Ellyse Perry On Mankads, Ponytails & Matildas

Okay, well, this is a chat that we've wanted to do for a very long time. Uh we're sat here in person with um, not just one of Australia's greatest ever cricketers, but one of Australia's greatest ever Sports people thanks the achievements are simply too long to list. So I won't for sort of toxic masculinity reasons as well. That'S the fast to say this person is a national icon, a global icon, at least in the cricketing world um, and also, basically, she lives nearby to TJC towers and we've sort of seen her riding a skateboard such do. You want to come to a chat um. Obviously she replied who's. This never text me again um, but then agreed to do this. For some reason, I think it could be the last chat in TGC towers as well uh before we move to another space. So we welcome in person uh. Arguably, the greatest female cricketer of all time I'll argue it um to to talk to a few retired, clubbies, Elise, Perry, uh, Elise or Pez. Welcome to the great cricketer in person, hi guys, um, first off the bat mankad's good or evil uh there's no in between. Oh evil, how was the group how's? The group chat last night, that's coming through in the WhatsApp since a couple of emojis? Ah yeah, I I'm not saying you know. No one should ever read whatsapps from the group. You know uh from friends, but we're just looking for a gist. You know: what's the WhatsApp, don't do it, but if you're going to do it, do it to England, not bad. There'S got to be some part of you that just wants to know what it feels like to be deep, dishonor to defeat England at Lords to win the game, it's very funny on a level yeah on one level um, and there are other levels, it's layered, because I actually spent um a good month or so with deepti Sharma, just recently in the UK at the 100 um we're both involved with Birmingham Phoenix, and I can honestly tell you she's the sweetest human being on the planet. So quietly spoken like butter, wouldn't melt and then just comes out on the field with a bit of white line fever, technical kind of rules and yeah, it was a bit yeah, it's always a quiet ones. Isn'T it holy [, __, ], wow? Okay, I like it, have you guys ever had a conversation like going into a game about about maybe watch out for this. Maybe this team does this. Maybe this team doesn't do this? He'S a man CAD candidate, yeah, yeah yeah. I think she could keep an eye on it 72 times, apparently in the game, but yeah you ever had a conversation about it. I don't think we ever have. I think um. You know if someone is very obviously leading off um before the ball's been bowled like by a long margin. You'D probably say something to the Umpire um and you'd probably bring that up for a game. If you knew someone in Taurus, they did that. But no besides that, I don't think we've ever had a conversation about you know it's just chucking the man cat in well, you might now it's gon na, be part of the guy, like I think everyone's just gon na have to accept it. I, for me I don't like it but, like I just feel like this is just gon na happen this this is it now. Am I Wrong tell me I'm wrong, I hope you're wrong yeah. I don't like it at all. I don't know it just it. Just doesn't all right, it's just like just like a wicket yeah, yeah yeah, I don't know so. I know to win the game. Probably celebrating more. Today, it's a real. You know it's kind of funny. It'S not simple! You know these these things. I agree with you. I think it's interesting. I think it's sociologically interesting. Why? But why there is this? Why there seems to be an inherent um? You know discomfort with it among huge groups of people going back decades and decades and decades. You know possibly even a century. You know, and then there seems to be another side, that sort of dismisses it and just says it's in the laws and therefore it's permissible there's nothing else that needs to be discussed, and yet this feeling still pervades. I think there are cultural lays to it and I think it's, I think everyone's view is worthy of uh kind of respect and working through it. I don't think, there's one view on it. That'S you know that permits somebody just to wave away or dismiss everything else. Like I think the discomfort comes from somewhere and I I think this is going to continue to happen. I also think that next time you play India, you know if Sean is coming in deep is coming in a bowl. Why don't you and I just said, there's something yeah the other day, you know if you're at the non-striker's end you've got an opportunity to to mess with her processes too. Why don't you step out of the crease and then just sort of in and out in and out as she's coming into Bowl? Maybe she starts bomb two lengths, you know, moons is the other end. Bang there's a couple. You know demand as runs. I mean we're talking about pragmatic Cricket yeah. I don't know if everyone's looking for their little edges out, I don't know yeah. I do like a bit of a book yeah, I'm on that's a bit of a combat yeah to the man card. Exactly so, you know what they should do, though exactly your eyes have lit up again. If you you do mancard and they're in their crease. I think it's a snowball like it as well, yeah, otherwise yeah. This is a gay within a game. Squid games; okay, not as good, not as good season; two, if I'm honest, yeah, kids and balking yeah uh for the benefit of those on YouTube. Who'Ve already typed into the comments um that it's called a run out of the non-strikers and we're aware of that. I think the term mankad is uh, just the the um, the Lexicon, that kind of describes the phenomena we're talking about at the moment and any any you know proponent of it should enjoy it using it as a moniker yeah. Yes, yes, um all right, Elise, just let's I didn't know if you want to talk about that at all uh, because the headlines are now going to say, Perry calls it evil. Um yeah, I don't feel like I'm gon na, have a chance to have a say over what we talk about today. I don't know I've got a feeling, it's actually handcuffed. I told you not to mention that I thought that'll be out of that yeah. Where do we uh? Where do we catch you in your schedule now and notice, uh you're, playing with Victoria wncl's on um, the Aussies don't play for a little while, so is it? Do you consider this down time or are you just Nets Deluxe at Junction, oval uh, I notice you're bowling how they're coming out yeah um nice