(upbeat music) Welcome along to today's offering here on the left wing back podcast, as always in association, which more inspired by the Morphe PFT travel, Ray Wheeling Limited, ArtsBaz, Horace Bors, Talbot Hotel, Carlo, and Porek, Dawn Motors. We are building up to Carlo versus Leish in the Talting Cup on Sunday, it's a three o'clock drawing in Ormore Park. Around three years, this is quite a heated rivalry. And someone said it's only a rivalry on Carlo side because they haven't happened to be at Leish for quite some time at this particular period. One of those kind of golden areas, not in terms of results for Carlo, but definitely in terms of that rivalry with Leish, was in around 2018 when they met in a league final and also met in Croix Park on a couple of occasions, of course, for the league final, but also in a lesser semi-final. The captain of Leish that year is a question man. He's on the other side of the screen all the way from Australia, where I think it's about five o'clock local time. And that's Steve and that's right of course. Steve, you're very welcome. How's things, man? - Thanks, Kev. Thanks for having me on. - That's look great to chat here. So you have it all wrapped up, you're heading into the weekend there. You might have a few points at the earlier. - And do you know what we're actually doing the darkest into light over here this weekend? So it's run over here the last few years, but I said I'd lend a hand with the set up. So that means they're meeting down in Bondi Beach around half to tomorrow morning, so 2.30 a.m. So it's an early start. And then I think they kick the walk off around five o'clock. So trying to avoid the beer now if I'm getting up that early. So that's my weekend. - Yeah, very good. And so I couldn't have forgotten about that. I think that's all across the world sort of a job. And even here in Carlo, they have been set up south now in Boris and Ballon Kilan and all over the place. It's a fantastic initiative. And it's a fantastic thing to be given a handout for Steve. - Yeah, yeah. So that's on Saturday. And then on Sunday, they usually have the football here. It's in a place called Ingleburn, which is about an hour outside of Sydney. But it's been heavy rain here the last couple of weeks. So they've actually postponed the games this weekend. So it could be a potential few drinks on the side of the night since you don't have to go out to the football line on there. So a chance at a few drinks and yeah. - Yeah, I didn't say in general there's probably no water filling the weekends over there. - Well, that's it. Yeah. When the weather is good, the sun is shining. You're closing off to the beach here. So if you're looking to spend on Saturday or Sunday, you can go to the beach or plenty of beer gardens around here as well. - If the sun is out, it's always enticing to go down and have few drinks as well. - Yeah, yeah. Well, listen, we're at this particular point. I think what you're saying four or five years over there in Sydney. Are you still on the Banda area? - Yeah, still living in Banda Junction. It's around 40 minutes to the beach, walk to the beach. And then it's quite convenient for me because it's only 20-minute walk to the high school or secondary school that I work at. So it's the best of both worlds. You have kind of the city on your doorstep and then the beach on the other side. So it's pretty convenient. - Yeah. COVID is actually making a cut of everyone because obviously, myself and Nev are over there, which it's over four years at this stage, which I just can't quite believe. It was a great thing, whatever. And you'd certainly see why a lot might hang around and not want to come home sort of a job. - Mm. Yeah, especially the last couple of years since COVID, the Irish have just been flocking over, especially around the Eastern suburbs. And there's a suburb called Randwick, and honestly, every second person you meet in Randwick is Irish. So you're never, well, you obviously are far from home, but with all Irish over here, it never really feels like it. - Yeah. And our area is still kind of well-received over here because we have our take on immigrants in certain quarters here in Ireland at the Minnes D.V. It's not quite as bad over there, I'd imagine. - No, I think Australian weather, more open to migrants. I think the vast majority of people who come into Australia have like skilled visas. So they'd be working in laboring, or there's a lot of Irish nurses over here are Irish teachers. I can speak from a perspective of a teacher who were quite well regarded as Irish teachers over here. So I work in a school just down the road and like half the staff there are Irish. So we're pretty well regarded. I don't know how because the weekends we're drinking from flight at a Sunday, but then this was midweek, we put the head down and get the rocks done. - Yeah, folks on the job and hand. And in fairness, that was always something that you have in your locker room is focused concentration and commitment, which is probably what you were made, each captain in around 2018 or whatever. And again, it's hardly, that's six years ago. I might come to you on that period now as seen as a brought it up. How did you become captain in the first place? What was the line of conversation like? Was it John, I