UNDER THE INFLUENCE: Diamonds' Netballer Erin Bell

My mental health I think was being you know, being fit and not having a contract and not having.

A job or having to pay for all these things.

All of a sudden, you're just kind of like, whoa, whoa, whoa slow down.

Oh my god, I can't believe people are saying these things.

Do you realize that? You know, these athletes are real people. They put so much time and effort into their training. They are trying their absolute best out on court. Nobody goes out there to play badly. The reality is that football, the women's league, is going quite well and the girls, yeah.

See it as appealing, and netwill have to counteract that and respond.

Hello and welcome to Outspoken. You're joined by journalists Amy and Sophie Torbert for our very special Under the Influence episode, and today we are so excited to be joined by Diamonds netballer Aaron Bell for a very open chat about life after netball, how to achieve your goals, the rise of women's sport, and how to successfully run aside hustle erin. Thank you so much for joining us and Outspoken, thanks

Too.

Well, I thought.

We'd explained to the listeners. I suppose a little bit about how we actually know each other. So you used to, well, your sister Kate used to work as a media manager at the Adelaide Thunderbirds, and she's not here, so you have the opportunity to throw her onto the bus a bit. What was it actually like working with Kate?

A look, it was a little while ago, but no, in all honesty, she was a bit of a breath of fresh air for the Thunderbirds, I think, and I think just netball in general, trying to get that exposure and you know in Adelaide everybody loves netball, but still having the challenges of battling with the two footy teams. And I think Kate did a really good job of coming up with some creative ways to get netball out there. And I did love being a part of many of her very fun, strange ideas.

She did lack of meme from time to yeah, and I was always the victim of the memes and it was quite funny.

But that's all good.

Sometimes you just have to suck these things up for the followers. My favorite was when she had you guys all glammed up to the absolute max, and then you actually had to end up scrapping that campaign.

Oh yeah, and we actually went to like a full studio and we had oh I had eyebrows like caterpillars on my face and I hated it. Yeah, and then I don't even know why I didn't end up happening. Mustn't have gotten approved two raunchy for netball.

Alam people like, who the hell are they?

Who is black girl? Just chuck them in their uniform and get them on court.

Well, talking about netball, obviously, people in Adelaide and Melbourne know Aaron Bell, they know the name. Just reading some of your achievements, I was like, oh my god, I know you're good, but I didn't realize you were the first player to win three A and Z Premierships. Looking back on your career, was that something that you, as a youngster, thought you'd achieve.

Oh gosh, I think a lot of my career I didn't think I would achieve.

You know.

I was just like any old, you know, young netballer who plays because they love it, and then you know you're getting a team and you realize, oh, you know, I kind of like this. I wonder how far I can take this, and I you know, it was competitive, as I guess most athletes are, and you just put it. I more challenged myself to see how far I could get and yeah, you know, one thing led to another and obviously lots of hard work and all that stuff

That they would lose just so that I couldn't keep it.

But no, it's yeah, it's amazing to look back on it now, but it does feel like a long time ago, even though it was only I don't know.

Not that long ago, but time fliers.

And what was young Aaron like, Were you always into sports as a kid growing up?

I wasn't.

I wasn't Like my family was not very sporty at all, and that always surprises people.

So my mum was a dancer and my dad was a fisherman.

Yeah.

Dad always told me the story he played one game of footy as a kid, broke his leg, never played again, and mum enrolled me in ballet because that's all she knew. And it wasn't until a friend at school asked me to play in their netball team and then we discovered netball.

So yeah, neither of my parents played sport.

My brothers. I have two brothers.

They tried to play soccer, didn't want to go to training, hated it. They did like BMX motorbike riding. They're out on the river fishing. So yeah, I was just kind of this random child of the family that was going for runs and going to the gym and making everyone come watch me play.

Netball and no one really understood it.

And I swear my mum probably after about fifteen years, probably understood the rules eventually. But I think it was good for me, like I had that balance and I didn't have those parents who pressured me to make this team or get to this level.

