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The Brisbane Bullets Podcast
Hosted by NBL Royalty and Bullets captain Mitch Norton, The Brisbane Bullets Podcast goes under the bonnet to bring you closer to the action on the court and all the stories off it.
The Brisbane Bullets Podcast
Ep #4 | Sam McDaniel - Comm Games, Crabs and Content Creation
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The guest on the week's episode is one of the NBL's top defensive players Sam McDaniel.
Fresh from a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games, Smack talks through his experience in Glasgow alongside some familiar faces and love for the 3x3 format.
In Tell Me Something, he airs his skepticism of sea life, while Norto brings a HORSE-related accusation to the table during his Scout Report.
📲 Get in touch with the podcast through social media @brisbanebullets.
Hello and welcome to the Brisbane Bullets Podcast, the podcast going under the bonnet at the Brisbane Bullets and bringing you closer to the action. I'm Oli from the Bullets Media team, and I'm joined by my co-host, a man who, age 16, was described by Trevor Gleason as having the potential to be Townsville's best ever product. I'm not sure what happened there. Mitch Norton, how are things going?
SPEAKER_03Thank you. I'm not sure where you found that, but um, I'll take it. Trevor's got uh a few accolades beside his name, so obviously can recognise talent when he sees it.
SPEAKER_01I'm um generally pretty diligent in my research. So the first thing I did this week was went to Wikipedia and looked at your first first footnote, and the first thing that came up was an article from from 2010 as a a fresh face 16-year-old in um I think it's in Osgear. You would have played under 17s at that point.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah. I still still was in high school. Graduated 2010, so that I would have been in high school then and yeah, maybe just had some facial hair.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, nice. Well, it's continued since that day. Yes, shave. Um a few weeks into preseason now. How is it how's it going? Blitz is next week. So so how's the the last few weeks been?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, it's been good. It's been good. Um, you know, we've had some guys that are kind of left the program now to head over with national duties, so um trying to fill their footsteps, uh, which has been tough, but at the end of the day, it's it's really exciting. We're moving things forward each week, um, getting familiar with each other's games and and bonding a little more off the court as well. So um, yeah, it's starting to look exciting and feel exciting as well.
SPEAKER_01What were your thoughts on that MBL One North Select group game? How would yeah, do you assess our performance in that?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, obviously, first off, like hats off to the guys who played for the MBL One North uh Select team. Um it's not an easy feat. You literally had one training session and you rock up against the guys that just want to have been playing against each other for a couple of weeks and want to go and play against someone else and beat them up. And um, yeah, no, hats off to them and and the coaching staff that um you know made them you know get out and compete as hard as they could. Um yeah, you know, obviously still some very talented guys on that roster, some guys that have played in the MBL for a lot of years, and um some young up-and-comers. So um, yeah, thank you for those guys.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, absolutely. Um, and you went to Stratty this week. I think it was a partnership trip with with Sealink, who are one of our partners, but but more to the point, you got to see some of the lads outside the the usual environment. Any any smokies that anyone that you were surprised with how energetic they were or actually just glued to their phone the whole day. What what surprised you about the some of the lads out there?
SPEAKER_03Um the trip over there was beautiful. It was obviously it's a bit cool in the morning. Um, there wasn't much wind at all on the way over, so smooth sailing. Got to sit outside, you know, take in the views, which was nice. Um had lunch at the the pub there, uh just been renovated, so it's a spectacular view, nice palmy. Um introduced some guys to a couple of lemon lime embitters. Oh yeah. Um who was that? Imports, Arnas. Arnas had never had one. Um imports as well.
SPEAKER_01They don't do those in Europe. No, I can tell you that. Yeah, so yeah, I can see why Arnas was confused by that prospect.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, he was like, Is it sweet or sour? And I was like, Both so uh he he really enjoyed it, and then from there we kind of like went off uh to a lookout um you know in the North Straty Gorge, uh, where we got to see some whales and things like that. But the thing that shocked me the most was we're walking up over this hill, and there's two kangaroos there, and I'm like, all right, I'm expecting the imports to be like, oh my god, like kangaroo in the wild, like this is amazing. Lat Main was like a kid in the candy shop, like, oh my god, oh my god, pulled out his phone, like filming it. I was like, Lat, you've never seen a kangaroo before. Like, and had he? Had he never seen one? He acted like he had never seen one in his life, but I think to see one in the wild is a different story. Um, but it was a really cool experience to head over to Stratty. Uh, we got to see some whales in the water, some turtles in the gorge. So um, yeah, really cool way to get to know your teammates away from the basketball court.
