SPEAKER_00 0:07

My name is Steam Russell. My name is Jaden Wright, and this is Create Your Story. Just a quick disclaimer before we start. If you are struggling, reach out to Lifeline on 131114 or book an appointment with your GP and talk about a mental health care plan today. Just run it. Just run it.

SPEAKER_01 0:39

If it doesn't work, it's because I didn't check the sound. Yeah, so we might have to be speaking here for nothing, but we're on we're back. New studio. No, a bit of a move around in the studio, but it's actually Yeah. It's a bit of a vibe, actually.

SPEAKER_00 0:51

We've had our um the people under us come and move think nah.

SPEAKER_01 0:55

Yeah, personal assistants coming and done a bit of work in the background. Right, these lollies can go. I was just saying it's what 6 41 a.m. on a Monday morning and I'm staring at these lollies like I might have one. Like I was about to grab one just before and had to stop myself. You know what? Fuck it. If you want to lolly at 6 40am, grab one. Yeah. Grab a packet of red frogs or something on the way to work and snatch it. Um you've been away in that. Tell us you went over to Bali. I've been here there and everywhere, eh? Nah. Went to Bali, what was that, like a week and a half ago now? Um, flew out, sort of just a bit of a mid-year sort of reset. A couple of boys, um, and Ali was over there as well. But um for the first three days we sort of ripped the skin off it a bit. Well, I haven't seen a few of the boys. But we haven't been together as a three for ages, bro. It's been like five or six years, I reckon, that us three were together and we sort of grew up together. Um Joey moved to Perth, so he's been living over there, and then Nick's one of my good mates from around here, so I was mad to just catch up with them, bro, and sort of just be around each other and just spin yarns and um ended up doing some heap fun stuff as well. I think it was the first night because I don't know, bro. You haven't been to Balier. Nah. But I reckon you'd love like the culture over there and just the people over there just always so happy. And we're coming home from the the club or whatever, and it would have been like 11:30 or 12, and we're on the back of the scooters, and we stopped at the survey to get some waters. Um, and there was a couple of Barnese fellas just out the front playing guitar singing, and like Nick and Joey like love, like they love they froth guitar, like they're so good at it. Yeah, and we're like, and they were like younger sort of boys, like, what are you doing? And they're like, No, no, I'm like, Well, come back to our villa and we'll play guitar and stuff like that. I'm like, Yeah, yeah, so they got them their bikes, and we had like six of them back there just playing guitar, and just it was just it's just so sick, bruh. Um, and just the way that they really have nothing, and they're just so grateful and happy, bruh. Like, I don't think you you meet a a bad sort of angry one. Um so I did that, bruh, and then sort of the boys left, and then I spent a um probably three days with Ali, which was really good, just to sort of reset and um went out for mad dinners and went to the beach and went. He's loved up now, what? Loved up, bro. You ever got a you ever got a like a real mass like a massage like a relaxing massage and fashion? Bro, we got one and it was like the last it was meant to be the last day, um, but okay, our flight got cancelled, but we'll just like it was so good and then it was so relaxing, bro. It was the best way to finish it. And it was something that I needed. I think I needed to let some steam off, but then let just relax and get back there. And I don't know, it's it's something about that place. It's it's weird, like culturally, um it's I don't know, it's you you look into the culture and you talk to the Balinese people, and it's about they they talk a lot about like new beginnings and stuff like that. And they have traditions where they every morning they put um sort of givings out on the pavement, and there's like different like flowers and like incense and stuff. You going through taking them all or what? Nah, and yeah, no, but like it's just weird, but the for the last three times that I've been there, um, every time I've been there, something something from like either business or like personally is like happened. Like last time I was there, I got um the ABC come back and said that I'm selected in that. Yeah, and then a few other things, like this time, um, a few other things happened with grants and stuff like that as well. So it's weird how it all works out. I don't know if it's just me being freaky, but yeah, um no, it was mad, but like I really I reckon you'd really love it. Like the people over there, bro, are so sick. Uh and the weather was beautiful. Like it was probably the first time I've been there. Usually I'm like, Oh, I can't wait to get home and just get back in my own bed. But yeah, I was like, bro, I could stay here. Yeah, true. Move over to Bali. Yeah, so yeah, I'm taking the putty over to Bali. Next podcast will be of Changgu Beach. Oh, lee, Changgu Beach. No, it was good, and then um sort of, yeah, we meant to fly out on Wednesday and we got to the airport. Um, and then as we got out of the car because we're a bit early, like our driver, I told to the driver, I'm like, because I know him, because he always picks us up. I'm like, bro, just pick us up at eight o'clock. He's like, no, seven in case traffic. I'm like, bro, just pick us up at eight. Like, we don't have to be we don't fly out till 12. Yeah. Um, but he picked us up at seven. And we got there, and as soon as we got there, they said the flight was delayed an hour. It was just like, Well, it is what it is. Like, then we got in there and no one really knew what was going on. They're like, Oh, you've got to go on this line. And then I checked, I was just sus on the whole thing because there was no one was moving and we're in the checking line. So I went on the Jet Star app and it came up, your flight's like cancelled. And I looked at Ali and I'm like, like that. And I'm like, should I start spreading the rumour? Yeah, yeah, yeah. And there's like heaps of old people behind me. I'm like, Oi, they reckon this flight's cancelled.

