Coming up the next hour Steve Grumpy Collins. There's a famous name.
We're going to talk travel.
I think we're going to somewhere rather interesting, a place that I'm not familiar with. He's going to spend more time in the South Pacific Islands. We'll do that with Steve Grumpy Collins coming up for the next hour. It's a massive round of footy as we know. It started last night with the Doggies getting up No, I beg your pardon was Hawks getting up over the Doggies in the end by.
Twenty two points.
So I thought it was a fair bid to talk about across this fantastic weekend of footy. What an opportunity to talk to the great Adam Papalia. Now, for those that may not know across our network, Adam Papalia is sports director at six PR Perth. Is also a highly regarded wonderful commentator on Fox Footy Paps.
Hello and good morning, hello team mate, Good morning to you.
Did you look at that game last night?
Yeah? Absolutely, we were doing that once for six PR and it was, yeah, a good fight back from the Hawks who had had a couple of down weeks or be it against some of the better teams in the camp, but I think it was more about the way they went about it that I think would have pleased their fans a bit more, a lot more tackles, a lot more pressure, a lot more intensity, and they got it done.
Damian Tardio on the program yesterday morning. On this program he went for doggies. I said, I reckon Hawks are going to do this. He said, nah, anyway, So I can't wait for him to wander in here later this morning.
It was really good for those that don't know.
You're a very capable, wonderful part of the younger set broadcasters around Australia. As soon as I spoke to people and said Adam Papale is going to come on this program and have a bit of chat about footy nationally, people said, oh, he's fantastic on Fox Footing.
Well, that's very kind, thank you, Tony.
And I think the difference is you really seem to be enjoying what you do. It's not as if you've only been doing it for twelve months, by the way, but you've moved into that and it seems almost effortless in many many ways.
It's not. It seems that way and that's the sign of great work, I reckon.
Thanks mate, I appreciate it. Yeah, no, we certainly put a fair bit to work into each and every week, but no, we enjoy doing it. I travel quite as much as they're used to in terms of getting around the country and seeing a few of the other teams all the other venues. But we do pretty much every week over here in Perth at the ground for Fox and then call a few of the other games for
six PR as well. And yeah, mate, I love it of doing sort of three or four games a weekend at the moment and right across everything and bring on more footy, I reckon, Can you believe halfway through the season.
That's just quickly at them?
It's flying so quickly?
What's that about past?
It does every year? And then then we hit the buy rounds and everyone complains for a couple of weeks that it's going slow now and you know, there's not enough games being played and the buy round should be over quicker than they are rather than spread across. But once you get through the buy rounds, I reckon, that lasts six to eight weeks. That is when it absolutely flies, and then all of a sudden you're at the finals and then it ramps up for a big September.
A big September and looking forward to that. Can I talk to you without notice?
It's been fascinating to watch, and no doubt you would have been doing a lot of talk on this in the program.
Anyway, with young corns and the umpires.
Now, I have a bit of a special place for umpires because without umpires, we don't have a game, So the respect that they deserve should always be there. Not everybody necessarily sees it in that light at them.
Yeah, I can't really comment on that specific thing too much because I'm not sort of across it as much. It was more I think a lot of going gone that week about the incident that happened and the miscommunication that happened at a few different levels, and then where the blame was placed around that. But yeah, I'm probably one of the ones and people get frustrated with the
umpires a fair bit. But I sort of deliberately what I'm calling the footage, not because I don't think they're important, but sort of don't don't sort of mention the umpires by name too much as a deliberate thing, because I think it's then allows people individually to sort of target thinking that umpires against us today and they deliberately didn't pay us that free kick and so on and so forth,
which I don't think happens in foot yer. There's no umpire out there that has a bias against a particular team or not. They're just calling it as they see it, and sometimes it goes for your team and sometimes it goes against your team. So I'm a bit with you in that regard that I don't really buy into that side of things.
You and I could go to any football ground around Australia historically sit there and quite often part of the entertainment seemed to be having a real crack at the umpires often referred to as things as white mongrels. All those years ago. It was a bit of a footy pastime, a great part of the game, which is no longer
quite to that degree anymore. I don't think or is it where we do need these young people to be a part of the game, young people encouraged to be part of the game, which presumably would be the AFL's.
