Welcome back to the Mason Cox Show. This is Nolan Cox filling in for Mason. He is right next to me, so we're gonna get this thing cracking.
Mason kick us off seven platforms, Facebook, it's the great of Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, Apple Music, have a podcast, and spotifox. Those are the seven Nolan's. He started off on a very good note. Yes, it is a very bit of a weird one. I've got my family in here. He's probably gonna asoutely roast me, so I'm a bit nervous going into this, but I think it's gonna be great fun. But yeah, check us out on seven platforms like comment everything else, and we've got some amazing stuff coming up.
But this one is a very special one, being family in town at the moment and doing one with a brother. Now, I don't really know. There's gonna be a lot to cover here. It's gonna be a lot to cover. You've known me for thirty one years. Thirty one years. Nolan is a little bit older than I am, so he's known me for thirty one years, and he's known all the juicy details in the hot gosspt behind the scenes.
So I'm a bit nervous.
I am a bit nervous, but I will intro you as I do everyone, and it's probably gonna sound very much like me. He grew up in Dallas, Texas, played basketball Oklahoma State University. That was a highlight of his athletic career. Wait, no hold on. He also played footy and the us i FL still does now. And he's how many times he won the national championship. I think we've won five or six, five or six time national championship. Yes, he has got way more Grand Final wins than I do.
But he lives in Austin, Texas now and he essentially hosts a homeless person during my off season for about three weeks. And he's the great man and the brother himself, the man who's been through a lot with me, and someone on high respect.
But thanks so much for coming on having me appreciate it. I like the Austin Crows Garry got there on it is. I've got the calling with hat.
So we're we're swat places anyone doesn't know. Austin Crows is the us AFL team he plays on. These are all the national championships he's won with.
If anybody can kick them all at more than ten meters. You're you're welcome to come out wing. Yeah, exactly, straight in, go straight in.
We'll start because a lot of people it is kind of, I guess, giving people an intro into not only yourself, but also kind of ourselves in general, because we grew up the same place, grew up and doing the same kind of thing. Both played basketball university, like somewhat of
the same intro into where we're at now. And I want to cover things because there's so many people who ask me so many questions, and I'm sick and tired of my opinion of where I grew up, and I want to get your opinion on what's going on and what is happening in the US, and then also just you know, what we can learn from what's going on over there. We'll start. We grew up both Dallas, Texas. Now, a lot of people say Dallas, Texas. You know, we
think of cowboys. We think of you know, Indians and cowboys and the wild wild West and everyone rides horses and everything else. You know, what was it like growing up in Texas?
The Dallas Fort Worth area has eight million people, which is three million more in Melbourne. There was no horses, there were no cowboys, there were no Indians, and we pretty much had the same exact upbringing. Probably is a lot of folks here in terms of like just going to public school and driving on paved roads and yeah, not having any of the stereotyps that you typically see.
But down in Texas where I live now, you get outside of town, a little bit outside of Austin, and there's there's some country to it, right, so like there's there's definitely some some horses, ranches, that type of stuff. So do you get out far enough West Texas and Audias like you get some of that. But now where we grew up, there's none of that, absolutely none of it. And uh yeah, pretty typical suburban upbringing. Do you have a cowboy hat? Oh? Do you have cowboy boots? I
have got some cowboy boots. Yeah you have a pearl snap? I might have a pearl snap.
Okay, we're not helping to start out time, that's right, that's a good point.
Yeah, Well, you gotta go to the country concerts every now and then. Yeah, got to be looking the part.
Now, the country music doesn't really exist in Australia. It is up in like Tamworth, I think is the big Tamworth Country music festival in Australia.
That's the big one. But here in Australia doesn't really exist.
Now back in America, we've got what we call Billy Bob's Billy Bob's Texas.
A lot of people might some might know that.
I don't know, but it's honkey talk, the world's largest honkey talk. Now, if you don't know what a honkey talk is, it is, I'll let you describe it.
It's basically like a country dance all. So like in these small towns, I'm sure back in the day they had live music, and they still do some of these big dance halls, but yeah, green halls are real famous. One close to we're at Billy Bob's up in the Dallas area. But yeah, so it's definitely a place where you can be a fake cowboy for a night and where those cowboy boots that otherwise never seen the light of day. Yeah.
