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00:00Hello and welcome to Offsiders, I'm Abbey Jelmy.
00:25The Winter Olympics are underway and while there hasn't been any Australian medals overnight,
00:30snowboarder Valentino Guselli has won plenty of hearts in the Big Air competition.
00:35A late call up for the event, he made the final and this morning came 10th overall.
00:40I basically just wanted to do the best snowboarding I could and I think I did.
00:45I think I left it all out there and really tried my hardest and I couldn't have wanted to get it done anymore
00:53but it unfortunately just didn't happen for me.
00:56The biggest story of the Games so far though surrounds American downhill skier Lindsey Vonn.
01:02A week ago, on the cusp of her fifth Winter Games, the 41 year old had a horror crash and severely injured her knee.
01:10The torn ACL was initially expected to end her bid for a second downhill gold medal.
01:16Remarkably, she's strapped it up, completed two practice runs and will somehow race tonight.
01:23Last Friday, in Kramatana, in the last World Cup, I completely ruptured my ACL.
01:32I also have bone bruising plus meniscal damage.
01:37She gets compressed, thrown onto the tails of the...
01:39But we have been doing extensive therapy, been consulting with doctors, been in the gym and today I went skiing.
01:48And with the help of a knee brace, I am confident that I can compete.
01:55I know my chances aren't the same as it stands today but I know there's still a chance.
02:00And as long as there's a chance, I will try.
02:08It's truly unbelievable and it's moments like that why we just love a Games.
02:12Good morning, it's a pleasure to have your company.
02:14It's also a pleasure to have the company of our panel.
02:16I'm joined by Laura Spurway, Andrew Gaze and Alexia Pesce.
02:19Now, Laura, we all were just shaking our heads then physically
02:22because we hear about ACLs in a lot of Australian sports but not a turnaround in a week.
02:26Ridiculous. Absolute insanity.
02:28And to say, I'll just strap it up and then I'll just go downhill at more than a hundred kilometres an hour
02:33and I'll see how I go, it is remarkable.
02:36But for her it is about a last winter Olympics, I think.
02:39She's 41 years old.
02:40It is a comeback after she retired in 2019.
02:43She had the knee done then and thought, you know what?
02:45I'm good enough to give this another go.
02:46But it's a dangerous sport.
02:48It's still a high impact sport.
02:50We're not talking about something that carries a low risk.
02:53But for her to give it a go, it's no surprise this is the story of the Winter Olympics
02:58when you look at the feat that she's trying to undertake.
03:00Can she win the gold medal?
03:02I think it's going to be a bit of a bridge too far given what she's up against.
03:06But she's done the practice run.
03:07She's got through that.
03:08And she loves the pressure, obviously.
03:10She's embracing the moment.
03:12All eyes of the world are on her.
03:14And she's like, that's what I want.
03:15I'm taking my shot.
03:16If she does, then the movie just will be waiting to happen.
03:19Surely there will be a Netflix series before we know it.
03:21So as you mentioned, she has had her right knee has been a full replacement and reconstruction.
03:25Now done the ACL in the left.
03:27Says it's completely gone.
03:28Andrew, you've played with people that have gone through this sort of thing
03:31and just pursued somehow.
03:33Yeah, it's remarkable how with these things,
03:36and they only come around once every four years.
03:39So you'll take that extra effort to try and make sure you give yourself the opportunity to do it.
03:44But I remember playing with John Dorge at the Olympics.
03:47He had a similar type issue and they just wore this big brace to try and stabilise it.
03:53And perhaps the big fellas don't pivot and it is not as nimble as us little fellas.
03:57So maybe the stresses aren't quite as severe.
04:00But he used to use it because he also played with the magic and used to use it as a bit of an advantage
04:06trying to get some separation.
04:08Use it as a weapon.
04:09But no, it is a remarkable story.
04:11And the fact, like you mentioned, the fact that you take eight years away from it,
04:15the Hollywood scriptwriters are there because it's going to be a hell of a story if she's able to pull off a gold.
04:21And Lex, it is these stories we love, isn't it?
04:23And it's why games are so special.
04:25Well, it's her fifth.