SPEAKER_00 5:40

Like, what now I've got to get the fucker?

SPEAKER_01 5:42

And I'm like, how good's this? But yeah, it turns out the flight was cancelled. We just cruised back, stayed another night. Yeah. Um, but yeah, no, it was really good, but it was needed, and so I went straight into that into some into work up in Ballinar, um, with Nev, which was which was mad, bro. I was it was mad to work with him, um, and it was just mad. Probably can't really go into much detail about work itself, but probably the outcomes that we got there was was really good as well. With um a pretty complex young fella, but it was mad, bro. We went out to a waterfall and Ballon's good. Ballinar's sick.

SPEAKER_00 6:15

Yeah, I went up to um Lismore for work last year, and um you can't actually stay in Lismore because of the flooding and everyone lives in hotels, so I had to stay in Ballinor, and I was mad. Yeah, we're a water front there.

SPEAKER_01 6:30

I was telling Nev actually, because when me when I used to work for Ungaroo, me and Dad had like the mentor on Baranguero Pro uh Baranguro program, so we had from new we pretty much the tweet heads that we'd cover. Um and we used to go to Ballinor a bit, but I was telling Nev there was one time we're there, and we'll get a bit of when we're in Lismore and we'll stay in Lismore and we'll get a bit of rain. And next to the the river in Lismore, there's a massive post, and it has the meters and the different floods. And me and the old boy were standing there and I was like, fuck bro, imagine the water coming through at that that height, right? And um, it was flogging down for fuck two days, and I said to the old boy, well let's get out of it, like we've got probably got to go. Like there was no risk, yeah. Risk, but ended up being. But then we we'll come and under you come under the bridge at Lismore um to turn off into the highway at Lismore, and the water was up to like our tyres. Yeah, and it pissed down bro the whole way, and it ended up flooding. I think that was the 2022 floods, it would have been. And it ended up higher than that um those meters, bro. And it was just so crazy to just to look around, like it would have been higher than the traffic lights.

SPEAKER_00 7:34

Yeah. Like that much water, bro, it was just wild to think. Yeah, that's when we had the big floods out of Dungog there. Um they, I think it was 2015, they um the water was rushing through the oval there, and the water was higher than the crossbar on the goalpost. That's wild. It's wild just to think like that much body of water.

SPEAKER_01 7:53

Because it's open space, so it's got to go out, yeah, build up, and then yeah, we did some plumbing work out at Dungog for the floods, and I think it was those units where a couple people passed away. Yeah, Allison Court, yeah. Yeah, and we like had to go in there and like disconnect a little plumbing, but you could you walked in there, bro, and you could see the waterline on it was like that far from the ceiling. Yeah, it was wild.

SPEAKER_00 8:13

Yeah, I remember we me and like a few of my friends were just walking around and helping people, yeah, doing different things here and there. Um I remember walking past the units there when they were pulling one of the people out. And that's wild, bro. The cops come over and like, you suppose I don't want to watch this. Yeah, no, I'm right.

SPEAKER_01 8:27

No, it's just crazy to sort of just stand there and think like how small you like in comparison to us, like there'll be just that body of water just rushing through and how quick it could up.

SPEAKER_00 8:36

Because I feel like um if you haven't been in a flood or you haven't seen it, um I feel like things like like if it was fire, it's scary, it's like oh like hot, like it's gonna burn you. But water just doesn't scare people. But water scares me, alright. Like, do you know uh do you know like more people like so many more people die like the the most common way to die in a flood is in your car, and it's because they try to drive through the water.

SPEAKER_01 9:01

Yeah, they try to drive through.

SPEAKER_00 9:02

Like you wouldn't try and drive through a fire bar.

SPEAKER_01 9:04

Nah, a true.