SPEAKER_01Uh Aaron, the the graphic designer who went and shot corn uh content said that Nate really couldn't get his head around the fact that your bus was going on the boat. That is everyone got on the on the bus as the boat was arriving, and he was like, What are you doing, guys? Like the boat's here. And um, it got explained to him and his head was blown off.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, it was spinning. He was like filming it as we're driving onto the barge, and yeah, he was just he just couldn't believe it.
SPEAKER_01Fantastic. Um, well, I must admit today for this recording, I feel like a little bit of an outlier because I'm the only person in this studio who is um who's yet to win a Commonwealth Games medal. I say yet, because um there's still time. That probably gives you a little bit of a clue as to who our guest is today. He uh he arrived in Brisbane two years ago via Melbourne United and the Jack Jumpers having grown up in Adelaide. He's widely regarded as one of the NBL's strongest lockdown defenders and has championships to his name from his time in Melbourne, alongside an Asia Cup gold in 2022 and that silver medal won in the 3x3 last month in Glasgow. He's also our resident talent for FlexCam, and I'd back him in an arm wrestle against anyone in the league. Uh Sam McDaniel, how are you?
SPEAKER_02That's a hell of an intro. A hell of an intro. I'm doing well, man. Thank you for having me.
SPEAKER_01It's an honour. Honour to be on the podcast with the boys.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, perfect.
SPEAKER_01The first thing I usually do is ask if there's anything I missed on that intro that you feel like I should have brought up. Are you pretty happy with that?
SPEAKER_02Pretty happy. Yeah. I feel like Kelly Le Pepe probably give me a run for my money on the old uh on the old arm wrestle, but other than that, I think you're thinking. So are you back here, Mitch?
SPEAKER_01Uh no, I've got smack. Yeah, I've got smack for sure. Yeah, for sure. Um how's well we'll dive into the Commonwealth games in a second because we've got so many questions about that. But but more generally, how's the the off-season been? Yeah, it's been great.
SPEAKER_02Like like Mitch said, you know, uh a lot of a lot of time on court together, and and now, you know, over the last couple of days, just some time off the court together as well. But no, it's been so so efficient this this pre-season, um, I think, you know, compared to previous pre-season and even just you know at other clubs, like I think it's been one of the the most um yeah, organized and just you know, you know exactly what the coaches coaches want out of you every day. So it's been uh easy from a player's point.
SPEAKER_01You're a bit of a stark contrast to to Mitch in terms of your off season because you've I guess not really stopped since you got fit again at the end end of last season. You're straight in in the gym working out, preparing for the comp game stuff. Is there an element of fatigue that sets in at all just from volume of time on the floor? Uh maybe if I'd played the season, the NBL season, there would be.
SPEAKER_02But yeah, because I was obviously sitting down the whole NBL season, I was you know ready to go, you know, right right when that season ended, which was you know sucky timing in in one way, but at the same time, I think um yeah, it it meant that I could train pretty hard for the three on three stuff as well. And um, yeah, I think I was I was in really good shape for that because of that.
SPEAKER_03So playing uh MBL one with Ippy, was it good to play with some familiar faces? Like we had LP, Lockie Anderson, guys that have floated around, you know, our program last year. Was it was it fun to get back out on the court with them?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it was like I think you know, my time playing MBL one, I think I've always been the the clear-cut number one option. You know, you know, the ball is coming to you every single time, but this time around, I think it was good just to play off those guys a little bit, be able to play off the ball a little bit, um, you know, even just almost kind of slowed into a bit of an NBL role and just and just play defense and and hit the open ones when they come to me. Um, and then you know, just having those guys um from a from a leadership front as well and and try and convey what the coach wants us to do, I think is was really cool as well. So love that.
SPEAKER_01Let's get straight into the the Commonwealth game stuff. Can you I guess start at the beginning and take us back to how the 3x3 stuff all started because it was, I guess, halfway through last season that you first started to to eye up the com games.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it was so so last year 40 wanted me to do some stuff with with 303. I I can't remember exactly when it was. Um, I remember him calling me and just um you know asking if I'd be interested, you know, saying that he thinks that my kind of playstyle and body and all that would fit three and three really well. And you know, I told him, you know, I think at the time I was coming back from either my ankle or my calf, one of the two injuries. But um, yeah, I said I was super interested, but I just I wanted to get my body right, and I know three and three is super, super uh, you know, hard on the body. So I couldn't do any of it last year. Um, but this year, you know, I had the opportunity to do Champions Cup uh in Thailand, Asia Cup in Singapore, and then obviously Commonwealth Games as well uh recently at Glasgow. But yeah, it's it's super fun, man. Like it's a really really fun way to play. And you know, even just with on the on the coaching stuff, like it's only four of you, so it's like the coach is almost part of the boys as well. Do you know what I mean? Like it's you it's it's not um there's not a far distance from the coach and the players, and we're kind of all travelling together, the girls are there as well, obviously. Um, and it and it makes for a really tight tight knit environment, which I think is really cool as well. What are like the video sessions like?