04:26So I guess for her, she's done this before.
04:28Realistically, it might be her last.
04:30So to give it a last-ditch effort is only the fairytale that the story needs, right?
04:34Off she goes.
04:35But they don't go...
04:36I mean, these skis are going so fast down the slopes.
04:38It made my stomach turn watching that video.
04:40What happens if just one little thing goes wrong?
04:43You can't plan for that.
04:44So regardless, I think we watch...
04:46This is the exciting part of watching her now go down this run,
04:49as people who don't watch the Winter Olympics or winter sports often.
04:53I think eyes glued to the TV.
04:55We are a sunburnt country, let's be honest.
04:57So any time we have an Australian competing at the Winter Games,
05:00we feel like we're punching up.
05:01But we do and we have sent our strongest ever team to a Winter Games.
05:05And there's so many medals that we need to watch.
05:07But the ABC's Winter Olympics correspondent, Erin Massico-Vetterer,
05:11is in Italy and has been watching all the action.
05:14I spoke to her a short time ago and asked her
05:16about Valentino Guselli's remarkable effort just to make the final.
05:20Yeah, that's right, Abby.
05:23This was a final he was never expected to be in.
05:26He didn't qualify in this event for the Olympics,
05:29but he did get that wild card entry after the withdrawal of another athlete.
05:33So he made the most of his unexpected opportunity.
05:36Tonight in the final, he unfortunately didn't land two out of his three runs.
05:42So he was down in 10th place when all of the riders had finished their runs.
05:48But he was very happy to just get out there, brush off some of the nerves,
05:52and then get ready for the half pipe in a few days' time.
05:56And Lindsey Vonn's recovery from a torn ACL is one of the big stories of the Games.
06:00But we have our own star racing against the clock to overcome a knee injury
06:03in freestyle skier Laura Peel. What's the latest?
06:06Yeah, that's right. Well, Laura Peel is a former world champion
06:09and very highly favoured coming into these Games.
06:12This is her fourth Olympics. She's been here, she's done it all before,
06:16but she is injured at the moment.
06:18Now, we've had an update from the Australian team
06:21that her knee injury that she suffered a week ago in Switzerland is significant.
06:26We don't have any more details about just what that means,
06:30but we have found out that she has travelled to Lavigno, where I am now,
06:34and where the aerials will take place in around 10 days' time.
06:38So that is a good sign.
06:40She is still in the medical care of the Australian team.
06:43They're racing the clock and it will take a lot to stop Laura Peel
06:46getting out there on the slopes here in Lavigno.
06:50But unfortunately, it's just looking like it's on a knife's edge at the moment.
06:54Let's watch and wait on that one.
06:56But we did have some Aussies in action overnight.
06:58Can you give us an update?
07:00Well, Alex Filazzo, who is our sole representative in the Luge,
07:05he has been out on the Cortina sliding centre.
07:08He's had two runs already.
07:10This is his fourth Olympic Games as well.
07:13He is our most successful athlete in this sport.
07:16His best finish was the 16th four years ago in Beijing.
07:20He is hoping to better that this time.
07:23Now, he is sitting in 19th place at the moment.
07:26He'll be back out on the track tomorrow,
07:29so we'll hope he can improve some of those times.
07:31He's around two seconds off the pace at the moment.
07:34Thanks so much, Erin.
07:35Keep warm and we'll be chatting Aussie gold next Sunday, surely?
07:38Hopefully. That's the plan.
07:41It certainly is.
07:42Now, the opening ceremony had all the flair and the beauty you would expect from Italy.
07:47There was angels, the Mona Lisa, people dressed up as coffee makers, Andrea Bocelli,
07:51and Mariah Carey, just to round out the Italian theme.
07:54It was a beautiful ceremony, wasn't it?
07:56Look, lots of star power there, wasn't there, Abby?
07:59I have to admit, when I saw Mariah come out in this beautiful dress...
08:02There she is.
08:03I mean, she does wear a very elaborate outfit.
08:05Well, she wasn't on the top of my bingo card as, like, Italian icon, I have to say.
