SPEAKER_01 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. Let's go. We're back. We're back.

SPEAKER_00 0:40

Episode 10, baby. Ten down. Ten deep. Ten deep. Friday morning. Apologies. We were meant to have a um guest on. I know we posted that on the socials, but honestly, it's been a hectic week for Sam and I. So we just thought we'd just give that one a miss and and do that in a couple of weeks. Um sort of focus on just have a yarn about our week. It's been, yeah, like I said, a hectic week. It's been a mad week. Um so we're just sort of gonna get straight into that, I reckon. Just Nations. Nations of origin down in Sydney.

SPEAKER_01 1:14

Um I don't know about you, bra, but when Well, I do know about you because I know you're the same as me, but when it first sort of came about, we were a little bit like there was a stage there where we were like, mmm, like should we do it? Like you obviously you've got to take, you know, three days off work and it's a big three days and stuff. But um once we sort of seen the crew that was going, we were like, yeah, this will be this will be good, and um I reckon there would have probably been some players that thought that too.

SPEAKER_00 1:40

Yeah, no, I yeah, I felt the same, bro. It's like going into anything that you're sort of unsure on, I reckon, and you're just like a bit uncomfortable, and probably some people there that you don't know, and just things like that, and probably if I didn't have you there, it'd probably be different. Um and speaking to some of the boys, they were similar as well. Um so it just goes for anything, and that's what I was having a chat to one of the boys. I was like, bro, I felt the same. Yeah, like it's not just you um that felt a bit anxious or um uncomfortable going into it. Um I mean Sam felt the same, but um cruise cruise down Monday. Yeah, cruise down Monday morning on the bus. On the bus with the boys, and they'll pump and tunes and they'll hear there, the yelling, screaming. I was like, this is gonna be a long threat.

SPEAKER_01 2:22

And it was it was harder on the Monday because we didn't really have a relationship with them yet. Yeah. So it was just kind of like, you know. You didn't want to you knew some of them, but some of them you didn't. Yeah. Um went from there, went from PCYC terror straight to the zoo.

SPEAKER_00 2:37

Down at Sydney Zoo. Uh spin-out joint that is. Yeah, we might bring that up later. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:43

Um, and then just had a little look around and um originally we were just gonna make our own sort of videos and put it on our own um Instas just to get the content, and then we'll kind of like, let's just use our platform of create your story and just do it together. And I guess the whole point of that was we do have a platforming community. Um I I don't mean create your story, but ourselves, like our profiles and the people that we know and stuff. So we wanted to kind of provide the young people with that, and then they can just do everything, do the content themselves, yeah, be themselves, interview themselves. And that's kind of why we weren't really in it unless we just wanted to do the proper recap and stuff.

SPEAKER_00 3:26

Yeah, no, and I think that worked out well. Um, like you said, just hand it over to them.

SPEAKER_01 3:32

Um they can run with it and do whatever they want with it, and um and I think at the start they were a bit standoffish, some of them, like some of them. Um obviously there was a few a few of the girls in the girls' team that I knew and and they've done that sort of stuff before with me, but they were keen, but a couple of them were a bit like, oh nut, and then by day day two, day three, they're all asking if they can start the day off and finish the day off.

SPEAKER_00 3:55

So Yeah, and that's what it's all about. It's about getting out of your comfort zone, trying something different. But I think um I think just seeing seeing how I guess not disconnected the group was, but just a bit how there was just little groups here, there and everywhere at the start, but then by the end of it, how everyone just came together and um they're all mates and they're all laughing around and just sort of getting around each other is that's what it's all about.

SPEAKER_01 4:18

And then that we had a cultural exchange at the zoo, so all other PCYC nations were there. Some obviously didn't come for various reasons. And they had to exchange something we did um like a bit of a poem and a bit of a story and uh artwork, which is actually mad. The young people outspoke would like they killed it, it was deadly.

SPEAKER_00 4:39

Yeah, it was mad. I think that was actually mad just to see um like so many different people like young people from different areas, and that cultural exchange was sick, like everyone was doing different stuff, people were doing dancing, like you said, artwork, um poems, and just different stories. I think that just really set the scene of um of of the few days ahead and sort of bring everyone together, eh? Yeah, it was mad, it was good actually. It was free feed, eh? A bit of a frip, yeah, it was a mad feed, there. Yeah, buffet, buffet, free cokes. I can see him had a couple cokes there.

SPEAKER_01 5:12

Well, free cokes. I get out, we get outside, we're about to leave the zoo, and I uh all the young people there, and I was like, Look, I'm disappointed in you. They're like, Why? And I was like, You've had an opportunity to load up tonight on the free cokes, and you just didn't get any, and one of them turns around and goes, I've got a full bag full. Yeah, mad.

SPEAKER_00 5:29

I've got everything here. So yeah, did that and then um went back to the accommodation that we s were staying at, checked in there. That was hectic, eh? That was hectic. I think it was um The Lodge Blacktown Blacktown Sports Park. Yeah, so it had around it had all different like um what had soccer fields, it had um indoor pool, indoor gym, and the place that we're staying at were like little dongers. Um, and we think that they were it was for the Olympics. Yeah. Like it was set up for the Olympics, like it's that sort of that sort of vibe there. Um but yeah, they had everything there. It was a mad little spot. Um so yeah, checked in and then obviously the young people are full of energy, getting back to the motel, checking in around each other, getting everyone's rooms, people stressing out, not me. Um yeah, checked in, and then everyone just wanted to talk and yarn. So we probably sat out there, oh everyone went went for a walk around and stuff like that, but probably I can went to bed at about 12-ish.