SPEAKER_03Because you know, like sometimes you have it you have a shocker, like you could have a shocking game, and you know you're gonna come up on video, and you're trying to maybe not make eye contact with the coach during film, but there's like there's there's four of you.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah. I um yeah, interesting. Very interesting. And yeah, I have a story about that, which I'm not gonna tell because it's one of my boys. I think I've told you, uh I've told you um the story, but yeah, yeah, kind of awkward. Kind of awkward because I think you know, at the end of the day, there's a coach and they have to hold you accountable, and and the goal is to get better, right? And the goal is to win. So um there has to be that element of holding the players accountable. But yeah, when it's just a room with three people, pretty intimate, it's like yeah, I was just sip my tea on the side, yeah. Yeah, 100%.
SPEAKER_01Um, the comp games more generally, like, what is it like to be part of that group, part of that atmosphere? Like you're flying out to to Scotland long on flight as well, I will say. But um yeah, what was that whole experience like?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it was amazing, man. Like from the from the jump, it was um very Scotland y. It was like we got there and there were bagpipes. Um there were people doing like traditional dances and uh freaking unicorn, which I didn't know was a a Scottish thing at the time, so I just thought it was like a random unicorn. But um, yeah, it was really cool, like it's super like well looked after too. Yeah, um, I think you know, with the Asia Cup and the Champions Cup, it's kind of a just a bit more run-of-the-mill, you get in, you get out type of thing. But with com games, you know, it's you know, Australia obviously take great pride in it and and they look after you. There's someone on every corner, you you would know, like it's like the most amount of gear you'll ever get, like bags and bags worth of stuff, um, which I was pretty, pretty pumped about. Um, and then yeah, like it just it was just games, it was all business to start, and then um yeah, we had an opportunity to get out and watch some other sports like boxing and um some netball was across the street as well, like everything was in in that close quarters as well, um, which was really cool. But I just I was just lapping it up, man.
SPEAKER_01Like it was really cool. Is there the opportunity to to meet up and and I guess network or just like chat to other athletes, or just does like sports tend to keep to themselves? It depends on how big the sport is. What's the go there?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah. I think um, well, it wasn't it wasn't like a traditional village setting, so it wasn't everyone who was at the games uh like kind of on under one roof, but it was like a big, big athlete hotel that we were in, and there were multiple teams and multiple uh countries, and yeah, I'm I'm big on boxing, like I love boxing, yeah, um, watching boxing in my in my off time and stuff. So we had Canadian boxers in there, and I just was yeah, chopping it up with them and asking them, you know, what their what their kind of preparation is and that type of thing. So there's a little bit of opportunity for that, but um, yeah, just in general, just just cool to be around other athletes.
SPEAKER_03What was it like so? No traditional village, what was a food situation like? Because whenever when I like when I went to the com games, the food hall was like the place to be. Yeah, one because you'll see like the high profile athletes come and go, and you're like, just watch a media, watch, yeah, like what are they eating? Like, oh, smash them chicken nuggets, you know what I mean? Like, clearly not how they act according to the media, but um, yeah, what was the food situation like?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it was it was cool, man. Like um, buffet, like obviously buffet, like super like healthy stuff, you know, obviously for all the athletes there. Um, but then they always had like some traditional stuff out as well. So they had the haggis and the black pudding and stuff, which before I went, I was like, I'm trying that for sure. And then I got there, and um, I didn't try it now. It was just just it looked disgusting. I don't know. Explain exactly what it was, and I was like, no, okay. I've seen it now, at least I've seen it, you know. Yeah. Um but but yeah, I mean it was it was super cool. Like it was it was cool too, like to see honestly, like you know, all the different countries kind of eating different things as well. Like, um, and I just remember like these the Tongans kind of um came in later than everyone else. So this big group of Tongans like came to the hotel, everyone had already been there for a few days or whatever, eating all this regimented healthy things. And then I just remember getting back to the hotel one day and um they just gathered around the table with a big family thing of like KFC, and you've got like all these all these athletes eating like salads, you got you got a boxes in there like weight cutting and stuff, so they can only eat like minuscule portions or whatever, and then just like a bunch of big heavyweight tonguin' boxes, just like fried chicken in the middle of it. Yeah, so the contrast was crazy. Um, but yeah, it was it was a really, really cool experience. Good food, really good food overall.