08:10I know that she has an amazing voice and she's got an operatic history in her family, but,
08:15you know, now, of course, the questions are being asked about whether she was lip syncing
08:19and the organisers have had to come out and say, we're happy with her performance.
08:23Of course they are.
08:24So that's a neutral answer, I would say, to that question, but I don't mind an opening ceremony.
08:29I think they've done a particularly good job.
08:31There were challenges, though, this time around with the fact that they're in four different locations.
08:36So that's a pretty unique thing to have to deal with.
08:38And we did have Jakara Anthony and Matt Graham, both Moguls champions, particularly Jakara,
08:42who's going to be hopefully defending her gold medal that we saw in Beijing, carry the flag.
08:47Now, it would be remiss of us not to mention flag bearers when we have one of the greats on the panel.
08:51Tell us, Andrew, it is such a special honour, isn't it?
08:54It's a huge honour.
08:55In fact, when it comes to sport, I don't know if you can have a greater honour.
08:59And it's not just about being the flag bearers, which they did magnificently,
09:03but you also, certainly in the Summer Games, we were appointed as,
09:07well, I was appointed as the captain of the Australian Olympic team.
09:11The captain of the flag bearer.
09:12Didn't really have to do too much other than to wave a flag.
09:14But the opportunity to introduce some of the greatest athletes this country can produce
09:19to the rest of the world in that high-octane atmosphere.
09:23A little chilly as opposed to the summer ones, but it's just an excitement.
09:28And it also brings about just a great sense of pride.
09:34And it helps in your performance.
09:36Great things happen in an atmosphere of greatness.
09:39And when it comes to sport, there is no greater atmosphere than the Olympic Games.
09:43And it's all part of the way in which the athletes get this very, very privileged and unique experience.
09:49Can I ask you a very basic question?
09:50In the lead-up to this moment, are you told how to hold the flag?
09:54Where you're going to walk?
09:56Is there a training session on this?
09:57Do you have nerves?
09:58Nothing.
09:59And I was surprised at how lack...
10:01They do give you this big holster to put the flag in.
10:04The weight, yeah.
10:05Not required when you're out there in the atmosphere.
10:07I'm walking out to Stadium Australia.
10:09It's all incredible.
10:10118,000 people.
10:11No.
10:12Not once did that thing hit the...
10:14Put it in the holster.
10:15Just waving it around and...
10:16Were you nervous?
10:17I was a little...
10:18I was more excited.
10:20Yeah.
10:21And it probably showed because I remember walking out and as you can imagine,
10:25118,000, mostly Australians in the...
10:28And they're going absolutely completely bunter as you bring the flags out there
10:34and you're carrying on...
10:35A little bit different than the Australians in Milan, I'm sure.
10:36Yeah.
10:37And I was...
10:38A little bit.
10:39I was walking down and you're like walking on air.
10:41It's the most unique experience you could ever have.
10:43And I remember after a while, I've looked back and I'm 50, 60 metres in front.
10:47You've lost it.
10:48I thought, hang on big fella.
10:49It's the strife.
10:50It's not all about you.
10:51It's not about you, captain.
10:52Just leave the team with your gaze.
10:54But no, it's just a fantastic experience and it was a beautiful occasion.
10:58And the opportunity to share it with someone else, like when I was doing it,
11:03I was there by myself.
11:04But it would have been great to have someone along there to share the moment with.
11:07Then you wouldn't have had your own moment at 60 metres in front.
11:09They might have been starting to pull me back a little.
11:12But I would like to highlight particularly those two with Matt Graham and Jakara Anthony.
11:16Jakara Anthony is arguably one of our best performing athletes in the world.
11:20We're not talking just winter games.
11:21We're talking across all the different faculties that we compete in.
11:24And she has a chance and a very genuine chance to bring home two goals.
11:28That would bring her tally to three.
11:29I am so pumped about her and her chances.
11:32And we know Matt Graham is also a star and at his best he can bring it home.
11:35So I just feel like we're going to see an unbelievable haul.
11:39And I'm pumped to be talking about what we can do this time next week.
11:43But we are going to move on to basketball.
11:45And the Adelaide 36ers are back on top of the NBL ladder after an 11 point win over Melbourne United last night.
