Off-Field - Sports Stars and Experts Share Sports Marketing, Business, Leadership Insights

This week on #ChatsWithPav, Pav is joined by his former player manager Craig Kelly.Better known as “Ned” in the footy & management landscape, Ned enjoyed a successful AFL career at the Collingwood Football Club from 1989 – 1996, playing 123 games including the 1990 Premiership. Known for his hard scrappy playing style who was often tasked with defending star key forwards such as Jason Dunstall & Gary Ablett Senior.In 1996, Ned created Elite Sports Properties and the AFL Pro Squad to rival the Famous Club 10 founded by Ricky Nixon. This was the beginning of a career in talent management for over 20 years. Kelly's off-field presence is arguably greater than his playing career. He transformed his passion for business and marketing into the sports administration giant TLA Worldwide a leading athlete representation, event management, and sports marketing group. More than 250 of the AFL's 800 players are in the TLA stable.The pair discuss Ned's transition from hard-nosed defender to leading sports agent, the 24/7 role of talent agents, the extreme art of negotiation, effective forms of communication and operating/navigating in a social media-driven society.

On the latest #ChatsWithPav, Pav is joined by Cameron Schwab.After cutting his teeth as a recruiter at the Melbourne Football Club when the Demons made the finals for the first time in 23 years, Cameron Schwab was appointed CEO of the famous Richmond Football Club at age 24, the youngest in the history of the game.For most of the next 25 years, he was CEO of Richmond, Melbourne and Fremantle, when those clubs were at their lowest ebb, both on and off the field. He is the second longest serving CEO in the modern game.Cameron is now a CEO, leadership coach and strategist. He works with CEOs and emerging leaders to achieve high levels of trust – personally, culturally, strategically and organisationally – as the basis of high performance. He is a legacy-focused leader who has bounced back from setbacks, taking on the sport's most challenging leadership roles.Cameron holds an MBA and Master of Marketing from the Melbourne Business School. He has also completed the Advanced Management Program (AMP) at the Harvard Business School and is a Vincent Fairfax Fellow of the Centre of Ethical Leadership at University of Melbourne. He received his Coaching Certification from the Columbia Business School in New York. Cameron is also an artist and illustrator, studying Fine Art at the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA).

History making international humanitarian lawyer, retired British Army senior officer, former war crimes and terrorism prosecutor and hostage survivor. Rabia Siddique joins Pickstar Co-founder Matthew Pavlich to talk about her extraordinary life journey to date.Rabia's mission is simple. Inspire, empower and transform!She has undertaken humanitarian aid work in Asia, South America, Europe and the Middle East, for which she was decorated by Queen Elizabeth II.Rabia's best selling memoir “Equal Justice: My Journey as a Woman, a Soldier and a Muslim” was published in 2013 and made international news and saw the floodgates open for many similar cases. Rabia is now a multi award winning story teller, inspirational speaker, leadership consultant, media commentator and human rights advocate. Peace and the sustainability of our planet is what drives her.Her unique story of courage, strength & grit is a vehicle for shining a light on issues relating to resilience, authentic & ethical leadership, equality & diversity. Looking for an empowering guest speaker for International Women's Day? https://pickstar.pro/au/our-stars/7209/rabia-siddique Chats with Pav is produced by Pickstar. PickStar is the best place to book sports stars and personalities for any event, campaign or engagement you can imagine. Choose from over 2000 stars past and present, PickStar works fast with ANY budget. https://pickstar.pro/au #InternationalWomensDay#RabiaSiddique

On the 1st #ChatswithPav of 2022, Pav sits down with fellow Channel 9 team member Scherri-Lee Biggs. With her energetic and enthusiastic approach, Scherri-Lee is a fresh and friendly face across the Australian media landscape. She credits her relaxed and friendly approach to her childhood, growing up on the beaches of Perth.Scherri-Lee talks about immigrating from South Africa when she was 8, transitioning into modelling where she has represented dozens of high profile brands such as Calvin Klein, Nike, Aurelio Costarella, David Jones, Myer, Wittner, Mossman, Maurice Meade and Ae'lkemi.After being crowned Miss Universe Australia in 2011, Scherri-Lee explored her passion in the TV and radio sectors, with her vibrant and down-to-earth nature has earned her a regular place in the Australian media landscape.https://pickstar.pro/au/our-stars/6995/scherri-lee-biggshttps://pickstar.pro/au

On the latest episode of #ChatsWithPav, Pickstar's Matthew Pavlich is joined by Channel 9 Journalist Tracy Vo. Tracy, who has been part of the Nine News team since 2007, is the weekend news presenter for Nine News Perth. She is also a senior reporter in the newsroom who has reported on some of the largest news stories over the past 15 years. A pioneer in changing the perception of gender & racial barriers, Tracy speaks about her cultural upbringing which has taken her all over the globe. In 2014, Tracy became a published author, telling her family's story in Small Bamboo.The pair discuss the future in the hope of living in a diverse and culturally rich nation with complete harmony.PickStar is the best place to book sports stars and personalities for any event, campaign or engagement you can imagine.What do you need? Whether it is star power at an event, a brand boost, social influence or a special experience, Pickstar brings your star idea to life.https://pickstar.pro/au/our-stars/5573/tracy-vo

This week Pickstar Co-Founder Matthew Pavlich has a yarn with Tim Ross. A comedian, architecture enthusiast and design nerd. He may be best known for his work on TV and radio (at different times hosting both the number one breakfast and drive shows in Sydney) but Tim has also always had a passion for architecture & design.Ross began his career performing stand-up comedy as part of the comedy duo Merrick and Rosso with Merrick Watts. Transitioning to his passion from the stage & radio studio to architecture & design where he was written for various publications including Real Living, Habitus, The Saturday Paper, The Smith Journal, QANTAS magazine and The Guardian. In 2017, Tim launched his second book, The Rumpus Room, capturing nostalgic short stories about life in Australia's suburbs in the 1960s, '70s and '80s. The Rumpus Room is now in its third print run.https://pickstar.pro/au/our-stars/10308/tim-ross

On the latest episode of Chats with Pav. Pickstar Co-Founder Matthew Pavlich is joined by popular Australian Chef Justine Schofield.After appearing in the first season of Masterchef Australia, Justine's career has skyrocketed. With her own TV cooking show, reality TV appearances amongst her culinary & personal ventures which has seen her release 3 cookbooks and travel to over 40 countries worldwide. Justine reveals all about her culinary journey, beginning with a solo trip as a child to France, jumping through all types of hoops to make it onto Masterchef Australia, stepping out of her comfort zone, watching Huey & the value of authenticity in brand partnerships.https://pickstar.pro/au/our-stars/7097/justine-schofield

Communications and brand expert Jane Anderson joins Matthew Pavlich for an insightful chat about finding your story, how to effectively communicate and the value of your personal brand.An author of 8 books, Jane's expertise across influence, leadership and communications is valuable for anyone in the corporate world or an aspiring leader.

Chris Anstey’s size 18 feet have been all around the globe.The former first round pick in the 1997 NBA Draft joins Matthew Pavlich on Chats with Pav, reflecting on his athletic upbringing, the behaviours that involve embracing opportunity and being undefeated against Michael Jordan.Nowadays Anstey utilises his experiences to leadership and consultancy roles drawing on the parallels between elite sport and business with regard to personal best, leadership, opportunity, culture and habits of effective teams and individuals.“My decision just to try, opened up opportunity, just by being noticed that I was working hard”Chris holds Ambassador roles with La Trobe Financial and the SEDA Group, where he works with managers and leaders in industry.A self described ‘story teller’, Anstey elaborates on the consistency of effort and approach, his biggest what if and his biggest lessons from sport inspiring his career today.The Off-Field podcast is produced by Pickstar.Pickstar is the best place to book sports stars and celebrities for any event, campaign or engagement you can imagine.Choose from thousands of stars past and present, Pickstar works fast with ANY budget. Visit the Pickstar website now - http://pickstar.pro/au