summer yeah a little bit, although a little bit dicey in terms of what you're gon na get weather-wise. So some days you turn up in Spring, especially September lovely sunny day. That'S looking good they've had a bit of a bit of warm weather, they're, nice and hard get me in there other days, rainy, cold, wet net. I don't want to be there kind of vibe. So September is a bit interesting around that, but we are playing quite a few games, which is really nice. Stud wncl we've got another round next uh at the end of September against Tasmania and then into big bash um start of October. So, okay, okay, oh and I have to say, like we're three Sydney, Siders sitting here like Sydney being home, but we're all here in Melbourne Victoria, like how I don't want to do tedious, like Sydney V, Melbourne stuff, but like how's, how's Melbourne for you, I got Ta say like as a cricket fan, I still I don't like that you're playing for Victoria um, I respect what you need to do professionally, uh, Etc, but like how you finding playing for the vix and how and are you lacking Melbourne? You know where is it for you interesting that you mentioned? That sounds like a similar line of conversation that I had with my parents on the weekend when they came to watch some. I think I am your parent actually yeah, um yeah. They came over to Adelaide, to watch us play South Australia and, and Dad happened to make a comment that um, the navy blue, looked nice and then mum chimed in with and yes New South Wales is also blue. Um parents haven't accepted it yeah yeah they're, getting there. They both rocked up in green clothing for the weekend, so they were neutral, okay, um. Normally. When I used to hoping you said well, they would always wear baby blue yeah to the ground matching yeah. So anyway, there's just some subtle um, no, I'm really enjoying Melbourne life um. I think this is my third or fourth year down here now, um, obviously a little bit impacted over the last couple of years, but um besides that, it's been been great, I'm pretty sure you've moved down here to ride your skateboard, because I can't see that happening In Sydney, so I want to know if you're allowed to do that, yeah yeah yeah. Are you allowed to do that in your contract to ride a skateboard, because we've learned some of the weird things recently that other professional athletes, not just cricketers like aren't allowed to do because it's in their contract, like it's deemed just too dangerous? I go to theme parks that sort of thing yeah um. Are you allowed to ride a skateboard in your contract? No comment: yeah? Okay, just um have a chat to my lawyers. Actually yeah. We call it a bike um. You know it's with four wheels and you're. Just standing up, it's a motor transport sure motor transport yeah. You essentially got the tram here. I did yeah really small tram, yeah personal, individual tram, at least like one or two um. Anyone who's tuned into this chat, who's, sort of looking for, like the latest issues. In women's cricket and stuff is going to be disappointed, um there'll be a few, but like I, I wanted to go from the start with you a little bit um because, like you, you must have had countless chats with various media Outlets about your story. You know the Elise Perry story and, like every time I've gone to research, you for various conversations that we've had like, and this happens with every other Elite Sports person is like the biography is always you know, say with you: it's like you know she was talented And the only girl in her first soccer and cricket team like the beecroft, the no kill respectively and then when she was 16, she played for Australia in both, and I'm like. Why does the mainstream media continue to ignore Grassroots sport? That happens in between? You know like this is the place where people get chiseled out they've stopped. They find that they're better than everybody else, and I I wanted to ask you like for most people they were sort of going through Club sport, 15. 16. 17. Maybe there was a you know, a career for them by 16 you're playing for Australia in two sports. So I'm thinking like was it you know, was it in year, seven or something when we're all just hormonal that you're, like uh, I'm actually on here, I'm three three years away from my International debut. You know: when did you know it's just this is this? Is gon na happen? Um, oh dear, I actually had no idea um, but until like you just got a call until I got a call and you what's that, what are you doing talking about? You must have dominated yes come on sport. I think I think I had you know like most athletes at some point in their career timing's, good um, and they just like sort of call. It luck call it timing, whatever um it sort of just panned out that right around. When I was 16, I played a few, you know sort of Representative carnivals um played in some underage Australian matches and around that time they had a couple of retirees from the Australian women's team, notably Catherine Fitzpatrick um, one of the greatest ever fastballers, and that couple Injuries - and I think they just decided to go a bit Rogue and pluck a 16 year old. Out of you know, Junior Cricket, who was I'd, had a bit of a growth spurt. So I was starting a bowl a bit more and a little bit quicker and for whatever reason, um Christina Matthews who's, the head selector at the time, um could have been on a night out when she made that decision, or I think it always looks better. After a couple of beers, it's like playing pool, you know what I mean just select, teams, yeah, yeah um and it just yeah. It honestly came from nowhere so much so that I don't reckon half the girls in the team ever knew who I was um when I turned up to the first training. So it was a genuine sort of just potluck timing, nice to be around at that point. In time, because I was in Southampton, wasn't it your first, your first game you flew over to England, for it you first without your first tour, Darwin first game, Darwin, first game: okay, always mix that up yeah, it's in the climates, yeah yeah. A couple of jumpers up there in Darwin, yeah, okay right so, okay, you're coming to that team and people, don't know your name, you walk into that dressing room and you know everyone. I presume you know all the names yeah. I think so. Well, I think the first first bit of interaction was like actually on the flight, so um we all flew to Brisbane and