think at the time, was it? John, so grew. - It was actually the year before that with Peter Creeden and was captain for three years. So I think it was either Donny Kingston or Ross had been captain of the year previous. And it kind of came out with a blue relay. I always would have been a good trainer doing well in the fitness tests and showing up well. So it kind of came unexpected. He just said it to me after training one day. And I was absolutely honored to be asked. And then went from Peter Creeden. That was his last year. And then John Sugru came on board and he still quit me for two years. So some lows, first year we got relegated from division three, but then a few highs as well. So it was over all of Costa. - Yeah, the highest course coming in 2018 with I think it was three victories over Carlos. One network, Colin Park, was I think the tight yourself of the last on the scoreboard anyway. And then of course he went down and won that, that late finals. A lot of the steps of the hog is that and was supposed to be pretty sweet. And probably sweeter because it was Carlos too, I guess. - Yeah, yeah, 100%. (laughing) Living in clash near only some sort to Carlos. So it's always nice to get one over on the local rivals. - Yeah, our listeners are left and back. I love that. But what does that rivalry mean to you Stevie? I mean, you've obviously, you know, you went to school, probably in Leicester or everyone to not be. Where it's a big, big thing. There's a lot of abuse over and back about Carlos, these different things. It has to mean that bit more when you come from that particular neck of the woods than maybe someone overboard around them, they could tell you perhaps enoughly or I don't know, maybe a cadre or something that might be more of a behaviour. - Yeah, that's the thing with knock bag. Like there's a great debate whether it's sitting, Carlo or Alicia, some people will say, Carlo and other people say Alicia depend on what side of the border. But yeah, like going up and being in knock bag, it was always a massive thing. One of my first memories was actually representing Alicia and mine, we were playing against Carlo. And it was actually in Dr. Colin. And it would have been Mark and one of my best friends, Philip Manning, so I was playing wing back and he was playing wing forward. So I suppose it means that bit more to you when you're going up against some of your closest friends. And it's always sweet to get the victory. - That particular year in knock bag that you were in was a fairly talented one now because obviously, you know, you would, you've been doing your running with Ireland and all that playing with leash. Tom Bailey did all right in rugby terms. Paul and Kings didn't do too bad over it and I'm probably leaving out a heap more. Like it was a very talented year, wasn't it? - 100% yeah, no, we had obviously Tom who went to, who was still playing rugby with conduct and then Paul Kingston, there was, Paul and Mark, I feel like Manning obviously. And then I suppose in like the golfing sphere, David Manfall was like a very accomplished golfer. I think he was down near scratch. So very multi talented years. It was a bit of a shame because we had great success under 14s and junior with that team. But then we didn't replicate that form when we got to senior level. I think we lost to Dundalk skills in like a lens to court finals. So it was a shame because it was a really strong team but we just never brought that form into our senior years. - The only thing I was able to go back to the seven jurors they call it was a bit of basketball. Went to play and won. See you basketball with Dallas Alte, a basketball the following year. And somehow John May saw somebody credence and started me on the backboard, just like an always money knocking around there as well. But you had to start with the team and there's big bacon and cabbage in this whole year that couldn't throw a feetlet, a long throw of basketball, large in there in the middle years. And like, I never saw. - I think it was your backside. You were well able to box out with the backside. (laughing) - That hasn't changed either. No, it's not me working for. - Yeah, I mean, some of the lads there, Eugene Mam is another one. Jesus, a fantastic pass of water and full water. But Kingston and Tom Daly in particular, shooting wise, they were incredible. I don't know what a stack owner today are a lot of the time because things have happened, you know, things have happened in different spheres for them over the past 15 or 20 years. Well, like they could have made it a basketball quite quickly. - Yeah, I think there were some representative teams for the South East and that was the great thing about knock bag. Obviously the football was, took preference, but then like there's athletics and basketball and even hurling. So like Tuesday and Thursday, lunch times, you'd have an hour to go and train. It just, it learned so many different skills in the sport. So it was really a breathing ground for athletes. - There was one stand out there in the basketball just for a finish up on that up in Newbridge. I don't know if you can recall that. But I want him who was over the team. Well, I think he might be a listener of the podcast and he's definitely a good friend of ours. And yeah, but he