SPEAKER_01 6:27

Yeah, I think um we were always gonna be a bit more lenient on their bedtimes. I don't really we said to them from the get-go, like, you know, some of them are stressing out, are you really gonna make us go to bed at nine o'clock? But we were kind of like, well, if you want to sit in your rooms and stay out until two o'clock when you're gonna play footy the next day, that's on you.

SPEAKER_00 6:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:47

Um just don't be silly about it and don't go leaving your rooms and running the muck and disrespecting other people. Yeah. So um I think we sat up probably both nights too late, just out in the main courtyard, just making sure they weren't coming out of our rooms, and that was probably just more so because we knew that if we were the ones to catch them or see 'em, we'd be able to um we'd be able to kind of control it a lot better, I suppose, than just rousing on them and yeah, sending them back. So they were good, but they respected it and they'll they'll really well behaved actually.

SPEAKER_00 7:21

Yeah. That's what I was saying, and I said that to a few people, and like in comparison to me at 16, I wouldn't be I'd be out roaming the streets, me, huh? Yeah. I would have not shit myself.

SPEAKER_01 7:33

And then um Tuesday was the first lot of games. Yeah, Tuesday, day one of games. Um and I I was talking to someone the other day, and I was saying, like, it's hectic, because you're at footy all day, and it's that hot, like, and then or you're in the sun and you know, you're just eating wherever you can and whatnot, and you're just supervising the kids here, there and everywhere. And then like I remember on the Tuesday, like, we're going game to game to game, like just barely get a break, and then you go back to the lodge, and you're like, mad, I'm gonna be able to chill, but you can't because you still gotta supervise whatever they're doing, and that's yeah. No chill. No. But I was mad. I think I had like four hours sleep every night, five hours sleep every night.

SPEAKER_00 8:13

Yeah. Nah, she was yeah. I'm I'm still paying for it. I'm lucky I've got this weekend off just a cruise. Yeah. Uh but yeah, day one of games. Um, I think one of our boys played three, I think you girls played two. Yeah. And then same as Warrenware Boys played two Wanna Royal girls. Uh Warrenwai Girls played two as well. Yeah. Um But like Sam said, like we'd play a game and then we'd go watch the girls play, vice versa. So we're always around trying to get around each other as much as we can. Um I think that's what we're trying to build not only with the Wanaroo, but the Warrenware team as well, is just to get around each other and support each other. Like we're there together and um win, lose, or draw. Um, we need to be there supporting each other and yelling and screaming, trying to be the loud, the loudest team there. And I think we w we nearly were. Yeah. I think um I think other teams and and some other coaches said to me, like, oh like use it like use it. It's good to see like users support each other and users are all um sort of connected in with each other.

SPEAKER_01 9:12

I think that was the plan, like we um this is no disrespect, but like I think we were kind of like we're probably not gonna go down there and win everything. So if you know our win would would have been just them coming back with um friendships and bonds that they can take back into their own communities, but decided to take back some medals, eh?

SPEAKER_00 9:33

Hey, we got the medals, uh but yeah, did yeah, and then yeah, 100% right there. Like there was no like obviously winning games is always fun and it's good for the for the teams as well, but I think uh my main focus was just to uh sort of ensure that they do make some more friendships and they're not only com more confident in themselves, but just in the footy and stuff like that, but in community and they can go back um with a bit of a stre step in their stride, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01 10:00

And there was I think maybe six or seven there that uh were from Dungog, and like obviously I grew up in Dungog my whole life. That was mad for me to see, bruh, because those kids don't get that opportunity, like they don't get they don't really get um to do that. And I remember the AEO from Dungog actually reached out to me a couple years ago and said, like, do you know of any Maitland nation side? Because um a couple of our kids trialed for the war on my nation side and didn't get in, and they really wanted to go. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:34

So this is the first year of many for Ike and me. I don't know about Sam, but I reckon I'm sort of locked in like. I signed the dotted line there after getting those medals on they they won't let me go. But yeah, no, I think it sort of I didn't know what to expect. Um I had a rough idea, but I think it it yeah, I've come back with it. It filled my cup up that much and just seeing I know. I was saying to Ali last night, it sort of like turned me back into a 16-year-old for a bit of like just being around and like me and you were like taking the piss, but like we were a little bit like I think just m mine and yours being or I think frothed it.

SPEAKER_01 11:10

Uh we were we even said there one night together that um we'll bouncing off each other, like the way we are, yeah, and just proper carrying on.

SPEAKER_00 11:19

That's what I one one of the girls said to me, they're like, Do you and Sam work together? I'm like, nah, and they're like, Good, because usually get no fucking work done, eh? Yeah, I was like, oh yeah. I think but I think they need that as well. Like, they're only 16 at the end of the day. Um and I don't know, we've both worked with young people in the community for yeah a while now, and we know how they respond. Yeah, and that's different to some people probably think. Um and they'll they'll love them the content. That was cool. Oh, they frothed it.

