal King and it's just I've probably just got a couple of cues that I that I go through um every set shot and more often than not if if you get both of them right then um yeah she'll go through but um yeah don't always kick them well you you you certainly do normally kick them I'll give you the tip um St on here for a second you talking about clearances there's a lot of Buzz we got to talk about it we we tried not to talk about this BL on our podcast me and hio cuz you know we feel like everyone else is doing a great job um you know who I'm referencing to is is Harley re but what what I want to ask you is things that I'm really interested we all see the stuff game day but when did he Rock up to the club and you went [ __ ] hell this B is actually legit like was there a training was it the first session was it like he kly doing this stuff at training what was it him in the gym throwing tin around at 18 like cuz he's a big boy what was it that you went M I think we've actually got the real deal here yeah definely wasn't him in the gym I think he's still wrapping his head around there that is good to hear that is good to hear he's not he's not perfect just a country kid he's learning all the all the new stuff in the gym um broomsticks I remember doing the broomstick for a month yeah plenty um I I think straight away we could all tell but I think it was after sort of a few training sessions where we doing a bit of match Sim here and there and I think we had one match him where we probably playing like 20 minutes and I think he K like three CB goals just like unbelievable I think we all just sort of walked in the challes after like no one even spiked to each other we're just like looking around going like like it we're on here boys like and yeah he's yeah he's he's insane he's he just gets it like he he knows what's going on he just backs himself in constantly and like more often than not if if you do that and I know a lot of people even myself have trouble with just like backing yourself in it it seems like whether he's playing a good game or a bad game he's he's attack on the footy and his mindset doesn't change he's always like give me the footy I don't care and like a few times like we'll have Chats on the field and he would just be like Jake just kick it to me and I'm like if you had someone on you it's just like I don't care just kick it to me and it's just like wow this kid just just wants it just backs himself in it's and such a weapon but skills um he can kick it 60 you couple meters off the deck and um yeah we've seen probably 10 games of his career so far and you know he's probably had three or four Mark of the week nominees goal goal around or whatever yeah I just yeah we're we're in for a good ride I reckon with you yeah and it's good for not only yes like for the fans but for you boys like have you seen a bigger buzz in the crowd and and a bigger buzz on the streets like is he is he already the biggest name you've seen in your time cuz you've been there prip era um there's some guns that you've played with but is there are people fantasizing over this Flo more than anyone that you've ever seen before yeah yeah 100% so you walk down the street and have a coffee people just rush him y I've um I've been out and about with him a few times just away from the footy club and it's it's because I've been out with like you know Nick and Nick can't hide he's like he's just massive you know got the dreadlock he can't PE like he can't hide and he gets he gets smacked with autographs and and whatnot but like yeah Harley you know he's just got to Chuck the hoodie on and Chuck the sun's on the hat on and even then like people still find him from anywhere and um he handles it really well though like he's such a mature kid and you know yeah I just I actually struggled to Fathom like how well he deals with it all because he just seems so unaffected by it and um yeah I think when you get a kid like that like Harley and who just has so much attention and he's a superstar already um you you might worry about how all that's going to affect you and I've got no doubt at times it would get to him but he doesn't really show it and um he still holds himself in in the highest regard and um yeah I think that's that's a a massive part of the battle with sort of what he's coming to face to it's so good it's uh I mean we I don't I haven't been haven't been in wa for a while but you're just seeing it and it's just becoming a talking point you see the media down here and it's just whatever he does obviously there's Brilliance every game he does something like you said but yeah I just wanted to ask you what it's like cuz I only I can when 5 one his brown LS I remember going like to always story went to Raffles once I remember like he couldn't get out cuz it was like in the corner in the bar the boys were trying to protect him and people just barreling through trying to get photos you know and I think Instagram only just come out and um probably not signatures that night but I just remember going this is a lot and I'm thinking this is this is I'm like this is what this this kid's probably going through every day yeah I mean oh he's probably driving around the old camera you know what I mean the cash hasn't hit yet so just he's just a young kid just kind of get from A to B yeah I know like even like even like you probably would experience as well like you get a little bit of attention you get like a few people come up to especially when you're out trying to have beer or something and um you'll get a few people pick you out and want to have a chat or a photo or whatnot but it's just next level it's you want to be able to you know keep incognit when you go out and you know it's just impossible for him and yeah like I don't know how I deal with that he almost has to have the uh he has to yeah you have to organize the you have to organize it and block it off in the public which is almost unnatural isn't it yeah I know and and he just he's just a country kid so it's that he's country I mean not that it matters but yeah I guess you could probably be happy just sitting in the backyard having a beer M that's right up his alley but um yeah when you do go out it's just yeah um it's going to be bit of a struggle going into the future but just watching I mean let's talk about now um last year and then we'll get back to this year with blocks like Harley and and and even yoy and you everyone stepping up Oscar's back in the team now um but last year was so tough to watch like M watching watching anyone struggle sucks watching a team depleted heaps of injuries and just being peppered every week um you talk about the coach as well I mean I couldn't imagine being a coach but just having to deal like you've got no levers to pull as you said like we're talking before how good going but putting players in different spots just to stop the bleeding a little bit like how hard was it going through that to getting 30 inside 50s like if anyone out there wants to know the average is around 50 to 60 if you're flying but 30 you're almost starved of opportunity how hard was that week in week out on the road we know how much West Coast and fro travel like how do you sum it up yeah you're just riding the trenches and like you know the only way out is in sort of and I think we did buy into that and we as a playing group like we I think we did the best we could and at times you know people probably didn't agree with that I didn't think we were we were good enough and you know you talk about sort of as a coach you probably run out of Le with to pull and you know you go into games with you know your plan a b and c and whatever but i s probably ran out of letters last year like he just we we just didn't have the cattle out there um for most of it and you know you're missing some of your best like GV missed a lot of footy lamb Ryan missed a lot of footy shuy was missing a bit with his hammies and and and yoi as well and you know you do forget about when those guys come back from injury they they're underdone as well so um when you're underdone coming to playl and we had to put him in and play him you put them at risk of getting injured again and that's probably what happened a few times but um yeah at times it was yeah it was it was really who pretty demor demoralizing at stages yeah you guys would be very mentally tough what was the toughest moment you reckon like was there a m for you was there