pined blank, threatened to take the team off the court and the finger wag might have been quite close to the referee's face or in the proximity of it anyway. And I think there was war there at one stage. Now, it was quite, yeah. Geez, we use the term Galatastra to describe more on this podcast quite regularly. Some were saucy that they went on and got training tops in the Galatastra colors with the Clomorac rest on it, right? But that was definitely partisan stuff. I don't know, was there ever a basketball match's intense? I don't know if you can recall it off top of your head, can you? - The game in Newbridge. - Yeah. - Now I don't recall that particular game. So just like, as you said, the old gym in knock bag was like a shed for all intensive purposes. And there was no room between, let's say, the sideline and where the crowd was. So if you went down there for a game, like you'd know all about the crowd and you'd get some abuse to fire that just. So it was always good to have home games. - I think the basketball matches were basically salted Rangers of theirs. - It was definitely nice up near the sauce, yeah, with basketball. I think I know I don't remember now because you're a little bit of shin splints at the time. So you probably wouldn't have even been there. And no, I knew you were the step-back story and I knew you were a bit different. (both laughing) - No, I only, I played a few years basketball, but I think when the running became serious, I kind of prioritized that. - Yeah. When did that decision almost was that you had to make the call one over the other with the run? At what point did you say, right? I can go on off order with this. - Between running in football, is it? - Yeah, 'cause like you were running at a really, really good level and standard, like. - Yeah. I suppose like the game of stage where I was, I was training to qualify for different standards, like European standards. And I would have increased the mileage of student and training of student. And as a result of that, I think I developed a few injuries, like Shinsblint's you mentioned there, just got to the point where I wasn't enjoying running anymore. And it can be quite an isolating sport if you're not enjoying it. And you don't really have teammates to back you up. So I just fell away from it because I was having Shinsblint's and then not being able to train as much as competitors. I was not doing as well as I would have liked. So I think in around the end of fifth year, I started sixth year. I started to prioritize football. - Yeah. And it kind of been an easy one to me though. In all the injuries you're saying is kind of making the decision for you, but. - Yeah. - Like there's the lore and the prestige of representing your country and all that too. And kind of wanting to keep giving that a go, I guess. It can't be a straightforward and says you're making out there. - Yeah, 100%. There was a lot of steepest nights over leaving running behind. And like I had such great mentors and such great teammates with the running, it's hard to kind of move on from that. But yeah, like it just got to the point where with the injuries I was picking up, I just didn't enjoy it anymore. So I'm tough to leave behind. But one thing that I took from that is like obviously the running provided you with such a great aerobic base. So it's always good to have that going on the football field. - Well, one of your biggest races, Stevie, you've been getting home advantage for a collection in the buying store. (laughing) - On the junior course, don't you? - We had, we had Brian, well, the celebrity buying store, you had to do a challenge before each of the games to decide who would get home advantage. And I remember like a collection were so tuned in because if you got a home game, it meant that you could get the gate receipts and you could advertise. But there was two challenges. One was the swimming challenge and then one was running challenge. I remember with the swimming challenge, we used to go into Greg Poole there, maybe two or three times a week and we're really into training. And we got like professional outfits, so we had like the spandex shorts and the caps and whatever speedos. But we went up to the National Aquatic Center and our competitors were there. I think we were playing a team from Slague or someone I can't really remember, but. - Also, the first day was Bali Porene and the Slague team was the second day, wasn't it? And then, yeah, finally, yeah, yeah. - Yeah, so anyway, we went up to the National Aquatic Center and these lads, we were racing against, it turned out they could hardly swim. So, we'd been training months in advance and we jumped in and honestly, like we were very professional. The lads jumped in and they're treading water, like barely able to swim. So, it was just funny, the huge emphasis we were pulling on but then other teams not so much. - Ah, that's good. And then for the running, I don't know, I think Brian Kelly watched the fourth game against Bali Porene beside us and he was a serious panel member and then for the semi-final of the tournament, the challenge was running. - Yeah. - To get all of that. (laughing) - That's great, but as far as you dare, you don't know anything about it. - No, no. Well, I obviously had my background in running