#TheHowieGames X #BradJohnson ๐
FULL Podcast episode here โ https://www.listnr.com/podcasts/the-howie-games
The Smiling Assassin. From his record breaking 364 games at the Bulldogs, he regularly cut teams apart with 558 goals… all with a gigantic smile.
This episode is all about positivity, good energy, hard work, following your passions and your dreams and not reaching the ultimate glory, but still being content.
Plus, some motorsport, media, being an entrepreneur and more. Oh, and Gary Moorcroft’s mark as well as getting hit by a golf cart. ๐คฏ This one, will put a smile on your dial!
Johnno is now doing amazing things off the field, together with his wife Donna, they have developed the Zena Sport Female Impact Vests, head to @zenasport_co and check them out!
๐ง The Howie Games is Australia’s #1 Sports Podcast. Where the biggest names in the world of sport go one-on-one with sports journalist Mark Howard. From ultimate highs to tear-jerking lows, Howie lifts the lid on the real stories behind the headlines. He sits down with the biggest names in Australian & world sport, finding out how they started out, what makes them tick, how they deal with the big wins and the big losses, and how they take on sport and life from here.
Stream full Howie games episodes on LiSTNR ๐ https://www.listnr.com/podcasts/the-howie-games
Stream full Howie Games episodes on Apple Podcasts & Spotify ๐ https://link.chtbl.com/HowieGameslisten
Stream full episodes on LiSTNR ๐ https://fal.cn/HowieGamesListnr
#podcast #thehowiegames #howiegames #bulldogs #westernbulldogs #doggiesafl #afl
I know that every single player on our list they left nothing out there does that help yeah that just helps in terms of my own mental state of not ever having that opportunity to play in a a grand final and and more importantly win one my skills weren’t great I was soft as played on the wing played outside a lot got lucky a few times to have shots I didn’t nail them cuz I was just absolutely [ __ ] myself to be honest cuz I got 30-year-olds running around trying to whack me behind the year 15 at that stage the most significant part and the thing that fuels you in adrenaline is running out for that first time going through the banner packed house that’s what get you I want this every week 97 was a heartbreak they talk about Liber and a goal that wasn’t called a goal I was on the goal line I’ve said the whole time that it was a goal the goal umpire thought it went obviously thought it went over the post but that was our own fault in a way because we were 20 odd points up at 3/4 time we kicked 06 in the last quarter Adelaide got on fire and and fought their way back and took the win office and then went on to win the granny what do you reckon positivity has done for your life well I’ve just always loved sport passionately Howe regardless how hard things are getting or how poor your performance may be don’t ever fall out of love with this game I knew I put everything into every session into every week into every game into every year I’m good with that I’m actually happy with that well some days you get in your car and you drive up the highway you go through jalong you RVE in Melbourne and you have a serious lift because of the guest that is about to join you and sometimes you have a defined part with a guest other times you don’t this guest I have none but before you hear his voice there’s a famous song by Green Day which I’m going to now play this guest 15 seconds of and this man proves this song wrong here comes what you’re after nice guys do not always finish last nice guys do not always run out of gas nice guys arrive in the studio with a green tea for the host and a smile on their face this man oh he’s the nicer guy on the planet yeah speak to anybody that’s played football with him that’s worked with him they just say he’s a riper bloke so today it’s about positivity on the how Games Brad Johnson welcomes us uh we welcome to the show how are you manate I’m good Harry how are you thanks for that great nice guys don’t always finished last well yeah it’s a good point it’s a good point sometimes it’s sort of been known as that hasn’t it but um but yeah hopefully uh been able to change that man you know I used to put the apple on the desk for the teacher I never did but that was the story that you had to do and I thought how can I help how can I just throw something at you har you brought me a know what I knew you didn’t drink coffee you knew that about me you KN but so I’ve obviously mentioned that once in conversation nice guys remember these type of things a tell about tea Jon I’m glad you brought some tea in because do you like tea I guessed so four years ago no interest in tea none and uh during Co I was with the beautiful Erica and we were homeschooling which you will have gone through being in Victoria where we couldn’t leave our house for 274 days whatever anyway let’s not let’s not bring down the tone jonno and my delightful wife said um because we’d go out and originally when we first started dating i’ would have a hot chocolate she said it’s like going out with a 12-year-old so then I upgraded the soda water and she said you are so boring so during Co she said to stay connected she loves a coffee we need to share a hot drink so for two years I battled through drinking tea together and then I went to India and I discovered Masala tea which is like a spicy tea mixed with milk right and I’ve replicated at home and I was telling some of the boys I work with on the fooie the other night you’ve replicated it home yeah I’ve rep so I’ve got a similar tea bag I’ve got the consistency right so that the Royal overo Hotel in Kolkata if you ever go there if you’re listening you need to get yourself one of these milea tees change your life so they gave me some tea bags to bring home and I sort of figured out how I could replicate it here and we now sit as we did before I came up to do this on the front uh stoop as we call it after the kids go to school and she has her coffee and I have a cup of a pot of tea and and it we’ve always gotten well obviously that’s why we’re married but it has taken our relationship to the next level jonno because we sit there every morning and we talk about what’s going on with the kids what I’m doing that day and and so for you to tap in to how important he is in my life now is your basic Green Let’s Be Hest it’s still very good it’s still very very very good you’re a calm guy you don’t need to be calmed anymore but well no now as I said we will talk about football and we need to talk about the business you and Donna are running but before we get to that you and I as soon as we see each other at Fox footy first thing you see the Grand Prix last night so so you have before we get to the Grand Prix you have a son that um wants to be a car racing driver which Nathan Buckley’s kids are going down the same path so uh to set the scene we’ll be getting ready to do a game of footy and buck will be on his uh screen and John will be on his screen watching their lunatic Sons race go-karts around Victoria which I love how do you find be a motor racing parent well I’m I’m getting used to it although it’s still a world that I’m learning a lot in how it’s it’s completely different you know a pair of boots in a mouth cards a lot easier as opposed to a go-kart that’s it and so I it all started for us Jack when he was about nine we Jack Johnson Johnson great name thank you mate Jack Johnson that is pretty cool isn’t it we did listen to Jack Johnson when we were gr and I so he’s been on this podcast Jackie there you go so um so yeah Jack he always we went to the Grand Prix and he got to go down the main straight as a as a little kid in a motorized Ferrari and it was just before the race started like so the crowd’s going nuts and here he is going down the the main straet and he was just obsessed from from that moment so he came home wanted to start go cat I’m like you go caty where do we go there no family history none whatsoever there’s no Johnson way back in the day that was racing at there was I wish there was now that I know a little bit more about if it was generational how it’s a whole different ball game so so we so we had no idea and I said you’re not you’re not go C go to Ace karts you can you can do it there sort of thing and um and so he played footy for a few years and when he was I said did he suffer with that this is Brad Johnson no no he he didn’t really and and that because he was so young still he’s only under nines tens and 11 I said when you’re 12 come and see me and we’ll talk about it seriously cuz I just knew nothing about it thought yeah let’s get you make sure it’s a little bit older before we even look at this maybe you go okay at footy and forget about forget about it as well and you just need the mouth guard boot that’s it so and then the day the day he turned 12 he uh we we locked up at footy training and he said to me I don’t want to I don’t want to do this anymore I don’t want to play and I went that was actually I was wrapped because he wasn’t that into footy anyway and for him to then openly sort of say that was was huge and we went home and the next thing where we’re bu a go kart and and we started that started that Journey at at