a moment where you're like we all have you know we call we like you losing the plot but like was there a moment where you're like wow like I'm struggling and then how didd you get out of it um individually we had a um probably one of our probably our worst loss was um against Hawks down in tazzy I think at the time we last and second last and everyone had built that game up to be sort of the first win we have for the year um and we ended up getting done by like 130 points and you know we I think we lost TB and G and yeah we just yeah we yeah we we got absolutely pantsed down there and I think uh you know you're out there in the middle of it and you're sort of looking around going like what is happening like we were supposed to be a sniff here and then yeah you do you do that was probably a game where like you just run out of answers just like y not good enough we're just not good enough we need to we need to review this one and and start from scratch and um I think we did follow up the the week later pretty decent but um yeah had a bit of a tough year last year I missed the second half of the year with um had some gut issues so I end up in hospital after a game um but although what I will say is those periods last year and the year before um it it grows a certain amount of resilience with within the football club um that when you do get to these times where we are stting to play better footy and you know we're winning a couple games here and there probably should have won some more is that you know you've got that sort of base level of resilience which probably other teams don't have and I think it makes you a better person as well because you get so much perspective on on life as well and um yeah I mean losing is not not great it's not fun but um yeah there's so much to take from every single um every single loss as well so um yeah it was it was Bloody tough but I think we're starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel and um hopefully fans and whatnot can be proud of the way that we're trying to play um I know it's it's tough to go out there week in week out in the alfl and and play the way you want to play it's it's unrealistic to expect that because the competition is just so tight there's so many good teams out there but um the Endeavor to and play the way that we want to play um is hopefully what's giving our fans some hope at the moment people don't realize how hard it is sometimes is what we're trying to get out here like like you said you're running out of answers it's not you feel a bit lost but um but yeah like we know time heals everything and if you put it into perspective as well most of your players are out injured like you said I think that's a main thing people forget bringing them back underdone you know you get these you know all Australians back in but they're getting rushed in CU they're not playing waffle they're not getting some uh getting their two games of it's up so it's good for people out there that probably are a bit harsh at times um back to this year though mate it's it's it is looking better like don't worry about the wins and losses you watch a game it's always competitive um at home you're always a threat and I think the future is uh very bright it must I still can't get over the North Melbourne throwing that winning that game and giving Harley Reid across but uh you always it's a blessing in disguise for you uh for West Coast um it must be yeah it must be great to be back on track what about about Oscar the great man Skipper it's good to see all you boys developing but what kind of was he always going to be the next Skipper and uh why is he such a strong leader um yeah I I think so I think he's yeah he's a born leader um uh pretty much since the first first day he got in the club I'm a year older than him so I've sort of seen him come through and he was just he was never afraid to never afraid to speak firstly um never afraid to to pull pull people up as well and um in saying that if you're going to pull someone up you also got to be able to receive it on the other side and he's he's welcoming of that he wants to get better um and I yeah I think he had the year last year where he was amazing the H he kicked over 50 goals I think and um I think that was a year that sort of showed everyone that yep he's like he's this is his team he's commanding he's the big big forward wants the responsibility of being a captain which you know I don't think many people would because it'd be tough job I'd imagine um very tough I would imagine that as well I can't imagine actually um uh yeah and you know he come in round one and did his knee and um he's pretty much been at the last 10 weeks and as he one of our best mates and you know you get picked to be a captain of foot Club you want to be able to get out there straight away and fly the flag for the boys and he's not been able to do that and um he was struggling a little bit um sort of with that um but now he's back and um yeah he was straight amongst it yesterday he probably could have kicked the bag but um yeah it's as a as a mate it's been really good to see um his development as a footballer and as a person and um we all walk a little bit taller when he's he's out there with us that's for sure it's a nice little forward line you two sitting next to each other there must be some great chemistry being you know best mates off the field as well is there any funny moments you have had on the field even like you know when you're on top of someone and you calling their Defenders a bunny like is there any what do you guys like on the field yeah he when he gets uping about he's probably more the vocal one um I'm just more like just having a y with the bo that's on me like I'm pretty I'm pretty low key in that everyone gets a little bit caught up in 40 sometimes but traditionally that's probably more him than me but um yeah I think the relationship between two even even J's is great as well it's just um when you get stuff wrong or you get in each other's way or you fly for the same footy it's never it's never you know eing get out of my way that was mine blah blah it's always like yeah we talk about it now we talk about later and we just we we're always looking for ways to to get better and it sort of got to the point where um we we all sort of know what each other's doing um and where we want the footy so if someone's got the ball like I know he wants it there I know he want it there blah blah blah I know 's going to lead there and um it's a it's a it's it's been years of sort of nutting it out and um it's only the early days now for the three of us um so yeah who knows um ideally each week we can all go out there and sort of kick a few each and um all all stay happy but um you know one week it might be JD kicking five one day one week it might be me or Oscar it's you know as long as we're helping each other out yeah well said man and it's funny I can see you and you I reckon you'd rattle your cuz you're such a good fell and you know you probably kicked three or four and you're still being real friendly and they're probably like [ __ ] I'm trying to get into you was it's a good little tacticon just F out to just chew the fat with your Defender and not be aggressive cuz sometimes when you do get a bit Lippy the defender gets a bit aggro and they they toghten up so it's actually a good tactic of yours just to be nice and friendly it's um generally it's not your your direct opponent that's you know getting in the out it might be someone sort of little sneaky half back coming down and having having a word or two but yeah I yeah I haven't really come across too many blogs that just just getting into your not many like you know we just we're just like we're all BLS literally like you you hear stories about there's what happens like in today's game there's just so many mutual friends so I was just like I know you're match with him so you're my boy there's a lot of friends isn't there it's kind of like you forget when you're playing and then after it shake the hand and it's a bit different to the old school days don't they all kind of hated each other yeah build each other up but but um n it's it's good manate I'd much rather um have a bit have a bit of a chat than sort of a wrestle wrestling is too hard yeah well then you can't as a for it's too hard anyway man if if you start wrestling each other and you get fed as well yeah exactly you need to coin um I