Australian of the Year Dr James Muecke joins Matthew Pavlich to discuss his work in treating blindness and reducing type 2 diabetes.Dr Muecke, a proud South Australian, spent years working abroad across Africa to reduce the rates of treatable blindness and is now back home in Adelaide. Since becoming the 2020 Australian of the Year, Dr Muecke has been advocating for a sugar tax to reduce the prevalence of type 2 diabetes.A neurological condition forced Muecke to give up surgery, but this adversity hasn't stopped him from using his platform to push for reform with sugar.Dr Muecke discusses a number of topics including resilience, the core elements to social enterprise and innovation.See Dr James Muecke's profile and request to book him here: https://pickstar.pro/au/our-stars/7528/james-mueckehe Off-Field podcast is produced by Pickstar.Pickstar is the best place to book sports stars and personalities for any event, campaign or engagement you can imagine.Choose from over 1700 stars past and present, Pickstar works fast with ANY budget. Visit the PickStar website now - http://pickstar.pro

Cricketing legend Adam Gilchrist shares a fascinating insight into the commercial partnerships of an elite athlete.From his first 'deal' as a 12-year-old getting $185 worth of gear from Albion, to major brand ambassador roles over the past 10 years, Gilly explains how these commercial partnerships come together and what he finds important when choosing to work with a brand.There are insights for both athletes and businesses on how to approach the commercial side of sport.The Off-Field podcast is produced by PickStar.PickStar is the best place to book sports stars and personalities for any event, campaign or engagement you can imagine.Choose from over 1700 stars past and present, PickStar works fast with ANY budget. Visit the PickStar website now - http://pickstar.com.au

Former Fremantle and St Kilda star Heath Black would sit in a cubicle before each AFL game he played.He'd dry retch because of the severe anxiety a game of football would induce.The mental games going on inside his head made him feel like he'd played a quarter before he walked down the race.Heath shares mental health stories from his playing days with former teammate Matt Pavlich and details how he's learned to live with these challenges.He now shares his stories with others, focusing on owning your own mental health.The Off-Field podcast is produced by PickStar.PickStar is the best place to book sports stars and personalities for any event, campaign or engagement you can imagine.Choose from over 1700 stars past and present, PickStar works fast with ANY budget. Visit the PickStar website now - http://pickstar.com.au

8-time world champion BMX and mountain bike rider Caroline Buchanan joins AFL legend and PickStar co-founder Matthew Pavlich to talk about Caroline's journey and how she's overcome adversity.Buchanan is currently preparing for the postponed Tokyo Olympics, scheduled to take place in 2021 and is training at home having recovered from a spate of injuries over the past year.Caroline talks about her journey to becoming a professional, including her first world championships at the age of nine when she took her Cabbage Patch doll to Paris with her to compete.She discusses what she's learned from failure, how she maintains a focused, winning mindset and the structure she needs in her life to compete at the highest level.In a wide-ranging chat, Buchanan also explains how she decides which brands are right for her to partner with, giving a unique insight from the perspective of an athlete about how they approach marketing and brand decisions.The Off-Field podcast is produced by PickStar.PickStar is the best place to book sports stars and personalities for any event, campaign or engagement you can imagine.Choose from over 1700 stars past and present, PickStar works fast with ANY budget. Visit the PickStar website now - http://pickstar.com.au

As we continue our mini-series on transition, we talk to one of Australia’s top female sports stars, Sharni Layton who has transformed herself from netball legend to AFLW footballer.Sharni is larger than life in just about every way, an imposing goalkeeper on the court, towering ruck on the field and an infectious, hilarious personality.But with the highs, Sharni has faced plenty of lows. After achieving just about everything in netball - recognised as the best netballer in the world, captaining her country and winning gold at the World Cup and Commonwealth Games - Sharni hit what she describes as an identity crisis. Exhaustion, depression and the loss of passion for her sport.In taking time away from the game, Sharni found herself … and that journey of self-discovery led to greater balance, energy and a new passion: footy.Sharni shares her story, including the mental health struggles and wellness insights, the transition to AFLW, her strategy working with brands, the future of women’s sport and much more.Request to book Sharni Layton for guest speaking, appearances and partnerships here.PickStar is the best place to book sports stars and personalities for any event, campaign or experience you can imagine.Choose from over 1500 stars past and present, PickStar works fast with ANY budget. Visit the PickStar website now - https://pickstar.com.au/Off-Field focuses on the world of sport outside of the arena with the people who make it happen. Hosted by Andrew Montesi.

As we continue our series on transition, few have done it better than our guest Jack Wilson.He’s a rebel professional golfer and cult hero who has transformed himself and his sport throughout his career.Jack burst onto the scene back in 2013 seemingly from nowhere, becoming Australia’s first PGA trainee to win an Australasian Tour Event and placing third at the Australian PGA Championship, nearly pipping star Adam Scott.But it has been much more than Jack’s performances on the course that have raised eyebrows. It was the blonde dreadlocks (which he recently shaved off for charity), the full beard, fresh attitude and Happy Gilmore style story that challenged golf’s establishment.Jack believes golf has got boring and is out to change culture, to make the sport he is so passionate about accessible to a bigger market and the next generation of kids.But it isn’t easy. Not everyone wants to change. There’s a cost, but Jack says it is worth it.Jack talks about this as well as his remarkable story, including his meteoric rise and the struggles that followed, how he’s building a business and brand while disrupting golf and much more.Request to book Jack Wilson for guest speaking, appearances and partnerships here.PickStar is the best place to book sports stars and personalities for any event, campaign or experience you can imagine.Choose from over 1500 stars past and present, PickStar works fast with ANY budget. Visit the PickStar website now - https://pickstar.com.au/Off-Field focuses on the world of sport outside of the arena with the people who make it happen. Hosted by Andrew Montesi.

We’re kicking off a mini-series focusing on transition, how professional athletes handle change … not just in their sporting environment, but careers and life.Our guest, NBL star Mitch McCarron, handles transition better than most. The Melbourne United shooting guard learned to adapt from a young age.Born in Alice Springs, Mitch moved with his family to Brisbane then pursued his basketball career in the US college system. He would also go on to play in Spain and Slovenia, adjusting to new cultures and dynamics along the way.Now well established in the NBL and representing his country with the Australian Boomers, Mitch still has his next transition in the back of his mind - he has a university degree and works in a financial services firm between training sessions.Mitch says this is about much more than about his next career move. It keeps him focused, balanced and provides valuable learning.Mitch also shares insights about leadership, team dynamics and high performance as well as stories and lessons learned from family life.Request to book Mitch McCarron for guest speaking, appearances and partnerships here.PickStar is the best place to book sports stars and personalities for any event, campaign or experience you can imagine.Choose from over 1500 stars past and present, PickStar works fast with ANY budget. Visit the PickStar website now - https://pickstar.com.au/Off-Field focuses on the world of sport outside of the arena with the people who make it happen. Hosted by Andrew Montesi.Find out more:Sign up to our mailing list and contact us here - http://off-field.coJoin us on Facebook - http://facebook.com/offfieldpodcastSend us an email - amontesi@pickstar.com.auProduced with Apiro

Today we’re going deep into sports partnerships, with Dan Bitti from Kellogg’s Australia.You might recall back in episode 54 we heard from Dan, who featured on our live panel discussion at Mumbrella360, where we talked about sports stars and brands. I wanted to get him back to unpack some of his insights further.Over a 15 year marketing career, Dan has worked with some of the world’s greatest creators and innovators of brands. From Coca-Cola to Mars, Smirnoff to the Kellogg’s labels, he’s spent his career to date contributing to the legacy of global icons across a range of consumer goods categories, delivering distinctive communications, innovation and brand partnerships.In this interview, Dan talked through the evolution of Kellogg’s Australia’s sports partnership strategy in more detail. Kellogg’s has played a big role in Australian sport over the last few decades - there’s been the long standing Nutri-Grain Ironman relationship through to AFW and most recently hockey, where Sultana Bran has taken on naming rights of the new Hockey One league.Dan talks about the values-led approach to partnerships taken by Kellogg’s, and how that has played out in the context of the three different sports and their individual strategies.He also talks about the benefits to brands who get in early with emerging sports and leagues, weighing up the commercial value of partnerships, the importance of talent, what the future looks like for brands in sport.PickStar is the best place to book sports stars and personalities for any event, campaign or engagement you can imagine.Choose from over 1300 stars past and present, PickStar works fast with ANY budget. Visit the PickStar website now - http://pickstar.com.auOff-Field focuses on the world of sport outside of the arena with the people who make it happen. Hosted by James Begley and Andrew Montesi.Find out more:Sign up to our mailing list and contact us here - http://off-field.coJoin us on Facebook - http://facebook.com/offfieldpodcastSend us an email - amontesi@pickstar.com.au