age 12 or 13 and um and so he’s been racing his go-kart for the last four or five years and now he’s just stepped into a heand xal to take that next step to to learning to drive and it’s it’s like I said it’s just a a world that we’ve had to navigate with what we can afford to to be honest so that’s just the reality of it and you learn a lot along the way there’s some really good people that that are that are willing to help you we got a good little team around us now and that’s stepped him into the cars which has been which has been brilliant because Gary Rogers Motorsport have helped us get started in terms of meeting the right people and and Ben bana’s his coach who’s going really well in brother who used to drive for for Gary back in the day so we we’re sort of we’re sort of lucky that all of that has um has played out because that was the biggest thing for me if Jack’s going to step into a car he needs to be coached the right way you need to learn all aspects of it before you start taking those next steps forward how do you feel now he’s in a car so that like that’s racing and you know go-kart you can have accidents obious see bucks young bloke rolled off down the hill and and did some damage to himself what is it like for you and Donna now watching a young man racing a car oh he’s fully committed so we’re quite comfortable with it to be honest because he’s putting the work in and it’s like anything how if you if you put the work in and you can see a full dedication to wanting to be the best that you can be then you’re actually okay with it because he’s he’s committed to learning he doesn’t pretend to know at all so when he’s told something he’ll execute like so all these things that we’re seeing now cuz he’s 18 we’re seeing a real maturity in the way that he’s going about it so we’re like okay how can we support that the best that we possibly can so we the only the only nerve-wracking part is the starts I think that’s where I sort of get the most nervous getting off the line getting going once you find the position then you then you’re away you start fighting you start trying to build your way through the field uh and things like that but it’s more just the the start and then and then there then they’re way and and the level’s pretty good it’s a great stepping stone so um you know we just wait to see what what happens in the future the thing they say jonno about Motorsport is the question rhetorical question how do you make a million dollars in Motorsport and the answer is start with 10 so it’s it’s inexpensive Caper so if anyone wants to get invested I’m sure there’s panels so just get hold of Jon he’s on social media if you’ve got a business out there um bads Brewing Co investigating the moment we’re not cash flow positive at the moment but but this is part of what you need to do unless you are even if you are a Lewis Hamilton a and top top top flight Carter in Europe you need to have money behind your sponsors behind you to succeed in any level of this sport which I don’t think a lot of people realize jonno yeah that’s that’s that’s the tough part it doesn’t and this certainly wasn’t about talking about that to be honest with you har but um but that’s the reality of the uh of the sport and you do need that support we need that support for Jack to be able to go forward he’s got some great support at the moment which has allowed us to step from carding into give him a plug we I’m joking I’m joking I’m joking so the credit Distributors are are are the main the main sponsor credit distributor so they do all like all your Allen’s lollies and and Red Bull and and all of those sort things so and who who do we deal with there who’s the so B’s my main man to you so he’s he’s the main he’s he’s he’s a big Bulldogs guy from the past and um and yeah he’s he’s a great guy and love supporting young young people trying to get further in their sport so he’s been he’s been brilliant Lee cber does a great looks after us he’s got Ma so he’s um and and Colby gets it like he’s been around the Motorsport world for a for a long period of time so drop in and see Jak J jalong been jalong as well but this’s the thing and I’ve got you know jalong travel and and the ones that made those Jong TR made those ads with great and who else did you just mention off the back of that no Morris finan moris finan Tommy I’ve never seen a man come on and buug his sponsors as well as joh missing missing something but they’re only like they’re they’re only little and but there have been great supports for Jack through his carding and now through through this but the the aspect of it too is they’re backing in a someone who who hasn’t achieved anything yet that’s the hard part with the whole the whole sponsorship side of things of of Motorsport so look I’m happy I I I dig in and I do the the ads for them and voice overs and jump on you know to to go talk to their workers and Leadership and so I love doing all that sort of stuff to help to help them as well because they’re supporting supporting Jack so if I can do anything as well to to help out I’ll I’ll do that but you’re right mate if someone we want to take the next level right go to the next level get inou get in touch with get in touch now for give you a plug you just heard that now we will get to Footy for the dogs fans out there but uh if you don’t like Formula 1 I I never say this in the Pod but just skip the next five minutes because your man Brad Johnson calls it how it is on the footy field I’m now randomly going to pose questions to you and I want no fence sitting all right so we both love our formul one Daniel Ricardo currently racing the old uh the Old Red Bull second team Visa RB or whatever they’re called now will Daniel Ricardo be on the grid in 2025 now he came in there was talk he was going to take over from Perez he’s battling to beat Y Man Yuki sonota although had a good result as we’re recording this at the last start in China will Ricardo be racing next year no fence hting where’s Sergio at do you know that because that’s that’s that’s where it lies doesn’t it it does but I don’t want answers to my question I don’t want further questions will he will he be racing yes yes in Formula One in Formula One will it will it be with Red Bull I’m not too sure cuz Sergio’s flying okay so that’s the thing will he will Daniel want to sit where he is at the moment maybe he will because he’s back in and driving and it’s and it’s also at his age to still have a seat and still fighting I think I think he he’d love to remain where where he is so see I’ve always wanted to a formul one podcast this is what we’re going into now next question I read in the paper just yesterday that Mercedes were table so it said that Lewis is getting about 120 million us at Ferrari but there’s all sorts of side deals with his foundations and various other things but the reported number in the paper for your man Max who is currently getting about 55 million us from all reports a season with Red Bull is that your man Toto Wolford come in and said I’ll pay you 250 million you Ser yes a year no do you think Max fappen will be driving a Red Bull next year no chance no chance he’s taking the cash but this is unreported It’s unreported but with what Max has achieved and yeah he wants to win mhm is he the difference to make is he the difference for Mercedes it comes down to the car at that level we we we understand that so he takes some IP with him number that’s worth a fair a fair clip so he’s achieved so much already so what’s what’s Max’s Drive do you think going forward is it’s just to stay at Red Bull and continue to be their their number one guy for if he stays what are they going to what what are they going to match it with well if he if he stays so he’s got three titles he’ll win four this year he’s got four and five next year till the new regulations come in so he goes to Mercedes potentially stepping away from World titles but is he going to be there yes or no next year Max in Brad Johnson’s world yes he will stay at Red Bull okay now Lewis has gone to Ferrari to take on your man Charles lulik the other thing I read yesterday he’s good Charles isn’t he he’s very good got his signatur this year well I didn’t Jack Jack did he’s good but my wife is infatuated with Carlos sa so she’s a bit flat that Lou is coming in well who knows I don’t know I don’t know uh if Erica has her wish he’ll move to Bow and heads but I don’t think that’s happening jonno so I could see you on the first team with well I if he moved to town I’m shadowing him everywhere I’m not letting him out of the sight now the other big story uh Adrian yui who’s designed all the championship cars over the last 25 years he’s he’s out of Red Bull there’s a bidding war there’s talk that he may go to Ferrari so what’s he worth har he’s worth more than anyone else in the padic for mine because it doesn’t matter how good Max and Lewis are if this bloke’s not designing you a good car you’re no good so he gets more than the driver well he wouldn’t but should he well should Craig McCrae get more than Nick Doos that’s the question you’re asking well therefore you’re saying Le should get more than yes than Yi okay qualifying next year I think there’s meant to be 24 races