want to talk about JK and also anyone else at the club who's been a big um Mentor for you and what have they taught you um probably yeah JK and Lea um Lea had a had a year with two years with him and he's he was he was different because he was more of a high four but he T taught me um a lot of little intricate things about playing High forward um and then moving to J sort of become like one of my great mates just he was like a hero of mine and then becoming one of your best Mates is is a is a weird thing but um I I spent years sort of watching him and and listening to him and getting advice from him and um oh yeah I'm starting to sort of reap the rewards of that now really and um throwing darling Hearn I mean I I can't tell you how many baths Banger gave me at training sessions like he always used to take the piss out of me like I'd be walking out there and he'd be like telling the trainer to bring me over a toil and stff it was it was hilarious but like I that's why I've I've I've always been playing with Kennedy LCR Crips dar and always been playing against Hearn mgov and Brass in training so it's like all right well I've got the best of the best I'm playing against every training session so it makes me feel better about going out there in the weekend and playing against opposition so um yeah there's too many too many guys um you know ker um one of my best mats now has probably taught me what it takes um work rate wise to make it in the comp and I remember being stuck with cripsy and JK um early days at the club in rehab and like like yeah it was an eye open like I would be I we'd have we' have like a session in in the room like the hurt lock or whatever whatever it gets called but um that would have a massive bike session smashing out these 1ks my legs are just like falling off and I'm trying to keep up with these boys nowhere near it finish it start walking out and hear hear the room the music still going in the room pop my head back in there on the rolls like still going on the rolls and I'm just like like these guys are animals like no wonder they have the careers they've got but um yeah just the little things like that it's just like yeah their eye openers they've been able to sort of pass on to me oh the the rehab sessions they give you nightmares some tanbridge we used to have him on the Le P J know if you know T is but my first um time was in R L from my first session I was stuck with him and he's a monster I love and we were doing like I can barely do 10 push-ups we're doing we're doing boxing and then going down doing pushies and and I I can't even get up and he's like d me he screaming me one more two more and I'm like crying like trying to get up like push up that oh mate it's just like some of the scary is like welcome to the league sort of stuff and it's just like I was about to just drop it and like go see was tearing up like a this isn't for me l no no no but every time you get through like a session like that or a tough moment it just sort of builds your your character and to be able to deal with that stuff sort of as you go on all like in those rehab sessions are the some of the most taxing and toughest things you can do and you you're almost throwing up at the end of it every time you literally I think I got to the point where I couldn't have Brey cuz it was just if I didn't have Brey I wouldn't throw up even coffees I'd have if I had a coffee had to be 2 hours before like if it was any closer than an hour like I'm throwing it up it's just um and the thought of knowing you're going to have be in that pain as well you know you don't sleep it's like the night before like a 2 car or something just like you just know it's coming it's like oh it's horrible but once you get it done it's just like yeah one more oh man I can't even explain it like who we well let's just go quick F who's the biggest animal at West Coast in the gym in just gym weight uh well it's it's it's always being JD because it's just like an all round freak but Harry Ed Woods one of our um young keyb backs um he is throwing around a fair bit of weight lately Bailey Williams is going to be a Hulk in there soon um uh nickn wasn't even allowed to do upper body weights since his last few years and I thing um oh but bang was bang was insane right like bench press anything I think I think he's got the record he was like 165 bang wow so nothing on poor courtesy here he's throwing about 170 or something like that was tell me Paul Curtis is 160 that's ridiculous mate 160 Paul Curtis everyone listen to that Paul Curtis he 21 I think isn't he 22 years old that's no he's a small forwarding off everyone left he is powerful I was saying I I I rate him highly and they say the convo started gri yeah he benches 160 man yeah what do you bench oh like 125 I've done one rep 100 me best ever remember had the whole I had the crew around I said K around me boys it was literally the bar didn't move for about 30 seconds and want I go to the top I was dancing matter though when someone's like stuck there for like 10 seconds get it everyone goes crazy but um yeah I'm not too uh I don't feature too heavily in the gym it's amazing though like watching you live you think like you are you're strong it's amazing how it it does translate on the field but I mean you're saying Harley Reid's not throwing too much tin around yeah you can throw a grown man to the ground it's crazy yeah it all changes but for me my like so so revert back onto like how fit you are I think being fitter allows you to sort of make couple hundred meter leads and then come back and then be able to have the strength and not be fatigued to sort of actually have a crack at someone makes sense because sometimes when you when you're just when you're under done or you know you're cooked like you can barely stand up and like it's hard to get R and jump and fly because like your cares about to go like you got nothing left but yeah just being a little bit fitter sort of allows you to do what you want to do would you say you're the fittest you've ever been this year uh I reckon been probably been a like fit up when I was younger like running like 2K WID and stuff but I think um holistically um yeah I think uh 40 fo0 feed is probably up there yeah yeah nice um welcome to the league moment before we talk about the Derby just to give you a little uh idea what we're talking about next just the you know the relationship with freem manal and West Coast but the welcome to the league first was there a moment where you you know you just remember your first game or your first year where you just had a moment with someone and you went wow this is AFL footy um well probably probably a few my first game was against Sydney and Buddy kicked eight so like I'm just down the other end just like watching this guy like borderline going ask for his autograph just I was playing on Big R Grandy that day and he's huge like he's not tall he's probably my height maybe a little bit smaller but like I just couldn't move him and see the Defenders just back shoulder relentlessly like you just can't get past him and that was a good learning for me um Michael Curley gave me an absolute bath one day um that was like a bit of a welcome to Lego I I end up getting him back though um in a final which was nice what' you kick on him oh just a couple but like I just felt like it was just like you're even yeah yeah like yeah um no M I haven't really had like a welcome to the leg moment it's it's more just being like little things like in my third game just like running past Gary J just like wow like things like that M it's like as a fan of the game and a fan of these players and yeah it's just sort of those full circle moments I'm just like I'm running next to the little master and I'm just like I know he's probably in the latest age of his career but for me that was it was it was funny at half time that game I I was on the screen at like 14 touches and he was at 14 as well and I was just like screenshot that person because that's just the youth coming out of you as well yeah and yeah cuz I'm only still like 18 9 it's just yeah you you watch these Legends for so long and then you're you're playing up against them and playing with them as well so um yeah don't really have a welcome to League moment in terms of getting belted or or whatever but um yeah a couple of demoralizing um losses and stuff like that but now all good who um who's been the hardest opponent