John Buchanan is a high performance strategist and the most successful coach in Australian cricket history. After taking on the role of Australian team coach in 1999, John brought a new level of innovation and professionalism that would see the team become World Cup champions, Test cricket champions and Ashes victors.John now runs his own corporate leadership and high performance consultancy, and has written two books, If Better Is Possible and The Future of Cricket.John talks us through in fascinating detail how he went about winning the respect of players like Steve Waugh and Adam Gilchrist, managing the different personalities and egos within the now legendary squad, including the differences he had with Shane Warne, and how he went about bringing in significant change - which was welcomed by some, but not everyone.John also talks about his focus on the whole person not just the athlete, and the important practice of switching on and off to reduce the noise and be able to focus on what’s most important.Request to book John Buchanan for leadership workshops, guest speaking, events and more here. PickStar is the best place to book sports stars and personalities for any event, campaign or engagement you can imagine.Choose from over 1300 stars past and present, PickStar works fast with ANY budget. Visit the PickStar website now - http://pickstar.com.auOff-Field focuses on the world of sport outside of the arena with the people who make it happen. Hosted by James Begley and Andrew Montesi.Find out more:Sign up to our mailing list and contact us here - http://off-field.coJoin us on Facebook - http://facebook.com/offfieldpodcastSend us an email - amontesi@pickstar.com.au

We bring you another panel discussion recorded live at Mumbrella Sports Marketing Summit in 2019, where a group of sports professionals discussed Evolution or Revolution: How to Change With The Times in Sports Marketing.PickStar’s Head of Marketing Andrew Montesi was joined by Esther Wilson, GM of Content and Creative at Hyland Media, Michelle Fowler, Sports and Entertainment Lead at Thrive PR and Chloe Dalton, Rugby 7s gold medallist, former basketballer and now AFLW player with Carlton.The direction sports marketing is taking is almost impossible to predict. Sports rights have been changing hands quickly, new technology platforms are opening up more visibility for sports and athletes, social media has already created fresh opportunities, and there is more change in the pipeline.A group of sports professionals are in the cross-heirs; marketers trying to keep up with the change and evolve their strategies; comms pros looking at new opportunities across a range of mediums; and athletes who now have more control over their public image than ever before.In this session hear from all of them about how they are marketing their teams, brands, clients and themselves in an era of rapid evolution where sport is constantly making the headlines for a range of reasons.PickStar is the best place to book sports stars and personalities for any event, campaign or engagement you can imagine.Choose from over 1300 stars past and present, PickStar works fast with ANY budget. Visit the PickStar website now - http://pickstar.com.auOff-Field focuses on the world of sport outside of the arena with the people who make it happen. Hosted by James Begley and Andrew Montesi.Find out more:Sign up to our mailing list and contact us here - http://off-field.coJoin us on Facebook - http://facebook.com/offfieldpodcastSend us an email - amontesi@pickstar.com.au

Kerrin McEvoy is regarded as Australia's best jockey - a big race specialist who has won a remarkable three Melbourne Cups - in 2000, 2016 and 2018 - along numerous other major races in Australia and overseas.Despite the success he’s maintained the humble, hard working attitude that was instilled in him growing up in Streaky Bay in regional South Australia.Brought up in a horse racing family, Kerrin only ever wanted to be a jockey. But it didn’t come easy. He moved to Melbourne as an apprentice, and was almost sent home because he wasn’t up to the challenge.But driven by that innate passion for the sport, Kerrin found a way to not just survive but thrive at the highest level. At just 20 years of age, he won his first Melbourne Cup and the rest really is history.In this fascinating chat, Kerrin talks in detail about what it takes to win the Melbourne Cup, his incredibly detailed strategic approach and dealing with the pressure of having every eye in the country on you … as well as the keys to long-term success, leadership, balancing horse racing with family life, the financial side of horse racing and much more.Request to book Kerrin McEvoy for guest speaking, marketing or media opportunities here.PickStar is the best place to book sports stars and personalities for any event, campaign or engagement you can imagine.Choose from over 1300 stars past and present, PickStar works fast with ANY budget. Visit the PickStar website now - http://pickstar.com.auOff-Field focuses on the world of sport outside of the arena with the people who make it happen. Hosted by James Begley and Andrew Montesi.Find out more:Sign up to our mailing list and contact us here - http://off-field.coJoin us on Facebook - http://facebook.com/offfieldpodcastSend us an email - amontesi@pickstar.com.au

Sports fans might remember this iconic moment. It was the 2006 Commonwealth Games, and 13 year old Melissa Wu, barely weighing 30 kilos, was standing on top of the 10 metre diving board about to represent her country.She would claim the silver medal and go on to win a medal in every international diving competition by the age of 16, an incredible achievement.But her success wasn’t welcomed by everyone, including some of her teammates. Melissa has spoken out about bullying and struggling with the lack of mentoring and support through her career.Melissa even had trouble recognising her own success. Despite winning a silver medal at the 2008 Olympics, she came home and was diagnosed with depression. Melissa says she wasn’t coping with expectation and pressure, and lost all self-confidence.But after working with a psychologist, Melissa changed her mindset and was able to return to the pool a stronger athlete and person.She was put to the test yet again, this time in the most tragic of circumstances, when Melissa’s sister, Kirsten, passed away suddenly in 2014. It would change Melissa’s perspective on everything, not just sport.Melissa reveals some incredible insights on resilience, mindset and maintaining sustained, long-term success in the midst of enormous adversity. She also talks about the cost of success, and shares lessons learned on mentoring that she is now passing on to the next generation, and much more.Request to book Melissa Wu for guest speaking, marketing or media opportunities here.PickStar is the best place to book sports stars and personalities for any event, campaign or engagement you can imagine.Choose from over 1300 stars past and present, PickStar works fast with ANY budget. Visit the PickStar website now - http://pickstar.com.auOff-Field focuses on the world of sport outside of the arena with the people who make it happen. Hosted by James Begley and Andrew Montesi.Find out more:Sign up to our mailing list and contact us here - http://off-field.coJoin us on Facebook - http://facebook.com/offfieldpodcastSend us an email - amontesi@pickstar.com.au

Throughout his professional football career, Robbie Cornthwaite experienced success, failure and heartbreak.Robbie was a household name in the A-League, a club legend with Adelaide United and former captain of Western Sydney Wanderers, he played in Asia for seven years, which few Australians have been able to do, and has represented his country at the highest level.Throughout the journey Robbie proved to be a resilient leader, dealing with setbacks, success, good and bad relationships with coaches and tough environments at home and in Korea and Malaysia.This, combined with his off-field challenges and experiences, has given Robbie a unique outlook on life, and what really matters. While playing overseas, he and his wife experienced the unthinkable - losing a child at birth.In the midst of the devastation and grief, Robbie gained perspective and learned that ultimately - win, lose or draw - football is just a game.Robbie shares his story, with insights on resilience, leadership, high performance and the transition into life after sport.Request to book Robbie Cornthwaite for guest speaking, marketing or media opportunities here.PickStar is the best place to book sports stars and personalities for any event, campaign or engagement you can imagine.Choose from over 1300 stars past and present, PickStar works fast with ANY budget. Visit the PickStar website now - http://pickstar.com.auOff-Field focuses on the world of sport outside of the arena with the people who make it happen. Hosted by James Begley and Andrew Montesi.Find out more:Sign up to our mailing list and contact us here - http://off-field.coJoin us on Facebook - http://facebook.com/offfieldpodcastSend us an email - amontesi@pickstar.com.au