11:51We're in round 20 of the NBL.
11:52We've only got two more to go.
11:53And Gazi, it is crowded at the top.
11:55Which I'm sure is exactly what those that run the NBL want to say.
11:58Yeah, look at it there.
11:59And you look at the losses because there can be some differences games played.
12:02So you've got three teams really vying for the top two spot.
12:05Unlikely, although the Perth Wildcats would think, well if we run the table from here on out
12:10and there's a slip up that they could possibly still get there.
12:13But realistically you've got five teams that have a legitimate chance.
12:18After last night maybe Melbourne United just falling off a little bit.
12:23But it's likely now that Melbourne will play against the Jackjumpers in a play-in game.
12:28So the way it works, the top two go straight through the semi-final.
12:31Then there's the play-in.
12:32So three plays four.
12:33The winner of that goes straight into the semis.
12:35And then the loser of that plays the winner of five versus six.
12:39But it's been a remarkable season at the top of the table.
12:42Adelaide 36ers going through a really tough stretch.
12:45They lost five out of their last seven games before last night.
12:48But they were able to find a way just to smother Melbourne United.
12:53Kept Melbourne United in the 70s which is tough going.
12:56And to do that in Melbourne too.
12:58Because we know that they've got a hostile crowd at home.
13:00But they had to come over to Victoria and do it.
13:02Yeah it is.
13:03But this year the home court advantage hasn't been as profound as it has been in previous years.
13:09But the Adelaide 36ers are completely stacked.
13:12Bryce Cotton is the big ticket item.
13:14And he was solid last night.
13:16But it was the big.
13:17Rikosevic down low.
13:19It was spectacular.
13:21Had his best game of the season.
13:23Zylan Cheetham is just a human highlight reel.
13:26This guy plays above the rim.
13:28He's an excitement machine.
13:30So the Adelaide 36ers have been on top of the table most of the season.
13:34But it's going to be a real race to see where they finish.
13:37And wide open I think this year to actually who's going to win it.
13:41You mentioned Bryce Cotton.
13:42He's a reigning Andrew Gaze medalist.
13:44You didn't pay me to say that.
13:45I just thought I'd better put that in there.
13:47He's won five of them.
13:48He's almost won as many as you.
13:50They'll have to change the name.
13:51But the question being.
13:52Hey, hey, hey.
13:53Whoa, whoa, whoa.
13:54I'm just saying.
13:55He was the story leading into the season.
13:57How big of a story will it be if the 36ers can actually take out this season?
14:00Yeah.
14:01It's been a real aggressive off season by the Adelaide 36ers.
14:06They've thrown everything at it including a lot of more.
14:08I mean that has been a big ticket item.
14:11But it's paid dividends.
14:12And they're a fun team to watch.
14:14The other one is that today we've got a cracking game between the Phoenix and the Kings.
14:19The two other teams that have legitimate championship aspirations.
14:23So it's...
14:24Bryce is just spectacular.
14:26He's a special guy.
14:27He's great to have in our league here.
14:29Because he's the sort of guy that could play anywhere in the world really.
14:32But he chooses and loves his country.
14:34So it's great to have him here.
14:36You mentioned that we are going to see the Kings today.
14:38Brian Gorgian is someone who deserves his flowers for what he's been able to do in Sydney.
14:41Because at the start of the season he had some knockers.
14:44My word.
14:45I think they were three games below .500 early on.
14:48Yeah.
14:49And you look at him now.
14:50What is it?
14:5120-9.
14:52But he's the guru.
14:54He's seen it all.
14:56And he's had to deal with a lot of adversity with injuries.
15:00Lost some key players along the way.
15:02And boy did the...
15:04They turn on Brian early on.
15:06Yeah.
15:07There was the vitriolic nature and the way in which he's too old.
15:10He's done.
15:11He's also a big name.
15:12People love to go at a big name sometimes.
15:14Well that's true.
15:15Except for you.
15:16Well...
15:17I don't know.
15:18They had a crack as well.
15:19But right now he's sitting back just really giving the rest of the league the bird.
15:23Because they were...
15:24He's like, hey, I can still get it done.