then caught a connecting flight across to Darwin, and I remember being that, like shy and nervous that I just pretend to be asleep on the Flight, the entire way, so I didn't have to speak to anyone. I just didn't know people like at all and probably thought they were thinking. What is this kid doing here? How about he's just 16 or something 16., so um got got to the got to the hotel and sort of first training session. It was kind of like introduce myself right, I'm over please I'll I'll, bold you in the Nets. If that's okay - and I don't know - I kind of went from there - you know there are so many stories like uh it's like mythological from, and I want to ask you later about comparing things to men's career by the way but like this is our frame of Reference about like Alpha hierarchies and and when the young buck joins the side. You know the the tradition is that they're, essentially like neutered and and made to feel that they're, the lowest uh, because it's a competitive, little pyramid that you're in and you have to work. Your way up through, like Unwritten social conventions, you know like drinking and stories, and things like that, like is there, is there anything? Did you experience anything similar like that? Did you feel welcome in the side? Did you did you get a sense that uh people thought because you, you did skip a fair few levels to get to that team, and we know how you know the drudgery of club and maybe not first class Cricket? It'S still pretty good, but like did you know what was that experience like you know being introduced or other others welcoming you into the team, yeah um I was so lucky, I think um. Maybe this is a little bit different between men and women, but I think um women become quite like maternalistic. So there was a lot of comments around me being young enough to be some of the senior player's daughter, um in the team and sort of stuff like that. So it was almost a bit of reverse where I seemed to get really well looked after and oh nice yeah it was, it was probably cool. I'M very, very fortunate must be nice. That is, that is the least like that's the most foreign experience like I've never played a game, and I was like dad daddy I'd love to go into cricket team. My mum's there yeah sorry does that trivialize that I don't mean to like, but people were looking after you saying yeah, they really were actually um and I think you know I sort of knew a few, a few of the um, the girls, especially lunch from New South Wales, so it was kind of nice to have a little bit of a link there. But but then everyone was just super cool and I actually found especially at that age. There is zero expectation of you as a 16 year old, like you're learning the ropes um, and it wasn't. It was almost like do whatever it could be a bit of a child, and it was completely fine, and everyone was like really happy to kind of have this novelty of a 16 year old, with probably a bit more energy and excitement. So it was um. It was great, so when did you play your first Club game after that? So I guess you were playing club qriket and then you went into Australia and then how long after that did you play another Club game a week and a half ago ever again, yeah. Never again, why would I play Club Cricket yeah? What'S that? I actually think at that point in time or close to it. Um, I was at Sydney Cricket Club used to be Balmain Creek and we'd formed like a third grade side with a lot of the younger players, So Lisa Healey and I were in that team and we had half the time we were playing on cintho on the On the weekend um, so it was like it was really kind of weird the difference between the two, but also a lot of fun. Yeah how'd. You hit him again in threes, yeah on syntho yeah against 12 year olds. No, no. We actually played like a lot of older women. Who'Ve, probably been done the journey for quite a while and and had dropped back down to third, so it was always kind of a weird um economy. When, when you turn up on the weekend yeah, I reckon I got out for less than 10 most times just way too impatient. So we, we talked a lot of your teammates a few weeks ago with Channel Seven and asked this question of like. What'S it like to go back and Destroy like halfless, uh teenagers in grade cricket and there's like two answers, one one is like no, I always get really nervous and I don't play well at that level and then the other one is like it's fantastic and dope, And we - and it's really satisfying to like sometimes make girls cry, so it just takes all types. You know, I guess yeah. I think um we're ignoring that, like, as you join the Australian national team that we're basically in cold Wars over your uh participation because simultaneously um. What are we? What are you saying here like the 2011 World Cup in Germany? Football is that around where your debut is a little bit early in that is it in cricket or is it around the same time um? Maybe a couple years earlier? Okay, I want to go to the 2011 World Cup in Germany because you you you're, also playing for the matildas and you uh are playing. It was Canberra and then Sydney, FC, right 2011, World Cup in Germany and more people remember from that is the quarter. Farms against Sweden, you score a sensational goal. You can still see it uh it and it's a great goal outside the box Defender closing in left, Peg um, curling, shot top bins. Um Craig Foster says it's it's one of the best ever goals in Australia's World Cup. History um, but we go down three one and you know, as a 37 year old um man who played all age fifth grade uh in in the Canterbury District, con um for build Strikers 12 years ago. There'S some defending. I want to discuss from that game. Oh yeah, I thought you could have got a little closer to Shetland for that first goal and - and you could have shown strogan the byline a bit more. I think as well before she crossed him for the second. So so, on a day where you scored a worldy um in a world cup, I just want to know that you have nightmares about that day. Yeah minus one on the score sheet. It'S a disrespectful question! I thought what's the angle for this, for this goal goal and a losing side. Yes, yes, there's probably stuffy there too and say I was trying to cross the ball, so oh really, yeah, okay, so you're trying to you're trying to dink it really. Why have you said that? Are you on record saying that is that the first time you've said that