Just about every athlete and sporting club, from your average Sunday cyclist to the elite teams, is collecting performance data on some level.But how do you make sense of it all? Particularly if you’re a sports scientist or coach with a team of athletes tracking training, game day and wellbeing data every day. It is overwhelming, even for some of the world’s leading teams, who are surprisingly still pouring through spreadsheets and Excel formulas across multiple platforms to find their insights.This is where Ben Tripodi and his company Lumin Sports Technology comes in. Lumin builds applications to visualise athlete performance and help coaches and sports scientists make fast and accurate decisions to unlock team potential.The Lumin journey is an unlikely and remarkable startup story. Just 18 months ago, leaders from global IT giant Dimension Data encouraged Ben to start his own sports tech company out of Adelaide, at the age of 24, promising to back him in and sign on as his first client. They were true to their word, and would set the foundations for Lumin’s growth, which now counts Tour de France teams, global sporting bodies, US universities and AFL clubs as its clients.Ben talks about how it all started with a cold email to a cycling boss. We also discuss the challenges and opportunities in athlete data and why it is a huge and fast growing market. As well as his own personal development, as a young founder and former athlete, through the process.Find out more about Lumin Sports Technology here.PickStar is the best place to book sports stars and personalities for any event, campaign or engagement you can imagine.Choose from over 1300 stars past and present, PickStar works fast with ANY budget. Visit the PickStar website now - http://pickstar.com.auOff-Field focuses on the world of sport outside of the arena with the people who make it happen. Hosted by James Begley and Andrew Montesi.Find out more:Sign up to our mailing list and contact us here - http://off-field.coJoin us on Facebook - http://facebook.com/offfieldpodcastSend us an email - amontesi@pickstar.com.au

We continue our interview series from the 2019 Mumbrella Sports Marketing Summit, with Georgie Maynard from True North Research.At the time of recording, True North had just released the Benchmark EC Report, with game changing insights into the emotional connection of sports fans to Australia’s teams, leagues and sponsors.True North measured people’s connections to over 100 teams including 15 national sides, 12 leagues and each of these properties’ sponsors.This study is incredibly important because the emotional connection of fans to sport has a direct commercial impact on teams, leagues and sponsors, influencing everything from membership sales through to major sponsorships.We sat down with Georgie just after her keynote at the event, talking about how True North approached the study as well as the results - including the winners and losers - and you may find the results quite surprising. As well as many other learnings and insights.You can also access the report here.PickStar is the best place to book sports stars and personalities for any event, campaign or engagement you can imagine.Choose from over 1300 stars past and present, PickStar works fast with ANY budget. Visit the PickStar website now - http://pickstar.com.auOff-Field focuses on the world of sport outside of the arena with the people who make it happen. Hosted by James Begley and Andrew Montesi.Find out more:Sign up to our mailing list and contact us here - http://off-field.coJoin us on Facebook - http://facebook.com/offfieldpodcastSend us an email - amontesi@pickstar.com.au

This time last year, we shared a panel event interview featuring Jaimie Fuller, the Chairman of pioneering compression sportswear company Skins, who talked about his activism and issues around trust in sport.This time when we sat down with Jaimie, the circumstances were very different. Skins filed for bankruptcy at the start of the year, after years of Jaimie and his team trying to pull the business out of the red.It was a sad end for one of the most courageous sports brands, and while it was a surprise to some, it wasn’t to Jaimie, who said it all came about because he did a lousy deal with bankers just before the Global Financial Crisis.Jaimie opens up completely on what went wrong, the mistakes and the learnings. We also talk about whether it is possible for brands to have true social impact and commercial success, the issues in sport he’s most passionate about and what’s next for Jaimie - it is highly unlikely we’ve seen the last of him. It’s a super engaging and fascinating chat.The interview was recorded following Jaimie's keynote presentation at Mumbrella Sports Marketing Summit 2019.PickStar is the best place to book sports stars and personalities for any event, campaign or engagement you can imagine.Choose from over 1300 stars past and present, PickStar works fast with ANY budget. Visit the PickStar website now - http://pickstar.com.auOff-Field focuses on the world of sport outside of the arena with the people who make it happen. Hosted by James Begley and Andrew Montesi.Find out more:Sign up to our mailing list and contact us here - http://off-field.coJoin us on Facebook - http://facebook.com/offfieldpodcastSend us an email - amontesi@pickstar.com.au

Off-Field hosts James Begley and Andrew Montesi talk about the journey of their sports startup, PickStar.James co-founded Pickstar with AFL legend Matthew Pavlich, and it is now Australia's largest marketplace to book sports stars for any event, marketing campaign or fan experience.James talks about how the business began as an idea on the back of a napkin as well as the challenge of raising investment, building game changing technology to facilitate the talent booking process, growing the business and the many highs and lows along the way.James and Andrew also talk about the evolution of the sports talent market, both in Australia and overseas, and how athletes are looking for proactive ways to create more commercial opportunities.PickStar is the best place to book sports stars and personalities for any event, campaign or engagement you can imagine.Choose from over 1300 stars past and present, PickStar works fast with ANY budget. Visit the PickStar website now - http://pickstar.com.auOff-Field focuses on the world of sport outside of the arena with the people who make it happen. Hosted by James Begley and Andrew Montesi.Find out more:Sign up to our mailing list and contact us here - http://off-field.coJoin us on Facebook - http://facebook.com/offfieldpodcastSend us an email - amontesi@pickstar.com.au

We’ve got something a bit different for this episode - a discussion recorded live at Mumbrella360, Australia’s top media and marketing event, which was put together and moderated by PickStar’s Andrew Montesi.The topic was ‘sports stars and brands: the good, the bad and the ugly’, with an all star panel of athletes and marketers unpacking the issues - swimming champion James Magnussen, AFLW and W-League athlete Ellie Brush, Dan Bitti from Kellogg’s and Pete Wilson from Iris Worldwide.The engaging discussion covered building athlete brands, corporate partnerships, talent costs, risks for both brands and athletes and plenty of examples and insights on the good, bad and ugly aspects from the world of sports stars and brands.James had also announced his retirement from swimming the day before our event, which made the conversation even more topical and interesting.Request to book James Magnussen and Ellie Brush on PickStar.PickStar is the best place to book sports stars and personalities for any event, campaign or engagement you can imagine.Choose from over 1300 stars past and present, PickStar works fast with ANY budget. Visit the PickStar website now - http://pickstar.com.auOff-Field focuses on the world of sport outside of the arena with the people who make it happen. Hosted by James Begley and Andrew Montesi.Find out more:Sign up to our mailing list and contact us here - http://off-field.coJoin us on Facebook - http://facebook.com/offfieldpodcastSend us an email - amontesi@pickstar.com.au

The role of the sports talent agent is widely misunderstood. A lot of people will think of Jerry Maguire, or flashy dealmakers driving big money club and brand contracts. Or, to the frustration of our guest, troublemakers who fuel the headlines and movement in the player market.Marty Pask, owner of i50 Management, gives us a fascinating insight into what the world of an athlete agent is really like. And for Marty, who works predominantly with AFL talent including Essendon captain Dyson Heppell, it starts with empathy. As a former AFL footballer who only played a few games at the highest level, he understands the rollercoaster from draft day through to being cut, and everything in between. Marty says it is about joining his athletes on the journey, which starts from that first cup of tea with an 18 year old athlete and his parents.The role of the sports talent agent has changed drastically in the last five years or so. The ruthless nature of social media and a fast paced news cycle is a talent agent’s nightmare.And while social media can make or break a brand in a moment, it has also turned the commercial market on its head. Marty says it wasn’t long ago when it was all about TV exposure and getting as many eyeballs on the talent and brand as possible - now it is about influencer marketing and the athlete’s engaging social channels. We also talk about the key elements of the sports talent market and where it is heading, identifying talent and building player brands, the circus of the AFL trade period and much more. PickStar is the best place to book sports stars and personalities for any event, campaign or engagement you can imagine.Choose from over 1300 stars past and present, PickStar works fast with ANY budget. Visit the PickStar website now - http://pickstar.com.auOff-Field focuses on the world of sport outside of the arena with the people who make it happen. Hosted by James Begley and Andrew Montesi.Find out more:Sign up to our mailing list and contact us here - http://off-field.coJoin us on Facebook - http://facebook.com/offfieldpodcastSend us an email - amontesi@pickstar.com.au