you've had so far um probably HS but I think it I think it changes because def like defense just can't like defend really good ball movement and some days you you might be playing on someone who's not as good as and someone else but like the ball move might be less and you just got no opportunities to sort of get to work as a forward um but yeah I played on Rance Rance was just like he was another one just like turn around he's standing behind just like I'm not getting one hereon make me earn it um who else I spoke to before like um I had a pretty good battle with Aden Co the other week and he he's really physical so he's one of them um who else Big Moose Mo he's pretty physical and because he's so big and um he's got good closing speed uh who else is there this is just lamb Jones weering so many now is it's just like it's probably good that Oscar's back you'll get the second you know second fiddle he every team's got like three gun key Defenders or like hybrid Defenders that just that can play tall small or or whatever you know Mitch mcgavin's probably a good example of that you can play on Bloody anyone and he's he's a star as well but like I said before like man have play on her and McGavin and and barass and every training session and that equips me to be able to go up against the best anywhere else so yeah yeah well said it is and you're right that ball movement piece is something that we do forget it's quick ball movement you can really slice up anyone really a couple good little screens right let's talk about the Derby uh freem manal V West Coast I reckon in your time you'd be you'd be pumping us you'd be there's a lot of there been a bit of a painful last six years for Freo I'd imagine I mean we're starting to well actually you guys won this year so yeah you guys have probably won I think every game by a few um couple yeah I think there was a couple you guys got there sort of 21 22 23 but I I don't think I played in all of those either so I'm probably um individually um yeah probably more wins and losses but yeah Derby's are so special how would you explain it so we're obviously we're recording this in Victoria and everyone knows the Anzac Day clash and the big rivalries you know Carlton Collingwood or essid and Richmond or whatever there there's a lot of rivalers but the West Coast V freem manal uh Derby how would you describe the town for those that don't understand that haven't been there yeah it's it's hard to but like because it's just the biggest state in the two teams in there it's to um The Showdown as well um but it's just it's two teams like States divided like and the build up of these deres especially when there's like a lot on the line when I think a few years ago when both teams were doing really well it's just like everyone was so Ed ready to go remember my first derby was a was a frea home game and running out like the booze were just like so loud I just like started smiling I was just like how good is this like can't even hear the theme song cuz like the boo are just like launching through the stadium but yeah they they're so special and you know we yeah we don't like each other and I think it it gets pretty anty out there sometimes but um I think over time um you know fre I've become you know much more there's probably a few stages there where West Coast winning more of them and now fre absolutely fly and it's probably been switched over a little bit so um the Dynamics changed a little bit and um yeah we we come out won the last one so pump yeah I don't think uh many people would have predicted that one but um yeah that's just that's the glory of it I guess and um the team that rocks up and has a crack usually the team that comes up but um yeah it's going to be interesting later in the year I think the the boys will be absolutely next be absolute cracker like I don't worry about what the lad's doing like I said you guys are playing good footy um foo's playing good fo0 and it's is it fr's home game or yours yes it's FR so you're going to get that hostile environment purple Haz there how do do you know how does the tickets work I've never understood this is it is it just Foo fans and then West Coast get a small allocation like yeah it would just be Freo members and then um yeah sure surely it's majority so it's pretty much 90% yeah probably probably because it's Hometown it's probably probably like 7030 but like it's just but that 30 is pretty quiet cuz the crowd's Yeah well yeah we hopefully we kick a few early ones in the boys that's key isn't it the few early ones yeah but regardless like with home home or away like you you sort of get energy off the fro fans as well because they hate you you can hear them um and we had the we had the Derby a few years ago where there was just a couple of melees going on like yeah that was the fans were getting involved like felt like someone's going to jump over the bloody fence and come take me down but n it's a it's a good um it's good to be a part of at the end of the day it know I've actually got some mates in in the FR team it's just like say good day and that but like when you're out there like don't even want to look at you like just you know how it is it's just like stay away from me like if I'm going to be throwing someone down just don't let it be you play here no it's um yeah it's it's insane man you played in a fair few yeah Pon a few missed a few but like I think we're in that stage where yeah we're both good and you guys have always been probably the big brother like you've been around longer and you've won Flags so um we probably come from the bottom it's kind of that WFIE mentality and um but the I guess being Victorian I learn a lot about the culture and a lot about um both teams I guess but mainly freem manal and and how hard it was early days and the Rivalry and um and it and and I guess the fans like you know obviously i' only really know a lot of Foo fans but you do met a few West Coast Fans but the fans are crazy passionate like they almost don't care about anything else yeah well they do they want to flag but they know that's so hard so it's like as long as we win the two two der's during the year like and we play our best footy it sets up their well the next 10 weeks they it's bragging rides for and then if it's the I think the next one's big cuz it goes into the I mean if you guys win the next one like Freer fans are going to cop that for the whole year till next year so it's funny you CU you're a Victorian well like just had you had seber on the the potty calb strong yeah and know he's a Victorian as well and I remember listening to him on the radio after we done him and honestly he sounded filthy like and it's as a Victorian coming in and sort of realizing the significance of a derby and he's obviously bought into it 100% um you almost just yeah like the hate you can you can hear it in his voice and so yeah he's he's one of those boys leading from the front for sure and you're right about the anticipation like at the end of the day we'll break it D it's another game of footy it's a bit more fire but once the first quarter goes the game opens up right it's a bit like a final but the anticipation from as soon as the like I mean you can't escape the papers the streamers people's car like it's just everywhere it's like Christmas isn't it everyone's got the light like just that week and then it all dies down a little bit but um yeah it's hard to explain and it's it's great for footy yeah know they're great to be a part of and even like is there a local cafe that you know few free coffees that week have you had those experiences yeah God yeah yeah and it's all it's like I've got mates as well that are Die Hard West Coast and F supporters as well so um yeah I'll definitely send a few messages out after the last one that's for sure but uh that's great yeah it's yeah they they're they're a special Victory to get well said mate and um no we're looking forward to I don't know what round it is we have to have a look at what round the next one is not far away I think it might be five five games yeah we'll have to um we'll clip something up for it any predictions on what you think the result will be don't want to get him in trouble just in case in case fre roll J will have it up in the team he would I'm doing the dirty work for him now susing it out um all right so we got some um we'll go to our questions here and appreciate you sharing this on the