no, I actually don't know what I was doing. It must be difficult when you don't know what you're doing it's just top bins or World Cup. I guess Germany we're having a good time but yeah, but you are, you are absolutely correct. There was a few prior to that and I actually remember the ball going in when I shot crossed it and a couple of girls running over and I was like yeah still got one more to get to make up for it and then I got taken off Um, but you know that's one of the things people just remember. It was just an unbelievable goal. It was a great experience. It was yeah a really really cool experience and um. It would have been lovely to to win that match, but I think that's probably actually um around that time in terms of women's sport and where things were at that was probably the biggest experience. I'D had at a tournament with crowds - and you know obviously Germany's football mad. So I think in that quarter final we had about 36 000 people there and yeah. That was pretty consistent across the the comp and it was really nice to know like that. Create the future of women's sport a bit um so yeah it was great um yeah, but thanks for bringing that up, you know it's not me. It'S just the thing I have to do it's just it's just a character. It'S just a character. It'S a bit of a [ __, ] sandwich. You know like it's a great goal. I just have to say those things. I appreciate your honesty and like just talking about like the tournaments that you have played in that might have been your first and nine years. Is that 2011 yeah 2011. so nine years later than there's the 2020 World Cup in Australia right the one just before covert, win Australia, win and um? Just in my experience of the women's cricket team that that made everyone in that team, so famous, I think I met some of the team beforehand. I don't really have a connection to literally know some of their names. Even you know, and then after that all you guys are now, I think, like some of the most famous athletes in Australia. Maybe that's his perception through my job but but um. I think it was last week. I don't know if you know who Steph Houghton is but she's the captain of the lionesses, the the England's women's football team who just won the Euros. Last year, she's like over 100 caps, she's been captain since like 2014 and she she ruptured her Achilles like last year, and then it was like a Race Against Time. If she was going to be fit for the Euros which was obviously at home and then they win, you know it's an enormous achievement and she was talking last week about how difficult it was for her to even watch the the games because it melts cement. So many much to her, she couldn't watch the games. You know she was obviously cheering for the team. She was texting players with Hawaiian, but she found it so difficult to um even engage in the in the Euros when they end up winning. You know - and I was just wondering your experience of that, because you did your hamstring in the tournament right and then you didn't get to play the final, and that final was just such a huge occasion for women's sport and the cricket team and everything. And you didn't get to be part, I mean you were part of it in the sense that you were there and you definitely circuited afterwards, um but like, but but how was that experience for you in in relation to all that, um yeah? I mean I think there was this overall sense with that final, that it was almost um a lot of a bigger occasion than just the match um, just because of like the enormity of of where it sort of ended up with the crowd being um. You know so big and then, like so many people there that have been involved in the game for such a long period of time and contributed at different steps along along the way um so yeah I mean it would have been amazing to to play the game. But I think just being there and taking in that whole occasion - and you know even just getting to stand out on the ground for the national anthem and and sort of have a look around at this full MCG, which you know we'd never experienced before um. And then the way the girls played, it was just like this massive celebration for for the sport um and particularly for our team um. So I think yeah in a lot of ways, it kind of that it didn't really feel like a game of cricket. It just felt like this occasion to be a part of, and it didn't matter what you were doing as um on that day, like even just having some of the former captains like Belinda Clark and Karen Walton and Lisa stalaka, there um, I think they all felt, Like they were almost completely involved in it as well from like, as close as you could to be to playing it, it was sort of like there was just this special connection with that match that everyone had so um yeah. That was really cool, but um yeah. I did I did Circuit at the end and apparently actually one of the highlights of that is that apparently, I'm a better dancer with only one leg right versus having two legs, which says something about my dancing. But everyone was quite impressed, you're way better with a tornado. That was the comment literally anyway. That was good feedback. Then yeah it was yeah. You can always rely on that that whole that whole tournament must have been I'd sort of forgotten that the build up to it even before it started was like. Let'S pack, the mcgs try and get 100 000 people there and Katy Perry was going to perform and just like every game before the final must have just been like. You were thinking about the final, so it's incredible, it's incredible and also it does sort of. I don't know if I'm conflating things with it, but given it was like about two weeks later, the whole of the world's in lockdown yeah. It'S it it's a remarkable achievement. What that what the girl said yeah it was. It was incredible. I think um yeah there was lots of bumps along the way um a lot of the round matches. We didn't play that well sort of scrape through a few games. We also lost the first game to India at the showgrounds in Sydney. So it was. It was a bit of a rocky tournament for us. We had a couple of big injuries throughout for for different players and and then it was almost like we managed to get over the line and get into the final after the semi-final. Being this crazy rain affected match that, if it hadn't gone ahead, we wouldn't have qualified for the final, so um once we got there, it was like. Oh, this is going