Chew The Fat

On this episode I sit down with Sandor Earl from the Melbourne Storm.We cover everything to do with his football journey from his junior career, his debut & development years, unfortunate coaching 'mishaps' and the amazing culture that the Melbourne Storm are renowned for.However, this is one of my personal favourites as Sandor is extremely open and honest with his mental health journey. Sandor doesn't shy away from the 4 years suspension handed down to him in 2015 and how that had a major impact on his mental health. We discuss the coping mechanisms, techniques and lessons he has learnt along the way and explore the difficulties of being open and vulnerable in such a hard-headed sport.I am extremely grateful to Sandor for opening up like this and I really hope you get something out of it.

Joining me today is one of Australia's most iconic sports commentators - Mike Tomalaris. With 25 years of experience calling the Tour de France, Mike has become synonymous with Australian cycling and it was a pleasure to chat with him. We discuss it all, from the humble beginnings at his first tour to the powerhouse team at SBS including Robbie McEwen, Bridie O'Donnell & David McKenzie. Mike discusses cycling's checkered past and the era of doping and how that has impacted the sport today. Most importantly, we share our mutual admiration for Julian Alaphilippe... my favourite in the peloton.As always, the focus of the episode is on exploring issues of mental health and what an amazing guest to discuss it with. Mike has done some amazing work to increase awareness of mental health in Australia with foundations like the Black Dog Institute & the 6 Minute Challenge.I can't thank Mike enough for giving up some of his time, this was an amazing episode and I hope you enjoy it.https://6minutechallenge.org/

Was lucky enough to sit down and Chew The Fat with an all-round good guy - Liam McBean on Friday night.Liam and I chat all about his career to date including his time at both Richmond & Glenelg, his $330 footy card on eBay & the time he didn’t pick me on his team for lunchtime basketballMost importantly though, Liam shares some unbelievable insights into his mental health journey which has led him to as he says, spread love & embrace vulnerability.If you’re in Melbourne, plug this in to your ears for your two hours outdoors this week, for everyone else, I hope you enjoy this episode just as much as I did!

Last week I had the chance to sit down with one of the star housemates from big brother 2020 - Mat Garrick. Mat and I chat about everything from shower mishaps in the big brother house to being an unofficial member of the Broken Hill tourism department.On a more serious note though, Mat and I chat all about mental health from his experiences with social media abuse, dealing with the impact of suicide that his football club was rocked with earlier this year and why rural country towns are still struggling to breaking down stereotypes surrounding mental health issues.I can't thank mat enough for giving up his time and I hope you guys enjoy listening!

On this episode I have the chance to Chew The Fat with Daisy Richardson, one of Survivor Australia's most memorable game players. We chat about all the 'undercover' Survivor gossip and try to answer all the questions you've always wanted to know!Most importantly though, we chat about Daisy's mental health battles, from multiple fights with depression, the impacts of living with endometriosis and how social media abuse that even culminated in death threats impacted her mental wellbeing.Gee Whiz, there hasn't been many times in my life where i've been speechless but this chat with Daisy certainly left me with my jaw on the ground! Thanks so much to Daisy for coming on the show, I hope you get something out of it!Always remember it is never weak to speak

Here we go ladies and gents! A few months in the making but it was worth the wait. I was lucky enough to sit down with Dylan Buckley, a former professional footballer for both the Carlton Blues and the GWS Giants. Dylan and I chat about everything, from his illustrious nicknames, naked handstands and his favourite podcast guests.As always though, the focus of the chat is on Mental Health. Dylan and I discuss everything from our personal tricks that we use to improve our individual mental health on our down days, our perspective on mental health in general and ways we can all improve on discussing the issue.I am extremely grateful for Dylan coming on the show and I hope you appreciate it as much as I did!Please listen to the end of the podcast for information regarding the giveaway for healthcare workers!

On this episode I sit down and chat with Morgan Rose Moroney - one of the biggest hitters in the fitness industry. At only 23 years old, Morgan already commands respect in the industry thanks to her massive platform as a result of her impressive resume, 8 national titles in Gymnastics, cover athlete for Oxygen magazine, star attraction of popular Netflix TV show Beastmaster and now on of Gymsharks finest. We chat about everything - from growing up in Brisbane, learning to cope with 40 hours of training per week for Gymnastics and which Gymshark athlete is most likely to skimp out on paying for a meal... we really do cover it all. Most importantly though, Morgan and I chat about her perspective on mental health, particularly the importance of promoting positive mental wellbeing in an industry where social media can have such a detrimental impact on mental health.I really enjoyed chatting with Morgan and hope that you enjoy listening as much as I did!Music by Bensound

On this weeks episode I sit down and Chew The Fat with Lance Picioane.Lance and I discuss all things football from his time as an over-developed european man child running around in the under 10's all the way through to his AFL career touching on his time with the Crows, the Hawks and North Melbourne as well as the infamous Line in The Sand match and the opponents he had the most respect for.Like all episodes on this show though, the focus of the chat is on Lance's journey / struggles with mental health over the years culminating in a sense of rockbottom that led him to be as he describes "three inches from death".If you want to support the work Lance does with his Love Me, Love You foundation or want to get involved in the LMLY march which is coming up later this year at the Botanical Gardens, please follow the link below:https://www.friendsoflmly.org.au/events