SPEAKER_01On a on a basketball front, obviously you went in with the ambition to to medal and you did do that. Well uh once you got to that those medal games and that final stage of the competition, like how much how real did it get at that point that there was a gold potential out there and um that that you're gonna be playing in a gold medal medal match?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I mean that's the thing about three and three is like anyone could beat anyone. So I think you know, in the in the pool games, we were very like not nervous, but just you know that had that you know on edge just to kind of get the win and get through next game, next game, get through the finals and stuff. But then yeah, when we went out for the for the game against England, it was like okay, like this is real. Like the crowd was bigger, the energy was the energy was bigger, obviously. And then um yeah, we just knew we knew we were in for a dog fight. We played um England twice in some lead up games and kind of got went like one on one against them. So we knew they were they were gonna be able to compete with us, and um obviously they ended up getting us, but yeah, the atmosphere definitely definitely changed for those last couple of games. Super physical.
SPEAKER_01That was like the I haven't you know I like dipped my toe into a heap of 3x3, um, especially at the international level. Is that the biggest difference do you find? Like it was like glorified bloody rugby out there at times.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, no, seriously. And I and even I had like there were times where I was like trying to clear the ball to the three-point line, and I'm just getting grabbed and held and stuff, and I just constantly was thinking, like, is this how I play? Like, is this is this how other people feel when I'm out there playing five and five, just being held and grabbed the whole time.
SPEAKER_03I mean, you were guarding for two weeks, I'm just gonna say yes.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah, but yeah, it's just un unreal sometimes the stuff they let go. Um, I think, and you're probably the same, like, I'd rather it be that way than them calling, you know, every every Tiggy Tac four. So I wasn't too too mad about that.
SPEAKER_03Looking at looking at some of the names that you went away with. I think that style suits them. Yeah. Jesse Wagstaff, Bear, you know, Jared Bear, so someone that was at the club as well. Um, yeah, definitely suits them to a T, I think. Yeah. Um Wags had obviously been to a Com games or two Com games prior, one with Five and Five, and then 3X3. Um, what was his leadership like over that over that period?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, he's a he's a a great dude, man. Like he's a he's a really cool dude. Like, obviously played against him before, ran into so many of his screens, you know.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I yeah, like couldn't agree more.
SPEAKER_02Over my like five, six years in NBO, just just hated that, hated to see him coming, but it was good to be on his side, obviously. And um, yeah, he just is uh he's a he's a you know show you rather than a toe you type of guy. Um and yeah, just shop every day with his pink socks and um just that thing, I guess.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, he just yeah, he has Jesse has a lot of like quirky things that he does. Um probably a lot we probably can't go into right now, but yeah, the pink socks, like the wild colour shoe combinations has been like a part of him for a long, long time. Um but yeah, so I was the same as you. Played against him for a lot of time, like a long, long time. Always get tangled up with him, like you know, and I'm like, this dude just hates me. Yeah, like he just he just has something against me, and then I went to a fur, like one of a boomers camp, and he's sitting in the front row of film session as soon as we land, so we touch down, walk in, he comes straight up to me, and I'm like, Oh, here we go. Like, this this is gonna be this has been brutal. Yeah, yeah. Shakes my hand, hey Mitch, how you on, mate? Spare seat next to me, rah rah rah. And then I'm like, is this like a mental game? Like, is he trying to get in my head? Like, I I can't tell. And then, yeah, obviously playing a long time with him. Um, yeah, one of my best mates now. So uh exactly what you said. Great guy. Like, when you think about Perth Wildcats and like during that, you know, really successful period that they had, it was like Damian Martin, Greg Hire, Jesse Wag stuff, and you know, Jesse's always the first one to the gym, mainly because I think he's like up at 5 a.m. in the morning and then doesn't want to do anything around the house. But uh he's first one to the gym, and yeah, just leads by example, exactly what you said. So it's cool to see him doing that in different codes of the game as well. So um, yeah, really cool.
SPEAKER_01Two quick questions on to to finish off on Commonwealth game stuff. Number one, what what was your etiquette at opening and closing ceremony? Like, are you out there with that phone out? Are you just embracing it? What's the what's the go there? Dude, do you know what to do?
SPEAKER_02Are you told what to do? No, well, that's the thing. We had probably 30 seconds of walking, and it was like two hours of lining up before. So it was like a big, this big kind of hype thing, and you end up sitting down and waiting, and like it's like, when are we gonna be able to go in? But we finally went in, and I was like tossing up whether to just be present and put my phone away and just enjoy it, and um, or whether to take a video or whatever, and I freaking pulled my phone out and I thought I was taking a video, and then I went back to look at it later, and it's like me like fumbling the phone and the phone like pointing at the ground and up at the sky, and like so I didn't get a video, but I look like I got a video, you know. So um so she were neither present nor no, I was either I canceled them both out, you know. But um no, it was really cool. Like I was able to like FaceTime my mum at the time, and she was watching on TV and FaceTiming me at the same time, which I thought was pretty cool. That's weird. Um, and yeah, it was just it was over like that. And we had a game the next morning too, so we didn't we didn't hang around for all of it. We kind of just went in and left.