Joel Thompson has played over 200 NRL games, which is a great achievement for any athlete. But for Joel, it really is a miracle.Joel tells us he grew up with not much more than survival on his mind, every day. Living in the chaos of violence, drugs and crime, and struggles with his own identity, he was on a downward spiral. The deeply personal stories he shares are confronting.But his grandma pulled him out and put him in boarding school, breaking the cycle and exposing Joel to discipline, values and rugby league.And while his career accelerated to the NRL, Joel’s battles weren’t over yet. He was confronted with mental health challenges to the point of considering suicide. Joel was saved by his wife, who forced him to get help.Now Joel is using his story and influence to break stigma and drive change through the Mindset Project, his organisation that is helping thousands of people build resilience through workshops and training.Joel talks with remarkable openness about his story, how he broke through and continuing struggles with his family, as well as the healing process, managing his mental health and broader views on athletes as role models and the NRL brand.Book Joel Thompson for guest speaking, marketing or other opportunities on PickStar.PickStar is the best place to book sports stars and personalities for any event, campaign or engagement you can imagine.Choose from over 1300 stars past and present, PickStar works fast with ANY budget. Visit the PickStar website now - http://pickstar.com.auOff-Field focuses on the world of sport outside of the arena with the people who make it happen. Hosted by James Begley and Andrew Montesi.Find out more:Sign up to our mailing list and contact us here - http://off-field.coJoin us on Facebook - http://facebook.com/offfieldpodcastSend us an email - amontesi@pickstar.com.au

Since the launch of AFLW we’ve been seeing many dual sport athletes, as female stars switch between codes. But what about a career that crosses THREE professional sports? Our guest Chloe Dalton played with the Sydney Flames in the WNBL, won an Olympic gold medal with the Australian Rugby 7s in 2016 and just finished her first year with Carlton in the AFL women’s league in 2019. Quite incredible. Chloe talks about the reasons why she transitioned between three sports, and how she did it - what skills transferred, what she had to learn, and what challenges she had to overcome - physically and psychologically. There’s a lot of great insights here for anyone about personal development, adaptability, working with different team dynamics, cultures and personalities. We cover a lot of ground in this chat … also talking about that gold medal moment, whether a switch back to Rugby 7s is on the cards and juggling all of this while building a physiotherapy career.Book Chloe Dalton for guest speaking, marketing or other opportunities on PickStar.PickStar is the best place to book sports stars and personalities for any event, campaign or engagement you can imagine.Choose from over 1300 stars past and present, PickStar works fast with ANY budget. Visit the PickStar website now - http://pickstar.com.auOff-Field focuses on the world of sport outside of the arena with the people who make it happen. Hosted by James Begley and Andrew Montesi.Find out more:Sign up to our mailing list and contact us here - http://off-field.coJoin us on Facebook - http://facebook.com/offfieldpodcastSend us an email - amontesi@pickstar.com.au

Action sports super star Caroline Buchanan has had a wildly successful career on the bike but has achieved just as much off it.Caroline has eight world championships to her name - three in BMX and five in mountain biking. And while dominating two different sports on the global stage, she’s developed into one of the savviest athlete marketers around, creating social media content and building a personal brand that fans and businesses love.Caroline is also passionate about empowering the next generation, launching a scholarship and mentoring program for women in BMX as well as authoring inspiring kids books.But with the highs, have been extraordinary lows. In 2003, when Caroline was just 13, she lost her family home in the Canberra bush fires and was left with not much more than her bikes. There have been countless serious injuries, including most recently a vehicle accident that almost killed her. Even now, 18 months later, Caroline is still rebuilding her body.But what remains is extraordinary resilience, and more motivation than ever to achieve her goals.Caroline shares her story and what she’s learned from the good and bad times, pioneering a multi-sport career, mentoring from surfing champion Layne Beachley, brand deals, high performance habits and much more.Book Caroline Buchanan for guest speaking, marketing or other opportunities on PickStar.PickStar is the best place to book sports stars and personalities for any event, campaign or engagement you can imagine.Choose from over 1300 stars past and present, PickStar works fast with ANY budget. Visit the PickStar website now - http://pickstar.com.auOff-Field focuses on the world of sport outside of the arena with the people who make it happen. Hosted by James Begley and Andrew Montesi.Find out more:Sign up to our mailing list and contact us here - http://off-field.coJoin us on Facebook - http://facebook.com/offfieldpodcastSend us an email - amontesi@pickstar.com.au

Genevieve Gregson (better known by her maiden name, LaCaze) has become somewhat a poster girl for Australian athletics - a dual Olympic runner specialising in the 3000 metre steeplechase event, with an Australian record to her name, combined with a marketable style and humble, Aussie attitude.Gen has found her way into the headlines for exploits on and off the track. She burst onto the scene in 2012 when she surprisingly qualified for the Australian Olympic team, only it was a day late. When Athletics Australia tried to hold their line on the qualifying rules, within hours Gen was trending on Twitter and making international news. Only then did the Australian Olympic Committee get involved and open the door for her inclusion in the team.Then two years later, Gen jumped on stage at the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony dancing with Kylie Minogue ... in front of a global audience. She tells us the hilarious back story.But behind the fun and games is an athlete with enormous commitment to her craft. Gen says the drive has been there since she was a kid - dedication to diet, sacrificing everything to get better and chase her athletic dreams.And she’s had more than her fair share of injury setbacks to overcome. Gen says she found that resilience at the beginning of her career, when she struggled to cope with a US college scholarship and tried to quit running.It was that period in her life, and the lessons learned, that would set the foundations for her professional career.We talk about all of these stories and lessons learned, as well as the humourous dynamic between Gen and her husband, fellow Olympic runner Ryan Gregson, working with Nike and her approach to marketing and social media, and much more.Book Genevieve Gregson for guest speaking, marketing or other opportunities on PickStar.PickStar is the best place to book sports stars and personalities for any event, campaign or engagement you can imagine.Choose from over 1300 stars past and present, PickStar works fast with ANY budget. Visit the PickStar website now - http://pickstar.com.auOff-Field focuses on the world of sport outside of the arena with the people who make it happen. Hosted by James Begley and Andrew Montesi.Find out more:Sign up to our mailing list and contact us here - http://off-field.coJoin us on Facebook - http://facebook.com/offfieldpodcastSend us an email - amontesi@pickstar.com.au

Sam Bramham OAM, a two-time paralympic gold medallist, author, reality TV star and one of Australia’s cheekiest sporting personalities.Sam, who had his leg amputated at five years old, has found the limelight for much more than just his sporting successes.He made international headlines for lying to an American journalist that his leg was mauled off by a kangaroo.He was also briefly detained by police in 2009 for faking a shark attack, with the help of McDonalds tomato sauce, which resulted in a full beach evacuation.Sam was a much loved contestant on Big Brother, and recently competed on popular tv show Ninja Warrior … among a number of media roles the he has held. He has also been a motivational speaker since the age of 14.We had a hilarious and insightful chat with Sam, who shared his story and rise to fame, his unique way of dealing with disability stigma and the many amazing, challenging and sometimes awkward moments along the way.Book Sam Bramham on PickStar.PickStar is the best place to book sports stars and personalities for any event, campaign or engagement you can imagine.Choose from over 1300 stars past and present, PickStar works fast with ANY budget. Visit the PickStar website now - http://pickstar.com.auOff-Field focuses on the world of sport outside of the arena with the people who make it happen. Hosted by James Begley and Andrew Montesi.Find out more:Sign up to our mailing list and contact us here - http://off-field.coJoin us on Facebook - http://facebook.com/offfieldpodcastSend us an email - amontesi@pickstar.com.au

We bring you a live panel discussion from the Mumbrella Sports Marketing Summit 2018 that tackled the big issues around trust in sport.The panel chat was in follow up to a keynote from Skins Executive Chairman Jaimie Fuller, who has been on a remarkable public crusade, taking on the biggest sporting organisations and brands on issues of corruption, governance and human rights.Jaimie joined Andrew Montesi from PickStar (and Off-Field podcast host) and Virginia Hyland from Hyland Communications Group to discuss the ethical issues around sport, sporting culture, whether fans care about bad behaviour and how the industry needs to change to foster trust.PickStar is the best place to book sports stars and personalities for any event, campaign or engagement you can imagine.Choose from over 850 stars past and present, PickStar works fast with ANY budget. Visit the PickStar website now - http://pickstar.com.auOff-Field focuses on the world of sport outside of the arena with the people who make it happen. Hosted by James Begley and Andrew Montesi.Find out more:Sign up to our mailing list and contact us here - http://off-field.coJoin us on Facebook - http://facebook.com/offfieldpodcastSend us an email - amontesi@pickstar.com.au