SPEAKER_00 9:05

So like people just look at it and go, ha'll be right. Like I'm in this big land cruiser, I'm good. But bro, like it doesn't take much to actually just but also you don't know what's underneath the water. That's right. You don't realise how you could rip the road up and it's not the road that you think it is. You don't even know what how deep it is.

SPEAKER_01 9:19

Yeah. So if you if you're out. This is sponsored by the New South Wales government. Nah, but it was good. What do you mean up there? Oh, and we haven't really it's hasn't been good. I'm not saying that we haven't.

SPEAKER_00 9:32

I was gonna I was gonna say with the water stuff too. Um where are you floating? This is spin out. So I remember when I was in I was in like year two, so it would have been or eight or so. And um we we're living in Patterson for like one year, like we just lived in Patterson there, and dad was um working in it at Green Hills, and we were getting heaps of rain, so he ended up coming home, the school closed and everything, because in those places when the water starts coming up, the school's closed because it seems people that live out of town. Yeah. Um I think it must have I think it was um the Pasha Bolka storm.

SPEAKER_01 10:04

That was mad.

SPEAKER_00 10:05

And um we lived in a two-story house, and um down the stairs was just like concrete, barbecue, darts board, like no rooms or anything downstairs, and you go upstairs and it's like basically the house upstairs. Um and like the water's coming up, and we're all just wigging out. And um Was your dad home yet? Yeah, he was home, and he he's like, Oh, like we'll just watch it overnight and that. So we're watching it, and then like I think it was that afternoon at like five, the SES would all knock saying, like, you've just got a cruise soon, and we're like, like, dad's like, oh, all good. So um then the news rocked up, um, and this chick's like, I'm from um the Sydney Morning Herald. Like, I like we want to um take some clips and stuff of the flooding. Like, we'll give you whatever they offered him. Um, do you reckon you'd swim out to like the septic pump and like maybe just think like pretend you're doing something? Really? Yeah. That's that's fucked up. Yeah, it's like did he do it? Like, we'll give you whatever yeah Yeah, so it's on the it was on the front page there, sitting with an arrowbr. Um then met from Patterson in subwater. Yeah, it got to like 2, 3 a.m. I think it was like it was just nearly, yeah, like 4 a.m. And I remember that mum and dad waking us up um saying like we're we're about to leave, and um it was like lapping the top door. Yeah, um, like where it would recede a bit, splash, and as it splashed, it would splash in. Yeah. So we had towers and stuff down, and it's kind of like wall, like you like we're looking at it like turn on the outside light, and it's like y if we're leaving, you're gonna have to swim to the road, like yeah. So we just like chilled and just um dad's real smart with that stuff, but like in terms of just understanding the water and like in in the house that uh my parents live in now, and we live there since like I don't know, 2018 or whatever, but um it's like the river runs behind us, so then when the like down the bottom of Dungog floods, it joins forces and it always comes up in our backyard. Um and I think in that 2015 flood we weren't living there, but the water did come through the floorboards in that house. True. So we're always like every time it floods, we we stay up. Um and the last couple of floods, bro, when I was living at home, um, I just stayed all up all night with dad because I wanted to learn like what are you looking for in that. Yeah, and um we would always like every two, three hours we'd go for a drive to the main river and just see what it's doing down there, yeah, and trying to see if it's like receded down there or if it's um like broken the banks and stuff because if you if it's whatever's down there is what's coming to us in like the next hour or two. So and that's the thing with those kind of places and flooding is it's never it's not usually the rainfall. Like we'll get heavy rain for a week, the sun will be out on the the next Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, but we'll be in flood because it's got to go somewhere.

SPEAKER_01 13:05

Like how much trust do you put into your entire back in the day? Fuck it.

SPEAKER_00 13:11

Yeah, I'm staying.

SPEAKER_01 13:13

Not my old boy, but I'm a bit sketchy on him.

SPEAKER_00 13:15

Yeah, well, I I just think like they know the kids.

SPEAKER_01 13:22

Yeah, but you don't know. That's it. Or they just confident that. I'd probably just I'd probably just do that age, like confident, alright. I'll just worry about you.

SPEAKER_00 13:29

I worry about that all the time. Like, um as a kid, like you think your parents are like they're him, bro. Like they know what they're doing. Like, but then I'm getting that age now where I'm like, like, we'll be at home rather than we'll hear something, just be like, ooh, like what's that? Like, you want me to go out and check? Please say no. Like, I've got to make all of the decisions, like, you know what I mean? Like, you get up out of baseball bat your shoes. Imagine where are you? Imagine being that being in that kind of circumstance, and like you've got to make a decision for like your whole kids in your life. Yeah, bro.