SPEAKER_01But yeah, super cool to see. And the final one is where does that that silver medal sit now? Is it like in a box summary? Is it on a mantelpiece? What happens with that? It's kind of just out and about at the moment.
SPEAKER_02We've had m so many people out bullets like asked to see it, yeah, and I just forget, and I it's just yeah, it's just sitting on the desk at the moment. But maybe one day I'll find a more permanent home for it.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, what is what's what's yours doing, Mitch? Your uh mine's in Townsville. Is it yeah? On display or in a box? Um kind of on display. Cryptic. In a box, it's in a box, it's in like a uh I was asking Smack, I was like, where'd your metal come in? Yeah, yeah. Just like a normal box. Whereas like the one that we got, maybe because it was golden.
SPEAKER_02I knew it was coming.
SPEAKER_03I knew it was coming at some point. No, but it's like this nice wooden box that like slides out, pops open. Like it's yeah, it's it's I'd say the box is more unique than the metal, I would say. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Metal is quite unique, I guess. Yeah, but I mean, that was yeah, I guess you're right. One of one of many, one of many accolades for you, I'm sure. Alright, it's time for a quick break. We'll be back in a sec. Okay, it's time for Tell Us Something. This is a feature of the show where we will ask our guests to tell us something we don't know about them. It's obviously a lot easier for our new players who we might know less about to play this game, but for someone like you, Smack, I'm I'm kind of fascinated because obviously you've you've been at close quarters with Mitch for for a little while. So I've given you uh a few days prep for this. What you bring to the table here?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it's pretty like un Australian of me to be honest. But something about me is I'm not a big like ocean guy. I don't like the water. Really? I like being in the water, and um, yeah, it's like I I can go on top of the water, like boats and stuff are fine, but you put me in that ocean with the with the critters and the creatures and stuff, like it's uh it's a big no-no for me.
SPEAKER_01So if you go to uh on a day trip to the beach, say you've been taken there, it's not not your own choosing. Like, are you choosing not to go swimming, or uh would you dip it just you know because you feel like you should at the beach? What's the what's the play there?
SPEAKER_02Well I should say that um it's not for no reason, right? So like when I was growing up, I basically um I want to say I got ambushed by a bunch of uh by a bunch of crabs one time. This is by far the best one we've ever so my granddad he used to take us out fishing a lot. Yeah, and um yeah, you say Are you alright? The ambush, yeah. No, bro, I swear these crabs are waiting for me. They um but he he took us out and we used to wade out like wait like waist deep or whatever, like fish um into the deeper water. And um, yeah, my granddad used to wear like a a suit though, like the boots which connected to the pants and the top so he was fully like overall thing. So he was he was good. Um and he wasn't even thinking about anything animal related, you know. But I was just in you know, bodies and and and bare feet or whatever. And um sand is all good, walking through the sand, and then we get to the freaking um the seaweed, you know, like that black seaweed, you can't, it's like real long, you can't really see, or or like even walking it really. But we he's like, we're going through that. I was like, no, we're not. He's like, Yeah, we are, we've got to get like the fish are on the other side or whatever. And um, I stepped on what I thought was a rock and it it moved. It didn't bite, it didn't nip me or bite me or anything, but it must have um, I swear to god, it must have like went and told all the other ones. Because every step from then I swear I was getting.
SPEAKER_01bitten by these crabs and um yeah so ever since then I'm just like no I keep keep my feet on on solid land and um I don't blame you I'm not I'm not a crab guy not an ocean guy I don't blame you at all that sounds absolutely terrifying that's pretty true thank you for adding it yeah no the story's out now yeah therapeutic yeah yeah so not an ocean guy no but you you said you went to Cedar Falls yeah yeah absolutely that's okay you're fine with that meaning for me it's more of like uh I guess it's like seeing yeah so it's like clear water you can see you can see what you're stepping on that type of thing is fine but anytime it's like just a mystery box down there and you're like yeah but who knows you know like that's a no no that's good to know thank you very much for bringing it to the table yeah no crabs for me okay this week marked the return of the scout report with my co-host Mitch Norton at this point I um I hand you the keys to the podcast Noto and I let you loose to I I guess to ask anything you want obviously a lot of prep goes into this um both sides of the desk you're you're doing as much work as I am but um but this part I don't know anything about so what have you got for us this week um last year you lived with a teammate of ours uh you want to you want to give him a shout out J Pizzle my guy JP yeah yeah Jack Purchase um someone we failed to mention when Harry was on because he went to Hawaii as well of course um I obviously copped a bit of backlash from Jack for not bringing that up so shout out to Jack Purchase um thanks for listening yes he said that is it true or false you never beat him at horse I could imagine you your son Jack playing horse in the backyard a fair bit yeah I mean if he would have said he won most of the games maybe but like never is a stretch.