SPEAKER_01 11:45

Like when's day three out? Yeah, when we when we get five minutes just out of fucking deal with it. Um you did that. Um sorry, I'm just on the mentos here. Uh on the mentos, day three, cruising the cruising the day three. So that was our last day. Um Rudy Hill RSL dinner day day two. That was alright. People said it wasn't that good last year, but mate, give me a buffet feed so I can pick what I want. I give me a free feed, I ain't complaining. If I don't have to cook and wash up, bras. Chicken snitzel's me, bud.

SPEAKER_00 12:17

Hey. Nah. I'm good. A few cokes. A few cokes, few um a few caramel slices. Loves the Coke Zero. Hey, he loves a Coke Zero, but yeah, cruising to day three. Um most of our teams, we like we didn't even really understand how the semis and stuff were working.

SPEAKER_01 12:33

Um so we'll just like Bruh, if I could say anything, like can we get a bit of organization for you fellas? Like the like we no one knew what anything was going on. We didn't even like they had the opening ceremony after games had already been played, and it was basically just The same as the Like, yeah, the same as the Monday night. But it was also just, and I mean this in the most respectful way, it was just an opportunity for the higher-ups to speak lingo that our young people don't even engage with. Get some photos. Yeah, so when like no any wonder why our kids were getting a bit restless and that, but yeah. Um yeah, and then so I think for our for our girls' side, like we probably struggled. We probably didn't have the um we didn't we lacked a bit of speed, to be honest, compared to some of the other teams. Um and I was saying to a few of the girls, like, um the gap between the least talented girl and the most talented girl in in all girls in general, no matter where you come from, is quite large right now. Yeah. Um and that's just because you get some girls that we had bro, we had some girls that had never played footy before. Yeah. Um, they'd just done a bit of school footy, and shout out to them because to put your hand up and be like, yeah, I'll come down and play a tackle footy comp in nines in Sydney. In nations of OJ, never ever played weekends, like that's hectic. And I love that's respect putting yourself out of your comfort zone. But um I was saying to a few of the girls, like, when you look at the boys, because it's nines, but it's the same width of the field, if the pass is too long, they can throw like a effortless ten metre cutout ball. Whereas we the our girls probably didn't don't have that. Um some of them do, but um some of them just lack that, and I guess it just we just struggle with it, and then obviously your one-on-one contact um for our girls is not something that comes natural because they just haven't played their whole lives, which is I guess just a testament to the the um pathway systems and developments. I think if you look at the girls now and then in ten years' time, it'll be completely different.

SPEAKER_00 14:39

Oh, 100%. Yeah. But no, it was mad. Yeah, like I said, we were going in there, we weren't sure. So us boys were sort of sitting around. Um we won two games, drew two, and lost one. So we're like sitting in the limbo, like, well, I don't think we're gonna make finals, but then there was talk about another a plate as well. But like that was all hearsay, like no one really actually knew.

SPEAKER_01 15:00

Yeah, so it was basically like and what people don't realise that not everyone played in the plate, though. Nah. Like we didn't play in the girls' plate because we weren't it was basically the the top eight played in the cup, which is the big one, yeah. And the bottom eight played in the plate, and the the rest of the team just didn't play in finals. Yeah. And then we yeah, we were just sitting around days. Two of the boys were like, Well, we gotta go, we gotta go to training. Our parents are here, we're gonna cruise. So they left and we were like, Well, can we start packing up? And we're like, nah, we've got to wait. And then they just like, oh, the app's not really working. We're trying to get it sorted. The next games will be played at like 1.05. And this was at 150, uh, 12.55. Yeah, and then they yelled out over the loudspeaker, field one, field two, wanna rule Reg Tales, and we're like the all the boys had eight minutes to basically get all their gear on and then get across the other side of the field.

SPEAKER_00 15:51

And I was they're like, What do we do? We were down two players, and I was like, fuck boys, who like just go out there and have a good time. Like, um, obviously with sevens. Oh, wait, sevens or nines? I was gonna be nines. Nines. Um, you got four on the bench, and it's hard to make changes like it's only seven minute halves, so if you're making too many changes, it just stuffs the whole thing. But I think it worked in our favour having let two less people because everyone got to run. Not only that, but they had to work harder and they knew they had to work harder um for each other. And those last three games, bro, and the semis is the best they've played all. Yeah, they played all comp no disrespect to anyone that left, but I think um, like anything, if you know you've got to push harder and you've got to just empty that tank a little bit more, you find a way. And they did, bro, they found a way. Um the first game um we've got against Gumbengi. Yeah. And then the team that beat us by two points and we rolled them, rolled them. Um and that I think it was because there was no pressure on the boys as well.

SPEAKER_01 16:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 16:49

They were just playing like a bit of fuck it footy, bruh, off. Pretty much cutout balls. I think by then I think like say like young fella Cruz and a few of the boys were starting to understand how to play nines, is like go to the line and just bang.

SPEAKER_01 17:02

Because you could tell um in the pool games, those boys that um come from a touch background, because they would get it out wide, they'll try and step and then go through. And then once they worked out that I can just pin to a corner and they probably won't tackle me, yeah. They w they couldn't match them out wide.