SPEAKER_01 13:59

It's just like comes naturally, I guess. But yeah, no, you sort of just think that your parents just know everything, and but you they I remember that that's their first time as well.

SPEAKER_00 14:07

Here, that's all. Um, I'm oh actually, I'll tell this young after the potty, anyways.

SPEAKER_01 14:11

Yeah, or you gotta watch him, hey, you gotta watch him. Now, what have you been doing? But I feel like we haven't even really spoken for a while.

SPEAKER_00 14:16

Oh bro, the last week I haven't really done that much to be honest. I've just been pretty chill. Um, we had heaps big like a reporting week at work last week, so um had to get our monthly and our six monthlies done. Um, and then obviously on the on the weekend, dead set, like I was a bit crooked last week. Did it rain? Um a little bit yesterday, but that's about it. So we had I went to Footy Sadi Um over at the terrace. Oh yeah, beat the Hawks. How's that one, Zoe?

SPEAKER_01 14:48

Hey Zoe, you think you oh listen to that podcast to come in here run your mouth? You're not getting this job. Yeah, yeah. So are you serious? I've got a few I wrote down a few pointers and stuff just to what you gotta work on as well. I'll send it over.

SPEAKER_00 14:59

Um so went over there and then Brad Dead set, come back Saturday, um did nothing, eh? Just kicked back, and then even Sunday just got up, made brecky, kicked back. Like I was feeling pretty crap, but um then just like that was it all day yesterday. Just sort of chilled, had to go to training at 3 30 for um just knock outside and we're coaching, so yeah, did that, that was pretty good. But it was actually relaxing. I think it's what I needed to to sort of do, so yeah, you've been pretty small. Yeah, it's been it's been hectic, and I think that's that's a good message because I'm always one that's like nah, I've got two days off, I need to go out and do everything and anything to try and fill it up. But sometimes it's just good to sit at home and kick back.

SPEAKER_01 15:46

Also, forgot to say it, happy fucking Nadock week. Happy Nadock week to all my brothers and sisters and everyone out there. It's like black Christmas, I reckon. Fifty Years Deadly. Fifty Years Deadly. It's that and that knockout, Christmas and Easter, I reckon. Yeah, but no, it's mad. I um sort of was on about yeah, five, about a five-hour drive, six-hour drive home yesterday, and just sort of thinking about a few things and um I wanted to do a post, but I didn't end up doing it. But just about people, um maybe non-identified people that want to get out to their NADOC events and might feel a bit, I don't know, not welcoming. Yeah, not yeah, probably not welcomed. Just to get out there and reach out to someone that you that you know. Um and I was gonna say reach out to me. I'd be happy to take along anyone and um for anyone to come out with us, but I think NADOC NADOC events are just so like um well, they feel they feel my cup up, eh? And they you just see so many like powerful black people.

SPEAKER_00 16:48

There's people that I only see once a year and it's at NADOC, and it's mad. Pretty much, eh?

SPEAKER_01 16:53

Yeah, not yet, it's like that, eh? But um, I don't know, getting around to all the stalls and stuff like that. Getting freebies a while. Oh, I I'm I'm bad for it, eh?

SPEAKER_00 17:01

I'm bad for a drink bottle, bro.

SPEAKER_01 17:02

Yeah, or one of those stress balls. Yeah, I stress out too free feeding that free feed out rotary. Hey, so yeah, I'm head I'm gonna I'm gonna try I'll probably get to this is a calendar, you got Newcastle today. Yep.

SPEAKER_00 17:16

Ten to two, Marok as well today.

SPEAKER_01 17:18

Marouk's on as well today. Ten to two.

SPEAKER_00 17:20

Yep. Um tomorrow is Minda Existence um walk or march. Yep. That I think it's 9 30, meet at the courthouse and 10 o'clock start. Yeah, walk down to the art gallery.

SPEAKER_01 17:31

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 17:32

Um Wednesday's Singleton. Good day out there. Um at Singo Nadock. Family Fun Day. Thursday, there'd be something on Thursday. Yeah, Thursday, I think. Um Friday's Mindar Family Fun Day at Harold Gregson. Harold Gregson Park. Um, so there's a few things happening.

SPEAKER_01 17:51

You should have store do you have stalls down there? We've got a stall at um Singo and uh Minder. Yeah. So yeah, I'm gonna cru I'm cruising down to the newy one. Yeah, I might go for a look, yeah. Lap down there. Um taking a young fella down there, and then I'll go to definitely go to the march tomorrow. And then probably cruise out to Singo Wednesday, I reckon.