to be a bit of a piece of piss because they're actually here now the whole thing has been like this struggle to get to get there yeah. So it was almost like just a bit of a celebration with the team and all the pressure was off and we could just go out and play. But I remember, after that um someone saying that there was like a covered case at the game and we were all like. Oh my gosh, like Kobe, it's one case at the game and then you kind of see what happened. It'S like we're so lucky to get that in well. Then, two years later, there's someone in the team with covert no problem. Just doesn't celebrate yeah just stay over there, yeah yeah wear a mask, sit over there yeah times change. Do you feel like um and like I agree like that, that game and and winning the tournament in that manner at the MCG, felt like a real crowning moment for all this investment and hard work that had gone into Australian women's Cricket over decades? And it was real, you know standing on the the shoulders of giants stuff and then covert happened. It'S pretty much straight after that and everything was affected. Like do you feel like um, it's probably too broad a question but, like you know, has has women's Cricket in Australia and then beyond. Um captured the momentum. Do you think from that uh tournament, because you know how World Cups always do that? You know we talk about that in football. Has it captured the momentum from the World Cup, you put it in a bottle and then just sprinkle it forever, and it will continue to bloom. Do you think it's it's going well, um yeah. I do think it's going really well um. I don't know. I probably think that momentum dissipated pretty quickly um, but not in a bad way. Um. I think in some ways in a good way, because it sort of still showed um that underneath, like a lot of the great progress, there's just some really um important stuff. That still needs to keep happening, and a lot of that is probably more like around across the world in terms of some of the developing nations and and where they sit and support that they need versus. You know countries like England and India and Australia who are sort of forging ahead. It'S like really important to make sure that we keep supporting those other nations and um. I think covert really highlighted that, because, obviously you know people had to organizations had to pair back. So much of their funding and and support and what they were doing for for teams and in a lot of cases, I think some of the women's teams suffered the most there so um. I think that actually brought to the force some of the things that we need to keep doing, to make sure that, like the foundations, are really solid across across the world with with women's Cricket but um for us, I think yeah I mean it's continued to grow, Which is great um and it's been yeah, it's been so cool to be a part of it, but can I ask I mean you speak about that kind of thing with a lot of it seems to me like a lot of certitude and authority and you've obviously Been around the block so to speak, a lot when it comes to Sport - and you are - you are rolled out as a as a um come to like marketing later and stuff, but like people attach themselves to you, just as we're doing today, uh but um is, Is when it comes to the question of like the growth of women's sport or the foundations of women's sport, do you see yourself as someone who wants to um? You know with strident views on that who wants to contribute to that space after your career? Or do you consider yourself more of a of a player just experiencing it? Oh um, so I guess what I'm asking is like. Do you see yourself going into this space later on, you know, and and um and and trying to influence um um uh? Not so I haven't not, especially, I haven't really thought about it, a lot um in that sense, I think, like just as being like a bit of a excuse, the dragon, but like a citizen of the game and like in a lot of cases at the moment, It feels like the easiest way to influence things as a team is just to keep like um, hopefully performing and and playing well and capturing people's imaginations, so that they want to watch the sport they want to be involved in it. People want to broadcast it and talk about it and all those kinds of things I think like. Ultimately, that's the most tangible thing that you can. You can do um and it's probably what motivates and excites me the most but um. There is like so much off the field from an Administration point of view that gets done and gets thought about, and you know continues to kind of change and evolve as the Sport's getting bigger, which is really cool. So this is my really political answer back to you to say: I've got no idea what I want to do. Oh yeah, I guess after but um but yeah I mean it's, it's a cool space to be, and I think not just in cricket, but it's like there's so many female sports. Now that are sort of you know trying to jump on that momentum and really grow that side of the game so um. I think there's so many opportunities in women's sport at the moment to be involved. There wouldn't be much chat about the IPL at the moment. Probably not much discussion at all in the shows. Don'T talk about it, yeah yeah, definitely not crypto or the IPL. You know no chat about that so uh. I am so glad that women's Cricket has somehow avoided the whole crypto thing yeah in the change rooms. Yeah yeah yeah. What is what is the chat? What is a chat specifically? I don't we actually don't know much about it, just yeah, so whether there'll be an auction or or not. That could be very intriguing if there is an auction um. Unless you're honest about that, we'll ask a lot of the blokes and they're like I don't watch the I don't really watch the auction is that right: yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah yeah yeah be on all five of their televisions. So what's uh. So if you guys don't talk about crypto, what is the? What is the chat during the dressing room during during lunch breaks tea times, Innings breaks. Well, it's just songs. What do women want? Well, Mel Gibson. I already know because I can hear your thoughts laughs. At least what do women want? I don't understand it's a really beautiful, two pound, seven bat with a nice pickup, yeah yeah uh. So it's not crypto. We can. We can rules, not crypto. It'S not crypto. There is a lot of food chat. Food yeah! That'S a big topic. It goes around a lot