SPEAKER_00 17:18

No, and then I think Cruz got in his head he's like a wide off wide, just run to the line. I'm gonna attract fenners the way he just jinx it around, he's just going bang, just drawing past. His passing game's cool, eh? Yeah, he's a wham. And he and like you were saying before, um, boys that can just put it on the dial, like 15, 20 minute cutout, yeah. He's one of them that hits him on the chest. Uh so did that. Um, so the boys went through and they're like, Oh, we're going to semis, and everyone was getting around each other. Um, and they didn't want because we didn't have time to warm up. So then they had their superstition, they're like, No, well, we didn't warm up last time, bro. We're not gonna change it. I'm like, you're just a lazy guy. Um so we did that, and then we versed um that comes straight from Colorado. Yeah, yeah. No, no, we didn't warm up. I'm like, bro, you've got to do something. Um and then we versed um Um that's Sydney Times. Um Darog Mount Drew it. Darog Mount Drew it. So we versed them, and um, they had some big boys. I think the boys looked at them like, oh fuck. Here we go. Um, but just to sort of recap that game, um, we were down 16-14, the hooter went. Um your own trial line. On our own trial line, we kicked the touch, and I was just like, just throw it around. And we had some we had all the boys out there because it was two on the bench that were injured.

SPEAKER_01 18:27

There's a lot of people that I was sitting with from our um teams that started walking back to the tent and was like, Righto, one of my is out. These boys uh no, one of mine's already out, these boys are pretty much out. We can start packing up and cruise. And I was like, hang on a second, like don't write the boys off. Don't everyone write one of my one of them rule off, don't write them off colours.

SPEAKER_00 18:49

So we yeah, we got it. I think one of the boys kicked for Tart. Bronson. Bronson took probably on our 30, I reckon, 40. Um the boys just started throwing it around, big big fella got it, then he threw it around, then we'd come out wide, and we'll probably 40 out from their line. Young Tars here straight out Dungog, um, dummy, straight through scored. So we ended up winning that game, and I was just like, we're on it.

SPEAKER_01 19:12

No, this fella, like what happened in the lead up was they hit, they made they created a three-on-two out in the left, and they hit it to the centre. And I was like, Yeah, sweet, but it was big Zave, and I was like, Oh, he's probably not running 40, but the big fella has attracted two in over the top offload back to the middle, and then when Coa got it, I was like, he could probably run the distance, but I was like, that's a long way out, yeah. But like for that meaning just to catch and pass to the outside, like that's that's mad because he his eyes would have lit up and he would have thought, I'm gonna run it. But he's like, No, I can't. Yeah, he's like, I'll create the space. And when Taj got it, I was like, Ooh, like maybe they maybe they're outside again. This fella just little dummy and slices through, scores, gets up, doesn't know what to do. He's like, Did I just do that for my dreaming? Like, wake up, bro, you're late in the bath now.

SPEAKER_00 20:07

Oh, but like, everyone's like, then I was like, for the whole game, the staff are saying, mate, you need to get behind the line. I'm like, don't, I'm just in his own. I was just and then I was just jumping up and down, and I was like so proud of the boys, eh? Because, like you said, everyone's writing us off. Um and it didn't matter if it was a cup or the plate for us, like we were just happy just to be there, you know what I mean? Um so then won that and then went into the final against Beerpie. And I think everyone that I spoke to, like, you're gonna get smoked, yeah. Beer pie's gonna, and I was watching Beerpie next. Well, Beerpie were next to us, and they smoked that team because I was just quick as. And I was like, and a few of the boys that played in our side played knockout with a few of the boys from Tari. Um I was talking to them the game before the game, like, Well, you get over here, we're not talking to them before we see you madman. But um, I don't know. I delivered an all-time rev-up speech.

SPEAKER_01 20:58

Yeah, we're all we all just got in the huddle. But that was tight too. That's what you need. Just and it and you could just tell it was like in that huddle, and it was like e every everyone inside this circle right now means everything, and everyone outside it means nothing.

SPEAKER_00 21:12

Yeah, it just blocked it. All that noise outside is blocked out. Yeah. And you just see the boys switch on. Like it was so mad to see. And I think they after they they won those two games, they they're just full of confidence. I don't think any well teams would have stopped them, but I think just how confident they were.

SPEAKER_01 21:27

And bro, you wanna you want to talk about like resilience? Like, these boys going in against Beer Pie thinking we might get dusted here. Yeah, they go the short kickoff, beer pie pick it up and run the length and score. Yeah. You're down six nil in like the first minute. Yeah. They could have packed it up then and then.

SPEAKER_00 21:46

Yeah. And that's what and that was the main thing the whole time. And if something doesn't go away, we make a mistake or the it's against us, we keep our heads high and we we get around each other. Yeah. Because then the times where someone just one person can Stuff for the whole team. They can fuck this and they can put that negative energy out. But if we stay together like a tight-knit group, we can go on.

SPEAKER_01 22:08

A couple of tries, ain't he?

SPEAKER_00 22:09

Hey, Big Zave. That young fella, he scored two. Yeah, um Cade.

SPEAKER_01 22:15

Yeah, Cade.

SPEAKER_00 22:16

Yeah, Cade scored two. I don't think he scored all the whole game and then scored two. And then Bronson kicked four out of four. Yeah. Because that in the grand final. Yeah. Clutch. Clutch. He was actually warming up. Because remember when Man New slotted through like probably three each from 48. Nah, and then Bronson was just trying to like he was just at the sideline the whole time and he kept slotting him, so I'm like, bro, you've got to keep going now. Yeah. Um, but yeah, in the final, like, um, it was mad because a couple of the boys that hadn't scored the whole tournament scored. Yeah. Shout out Big Xavier if you're listening. My guy. You're my MVP for the trip, bro. Like, you brought everyone. I'm gonna tell you guys a yard about him.