Eileen Bell was Australia’s first professional female gamer in Australia before becoming an eSports consultant and senior manager of innovation at BT Financial.Eileen has been one of the pioneers of eSports in Australia, an industry now reportedly worth around a billion dollars globally, with hundreds of millions of fans, and capturing the undivided attention of the lucrative 18 to 34 year old demographic.And yet, despite the staggering numbers and waves of momentum for eSports, there’s still plenty of cynics who aren’t taking eSports seriously.In our interview side of stage at Mumbrella Sports Marketing Summit, Eileen addresses the challenges and talks about where eSports is at, its evolution, stereotypes and gender. She also talks about where esports is heading, in Australia and globally.You can book Eileen Bell through PickStar, the best place to book sports stars and personalities for any event, campaign or engagement you can imagine.Choose from over 800 stars past and present, PickStar works fast with ANY budget. Visit the PickStar website now - http://pickstar.com.auOff-Field focuses on the world of sport outside of the arena with the people who make it happen. Hosted by James Begley and Andrew Montesi.Find out more:Sign up to our mailing list and contact us here - http://off-field.coJoin us on Facebook - http://facebook.com/offfieldpodcastSend us an email - amontesi@pickstar.com.au

Through our company PickStar, we again joined Mumbrella’s Sports Marketing Summit for another year, sharing our insights on stage while also picking up a number of podcast interviews and discussions with some of Australia’s most influential people in the business of sport.Our first interview from the event is with Nikki Dryden, a former Olympian, journalist and now an immigration and human rights lawyer with PwC.As a Canadian Olympian, Nikki bought into the story of the Olympic Dream. Now, she sees the Olympics and sport much differently. She doesn’t hold anything back in her criticisms of sporting bodies and brands who are implicated in corruption, bad governance and human rights issues.We covered these topics, as well as many other complexities relating to trust in sport, from the perspectives of administrators, sponsors, elite athletes and fans.You can book Nikki Dryden through PickStar, the best place to book sports stars and personalities for any event, campaign or engagement you can imagine.Choose from over 800 stars past and present, PickStar works fast with ANY budget. Visit the PickStar website now - http://pickstar.com.auOff-Field focuses on the world of sport outside of the arena with the people who make it happen. Hosted by James Begley and Andrew Montesi.Find out more:Sign up to our mailing list and contact us here - http://off-field.coJoin us on Facebook - http://facebook.com/offfieldpodcastSend us an email - amontesi@pickstar.com.au

Our guest Mick Colliss always dreamed of playing for Australia. He competed in everything from rugby union to lawn balls, but in his own words, he wasn't good enough at any of the sports he tried.Then, when all hope seemed lost, he discovered Sudoku, the puzzle game that appears in pretty much every newspaper, every day, all over the world.He wasn't any good at that either. In fact, he'd never even played Sudoku before. But .. somehow .. Mick and three mates formed an Australian Sudoku team, and travelled to India to represent his country at the World Sudoku Championships.It’s an amazing story, one that Mick now tells as a highly sought-after keynote speaker. He pinches himself when speaking at events alongside his sporting heroes like John Eales, Alissa Camplin and Steve Bradbury.And while he’s not a star athlete or gold medallist, there are many lessons that can be learned from Mick’s story.You can book Mick Colliss through PickStar, the best place to book sports stars and personalities for any event, campaign or engagement you can imagine. Choose from over 700 stars past and present, PickStar works fast with ANY budget. Visit the PickStar website now - http://pickstar.com.auOff-Field focuses on the world of sport outside of the arena with the people who make it happen. Hosted by James Begley and Andrew Montesi.Find out more:Sign up to our mailing list and contact us here - http://off-field.coJoin us on Facebook - http://facebook.com/offfieldpodcastSend us an email - amontesi@pickstar.com.au

As a high performing CEO, Nate Godfrey is on another level.Not only has he been a sports business leader across AFL, soccer and now rugby, he has also run marathons on all seven continents in the world, including most recently Antarctica. Nate always wanted to work in sport, and got his first break at the professional level as a Commercial Executive with the Adelaide Crows. He then returned to New Zealand, where he was born and raised, to head up commercial for Wellington Phoenix in the A-League. The progression continued when he won the top job at Canterbury Rugby Football Union, where he is now driving strategy in what is a tough time for the sport. Nate talks about how he’s approaching the challenge, what he’s learned about sports business across the three codes, how his obsession with long distance running helps him in business, as well as many other insights about leadership and the commercial world of sport.Our Off-Field podcast is produced by PickStar, the best place to book sports stars for any event, campaign or engagement you can imagine. Choose from over 700 stars past and present, PickStar works fast with ANY budget. Visit the PickStar website now - http://pickstar.com.auOff-Field focuses on the world of sport outside of the arena with the people who make it happen. Hosted by James Begley and Andrew Montesi.Find out more:Sign up to our mailing list and contact us here - http://off-field.coJoin us on Facebook - http://facebook.com/offfieldpodcastSend us an email - amontesi@pickstar.com.au

Georgie Parker represented Australia in over 100 games with the Hockeyroos, winning a Commonwealth Games gold medal, competed at the 2016 Rio Olympics and played hockey all over the world, before making the transition to AFLW where she debuted with Collingwood in early 2018.Georgie tells us how she went about learning a completely new sport in a matter of months, including both the physical and psychological challenges.She also talks about the mixed feelings of coming from the under-resourced world of women's hockey, to the sharp rising women’s footy league, which is attracting the big brand dollars and top talent.Pursing the sporting dream comes at a cost off the field, which Georgie talks about, along with mentors and learnings on the journey and much more.Want to book Georgie Parker or another sports star for an event or other opportunity?Our Off-Field podcast is produced by PickStar, the best place to book sports stars for any event, campaign or engagement you can imagine. Choose from over 700 stars past and present, PickStar works fast with ANY budget. Visit the PickStar website now - http://pickstar.com.auOff-Field focuses on the world of sport outside of the arena with the people who make it happen. Hosted by James Begley and Andrew Montesi.Find out more:Sign up to our mailing list and contact us here - http://off-field.coJoin us on Facebook - http://facebook.com/offfieldpodcastSend us an email - amontesi@pickstar.com.au

Ben Darwin won two Bledisloe Cups with the Wallabies before an horrific neck injury that could have been fatal. He was lucky to recover but it did end his career.Ben talks about the personal impact - a bumpy career transition, a relationship breakdown and ultimately a diagnoses of depression and ADHD.Ben’s rebuild began with coaching, then, when pouring through player transfer data he noticed trends linked to team performance - the teams with a high turnover of athletes, even if they were bringing in stars, weren’t achieving the same success of cohesive teams.These findings would lead to the establishment of Gain Line, Ben’s company that focuses on the unique field of cohesion analytics. Ben has discovered a formula for team success that is now sought after by the world’s leading teams to improve performance, including the English Premier League, NBA, Twenty20 cricket, NRL and AFL.Ben talks about what he has learned about the secret sauce of the most successful teams, whether skill and culture are overrated, tough conversations with coaches, the most cohesive and least cohesive leagues and teams in the world and which teams he predicts will have success this season based on Gain Line’s metrics.Find out more about Gain Line here - http://www.gainline.biz/Want to book Ben Darwin for an event or other opportunity?Our Off-Field podcast is produced by PickStar, the best place to book sports stars for any event, campaign or engagement you can imagine. Choose from over 700 stars past and present, PickStar works fast with ANY budget. Visit the PickStar website now - http://pickstar.com.auOff-Field focuses on the world of sport outside of the arena with the people who make it happen. Hosted by James Begley and Andrew Montesi.Find out more:Sign up to our mailing list and contact us here - http://off-field.coJoin us on Facebook - http://facebook.com/offfieldpodcastSend us an email - amontesi@pickstar.com.au

