- 7 hours ago
After years of anchoring the Pressbox with precision and flair, Ben Hann is officially hanging up his notebook at the Examiner.
Colleagues Josh Partridge and Ryan Bentley
Cheers to a true professional, the Pressbox won't be the same without you. Video filmed and produced by Paul Scambler
Colleagues Josh Partridge and Ryan Bentley
Cheers to a true professional, the Pressbox won't be the same without you. Video filmed and produced by Paul Scambler
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SportsTranscript
00:07Welcome, my Noel, to another episode of the Press Box, episode 114.
00:13My name is Ben Han.
00:15Joined alongside me once again is Josh Partridge and Ryan Bentley
00:19for what is another big episode of the Press Box, right on the shoulder season.
00:25So we're getting towards the exciting part of the cricket season and, of course, winter sport is right around the
00:32corner.
00:33But before we get to any more of that, it's time for everyone's favourite segment, Numerology.
00:42So, boys, for this numerology, I have pushed the boat out a bit for reasons that will become clear later
00:50in the episode.
00:52But I was privy to a game between Grand Northern Raiders and University in the CTPL men's first grade.
01:01And I sensed an opportunity and it has come together fairly nicely, in my opinion.
01:08So, the innings scores of that game out at La Trobe was 90, 83, 167 and 120 as the University
01:18claimed the first innings win.
01:20Sounds like good batting conditions then.
01:22Yeah, there was plenty happening.
01:24And that is 460.
01:27So, divide that by the four innings themselves is, of course, 115.
01:31And I know you're thinking, Ben, that's not quite 114.
01:36That's not quite what we're looking for.
01:38But, of course, a certain number 11 for the Grand Northern Raiders scored one run to add to this total.
01:46And we're going to minus that one run away from the 115 average.
01:51And that gives us to 114.
01:54So, quite a numerology for 114.
02:02And that brings us very nicely, I think we're off to a great start here, to go to the tour
02:08of Tasmania that happened over last week at the time of recording.
02:13A four-day event that goes between Launceston, Penguin, Longford and Poetena.
02:18And Ryan, I'll start off with you.
02:20You got to capture the last day, the most exciting day, the Gilmore Cycling Classic.
02:25Take us through what happened on Sunday.
02:28Yeah, so the Gilmore Cycling Classic, usually on Boxing Day, they moved it to be the bookend of the Tour
02:33of Tasmania.
02:34But it was still the same sort of crowds and it was still a massive event.
02:38So, kicked off with the elite women's race.
02:40There was a couple of teens who won both races.
02:42Ruby Taylor for Victoria, she claimed the win in the criteria there.
02:47Yeah, it was a great race.
02:49It wasn't a breakaway group.
02:50They all just were in one big group right from start to finish.
02:54And she led most of the way.
02:56She was up near the front the whole way.
02:57And as the rain tumbled, that was important, according to her, because it was a pretty technical course.
03:02So, being at the front was very important and she was at the front at the end.
03:06And, yeah, she ended up finishing second overall over the whole tour.
03:10And then, a Tasmanian won the elite men's race.
03:13His first ever road race win.
03:15So, he's usually a mountain biker, but was doing a couple of road races.
03:20And, so, Ruben Page Brown, it was a pretty good win as well because he was in a six-man
03:25breakaway group.
03:26There was always going to be those six.
03:28But, in that six-man group was national champ, Patrick Eddy.
03:31Who, on the final lap, he pulled away.
03:33He led by a couple of seconds and we thought, ah, well, national champ, you'll get the job done.
03:37But, no, Ruben chased him down over the course of the last lap.
03:40And, you look over to the final corner and there he was, Ruben.
03:43He won away and won by a couple of lengths in the end.
03:46And, unfortunately, he won't be doing any more road racing for a while.
03:49He's back to mountain biking and he was a bit flat about that because he just got his start.
03:54But, it was very impressive for the young Tasmanian to get that done.
03:57Yeah, absolutely.
03:58And, it capped off, though wet, it capped off what was a really exciting tour overall.