SPEAKER_01 22:52

Hopefully you don't mind. Um we get there, we get there on Monday. We get there on Monday. And we'd tell the boys, we need to be leaving at 7.30 sharp, so you need to be awake at 6.30, getting everything sorted. Brecky will be here. And all the boys are like, Oh, 6.30, like, damn, like, I don't know, like that's early. Big Zave goes, boys, stop stressing. I'm up at 6 every morning. I don't care. I'll wake you up if you want. We're on the bus at 7.30. There's two people missing. Go and knock on the door, it's Dave and his um his roommate Cade. Yeah. Um, comes to the door and like, bruh, like, ready or what? But he's so nonchalant with it. Yeah, just about to have a shower. So at 7:30. Yeah, okay. Turns around to his mate and he's like, Why didn't you send an alarm? His mate goes, Bruh, you've been telling us all day you're gonna be up at 6 a.m. So that true true to his word, this follow-up was up at 5 30 the next morning.

SPEAKER_00 23:43

And send a video on the group chat to the boy.

SPEAKER_01 23:46

Uh, ready to read the rock.

SPEAKER_00 23:48

Send the video on the group chat to the boy, he's like outside in the courtyard and goes, Where are you?

SPEAKER_01 23:53

Actually like they're like there. So just because you wake up an hour early the next day doesn't make amends for the day before. But no, honestly, one of the best, one of the best follow-up.

SPEAKER_00 24:02

Yeah, and I think it um and I like I was talking about um it was hard with the interchanges when we had four, but um, everyone was getting a mad run by the end of it, and every I think that brought everyone together as well.

SPEAKER_01 24:13

Um Cruz, bro, shout out to him because um Bira Pye made a break and the game was still kind of not won yet. And he's like tracked back, and you could tell that he's shadowed the player because he knew he was about to pass. Pass one-on-one tackle, brings him down, he spills the ball.

SPEAKER_00 24:28

Spills a ball. And and what did we say the whole time, bro? If we make a mistake, if if we force an error, we score a trial, we do some big, big energy play, then we need to bring that energy and get around the boys. And I think that there sort of changed the whole momentum of the game. Yeah. Because I think that was their last little And that's what we were saying to them.

SPEAKER_01 24:45

Like, you don't realise when you get up and around people, it changes the momentum. Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_00 24:50

And it puts it on the back on them at at Burepi as well. Um But I think just to touch on the young fella Xavier, I don't want to go into I don't want to go into too much detail of of young people because I don't want to share it share um that. But I think just seeing not only him but some other young people that at the start were sort of a bit disconnected from the group, but by the end of it, um the boys were just frothing it. When Xavier scored that try, we've got the video of all the boys jumping around, like and he just had the biggest smile on his face.

SPEAKER_01 25:24

Yeah. Um and honestly, it was just so good to one of the boys, I think it was Ethan Captain there, ran straight in, just picked him up off the ground.

SPEAKER_00 25:33

I was like, come on, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 25:34

We might be able to put it in, but he was mad, it was hectic.

SPEAKER_00 25:37

Um, and just speaking of Xavier's old boy as well, like I just said, look, you should be so proud of your young fellow. Like, not only just how respectful he is, but just sort of just the growth that I've seen in the last two days. Yeah, not only for him, bruh, but just for for most of them young people, eh? Yeah, um, just creating that space where they do feel confident and um you bring everyone together, it's it's pretty powerful, bro.

SPEAKER_01 26:00

Yeah, no, it was mad.

SPEAKER_00 26:02

So shout out to all them boys and yeah, end up winning it. And um, I don't know. I I don't really care about winning or losing, to be honest. I I think what I what I'll take from that is just the memories and sort of the friendships that were made there. I think it's so sick, bro. Like honestly, I can't speak highly enough of it. Like, I'm so stoked for everyone involved, and um I'll be back. I'll be back. We're not getting rid of it. Back to back, I'll be taking that down.

SPEAKER_01 26:27

The boys reckon we'll just throw a couple of pool games next year and take home the plate again or what? Um but all right, let's get into it. Let's talk this Sydney's hookahs, because I'll put out a little bit of a video, like, just spinning out a bit. We're walking around, I'm taking photos of these animals, and I and I was kind of thinking to myself, like, what am I ever gonna do with these photos and videos I've just taken? And then I was kind of just like, like, because there was a few kangaroos there, but there was some other animals there that you see in the wild, um, not necessarily the African and like animals and stuff, but the fish and like crocodiles or whatever. Um and I was just kind of like this is such a false representation of these animals, like it's not how they wouldn't generally walk, move, or whatever. Um it's kind of like it's it's kind of like if you were to go to a prison and you'll take phot videos and that of people, they wouldn't normally act the way they do. So, like, bruh, it was so depressing to see some of them are just in these enclosures on them on a mo like on their own.

SPEAKER_00 27:31

It's like they're doped up. It's like they're doped up. It's like they just seriously it's like it's like they're robots, but they just sit there and they just lay down or just move around. But I think it was weird, bruh, because Are they putting something in the food?