And then also there is a rodeo inside Billy Bob's too, so you can actually ride a bull within Billy Bob's at the same time. If that gives you any idea of how country this place is. But there are plenty of stuff in America and also in Dallas, it is kind of unique to anything else. Now I want to obviously talk to you about sport. Now you played football,
I played soccer. Kind of going through high school and everything else or college as they call it here before we went to university is a few different words that might get mixed up.
But what was it like in Dallas?
I know everyone here is obvious football NFL is massive in the US, and I try to describe it to people of how big it is in Texas, Like maybe people have heard of Friday night lights like and things like that, of really giving the image of just how chaotic and just nuts of a fan base it is.
For like NFL in America.
What was it like being in a big school, like a big univer or big school in high school playing NFL in that sense, growing up through the system, and like we talk about like homecoming, people don't quite understand, like what a mom is, you know, and like you know what it's like wearing the big leather jacket or the school jacket with all the patches and everything else.
I've never got one of those.
But yeah, like if it's an idea of I guess what it was like playing football in high school and how big it was for the town.
Yeah, football and high school is a big time, So you'd play in front of fifteen twenty thousand every Friday. So Friday Night basically the way football happens in America. American football. Thursday Night is like the junior varsity, so like it's the you know, basically a year nine through eleven, and then Friday night is the big Friday Night Lights
as I know, and that's the varsity team. So like varsity programs play you know, Cross Day or sorry cross cross City Rivals and stuff like that, the Friday night games like Friday Night Lights. Actually, my coach in high school was in the original book that all the movie and all the you know, the TV show and a that was based off of So out of Permian out in West Sexes. But yeah, and Friday Night and then Saturday goes into the college game, and then Sunday, of
course is is the NFL. So it kind of like rolls into the weekend with Yeah, nobody really goes to the TV game unless yeah, you're lucky enough to have a girlfriend sophomore or whatever. It's kind of kind of obligated. So nobody's coming to my games except mom and dad. But uh and then yeah, Friday night and they get pretty big. It's like some of the bigger rivalries we played in like Jerry World, like Cowboys Stadium where they where they play because you know, the high school sam
would just be overflowing. But some of these high school stadiums like are you know, multi multimillion dollars stadiums, And I mean you'd get bigger crowds than you would it. Oh, certain teams, yeah we won't. We won't name then, but North Melt we're not.
We hate on North a bit on this just a little future tazzy all right, No, but it's like Allen, Texas, I think, has like a stadium that holds like fifty thousand people, and it's like that's a high school. It's not even like a you know, a proper you know, it's not even to the point of amateur of college
like and then you got NFL beyond that. So it's tough to describe, like how a whole town will shut down for a whole bunch of like, you know, fourteen to eighteen year old kids, running around hitting each other, like it just doesn't really make sense in the grand scheme of things, but it is insane and like it's football is just the massive thing. Now I played soccer, which was not watched so much and was not really
oh gosh, wasn't as interesting to people. Let's say that now everyone I went to America though, like everyone here kind of plays AFL and Melbourne growing up. A lot of kids will play rugby up in Sydney. Now most people played soccer growing up. Is that correct, Well, that's weird.
Yeah, Like soccer is definitely the biggest U sport in the States, and then you know, when you get to the high school, it kind of just disappears because like it all goes club, right, So like in high school, like basketball, you've got like au You've got high school basketball, and then football is pretty much just high schools, right. There's no like club football, club American football, right, like soccer is all club so like every it just kind
of depends on sport. Like baseball is just the high school sports. Like there's no club baseball. So it kind of is like pretty bizarre the way that they have like the clubs versus the high schools and stuff. But yeah, you'd definitely need to be going to like camps and stuff like that to get recruited for football. But soccer was kind of you get a lot more games in like high school football, it's ten or fifteen games and
you're you're done for the season. So like you if you have about a round and you get hurt your junior year when you're getting recruited off, Yeah, exactly so. But yeah, no high school falls big time. I mean soccer, yeah, maybe not so much, not so much. We're getting there. MLS in America is becoming bigger and bigger, is it. I don't know. We had David Beckham come over there.
I felt like that was a big, big get, big get for the LA Galaxy, big get for the LA Galaxy. But now we'll talk about more of away from sport now people, we're gonna get a little bit deep here. Now in America, a lot of people will ask me the first thing they asked about is three things they ask about Trump, guns, and religion.
Right, and those will hit all three. And you have me on the podcast today. Yeah, I want to talk about a lord and say, Jesus.