04:04Josh, take us through, I suppose, what happened earlier in the tour.
04:07Yeah, I suppose, they started with the traditional race up Brisbane Street West,
04:11which is a pretty hilly part of Launceston, obviously.
04:14A little 600-meter prologue that they do up there.
04:17As tradition seems to go, Launceston's Cameron Ivory won that for the fifth time, I believe.
04:23Very, obviously, very dominant in that kind of thing.
04:25Being a mountain biker, it's kind of where his bread's buttered and he seems to just win that with regularity.
04:31So, he did that pretty well.
04:33And then, other, I guess, I can't really call it a highlight, but another instance in the tour was
04:39the Women's Stage 3, which goes from Longwood to Palatina, as you mentioned before,
04:42that was actually cancelled due to a crash.
04:44So, yeah, the tour organisers obviously went with the safety of the riders there
04:49and put that at the forefront and cancelled that stage.
04:52But, from what you were mentioning, Ryan, there was nothing too serious coming out of that, I guess.
04:57Just a lot of battered and bruised cyclists in that area.
05:01Yes.
05:01The winner of the women's tour, Sophia Salmons, she looked pretty worse for wear when she was
05:07up on the top set of the podium, unfortunately.
05:11Yeah, had bandages on her arms, her legs, her face, and it was a bit of an awkward one when
05:15she was presented with the various jerseys that you get for winning the different categories
05:21and very awkwardly trying to put them on over the bruises.
05:24But, yeah, it was a well-earned win, I'm sure, for Sophia.
05:28Exactly right.
05:29And that's not all that's been happening in late last week.
05:35Ryan and I were very fortunate to be invited along to the Country Club,
05:40who are in the midst of building, or they're getting a fair way along in building their Country Club
05:47Championship course is meant to be a rival to the seven-mile course down in Hobart, King
05:55Islands, Cape Wickham, Barn Boogle.
05:57It's going to be a real premier golf course, Ryan.
06:00And we got to play as maybe one adjective, you can say.
06:05Participate.
06:06Exactly right.
06:07Pack around it.
06:08Take us through, I suppose, the course, what we got to experience, and what people maybe
06:13can expect.
06:13Yeah, it's quite amazing.
06:16They call it a refurbishment of the old course, but it's pretty much ripped the whole thing
06:21up.
06:21There's a couple of holes there on the back section, which haven't changed much, but
06:25it's pretty much a full refurbishment.
06:26It's meant to be Tasmania's only US-style parkland golf course, so there's a lot of bunkers,
06:32a lot of water.
06:33I think it's like six kilometres of creek, which we found a fair bit of, I think, along the
06:38journey.
06:38But, I mean, it was, obviously it's brand new, but it was so immaculate.
06:42Like, I don't know, greens, everything.
06:44It was just so pure and clean.
06:47It'll be tough, as mentioned.
06:48The water and the bunkers, they have a lot.
06:50And then the last three holes, I think, compared to our version of Amen Corner, if you're familiar
06:56with your golf, back into the wind.
06:59Probably the three toughest holes in that back nine, as they were, there was no wind.
07:03And then they had a 40k win hitting back into it, and it ain't easy.
07:07No, no.
07:08And I think something that Ryan is perhaps too humble to mention was, during the round,
07:14we got to play with Launceston sporting legend, Ricky Ponting, who was there as an ambassador
07:20of the country club.
07:22And Ryan very skilfully managed a par while playing with Ricky, to which Ricky gave him a
07:28nice compliment.
07:29And I think he's still riding the high of that moment.
07:32Right.
07:33And Ben, it should be mentioned as well, that you obviously get a lovely drive down the
07:37middle that got a visceral reaction out of Ricky, and that might be on camera and might
07:41be recorded.
07:42And I don't know how often that's been played since.
07:45Not enough, is the answer.
07:47We'll move quickly into, you know, everyone's, I suppose, maybe not favourite, because I think
07:53it comes at the top of the show, but it is the part of the show that everyone tunes
07:57in for.
07:58There's no doubt it's part of everyone's week.
08:00And that is, of course, handy's hard.