SPEAKER_01 27:42

Hey, that's what I want to know, bro.

SPEAKER_00 27:43

They've got to be.

SPEAKER_01 27:44

Because and we were looking at some of the um enclosures and we were like, they could get out. Hey, monkeys. It's either that or it's it's um they've rap they've been raised in that environment. So they don't know nothing else. It's so sad.

SPEAKER_00 27:59

That's what I mean, and and that's not only just for animals, it's a good I don't know what the word is, but like you are your in what environment you are. Yeah, kind of sad. Like you're if you're in that environment, then you just enclose that, that's all you know. Yeah. But I think it was weird, bro, because I think it was most animals, and we're like, oh, they're they're cute or whatever, but then you see the elephants just in the two elephants, bruh. And I was just like, fuck.

SPEAKER_01 28:20

You know how big an elephant is, and they're in a room that's like no bigger than your lounge room.

SPEAKER_00 28:23

And then I think you said no, I can't. I said, I one of us said, Oh, I'm not taking videos that I said, but I felt the exact same thing at the same time.

SPEAKER_01 28:30

I was like, uh I was like, nah, because I put some stories up. I was like, nah, you know what, I'm gonna delete them and I'm not doing that. Like, and then that's what you said. And like we had a bit of the yarn to a couple of the girls, and they were like, Yeah. Um, but like I don't know. Should we start investigating these or what? I think in the world I don't want to shut the zoos down, but also we can do it so much better.

SPEAKER_00 28:51

I I think in the world right now, um, there's a lot of campaigns for a lot of different actions and movements and stuff, but I don't think there's much talk about zoos at all.

SPEAKER_01 28:58

Yeah, it's weird.

SPEAKER_00 28:58

I would like to hear from someone from the zoo.

SPEAKER_01 29:03

Reach out Robert Irwin. Yeah, Robbie, you out there, buddy. But like I don't know how to phase this correctly, but someone that's I'd like to reach out I'd like to hear from people that are like animal activists and you know, maybe like a bit more vegans and stuff that support that. Do you like to go to the zoo to see the animals that you obviously love and are passionate about, or are you against it? Because like that I'm I love meat, but I eat any animal.

SPEAKER_00 29:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 29:31

But I looked at that and and I don't I'm not one and like you don't eat an elephant, but nah, but I mean this in the nicest way as well. I'm not one to sit there and be like, oh like don't hurt the animal. Like I I've been pig chasing before and hunting. Yeah, I'm not that kind of person, but just being in that environment, I think just seeing how depressed they are. Because what what done it for me was we'll happily put all these species through this for uh human entertainment. Yeah, that's cruel.

SPEAKER_00 29:59

Whilst we sit there and take photos and they just make a living off it. Hey, so if anyone's uh thinking about fucking starting a zoo or owns one, think again. Meet you at the front. Hey, how about that? Um but yeah, that was wild. Yeah, that's sort of good week. But yeah, mad week. I'm so keen to go around to.

SPEAKER_01 30:18

I think um I think now we've sort of worked out how it sort of runs and we can I think but even still, bruh, we rocked up Wednesday last day games, and like, oh a new rule, the person who scores the drive doesn't have to go off anymore.

SPEAKER_00 30:29

Yeah, he's been doing this for 12 years. What about that that yarn about the fucking extra points in the bonus zone? Oh bruh. That didn't exist.

SPEAKER_01 30:36

Alright, alright, I just want to put this down there and I'm gonna clip this up so that we can post it on our socials. Yes, the goalposts look different, they're a little bit wider down there, they've got massive pads on the goalposts. Whoever's spinning rumors around that you get an extra point if you score in between the bonus zone, stop it. Stop it. Because the amount of times we scored out wide and the boys rented in and scored under the post, I checked all the scores and there was no extra points given for bonus zone tries. So just because you just what used to watch the NRL 9s and they had the painted bit on the grass and you think you get bonus zone tries, I don't think it's a thing.

SPEAKER_00 31:12

What it made me realise is how quick yards can be spread around a place like that. Like, seriously, there's like people like, oh you know about that. I'm like, bro, you just did that over there. I listened to it. Yeah, well, you scored in the bonus zone. Bonus zone. I'm like, broads, it doesn't exist. But it's just because the posts are a lot wider, so you you you're full for it. Because they're all saying they don't even play footy down there every weekend. Like that's not even anyone's field. Yeah, just like for galleries and shit like that. Makes sense, yeah. Um so yeah, if you have. I'm gonna make it my mission, not probably at nations, but maybe even knock out to spread some sort of yarn that hopefully it like see if it gets there. So if anyone can think of any good ones that are believable, maybe like yeah, I'll think of one. Because it can get around pretty quick. That's mad. Um that's probably nation's covered. That's nations covered, yeah, I reckon. Another yarn. Um what was I gonna say? Um, yeah, that's nation's covered. Shout out to everyone involved, it was mad week, loved it. Um but another yarn yarn, it was my birthday last Sunday, um, and we went to East Bolo for dinner, a couple of beverages. Um and mum's like, Oh, I've got a story for your podcast. I'm like, Oh, here we fucking go. Um so obviously you heard about the first one if you listen to probably I think it was the first or second podcast. Yeah, it was early on. Um The old boy, how he's oh Dak diaries, how he's known for bringing stuff home, this and that. Um and usually well not usually, but it it has he has been known to bring a lawnmower home before. And he's brought another one home. Um and he said he drove past it on the way to work, and he said, if that's still there, no, he now he's driving to the server or something like that. He was driving somewhere and he goes, if that lawnmower is still there, when I get back, I'm just taking it. Stopped on the side of the road, emptied the catchabra in their green bins, put it in the back of his car. Mum reckons it's still hot, like it was still hot. So if you're out there and you've lost a mower around the East Mate.