Charles L clerk versus Lewis Hamilton in his first year in the Ferrari head-to-head in qualifying what’s the score going to be and as I said if you’re not into Formula One Buzz forward because I got plenty more where this came from it it’s just with just just got to bridge the gap because I play F1 fantasy every week right and and and I’m getting out to you get to select what the what the winning margin will be and it’s and you’re picking 15 plus seconds every race you often ask me what do you think and I say add another 10 seconds an issue for me so it’s it’s not good for the sport if it Bridges the Gap in the sport at the at the top end so we’re not we’re not racing for second or or third we’re actually Racing for the win and we see something different happen there I think that’s where it needs to go anyway agree but you’re still avoiding the question head-to-head in qualifying Lewis first time in the Ferrari versus Charles probably the best qualifier out there for and he’s been Charles wins Charles Charles Charles gets 24 races what’s the score Charles will Charles will lead it okay yeah Charles is still number one as though Hamilton will probably want to go there being number one but no Charles will still be looked after number one so if there needs to if Lewis needs to pull over he’ll get it on the you’ll get told on the head be happy with that no but that’s but that’s I know final reality who is the next Formula 1 World Champion that is not Max ven oh I love this that’s a good question isn’t it isn’t it Lando Lando now now Erica loves the formul as well she’s very big on Lando very big on Lando so you reck right so you reckon Lando in the McLaren is the next non Max with stpp and World Champion beating Oscar to the title he’ll get Oscar to the title will Oscar pastri ever be a formul one world champion probably not probably not world champion okay but he’ll win a lot of races along the way but I’m not sure whether he’ll ever be world I think Lando will you think for the next period of time and I go okay the next four or five years I think Lando stays at McLaren I think he become still is their number one guy it’s whether the move for Oscar stays there as a McLaren driver I can’t see him being world champion if he does move eventually could that’s going to be his only o opportunity I think from now on we do a two month twice a month we just you’re or my naffy complete no idea thoughts on Formula One four or five races go by come back Formula One no drama at all now before we get to Footy one of the reasons you’re here today what I want to talk to you about is because off the back of your wife Donna an idea she had you two and I understand a little bit about small business we run a small business uh at at my place um how much effort and time goes into a small business tell us about Zena sport tell us about how it came to pass and this is this is not just a plug for what jonno is doing this isn’t this is this is what a lot of athletes struggle with when they finish their career it’s what’s next and you and your wife which I think is really cool have thrown yourself into a business that is of enormous benefit to the Sporting Community I recommend it’s a it’s a good point you make Howe in terms of what’s next after playing because look I was I was sort of lucky enough that I prepared to sort of Step into the meteor and uh and and away we went with that skin and nice smile you always destined mate with that cheeky GRE you know that’s right that’s I know it is I know it is it’s the good life it is it’s a grind sometimes driving up and down the highway but when you walk in the door it’s it’s very good so but that was the the biggest thing for for me it got to the point where I was waiting for the weekends to around to go to work and so Monday to Friday I was I was sitting there just you know go play golf once a day once a week no structure whatsoever and did that weigh on you or you well it’s more the the Competitive Edge somehow weighed on me so I wasn’t I W I wasn’t working I was like I said I was just waiting for a Thursday to come around or a Friday to get dug in dig into the fox stuff and and away we go so you were just a frequent packington Street coffee drinker PR much which was good at the beginning H was now the first three years when we we moved to T first and for 3 years it was great because I needed to take a breath honestly because it was just all consuming for 17 years and we were like oh we got to just stop take a chance here and and get to know each other and and a away we went so we spent three years in toi and then moved back to to new town and from there it sort of just you know it just sort of started to eat away a little bit more I need to be more active I need to do do something a little bit different and it was by chance Donna was just sitting with her girlfriend and they were talking about her three girls aflw was just starting to go girls footy was just starting to really become more popular and more structured in club so they had the opportunity to play against each other um and so we just sort of she was with her girlfriend and they were talking about her daughter’s playing and one um had a knock to the breast and we just thought oh she was uncomfortable what what’s out there to support her I used to wear a ribu in my last year because I had bruise rib and you sort of we’re just wondering what was available for the female athlete and and there was there was nothing so we just sort of started a bit of research in the background and Donna brought the idea home I said go for it like this is it’s in the sporting world it’s what we love let’s let’s just explore it and see what see what happens so this was in this was about 7 years ago when we first had that conversation and so we we tried for 6 months we had no idea what we were doing um at all you’re going into manufacturing you we have no idea and so for for 6 months we’re sort of trying our best to navigate it where can we get things from what can we do couldn’t find anything and then Donna made one last we sort of had given up on the idea and then Donna made one last sort of email and then call to a designer in Sydney um and within 24 hours the designer had come back and said I love what your thought process is here I think I can help you um leave it with me and then within another six months we had our first uh first vest on the on the table because her background allowed that to happen quite quickly so you’ve brought one of you new ofs in now so so grab it out I and I I’ll sort of try and describe it to people it’s when you see the footballers wearing a um the GPS setup with the with the over the shoulder holster it’s basically what you’re you’re providing is a is a a chest protector with um what have you got in there yeah so it’s it’s basically just breast and Rib protection that’s the easiest way to to describe it and what’s what’s within the so it’s just well it’s just the pH but but we was the most important part of our product because it had to be built a certain way that was completely different to what you would traditionally see with with um foam products and it had to mold to the body really well because um you know we’re talking about females of the different sizes and shapes so we had to come up with something that that would sit really well on them was light that wouldn’t restrict their movement so we had to go through all these trials of about 2 or three years just getting that right um to make make sure that when we were ready to go it was it was spot on the elite girls loved it the community girls loved it the 12-year-old loved it the the returning M to play loved it so there were all these sort of things that we thought about in those early stages before we um before we launched it and and it’s been awesome like honestly how we have uh one US brought back the competitive juices we want to be like the very best again and it’s just it’s just got us um it’s got us going and and and secondly participation going through the roof so if we can support the female athlete out there and they just wear it over their normal crop top or bra and put it on and and off they go you can’t you cannot see it under the jumper or Jersey or whatever so we started in footy mate and now we’re in about 20 different sports and it’s it’s great you know like even even sports like gold ball which we do stuff with blind Sports Australia because gold bore would wear a hard plastic when they were diving on the on the ground and it was uncomfortable to dig in they wear our vest now they can dive around comfortably um their ribs don’t get hurt needed as their their breast and they’re they performing so well and like it was at the Tokyo Olympics so we I’m sitting there going you how good is this we’re at the Olympics you know what I mean so what’s it what’s it like when you go and watch a community game of football and you realize that lady out there that girl out there is wearing one of Al Ina top so that must be what it that’s that’s what that’s the rewarding part of it and especially now the we got a we got a youth vest which is 7 to 12 year old and seeing the The Young Ones learning the craft of the game and they’re wearing our vest to do it um it’s it’s pretty