On this weeks episode I sit down with Josh Barressi ; a 24 year old who has seen and done it all. After being picked up by the AIS at a young age, Josh rose through the ranks as a talented junior soccer player before finding his way onto an A-League list at just 18 years old. We talk about the highs of his career and cleared up a little rumour about his obsession with scoring goals as himself on FIFA.The chat focusses on Josh's mental health journey which started creeping its way into his life from a young age and seemed to mirror his career as a horror run of injures began to take its toll. Josh bravely talks about the pressure of being in the game at such a young age and how severely the weight of those pressures can impact ones mental wellbeing. A huge thank you for Josh for coming on the show and I hope you get as much out of this as I did.

On this week episode I sit down and chat with Luke Robertson, a man who loves drinking beer so much he turned it into a career. Luke has done everything in the beer industry, from winning the Australian International Beer Awards Media Trophy in 2015, to publishing his book 'Keg Bottle Can - Best Beers for Every Occasion' and everything in-between. We chat about where the love for beer came from, the industry in general and of course his his favourite brews.Luke's unique mental health journey is of course the focus of the episode this week. From the 28 minute mark and onwards, we explore Luke's ongoing battles with anxiety & depression including his triggers and subsequent coping mechanisms. Luke is also brave enough to document his feelings of rockbottom which have seem him battle some very dark days.The chat also links back to his love for beer as Luke is now involved heavily with the planning and promotion of events within the industry itself that aims to change the culture surrounding beer-lovers across the country.I hope you get something out of this chat and encourage everyone to go chew the fat with a family member or friend, you never know, it could save a life.Music by BenSound

On this episode, I sit down with Jeff Riseley, a 3 time Olympian and National Record Holder for Australia.Jeff and I chat about his upbringing and early development in the sport which led to multiple national championships and international representation. We discuss a little bit of his training and which races / personal bests he reflects on most fondly.The focus of the chat however kicks off at the 30:00 minute point. From here, Jeff and I discuss at length his struggles with mental health which resulted in severe anxiety and depression, a reliance on sleeping medication and a major spiral in quality of life. Jeff discusses the coping mechanisms and strategies he has developed and the trip to Africa which he credits to changing his life. A massive thank you once again to Jeff for being so open and vulnerable in this chat.Please remember as always to have a conversation with a mate, family friend or colleague. You never know who you can help just by having a simple chat!Music supplied by Ben Sound @ www.bensound.com

A quick bonus episode this week to celebrate the launch of Movember!A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to sit down and Chew The Fat with Brendan Maher, The Global Director of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention at Movember Foundation. This episode focusses on the work that the Movember foundation does in furthering not only the awareness of mental health among men but also in creating an enviroment where men are able to speak freely about their struggles & emotions.To learn more about the Movember foundation or to get involved with a donation, please follow the link below!https://au.movember.com/Thanks for listening!Music supplied by Ben Sound @ www.bensound.com

On this episode of Chew The Fat, I sit down with Joe Pignataro; a media guru, local footy legend and all round good guy. We chat about a range of topics, Joe's dreams of an AFL career, his pride and passion for his old College stomping ground as well as his profession in sports media which has created an incredible bond between himself and AFL legend Kevin Bartlett.The focus of the chat however is on Joe's ongoing mental health journey that came about after the fatal drive-by shooting of his best mate Chris Lane in 2013. Joe talks opens up about his feelings, emotions and vulnerabilities in what I consider to be an incredible display of bravery.Like all guests that come on this show, i'm incredibly thankful that Joe was willing to share his story and I hope that his openness about his battles with Depression & Anxiety allow someone listening at home to find the courage to speak up about their own issuesMusic supplied by Ben Sound @ www.bensound.com

This weeks episode features one of my oldest friends Olivia Tyler. We chat through a range of topics including her controversial decision to change her AFL allegiance at the age of 15, her weekend antics and career goals.The focus of the episode however is on Olivia's very unique perspective on mental health - in particular suicide & suicide prevention. Olivia talks in depth about her late brother Blair & the impact that his death had on not just her but her family & friends. I was extremely honoured to have had Olivia on the show and hope that as listeners you take something away from todays episode.I encourage everyone listening to this episode to reach out and start a conversation with a mate they haven't heard from in a while. If you do need help and feel like you can't talk to your friends or family, please contact lifeline at 13 11 14.Music supplied by Ben Sound @ www.bensound.com

On this episode I sit down with Lin Jong from the Western Bulldogs. Throughout this episode we discuss Lin's unique introduction to AFL footy, his adjustment from regular school-kid to professional footballer and most notably the 2016 premiership year. Lin also touches on his work with both the AFL multi-cultural program & the East Timor Hearts Fund & how listeners at home can help contribute to the efforts of both campaigns.From there we focus on Lin's mental health journey. Covering topics from his decision to take time away from the game earlier this year, his diagnosis and his road to recovery. Lin is extremely brave and upfront about his struggles and I hope the listeners gain as much out of this episode as I did