Christ, I'm just yeah, what is it, like though I tell people all the time I go, I go to school and on a Sunday if no, like if I go into school on a sorry, on a Friday, like I know I'm going to see a lot of my schoolmates on a Sunday. Yep, and they're all going to be at church on a Sunday. And that was just kind of normalized. Like we're here in Australia, like I really would struggle to even know one person that goes to church.
Yeah, and it's like it blew my mom and I came here.
If not necessarily like the it's probably just a lack of care of religion in a sense of like in America, it's so ingrained in politics and culture and you know, ingrained in families and everything else.
We're here, like we grew up Catholic, Like do I go to church every Sunday?
No, but most Sundays my mom listens to this podcasts or our mom listen to those podcast we do go to church every Sunday mom in our heads. But yeah, now it's it's different, and like what is it luck? I guess give us a bit of a description on the differences in religion. You know based in America and maybe how it's changed. I feel like it's so much different now where a lot of people probably aren't as heavily religious as they were probably ten, fifteen, twenty years ago.
Yeah, for sure, now it definitely has gotten less well at least less problement in our lives. And maybe that's like not having families and having kids and stuff like that. Like I think, once, yeah, it's definitely a good piece of structure to like raise a family with, right, So like I know, you know, we were growing up, we'd always want to spend the night at our fend's house on a Saturday night, and it's like tough, you got
to get the Mass on Sunday. So but no, I think, yeah, it's definitely like gotten less prevalent the older we've gotten just just in general and society. But like I think a lot of people have also been like a lot more open to different ideas and different religions. So like when we were growing up, it was, you know, obviously predominantly Christian from what we saw on our day to
day lives. But now I think like more and more people there's have more exposure to different religions and different face, and like I think, you know, if nothing else, it's just a good way for like people to build this sans of community, which is so it's just a cool you know, it's a cool thing. So like whether you religis or not, Like I definitely like see the value on it. And it's you know, kind of cool that like people can now get into like Buddhism or as long but whatever they want.
Growing up, it was unique everyone with church Sunday, saw your nights there, saw your friends. Mom and dad had all their friends from church and everything. Alison, it's just very different now moving from religion to the next topic of Dallas. Dallas, Texas, and what everyone loves to ask is do you own a gun? From mass to mashings great, good, good transition.
No, I don't have any guns. Yeah, I think everybody thinks, like everyone's just rocking around with like shotguns after their back go to the grocery store to get like like this has not happened in Texas or anywhere in America. But now like, no guns for me, no guns for most of the people I know. Really, like I know a few hunters that like have hunting rifles and stuff like that, but like nobody's rolling around with like a pistol.
Strapped to their side. You can, if you want, you can have an open care now legally yes you can, but people don't don't.
Not a necessity.
Not a necessity because a lot of people obviously it's a massive things we've talked about previously in masshootings anything else, and like it is so unique here except Port Arthur' shooting.
Then everyone was like, Noah, give your guns to the government.
We're gonna burn them all and then essentially we'll give you a rebite and you'll never see guns in this country again unless you need them for farming or whoever. It might be where people go to America and they go, oh my gosh, like I've never seen a gun before, you know, and then like you getting an uber and the guy's got one in his glove box, just coke up whatever you want, look a Walmart. But yeah, it's
it's so different. I think it's it's unique that people here always ask about it and it's like so different, I guess from Australia and America.
Most people don't don't have guns. Like the people who have their guns love their goals. Yeah, so you hear a lot more from those people. And obviously, like you know, when things go wrong with guns, it goes about as wrong as you can get. So like, has it changed much in the last five ten years with the idea
behind that? For sure? Yeah, definitely, the sentiments have changed a time, like with the amount of mass shootings and stuff, which are just you know ridiculous, Like people at the very least right now, like the big pushes just to get rid of fully automatic weapons to start, right, like you have to start somewhere with this stuff. Like people
aren't just gonna like give up their guns. And but I think the pro gun people are so afraid that like all right, once you give them an inch, you'll take a mile and they we're going to start taking off everything. So like anytime they start really debating, you know, gun laws and everything, like amo sales go through the roof, people start stocking up like it's about to be World War three or something, right, So like that part's pretty while.
But no, I mean I think, yeah, like there's just really yeah, hunting rifles, some of that stuff I get, but like there's absolutely no need for fully automatic weapon and every day life like in what you're literally going to war, which we are not.