rewarding sort of that’s what it’s that’s what it’s designed for to give you confidence get you out there absorb some contact you you recover better and you feel better about about yourself you got some more confidence whether you’re cuz Junior sport there’s all different levels as we know so and sizes and sizes so um we we support everyone in all different sports whether it’s a high impact sport like footy or rugby or whether it’s a little bit more lower impact considered like a soccer or a basketball or a lacrosse but still you’re coping hits consistently so it’s not always the big hit it’s the continual little ones that can cause you some issues um as well so it’s been so much fun well I was looking on your website as I said when you walked in here and you know it was describing um if women had had breast augmentation or they’ had a masectomy or a double masectomy and like the fact you’re supporting all those range of athletes so if there be people listen to this and think I’d love to get one of those I’d love to get one of those from a daughter I’d love to get those our club what’s the website how do people get yeah so it’s just zenas sport.com and then also um Instagram is our is our and Facebook which is just zenport uncore Co so jump on simple as that and tell them you heard about the Howe games and you’ll get 94% discount don’t worry about that you might get a cup of green tea in as well um I look forward to hearing about how that goes now jonno footy you’re you’re you’re a western suburbs man who went and played for for your club but tell me what’s the first footy memory you have of either playing or going playing was Juniors at Hoppers Crossing Hoppers Crossing where your from started what man do so he was worked in the railways right and Mom worked at the council right so what’s your dad’s name uh Bruce Brucey boy Brucey Johnson and what about your mom Lorraine Lorraine Johnson Brucey and Lorraine so we um so to the Earth SS like way we um so that’s where I started it was um it was Greatful I remember the first I wasn’t a to play until I was under 13 so I was held back but some ways little bit but I was more into Athletics and basketball to be honest growing up that were Athletics was the the sport I still love your I I was sort of into the hurdles and then I wasn’t the tallest guy so i’ sort of distance was was okay but then what happened how we started to go to I’d go represent Warby at the at the state level you know you go to Olympic Park and all the other um clubs that around Victoria were there and you were racing against them and you’d go there I’d do one hurdle event be knocked out and and I’m done and you spend all day and I get bored right so I needed to do stuff so you threw yourself into a couple other so I went I sort of they had like a mini decathlon or Dy Thompson star material yes right you met him no but I would love to I spent one my alltime favorite athletes right there I produced him and Dave cver calling the Athletics in Athens in 2004 you will not everything you think about him is he a good man he’s even better so you you were the next D Thompson out of the kathon was my thing right did you do the VA no we didn’t go we not that much but I don’t know what we had we had discus we had long jump we had the hund the hurdles the 800 there might have been one other in there but I was in them mall and I was active and I was I was occupied more so for I think could just leave there for 6 hours he’s he’s all right um but I I love that level um and and that was my thing basketball I I enjoyed doing as well and then I started playing footy had to wear a helmet in my first year that was the Proviso but going into Hoppers I knew some of the kids cuz I went to primary school with them uh but then you’re sort of walking into a into a new club and all those sort of things what are that Hoppers The Hoppers what oh they were the they were the cats back then they’re the Warriors now okay um so I just walked in and I was sort of Lucky my first practice game I think I might have kicked five maybe iist Tommy I think I might have kicked five he’s pulled out the newspaper clippings Johnson on fire it’s unbelievable First Impressions count how he in footy right you know that it’s funny you can remember good first impression because you wandered in here I said mate just checking you’ve played the most games of the Bulldogs you’re like yeah I said I think on second on the goal kicking he said oh I’m not sure about that so you remember that you kicked five there’s a couple of moments you remember that you don’t necessarily remember you KCK the second most goals ever for the Western Bulldog you remember the big moments when you’ve kicked a lot of them but as you’re coming through there’s probably four or five significant moments that help shape Y where you where you go what was your biggest bag at a Junior game of footy big his bag was probably only five or five or six it was never the 12 18on D were that would be nice though would were you um did you get to become a professional footballer through skill or did you have to work really hard or did you combine the two no it was work hard that yeah that was that was me so I was my skills weren’t great I was soft as buer I played on the played on the wing played outside a lot okay um so when I was sort of I was under 15s I played in one of the rep teams locally western region footy league and and I had a poor Carnival and a lot of the guys got invited to to go and train with the Bulldogs under the 19s and I wasn’t one that that did so I sort of thought what what do I need to do sort of differently here so as a 15-year-old I went and you could back then I went and knocked on the door of Williamstown vfa at 15 at 15 in their under 19s and I sort of dad knew a guy and we walked in and you know I started training with them they didn’t know I was 15 um and I end up making their list for so that first year was a 15 first year was a 15 yeah so I’m playing on and then throughout the year I got more confident playing against you know older kids uh young men and then my last four games in that year I played in The V 2os Willie twos which was an awesome experience so a memory i k one goal seven in my first first vfa 2os game one go yeah yeah I should have gone the other way it would have been nice must had a bit of the it was we it was just I played in the for pocket and I was just running around everywhere and I got got lucky a few times as as well to have shots I didn’t nail them um cuz I was just absolutely [ __ ] myself to be honest I got 30-year-olds running around trying to whack me behind the and I just turned 16 at that particular point and then what I did though then from Williamstown I went back and played in the under 18 competition that we know of today and you used to playing with the big boys then my confidence was was through the roof so I went as a as a 15-year-old didn’t know where my footy was going to go to I was drafted at 17 so it turned really quickly by just taking that bit of ownership about where I wanted to go within uh within my sport cuz that was my dream was to play AFL foot so you were you a Bulldogs man I was a bulldog supporter who was your man who was your who’ you look up to well Grant Chris Grant was my man CU I was 1314 and he was 1718 and kicking 50 in his first year and like how good’s this guy you know what I mean um so and douge Hawkins of course Steve Wallace was a an absolute um champion of a of a guy and teamate you’re one of those rare kids that grows up in the region you get to play a bit like call Ward did by the way CU he he was from that part of the world wasn’t he that’s right Spotswood so the what year did you get drafted so I got drafted in 93 end of 93 and what’s that process like in ’93 is it wouldn’t have been televised no it was it was televised I wore the worst shirt you’ve ever ever seen we find goodness Sandy robs big sandals I didn’t want to go cuz at the time you you doubt yourself so you get invited to the draft and it’s like I’m like I’m not going to the draft tell about no way I don’t know was his floral thought so good right tacked in top button up in the early stages if it was today I think it be you be a hipst but back then bad so bad I think had the spike happening with the hair so you’re rolling you had to Sandy yeah had to chat to Sandy and look I think Mom enticed me I think she knew did you ever do a game of footy with Sandy down the track oh yeah yeah recently the last years very cool one of the best ever isn’t he so um so yeah that was my first encounter was being drafted and did you know that you a chance at the B what number did you go no so my I spoke to a lot of clubs in that year but Mark kman rang me Maxi yeah he was the dogs recruiting guy and he the night before the draft he rang me at home and his conversation was hey you going good if you’re around where you come to the Bulldogs absolutely nor see you later that was it that was it that was it that was my call to the dogs wow so I’d been to clubs and I’d trained with them Adelaide satting our land room three times jalong had spoken to me a few times and you just sort of your mind’s out everywhere and I’m trying and I was I was in your 11 so it wasn’t too bad