gram all Australian individual Awards do they cross your mind at the start of the year with goals no no well it definitely didn't but but um obviously all the all the stuff that comes out all the talk I don't really buy into it um bit of recognition here and there but um it's long way long way to go in the season yeah and you sound like a great teammate and someone all they care about is team success and I think that's something that a lot of people in the media they do love the brand low don't they like I speak to a lot of my mates they always talking Brown lows rising stars all Australian it's not something that we ever really stuff about it's all just flags and that stuff kind of comes as role players mate we just got to wor about you're not a role player but I have I have yeah I relate to that SM jr9 has written in what's it like to be in the running for a Coleman considering you're calling yourself a role player but you are in the running to be a colan medalist like you're up the top what what's it feel like when you do see yourself up there uh yeah I don't I don't know m is this something that I'll when The Season's done I'll be able to sit back and reflect on but I guess at the moment I'm just sort of in a Groove and just sort of going with the flow but um like you said just then it's it's not about me it's about we and like especially with OS coming back into the team like I perfect well we all get a little bit B you know but um yeah if if you go chasing I feel like if you go chasing goals that's they get further away so yeah said yeah what glue do you use on your hands oh who said that Annie Walker Annie Walker big fan of yours what us here since all the little uh gripo stuff like that you got to make sure you the Grio yeah yeah GPO gripo on it's got to be you put the gripo in the mud flap just so you got extras no I don't but it did get in there um last a few weeks ago and it took me about a week to get out but um no I think uh it's it's a fine line with the gripo because if you put too much on you do you take a clunk and then you can't get rid of the ball off your hand it gets that rich reckons that's why he missing the the goal square ones cuz the gripo stuck to the ball drop you look at my uh my second set shot um last night the ball bloody did a 180 in my hand it's just it's ridiculous it's a fine line it is Big mail on the mullet mudflap is it Joe Dirt inspired who's Joe Dirt there you go it's not Joe Dirt I think it's from a movie The M the mud flap let's talk about it talk about it the Great Name the mud flap yeah have you always called it that no the um the uh the 100K podcast boys started yeah so my my older brother Alec um he's a big follower of the 100K podcast and he sent it to me one day and um yeah piss funny was a great call from those boys boys have called on to it so um yeah CAU that aair I don't know I've just had it for so long it sort of just be become become a bit of a thing but everyone everyone has a laugh about it and you know I'm one of those guys take the piss out of me or whatever I'm happy to be the Brun of it blah blah blah but um yeah it provides a bit of a laugh so it's but it's your it's you like you can't get rid of it I've got a mate we shout him out Zack Tracy hopefully listening but he's always had a mullet and it's been that nice and blonde he put a little bit of blonde anyway he's he's he's had a haircut and Spar at the moment he's just G short back and sides and we were calling him the you know the pirate of dodgeball you know the or Steve or something Steve or what any whatever his name was like mate you look like that F when he just completely just changed his identity at the end and had a full meltdown and shaved so like he's gone back to the and we're kind of dis we're going on M we're all bit flat we we missed the mullet so I think for you with the mud FL but you've got to keep it forever yeah I I did get rid of it a little bit and he just you just feel a bit lost don't you yeah but especially when you're kicking snags every week yeah yeah um some is before I luky live0 one's written in would you change your number to 17 uh is 1 available yeah it is but nah n is that retired no that that'll get filled by someone I'm sure you wouldn't change to the great man nah I've already changed to the great man like yeah great call actually can't CH three times be disrespectful um is Fraser Garrick your idol or your dad from Sean SS hair build and attack on the pill very similar very good there from s it's um it's actually funny cuz obviously the G train played for West Coast first half and play played with me old man and there's the team photos out there and the boys like which one which one's old me though but um obviously J tr's legend of the game yeah some of some of his old highlights were just ridiculously good but n not wouldn't sounds B boy um this one's from Brody gowin what was who was your favorite player growing up um I had uh I was a DI hard Port supporter going up yeah yeah cuz Dad coaching PE Thunder in the waffle just the same sort of color I was um I just picked Port um i' say Warren tread Ray uh Jonathan Brown was up there and lyy as well probably the three the Fords yeah just as a young fellow you just see goals and you just you just love footy were you're passionate Port oh yeah yeah so you got the retro jersey they were on the weekend you that I reckon they're Wicked yeah but I probably sort of stopped probably when I turn like 15 I'll reckon that's probably not stopped sporing Port because then you sort of like coming into you're coming into sort of you can't be rolling in with your Port hat at the West Coast n and then I sort of started that's when I started sort of going toor west coast games and you know old man would send me there and go take me life membership tickets and go go watch Kennedy and LCRA like don't don't watch the footy just go watch them two and see what they do when the ball's at the other end of the ground and that sort of when I started watching footy a little bit differently and less as a supporter and more as someone who wanted to actually learn stuff about the game because so many people just go to the game watch the ball and you like yeah you just don't you know if you got if you glow to the ball you sort of you don't see what's fully happening yeah you're right it's hard to watch for like I'd imagine being a young player trying to not watch the ball but then watch the leading patterns and all that you'd be zoning in and out wouldn't you yeah I just found it like I was just so intrigued by it like just seeing guys just put on like eight leads or whatever or you know Kennedy is at halfback flank and all of a sudden he's getting the ball in the goal Square kicking the snag it's just like how did he get there and then you you go back and have a look on a replay it's like wow he just dropped the hammer and ran 150 M as fast as he could and absolutely burned his opponent off his legs but um yeah probably cuz Dad was a cuz Dad was a coach and I've sort of grown up around whiteboards and and whatnot I started probably watching footy a little bit differently to probably my mates did when I was more younger so um yeah I've sort of just been sort of a student of the game since I was really young I guess let's talk about your old man what we can see the impact that he's had on you in your career like what other things Z and your old man's giving you a bit of more of a leg up early days um any things that you can kind of share for young players coming through um um well firstly he never like pushed me to do anything so he never pushed me to play footy or whatever which I I thought was great and he was never he was never vocal like at all during Junior footy he he he he knew that I had junior coaches doing all that stuff and he he'd give me advice but he'd never he'd never be the old man that you know when I got in the car after the game berak me about you don't want you don't want the one we've all seen him yeah you see him he's just like oh well I'm lucky um but yeah he always sort of I would have to go and I'm sacred voice from him I'll ask him opinions and he' he'd give me his opinions and you know when you're when you're a young fell and you know I just took my dad's word as gospel and more often than not it you know helped me out so much and um yeah I was very lucky to to have someone with his experience sort of um as me old man and grow up aside and