Jason ‘Dizzy' Gillespie was one of the world’s great fast bowlers during the mid 2000s when Australia was dominating international cricket. He took 259 test match wickets, and who could forget the double century he made against Bangladesh in 2006. If not for injuries, his record could’ve been even better.He’s now a highly respected cricket coach, and led the Adelaide Strikers to victory in the 2018 Big Bash League.In recent years, he’s become a vegan. He explains the ethical and health reasons, but reveals the motivation behind the lifestyle change - the sudden and tragic loss of his father, Neil, who suffered a heart attack while helping Jason move house.Attempts to revive his Dad were unsuccessful, and the aftermath led Jason to reflect on all aspects of his own life.Jason also talks about other defining moments, including the grade cricket banter that ended up inspiring his path to Test cricket, his partnership with champion Glenn McGrath, overcoming adversity, coaching insights, family life, his indigenous heritage and much more.Want to book Jason Gillespie for an event or other opportunity?Our Off-Field podcast is produced by PickStar, the best place to book sports stars for any event, campaign or engagement you can imagine. Choose from over 700 stars past and present, PickStar works fast with ANY budget. Visit the PickStar website now.Off-Field focuses on the world of sport outside of the arena with the people who make it happen. Hosted by James Begley and Andrew Montesi.Find out more:Sign up to our mailing list and contact us here.Join our sports marketing and business group on LinkedIn.Join us on Facebook.Send us an email.

Former Wallabies star Jeremy Paul was has gained notoriety for his on-field exploits, late night antics and strong views on the future of Rugby Union.Fans of the sport will likely know that Jeremy isn’t one to hold back, and he certainly doesn’t in this interview.On the field, Jeremy was a John Eales Medallist and Rugby World Cup winner with the Wallabies in 1999.Off the field, by his own admission, he was a coach’s nightmare. He loved nothing more than getting on the beers with the boys and staying out late, and shares many of these hilarious and controversial stories.Jeremy has no regrets. He says this was more just than getting up to mischief, it was about maintaining balance and building the mateship required of highly successful teams.Jeremy played in an era when the Wallabies were a big sporting brand and rugby union was a top tier sport. Now it’s anything but, and Jeremy delivers a brutal assessment on the state of the game.He also shares his personal story, which began with a tough upbringing in New Zealand … and a stint working in an abattoir with his Dad, which would influence his future.Want to book Jeremy Paul for an event or other opportunity?Our Off-Field podcast is produced by PickStar, the best place to book sports stars for any event, campaign or engagement you can imagine. Choose from over 700 stars past and present, PickStar works fast with ANY budget. Visit the PickStar website now.Off-Field focuses on the world of sport outside of the arena with the people who make it happen. Hosted by James Begley and Andrew Montesi.Find out more:Sign up to our mailing list and contact us here.Join our sports marketing and business group on LinkedIn.Join us on Facebook.Send us an email.

Tiffany Cherry is a sports broadcasting pioneer who paved the way for Australian female media presenters in the world of sport.Tiff has had a remarkable career, firstly as a professional athlete and a physiotherapist with Richmond in the AFL, before kicking off an enviable broadcasting career covering the NFL SuperBowl, the Olympics, NBA Finals, Wimbledon and more, as well as becoming a household name in AFL media.Bear in mind, this was a time when there were few female sports broadcasters. Getting a sports media gig, and earning respect, required a huge amount of ambition and resilience.But, when breaking new ground there are significant challenges, including sexism, relationships and mental health.Tiff also talks about her unique pathway to becoming a single mum, and having to re-start her career pretty much from scratch, despite her experience and accomplishments.She also shares strong views on the evolution of women in sport and why there’s still a long way to go.Want to book Tiffany Cherry for an event or other opportunity?Our Off-Field podcast is produced by PickStar, the best place to book sports stars for any event, campaign or engagement you can imagine. Choose from over 700 stars past and present, PickStar works fast with ANY budget. Visit the PickStar website now.Off-Field focuses on the world of sport outside of the arena with the people who make it happen. Hosted by James Begley and Andrew Montesi.Find out more:Sign up to our mailing list and contact us here.Join our sports marketing and business group on LinkedIn.Join us on Facebook.Send us an email.

Mike Turtur is one of the most influential men in Australian cycling and universally respected by the most powerful people in the sport, particularly the world's top riders. He says this respect helped him avoid failure in the early years of his race, the Tour Down Under. Mike has been Race Director of the Tour since its inception in 1999 and now, ahead of the 20th edition, It's the biggest cycling event outside of Europe. Mike reflects on the Tour's humble beginnings, early success and challenges, and the superstar riders, including Lance Armstrong. Following revelations of doping, Mike admits he was wrong about Lance but has no regrets about the deal to bring him to South Australia - and gives a big whack to the critics. He says it put the Tour on the map and brought in a staggering economic return. Mike talks about what it takes to pull off such a huge event, balancing sport, tourism and commercial KPIs, and the biggest threats to the race. He also shares hilarious stories about the divas of world cycling, a night on the wines with legend Eddy Merckx and much more, including memories from his years as an Australian track cyclist, where he won both Olympic and Commonwealth Games gold medals. Tour Down Under - http://tourdownunder.com.au Want to book Mike Turtur or another cycling legend for an event or other opportunity?Our Off-Field podcast is produced by PickStar, the best place to book sports stars for any event, campaign or engagement you can imagine. Choose from over 700 sports stars past and present, PickStar works fast with ANY budget. Visit the PickStar website now - http://pickstar.com.auOff-Field focuses on the world of sport outside of the arena with the people who make it happen. Hosted by James Begley and Andrew Montesi.Find out more:Sign up to our mailing list and contact us here - http://off-field.coJoin us on Facebook - http://facebook.com/offfieldpodcastSend us an email - amontesi@pickstar.com.au

Tim Dansie is a leading psychologist who works with some of Australia's top athletes and teams in cricket, AFL, basketball, soccer, Olympic sports and more. In a wide ranging and engaging discussion, Tim talks about the unique psychological challenges that athletes face across a variety of sports including self-belief, anxiety, stress, homesickness and more, and how to overcome the mental hurdles. We chat about the evolution of psychology in sport, and mental health concerns for elite athletes. Tim fears that the pressure of performance, media and social media could take a tragic toll on our sports stars. Tim also shares practical tips for anyone to improve their performance, whether they're an amateur athlete or wanting to get better results at work. Connect with Tim here https://tdpsych.com or via http://pickstar.com.au Want to Tim Dansie as a guest speaker?Our Off-Field podcast is produced by PickStar, the best place to book sports stars, experts and personalities for any event, campaign or engagement you can imagine. Choose from over 700 sports stars past and present, PickStar works fast with ANY budget. Visit the PickStar website now - http://pickstar.com.auOff-Field focuses on the world of sport outside of the arena with the people who make it happen. Hosted by James Begley and Andrew Montesi.Find out more:Sign up to our mailing list and contact us here - http://off-field.coJoin us on Facebook - http://facebook.com/offfieldpodcastSend us an email - amontesi@pickstar.com.au

The name 'Charlie Walsh' sends a shiver down the spine of Australia's top cyclists of the last few decades. David Barry Vivian 'Charlie' Walsh OAM has been the toughest and one of the most successful coaches in the history of Australian elite sport. He was the national Track Cycling Coach for Cycling Australia for 20 years. During that time he coached cyclists to 10 world records, 12 Olympic Games records and 22 Commonwealth Games records. His cyclists have won 78 Gold, 50 silver and 51 bronze medals, breaking 44 world records along the way. Among the famous names in cycling who worked under Charlie are Brett Aitken, Darryn Hill, Shane Kelly, Brad McGee, Gary Neiwand, Stuart O'Grady, Luke Roberts, Mike Rodgers, Mike Turtur, Dean Woods. Charlie was National Coach of the Year for all sports in 1982, 1984, 1993 and 1994 among many other awards. He achieved all of this as one of sport's most polarising coaches. Charlie wanted success, not popularity. He was one of the early adopters of high performance psychology, teaching his athletes to push themselves beyond all physical and mental limits. He did this through famously brutal training regimes, where the only metric was SURVIVAL. By his own admission, many extremely talented athletes didn't make it. A lot of people didn't like it. But the results spoke for themselves. Charlie shares many amazing stories from his time in cycling including those ferocious training programs, key principles for training the mind and body, reflections on the doping era of cycling, as well as his time working with AFL footballers at the Adelaide Crows. Want to book Charlie Walsh or another cycling legend for an event or other opportunity?Our Off-Field podcast is produced by PickStar, the best place to book sports stars for any event, campaign or engagement you can imagine. Choose from over 700 sports stars past and present, PickStar works fast with ANY budget. Visit the PickStar website now - http://pickstar.com.auOff-Field focuses on the world of sport outside of the arena with the people who make it happen. Hosted by James Begley and Andrew Montesi.Find out more:Sign up to our mailing list and contact us here - http://off-field.coJoin us on Facebook - http://facebook.com/offfieldpodcastSend us an email - amontesi@pickstar.com.au