They were just like, yeah, what time's training? Oh?

How long do I have to sit in the current? Take you you know to training?

Oh? Traffic? Oh do you really want to do it?

And I was like yeah, so yeah, it was kind of good to not have that pressure or that expectation of having to live up to your parents or your siblings and I could just do my thing, and yeah, it worked for me.

Do you think that is a disadvantage for some kids, because you know, you see the pushy mums on the sidelines and they've got their oranges cut up and it just like just like oh, like you know, playing for sheep stations that kind of thing. Do you think that is a disadvantage for kids? Oh?

Yeah, and I see it a lot when I coach.

Now, you kind of it does reflect in the kids, and I think you know that they're just always trying their best.

But I think the ones who have that.

Pressure on them do get a lot more disappointed if things don't go to plan and if they don't make a team or if they don't get on court, whereas the kids who.

Their parents just kind of like, yeah, oh good.

They're a lot less hard on themselves, so they probably just yeah, they keep playing, and whereas the other ones might just think it's all too hard eventually.

So I don't know.

Yeah, I mean some need that motivation and that push, but I think it's you know, and I can't judge. I'm not a parent, but I think it is important to find that balance and not be too over the top.

Definitely. So what is the reality of actually being an elite athlete, Because you know, we watch the netball and it looks quite glamorous from the sidelines, I suppose, but what is their reality, like, what are some of the sacrifices that you have to give up? I think it's changed a lot over the years.

So I first got picked up in a professional team when I was eighteen. That was a very long time ago, and I played in that league for fifteen years and over that time there's just been huge changes. So, you know, back when I first got recruited, I was playing in Sydney for the Swifts. I was finishing off high school and I was playing with players like Liz Ellis, who are still around now in the media. But you know,

Day in at the club.

You can be training at eleven, you could have a meeting at one. It's very hard now to hold down another job. And I guess that's what we always push towards. We pushed towards that level of professionalism and we wanted to make our sport elite and to reward players financially.

To be able to just focus on sport.

And it's probably milli there, or it is there for maybe a handful of players. But yeah, as I said, our minimum wage still isn't enough to probably equal that level of commitment for every single player just yet.

But yeah, it's getting there.

So are there girls that are still working full time jobs?

Then no one I don't think would be working full time but yeah, so the minimum wage is roughly thirty thousand dollars and if you're living out a home and if you live in Sydney or Melbourne and you're a nineteen twenty year old player, like, yes, it's great, but then there's also the reality of bills to pay rent all that type of thing. So I would say everybody at least does you know coaching or some kind of casual you know, some girls are trainers at F forty five that type of.

Thing on the side, or you just work really.

Hard in your off season and just spend up and whatever, just rest up in the season.

So yeah, do you think because it is now a full time job, it is more important that the girls are thinking of the life after netbule because I mean, I suppose you're so consumed in the sport and if you don't have time to have a separate career or study. What do you think needs to happen at the moment? Is that something at a club level that people need to be looking at to have programs in place?

Yeah? I think so.

And I think you know, like the AFL, they encourage their players to try and study or work still a day or week. I think I don't know how effective that is or if players do it, but I know they do try and encourage that.

I think, yeah, girls need to be even time.

To be able to study or go to work, experience or hold down a job at least for a day a week or two days a week, because yeah, with the increased professionalism of our sport, it's also really cutthroat now, so you know, you're not guaranteed a contract at all. You might be abt a club for ten years and then see later the year after. So I think, yeah, it's definitely important for people to think about that life

And talking about I suppose players having side hustles, you of course have your Aaron bel netball clinics. Is that something you identified quite early in your career that you know you had to have something else happening, although it's netball related, but something off the court that you were involved in.

Yeah, And I think that's because I got put into the system so young when everybody did work. So that is what I was brought up with, and that is just how I thought that, you know, you had to be and like netball was never going to be just the only thing that defined me. I went to university, I got a degree, I was working, and then when the commitment got a bit hard for me to hold

So I didn't do any of that.