SPEAKER_00 18:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 18:11

Um But yeah, no, I'm looking forward to it. It's good like you said, it's good to catch up with everyone and see all the good work that everyone's doing and um just get around and yarn, really.

SPEAKER_00 18:20

Yeah, and then this sadly we got um our indigenous round at Pickers. True. Where's that at? Sports game. Right. Uh Hoodie's verse. Boys uh we play girls play West and the boys play Lakes. True. Yeah. They got jerseys and shit made up. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 18:38

Yeah, I know I'm meant to be my birthday's on Sunday. Is it? Yeah. It's already here. 33.

SPEAKER_00 18:45

33.

SPEAKER_01 18:46

28, 28, shut the gate. Are you 28? 28, boy. True, eh? Um, but I might have to go to Balina for work. But sort of wouldn't mind just a weekend to spend with family, to be honest. And probably get around it, Indigenous around over in Maitland. I'd probably owe that to me pop, to be honest. Yeah. Um, me and the old boy might go over there. That might be a good sort of way to spend some time with dad, to be honest. But um, yeah, no, there's a fair bit, fair few things happening. Um, but yeah, like I said, make sure you get out. If you have the opportunity, get out and connect in to your local Nadoc event. There's plenty other things. Go and suss it out. Suss it out.

SPEAKER_00 19:22

Don't just sit at home and write all these comments and hey, say we get everything in fucking free houses and shit. But but that's the other thing as well. Like, if you are one of them people, go and suss it out and see how hard some of our mobile working in community with their stores and like the people they work for and how passionate they are about making that change and stuff. So that's right. Um yeah, it's mad. Don't judge. But you so we got rid of the quotes. Um, I didn't really give an explanation last week, but I guess it's just kind of like a bit of a change up. We just um we'll try and do things different each time. I feel like if you ask for quotes every week, there's only so long you can do that for before people are like, well, I've already sent money and I don't really have any more, or like become stale a little bit. Yeah, we don't want that. So um we want engagement. We did ask for something you'd tell your younger self.

SPEAKER_01 20:12

Yeah. What do you got? You going me or are you going you? No, I'm going you. Holy cow. Um something I'd tell my younger self, I reckon. I was thinking about this in the drive home. Um But it's probably not to feed in not to feed into what people think. No. I spent all my like I used to hang around, like because I had an older brother like an older brother, and I used to spend all my time trying to show off and trying to be this person, you know what I mean, just to fit in. Um But it's but I guess it'd be like be yourself, because once you start being yourself and you're comfortable in that, the right people will come around you. You'll start surrounding yourself with the right people. Um so that that would be mine, is just honestly, but just be just be yourself and be and do what you're passionate about. Don't try and do this and do that to fit in, don't be this person, just be you. That's it. Be you, be you, and the right people come around.

SPEAKER_00 21:10

Play that track, be you, cuz. But just be yourself, bro. Mine's similar, mine's pretty much the same, is um just do your own thing. Like, there's so many times where I was, you know, picking the same subject as friends, or not doing that because of them, or not doing that because of them. Like just go and do whatever you want to do for you. Um that's pretty much it, really. So we've got a couple a couple similar ones that um are a bit like that, just um, I guess in a similar kind of theme. We'll read a couple out. So um Piper Thomas, shout out to Piper. Um there's a mad yarn actually that so I got this. Um I don't know if I should tell this on the potty, but here you go. Um get it out of the issue. I got this um like weird like kind of Instagram message request on Instagram obviously but um I didn't know yeah I thought it was just a scam at the start because the name was a bit weird and then um I went back and checked it it like checked the the name and checked the message and it was like a teacher from beads and was just basically saying like hey like one of the students who used to coach at Footy which is Piper um was basically just like says you're doing heaps good stuff with like podcasts and mental health and like Aboriginal culture and stuff like I'd like to have a yarn she didn't have any contact details for you this is it so I'm just messaging you here. It was good hey yeah love that shout out to Piper for gassing my boy up. Hey but she's putting one in said don't listen to those girls just be you that's hectic. Yeah so no that's mad um I love that that's that's good good chat that be you I think is is the theme really it is bro and like and not because I've got a couple but I just want to touch on that as well it's just like you know like as a young fella you you'd be passionate about so many different things but you'd always you'd get steered away from it because up other people mightn't like it or um you might get a bit of shame about it but just be yourself.