from a a study point of view and things like that so um so yeah and then in the end so what number did you get picked so pick 11 pick 11 High pick yeah so the dogs called me out and and away we went end the year 11 yep so what’s your first day at the Western Bulldogs you’re walking in oh Cy um so I remember Doug Hawkins walking me iny cool wow because he was he was the man he’s the king yeah and he sat me next to him in in Locker number six and then one of the team managers come over and said no no you’re not sitting here son get over there you’re not getting so I got 33 oh you were 33 first which was Brian Royals he just retired that was that was great and then at the end of my first year I got offered number six with the history of Charlie Sutton and it was known at the club as Charlie’s number because of what he’ achieved as a player um and as a coach so that was and he was still around Charlie like he was you’d walk into the rooms every game and he was there two hours before to shake your hand pull you in close and wish you luck for for the day and then when I moved to six we even had that closer bond which was um which was pretty cool as well and had a lot of luck attached to the number so I got told all these things and um and I wore six at the Western jet so it became my sort of number so so so your first actual year you’re doing year 12 yeah year 12 so you’d finished school and go to train yeah so we would I’d went to school in jalong so we Chanel College was called it was in in lovely Banks which is you know where the BP is on the Ring Road it’s behind that it’sit like sunshine the name doesn’t necessarily sort of work out with where you might all people I’m sure it looks good anyway but like you go to Sunshine you’re like anyway so we would we’d get the bus from Hoppers right to school and then we back then we trained qu to five and would then obviously train do our weights and everything get home 9 9:30 so would you turn up to training in your school uniform schol uniform yes I’d either have Mom picked me up from the bus stop or Nigel KET in the early days he he would pick me up and take me everywhere cuz he was from Hoppers as well so he’d be waiting for me to take me to to training and and off we’d go but m mom mom did The Yards until I got my license pretty much until uh when I turned 18 that I drive to school leave school and drive straight to uh straight to training get did you play your first game that year that year it was about round 16 or 18 Tommy would written down yeah I think it was I think it was 18 it was I just turned 18 myself and so played my first game against the pies at at the Whit noal which was um Mass because it was Tony Shaw’s record breaking around 18 Collingwood at the Whit noal so what was going Tony Shaw was doing what he had a record breaking game I think games record from Forwood that day so it was it was nuts it was it was packed to the rafters so it was it was a great experience and once was there jump PR anything at that stage no take your school uniform off coach no Alan Joyce I think it was the premor ship man at hawthor he was I think I found out on the Footy Show that I was in that’s how you found out you just watch we used we used to watch the footage show to find out if we were in in the team wow so Eddie Maguire told me that I was playing my first game of so you’re sitting home watching watch it because for about five weeks in a row I was an emergency and didn’t get in didn’t get in didn’t get in finally uh finally Eddie called my name out on show so what your memories well Tommy’s actually written that Li Liber gave you your first kick and according to Tommy who’s obviously done some statistical work here he went and kicked it to luk beverage did along ground but it went he he left such a nice guy Tommy he left out that you’re absolutely munged apparently so were were your parents in the rooms or any of that stuff no none of that stuff no none of that it was were you in awe of what was about to happen or you were it’s a bit of a blur I can remember the kick I can remember a couple of other things from the game but not too much the the most significant part and the thing that fuels you in Adrenaline is running out for that first time going through the banner you know packed house that’s what get you I want this every week you know this is this is pretty cool to experience that so the other little moments you remember but it is a blur yeah and it’s int it was intense I remember it being so intense but footy back then was it was run through the brick wall it was full motivation of getting you to this arousal level of you know you’re going to break something so who was your opponent uh it was Mark Fraser Mark Fraser yeah it was my first first opponent and then I remember played a little bit on uh Gavin cisa Gavin cisa he’s a pretty tough sort of dude don’t worry about that you taking off your school so I think I think the the wing on Mark Fraser suited me in my first game stay out wide although the wings were tied it went Noble um it was yeah it was a good first first encounter then I played the the remaining nine games and then we there was about nine of us I think that when we B out of the final series which you got pretty close on yeah we were okay that that was the year that Billy kicked one after the siren tell us about I actually went back and watched it qualifying final lost long you kicked a goal where where we we on the ground when Billy you talked about Sandy the king and Jong the monkeys off the back Billy and and Danny Southern had played an unbelievable game and they just got the ball we hit the front they smashed us early fought back hit the front um and then billy gets that one out of the get out of the center gets to Billy and he he nailed the moment so and it was so look it was a good fight for for us to get back into it the next week we played Melbourne and they smashed us I think Gary line had kicked 10 to three quter time I hear about to be fair he’ll be happy week I do hear that he uh so he dominated us and but then after that there was a few of us that went back and played in the two’s final series and we won the flag so it was and it was the first Premiership that I’d ever ever won I’d been in a lot of grand finals as a junior never won and that was the only opportunity that I ever had throughout my entire career to play play in and win a win a grand final so it was that was pretty cool in my first year so how how far into your career jonno before you thought I don’t need to watch on the Footy Show I know I’m playing and I’m comfortable and confident that I can do what well you had various coaches at this stage probably Terry’s come there and they’re at some stage Terry Wallace how how long into your career before you were you I’m good here I’m good I was probably about six years in I think is when I started to play really consistent higher level footy so 997 under player 98 started to develop and and get going and be more consistent but still knew that I had more to sort of improve on uh and to give and then when he moved me as back to a to play as a forward that’s when I knew that iang I probably can compete every week here if I stay healthy I should be right I don’t have to hopefully worry too much about selection as long as my performance stays at a at a really high level so that was the time where you I probably felt that I was going to be okay for the next you know 8 to 8 to 10 years obviously the club had a lot of success because you played in what you played in five or six prelims five five prelims so I’ve talked about this with Brownie and dar before especially those early ones so Nathan Brown Luke Dary were talking about who I’m privileged to work with now so 97 98 one of them was a they they talk about 97 was a heartbreak they talk about Liber and a goal that wasn’t called a goal well I was on the goal line I’ve said the whole time that it was a goal but the umpire thought it went obviously thought it went over the post I reckon it was that it was that tight so that was but that was our own sort of fault in a way because we were 20 odd points up at three quarter time we kicked 06 in the last quarter so it’s not as if we didn’t go and have a shot in the last quter we had six of them and couldn’t nail one just to Seal Seal Victory Adelaide and jman got on fire and and fought their way back and and and took the win office and then went on to win the win the granny and and so a situation like that Jon obviously anyone that comes on this show there’s ups and downs more ups for you but you’re in the rooms afterwards you youve put everything into it how did Brad Johnson because we and we’ll talk about positivity and what it’s done for you in your life how did you deal with the negativity in a football result sense that would come quite a few times in those prelim finals I guess yeah we we we blew it as as simple as that and Terry Wallace certainly reinforced that with us at that particular the next morning the next morning you you turn up to the club and you just sort of you know the sk’s in the middle and everyone’s sort of you know pretty flat and just starting to try and get on with the next the next day and uh and and play reinforce that and