And I thought, you know, it'd be really great to be able to pass on a lot of what I've learned to the next generation. And I just realized that in South Australia there really wasn't a lot of opportunities. Yeah, growing up in New South Wales there were a lot of clinics, and when I was with the Swifts, there was a lot of coaching opportunities. That's how I got through UNI doing all these coaching clinics and coming to

And obviously being an athlete.

You really goal orientated and you set yourself a challenge and off you go. And you know, it was my little thing to see if I could get a business off the ground without having any idea.

What I was doing and when all right?

And for those people who might be looking at launching a business, that's obviously sof and I we face that reality of setting up a business, and I think it can be quite daunting at first. But what would be your tips, I suppose for anyone that's young out there, like you know, how difficult actually is it or how difficult was it to set your business up?

Yeah?

Look, I think doing something that you know is important.

So for me, obviously I knew how to coach and I knew netball, so I didn't have to learn a new trade or you know, I had that. I knew if I'd got the structures of a business down part, I could deliver the service. So that was important for me. I just had to learn that one thing, the business side. And I guess the biggest thing is just doing it. Yeah, because you can just talk about things and oh, I've got this idea, and trust me, I've got a million ideas and the ones you actually I do and put

Just so happy the whole day.

I was like, oh my gosh, I cannot believe that thirty kids like actually just wanted to come and hang out with me and get coached by me for a day, Like no one's forcing them to be here, They're actually paid to be here, like business almeriding.

I got home and I remember.

Lying on the lounge being like, Oh, all right, done, that's it. Like it was like box, Like I proved to myself that I could, you know, go from scratch, and I know, like netble clinics, it seems simple people rock up, you play, nepple, you leave.

But all the back end of it was probably more of what I was proud of.

Like I'd set up a website, I've got a business bank account, I'd got a like company like ABN number and all this stuff, and I've got an accountant. And yeah, people trusted me with their money and with their kids, which is the most precious possession. They trusted me to look after their kids for a day and teach them something.

So and it's huge.

I mean Aeron Beel network clinics are huge. You've got all your merch It's like not just a small you know, it's not thirty kids going anymore. So when I've been to a few clinics to do some filming and it's chaos, and it's in.

Controlled, controlled chaos, but it is it's great.

And you have all your dietitians and that kind of thing, and it's a huge business in Adelaide. So you should be really proud of all your efforts because you really have grown it into a thing.

Thanks, you know.

And it was challenge, I think while I was playing and being able to balance the two and you know, you'd be at a clinic all day, like, and I'm talking like we would run a clinic from nine till four, and I had to get there at eight to obviously set up because I was the setup lady as well, and I was the registration lady, and I was the

And it's exhausting enough just hanging.

Out with kids for a few hours, but when you have to engage them for that long, and especially in Adelaide in the middle of summer, it might be thirty five degrees. You've got six year olds dropping like flies everywhere, and it's like it's yeah, it's tough. And then having to go yourself and have that energy to train and not just at your local netball club, like train for the Thunderbirds and be expected at that high intensity that that's expected every training.

So I did get quite drained, I think from it. You know, it's hard.

It's like anyone who's running a business on the side and also working a job or whether they're running a business and they've got a family and they've got kids, Like it's it's tough, and you can't switch off from it either, yeah, because it's your responsibility.

Like if you don't do the books, then doesn't get done.

And it's so exhaustive. Even when soph and I came down that I was so exhausted after those days, like how.

Did I do it?

And I wasn't even engaging with kids. I was like, oh my god, oh I know, And then yeah, you just find something.

I don't know it. It's been good. I feel like I'm very prepared to have my own family now, like yeah, I feel like I don't know. You just yeah, you just don't expect to feel.

Fresh And that was probably the reality for me in the last few years of my network career, just you're not going to feel fresh air and just get on with it, get on caught, get through it, like you just learned to find another tank somewhere.

And there is currently a big push for young women to continue playings. What do you think it is it stops women in some circumstances like.

Women or girls.