and then Brian was like, I think he was the 800 meter champion at his age group. So, we were drafting him in. So, I think we won the Bali by a couple of hundred, well, not 100 meters, but 50 or 60 meters maybe. - Yeah, go on. Jeff Mehtarva, another name was just coming back to me there. - Yeah, he was really great swimmer and very quick as well, very fast. - Yeah. Yeah, Barnastore was good times that year in particular for you. - Yeah. - Yeah. - We had the training numbers that year were, like off the record for Clash, let's say, because everyone wanted to have their piece of fame. So, it was just such a successful year because we had the celebrity band store and then I think we won our division and we went on to win the intermediate that year against Bali Ron. So, celebrity band store, the league and championship was a really great year. - Yeah, unbelievable stuff indeed. And like, talk about something that galvanized the community like, you know, and you had a few very good years, I think, with Clash, and it has to be said, particularly 2019 must be, must be a standard that's been refined. But obviously one that probably parts the, but when I will come back to Cara Alicia in a minute for all our listeners, don't worry about, this is taking a nice little natural flow. So, I just want to kind of keep on the topic as well, as for a moment, but that was just, I suppose a desperately difficult one to take, it was my point for Alicia in that final, but also had to have been magical times with the run and everything leading into it. - Yeah, yeah, we actually that year, we didn't do too well in the league. I think we may have been relegated, but just the role we got on in championship, we just got huge momentum. And then we had a very smart coach in Morris Brown who just like is tactics and his awareness of the teams we were coming up against and his in-game decisions were really elite. So, yeah, it took us all a bit by surprise, I think, 'cause coming into the championship, I don't think we were expecting that. But then, yeah, game after game, we just built momentum and we're very lucky to lose to Poor Alicia by a point in the end. - Yeah, and do you know what's interesting now, just before I move on from the club stuff again, I had one larking on the other day and I thought this was just an issue that was maybe exclusive to Cardone and possibly into the election as well and to tell you that themselves, in the sense that, you know, football in Holland is now no longer like, say, the ultimate, that it is the only show in town that multi-discipline things going on. Look, that was always the case, but football in Holland generally, where they got an odd maybe if there's someone kind of sitting on the fence. So, it was that that come up on topic and then there was the whole thing of travel. And like, you've got to travel soon or the class, you know, all kind of talk about whatever. There's a big thing in the lesson, this is why I bring it up that Jesus had everyone together for one year wouldn't it be fantastic. Well, that now no longer seems exclusive to the lesson, it just seems to be becoming a more kind of, or I'll carry it for one to the very first, a global thing where I thought to be all end all. And I don't know if COVID taught people that, but it's definitely an opener for me to hear someone like all lark and say that about James Stevens, where you would take me. They're competing for championships here in the year out and I don't know if you've any kind of viewfinder or thoughts on it, but the landscape definitely seems to be changing here anyway. - Yeah, yeah. I think definitely it has shifted like the mindset 'cause even something like the drinking bands. Now, thankfully I never experienced the drinking bands, but I know a couple of years before I went in to Leish and even, well, I've never brought into collection, so I'd say if lads heard about a drinking band introduced, now they kind of turned their back on it. And I think it's just, like Gaelic Vocal has moved with the times in that it's more global society we're leaving in and young lads now just want to travel maybe after graduating from school or graduating from college. So yeah, it definitely I think the mindset has shifted. - And probably not really a bad thing either. There's more of a common sense approach to it. - Yeah. - There's two things, the landscape would have lost years to go if there was a drink about a thousand. - No, you want your one three or four chimes yourself. (laughing) - I don't even have to bring a drink, but I think it is. - When I started with a collection, like it's probably commonplace, but they will add stuff and outside the change room at half time to have like a couple of cigarettes just to warm up the lungs. But yeah, it definitely wouldn't get done nowadays. - Well, look, there's one again, just to take a nice natural flaw. Only last Saturday, and I mean, this is kind of, I would have a lot of a gem or two of those boys in the lens side. But we said for me, we've got loose to go into town for a buy team. We just have to jump out with the lens side for a point or two. And the younger generation, now there's two big dark boys up and there's a heap of lads playing there saying to Luke Littler effect is hitting selection as well as everyone