SPEAKER_02Gotcha well he he is trick shot Jack he is and to be fair he was hitting some some BS quite frankly off the roof around the corner you know what I mean using Malachi like just but never is a stretch I definitely got it perfect um you've also nominated yourself as content king I believe is did I I'm pretty sure you did yeah I'm pretty sure you did that I won't pretty sure you did um just for a viewer of your content I'm just curious like when you post your videos in the gym with your shirt off oh here we go um how much traction does that get I mean to be honest probably probably the same amount as you and the budgies in the sauna you know what I mean like probably similar similar numbers maybe I don't know like the infrared Nordo with the with the budgies on you know like you can't you can't beat that that is but no I mean yeah that's the um that's that's for yeah that's for the viewers to be fair there is there was one instance last pre-season where I was in the gym just getting um footage of like the lads working out most guys had a top on and smack didn't which is his prerogative and I whipped round you're doing the like the battle ropes I was like I mean I can't be a camera that's capable of filming high frames per second and not film that and then when getting gangbusters on social media quality of the camera came into the into the equation yeah like you know so you can't blame me for that you know what I mean that's so what I'm saying is from a content and media team like we we appreciate you helping out the numbers there.
SPEAKER_01Oh good yeah yeah yeah nice do you cop a lock stick for that no I think um I reckon I mean I reckon just I'm gonna have a stab in the dark I reckon it'd be a complete opposite yeah yeah I mean teammates though from teammates I feel like I feel like it could be a lot worse though yeah you know yeah yeah I feel like I could I I could I think the thing that works to another level in your favour and if anyone's listening that hasn't seen Sam Sam McDaniel in the flesh um is you're in pretty good nick.
SPEAKER_02So I think if I think if if there were other players doing the similar thing they might might sort of raise a few questions but um is content something you want to dive into a little more yeah absolutely you know I've I've done some in the past obviously done some of my own stuff and um yeah I just think it's a a unique thing that we do playing basketball for a living and I just think that sharing certain sides of it whether it's mental or physical or um just behind the scenes I think is is is an advantage you know to a personal brand standpoint but also just you know helping others and you know having others really kind of see what happens behind the scenes. So yeah I definitely want to dive into it more.
SPEAKER_01Do you consume a lot of that with the lens of like what do you want to do with your own content and what what you're putting out there or is it the sake of like you're trying to follow your own track and what comes naturally to you?
SPEAKER_02Yeah it's definitely like a thought I have a lot is like what you know what uh way do I want to take it or what I actually want to get out of it or what's the kind of end goal. So I've been doing more thinking about that and just trying to do some planning around that rather than just putting like random stuff out. I definitely will just put random stuff out sometimes but like yeah just um trying to tailor it towards maybe like helping helping others in the future whether it's mindset or conditioning that type of thing. And mindset is something that you um well that take a lot of pride in or pretty open about the fact that you you know you spend time working on on your mental game not just your game on core but actually just mindfulness in general so where did that sort of stem from where does that come from yeah I think it comes from uh the opposite really you know just having like a super loud mind and just you know having anxiety going into games and that type of thing and I think um you know even even this last Commonwealth games like I just took it upon myself just to take deep breaths before you know before each game and and really kind of be present and soak it up and enjoy it because I think if you don't do that then it's gone like that and and and it's like you don't either you either don't remember it or all you remember is how nervous and how stressed you were before the game because you wanted to do so well. And I think that um for me it's helped and I think when I when I'm relaxed I play freer and I I play more creatively and and it's just a better outcome.
SPEAKER_01So you're in a routine now of things that you do to to to put yourself in a good mental headspace. Like I say on Instagram say like you're you're obviously writing in diaries and and um yeah what what's how how have you got to the point of doing what you're doing.
SPEAKER_02Yeah it's um it's like a been a process like I've had times where I do like lots of writing and I've had times where it's more meditation and mindfulness and that type of thing but I think um I'm I'm at a point now where it's like I'm not so rigid with it where it has to be like this this this this it's more like what do I feel like I need on the day what do I feel like's gonna help me in the moment whether it's for a game or a practice or whatever it is and I'm just picked from that toolbox.
SPEAKER_01Yeah sweet awesome okay we put the call out on social media for you yesterday's smack and got a few questions in so I'll uh jump into these now if that's alright they're they're on and off the court so a bit of everything in here um question from Jake is what is your favorite moment from your career?