um even even these days it's it's similar to what it was back in the day like I'll give him a call and say what are you acing and you know he'll tell me and then if I don't agree with it I'll tell him back and then he he will go yep fair enough blah blah blah don't call me then but he's he's he's been great he's um yeah one of my big Inspirations and yeah I don't know where I'd be without sort of his guidance yeah that's what I just visualizing like I remember driving around the old man as a kid you know when you've just had a stinker like you sometimes look for a bit of a Pat in the back and they just go well gez you had a stinker today you kind of just just good that you get that raw honesty which is what you need yeah I think that's the best after after like a shocking performance like he he's always he'll always find a way to to pick me up when I'm down he like geez you got you got missed a couple times or the work rate was good blah blah which is always great and but like you said like the the funny the funny times you get on the call and you just sort of ring him off and you're there and you're yep wasn't your day wasn't young fell a bit of humor like a laugh just heals everything but yeah yeah I never really I Reon I had one day when I was young when he he probably he yelled out something and I I sort of gave him the finger from the ground yeah give him the bird and that's just like scared most scared I've ever been in my whole life just like got a lift T from someone else like so of the funniest stuff ever but oh man what was he telling you not working out enough oh I think he said something like oh if you're going to run run to the bench or something like that and I like oh man it's it's so it's so funny looking back on it day but in the moment you're just [ __ ] it cuz you've just made a m not worried about the ball just worried about getting off the ground alive oh that's great that is awesome yeah back to the questions some good questions here um oh your postgame meal from Leo King what's your um yeah what do you eat maybe pregame as well um I usually pregame I usually order in um probably like a couple servings of Pastor and then I'll just have a little bit before the game just so I've got something there to eat um try not to overdo it before a game don't like feeling too heavy um after a game not a big eater after a game a like especially if you play stinco you lose your abar day you're not you just sit there and you just at the floor M it's the worst um but but when you when you kick a few goals and you win even then I'm not a massive a the game it's just like just sort of w do you have beers in the rooms uh on occasions when when we have like an eight or a seven day break they usually roll in the esy um after a win or after like a milestone game um but that like after a good win or a milestone or something like that when they were all the esy and just have a couple with the boys nothing silly but it's just that that sort of 203 after a win sitting around with the lads knowing what you've just done is like the best part of footy yeah um because after that 30 30 40 minutes like you're you're already thinking about the next game like it's just on to the next one sort of all the staff chill out like you know how you got like your property stewards and your assistant coaches they're all running around it's just like chill out we can do that in 30 minutes and everyone has a beer and a bit of a laugh yeah the assistant coach come out Simo comes out we just have a bit of a laugh and you know talk about funny stuff that happened in the game and and what was good and then more Vibes as well yeah it is and that's what that's what we all come from that's why we all started playing foot anyway and there's usually uh family in the rooms as well so walk around you know see the lad see family yeah it's it's a good feeling but like like I said once you leave and drive home it's like y right going back into the club tomorrow do a review and then we're on to recovery review and do it all again um who's the funniest bastard in the uh in the locker room like who who am I visualizing shuffling with the with the speaker on their shoulder who's bringing the group up and about especially after we having a couple of beers like who are we what are we looking at here um got so many we got Tommy CO's probably yeah Tommy CO's funny H wiow funny uh Ry yeah they're like all three of my best mates as well but G's hilarious yeah big ja like the best story tell I've like ever heard my life we do on a away trips we do so we have dinner at like 600 and then we have like this supper option at like 9: or 9:30 where like you come down and sort of top up if you if you're a little bit hungry and usually we got this like supper crew and we've lost a few over time kons was a big one but he's obiously retired but like he just some of the suppers I had man we just sit there till like nearly even midnight and just like everyone's just fixated on go telling the story and he's up like signaling stuff just like got the boy the boys in like the palm of his hand just going absolutely SK oh it's just yeah he he's one of the funniest fans oh there's too many lamb ry's funny just cuz he's do you guys talk about L Ry and the rugs that he's promoting have you seen this does he what is what's is it def rugs I can't remember the name so forgive me but like these videos who were going around does he does he come in the club and talk about it oh and you see like like I've seing him like I can see what's going on they're going hey mate can you stand there and say this and he's literally going yeah no worries and he says it and then he goes is that all good and walks so flat um I was just cuz I sit next to him I'm just like I forgotten Stars Chuck it up and I'm just like like what's this he looks down like Angry Angry is anything and then and then a few of the boys start like taking the piss out of him it's like you get his bad like just like stay outside arm sort of and it's just like I think it took me a while to sort of realize that it was just a bit of a running gag and then he started doing I think he did this same sort of thing with Street X Dan Bradshaw's brand there and they sort of made a bit of a funny thing about it but yeah L's hilarious cuz he just like yeah I've heard the boys said he says some like even on the field he'll be like then stand there I'm jump on your like you're literally real Lippy and funny but funny the boys reckon they start laughing when he when he starts triing he's he he'll tell BL he's going to put him on a footy car just like and it's just like okay that's all the time they Reon no he's from when he got to the club to now he's just like like changed so much he's G like he just gets it now um yeah he's one of he's one of a good mat he's yeah it's good to see him back absolute star yeah gun gun I remember yeah he is a freak yeah and even playing more Midfield at the moment I we recording this off the ID game but he was he's dominating some of those Center Square um bounces and getting the clearances all right let's get back to some questions um a lot of dating questions here snake we'll move on from them a lot of girl clearly the the the mud flap is sing um Jakey what's your most commonly used Emoji the handshake one I usually just like just fling that on the end of light when I'm talking to someone just like that's like a cheers yeah yeah cuz I don't like like thumbs up just like yeah more a d you gave me a thumbs up this morning phone gave me the thumbs up I say come on man [ __ ] i i people give me the thumbs up or of people are like 55 plus yeah you know what I mean you're like a it hurts but I'll let it go s sorry just I'll be better you did love I mean you did um thumbs up the comment so it's I'll let you SL um oh a couple more here questions the lch what's the Louch oh the lch there's a lot of there's three in a row who's going to play on the Louch who's going to stop the Louch and the Louch explain it please um oh you know like yeah fev illusion fev the L he goes who's going play the fev's like an absolute Idol of mine and I think it was one one game in the waffle in a and I reckon late year I kicked like eight or something and frzy McKinnis who used to play with us on the list just sort of yelled out like who's gonna play on the L and you know like when you when you're sort of new to a footy Club um and you don't really like have