like the amount of times that I've covered the impact on pineapple, sometimes when on your tongue - oh my God, yeah, I'm silly, I'm still in the moment. I can't save that. That'S I don't know what you're talking about yeah anyway, we talk a lot about food, yeah, food, okay, um yeah, where, where else you'd rather be, if you weren't at Cricket, normally yeah yeah, yeah yeah, we feel like he's sitting in the change rooms like. Where else would you guys rather be yeah anywhere? We had that as well. Yeah we're not gon na die yeah. I could be anywhere on now, but now I'm here, yeah yeah, actually one of the ones I like the best is who has the nicest ponytail? Oh and what makes a good ponytail yeah ponytail first eleven, I, like it, ponytail Festival lots of things I think um length like don't want it too short, don't want it too long, yep a nice like glossy Sheen, so it looks healthy. Oh yeah, yeah um straight someone's, put a bit of attention into that in the morning and made sure that they've got the straightening tongs out okay and then just like, where it sits on the head, how it looks how it comes out yeah, it's stylistic where it Sits on the head, like, as in people, would have different like Aesthetics that they like higher on the head, lower, definitely yeah high high pony. You are limited a little bit by the of course yeah and then also like hair tie Choice. Oh yeah, are you going scrunchy yeah, adding ribbon those kinds of things and is there ribbing around that in the sheds, as well? Just like ponytails out of whack today, that's right, yeah didn't feel like straightening for us today, yeah. You know it's funny. Conceiving of of questions for today uh, it's so um. I find it so um like such a reflex to think of questions in reference to men's cricket and but but being very conscious that uh it's it's probably quite a faux pas to continually like put women's Cricket in men's terms or throw a men's like throw a Men'S prism is it would? Could you confirm that that's the greatest of all time that, like it's really not um, it's really not cool to like make comparisons between like men's and women's Cricket when trying to talk about someone's career in some ways, um yeah those comparisons can be a little unhelpful In the sense of it probably doesn't like um acknowledge that, like the game is its own game, and hopefully you know and like that's also, I think, impacted by the fact that hasn't been particularly visible in the last um, 15 or so years. But you know, obviously, in the last little bit, it's that's really changed and and, as you said before, he go like everyone get has get has got to know. The girls really well now and understands how they play and their different nuances, um, and just how the whole game is played as well um, whereas I think you know in the past, it was actually really flattering to be compared to the guys, because it gave people A sense of understanding of of how that player might play um, but also probably with a little bit of um Choice, a better way, a little bit of ignorance, because I just hadn't had a chance to watch a lot of it or get a feel for it. So I think the further that we've come. I'Ve noticed like those comparisons, are really died off a lot um. It doesn't seem to happen as much, but there are also also some great spaces where you can compare things and what goes on so it's kind of like, and it just depends in what context would you literally playing um like in the under 21 men's comp Port? Even gray be a good choice of conversation, because I'd like to ask you a question about it: what's that question well, so so you're at Balmain or Sydney which is like uh I played for that club too. I played for your Club um and you played yeah. You you played in the under 21's comp and a mate of mine. Um claims to have organized this sorry bully, I'm not sure he's right, but yeah bully um and it. But but he said you were just a class act from start to finish and uh. He. He said there was a training beforehand. You turned up, he said the word he'd used was was poised, you just poised the whole time and then on the day you played in this game. Um you you took too far. You littered a bloke or sat him. Sat him down uh and then you better you better three and just knocked it round for a win, and I guess my question is like what do you remember from that day, and I know all the guys in that PJ side are good guys. I know a lot of them, but I also know there's some idiots there as well, so who said the worst thing and who dealt with it in the worst way. Geez, I don't yeah and then - and if you don't remember, that's the greatest answer to that as well. Just another game, two, I don't know a few runs leader bloke. What'S next, I was actually really lucky because um a guy who I grew up, playing Club Cricket with his kid at Oak Hill College, um Nathan brain - was in there and he's like one of my best mates um ever so, I feel like um. He probably filtered a lot for me and and put on this sort of protective friend um mask. So I don't remember a lot of it uh, but it was really. It was really good fun. The change room circus house was pretty interesting um. I don't think I was in there at all, which is - and I feel like the boys are a little bit like not sure what was going on a lot of the time but um. It was a really cool experience. I think we won too, which was kind of kind of nice for memory, but um it was Blacktown. I just think they're very strong that year, so um yeah. I should remember more. No, that's, I think. That'S the perfect answer as well. I don't really remember um, but I mean seriously you've You've Won You've Won everything. You'Ve won individual Awards, You've Won every tournament. I think it's that is possible to win uh and like beyond the fame and adulation like. It'S always seemed to me that you've, like innately, got a sports person's mind. Um driven for Success process focused um, so I just want to ask a sports question like what is the best Innings you've played or see Innings you're, most proud of with baton ball. Oh you're, seeing whether dad PG is batting through. I prefer you keep talking about. I just knocked him around, which is pretty much what I've done my whole career, I mean, I think it's about 10, only made 120., it's a big conversation for me. I think I just knocked him around: did you actually yeah got 200 against England yeah? I just got knocked around