Consumed young people is in their fans coming through.
To become umpires.
Yeah, oh, No, it's a big, absolutely big concern and you want to you want to attract the best people to be able to come in and do it. And it's a bit of a thankfulest task, isn't it. Whether you're umpiring at junior footy or amateur leagues or even
at the AFL. There's a lot of scrutiny around, particularly at the top level, around everything and it's a very difficult game to umpire, And for me, I think that the hardest thing is the interpretation of the rules mostly is what contributes to a lot of the frustration from fans as to whether it is a free kick or it isn't a free kick. It just depends sometimes which side you're barracking for as to whether you think it
should be a free kick or not. It's part of why we love it, but it's also the source of frustration too. But no, we need to give the umpires as much support as we can because they without them, we don't have a game.
Tell us about the West Coast Eagles, you're part of the world up against North Melbourne.
What's incredible about this? I think?
Tell me if I'm wrong about this is the first game to be played in Bumbrey in Western Australia coming up on Sunday, that is.
Correct, So the first game for Premiership points to be played at that ground hands over in Bumbary. It is called which sounds a strange name for a footy ground, but I think I've been trying to find out. I'm pretty sure it's named after the first mayor of Bumbrey way back in the day or something like that. But yes,
it hands over in Bumbury. So this is part of North Melbourne who have sold a couple of their home games to the West Australian teams to get some cash in the bank basically and to try and forage for some new supporters and new members on this side of the country, which I think there's quite a fair few North Melbourne fans out west, as you know, Tony, just because of I think the amount of sort of star WA players that went across to play for North Melbourne
at certain times just before the formation of the AFL, so there's always been a bit of a strong link there and quite a few people that have followed the Kangaroos in North Melbourne. But yeah, the first game coming up in Bumbury on Sunday afternoon. It's going to be really great occasion. I grew up just down the road from there, about thirty minutes further south from Bumbury, in a town called Bustledon, which people might know from the Long Jetty if they've ever seen it on TV before.
But it's great for the region, that southwest area, all the way down to Margaret River and Dunsborough and beyond. Everyone's really pumped up for the game, and the ground only holds fifteen thousand, but it's sold out extremely quickly and it's difficult ticket to get. They're putting in all these temporary grand stands around to lift the capacity, which when there's nothing else there, I think the capacity is
only at about four or five thousand. But with the temporary grandstands that they're going to put in and the amount of work and redevelopment they've done at that ground, they're going to hold an AFL game there, So it's going to be brilliant on Sunday. The Kangaroos now with you can get direct flights from Melbourne straight into Bustleton which is right near Margaret River, as I said, and so they don't need to fly to Perth and then
drive to two hours down to Bumbrey. They can fly straight into Bustleton and then it's only a twenty minute bus ride up to Bumbrey to play the game. And they based themselves in wa for the week and then play Freemattle of the Stadium as a North Melbourne home game the week after.
The week after for that one, I'm sort of a little out of the loop, I guess from a distance these days. But given I bet it's been intense, and I know historically it's in the tents in the media because you guys covered the West Australian covers at Channel seven in Perth would cover it. Where the Eagles are sitting in the competition, it would be unsatisfactory to many.
Yeah, it has been particularly over the last well three four years really, particularly when they've really been uncompetitive in games. They've actually had a pretty good, sort of thick week stretch where they've been playing a little bit better footy and a lot more competitive and showing some more positive signs sort of after gather around. They had a couple of poor performances through there and you're sort of thinking, oh, wow,
here we go again. Where when's it going to turn for West Coast and when are they going to get back to being, you know, the type of club that has been the envy of a lot right through the competition for a fair period of their existence. But they seem it still, you know, a fair way off it. They took it up to Geelong last week for three quarters, three and a half quarters or so, but there are a chance of certainly being very competitive against North and
trying to get the four points on the weekend. The Kangaroos have be trying to do the same, but at least with West Coast, we're starting to see them actually compete in games for a little bit longer and a few less of those big blowouts that we've particularly seen over the last couple of years.
Doggers are having a bit of a season.