Well, there's like a big push. I think Ashbard is the face of it. And they're saying, I think it's around fourteen that girls are dropping out of sport, and I suppose one of the things is I don't know, is it because it's not glamorous or is it because girls want to impress boys? And they're like, I don't know, what do.

You think the main I mean, I think everyone's different, like the I think, like just the small issue, something as small as the girls having to wear skirts to school, not having the choice to wear pants or shorts, Like they don't want to play sport.

They can't you know.

Maybe they did in primary school or they can't now, or you know, then they're sweaty, like they don't want to run around and play sport at lunch time, and then they're sweaty for the rest of the day. They start to smell like they care about all that. In high school, yeah, you know, they want to hang out with their friends on the weekend instead of going to training. And I think the pressure of school probably adds to

They just go, oh, well, I don't like that feeling of rejection. I'm just not going to play anymore.

So I think, yeah, it's probably just a combination of all those things.

There's different things for them to do now.

They yeah, we need to somehow keep them engaged and keep it fun for them and keep their experiences in in sport good so that they still want to participate even if it's not at that high level. Then they don't feel bad for not being in the rep team. Just play local D grade, but play, just enjoy it, have fun, don't worry about that judgment of not being the best player.

Looking at other sports, you see tennis, like, I'm a huge tennis fan, and I feel like the Tennis or the WTA does a really good job almost of glamorizing tennis because there's those tennis players like Maria Sharapov and back in the day Anna Ivanovitch and I feel like they, you know, young girls would look up to them and be like, oh, they're cool. I want to be like them, And I suppose it's a bit it's the same with netball.

Oh gosh, I love that you think that networl's glamorous. I never felt glamorous the whole time I was playing.

Maybe more glamorous than afl W.

I don't know, I don't know.

Yeah, it's oh yeah.

I think I think neb All Australia and all the clubs probably need to look at how they promote the sport just to keep up with AFLW. In general, I think that there's obviously a lot more probably resources that the AFL can access in terms of promoting the game. They're in schools everywhere, like all the girls are getting to have a kick and see if they like it

That's my view.

And yeah, so look, the players are really strong now, like back when I was younger, and you know, even my first few years at the Thunderbirds, we used to run and run and run like k's k's. Our skin folds were down because we were, you know, we were just running. And then throughout my eight years at the Thunderbirds, our preseason completely flipped.

Like it's in the.

Gym, like you're focusing on your strength, you're doing short sprints, you're not running k's anymore. So if you look out on court now, all the players are so much stronger.

The game is far because of it, and the hits are bigger.

And I think they have tried to promote that, like it's not that girly girly like, oh.

Contact, don't touch me, stand beside.

I think they're trying to get away from that. They're trying to let a lot go in the game to say like we are equally as tough as the footy players, Like you know, Netble's not that girly sports still come play with us. But yeah, look, I think the reality is that football, like the women's league is going quite well and the girls yeah see it as appealing and networle have to counteract that and respond From.

A media perspective, something that annoys me is the fact that, you know, as progressive as we like to put forward we are, I still feel like women's sport isn't getting the coverage it deserves, and especially with the afl W competition at the moment, I feel like journalists are making a choice between netball and AFLW and are feeling the

Look, I always when the AFOW first started up, that was all that was that conversational that's not fair, like you girls have been doing it for so much longer, and then they just come in and start a league and they're getting paid.

More and all this, and I don't know.

I mean, I think we still struggle to get the numbers that we need.

We get great numbers for netball.

I think the Diamonds got fourteen fifteen thousand people at a game and a lot of the time that's all the stadium can hold.

And that's paid as well, not fair, that's paid.

So it is great.

But then you look at AFL weekly game for the boys and they get fifty thousand plus and that's why they have the money to match it.

So I don't know.

I was always kind of like, we just need to somehow get our sport in front of more people's eyes, and we need to have that the viewers, whether it's better ratings on TV or whether it is just selling out every single game. I think, you know, yes, we have been in it a lot longer than the girls, the footy girls. But yeah, our increments in our crowds, they've been slowly, slowly building, slowly building, slowly building, and I guess the pay has gone up for players, slowly building.