SPEAKER_02Ooh yeah I think the recent one at Commonwealth Games was pretty cool. Yeah being up there and getting that silver I think um MBO championship was pretty cool as well like pouring the freaking Gatorade on the coach after the game that type of thing I think that's definitely up there as well um I think yeah those winning moments uh with your teammates as well I think that like it's really hard to hard to top those.
SPEAKER_01Question on on championships I've got two people who are pretty well versed to speak about this opposite me um is there similarities in terms of like environments that you feel like contribute towards an MBL championship do you know this time of the year whether a team is capable and whether the environment is capable or is it you know you sort of have to get through the season to work out whether that's that's possible.
SPEAKER_02Yeah I think there's obviously signs early sometimes whether things are going to go well or or not well and um yeah I think that you know the the the coaching staff and everyone being on the same page and being organized and having a clear direct path of where they want to go and how they want to play I think is a great start and um yeah it's just it's so competitive though you just never know who who's gonna beat someone by one point or make a shot or miss a shot to send someone to finals or whatever. You just you don't know obviously but I think um yeah some of those things I talked about definitely give you an indication.
SPEAKER_03I agree like um continuity is something that is huge as well. You know we've obviously got a there's a new coaching staff in town we've got new players in town there's still you know a few of us that have been around for a while now and um you know we want success just as much as everyone else in this building uh everyone else in this city so um you can definitely tell early on that there's signs available um but a lot of a lot of things have to go right um to give you a chance of winning a championship um you know lots of things can can come up randomly and you know we've there's injuries and you know a lot of luck has to be on your side um but yeah I think hard work and and direction and who you stand for and what you play for is is obviously first but um yeah really excited from where I guess the group is at the moment um but yeah still got a long way to go.
SPEAKER_01Sure. A couple from Raf, eight year old Raf here for you Smack the first one, what made you like basketball?
SPEAKER_02I think I read that you've like you're playing football soccer early yeah so how'd you get into basketball yeah yeah I was playing soccer originally um probably four years until I was 14 and then I just um I just wasn't you wasn't feeling it anymore like um yeah just kind of got turned off a little bit and then yeah just picked picked up a basketball like for people who don't know like my dad played in the MBL as well so he was always kind of um you know like in the in the background like um you know the back of my mind around playing basketball but yeah it was kind of at that point where I was like I'll give it a go and I was had my little growth spurt and I was more athletic than my friends and it was like oh this is good I'm good at it you know so yeah nice um yeah yeah nice um and who is your favourite NBA player and why if you have one oh I used to like uh Dwayne Wade yeah I used to like love Dwayne Wade just like freaky nature athletically like love middies as well so that's uh that's a big one had to tick you have to tick that off um and yeah just like a fun fun personality and like entertaining guy to watch as well um yeah I'd say Dwayne Wade I reckon do you have a team right now? No I don't yeah I don't I just like I feel like I've just watched so much basketball I'm just like yeah do you follow the NBA much not really like I was I was big into um the Warriors when they were good yeah you know yeah I mean they were surprising yeah like just so exciting and um yeah my my dad's side of my family is from uh is from California is from from uh that area as well so kind of have a little connection there but um yeah not so much I kind of tune in when it's when it's playoff time and you pick a team around that time.
SPEAKER_03Yeah yeah yeah don't blame you maybe two games oh yeah it's a lot yeah um this is a great question for both of you actually what's something that people don't understand or necessarily appreciate about being a pro a professional basketballer from Sarah or Sarah um I think the things you miss the things you miss um you miss birthdays um I miss George's you know I didn't get to wake up with him Christmas day his first Christmas um yeah you miss weddings you miss a lot of things that um you know I think I s I still kind of struggle with to be honest. Some of my best friends get married and I can't be there it's very difficult. Brothers 18th 21st things like that you miss um which is very hard on the flip side of that like I have the best job in the world so uh there's certainly things that are pros and cons.
SPEAKER_02Um but for me yeah I've got the best job in the world wouldn't change it for anything but there are things that you you miss along the way yeah yeah sec at that for sure yeah it's only now I feel like that I'm getting a little bit older you know um uh same thing like when I was at Melbourne United I missed a bunch of my uh close buddies' um weddings and that and they've all got kids now and stuff as well and my sisters are having kids and stuff and um yeah it's just a it's just a sacrifice you know especially when you're interstate and you don't necessarily have all your people here um it's a sacrifice on that side but yeah it's a short window to play so um yeah make the most of it part of the job yeah sure um a question from Michael have you made any changes to training or prehab like you've had a a such an unlucky period of time with injuries obviously out with the shoulder two years ago and then you come back last year and um was it McVeigh that falled on your fell fall fell on your ankle in in Ken so um yeah like A I guess how do you square that away and just like box it off as a sort of freak accidents and and B yeah does anything training change in your training and prehab uh I think I'm definitely making sure I warm up good idea crazy right professional athlete warms up no um like just like being really diligent with all my prehab rehab exercises and warming up correctly and doing all that um and then yeah just like the mental side of like getting over injuries is is been big as well for me and just um kind of letting go of that fear of going out and doing something crazy again um it's a that's a big part of it for me as well. So just working on that side.