They are a roller coaster, you could call it that they've had some bad losses on the way through, but they've won their last three and the things are looking up for Freo right now when you look at their
run into the back half. I'd sort of always been pretty confident on them pre season that they were going to be one of those sides contending for a spot in the finals, and if everything went right, maybe a spot in the top four because they've kind of their list, they've got all the pieces of the puzzle that they kind of need. But they're still a very very young team when you look at their team on paper for
both age and experience as well. But for the last three weeks, after a couple of bad losses when they lost US and Kilda and then Collingwood, last three weeks they've gone away to beat the Giants over at the Giants Stadium, They've beat Port at home and then away. They beat the Suns up at Metre Con in the wet last week and it's really just put them right back right on the very edge of the eight, but
with a really good run to come. So with that North Melbourne away game, which will be a home game for them next week coming off by they've got three of the next four at home. Then they've got seven of their last eleven in Western Australia as well, which you know, the sides over this side of the country is such a big boost for them, just because they don't have to jump on a plane as much. It can make a really big difference in the run home.
So they from this point they would certainly be expecting to play finals, so they'll be trying to keep a bit of a lid on it after some pretty big preseason expectations.
Big game here of course, as you know, Monday, it's amazing, the Kings, the King's Birthday holiday, it's going to be fantastic. The Mighty D's. I don't know much about those ds. How do you think it will go, Adam?
I thought they would win last week and they didn't do that. Just when you thought that they're getting their season back on track, it doesn't quite work out. It's going to be tough for them. I think Tony given there up against Colling would have been in ripping form lately. So I think, yeah, the Pie's big crowd, good occasion, as it always is on the King's Birthday as it is now. I think Colin will be a little bit too strong, but Melbourne will be able to mix it with him for a while.
I hope you're right.
Did you have one eye on the outcome of Australia in the footy last night?
Yes, certainly did. The soccer rus you're talking about up against Japan, it was incredible. It was almost fifty seven thousand off the stadium, which is a terrific crowd, the highest for a game of football like that for the Soccer Rus in Wa, and it was from all reports because we were doing the AFL at the same time
and sort of keeping an eye on it. From all reports, it was a pretty dull affair, pretty difficult affair to watch, and the soccer Rus were certain outplayed at times and not really playing with much attacking flare for most of the game. And the possession stats for I think sort of sixty nine thirty one something like that in favor of Japan. That's it doesn't matter because as long as you're in front when it comes to the final whistle, that's all it is. So a gold was his bait.
I think it was his first goal in thirteen years for the Soccer Us and it puts us right on the very brink of qualification for the World Cup. But it have to be an absolute disaster from here for us not to automatically qualify, so that could happen with other results going before you even have to kick another ball. But a great result.
Text from Jason who says, Adam, would you rather call for footy or call for radio? What are the distinctions call for TV or for radio TV radio.
Yeah, to be honest, I really don't have a preference for either. I enjoy doing both very different skill even though it doesn't seem like it's too much, I guess, but yeah, I enjoy trying to craft passage of play when you can watch it along as well. But then you can be more descriptive on radio two. So I can't give you an answer on which one I prefer, because I just enjoy both. It's kind of whichever one
I'm doing. It can be a little bit a little bit looser on radio, I reckon and have a little bit more fun with you.
That's probably true.
So that's that's quite fun.
Lots of text what you've been talking and I love this, lots of people saying on many levels. The miror of Bumbray from twenty eight through to thirty three.
I'm putting my hand up for that. I'm actually I'm actually going for president of the third Team in Western Australia, which I think I'll be heading down that way to take up that position once it gets introduced for the twentieth license.
I think that person was the mayor of Bumbrey the year hand I think is the comment that may be twenty eighth three to thirty three.
Yeah, only what you're talking about. I'm just saying that I'm putting my hand up. Good on you.
This is not one who says Jay he Hands Memorial Park down there.
It's called the J. E. Hands Memorial Path.
It is. But we just we just the locals down that way. We just call it hands over.
Oh there you go, hands over for the locals. It's always good to talk to you, Adam.
Pappalia, Thanks Tony, good to chat to you, mate.
Good work, good on youre bye, Adam Papaleer six pr in Perth and from Fox Footy.
What a morning. It is a stranger overnight. Hello to you.