else. And the lads were getting on and writing happy and party more and then pass going over there. And I said, right, we'll have a go at these where you see what they're made of. And what do you call it? I want them to be on for like, 'cause I don't want them virus or whatever. But he went up and hit it 25 and he was delighted with himself. He was going to get the throw force. And I think it was the third leg, party in part. And she won the force too. - Yeah. - Pass goalie, nears the bullseye. (laughing) (laughing) Had to be seen to be believed and, oh. - Yeah, yeah. - Did you let me miss it? - You might miss it, yeah, would you? - 100%, yeah. Yeah. I think playing, especially playing with, like some of the friends you've grown up with and obviously they'd have two brothers. Well, one now that everyone's living over and absolutely have four two brothers involved with a collection. And it's the club football that you'd miss the most. And like, after the wins or our losses, you'd go to the Glensite and have few drinks. And then you'd have the crack with the older lads who've been there and seen it all. And they'd have great stories from back in the day. I think like, before our generation in question, I don't think they maybe would have been as talented maybe, but they're definitely known as some of the heartiest men that ever stepped foot on a football pitch. I think Patti Lad would have been number one on that. I remember hearing a couple of good stories about him almost be heading lads and straddly in different places, so. - You need a lad like that, too. (laughing) - I'll move back to Carlo versus Lee Stauff then. And is there anything in particular that you can remember or the standouts in general, not just any wanting from those games with Carlo in 2018? No, that seems like a stupid question to ask you, as you got knocked out in the lens or something final. And I don't mean it that way whatsoever. It didn't mean to be disingenuous before I come to that, I suppose, you know, is there anything that kind of sticks out like in terms of the build up or maybe the games itself? And I'm way chatty about that incident in a moment, actually. - Yeah, I think around that time, I just remember having, like, Carlo having an edge to them that previously hadn't been there. I think with, obviously, Tarlock O'Brien is a great manager and then they had Stephen Poacher in there as well. So I think with those two boys over them, there was definitely an edge. So I think that, like, they're definitely doing pretty much anything to get over the line. And they're very savvy and smart with the way they play. They would have been quite defensively based, but then in transition, like, they're very difficult to stop. And our game is back then. Leash versus Carlo probably wouldn't have been the greatest technicals. They were quite low scoring, but they were such intense games and, like, any mistake was punished and, yeah, like, it was very ferocious, ferocious ties between the two of us. - What did you do to mitigate what they were doing at the time? I suppose, about six years on, though, I don't think we're sending things together. Was it significant or was there anything in particular to show it down? - Yeah, I think Carlo went into their defensive zone. They're almost, like, 15 men behind the ball. And we would have done lots of simulations with John Zugro just working around the D and being patient with us and maybe, like, penetrating, but if it's not on, work around and then recycle it to the first site. So a lot of simulation, we would have talked through different scenarios if this happens and you do this. But, yeah, I think, like, Carlo, at that time, I think, fed off turnover. So we tried everything. We could reduce the amount of turnovers. And then with some of the players we had, like, Guy Walsh and Donny Kingston, we tried to get the ball to them and they would have picked off long-range scores. So there's little things like that. But, yeah, like, Carlo had great success around the time, but I think we tried to limit our turnovers against them just so they didn't get the fuel they needed. Yeah, I think Lee's become very wise to Sean Morphy as well and the Sweden, which he was parry things from A to B because, you know, I think he spent most of possibly lenss on me if I'm looking at him kind of after the ball and the runs and how they were kind of suddenly, I don't know. Or I'm going to say, certainly in a broccoli halter. But definitely, he was slowed down quite heavily and that's part of the game, I guess, you know? Yeah, I think Karen Ellis was detailed to mark him on a couple of occasions. And when Chu Chu, I think his name was, when he gets going, like, he's just impossible to stop. So, Karen was almost laying hands on him before he could build up that team and that worked out quite well for us. But there was, like, a couple of occasions where he still did hurt us. Yeah, yeah. Look, there were magical times for release point of view, but obviously, there was one particular incident and I swear to God, when I asked that question a few minutes ago, that's not what I meant even washer memories of those games, because Jesus said, it didn't end well for you in the industry and we find that a person or not. Like, obviously, there was a collision with