15:26And he can.
15:27And it's just ridiculous some of the way in which people behave with an iconic feature
15:33like...
15:34Figure like him.
15:35He's done so much for the sport.
15:36Yeah.
15:37And again, they...
15:39Most people would have them on current form as the ones to beat for the title.
15:45So it's going to be a great game today.
15:46And current form is what it's all about when you get to that final end of the season.
15:49Yeah.
15:50So we can't wait to watch that game.
15:51And the rest, of course, the NBL and how it plays out.
15:53But it has been a crazy week in the NBA.
15:56With the trade deadline prompting teams to shift dozens of players.
16:00It's had a big impact on our Josh Giddey.
16:02I say our Josh Giddey because every Australian is owning this guy in the way that he's been
16:05playing for the Bulls at the moment.
16:06They seem to have got rid of a lot of talent around him, Gazi.
16:09Should he be worried?
16:10No, he should not.
16:11Because he's got $25 million a year for the next four years just to sort of make sure
16:17that he's in the comfort zone.
16:19Yeah.
16:20It's hard to be worried if you're worth $150 million, isn't it?
16:23$100 million.
16:24But you know why he would be worried?
16:25And I've known him since he was a very young man.
16:30He would be worried because he's a competitor and he wants to win.
16:35But I think you would look at what the Bulls are doing right now and they've been stuck
16:39in that middle.
16:40We're not quite good enough and don't get access to the better players to make a leap forward
16:45but good enough to stay in the middle.
16:47And what they've done now is basically say, righty-ho, we're going back to the draft and they've
16:52got a whole bunch of second round picks which is a little confusing because they don't always
16:56turn out to be great.
16:57But they are assets that they can trade and they've got some expiring contracts to open
17:02up some cap room.
17:03So over the next season or two, go for a big name like a Giannis or have that cap space.
17:10So I think everyone's motivated by what OKC have done.
17:14OKC now have won the title and they've still got that many first round draft picks.
17:20They bottomed right out and now they've reaped the rewards for that and I think that's the model
17:25that a lot of the teams are using.
17:26Because Giddy's still 23, right?
17:28And in basketball years, he's got 10 years at least still left in him.
17:32But the aggression of the trade.
17:33Yeah.
17:34That's what stuns me.
17:35We were speaking about this a little before the show.
17:37It's just the lack of rights for players where you seem expendable.
17:41Yeah.
17:42You can be on these big contracts, you can make this big money and then next minute your club's
17:46saying, off you go.
17:47We've actually got a perfect example of that because Aussie Jock Landau was traded
17:51twice in a day during the Deadline Madness.
17:54The Grizzly Centre was initially shipped to the Jazz and was about to board a plane to
17:58Memphis, from Memphis to Utah.
18:00And then an emergency had actually been traded to Atlanta.
18:03So instead he jumped in his car, drove the five hours to Atlanta and had a career best
18:0826 points and 11 rebounds.
18:10And these are the sort of stories, again, they only happen in the NBA.
18:13We actually have, we have Jock and what he had to say after the game right now.
18:16It was good.
18:17I was actually sitting on a plane getting ready to go to Utah and I get the call saying,
18:22get off the damn plane.
18:23So, you know, the option was to fly in this morning or drive last night and I thought I'd
18:28come here, get a good night's sleep, get up, you know, see the boys work out this morning
18:33and just kind of get acclimatised.
18:34So, I'm just glad to be here, man.
18:36Glad to be here playing some basketball.
18:37It's very happy to be glad to be there when you put up figures like that.
18:41You know what it says?
18:42We have all these sports scientists that go in about your preparation and how detailed
18:47it should be.
18:48He drives for five hours, has a shoot around with a new team and comes out and has a career
18:54high 26 and 11.
18:56So, it's a good situation for him.
18:59I don't know if it's the first time, but we had two Australians starting in an NBA game
19:04because Dyson Daniels is on that team as well.
19:06The Great Barrier Thief.
19:07So, hopefully those two, and the team they put together, they could actually make a bit
19:12of a push.
19:13So, hopefully, we almost had three because Dwyop Reith is another Australian who was involved
19:17in that draft, in that trade, but they since waived him.