there, but I want to talk about that in a second. It went early there that day yeah. So many of the choose from again like that at all, it's like um, I think, maybe like oh just when you've been involved in games where um they've been really like. Awesome, wins that probably and you've sort of contributed at some point under pressure or um yeah. In an important part of the game there, like the most satisfying for sure um, but if and don't really remember how many made or oh well, it's more just the feeling of kind of being in control when there's lots of pressure on um, so yeah is there One is there one particular game that, where you felt you really delivered there um, maybe there's bowling innings in uh. I think it was a 2013 World Cup final and we're playing uh the West Indies over in India, and I am, I actually had a stress fracture in my ankle and we didn't really know about it. But I just my ankle had been sore and we ended up jabbing it for that game and then I think something sort of happened as I was running into a bowl of first ball and it just felt really wrong. Um - and I was a bit worried like because they'd probably made a bit of a gamble to select me in that much in terms of fitness, and I was a bit worried that I wasn't going to be able to bowl and that would have left us. Pretty short in the bowling department and for whatever reason I think it actually after I sort of figured out how to run in with my ankle feeling a bit funny um. I actually was probably the best I've ever bowled like, technically and and sort of in terms of the outcome um down the other end, so yeah, for whatever reason that I wish I'd break my ankle more often, because because you could, you could barely walk right. You took you took three for 19. I know because I looked up before but um and that's like that's sort of or in your um bio, it's sort of listed as like one of the greatest achievements in your career. Thus far I should say but um. It says, like you know, you couldn't walk. Basically, he took three for 19.. You'Ve been quite humble about that. It'S pretty it's pretty good, oh pretty good! The World Cup final. I think it's funny what um, adrenaline and sort of like those circumstances, dude. That was a really cool kind of experience in that way, because um yeah the next day, I was pretty pretty rough trying to get out of bed and go to the toilet yeah, but like yeah, that that day, for whatever reason it was just like, it was Cool to get through it and and to actually like Bowl well um, as I said, probably like the best I've ever bought technically in terms of like swinging the ball and just how how it got through the crease, which is bizarre. But it kind of panned out that way, so that was that was kind of cool double Tan in the test uh under lights at North Sydney. Where does that rate absolute Road of a wicket? I was gon na say it was a bit flat. Wasn'T it it can be like it's often double Tanzania? Yes, short boundaries. Yeah, I know tell me more. That sounds nice. That'S all good! There'S another ground up the road. It'S not the main one yeah! It'S all good! I feel like I've missed something here. No, I don't know it's all good. There'S two parries in this room are scoring double times: it's not North India. It'S not a micro Cricket, yeah yeah, it's not a new, oh yeah yeah. We need to fix that. I think Mark Rick is out of action. They'Re really nice to like celebrate that. I think I've said enough um, I probably haven't heard of this, but I'm happy to go. I'Ve tried to drop a hint a few times. I'Ve finally checked up. You might think I'm talking about you scoring a double ton in the ashes. No, no! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! I can't have that Blacktown again yeah, because you had you had stressies, that's why I missed the com games as well. Right in your were we stresses this time, uh in my back and you're back yeah, so you've got stress reactions in your ankle. Your back brittle bones: it's a bit of a it's a bit of badge of honor, though isn't like yeah, you have to bother. You have to buy Wheels to to have stress, to get to even get stressier pretty quickly buck. That trend, I feel, like I feel, like you were well. It worked. Okay, I was searching now yeah you you used to be you used to be in your Peak yeah. It used to be quick. I feel like I feel, that's true, so you you feel like you were sharp yeah, maybe yeah. I don't know I'm not. I don't think I'm a pedestrian, but no on my day with a wind behind my back. Maybe a bit fired up as well coming downhill, yeah, something like that, but you you it just seems to me like when we ask about your best performance you've. What you've done is you've said. Well, it's performing for the team when you're injured you know and pushing through for a win without mentioning any scores like is it. It seems that, like the truth, is that you are driven by kind of the collective and and the team more than your own performances. Or are you just saying that on there because that's the sort of stuff Bradman used to say - and it's not true of athletes um? No, I think like 100. In those circumstances, like the most euphoric feelings and the most rewarding feelings are the ones where, like you would Chase something as a group and um often you know when you do it under pressure or, like you know, in the last over or on, like crazy circumstances, That kind of stuff they're, the ones that you you remember the most um. So I think yeah that for sure they're the most rewarding um yeah. Don'T get me wrong. It'S always satisfying as an individual to like it's got, some runs or take wickets because I guess crew gets so statistically oriented, but um yeah. Ultimately, I think yeah. If you feel more satisfied when you know you've like done everything you can for the team um yeah, because you have won every single thing, there is to win in cricket except for the IPL and the 100. I suppose um, but like what? First of all, why are you still playing? Then it doesn't make any sense um, it's like what is there left to achieve for you in the game like what is is is Legacy part of it. You want to go past, make sure it's wickets like you're. Coming up, you know like five or ten away from it. Are you you're close? You must know exactly how close you are claim not to yeah climb, not to. I think I think it's. I think it's seven, I think yeah. Yes, we we asked, we wouldn't be going out