Kira Morn, you know, an accidental collision. And yeah, like, you were on the ground for quite some time. What, remember anything of the moment or even anything before that then? Or how does that whole thing play out with you? To be honest, remember very little about the incident itself, like one memory I have is waking up in hospital the next, would have been maybe a couple of hours after the next day and my mom would have been there and obviously, she was quite concerned. I think that's one of the things that benefit me that it was in Crow Park and there was an ambulance on site and obviously with the hospital nearby. But in terms of like recall of the game or stuff that happened, remember very, very little about it. It's like, that's my one abiding memory of the day. It just wake up in hospital the day after. - Right. So I live not only, can you remember even playing the game? - No, no. - Jesus. - Yeah, I like to see, it was pretty substantial now, like two fractures and 25 stitches. And scary enough after for a while because like my memory just wasn't there. I'd remember like maybe like a week or so after. I think I was watching sitting there and watching the game, Ireland were playing in rugby. And like we watched the game from start to finish and then afterwards, like whoever my brothers are, our uncles were here talking about the game and I just couldn't recall the instance from the game. I just watched and I think it was like a couple of weeks before I was fully back to myself. So it was scary enough going through that and just kind of thinking to yourself, Jesus, is this everyone I come back? But thankfully, thankfully it has. - Yeah. And in those moments it has to be anger and obviously anxiety and all those things kind of going on. And I'm sure you're probably going to the worst case scenario where Jesus, is this something going to have to live with? Like all those things they might as well go on around in your head at the time. Are they when these things are happening? - Yeah, yeah, you're just kind of hoping that it comes right again. So like it wasn't too long to be fair before I came like maybe a couple of weeks. But then you just have to bite your time obviously with the skull fracture. So it was a while before I could actually take back into training and then like I resume non-contact training but then you'd have to wait another couple of weeks or a few months before I could resume full contact. And then like the doctors were encouraging me to take every precaution because with the likes of concussion you just don't take any chances. So yeah, like barring those first maybe week or two, like I was fine after that. But just in those couple of days after this and it was quite scary. - Did you look at the photo? - Yeah, yeah, I've looked at a couple of times here. - I didn't have to put a caption on it. You knew what I meant when I said that photo. - It's just brought out on the ground, is that what you mean? - Well, there's that one. But there's also one that like it's kind of taken in action almost not quite where there's contact with which are self and I hear it or whatever. But I don't know whether it's just after happening or it's just about to happen. But the reason I bring it up is because obviously when we're getting a photo together to try and promote you go around the shore, I did come across it and I wonder to myself, I wonder how does he actually load that. It's probably not something that interests you. I don't think I'd want to look at it either. But yeah, you can see what's going on. - It's long in the past now, but it's actually quite funny over here because I'm involved with Clan of Gail. It's a local team here, but I think it was like, maybe the second year I was over here. I rocked up training one evening and he was there only here on mourn. (laughing) And I actually, I hadn't really talked to him since that incident, but we just had a laugh and a joke about it. But like, I'm not surprised. Like the man is such a powerhouse on the field and he just goes, goes and thunder for every ball. So like it was unfortunate, but I know like there was no intention. - Yeah, what was it like when you met him then, before was there an awkwardness there? - No, no, I think the lads had him warm that I played the team. So I think he knew what he was getting into. But no, I was sure like, you might know him yourself. He's a really nice guy and an unbelievable footballer. So we had a few good days playing together on the same team. - That's my, the world works really, really strangely. I have played with him, yeah, I know the best kind of development squads and I think he was at the way in order as the area was there as well. Yeah, top, top quite like he be. Just from what I remember of him, maybe he just got on with things. He wasn't incredibly vocal or anything. The lad, I know he wasn't at that particular point. Obviously when you go into other lives, maybe things could change, but I definitely saw a grounded type of fellow like, you know? - Yeah, yeah. No, he played win four for us and he was just a wrecking ball really. Like once he got going, he couldn't stop him and he was quite prolific in front of goal. Like he always end the game was the goal and maybe two or three points. So very good, very good out here. - Yeah, yeah. And