19:22But it's an aggressive, like you were talking about, aggressive play by Atlanta and it all
19:26comes down to where you think you are in that window of winning and sometimes they get
19:31it wrong.
19:32Let's hope the Atlanta Hawks, for the sake of the Australians, got it right.
19:35Well, if we're going to talk about Aussies in the US, we have to touch on the fact that
19:38it's Super Bowl Eve and an Australian is set to play a key role as the Seahawks take on
19:43the Patriots now.
19:44Seattle punter, Michael Dixon, grew up in Sydney and was actually part of the Swans AFL Academy
19:50alongside the likes of Isaac Heaney.
19:52Now, Dicko, as they affectionately call him, recently signed a four-year deal for 25 million
19:58Australian dollars, making him one of our highest earning sports stars and he has to be one
20:03of the most under the radar, you'd say, Lex.
20:05Definitely.
20:06I feel like we've seen so many names.
20:07We saw Jordan Mailata last year and he had that, we said this before, aura about him.
20:12Whereas Michael Dicko, as they call him, has gone under the radar.
20:15He's just kind of gone about his business.
20:17I think it's because he got there so many years ago.
20:20So when he arrived, it was kind of just like, I'm here for business, I'm doing my thing.
20:23And then I feel like as more Aussies started to get around the sport and it became a bit
20:27of a franchisee, I suppose, for lack of a better word, now he's like, I'm in a Super Bowl
20:32so people know me.
20:33And now he's like, I can make it big.
20:35We've already made it big with the money that he's on, but in terms of really getting
20:38his name out there.
20:39But he was part of Pro Kick, which a lot of AFL players are turning to now to go over there.
20:43He did that when it first started.
20:45You mentioned that.
20:46There is an uptick of especially AFL players going, well, maybe I'll just try this side
20:50of things because with the kicking game as well, it's something that if you can get it
20:54right, it's not only lucrative, but there's many opportunities overseas too.
20:57So many and more so now.
20:58Caleb Poulter was the newest one from the Bulldogs who said he's going to go and try his
21:02hand over there.
21:03We've seen some come back as well.
21:05But I suppose we can kick down here.
21:07So very useful punters over there.
21:0925 million over four years is what he's getting paid to be a punter.
21:14And this is a guy that was overlooked in the AFL draft.
21:18So if you're going to get that kind of money to go overseas.
21:20And the other thing is that the college program over there is lucrative as well.
21:24So you've got not just the NFL, you've got the college program that's creating all these opportunities.
21:29So you can look at that level, like someone like Caleb Poulter would have to try his hand
21:33there first, but unbelievable.
21:35And now he's Dicko, so he's everyone's mate now.
21:37Of course.
21:38As soon as you're Dicko, he's everyone's mate.
21:40And I think the thing is, we're seeing an aptitude for American sports just absolutely
21:43skyrocket here in Australia.
21:45And we know that the NFL is coming down under with the LA Rams being the first team to make
21:50the trip.
21:51But we didn't know who they were going to be playing against.
21:53Now, if this announcement was made 40 years ago, they would have gone with Crocodile Dundee.
21:58So, who did we go in 2026?
22:01I can say, for the first time, they are going to be going up against, well, we're here in
22:08San Francisco.
22:09It can only be the 49ers.
22:11Wow!
22:15Robert Irwin doing his best, right?
22:17It's his moment over there, isn't it?
22:18Did we need the snake?
22:19Of course we needed the snake.
22:20Come on.
22:21They're going to be scared to come down under.
22:23Remember when Britney had the snake in Britney Spears, the snake costume?
22:27Was it the VMAs?
22:28Yeah, something like that.
22:29Something along those lines.
22:30You're going too far back.
22:31Yeah, I know.
22:32Too far back.
22:33But if we are going to, I think these exhibition games are something that we're seeing more
22:35of.
22:36We saw it done so well with the NBA teams coming down last year.
22:39Is this something that we think that Australian fans will get behind?
22:41Do we expect to see a packed out MCG?
22:43I think so.
22:44I think already, as soon as the teams were announced, it was when will they play.