We're not, so yeah, that's not a just nuts. Well, moving on from guns to a gun loving man that is Donald Trump. How was the last four years living with him?
In power Bounce? I was like, I'm out real, guys, but you guys enjoy it.
I'm not dealing with this to the last four years have been with your boy, Joe Bio.
Yeah, your boy keep it on your chest while my portfolio, could you take an absolute nose? Thanks a lot, sleepy, No. I mean, look, it's like politics in the US is just kind of nuts a while. You can go from like hosting everyality show in the press of the United States, which uh, maybe not the best and most qualified candidate, but then you know, like Joe Biden's yea, you'd say, like very qualified, right time politician and he's been in
it forever. You know, like there are things that he got Delta, like both of them got dealt a pretty rough hand with COVID. Like Donald Trump is just like, I mean, what's.
The wildest thing you said that you just listen to and you're like, this is absurd.
My personal favorite and there's a lot is when he said he was gonna nuke the hurricane that was New Jersey, Like what are you talking about? So, like, you know, from that standpoint, you know, Donald Trump, like, yeah, there's some fun to like, Yeah, fund is probably not the right word. Entertaining is a better better description. But my goodness, like we're in a new hurricane. Like listen, love me hate. I'm like, that is the most absurd thing.
I don't think Jane Bond will be reckoned out of recommending not one no, no.
So, like you know, just having somebody where you never never know, like what you're going to look up to was that problem is like god knows what else he's gonna try to do. So it was pretty unsettling from that perspective. But like, yeah, just a total loose cannon. Like I'm very very glad that he is out of office for the time being. I think he's already announced twenty twenty four candidacy, but man, yeah, he's hopefully long gone.
And then yeah, we need some fresh We need some younger folks, like you got these like eighty year olds and you're trying to run the country. We need some people a little bit younger.
And everyone always ideas, oh, can you know BA want to come back, just like can we just can you just come back, like change the rules?
Like I don't know the power of the president, Like you want somebody who at the very least has like respect for the office and like presents that they want the best for America. And Obama had that, and like I don't know that I know that title Trump didad have. I don't know that we'll have somebody like anytime soon that I'll sort of, you know, have the respect to the office and the people the way that Obama did.
You know, politics aside, Like I feel like he at least wanted what's best for the American people, which is like it should be like literally the only prerequisite for the job. But somehow we've gotten the way from that. So what do you do?
Un't real Well, our family is somewhat divided whenever it comes to to the to the presidential debate at times. But I will go into the next thing because we want to talk about I want talk about family and we've got obviously amazing parents. Everyone knows Phil Cox filthy Phil Follo him on the Twitter account Phil Cox as year one eight. I might regret saying that, but what was it like I guess like everyone always asks, you know,
like did you grow up playing sport? Did you grow up you know, traveling a bunch of sport and everything else, and like what was it like? And I think the biggest thing I always talk about was like I was super lucky that I had a mom who worked, a dad who worked, and like you know, was supportive all
the way through our different athletic careers and everything we did. Yeah, and now it's kind of cool to see him somewhat getting a return on investment of that and like being able to enjoy AFL and he enjoyed us playing soccer and basketball and football and everything else.
Like what was it? I guess what would our parents like growing up? What was it like?
You know, you know, we all played sport, like all three, Like we've got another brother, Austin, like, and we all three played sport and had two parents and someone I jumped around, like being able to put pull us from place to place to be able to get us the practice and everything else.
What was it like?
I guess like having the support of family, Like I think anyone that would you know, be a professional athlete, Like it's all about your support group in the circle you have and everything else. What's it like having Phil Cox and Jay Cox's parents.
Nah, they're great man, Like yeah, like you said, I mean they work full time jobs and then also coached our our soccer teams, our baseball teams and all that stuff, like despite having never kicked a soccer ball in their lives, like all of a sudden, yeah, qualified to be a coach, coach for the undertens whatever. But jammers Yeah, hey, they shout out the Jammer man, the shammers going. We had some good squads. No, but they were yeah, I mean they're kind to be packed full?
Was it?