SPEAKER_01 23:15

Like and I think as you get older you start to realise that no one actually really cares about you. Like none of them people would care about you now you know people that you're trying to impress at school and stuff like that you're probably not even mates with. Yeah. So be yourself boy and just cruise along you want you got another one you want to read one? I've got one more yeah um this is from Jake Howard you won't find the love you're looking for in this shit street I didn't really get an explanation from him but I I sort of I've known Jake for a while he's had a bit of a hard trot and sort of hanging around the wrong crowd so I think that's good too is like just because and I'm just trying to break this down but just because you're there or or hanging around with certain people doesn't mean you can go off and do something else. You don't have to be constricted to those people but you can go and do your own thing. Yeah mad. And if you're searching for something that's not there search somewhere else that's good.

SPEAKER_00 24:16

There's a few more um this I I wasn't actually originally going to read this one out but I thought that there might be some people out there that would get some benefit from it and it's a bit of a long one but it's actually from my sister who replied back and she's kind of struggling a little bit with just with relationship stuff at the moment but she said relationships come and go don't spend so much time dwelling on what could have been keep moving both your body and your mind the pain you're feeling right now won't last forever even if it feels impossible to believe in the moment I tell myself everything has a way of working itself out and one day you'll look back and realize you made it on the other side. You'll move on you'll heal and you'll become str stronger most importantly surround yourself with people who lift you up support you and remind you of your worth the right people will bring peace not an anxious feeling.

SPEAKER_01 25:00

That's mad yeah that's mad serious I'd nearly hit that button to be honest.

SPEAKER_00 25:06

So I wasn't like I wasn't gonna read it out just because obviously you know it's it's personal but I thought there there'd be some young girls out there that are probably struggling with the similar sort of stuff and I think when you're in that kind of cycle you just feel like you know that person that is kind of giving you a little bit and treating you like shit and then giving you a little bit is like you know the your one or the person that you want but I think at the end of the day there'll be if you commit to that no contact and you focus on yourself and you get where you need to get there'll be a day where you look back and you'll be like I can't believe I was so wrapped up on that or you know what I mean heals everything right?

SPEAKER_01 25:40

Yeah. And at the time you probably think that that that's everything yeah right there. Which is so normal to feel like that is a hundred percent but like your sister said bro surround yourself with other people that uplift you keep moving your mind and body and trust the process.

SPEAKER_00 25:54

That's there was one that another one that got sent in um on the create one it was from M. Don't know who that is but um thanks for sending that in it was your kindness is your superpower but don't let it mean people treat you like shit.

SPEAKER_01 26:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 26:11

That's good. I like that I like that as well and that goes with any of your superpowers whatever it is but I feel like I resonate with that a bit because I have a big heart and I've been burnt so many times because I'm like nah they won't do that to me.

SPEAKER_01 26:26

Yeah I'm being yeah mine's the same as that like giving too much A and expecting that people probably do the same back but they don't yeah which is fine.

SPEAKER_00 26:35

I got one more and I'm gonna read this out for a laugh but I might have a lollier this um this is from Grace Gilbert shout out to Grace I coached her for a couple years at um at Brailles spin out so I'm actually going to tell her Jan about Grace hopefully she doesn't mind um we coached we coached four years at um we coached four years at Morpeth um so like it all started because we were at work me and Guinness were at work and um we were like it was like March or something and we were like oh yeah do you want to like we should coach footy and it was like just after I'd done like my bad knee injury and I was like yeah I'd be keen to get back into it like into like you know juniors. So we rang around a few clubs and um well the first club we went to was Morpeth because he used to play there and they were just down the road um so we rang them and they'll I've seen if there was any spots open for coaching like maybe 14s and above we didn't really want to do real young um and they got back to us and was like oh there's one team without a coach um and it's 15 girls and we're kind of like we'll think about it. So we're kind of um and an aren't for a little bit um and like I think after like a week they rang back and was sort of like they still don't have a coach so we're like all right let's just give it a crack we'll do it and then um we both made a pact that would do four years um because we were thinking like because it's every two years so we'll like we'll do 15s um 15s again 17s 17s again and then we're done um and basically just to give them four years of like this is the plan. And we like we used to like we had a big team meeting with like their families and everything before the season started and was like this is the plan like we all need to buy in it's gonna be hard at the start first year bro we didn't um Grace played in the first year and we didn't win a game um we lost every single game in the first year and then um we just kept going to work but and you know what like it was still one of the best years like the kids had so much fun and stuff I call them kids but the girls had so much fun and then um we were like yeah we'll just stay around again like we'll commit to it and then Grace aged out so she couldn't play 15s again because she was too old she had to go and play 17s so she had to go to West Maitland um and then like just yeah really struggled there I think didn't really get along with the girls at West Maitland but I didn't really talk to her that much either yeah um and then we did 15s again went through the whole season undefeated um from start to finish won the grand final like it was so mad and then we moved up to seven eens um and then she could come back then in seven eens and then she comes back and she goes um I think we're in pre-season or something and she's like oh all these girls are pumped like you just want a comp and I was like yeah like we'll win your mind you'll be right and she's like do you know that I've played three I've played two straight years now and not won a game. Really? I was like no three I think yeah I was like really and she's like yeah because like that year at Morpeth you think a year before that in League Tag and then this and then um when you get to the we get to the grand final that year and there's like five minutes left in the game or ten minutes left the game's kind of wrapped up at this point and I think Grace was like she was struggling with um like a bit of a syndicomosis kind of injury all year like we were managing it all year. And like it would just grab and it would get to a point where she could barely walk and like would nearly be in tears because of the pain. I think there's five minutes left and we're up big and um I ran out I'm like you're right I need to come off my my legs gone like I I can't walk I was like look I would normally say yes I said but in this one moment I'm gonna force you to stay on the field because one thing you'll never ever get to live again or experience in the moment is what it feels like when that full time goes and you're on the field and you can celebrate with the team and um it was mad yeah so she she wrote in and said yeah she wrote in and said um something she'd tell herself younger when she was if she was her younger self is CN Russell is going to give you some mad advice and some hard times your life. Oh that's great appreciate that but yeah that's a good little yarn for you Monday um it's hectic. I guess it just goes to show that you know the the stuff that you put in um like it's important that if you identify if you can identify within yourself that you do have some good qualities and some good traits like go and volunteer your time somewhere with some young people and try and be a role model for them. I think that's important.