but what he did what he did the year before changed our whole mentality around being the best preparers in in the game so we started in ’96 in October no one had ever done that before so we we went from 15th on the ladder second last to missing a grand final by by point so there was the we blew it and that that initial disappointment but then there was the look what you’ve done really so if you come back and start to set things up properly we can go we can go again so there was the heartache but it it does turn that’s probably why I am the way that I am because it turned to don’t lose sight of what we actually did do and where we actually can go to so the following year was was very similar we were as fit as anyone in the compe ition all our levels went to a a world we didn’t know existed and we make another prelim final this time we thought retribution on the adade crows and Andrew McLoud turned it on and we couldn’t stand him yeah so and we we got we got beaten quite easily on that in that particular game but it but so so player was so good at that that he would hit you between the eyes but then also never lose sight of either you as the individual or us as a team on where we were going and the path that we were we were on because of a work rate and doing things differently in the comp like warming up on the ground for the first time no one had done that so we were the first club to go out there what play we didn’t know what we doing how first Club to ever do it we went out in the ground and we just basically did PNF stretches and some groin stretches and some car stretches and we’re doing it out in the ground instead of doing it in the small change rooms but then you start doing your run throughs then you do go triangle goals just basic drills but we’re doing it out on the ground cuz plow traveled overseas and that every other sport that he went to would warm up out on the ground yet we’re in a a change room that’s 20 by 20 so how long till other clubs next week well it it took a little bit because it had to start negotiating around the reserves would finish quite late when we when could we get out there because res reserves us were playing so there was all those little things that had to happen but once we started because we got results in terms of our performance and the rise in performance starting well all these things it doesn’t take long for the comp competition to to jump on board and so that that Innovation was was pretty exciting to to be a part of as well and from a team perspective obviously and you mentioned at the start through Zena and why he got into it to fill that competitive desire so you played in five prelim finals so we’re both very lucky to work at Fox and you see it there during finals and I often think about like DM’s there strting around he’s got five day five night that’s the first thing we think of f day five night and then Jordi Lewis wanders in and he’s got his four around his neck and then you got the chief who’s got four as well and lynchy and brownie have got three and like you know they just swag around like you can hear all the he hear the medals tinking along their chest and then there’s unbelievable footballs like yourself and Nick revolt and Nathan Buckley who don’t have the Premiership to you now is that a different part of your life is there a what if or it’s just I gave my all and that’s all we could do well now there’s always the what if I think it’s still it still sits there and every now and then you you go to that world of a you know that that frustration of not having that opportunity to to to win one um and but the thing with like I was so young in 97 998 that it’s more 089 and 10 that I look at as the three opportunities that we missed 09 was our best opportunity 08 we’re coming back into some finals footy under rocket and you come across the red hot hws too the big but and the r and the S just and Mitch and then and then you had that the cats were flying saints were saints were powerful there there some great team te and it’s top four fo0 is tough like let it’s it’s tough to win you got to be a little bit of luck involved and and also then um the execution of of game plan and 09 we executed so well and in the end you know Nick kicks a couple of goals late and they they just get us we’ll seven points up halfway through the the last quarter yeah so that was that was the one 10 will sort of beaten up a little bit but in all those three prelims you mentioned about just giving it you all honestly I sit there comfortable because I know that every single player on our list or the 22 that played in particular on those days they left nothing out there and I was privy to witnessing that and so I sort of sit here yeah disappointed we didn’t make it for the club but knowing that we couldn’t have honestly couldn’t have done any more in those three years of of challenging so does that help yeah that just helps in terms of my own mental state of not ever having that opportunity to to play in a you know a grand final and and more importantly win one will you talk about the mental state the one thing I really wanted to talk to you about is we’ve never talked about this is is the power of positive thinking and and I thought to myself okay I’ve seen jonno play footy and I think it was was it rex that termed The Smiling assassin cor um the great Rex hunt who at his best was the best I think we probably all agree with that but then in your um Hall of Fame induction video Tommy sent it to me um and there’s you as a 17year old when you’ve got drafted and you’ve got this massive smile on your face so were you always smiling for you is that just a natural facial expression and are you a like like anyone I would say in the football what’s Jah like cracking black so positive like that that’s the first thing so tell me about smiling and positivity and whether it’s learned behavior or it’s natural behavior and what do you reckon it does for you in life no it’s definitely natural I’ve just always loved I’ve loved sport passionately Howe and I know you do as well and it’s it’s easy to become um obsessed with the sporting world as a whole but in particular the number one sport that you that you love and I always had the mentality and maybe I was taught it early um I can’t remember a specific conversation but it was regardless how hard things are getting or how poor your performance may be don’t ever fall out of love with this game because this is what’s got you to this sort of point is that you you’ve fallen in love with something you know just because you might have a poor performance or your team’s not going as well it’s it’s actually still okay you can come out the other side of it if you plan well and um and so my my positivity or you know my ability to sort of be up all the time and that it’s just it’s just a natural thing I love it I’ve got energy to burn and and I just love that team invol environment and seeing teammates Thrive and the club Thrive individually Thrive and uh work as best as you possibly can and that’s why I never got too disappointed because I knew I put everything into every session into every week into every game into every year so I’m I’m I’m good with that I’m actually happy with that and that attitude is funny um at home we’ve oh the last couple years the little fell the Big Penguin got onto it alone I don’t know if you ever seen alone where they got so it’s a it’s a it’s a hardcore there Australian versions at the moment actually in New Zealand but they did one in tazzy but we’ve we’ve gone back and watched past series for those that haven’t watch the show the gist of the show is you’re out on your own you get 10 items you’re in the bush the J often it’s sort of was based in Northern America at the start so was extremely cold and you survive as best you can Hunting Fishing building your own shelter lighting your own fires and the person that lasts the longest wins the cash and I always thought I’d be good at this show and then I saw the first night I’m sitting in front of the fire at home eating ice cream thinking oh come on LIF a bit there and I thought I’m not sure I’d be so good at it but jonno whenever the series starts Ma and I always have a chat and we try and guess of the 10 who do we think is going to win and extraordinarily in the first episode the person that puts out the most positive attitude that is smiling on camera invariably wins the competition because they maintain that positive view of life when [ __ ] on this show gets really hard and they haven’t eaten for 10 days and they can’t catch the fish and it’s – 10ยฐ and so from your perspective as a really positive dude what do you reckon positivity has done for your life because you would see especially in a footy Club environment you’d see a blo running out the going oh no I’m not going to get a kick today and being down but you’re there with a smile first don’t get me wrong I still had those thoughts as well absolutely so you know there was always questioned yourself running out you know am I going to get a kick today you know am I going to be able to influence this game so you always had those those question marks but it’s kind of funny you’d always have them either maybe drive into the game or as you sort