Kind of the craziest thing I can remember from that was when we were kids, Like we'd have you know, like baseball or soccer whatever all across town. And this is like pre cell phone days, Like yeah, you'd like have one cell phone for the family that you'd share or whatever, and like they'd have to go the night before just like playing out the schedule. It's like I'll
meet you at field seven at like twelve thirty. It's like guess what, like if you had a flat tire, like you just don't know where you're you know, the rest of your family is like hopefully okay, yeah, you know, won't be talking to them. So yeah, they used to play it that and it was like, you know, then by your senior year of high school, like I ended up walking on the basketball team. It'll colon and say it.
So I'm playing in college like four hours away, and they're driving up to those games, even though like I'm not getting playing time. You know, I got like NBA players, I'm sitting behind on the bench right yeah, exactly exactly, So like my mom, dadly you don't have to come to this stuff. And they're like, listen, we've been coming to your games for like fifteen twenty years, you and the boys, and like, you know, this is the last year.
It's Mason's last year of high school socer, it's your last year of college basketball, which we didn't even think was going to happen. And then yeah, they got a couple of years off and then it's like then you walk on and I'm like, oh gosh, like three more years of this, but just like you know, pretty cool. And then are like, all right, now we're definitely done. Mason's not going to the NBA. This is the last game we'll ever have to watch like it's been a good run and here we are in a van and
I'll shut you. Eight years later, I'm on tawnterflying that way across the world to watch from ridiculous sport we've never heard of. So yeah, but no, I mean that's like, but that to your point, like your original question, the type of support they had, like we had a parent at every single game. I like, I've had a parent at every single game I've ever played, like a pretty much any level sport, which is which is like just really lucky, honestly, Like a lot of people don't get
born into having that support of a family. So like, yeah, I mean to your point, like it's cool that film ma gets to reap their rewards and just being like the biggest footy nuphy earth from at least on the continent of North America and on Twitter. Yeah yeah, yeah, that's that's sure too. So no, it's good man, goodn't ask for better. I'm going to ask you this because you mentioned it.
Now a walk on, so we'll go into the college guy is now a lot of people don't understand what a walk on is. Yeah, can you explain? Because you to give a background for everyone else like you're so off. You were walking on before I got there, four or five years beforehand, right, and then four or five years later I walked onto the basketball team, which is not professional level but probably has the money of professionalism as far as Australia, Like I think there's probably more money
in Cuba than all of us, like AFL for sure. Sure, And so people don't understand I guess like the number game behind that and what we did. Can we dive into a bit of We'll start with what is a walk on because a lot of people don't understand that.
Yeah, So walk on's are the non scholarship players. So usually usually the guys who are a little bit of like a tackling dummy and football or just yeah, the guys that get dunked on during the basketball drills Mason drill. Yeah, it's usually the white guys at the end of the bench wave from the towels. It's like not quite not quite there athletically, but like really have a lot of spirit about him, you know, really good spirits. Yeah exactly.
So like, no, well I hadn't played high school basketball, right, so, like I just once I got tall, I started playing a lot of pick up, and then I was like, you know, well, I tried out for the basketball team in seventh grade. Yeah, didn't make it. Tried out in nighth grade, didn't make it. Hadn't hit you grosper. It didn't hit the grosper. Yeah that's right. And then so then high school, you know I didn't I've played football and got into that football. You couldn't get cut from
the team. So it was like, as long as you showed up every day, yeah we're on, and we got a kids. Then I've tried out for the best. So they had tryouts by sophomore year of college. Did make it, didn't. Senior year. I was like, you know what, give it one last crack. Not made the basketball team every other time in my entire life dating back to seventh grade, but somehow.
Somehow, so there was a there was an actual tryout, actual try out, yeah, goes, well, this is just random kids going university.
Yeah, just students, Yeah exactly. These are students that like are not in school to play sports. So like most of them, I mean, don't get me wrong, like a lot of them played like pretty high level high school sports and stuff like that. And then they were like, oh I could either play like a low small college or something like that, but I'd rather just like have fun, go to college and go to a big school with
my friends. So like, yeah, you end up like just in a try out with you know whatever, like one hundred other kids. And so yeah, I got lucky and ended up like making that. I think they took four of us. And uh, yeah, I played my senior year, which is pretty sweet. And then you started coming to the games. We're playing against you know, pretty big time players and uh, the biggest player Pudy ins the most fass is probably Blake Griffin, so played him three times.