that, he had a 2019 season with Lesham, was after that. The season, he's got promoted again 2019, didn't he? Didn't he get by the back goals? - Yeah, yeah. Last to Westmeade and in the final, yeah. We got promoted from division three to in 2019. - Yeah. And then you said, right, I'm out with here. The clinician obviously got that final horse and they're like, let's see what things are like on, on the other side. - And again, the temptation is there. So like, was it a straightforward decision to go? We've seen as the club we got to, we can't be final. At least you got two promotions. - No, I wouldn't say it was straightforward, but I had a couple of mates from college and they were traveling over to Sydney. So that was, I think if I hadn't gone at that time, I probably would never, never have gone. I think it was a good time to go and towards the end with Leish had some back issues as well. So like just obviously training from, I was in with Leish and so it was maybe 19. So I think the body just needed a break as well. So I was happy enough to step away. - What way is the back now? Because I know you were getting off and hard with it. - No, it's not great, I have a stress fraction in my lower back and some scoliosis in my upper back. So I haven't actually played football for close on two and a half, three years now. So I've moved into kind of the coaching sphere and just helping out with the local team here. - Jesus, like that's, you say that with just like, just natural one, get on with everything. Surely that's all it's like, you low plan again, that kind of it. - Yeah, I was searching for the right answers. Like I've been to just numerous physios and numerous specialists. And then there was talks of going through with surgery getting a spinal fusion surgery, but the best specialist I went to was saying, like if you get one spinal fusion surgery, usually requires another one, like in a couple of years. So I just, I think from my overall wellbeing, it was best just to call it a day, but it's just not an easy thing to do, especially like it would have been only 28, 29 when I made that decision. And yeah, like it is like football would have been part of me and part of my identity. So it's difficult to step away from that absolutely. - And does an injury that just come from accumulation over the years of hair such like her? - Yeah, the reckon like the stress fracture is a congenital thing. So it's there since birth, but obviously with the running and been involved in county panel from young age, probably would have had a lot of wear and tear. So just wearing and tear over numerous years kind of presented the case to me where like, I just, I was in pain during the game and then after the game as well. So I wasn't enjoying it, so I stepped away. - Yeah. Well, you're replacing with something because I don't see a double chain or a triple chain rat like that, you're still as lean looking as you were going over there. So you were just in the pool, are you able to? - Yeah, like it's just the movement pattern of football like the stopping and starting and turning twisting that just doesn't, just irritates my back. So I can still do like straight line running and swimming and doing some cycling as well. So I've got into track lines over here and a few Pilates classes as well. So that's all it's good for me. - Well, man, yeah, that's good. You can do a straight line running and track lines. I mean, you know, most people will be sent in there as well. Well, do something that case you've taken over, but, you know, no, Stevie has to do with your action, of course, you know. (laughing) - Yeah, that's great that you're able to like, I mean, that you have replaced it with something because it's an important part of your life exercise. - Yeah, 100%. I think lockdown over here was obviously, it was a nuisance, but it provided it's good opportunity to get into the swimming and I fell in with a group who did ocean swimming. So we would have like maybe went once a week on the weekend and swam out around the headland. So you do maybe two K in the water and then go for a coffee and spend a drink afterwards. So it was good social outlet during COVID. - Good stuff, man. And listen, at the present day then, I woke you was almost longer because you have to get a few over sleeping for this starting, so you're late and not that really cool. With the, I'm sure you're keeping an eye on what's going on. And a potato lean leash, maybe not so much in power or whatever. But, you know, there was this first high before it, it's late again from a car to point of view. Well, actually, once you got it, they could get a result. It was looking very good in the first half. I'd know where to find one up or something. They're already fighting a lot. And then things just fell us under in the second half. And unfortunately, the vibe I'm getting and that's been portraying things inaccurately, but things like maybe lads go on to play with Clover and on off there were left play with the club, just went on, maybe played anyway. And I think there was some sort of a weekend session that was supposed to be a training thing, could have turned into a drinking session. And again, I'm not saying we're last right or wrong, whatever. But what I am saying is that there's a lot of nice