of in that first initial get into the into the change rooms but once you got onto the ground you go into this whole different different world I found myself in a in a whole different world where there was just nothing else except this oval and I couldn’t even see anything else to be honest with you Howe so I was just so into this little um patch of grass sort of thing so that was sort of that was my world so I was able to stay in that um and I sort of found myself I did play poorly I could hear things that I wouldn’t naturally hear whether it’s a crowd or whether it’s um you know you just your mind your thought process goes somewhere else that doesn’t naturally didn’t naturally sort of happen for me so that was that was why I was able to stay in that positive frame of mind um with with with doubts no no question there was there was doubts along the way but prep I got taught early prepare to expose and that prepare to expose yeah that was the biggest thing for me being the player that I was and the height that I was I had to prepare hours upon hours every week how am I going to expose my because it was direct opponent play back then how can I expose the guys that are going to line up on me effectively each week and because I knew to the finest detail my opponent with all the vision that I’d watched on them and previous weeks leading up as you do that I was that confident that if I took him here or if I led this way he’s no good on the left hand SPO he’s only a right hand all these little things that I knew from my position that I was just fully confident so that’s why I was able to sort of positively keep getting through because i’ prepared to expose my opponent as best I could on a on a weekly basis expose I like that so Johnny if I was going to say to you we have the ability to show Vision in this screen behind us Tommy and I have toen two bits of vision from your 350 364 game career 558 goals why is my mind going well hang on three time Western Bulldogs BNF five time leading goal kicker six time allr four time International rules three time Victoria state of origin 21 finals all round Guru what do you got well two bits I want you I can keep a straight face I know where you’re going no you don’t what are the two bits of vision we’re going to show well it’s either we’re talking positive or negative Vision can you give me a little bit of no you know me as a person no I just want you to pick two bits of vision well it’s either does it involve a golf cart at all actually now three bits of vision I changed it three bits of vision there might be a golf cart oh give me one more I don’t I’m missing after let’s start Tommy let’s start with Brad Johnson in his 300th game a record breaking game for his Club off in the Milestone men can’t match up so uh tell us about this day and the SEC so we’re watching vision of you running out take oh you got your kids there jonno um that’d be young Jack Johnson you got there 300 so there’s AA getting out there tell us about the day and the we’re about to see you’re against the crows half time you’re down by two goals Gan syracusa someone drives it deep you haven’t kicked a goal at this stage take it away Jon no it was a it was an amazing week to be honest howy but it was good just got one I had had a kick in the first half amazing so it was a huge week and you’ve Marked One in the pocket here you’re still down by Four Points you’ve decided to play on which is a bit hungry now you’ve kicked pretend you pretend to pass I’ve got a couple and then during the last quarter um I sort of got I got lucky twice Adam Cooney kicks the best pass of reckon I’ve nearly ever received in in the game well you just k your third from Big this one Coons out of the out of the middle of the ground lace out absolutely lace out it was uh unbelievable kick I actually remember before that lindsy gilby tapped me on the backside and said you got this John I the little things that you that you that you remember and I get lucky here that my direct opponent punches it back to the golf Square Four Points up a minute to go there’s the sealer no no so we Adela had a shot after the saen in this game no one talks about Tom we don’t have that I didn’t see that on the clip who missed it I think it’s um is it Nathan boach I don’t know Nathan Bo the big boy that went to go co so he they they get the ball and they get it to half forward and he has a shot after the siren but it’s a far pocket tough shot right and luckily for us he uh he missed it so that was um so your 300 now now you mentioned a couple other bits of vision you mentioned some I wasn’t going to play Tommy shown that much but now jonno’s brought it up you might have heard of a bloke called Gary Morra uh Tommy I I don’t know if you’ve pre-prepared the vision look at the vision let’s have a look let’s have a look this is in 4k is let’s yeah have a look what happened here John I talk us through it I’m playing in the I don’t know why I’m playing in the back pocket a good question a really good Lucas drives It Forward all heavens above ex exactly was wasn’t he well he was he was you look stunned when I stood up I looked at the I look around and 45,000 are on their feet including doggy fans what the hell just happen doggy fans they were like this is just it was ridiculous wasn’t it was anything said about with Gary or like like you’ve seen the replay on the big screen yeah yeah yeah and I’m just sort of standing there G at the time I didn’t know how big it was cuz I’m underneath it um but I do remember hearing Ben Harrison who was standing behind me instead of spoiling it he cheered the mark this how big it was I remember going yeah oh so I stand up I look at the replay on the big screen and I remember afterwards just giving Gary a little like you’re flat and shattered and they smashed us that night I said that’s fair grab mate Fair grab how how often like I mentioned 364 games how often is the first thing someone comes up to talks about morof yeah it it’s it’s at least 20 times a season minimum because Fox do played a bit and then even Jamie Elliott taking the mark did all of a sudden show again so but but actually I I love it because yeah I’m on the bottom of it and it is what it is you know that’s that’s just part of part of footy but it was an alltime grab it’s all time it is you because Elliot took the mark uh a week and a half ago Gary’s name came up and there was uh an interview with him in the newspaper it would have been the her son and he’s still playing yeah he’s he’s just retiring I think just retiring yeah so extraordinary I couldn’t believe cuz after that he as you could imagine he Hur his hip pretty bad I think and his head when he hit the roof it’s m Colonial Stadium or whatever it was it did him no favors I think in terms of his health and I’d love to sit down with him one day and just go talk to him about that and so but to his credit he’s played local footy for a very long time I played against Gary the under 18 competition so we cross passs as as Juniors and he was doing that at under 18 level like taking hangers everywhere it was just this pocket rocket that could just explode he was he was a very good player and and they beat us actually in the under 18 Grand Final so there was him and Chris Johnson and Jared Malloy all these players sort of back then Adam Simpson M the big D9 now you mentioned one other The Division I wasn’t thinking about um you mentioned a golf cart now this this is not on a golf course um Tommy do you have the vision where he is he’s just saying one minute so give me the lead up you had injury concerns at this stage so I’d just come back from an Achilles sess over over the summer and as my last end up being my last year I’m not surprised we played round one I’m just having some muck around shots and who how tell me the person who thought it was a good idea for golf carts to be on a footy oal just low percentage please tell me that it sounds low percentage so what so the whistle blows the boys are training um the property St at the time he’s just whistle goes he’s he’s gone out there to get the drinks to the boys now you’re such a nice is a how he games exclusive for the first time tell me what the dude’s name was no that’s no a star so n gave me my when I was a junior what’s yourname kabar when I was when I was a junior no we weren’t allowed to go and do o kick it my primary school didn’t have it but Mossville primary did and I had to get clearance no gives me clearance to go and play Oz KCK or Vick kick at mossfield primary and then I went and represented the Bulldogs as a as a Oz kicker so no set you on your PA set me on the path right and so the whistle blows you’ve got to DOD I’m just standing there and the card comes into me it doesn’t hit me hard how be honest here let have a it’s not the biggest hit in the world say’s nothing right so honestly that’s the biggest You’ kicked a check on and he’s driven straight in your ailles but the problem was underneath the cart was a box this and the Box Clips me right on the achill so instead of it being normal size which we’d worked hard to get it to Yes it blew up instantly and so I miss a month of footy a month by getting hit by a golf cart no’s heart and soul how’s he feeling about now flat