Plus there's the Netball Live.

App, so you can watch every game. It's definitely so much better than it used to be. But yeah, the reality is if there's a small news story about a footballer who's rolled.

An ankle, like there goes to netball story.

So it's it's still that reality, and I think it's just going to take more time than getting in front of more people's eyes.

Would you ever have been persuaded to join the AFLW.

Well, when I retired from Collingwood last year, there was obviously like they have the AFO W team right in there. And one of the other girls that retired went on to play, and so that was Shiny Lay and she's obviously playing ash brows in there already played and Shay Brown and myself retired as well, and I found out later that Shay actually got asked if she wanted.

To play, and I was like, where's my invitation?

I was like the only one that didn't actually get asked if I wanted to play? And I was like thank god, because literally I'm one of those one sport.

People like, no.

Way, I'm gonna barely kick a football. Now, I might have to film that for now Instagram, because there's a football round. We'll have to get you to have kid.

Don't forget I'm a goaler as well.

So I'm like, I don't like the idea of people like contacting and touching me, like just no tackle. I'd play touch footy, but yeah, look, I don't know. I'd think it's safe if I stay away from the footy field.

And obviously you just touched on your retirement. How difficult was it for you to make the decision to leave the game.

Yeah, it was hard, And I think like in terms of my playing and the whole commitment of the sport, I knew that I probably had enough, and I wasn't playing as well as I used to be, and it was just requiring a whole another level of effort to get to where I wanted to be. And like that might be because I was getting older, or because the competition was just getting harder, and maybe I was past my peak. I don't know all these things. And I think you know a lot of mental baggage, you know,

We went through three coaches.

Like, it was a tough couple of years, and I think I really felt that and probably carried that a lot more than I realized. So to let go of all that was probably an easy decision in terms of retiring. But yeah, the game itself and the girls and my friends, and I guess that sense of identity of who you think you are and what you've done for the last fifteen years.

For that to be gone was a huge like whoa am I ready for this?

Uh? Yeah, And like probably struggled a little bit for the first six months without Like I was always like, I'll be fine, Like I've always had a job, I've always got my business, I've got other things going on outside of sport. I've never been defined by netball. I'll be fine in retirement. But those first six months I was just like, oh, oh, but where's my annual training

Like I was just so many little.

Things like I remember, like what do you mean, I have to pay for a gym membership. It's just always been part of my mental health, I think, was being you know, being fit, and then not having a contract, not having a job, having to find a job, having to pay for all these things.

All of a sudden, you're just kind of like whoa, whoa, whoa slow down? Like so it was hard.

Yeah, you hear that a lot though, because I remember there was a four Corners this amazing story about how the mental health of athletes does change because you're so used to people organizing your life where somewhat as well, and obviously the admiration from the crowd and all of that kind of thing, and then suddenly for to end it is a big thing. Have you found that with the other netballers that you're friends with who retire.

Yeah, I think so.

And whether or not people admit it like is another Some are very public about it, some aren't.

And you know, I was.

Even listening to a podcast about Libytricket the other day and how she struggled with retirement, and it's kind of nice to hear that everyone goes through it, but it's sad that there's not enough support around that space at the same time, because we do know that it's that people struggle, and netball are probably trying, but they're just not equipped yet to deal with that. They're trying to grow the sport, they're trying to they're focusing on that.

I was gonna ask you about that, because did you feel like you almost fell out of love a bit with netball when you're at Collingwood with all the pressure, and you know, the previous seasons of the Thunderbirds were disappointing. Do you feel like that helped you fall back in love with netball playing in the lower divisions.

Oh definitely.

And I'd never expected it, and I think it wasn't like my last year at Collingwood. It was building, Like you know, when I first moved to Adelaide. My very first year we won the premiership. My second year i was in the Diamonds. My third year we won a premiership. Again, Like I had a lot of highs early on, and then the last few years were just tough and we were down the bottom of the ladder. And I think it was just kind of that build and me trying to push push through it. So I was like, yeah,

You want to play? And I was like, no, why are talking to me? Please leave me alone.