08:05So this is going to be in a golfing theme.
08:09I understand that all three of us, of course, have not played every single golf hole on Tasmania's
08:15Great Island.
08:16But what is currently the best golf course in Tasmania, assuming that the championship course
08:23is included?
08:24Where are we?
08:26I'll take it away, I suppose.
08:28I'll go with you, Ryan.
08:30I'll let Josh think a little bit more.
08:33Wow.
08:34It has to be bamboo.
08:36It's regarded as one of the, not only one of the best courses in Australia, it's regarded
08:39as one of the best courses in the world.
08:43Yeah, you can't go past it.
08:45It's amazing.
08:46Like, every time you go there, you're blown away by just-
08:50Oh, this is the wind.
08:51Oh, yeah.
08:52Well, blown away by the wind.
08:53Very true.
08:54But you're just blown away by, it's in Tassie.
08:57Yeah.
08:57You don't, and regarding, you know how expensive some golf courses are.
09:02I don't know, 180 doesn't sound cheap, but for the top 10 golf course in the world,
09:06180 bucks, how good?
09:09Yeah.
09:09Can't go wrong.
09:10And you, Josh?
09:11Admittedly, I haven't played a lot of the top tier courses yet.
09:14I've thought about going where my bread's buttered and saying the Riverside Golf Course,
09:18as I am a member, but no, I think you've got to agree with Ryan there, that the courses
09:22at Barnboogle just sound absolutely fantastic, and certainly one for the bucket list.
09:25I don't need to tick off.
09:26Yeah, absolutely.
09:27I'm going to zag just for the sake of not all three going boring answers, and I actually
09:31do think Kate Wickham is better.
09:34It's a tougher course, and I think the views are even more spectacular.
09:38So, it is obviously not an easily accessible one for your casual golfer.
09:44I've been very lucky that I've been able to experience the course.
09:48If you're playing anything less than your best golf, and that might not be enough as
09:51well, but anything less than your best golf, you will have a long day, though enjoyable.
09:57But I do think this championship course is going to be a rival, and as Ricky Ponting
10:02has said, it's adding to what is now quite a destination list that Tasmania is building.
10:10We'll move straight into the part of the show that I think everyone is hoping their name
10:15gets called out, and that is, of course, Josh's Local Hero of the Week.
10:20Local Hero of the Week this week comes from the Cricket North Women's Grand Final, which
10:25was played on Friday night between Riverside and Westbury, and it goes to Riverside coach
10:30Sophie Parkin, who took three for five.
10:32She took two really big wickets in a double wicket maiden to set Riverside up to bowl Westbury
10:38out for 28.
10:39Sophie, congratulations.
10:41Obviously, a big win as premiership coach, now a two-time premiership coach, but now I
10:46think this award may sit slightly above that, so congratulations, Sophie.
10:51Yeah, quite comfortably, I'd say.
10:53Now, this is a bit of a special episode for myself.
10:57I'm finishing up at the Examiner at the end of this week, so this will be my last episode
11:02of the Press Box.
11:04I just want to quickly thank anyone who might be watching this for, you know, watching any
11:10second of these little episodes.
11:14I remember back in episode one, how it first started and how it's evolved to today.
11:19It's been quite a journey and has been genuinely one of the most enjoyable parts of the job
11:25in my three and a half years here.
11:27So, thank you for watching us.
11:29Thank you for supporting us.
11:30Thank you for reading our stories.
11:32And thank you for everyone that, you know, has agreed to be interviewed or talked about
11:37over these years because I'm sure we do a pretty good job of butchering it.
11:42But that will be all from me.
11:45I'm not sure what's going to happen to the future of this show beyond this point, but I
11:51just want to, yeah, take the time and say thank you everyone.
11:53And if I don't get to see you guys all personally, you know, thank you for giving me all your
11:59time.
11:59And until, well, not until next time.
12:03We won't see you guys.
12:04I won't see you guys for the next week.
12:05I'll see you guys, well, I suppose, whenever I do.
12:10Wow.
12:13Bye.
12:15Bye.
12:15Bye.
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