22:48September seems like it's the date.
22:50Apparently it's mid-week as well.
22:51So they'll probably try and fixture that in with what happens with AFL weekends, obviously.
22:55Yeah, I think fans will rush.
22:57I think the tickets will sell out like that.
22:58Very quick.
22:59I think it's better than just an exhibition game.
23:01I think exhibition games can be very ho-hum.
23:04They're going to take the points.
23:05This is an actual in-season game, so it brings a lot more to it.
23:09And I have no doubt that thing's going to be sold out.
23:11It's amazing.
23:12And working in radio, the interest in the NFL over the past 10, 15 years has just gone
23:18off the charts.
23:19You mentioned sports science earlier.
23:21How do you have that many players fly as far?
23:24It's not a short trip from the US.
23:25Charter.
23:26Charter.
23:27They'll be on a charter with their nice long seats and their blow-up compression gear
23:32and all that sort of stuff.
23:33They're all cool beds, which is a big call when you're talking about NFL players.
23:36That's why.
23:37Yeah, completely.
23:38No, I think it's something that we love this sort of thing, especially knowing geographically
23:42how far we are away.
23:43It's great to have teams travel.
23:45Hopefully it happens more.
23:46I think this will be the litmus test, obviously.
23:48But if it goes well, hopefully it happens again.
23:51Because I agree.
23:52I think the market for NFL has been booming in this country.
23:56Super Bowl tomorrow is going to be massive.
23:58Work productivity at an all-time low.
24:00Yes.
24:01Just expect that tomorrow.
24:02Half of it is just the half-time show.
24:04You've got to have a tip on what colour the Gatorade is.
24:07That's got to be part of your sweep, surely.
24:09But if we are going to talk about competition for sport, the T20 World Cup is currently underway.
24:14And there is a bit of a question about how much interest is there for Australian fans.
24:18We know that we've got no Cummins, no Hazelwood, no Stark, no Smith through selection.
24:23There is going to be a very different looking Australian side.
24:26Granted, we have a bit of a gentle run in.
24:28But how much interest do you think there is in the current landscape for something like this?
24:33Well, I think this is the big question.
24:34The T20 World Cup has so much gloss that comes with it.
24:37But since it's changed, I think it was 2010 that it changed to happening every year.
24:41There's so much cricket.
24:43As I said to you guys before the show, people seem to not be watching cricket anymore
24:46for the game in its entirety.
24:48It's for the moments, the big moments.
24:50Who's going to hit a massive six?
24:51Who's taking great catches?
24:52But aren't we cricketed out at the moment?
24:56Like, haven't we seen a lot of cricket?
24:58The international schedule is so packed.
25:01But I think it's just, also it's behind a paywall, so half the time we can't watch it anyway.
25:05It's taking away what it used to be, the authenticity of what cricket is, personally.
25:10Well, I think with the T20 though, the way it's evolved, it's become club cricket.
25:15Club cricket in T20 has been the thing with all the money.
25:19The IPL.
25:20And even here in the BBL and other leagues that are coming up.
25:24And to have these things, I think it's every two years they have the T20 World Cup.
25:28I think if you're going to make it special, maybe it's a better, it's like the Olympics.
25:32It's once every four years, so then you can focus in on it and give it a bit more prestige about it.
25:38But when they roll around every two years, and like you say, there's that much cricket,
25:42maybe once we get to the pointy end, and if Australia's doing well, we'll be on board.
25:47Someone like Ravi Ashwin actually said about a month ago on an Indian media outlet,
25:51that he said to the ICC, it's not going to get eyeballs because there's too much cricket.
25:55If someone like him is saying that, hey guys, maybe we should listen.
25:58The World Cups are also the only time where we can say that India had a scare to the USA.
26:03And we also had Pakistan having a bit of a scare to the Netherlands, both though getting the win.
26:07But we do have the draw for Australia in Ireland, Oman, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.
26:11So you wouldn't imagine they wouldn't pose too much of a threat early.
26:15No, I think that's probably why they're not too worried about those big outs that you mentioned.
26:18The draw doesn't seem too tough for the Aussies.