SPEAKER_01 33:21

That's wild.

SPEAKER_00 33:22

So they've probably like been like, where's my mower? Open the green bin, the the the clippings are in there. You fief. That's hectic. He's unreal. Yeah, so yeah, don't leave your stuff behind, eh? Find us keepers.

SPEAKER_01 33:36

Um I'll give a bit of an update because I haven't been able to say this yet, just because we've been waiting for a few things to um sort of come to fruition. Um, but today's actually my my last day at Youth Express. Hey. Moving on. Um, so just yeah, I guess by like just yeah, hang with bear with us while we work out what's gonna happen. Obviously, we do the the podcast here. Um we will still find a way to to cre to create our story our story. Um but what that looks like might be different. So yeah, but I um I've I decided I like I realized probably been thinking about it for a few months, but I realised that like the trajectory that I'm on now, and I'm very grateful for my experiences, and you know, I've worked my way up from like the bottom to get to a position where I'm a coordinator. Um and what I've kind of learned is that as I keep working my way to the top, I'm doing less of the stuff that I actually love. And I understand that in every job there's paperwork and there's reports, and it's not about that, but um, I guess some people work their way up and they go, you know, like thank Christ, I don't have to work with kids anymore or whatever, but I'm not that kind of person. Like as you could see over in nations and stuff, like I love working with young people in the ground, and I feel like I have a like a real strength in that and really identifying um, you know, the support that they need and and the guidance they need and and building relationships probably like better than like none other. Um and I was kind of like the trajectory I'm going at, I'm gonna work my way up to like some high role before I'm 30. Yeah and I'm gonna be sitting in an office putting people in places for the rest of my life, and I'm like, I don't really want to do that. So um yeah, like teaching something that I wanted to do when I was in year 12, um, and like PE teaching, go into that. And I never applied for it because I didn't really know how to apply for it, to be honest. And I did a non-ATI line in year twelve, so I knew I would have had to do um open foundation, but since then I've done a diploma, so that would get me into uni. Um, and then no one in my family's really done it at all. Like I have my like one of my cousins and that, like they've done it, um, or they're doing it now, but that's like not immediate family really. I never grew up around anyone that had done a degree or anything, so that's probably what um kept me back from it at an eighty as an 18-year-old, but then I fell into work and I'm getting $35, $40, $45, $50 an hour as a young person or whatever, I work on my way up. I'm like, yeah, I'm not going to uni, like you know, owing all that money. But um, yeah, I did apply and I and I did get accepted, um, which is mad, so that starts on the 17th of August, which obviously means I have to move on from here because I need to look at something that's a little bit more flexible for me. So I'm gonna go to to Biruban, um, local Aboriginal Lands Council. Um and like heaps close with the CEO there, Jamie, and I'm gonna manage manage one of their projects. But um I'm excited. I've never worked for a Lauk before. Um it's gonna be it's gonna bring a different set of challenges, and um it's in Spears Point, so it's gonna make it easy just to duck over to Newcastle if I have to. And obviously, I'm there's probably gonna be a lot of changes and a lot of stuff in that I'm gonna have to say no to in the next four years, really, but more specifically the next six months. Yeah. Um, to be able to just get my head around this and and do it. But yeah, I'm I'm looking forward to it. It's gonna be it's gonna be different. But um I feel like if I was to do this at 18, I probably wouldn't have been able to do it. Um come in with that kind of life experience is important. And one of my one of my mates said to me, like, you know you want to be around kids and you you know your passion's in education, why not do it? Like some people who do a full-year union degree, come out and be like, I actually hate kids. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 37:32

Yeah, no, and and that's the difference between you and some person you young person that's coming straight out of school, like you've you've done it, you know what you love. Um, and I think the biggest thing as well is like um as you start to get a bit older, you're like, Oh, I'm getting a bit too old. But if you don't start now, yeah, you know what I mean? Any years' time, you're like, oh fuck old. No, it's not. And bro, in two years' time, you're like, oh, it would have been two years down now.

SPEAKER_01 37:55

So and brah, shout out to one of the boys um from Nations, um Bronson, on the bus on the way home, he he was like, um He's like, What's your dream? And it was hectic. And he said something like that, and then um we were having like a mad yard about life, and I said to him, I was like, bruh, I was like, the biggest thing is like you just gotta go and do whatever it is that you feel like you want to do. Even if people say it's silly and you'll never make it and it won will never happen. And I know this is cliche and a lot of people say it, but go and do it if it fails, if it costs a lot of money and you waste a lot of money, if it's not a good experience, if you hate it, who cares? Because my biggest fear, I reckon, and the worst possible thing you can ever do is get to an older age in life and be like, Wish I did that ten years ago. Yeah. Like 100% and never got to do that, wish I said yes to that.

SPEAKER_00 38:50

But yeah, and but yeah, and even if you do try and it does fail, at least you know that you've tried it.