I can't even have a conversation with you, like I hate netball that much, and she was awesome then just said no.

Worries see oh, like you know, don't worry about it, and then kind.

Of used a bit of reverse psychology on me.

And I guess as an athlete, you're so used to being told that you got to be here preseason starts November one, you're like, mate, I just finished.

Like.

So she was like, don'torry, I'll see you next year. I'll see you in March. And I was like, oh, oh, what do you mean I'll see you in March?

Like I'll come then. And so she kind of like rang me two weeks before the season started and said you're feeling any better, like do you want to come and have a run, Like, don't worry, just play a quarter, just not even a quarter, just don't worry. We'll take you off if you don't want to play. And I ended up playing a full game and being.

Like, oh, that was really fun. I was one thing.

I said to us, I'm not playing in goals and I think that was a You know, obviously as a goalie you get the glory, but there's a lot of extra pressure and you know you miss and the whole game is your fault blah blah blah. And I just

So that's the key to get you to play in our social netble team? Is it just to like as long as I'm not engolved, yeah, but like, oh yeah, don't worry I won't play. We're playing December first. Yeah, yeah, just reverse psychology.

It works a lot like tell me, don't worry, you don't have to come to training.

Don't worry. You know, we don't even want you there.

And I'll be there and we don't have training.

If you tell me.

I have to do something, I'll be like, no, I'm not doing it. Then I'm just like a bit stubborn.

And how tough is the scrutiny though, because I know generally everyone thinks that the crowd that comes along is probably young girls and young women, But you get on some of the message boards or on Facebook and some of the comments can be quite awful from fans or I found it.

I find it again harder than I thought. And I don't think that I was prepared for it at all. And I obviously my generation, feeling old, didn't grow up with social media, so it kind of came out of

I made the team.

And I remember getting a lot of negative criticism about oh why she and Rah Rah and just not being ready for it, just being blindsided because twelve months earlier I had been getting so much positive feedback on social and then yeah, for it to flip and be negative, I was like, whoa, shut that phone down and probably yeah, that bad experience just made me really wary of it

Asked, why aren't you performing? Like what's wrong with you?

I'm just yeah, getting so much scrutiny, like your own fans questioning the selection or the team or.

Your own performance, and You're just like, well, where does this come from? Who are you people? I don't even know you, Like I'm listening to my coach now I've got.

To like please all these fans and all these media people as well. It just yeah, it's it's tough. Like I don't know if the next generation or the younger athletes now are better off for it because they've kind of used to it, be exposed to it and water off a ducts back, or is it actually worse, like is it getting worse? And all the bloody keyboard warriors and people that sit there on their couches judging everything that happens on court.

I don't know. It's they say it to your face with that.

Oh god, I'd love to like approach some of the people if I ever had that opportunity and being like Joanna one on one, like do you want to go have a shoot off or do you want to I don't know, like do you want.

To put your money where your mouth is? Because you're very, very rude behind a keyboard.

It's amazing how much they know you having probably never played a game of netwik before.

Oh and since I retired, like now I read all the comments because it doesn't affect me at all, and I'm just like, oh, my god, I can't believe people are saying these things, like do you realize that you know, these athletes are real people. They put so much time and effort into their training. They are trying their absolute best out on court. Nobody goes out there to play badly or to miss a goal or to throw a pass badly, So stop bagging them, like they're just doing the absolute best they can.

So people are so mean though, Like everyone criticizes anything you do. Anyone criticis they're probably having a bigger effect on their team they're supposed to be supporting, because that's rebably getting in people's head and making them perform worse. Like I can imagine if you're getting slammed, you're then reflecting on your own performance too much.

Yeah, and I think a lot of clubs do talk about it, like what's our social media strategy? Like some teams say, like, so no social media on game day. So but then that I've seen that going out the window a little bit because everyone expects social media to be so instant, and you know, you have to post every day to get engagement, and everyone cares so much about their obviously social media following these days that girls are posting on game day and as I said.