SPEAKER_03Are you still ice bathing in the mornings? Because I knew that was that was a part of your morning routine.
SPEAKER_02I've still got it um still going there you know a couple times a week but it's not like uh like when I was saying before like I used to be like yeah super rigid with it now it's a bit just like whenever I need one I'll I'll have one.
SPEAKER_01Yeah fair enough yeah um my mum actually slid into the the questions section on Facebook and wants to know what you would do if you weren't a basketballer.
SPEAKER_02Oh so Paula Paula hi Paula um that's that's a great question I think uh I think I would have done something like hands on like physical for sure I just can't see myself in an office yeah um nothing wrong with that but I just just not for me um yeah maybe like a like a freaking special ops or bloody you know I say it like I could just pick it up you know what I mean army police officer I don't know something like I thought you meant like uh treaty like you're gonna be a carpenter a fight from special ops I could do that too I I used to do a lot of um could you yeah no I did um you name it you name it you can do it anything anything that requires just hands and no it's um like okay yeah it's something like that yeah yeah nice hole any digital I th I I thought you'd be like you'd be in the weight room or like you know a personal trainer yeah yeah maybe possibly yeah yeah I I could see myself doing that but I also think maybe like I I might get a little bit bored with that yeah um I feel like being out and about in the world and uh you know freaking undercover cop or something you know you you see different see different stuff every day so that'd keep keep me stimulated who of our roster Jericho would make the best undercover cop I tell you I'll tell you who wouldn't Tyrell Tyrell's not definitely not Tyrell I reckon you were the Mo You the Moe can you can you see it?
SPEAKER_01Yeah I mean yeah a moustache instantly you're like oh there's something going on that we'll just see I this guy's not supposed to be here it's true as you rock a mustache right now exactly imposter yeah um okay we haven't got a heap more time today so just a reminder that uh we are on sale with our full season membership our flexi membership as well as our individual game tickets for all games this season including the one at Pat Raptor Arena on the 22nd of September folks we do now know what we're gonna be wearing for that game pretty helpful because our uniforms have come out obviously we had media day last week so you're rocking those smack you're our uh you're our talent for the the away uniform um what are your thoughts on on this year's uniform go for it smack yeah good I like the uh I like the little camo shading behind uh pretty simple design which I like as well uh yeah it's clean it's clean I like it I couldn't agree more I like I like the camo when I first heard it was camo I was a bit really not sure but it's it's quite a soft camo I think you know you know it's not like it's not loud and yeah yeah but um yeah no I'm excited by it I like I don't actually the gold strip down the side I was a bit iffy on to begin with as well but it's grown on me. Yeah nice I think it looks better on than it does on like a flat layer as well couldn't you um is that there's something that is that something sorry that players get like excited about like keen to see it or is it like okay well New Jersey new season here we go like stick that on what's the or is there a a range of those sort of perspectives I think I'm more like excited for those uh like special round the special round jerseys I think I'm always super excited to see what they look like.
SPEAKER_02The home and away ones I guess are kind of not as you know what colours they're gonna be borrowed so that's that's true.
SPEAKER_01Favourite kit that you've ever worn? Can I put you on the spot there? In terms like the design of the kit rather than just your favourite team because that's Brisbane or just ever?
SPEAKER_02It can be ever can be ever probably go I like the Melbourne United multicultural one. Yeah it was like all flags and stuff on it from all the all the people who were on the team that yeah so it was pretty um personalised and yeah just a cool design I thought.
SPEAKER_03Yeah mine would be in Perth we'd do a breast cancer round yeah um so anytime you get to wear a pink jersey um is something that's pretty close to me and my family um so yeah it's really special really special to pull that on for the first time you get pink socks which is where Jesse we picks them up from but um yeah 17 years worth a pink jersey yeah that's awesome and we got a pink hoops round this year obviously for for obviously for tough for tea hard to say um so we'll I think we'll have some pink in there somewhere I don't want to give too much away but we've got that to look forward to as well.
SPEAKER_01Beautiful gents thank you so much for for coming on coming on and giving uh up your time. Good luck at the blitz I guess next time that we speak we'll be um we'll be well into to preseason and if not game's coming round the corner so um yeah good luck and excited to see you back on the court appreciate it I believe you're coming you're coming to the blitz coming to the blitz can't wait I'm ticking uh ticking Bendigo off the bucket list so good see you would have thought eh awesome thank you fellas thank you no mistake I'm a shame