a have a nickname as such like there's a few nicknames going around and then like someone hears something it just sticks like that yeah so yeah I just I CAU the lotion I I don't like it because it's obviously in comparison to one of the greatest fors of all time who's kicked goals like no other but it's just it's just funny your nickname is the lch no like between a few of us is just like well that's how we gave Matt tabar the duck cuz and and he hated it obviously Wayne Cary Matt tabar like you can never you can never there's never going to be another duck but he hated it and the fact that he hated it like it's stuck well it's stuck so you can't hate the nickname you got to if you embrace it they go don't call him that yeah I was a bit like me at the start I was just like no don't don't do it like I'm literally playing waffle that yeah you're in the waffle the the it's a great nickname who's going to play on the L I've never heard of that I didn't know that that's good oh you love your WWE don't you there's a question here from Brandon romor snakes top three WWE Superstars I know he's a crazy fan yeah it's one of our mates um yeah we've got a little WWE following um at West Coast it's picked up the last year it's been unreal well they come to Perth and I think that sort of reset everyone a little bit but I was I was mad into it back in the day like that was my thing um top three Jesus uh I'll go Eddie Guerrero rest in peace y um five star frog Splash oh yeah um it's bit mine's probably a little bit different love Jeff Hardy just because he used to like just do some crazy stuff and last one number three Wow Come on um probably uh Shawn Michaels you can't narrow it down a three but Heartbreak Kid heart kid trying to think of yeah that's good yeah Ro Joshy Roth's Kane Jack P Chell is like like just loves it even G gav gets around it as well well it's good if you know their celebration like got a few vs who can do Rick Flair and anyone that can like quote what these Vlogs say is very funny man Roy do the um the DX celebration games like the crossover High Yeah there a sick photo of one early in the year gets melbour i' turn around he's right there and it's good when you know like now that you're explaining it like people probably going what these folks doing but yeah absolutely but no it's just little things like that like around a locker room just like I'd love you to DOA Michaels kick to his chest and see if he can act that way music B Sweet Chin Music after kicking a couple goals just a little you got to time it don't kick him in the chin but that'd be that'd be unbelievable unbelievable that's good I was a big um I was a big Ray Mysterio man and uh and the Batista but I used to love Batista I think he was in his prime when I was obsessed when I was a young kid he's he's one of he's probably just outside top threes yeah me and my mat S I know we probably shouldn't talk about him because he's been done but Vince mcmah we we get we see some of the stuff he used to do and we go did this Flo get away with this stuff some of the stuff speak to people he's a crook yeah but he looks like a crook unit as well yeah he's um he's getting found air on now favorite memory in in the meeting room like has it been any like real funny even like awkward encounters or I know like when we used to you know when we used to get there there's all you had your seating arrangement do you have that um is event at all you had a real awkward meeting and someone's [ __ ] up someone being late any moments like that oh M your story like may my M think that's think that's the funniest thing ever um uh no I don't think so man I reckon there's always there's a few guys here and there that um love to talk up in the in the meetings and probably at the wrong time yeah and I've that I had some someone sit behind me and he's not at the footy Club anymore I won't say his name but we we' just like probably come off a loss and you know Simo would be talking and he sort of he sort of asked what what do we think but he's not really asking what we think he's just more saying it and then someone will poipe up and I'm like sitting there like I'm on the end and I'm like sitting there the BL behind me piped up and I'm just like grabbing his leg like just like up I'm just like squeezing his ankle just like tell me to be quiet no we there Simo is really good in his his reviews it doesn't really leave any room for you know anyone to sort of cop a bad you C cop spray here and there but that's footy but nothing like uh losing your seat on the bus mate that on the bar I've had the um I've had more than that mate I've had i' had I could get into another time we've had coffees in there and and being absolute like here's one so one day we rolled in so we got in the meeting room and tab has got the takea away coffees for me and another BL called Tom um and so we got three coffees right and we might have been coming I think we weren't even coming off a loss I think it's midweek we must have a tough opponent coming up sit down and I'm in the front and I think I've already been told to sit at the front cuz we to get our notepads out and I'm sitting there anyway and I get the coffee like you do you grab it and I like put it put it down next to me legs and he the coach hasn't even the coach hasn't even seen me yet anyway and um he just he's already he's in a terrible mood and he's like righto boys actually stop Tommy why have you got a coffee like he's not even looking at me and I'm like in my head I'm going how the [ __ ] has he spotted me coffee he goes you know what who who else has a coffee and tab's just going oh [ __ ] like yeah I do as well and then um he goes you know what if you've got a coffee [ __ ] get out the is it a coffee club or meeting [ __ ] get out and like all of a sudden this other V Tommy I didn't realize because I didn't know tabsi bought him a coffee I thought he just got me one I've grabbed me coffee and I've stood up and he goes what the [ __ ] what are you doing and I go oh I've got a he you've got a coffee as well and he's all my oh no I've lag myself in and he goes why is it no [ __ ] surprise you've got one as well get out and get out right and I'm out there I never forget what you got your [ __ ] coffee you're sitting there and I'm looking at I think actually I think we're all sitting in the in the corridor I'm going what are we what do we do here like the meetings just started and I remember like spur going hey boys uh cuz he literally said go down the cafe strip and freem man and go get another one like he's being a real smart it's pretty funny but I'm like this is [ __ ] bizarre anyway and then um and by the way the reason I had a coffee was cuz we've been doing it all year like there's no one anyway so we're sitting there and then spury goes come back in and we come back in and you know the awkwardness of walking into a meeting mate so we sit down and no coffees get cop a little spray off we go mate 2 weeks later who comes in with a coffee the big walks and he goes how we feeling today he's got a mug of coffee in his hand and I'm sitting there going I can't win I was like you got to be joking me there are the moments where I go wow we like I can't I can't win and I remember someone even saying like yeah we don't like you know how like people stand up in the M they go yeah no I think he D do we normally have coffees and someone's like I reckon it might have even been Spanky Johnson he goes no no no we never do I'm thinking you [ __ ] got one between your legs as you're talking I reckon it was that funny man like looking back just weird [ __ ] like that in the meeting room where you know what it's kind of funny now cuz it w to happen again but um yeah going through those experiences just like shapes here reckon like I remember walking into a one of s meetings late in my first year and um sort of had to like open the door and walk across the front of everyone and there was about five of us we just like stuffed up the itinery and walk in and he's like where like where you and I'm like and I've it's like a question you just don't answer and I've like tried to answer and just couldn't get the words out of the mouth I'm just like oh didn't even speak English just walking across the front of the lecture theater with like everyone looking at me it's just like no the moments I would be sitting cuz I ended up moving to the back and I just sit there and You' squeeze your