No Australian has had greater success at the Paralympics than Matt Cowdrey. He won 23 medals throughout his Paralympic career including 13 gold, remarkably from just three Games. He also has a long list of world records to his name. Born with a congenital amputation at his lower left arm, Matt never saw any limitations. He played multiple sports and took up swimming in his backyard pool. That evolved into daily 4am training sessions, before making his Paralympic debut in 2004 as the youngest competitor at just 15 years old. Despite living with a disability, Matt was never out to prove anyone wrong. He simply wanted swim fast, win and inspire others. Hard work, dedication and commitment, values passed on by his parents, carry far beyond the pool and into his next career - politics. Preselected by the South Australian Liberal Party ahead of the state election in March 2018, Matt is using his wealth of experience, knowledge and influence to continue making a difference. We talk about Matt's career transition along with his Paralympic story, his pathway, values and much more. For more information about Matt and his campaign visit http://www.mattcowdrey.com.au/ Want to book Matt Cowdrey for an event or other opportunity?Our Off-Field podcast is produced by PickStar, the best place to book sports stars for any event, campaign or engagement you can imagine. Choose from over 700 sports stars past and present, PickStar works fast with ANY budget. Visit the PickStar website now - http://pickstar.com.auOff-Field focuses on the world of sport outside of the arena with the people who make it happen. Hosted by James Begley and Andrew Montesi.Find out more:Sign up to our mailing list and contact us here - http://off-field.coJoin us on Facebook - http://facebook.com/offfieldpodcastSend us an email - amontesi@pickstar.com.au

Not many AFL footballers would've been learning about the nuances of search engine optimisation and online marketing as this field was exploding in the mid 2000s. But this is exactly what Chris Knights was doing, when he founded Zib Media seven years ago while still building his AFL career. The former Adelaide Crows and Richmond Tigers midfielder has grown his company to 40 staff across three offices. He says footy was never all consuming. Chris was motivated by the high performance and goal driven environment, more than the game itself. Business also gave Chris perspective, particularly when dealing with the long list of injuries that would eventually bring a premature end to his time in the AFL. And when he hung up the boots, owning a business gave Chris the purpose and a passion to ensure a smooth transition out of professional sport, which a lot of other sports stars struggle with. Chris is now doing his bit to help other elite athletes find their way in the real world. He is engaging and articulate, sharing his story, insights from sport and business, how he pursues excellence in all areas of his life, and much more. Zib Media: http://www.zibmedia.com.au Want to book Chris Knights for an event or other opportunity?Our Off-Field podcast is produced by PickStar, the best place to book sports stars for any event, campaign or engagement you can imagine. Choose from over 700 sports stars past and present, PickStar works fast with ANY budget. Visit the PickStar website now - http://pickstar.com.auOff-Field focuses on the world of sport outside of the arena with the people who make it happen. Hosted by James Begley and Andrew Montesi.Find out more:Sign up to our mailing list and contact us here - http://off-field.coJoin us on Facebook - http://facebook.com/offfieldpodcastSend us an email - amontesi@pickstar.com.au

Leigh Russell was a pioneer in the field of people and culture within Australian elite sport. She was the first person to take on such a role in the AFL, as General Manager of People and Culture at Essendon in 2006. While it was a ground breaking position, some of her new thinking around psychology and high performance was not embraced by everyone, including coach and club legend Kevin Sheedy. Leigh later took on the role of CEO at Netball Victoria, which again tested her philosophies and leadership style. Leigh talks about breaking down barriers throughout her career in elite sport, and the lessons learned which she now applies as a high performance coach, presenter, author and adviser. The challenges extend to home life. Leigh's husband, Andrew, is one of Australia's top strength and conditioning specialists and currently works with Hawthorn in the AFL. As a high performing couple, managing life goals, kids AND career progression is a major juggle. Connect with Leigh: http://www.leighrussell.com.auWant to book Leigh Russell for an event or other opportunity?Our Off-Field podcast is produced by PickStar, the best place to book sports stars for any event, campaign or engagement you can imagine. Choose from over 700 sports stars past and present, PickStar works fast with ANY budget. Visit the PickStar website now - http://pickstar.com.auOff-Field focuses on the world of sport outside of the arena with the people who make it happen. Hosted by James Begley and Andrew Montesi.Find out more:Sign up to our mailing list and contact us here - http://off-field.coJoin us on Facebook - http://facebook.com/offfieldpodcastSend us an email - amontesi@pickstar.com.au

Rod Butterss is the former high flying businessman and AFL club President who's life spiralled out of control through alcoholism and substance abuse. Rod started and sold three companies, for a total of around $240 million, and he enjoyed the spoils of success in a cycle of boozy lunches, gambling and partying. Despite being filthy rich, Rod says he was emotionally bankrupt. Becoming President of the St Kilda Football Club kept him on the rails (just) but it wasn't long before his high functioning, alcoholic lifestyle came unstuck. The costs were enormous. On the road to rock bottom, Rod lost his wealth, and some of his most important relationships. It was a chance meeting with other recovering addicts that helped turn his life around. Now sober, Rod has nothing to hide. He talks candidly about his journey, warts and all .. along with his re-building process, and what he has learned about addiction, identity and purpose. Connect with Rod Butterss: http://amadeusgroup.com.au/Want to book Rod Butterss for an event or other opportunity?Our Off-Field podcast is produced by PickStar, the best place to book sports stars for any event, campaign or engagement you can imagine. Choose from over 700 sports stars past and present, PickStar works fast with ANY budget. Visit the PickStar website now - http://pickstar.com.auOff-Field focuses on the world of sport outside of the arena with the people who make it happen. Hosted by James Begley and Andrew Montesi.Find out more:Sign up to our mailing list and contact us here - http://off-field.coJoin us on Facebook - http://facebook.com/offfieldpodcastSend us an email - amontesi@pickstar.com.au

Daisy Pearce is the face of women's football in Australia, an All-Australian captain in the inaugural 2017 season, and a true star on and off the field.She has been viewed as a pioneer for the league brand, but says she doesn't see her self that way.Footy has been part of Daisy's life as long as she can remember. Playing kids footy in country Victoria with the boys, not everyone embraced the only girl in the squad. Daisy's Dad fought to keep her in the team, as angry parents complained about "the girl taking a spot on the field away from their son".Daisy says this was among many difficult moments as she fought to find a place in footy. She had to "get comfortable with being uncomfortable." Learnings Daisy still draws on, even today, whether it's on the field or working in the media.And with footy, media and premium brand partnerships, Daisy's world is opening up, and yet she still craves balance. She recently returned to her career as a midwife, which has brought an enormous amount of perspective.Enjoy stories and insights from Daisy Pearce, with hosts AFL legend Matthew Pavlich and Andrew Montesi.Want to book Daisy Pearce for an event or other opportunity?Our Off-Field podcast is produced by PickStar, the best place to book sports stars for any event, campaign or engagement you can imagine. Choose from over 700 sports stars past and present, PickStar works fast with ANY budget. Visit the PickStar website now - http://pickstar.com.auOff-Field focuses on the world of sport outside of the arena with the people who make it happen. Hosted by James Begley and Andrew Montesi.Find out more:Sign up to our mailing list and contact us here - http://off-field.coJoin us on Facebook - http://facebook.com/offfieldpodcastSend us an email - amontesi@pickstar.com.au