SPEAKER_01 30:58

So but that's and on the other end of that as well is if you consider yourself as a role model or or someone like that in community then you've got to act like that as well. Yeah. Because these young people are watching every every single thing you do and they take everything on board. You might think that they remember the conversation or they're listening in but they always are so if you are one of those people and you're out there hold yourself to what you say you are.

SPEAKER_00 31:19

That's him.

SPEAKER_01 31:20

That's him what else we got what else we're what about fucking I don't know but um I I um sort of lost track of time but I didn't realise it's wet Wednesday's state of origin. Yeah but I'm looking at that side and I'm not confident that with the slightest bit like we'll get pumped I reckon up there I'm not even let's um let's go through the little the little thing you know how I just don't understand.

SPEAKER_00 31:46

Do you know how um I've seen people do this before and also actually can I just touch on something before we do that?

SPEAKER_01 31:53

Yeah. I got I got this your podcast bro you touch on whatever you want this is my story and I'm just creating it. I don't know it's about people on planes and I don't know it's it might be just me but people it was nine o'clock in the morning we left Ma left Newcastle airport but before we even left brothers people asleep and they sleep the whole time and they wake up.

SPEAKER_00 32:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 32:16

Bruh then we go on the overnight flight and I can't sleep at all.

SPEAKER_00 32:18

Yeah so if you're one of those people that are sleeping on the planes and can be able to I don't know what you're taking like seriously but I'm I'm off you completely I just wanted to touch on that because I can't sleep to save my life even if it's a nighttime flight like I left at 12am probably got an hour sleep Poxy I could sleep now kick back in yeah I could sleep right now I need a coffee personally yeah I don't know I just think like there's some interesting choices there Boss stock yeah but like old bruh old uncle there Cody Walker he made Moses look silly yeah he made him look silly in that Rabbit's eels game yeah um anyways we'll see how they go but I'm not expecting anything but I don't know um I just don't me and Nev were talking about it a lot it's like New South Wales is always just knee jerk reactions. It's like oh yeah that's not working bam we'll take that out they're always just like they're like the classy up like I'm gonna pick all these and then Queensland are just like well they pick on form.

SPEAKER_01 33:24

New South Wales pick on form but they don't pick on connection.

SPEAKER_00 33:26

Yeah Queensland pick on connection like you've got Tedesco Cleary Moses they're all big name players that but it's also how the fans have faith in the coach like yeah bro Laurie makes a decision and everyone hammers him yeah whether it's right or wrong.

SPEAKER_01 33:41

If Billy picked Bostok and his team everyone would be like yeah yeah I can kind of see that but do you reckon this day and age um the game has changed so much so the cut look some of the coaches bar aren't up to standards and that's the problem. Like you've got Billy Slater you got Foz that's just come in for mainly and they they're going well yeah um Benji like obviously the Tigers were going good at the start but you know what I mean it's that different style of footy that Laurie Daly that it was completely different back then. Way different and way different to when he coached last as well yeah that's right yeah so and if he doesn't bring Blake Brayley on when Reese Robinson's out there on his seat on the skiz.