first time I’ve seen you on screen not smiling so and I’ve seen n a lot and we’ve still got a great relationship um as you could imagine and but the thing with no he started my career he finished he might have thought you were getting a bit long in the tooth time to go what are we going to do let’s run him over with a golf cart it’s the first time I experienced injury in my life to be honest I never missed games with injury throughout the whole time and it that was that was a tough to to get through and then deciding to retire at the end of the year um but I it’s quite funny you chase an injury to get to get it better I’ve got to go this I went to T and flickers and I went to The Institute of sport and I’m doing everything to to get it uh back up and going um and in the end I couldn’t really get it right and I stop playing and a month later it goes away and I’ve never felt it again in my life I’m like what the hell you just got to stop sometimes how you just got to stop so after your footy career you’ve gone and um carved a a fantastic career in the media and you see some athletes come in on the back of their deeds and last a short period of time but you see others of which you are one so how long have you would have been working in the media now 13 years since finishing uh so a lot of the youngsters like I’m always with my son he’s like you know Dad who’s that BL you’re working with I could say Brad Johnson say who did he play for so the new generation don’t understand what you’ve done on the football field so they don’t have an affinity to you so now you’re being purely judged on what you’re doing on radio and TV so the fact you’ve lasted 13 years means credit to and you’re doing a fantastic job of it you started like I remember Dar telling me he he told the club Luke Dary if there’s ever interview requests or whatever yeah I’ll go and do them because I can see the advantage of this down the track was it similar for you yeah so I started probably with I started about 10 years before I retired doing things yeah can can you remember the first it was more I was just doing some some um basic sort of TV shows doing more appearances but it was more and Kicking that’s where Jay dun was the chief the chief the chief brought me in straight away and this is why I I I love the chief because he brought me in straight away and he said look you know you’re young you’re just working things out stay close to me and I’ll um and and you’ll be yeah and and kicking yeah so that was that against that was it was against the Footy Show type of setup was and then I did and then Fox had Oz kicking around I did Oz kicking around with Matty Lloyd I think for a bit Daniel Harford was doing it so we’d go and do um record a show every week at in in Fox at the old Studios and we’d have guests come in and the kids and yeah so that was a so doing my own show really fueled yeah I love I love doing this um and then I also had a I had an arrangement with the club not similar to DAR in a way but I spoke to the club around this is what I want to do Post footy so at and this was early on don’t ever if I’m playing poorly don’t pull it because you can get pulled from media you’re doing too much here your focus isn’t right yes um and I remember at the time they sort of said to me you know what you’re the first player that’s ever sort of come and spoken to us this way so we’ll let you go this is you that’s what you want to do Post footy go go for it so so that were great um you know Terry Wallace was great Peter Road was great with it and then Rodney Eid was was fantastic with it so the club at no stages was going to stop my development in the media space um so that when I finished I could step straight in I’m a organiz guy I’ve got to have things in a row and I’ve got to be you know if you’re coming out of playing you know that I had to have something ready to go for that next that next phase of life and that’s been the same with school University I’ve always had to play remain busy when I was busy playing I played my best footy did you go through uni I went through uni I studied recck management at Vic Uni so threeyear course I I wanted to do fed but I didn’t get the the TR at the time I was I was playing as well so my focus wasn’t purely on on footy obvious at the time so I ended up with like a 68 or a 69 TR which was okay and then got into Rec management loved that did three years of that and then I did a minor degree in tourism as well so I became really good at organizing the footage trip how that was that was my goto I love it so your your first full-time media gig post career was it TV or radio no TVV so I’ve never done I’ve only recently just started doing some radio so was that with Fox that was with Fox from the outset so who were you working with at the start then oh well jce yeah Jared Healey were Jared and I would be in Perth every Sunday so it was a great one because I was so young and raw Jared was BT I remember my first ever interview they BT stitched me up a beauty he goes you you going to interview Aaron sandlands I’m like great so my first interview post playing yeah I’m standing on a box interviewing Aaron sand like no you got to get even height with him totally Li lied to me so half the interview the camera’s obviously down on the on the on this box and I felt like a fool right so first interview after retiring I’m standing on a box with Aaron sandal who’s just laughing his head off going what are you doing mate and and so now it it’s Friday when we’re doing this um so this will come out obviously in a few weeks uh you and I are privileged enough to be going to carton Collingwood you’ll be working for where you’re doing a great job and then you’ll be working with Fox o over the weekend so you’ve got now a high-profile media job when you go we did a game last week Adelaide North in tazzy when you go to the radio or the TV what are you trying to bring to the table jonno just just to be me to be honest to be start with I’m not trying to be something that that I’m not and I’m honest with my appraisal but I’m also pretty positive with it as well I see the I see where players can go if they make a mistake I can I like to see how they can Rectify that with themselves all their teammates can help them Rectify that so I I was trying to just bring that that positivity to the to the table I love this game howy so that’s that’s it if I can bring that across that I’m passionate about it and I can deliver that in the in the right way but also be honest in my appraisal of the way the game is going when you’re commentating that’s that’s as simple as it is for me I spoke to quite a while ago I spoke to Dylan Buckley yep who does an amazing job with his podcast and he is a prime if you haven’t listened to Dylan friend you should it’s it’s a great show great podcast and he’s got various offshoots of that he he’s a perfect example of a guy that didn’t play 364 games and wasn’t a household name that told in his words the Giants I want to do media I I catch up with him not enough because I always learn a lot from Dylan um and he was telling me that you know he was he was showing me various examples of basically co-w watching the game with a YouTube channel so you could be watching the game and you could watch two dudes and three dudets commentating their own way on a YouTube channel there’s nothing against that I feel Jon we should get together at some stage get Tommy on the YouTube CU I’ve always wanted to call a Formula 1 race I I used to work on Formula 1 carrying the cables love I think I’m love this CR and your brle and we get a I think we choose one of those like Mexico 3:00 a.m. starts where we don’t get a big audience at the start and we are a companion call I’ve always want to call race we get the full timing screens in front of us jonno I’ll call his start and then you start analyzing the apex of the corner can you pull this off definitely Tommy can wegan is there any illegal breaking of Rights surely not I don’t think so I think there is on YouTube is there surely not you can do what you want on YouTube course you can so when this comes to pass when this comes to pass how funny would that be I think it’ be I’ve always wanted to call a Formula One race that sounds like you want to be serious though no I don’t want to be serious you want get I want to be how I’m on the couch at home Erica and I when it was uh Lewis versus Max in that phenomenal year she was Team Max I was Team Lewis we would start off on the couch nicely at 10 p.m. at night arms around each other by by lap 10 I’m like it was Max’s fa she’s like it’s Louis’s fult we’ll be blowing up so I I think we can make this happen J it’ll work I think we can make this happen mate thanks for coming on the podcast good luck with everything with Zena once more the website for people to get involved zenas sport.com so get your footy Club involved it’s not just footy clubs just check it out um if you think this is something you could help your athletic career if you’re a woman um jonno is the man and he will come and sort it out for you AB thank you so much stay safe enjoy the foot he keep smiling too good on you mate well done
1 Comment
Set up cameras and sit on your couch and do a full race commentary