Some are phase by, some aren't.

But yeah, we just kind of said, oh, I just advise people just don't read them.

But you know, I don't know.

People are drawn to their phones and they just want to read them, and it's like, well, I don't know, you kind of open yourself up if you choose to read them. All you can control is literally put your phone down because people are going to say what they're going to say.

It's up to you whether you read it or not.

Well, back to life after netful. Can you tell us a little bit about what you are doing because you've started studying a new degree? Is that right? Yeah?

I started my teaching degree my last year. I was playing because I knew I was probably coming to an end, and I have a sports science degree, but I yeah, I wasn't really passionate to get into that field.

I think I just wanted to get out of the sport realm.

I've been in there enough, and so yeah, I started my teaching degree. I think after doing all my clinics and a lot of coaching in schools, I thought that teaching would.

Be fun and then moved to Melbourne and got a job. Now.

I'm working at a school in their sports academy, so it's a nice little matchup.

And when I graduate, I can hopefully, yeah, get a job teaching.

That's so cool.

I was gonna saying, you and you've got other exciting things. You're engaged, congratulations.

Thank you.

Yeah, it's a full time job. Organized your wedding as well, oh gosh. And we were like, nah, it's gonna be a small wedding, like just not even a big deal, like you know, barely spending any money. And I'm just like, oh my god, what's happened.

Our plan has blown out. This is just going to be ridiculous.

But hopefully it'll be fun and hopefully it won't be raining and all those because you're beautiful dog Harry going to be in the wedding at all. Oh well, I've been talking to Trap about it.

He's a bit worried. He's just kind of like, oh, I don't know what are we going to do with him after?

And I'm like, don't worry, like we'll sort it out.

So, I mean, I would love to. I just want to photo. I just want us all dressed up in him to have.

His little bow tie on and yeah he might run a mark though we're getting married at a farm, so he might. I don't know, go and I don't know, eat something. He's not killed two. Yeah he eats anything, so but I.

Would love him to if we can. I hope so do.

I spuy a sausage dog on your Instagram account? Whose sausage dog is that?

That's tribes, families, tribes, mums. But oh, I don't know.

I love it by stealing all the time, and him and Harry are just so cute together, and I don't know, dogs have always been a bit of my release, my outlet. I just love, you know, I don't know, taking the dogs for a walk and hanging with them, it was always something just took me away from netball and all the stress.

So if I can have two, that's always better than one.

Now, just to finish up, Errand because a lot of the time our podcast does talk about pop culture, reality TV influences, all that stuff. You've already told us that you're not really into the influencer last no, gosh.

I mean I do watch a bit of reality TV, but yeah, if it's about if this.

Is the topic, I'm going to be absolutely shocking. No, that's right, it's just some random questions. We're just gonna quiz you, and we're going to throw in some questions that maybe people well, we might find out stuff that we never knew about your There's not too many questions.

I haven't been on reality TV show. No, don't worry about that. I know what was there?

Was? Like that? Wasn't there that thunderbake yet, wasn't it?

Yeah?

That?

Oh my gosh, that was actually hilarious.

That was actually I was pretty good on that. You did star in a rap video for video too, let's not publicly talk about that. Look, I was in it in some form as well. I was tory, So oh.

I shouldn't We all should have won a Bloody Award for that performance.

Okay, So what reality show would you go on if you had to pick one? Oh?

Well I might go on Survivor.

Oh yeah, I mean I didn't watch Survivor this year, but I don't know. I don't think I could do like the other ones, like they're all love related.

Okay, Well, what if if you weren't engaged and they said, Aaron, we want you to be our new bachelorette, would you go on it.

Oh, I could just couldn't do it, no life, Nah, nah, nap couldn't do it.

What else?

What other reality TV shows are there?

I reckon you'd be good on The Amazing Race.

Oh yeah, actually I was saying that the other day. Yes, I would love to do that. Yeah that's a good one. Yeah, well one of those adventure type ones, not one of the lovey dovey ones like nah, I just no way.