SPEAKER_00 34:17

Since we're talking about coaches and interesting decisions I want to talk about Australia versus Egypt. Did you see that? I didn't watch it ma cars I watched the game before penalty shootout we get to a penalty shootout and so like there's five penalties each before it becomes sudden deaf right you know how that works? Yeah yeah yeah so our within within like we only had four people that took shot like shots because two of them missed. Yeah out of those four people we chose two defenders so you're telling me out of eleven people in the team in an Australian World Cup side 11 people that are on the field you think out of your top four shooters you chose two defenders like and they both missed and it was just wild so bro We only needed one more like our very first person who shot in the penalty shootout and I love him Harry Souter defender steps up and just skies it over the bar like Yeah I don't know what goes through something and they took off the goalie that has made so many saves all World Cup and has been dominating well they just put another goal in the goalie in that's red off imagine imagine that'd be heartbreaking so they took off Pat Beach for Matt Ryan so imagine being Matt Ryan just sitting on the sideline and then literally a minute to go you come on so that you can do the penalty shooting hasn't played a minute no not warmed up or world cup hasn't played a minute but it gets better it gets better right it gets better so Matt Ryan is a bit older right so Matt Ryan was the bloke that they put in as if to say like you're gonna be this penalty shootout king. So you're thinking he must be real deadly at penalties this bloke if they're gonna bring him on. 2022 when we were qualifying against Peru we went into a penalty shootout different coach but still we took Matt Ryan off put someone else put someone else in just for penalties and that someone else was that wiggle guy that did like the weird thing before it and got us to qualify. So if we don't think he's the man for the job in 2022 why do we all of a sudden want to put him on when we literally could have used that last sub to take a defender off and put a striker on that can actually kick penalties I I d I just think it's a massive for someone to be sitting on the sideline like imagine that bra and then you just chucked in a penalty like that is wild.

SPEAKER_01 36:49

Right we it was embarrassing I don't care who you are like you could be bloody we um so anyway do you know who Mo Salah is?

SPEAKER_00 36:57

Yeah yeah so he um he's walking up to take his penalty and Matt Ryan meets him at the penalty spot and he's just talking smack to him bra um like just getting in his head which I'd probably do the same thing if I was a keeper. You definitely would how is the ball on Mo Salah to stand there go to take his penalty Matt Ryan's on his goal line and do you know what a panica is basically you run up and you pretend you're gonna kick it and then you just chip it straight and you go straight down the middle but it's a little chip. Yeah he does that to him after he just gave him a mouthful yeah that's it bro he just put him on the pitch it was so funny I'll find it for you too that's boss um yeah nah heartbreaking for the for the Aussies I reckon um I thought it was gonna be like a bit of an underdog story I didn't I knew we weren't chatting him how far are they out 15 yeah yes yes to get them hold on this one makes you look cilia it's embarrassing Matt Ryan if you're out there listening but honestly it's there's some tactics that are just yeah and then the other guy that missed bra like 18 year old defender like why would you even do that? Yeah so you just wouldn't yeah you wouldn't even do that.

SPEAKER_01 38:26

Nah yeah I thought it was going to be a bit of an underdog story for the um Aussies but eleven meters eleven yeah I thought it was further back eh I'd be able to smoke them in then yeah we should go down the park and I can't kick a soccer ball at all but what else is what's gonna you obviously just um nadle pretty much I'm gonna watch jackass tonight oh yeah yeah we're at weight at green hills tactic in there is that new new one out yeah like a last jackass who thought you'd be watching Toy Story I would oh I want to right that's that's mem that's memories there was a home the other day and she's like oh yeah I bought you something today at shopping I was like mad looking real excited it's like what is it and she's like well I noticed how you don't wear pajamas like I don't wear pajamas she bought your match and pajamas Toy Story once from Peter's Alexander I got Buzz Lightyear she got Jesse I was like bruh I'm not wearing them I haven't got out of them all weekend you've got photos in them she posts are still on the weekend eh they're heaps comfy but fuck I've I've never really had matching photos I've never really I don't really I've never had pajamas bruh either I just wear like one of my old touch singlets and like some footy shorts or something but I just wear my undies eh yeah I just pump around my undies take them off yeah even in winter yeah same yeah no I never had nothing better than that and a blinky on the lounge hey get me on the lounge now I could actually go and it's been busy but you know what we don't stop we don't stop you just keep moving forward yeah um if you can get anything out of this podcast it is be yourself. That's him we might finish on that we might finish on that everyone have a good day everyone have a good week if like we said if you're out there get around your NADOC events show some love to each other and rip in. Seasons