around the car look amp, and it has been over the last couple of weeks. Jordan Morris has kind of gone away. I think Darifoli went back, okay. But I don't hear so much noise from leash. And like, given, I suppose, Ryan Bay is there in the lesson, you probably would hear a little bit. - Yeah. - A lot of say something here and absolutely not. And it seems that after the beat and leash got against Offalie, which they would have been very, very disappointed with the course that they have kind of just gone back and refocused, whereas the vibe I'm getting from Carol was that they, okay, maybe they tried through that, but there was all this other noise that was getting out too. - Okay. - Does that, does that noise, not so much the Carol noise, but nice in general? Does that still make it to it? I was trying to be hearing bits and pieces about maybe what's going on. - Haven't really heard of the Carolo camp now, but I'd still be in contact with you, the leash lads. And yeah, I think the obviously got a good training block game after Offalie and Hopley are going to set their sights on the Talton Cup. It's one thing obviously our leash have on their side is they have a great manager and they're like, Justin McNulty gave me my debut actually against Carlo in, it was a 2013, I think, and he's just like, what was it? - Yeah, it's the first fight in that game, I think, ever, wasn't it? - Yeah, yeah, yeah. - But like he brings such a professionalism to it and would be big into the mentality. So I'm sure the lads had a good training block after the disappointment of Offalie. - Yeah. Mickey Orsp walk about McNulty and it seemed that how he described was how we perceive, if that makes sense. - Right. - He looks... - No. - He looks in Timodet and by all it sounds, probably isn't Timodet and what was your experience? - Yeah, exactly like that, yeah. (laughing) That year, I think we went in between the league and championship, there was a few of us went in, Evan O'Carol and Paul Kingston maybe and no one Larry and Matt you can't be in. We went in and the first round of the championship against Lao was actually lost by about 10 points. But then we went in the back door and we had a few wins against Karol on him. I think eventually we lost to Donnie Gull but yeah, Justin, like he is so committed and like he just brings a very professional aspect to the whole thing like in terms of your preparation and training, you begin to the stats and looking after yourself in and out of competition. So definitely, you wouldn't want to mess him at the same time, like he is quite a serious character but he does look healthy. - I couldn't even get my own point on this. James Larrick, the former Karol goalkeeper is the Tlesson Gull, he can go out and he's already got left, he won't even let him come on, he's on podcasts for God's sake. (laughing) I was like, he's a serious man. But it should be an interesting encounter from Karol point of view, I don't think there's much of an expectation of a victory. And that's just gone with the public fight. Obviously, nobody would be happier than me except for all the Karolvians who did a victory. And that's not that entirely ruled out of course. But the likelihood is, okay, it doesn't seem as likely probably this time, it does ever seem likely some would argue about, I think, Lisa, our former favorites. I suppose it might be disappointing just to wrap it up on this, that the GA go-core is just an extend to covering nearly every challenge of game which in theory, it could. - Yeah. And I mean, that won't be frustrating for you over there. - It is, yeah. Like, there's great excitement going up to watch the Division 4 final against Lietrum. And you'd have the crack with the other leash lads who'd be over here, like there's a couple of lads from Port Arrington and then St. Joseph's as well. So it's good to watch the game and then have a chat about it afterwards. But with the coverage, it's not possible to watch the all the game. So when there is coverage, it adds great excitement, Paul. It's on a rare basis that happens. - Yeah, during COVID, they've partnered every game on it. And all the same, they moved back to what effectively was the old Sky deal. The only game that Sky had, GA, got kind of offered up and they offered up with like a full production setup with ponders and the whole lot. But I remember back to COVID and the camera and the commentators as good as anything. You'll take a camera and comment there over nothing and I would love if it could be brought back for everyone it was, particularly for the lake yourself. That's all for people now, you know what I mean? You pay it a 10 out of time, whatever it is like. - 100%. They have Clover TV, which is great for the club games. It's hope that they'd roll out something similar for the injured county games, but maybe they're licensed or something like that. I'm not fully sure. - Yeah, yeah. Well, look, we live in Hop. Stevie, how do you do 20 minutes or a half an hour of thinking here we are in Outricottos. It happens every week on the podcast. Well, look, it was a great chat and-- - It was a good catch up on all times. - Yeah, yeah, look, I wish you the very best look and enjoy the weekend and we'll chat again soon, all right? - So, thanks for having me on, Kev. [whooshing sound]