I couldn't do that.

Are you watching The Bachelor this year or sorry, the Bachelorette with Angie?

Yeah?

Do you like it?

Yeah? Yeah, I think she's good, she's real. The boys are funny. I don't know. I just think it's Oh. The other one i'd go on is the Block.

Oh yeah, I could see you on that.

Yeah, it depends who though I'd need to.

I couldn't go on with Trav he would just heat the sleep deprivation would get him. But i'd have to if I could go on with someone. Yeah, but yeah again by practical reality to you and.

That Romberto, how do you think you and Nat would go? Yeah?

Yea, I would kill it. Yeah.

Actually they had netballers on the Block.

Yeah, they did really well.

Yeah, if total nine are listening. Okay, So Christmas decorations. When is it too early to decorate?

Oh? Look, I'm happy December one? Okay, yeah, look, probably November is a tight early. But in saying that, like, I'm not against it. I love a Christmas movie, so I'd happily watch Christmas movies in November.

What's your favorite Christmas movie? Oh?

Probably Love Actually, Oh yeah, I know.

Or actually Miracle on forty second straight thirty forty first straight.

It's like a real old one.

Yeah, and it's got like the cutest Santa and yeah, I will used to watch that as a kid.

Okay, So if you weren't a netballer and you had to choose another sport to be professional at, what would you choose?

Oh?

I always liked the idea of beach volleyball, but I don't didn't like but old have to wear to be a beach vollibol person. But yeah, ah yeah, beach volleyball always they look cool, like relaxed beach lifestyle.

Yeah yeah, what's and sorry, what is one thing that would surprise people to find out about you? Oh? No, that's a hard one. But is there something that you that you like that people wouldn't think you like or something that you do off the netball court. That's interesting.

Well, I kind of spoke about dancing, but I used to tell people like that was surprised that I was a tap.

Dancer is surprising. Yeah, I did tap dancing for ten years.

Oh my gosh.

Yeah, and I really liked that.

Does that help with your footwork on the court. I don't think so.

And it helps me remember things like I had to remember the dance routines and all that. I think the other interesting thing, it's not that interesting, but just being a goal shoot my whole life, and that because I wear contact lenses.

If I didn't have my contacts in, there's no way I would even be able to play netball.

So that kind of surprises people. Bit as a goaler, I can't even see the netble ring. But that's all fixed up now. I had laser eye surgery.

Oh wow. Oh yeah.

Yeah.

Lastly, this is a very pressing question, especially to Sophie Thoughts on Taylor Swift's album Lover, Because you you weren't a fan of nineteen eighty nine. I was shocked to discover.

I'm an old school tailor fan. I haven't even heard the new album, like, I've kind of rebelled against her. I know, I'm sorry, I don't like her new stuff. I'm just back in love Storyland. I saw yeah first album and she had her curly hair, and she was all innocent because of your beautiful curly hair.

Is it? I was channeling my tailor in a Taylor swift.

But no, she's kind of lost me over the last few years, unfortunately. I know.

Sorry, We'll just give it a listen for and just to finish on you, you have an exciting project all your works. Did you want to touch on that orts?

Well, look, this podcast is inspiring me to do my own. But again, as I said earlier, I'm an ideas person. The actual application we'll have to soon see. But no, yes, I would love to do a little project, something that can inspire the next generation of netballers. So yeah, I just think that netballers especially have such great.

Stories to tell.

And you know, like all athletes, everyone goes through their own individual journey and there definitely are a lot of ups and downs, and I think sometimes our next generation may be struggle a little bit with that resilience and realizing that, you know, it's the first setback, they think it's all over.

So I'd really love to do something.

That can showcase that, you know, a setback is just part of your journey, and that's what makes your journey unique, the way you get to the top and yeah, hopefully get a nice, strong, resilient bunch of netballers coming off in the future.

Well, we can't wait to hear your podcast when it eventually comes out. Thank you so much for joining us. I've had such a good time chatting with you, so thank you. Thanks for having me