guy next to his leg not to laugh you'd be sitting there like oh these boys are [ __ ] oh it's nothing funny than like walking in late to like a meeting with like a takeway coffee in there just like oh Jesus like we were getting to the point where like 10 minutes early so I was starting five early because everyone was in the room so it's almost like anxiety attack if you you know how tight the schedule is sometimes you got ice baths and you're straight into a meeting so you're sprinting in the showers abolutely oh it's very good mate awesome good times Well mate thanks so much for coming on it's great to um see you again and obviously weird I've been following you you know on you watch every game and have a laugh but um yeah it's good to get you in the studio and we'll get you back in here we'll get you amongst it um but yeah from Rick's I mate we got you a little present for jumping on uh we got got you a Boston black so that's uh that's that's you man that'll suit the mud flap and the uh the elite added ass top you got on there it's around the Bon around the bond oh yeah that's you where would you take them where where's the uh local uh bar that's uh where am I going these days um so you got to buy where do you just perch up um there's a couple on scar Beach Road now a couple like wine bars it's the sun Bridges and um Corner da which is sort of the local but I'm trying uh yeah try and stay on Saturday night these days just get yeah the old Perth circuit just chw you up and spits out these days kind hack it the boring circuit mid weekid like in the winter I reckon doesn't come alive till the end of the year yeah you don't get many cracks at it though especially when we're playing on Sunday but the travel as well mate put them on for me and I'm going to ask you a question Rick's on two anyone else wants a pair of sunnies we have the discount code Aces for 20% off and free express shipping so head online at rick.com and check them out um the snake has the black Boston on if you want the exact pair I got your hat as well mate but um all right Rick's on tour so you're uh you're single lad as we're talking so you've got the the world uh at your feet where would you like to go in the world for a week you have to pick two teammates and uh you need to tell me why you tell taking those two oh wow um a couple years ago I went to Europe with I think there was six of us six or seven of us and that was like the best sort of two and a half weeks in my life that was just great fun um I'd probably take I got to take your boy Joshy rotham um and I'll try go a bit different I'll try to change something up I'll take an old boy with me I'll take GV so I'll take Roy and GV so Storyteller yeah I won't have to I won't have to speak too much on the tool which is good I'll just sit back and enjoy the show but um if I could go if I could spend a week at October Fest right in the gut of it oh mate it's just there's nothing better did you do that last year yeah the year before I went last year as well and the year before I think it's just great like the happiest place ever like yeah well said yeah it's like you get there in the morning have have a St and then everyone's up on the tabl yeah have it after two STS it's it's unbelievable it's yeah how many did you get through cuz all the big boys I think tabs and moose got five to six oh man once I got to just before the fifth I was blind yeah I reckon yeah you're blind after like two or three it's just like it was funny I went with Alex withed and and in a um what's it called we were doing one of those tours uh what are they called I forgot what they called but um the the chick that was running our tour would have the black pen and they like write them every Star you get she was like writing it and he took the pen off her and just put like eight on there we'd only been there for about 3 hours he's like well you boys out but yeah I I don't know how many they got through but it's you put on a bit of weight at those things just eating the eating the full chickens and the macaroni cheese it's beautiful did you have any food fights nah did you see the food flying around though n oh what say a lot of people didn't my experience must have been different we're What tent were you in were you in that Aussie New Zealand tent the main one oh man you hear so many things about different tents what is it hofen brow big big line or something I think the hofen brow is the one I'm talking about yeah maybe spent a couple is there yeah you bump into so many Aussies and that when I was there we had everyone was sculling like so they'd get up and when they got up and stood on the table the whole tent would start cheering and if they hadn't scalled it quick enough they'd start booing and then they would start throwing food at them like the bread sticks and the pork Knuckles and man it was it was crazy i' never seen anything like it m it'd be tough to get one of those STS down I reckon a chick was the only one that like got up and and moved cuz it's a liter of pier and moved it at a rate where everyone was happy with it but everyone else is getting booed yeah I think it's so impressive I did not even try I would have embarrass your but no yeah you could it's a massive effort yeah but October Fest was uh I highly recommend to anyone uh wanted to head over to Europe and have a few beers with their so those two boys you're going with what are they bringing to the table GV is he the Storyteller is he the leader yeah yeah yeah no Roy would be the later he he could he could talk to a tree like he would just find someone to talk to like yeah he he'll make sure that the group is um is is larger as we go cuz he would just bring people in so it won't just be the three of us it'll be more more uh we'll meet people on the way um G just there for like a bit of experience just like just make sure we're on the right path and um yeah they're both good fun I can imagine go recapping the trip beautifully to the Boys At suffer Club as well he'd be a to remember every detail yeah absolutely I have to get him on the Pod then sounds like the man yeah he's a good fell he's I don't I don't know how sucessful he'd be to come on a pod but I'll I'll put in a we'll have to push through we'll see how we go when he's down in town but um oh that's great mate so yeah back to back to October Fest with those two boys and the Ries is is where you're taking them we'll be we'll be there I love it mate all I appreciate you uh sharing and uh you can take them off mate I appreciate every you jumping on um where to now mate for the what's the what's the plan for you in the in the footy Club this year clearly just just down the bottom a little bit but playing great footy is it have you guys had a meeting you know at the halfway point like what is your plan yeah we did we had a probably mid with you as I'm sure most clubs do um during the bar week where you just sort of um have a meeting and have a look at your uh your kpis and I'm sure every team's kpis would be pretty similar but teams might be different here and there but ours is you know mostly focused on like contest and pressure so um you should be able to get those two things right against any team and um if you do you're in with the sniff so um we're trying to build and identity as a as a team that every week we can go out and it's achievable and you know that our fans can be proud of so um Win Lose or Draw uh we want to be able to hold our heads High walking off and I'm sure if we um Endeavor to do the right things um more often than not I think there's going to be um some wins down the track and hopefully some before the end of the season yeah well said mate no really well said the list is shaping up beautifully and I'm excited about this next Derby cuz it'll be close and there's a lot on the line cuz I don't want to lose two in a row but mate great to see you flying as well great to see your face again and um yeah we'll catch up soon in the uh especially the off season and have a couple of quiet ones but yeah thanks so much for jumping on the potty and and to uh everyone out there that's uh written in a crack a question and uh shown some support uh we appreciate you we hope you enjoyed this one um give it a like share it with your mates and uh yeah we'll see you next week on another episode of Tommy Talks cheers [Music] this episode is proudly sponsored by kpi 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