to dinner with her the night before a game if I was close um but yeah like like what. What is it that? What is it that drives you to keep playing now like like when we asked uh your team the other week? When was the last time you guys lost the game? No one seemed to remember um. Most people lost a club game since I lost the game for Australia, so you guys win a lot. What is it, what is it that that drives you now um? I actually just I just love being involved. I love like the whole sort of challenge of playing sport. Um and, like you know, trying to get better at something um yeah, I suppose trying to perfect a skill that you're never gon na perfect um. It'S actually like a really cool challenge, just to keep um yeah keep evolving and I think just like getting to work with with people that um it's so enjoyable kind of doing that um yeah I've played careers since I was six or seven and since that time, Dad'S always like throw me balls in the Nets like at the local park or um. You know we've chatted about pretty much every game we played in and how things went, and I love that connection with him and um. So I think, like that, just that challenge of Cape trying to like improve and and I guess they contribute to whatever team you're in is awesome and then plus, like I think, just because the women's game at the moment, you know it - gets more exciting every year. There'S something new that happens: new development, the games gets a bit bigger like the com games. This year was pretty awesome, um and just those kinds of experiences like it's pretty easy to to want to come back and and be involved, some more, maybe a little selfish. As well, but I just yeah - it's awesome, I I know your dad said at one point: if someone's gon na make it in sport, they've got to love it like all of it um and that the motivation's got to be intrinsic and it was with her. He was referring to you. You'Ve been playing Cricket for a long time and lots of people know who will be listening or watching this. What it's the toll that Cricket can take on UI for a long time like it can become drudgery uh like like what is your, do you still have love for the game, or is it a different kind of relationship? Are you working on it? You know like, like it's a labor of love like how how's how's your how's, your relationship to the game. At the moment, it's a long distance relationship, um all right yeah, I mean like certainly like there's sort of parts with like the pop-up um. You know, for example, like rain delays on a really cold day or something like that and you're sort of just sitting around waiting like, I think, those kinds of things as you get a bit old older, you get a little bit Jaded by, but it almost becomes Quite funny, because you like you, catch yourself, how cynical you are about different parts and yeah, it's like a new form of entertainment in a way um, but no, I it! It hasn't, got old on me, yet I don't think it ever will. Just because, like you know, every day is different: um every game's different, all that kind of stuff, but um but yeah. I don't know it's a funny game and I haven't laughed in years so that was dark just for a second [ __ ], but he goes guys. Can I ask you about um this? This word like marketability, um, yeah, yeah yeah. I I recognize this as a bit of a contradiction because you're actually, like, I suppose, doing, media right now, but like do you, how do you Pro? How do you approach people or companies like wanting a piece of you like? Is it it must get exhausting? After a while do you do you want to keep any part of yourself to yourself? I think I have um yeah, oh deep question, but I think, like you know, there's certainly stuff that um you sign up to as a professional athlete like and a lot of that is sort of focused around your sport and who you are as an athlete and Sort of a representative of the sport, but I I probably think for all intents and purposes the rest of my life is, is mine and it's quite private personal, and I I don't really owe that to anyone um, that's kind of my choice. So I think, if you and that's just how I feel like everyone's really different around that, but I think it's easy to kind of have some really strong. I guess morals around that and then you know you can kind of work around those parameters um or whatever you feel comfortable with. I guess some time ago you were listed as the 36th most marketable athlete in the world top 36.. I don't know in the top 30 000, maybe now, but okay and and it went on to say like in - I don't know whether what's in your stable right now, but it says you know: Adidas Fox Sports Commonwealth Bank Hublot in the stable um nice. So where does it shouldn't make you, I wonder like? Where does you doing this? You know like TGC fit into the image you know like? Is this sort of? Would you like to be a part of my staff? Well, you know, like obviously when I was texting you about this charity go to your agent. It'S a charity gig! This is. Are you throwing a few crumbs to the Grassroots here for the image um? I don't get out of bed for less than 100K yeah yeah yeah yeah charity yeah. Let'S throw this one! A couple of crumbs, yeah yeah uh like if you went further than a kilometer out the road. I wouldn't be right: um training, travel day, travel day, yeah. So is that really what they call it a stable, uh? Well, someone someone did someone did there's some really lovely interviews with you out there, but yeah it was the the term was in the stable. How long have you been with out of this? For? Oh a long time, um 14 years, maybe yeah yeah - you must have worked with some like other Legends in that time, um a couple of really cool shoots: yeah disease, yeah, yeah, um names - to be honest with you um a lot of those shoots like when they're Sort of pacing together an ad or something you kind of go in and yeah, it's just you and then yeah um, but I think David Beckham was in the same manner what he was. I think I think yeah yeah DB yeah, that's cool yeah, any stuff with fedra just he's in the news race now yeah, I feel like he might be Nike yeah yeah yeah. That was a test. Oh actually, that's right! There'S a beautiful interview! Um of you in the cricket monthly in 2017 by Maggie McKellar, and it opens by saying imagine for a moment the mounting yard, before a famous horse race, the Melbourne cup, perhaps or the Kentucky Derby same here a lot of horse stuff yeah.