26:21But yeah, they're not having much luck on the injury front at the moment.
26:24They've had to send home another couple of players, Marley Beardman among them,
26:28who was meant to be one of the fast bowler replacements.
26:31Lumber, stress fracture in his back, bit of a nasty injury.
26:34Only 20 years old, recurrence of that injury.
26:36So that's not great news.
26:37But yeah, look, I agree.
26:39I think the schedule's just too stacked.
26:41And you're sort of at the point where I love my cricket.
26:43And I'm at the point now where I'm like, oh, that competition's on now, is it?
26:47It's paid so much attention here to the Ashes and rightly so.
26:50But then there's another competition just around the corner.
26:53You know what it does do?
26:54If you're the ICC and you put your ICC cap on, what it does, it does provide exposure
27:00for those countries where cricket is not as dominant.
27:03Very fair.
27:04It does provide them with some exposure and experience against some of the better teams.
27:09So I think you're right, but it's a balance in there somewhere that they've just got to find.
27:13But that's the hard part.
27:14Experience is great, but that doesn't bring eyeballs because it's not good cricket all the time.
27:17Well, if we're talking about countries that don't need to fall in love with cricket,
27:21we have to quickly touch on 14-year-old Indian Vahav Saravanchi, who had 15 sixes in his 177 off 80 balls
27:29in the under-19 World Cup final against England.
27:32This kid is taking the world by storm and for good reason.
27:35At 14, a bit of a question mark there, let's be honest, but you can't take away from the skill.
27:41No, 14 and 317 days or something like that.
27:44Smash 30 boundaries.
27:45It's good viewing.
27:46That's great cricket.
27:47And obviously he'll be up and coming.
27:48The next King Coley maybe, you know, someone like that.
27:51He'll have the whole country behind him.
27:54It's up and coming.
27:55Good money.
27:56He will not struggle for an endorsement.
27:57He will not struggle for a PR package.
27:58And he's definitely someone to watch.
27:59Hopefully we get him out for the big bash.
28:00Will he need a parent supervisor?
28:01No one knows.
28:02Who signs that for?
28:03Flora, we'll start with you.
28:04All State of Origin Week in the AFL.
28:06So we've been waiting for this competition.
28:08It's been hotly anticipated.
28:09So Saturday night, we finally get to see what happens.
28:13How do we treat these players?
28:14We've had discussions around managing minutes of some of the big stars
28:17because no one wants to go into the AFL season with one of their big names injured.
28:21So I will be watching with interest because I love my footy,
28:24but also just to see how they manage these players.
28:28How hard are they going to go?
28:29And also the intensity.
28:30I think it's going to set the barometer for basically how much it means to the players.
28:33It's the big V.
28:34Victoria taking on the Blackspawn.
28:35You've got two Blackspawns on the end.
28:37Go WA.
28:38Go WA.
28:39Gazy, over to you.
28:40I'm going to go with the WNBL, sticking with the sport that I love the most.
28:44And we're on the eve of the finals coming up.
28:47It's a top four.
28:49The Towns will look like the team to beat.
28:52But again, it's wide open.
28:54Some good things happened this year in the WNBL.
28:58And let's hope we see a cracking final series.
29:00Brilliant.
29:01Lex?
29:02They have rolled Jamaica in their first Test game.
29:03They play again tonight and then again on Wednesday.
29:05So they're in fine form.
29:06Great look into what can happen for the Comm Games later in the year.
29:09Team, it's been so fun.
29:10Thank you so much for your time.
29:11That is all we have time for today.
29:13But we'll leave you with Matilda striker, Caitlin Ford, who stepped up when Arsenal needed
29:17her in the FIFA Women's Champion Cup Final.
29:19Of course, we have the Asian Cup on our doorstep.
29:21Thanks so much for watching.
29:24Mornham wins it.
29:26Red shirts flying forward.
29:28It's four on three.
29:30Caitlin Ford, force wide.
29:32The shot across.
29:33He's in.
29:34And Arsenal back in front.
29:37Caitlin Ford, with the goal.
29:43And there it is.
29:46The final whistle then.
29:50Arsenal are champions.
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