SPEAKER_01 38:54

Yeah, you know, alright.

SPEAKER_00 38:55

But if I gave it a crack, I gave him a hundred percent.

SPEAKER_01 38:57

If it's something like this, for example, and I and I decide, you know what, I'm in a good position now, I'm not gonna do it. I might move into another role, and then I'm gonna I'm gonna constantly be thinking, should I go and do it? Should I go and do it? I might end up doing it in ten years' time. Yeah, and then I'm a teacher at 40 or 36, like you know what I mean. Yeah, like there's if you may as well do it.

SPEAKER_00 39:15

There's no better time than right now. That's it. That's it.

SPEAKER_01 39:18

No better time than right now. That's it, that's the that's the title. That's the title.

SPEAKER_00 39:22

No, I just want to say, bro, like and I know we've spoken about it a while for a bit too, and you sort of come to to the potty like one of the first ones, you're like, oh, I've been thinking about it. I'm like, fuck, just do it, bruh. Yeah, you know what I mean? Like and I know it'd be hard because no one in your family's been through it or done it, but fuck, that's what that's why we're here, bro. Just break those cycles and and show um the future generations that you can do stuff, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01 39:46

There's nothing more powerful, and I think you said it the other day than an educated black fella, and I think um and and also like you know, I I wasn't silly, and I I'm gonna explain this in detail, it's gonna bore the absolute crap out of a lot of people, but I think it's important, and hopefully you can take it into your own um and apply it to whatever you've been thinking about. But like, I I didn't just wake up one day and go, I'm gonna go and apply.

SPEAKER_00 40:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 40:11

When I first thought about it being a real possibility, I was like, sweet, what I need to do is I need to research the course, research university, research the requirements, research all that. So I did all that. I found I researched all other universities, online universities, universities everywhere. I researched Western Sydney University, where you can go down there. If you're an Aboriginal person, you can go down there for a block, do your uni, come back, work full-time, go for a block. There's a lot of opportunities if um if you research it. So I researched it, I found the best pathway for me. Then I decided full-time, part-time. Part-time is up to 10 years. But I don't want to do it in 10 years, I'm gonna do it now. So full-time, and then I found my best path. Um, I'm very grateful and very lucky that my partner is she's got an internship left and she's finished uni for primary teaching. So I have that in my corner. But then think about the people you have. Like on the Newcastle NADOC, went and spoke to Wellotka, spoke to Zoe, who I know has been there and done that, spoke to other people. So the advice is research all the pathways, all the possibilities, find the one that works for you, then go and talk to people that have done similar, involved in that, or do that, get the advice from them, apply it to the pathway, and then decide everything else on the outside. So then decide, like for work, for example, do I need to leave, do I need to stay? Things like that. And I think that's probably the the advice is just don't go into it blind, just use your resources. Bro, like if I know me as a person, if someone sent me a random DM and I don't know them from a bar of soap and they said, Hey, I know you do a podcast, can I please ask you a few questions? Bang, I'd help them like that. Or hey, I know you do youth work, can I please bang like you have you're so lucky to have social media where you can just search someone up, ask them a question, and they'll help you. You know, back in the day when they didn't have social media, you'd have to go to different info nights and things like that and yeah, just rock up or or you know, randomly ask people. So if you don't have anyone in your family that has done that, then create a network and a and a friendship group or allies or people that you have in your corner that has done it.

SPEAKER_00 42:25

Yeah. No, that's mad. And I think even by starting that research and stuff, you start those first steps, right?

SPEAKER_01 42:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 42:32

So you're like, oh yeah, I'm actually working towards something. Write it down, bruh. Write it down. Um and then you like you said, you start moving in the world.

SPEAKER_01 42:39

And that's what that's what I knew because I'm researching all the content, and I'm like, this is hectic.

SPEAKER_00 42:43

Yeah, this is me. Um so no, that's mad, bro. You should be proud of yourself. And um, like you said, it's gonna be challenging. Um, probably trying to probably the biggest thing, like you said, will be saying no to stuff. Yeah. Um, but yeah, you've got to put yourself first, bruh. And um, yeah, look, you're gonna smash it, bro. And I'm really proud of you.

SPEAKER_01 43:02

Thanks, bruh.

SPEAKER_00 43:02

I see it. You got anything else you wanna add? No, I've actually probably got to get going. Wait, no, I just want to add something. Is there a fucking sorry for swearing, but is there has there been one week ever that Hexham hasn't had a crash?

SPEAKER_01 43:16

Yeah, what's going on there?

SPEAKER_00 43:18

Bruh, it's like and it's for me, it's always when you gotta get somewhere. Yeah. Like I I'm on a pretty strict time frame. Zowie Khan's been on to me all week. Don't be late, be there by 8.30. Sorry, sis, but I'm not gonna be there by 8. See you at nine. Um, yeah, but yeah, gonna head down to Frank Baxter to paint some um footy boots with some of the boys for um Indigenous round. So gonna cruise down there, me and Nev, Zali, do some bit of a couple of yarns and um maybe have a bit of a yarn to some staff down there, how me and Nev can potentially run some programs in the center, bra. So no, it'd be good to get down there and he's keen to go down there as well. So gotta get cruising, bra. Um but That's us. That's us. It's been a hectic week for us, but hope everyone stays out of the weather and uh rips in Lesage.