Navin Durant though, didn you play Kevin Durant? That was the year before I walked on, So yeah at the game, but didn't didn't play against him, but yeah, played Griffin. I wouldn't say I played against play Griffin, but I was on the team when we played against them. He shook his hand at the end of the game. A great game. Yeah, good luck in the Yeah, will be watching on TV. Now describe it. So you're walk on now.
Walk On essentially has everything but scholarship, which is the money to go to university and pay for classes and books. And all this kind of stuff. You know, so like you're paying you know, you're going into debt or we were fortunate enough God blessed to have my mom and dad and helped pay for college. But a lot of people going to debt pay for university and then go back and pay that loan off. Now you're a college student,
you're not getting paid. You're like you're giving all this time to this basketball program that's not really giving anything back. But this experience, what's it? Like I guess was it always? Because I think people don't understand how big of a deal it would be to actually walk onto a team, Like it is a life goal and it's like, man, this is gonna be the biggest athletic accomplishment I've ever done in my life. Like this is like I remember the first time I walked on like it was free close.
How good is this? And I was like, dude, a private jet, we get free Chick fil A? Like what in the world, Like this is insane?
Nine shoes.
You're like I had to pay for mushers whole life and then free Yeah exactly. Now, like the process of you're getting there is very similar to mine. So you actually helped out with the women's team. Yeah, yeah, yeah, which is kind of wild. So you go women's team start kind of I guess, like because both of us never played basketball growing up, and we start playing the local rec league, and then the local rec league go and help out the women's team, and the women's team.
You go into the men's team and then you start playing there, right, Like what was it, Like, I guess how did you get up into the women's team.
Yeah, I just was doing it like the year before, and he was like, hey, look like they play at the big stadium. We basically like have you know, instead of playing pickup games here at the rec center, like you get to play at this like nice fifteen thousand seats. Yeah, that's pretty cool. And so like you just go rock up and they send you the flash cards and they're like, all right, you're going to be the center, so run this play and then you run it against the women's
team and then they'll just unlock the gym. And the coaches were awesome, like they'd get us like barbecue and buy us a ke get the end of the year and the year yeah, big time, big time. Yeah, so big fan never got that whenever I was in college for my own well you know, not that that ever
really happened, but no, so it's great. Well I think that actually, like you know, whenever I tried out for the men's team, I'm sure at some stage they were like, you know, like we should get a reference or something. And I like to think that like the you know, the women's the women's team was like you know, this guy's stand up dude or whatever, and uh, you get on, but because they need just reliable, like you know, solid exactly.
So like, yeah, the women's team thing was just kind of a fun, knock around thing with my friends, Like it wasn't like a big time commitment or anything like that. So we're kind of doing them a favor. And then you know, you start playing on the men's team and it's like full on, like you're doing two days morning sessions six am that you're doing the afternoons like full on practice and then but yeah, the private jets and
stuff like that. I mean, you know, it's like a completely different world than what you have a normal college kid. Like there was a game that we were I was not like when I first started, like I wasn't travel at every game and we were We had practice one day and our coach was like, are you going to the game and like Corpus Christy today And it was like Corpus Chris, He's like a like three hour flight
and I'm like, I don't know, I've classed tomorrow. He's like, yeah, just just come And I was like, well, the flight's like right after practice, Like how I get it there? He's like, We'll just hold the plane until you get there, Like this is ridiculous. Jet, Yeah, the hold the jet until yeah. So I'm like, for me, who like didn't play basketball until like like organized basketball until like two months ago, holding the plane for me or whatever, like
just ridiculous. So some of those experiences like you just
never would expect. And then the facilities and stuff. To your point, like there's so much money in these Like you've got like all this TV money that rolls in for college sports and like billions and billions billions of dollars, right, so like in college football, in college basketball, or like the two sports that actually like are profitable for especially the TV right, steal for football kind of pays forever the sport, right, So, like the locker rooms and all that
stuff are just absolutely ridiculous and like you kind of come over and oh, when you're intercruited a couple years later, it's like, check out these facilities. We're walking through these different clubs.
I'm like, this is an IFL, by the way, Yeah, you get recruited all and I'm like, oh man, my high school facilities is pretty similar to that.
Yeah, it was pretty level, but we tell them that they'll take offense to it. But no, no, no, well there's you know, there's some really cool stuff here. Like I mean, Colling was socility having like the Olympic swimming facilities. Like yeah, it's super sweet, right, so it's a bit of history there and then you got the modern part of it. But like, yeah, compared to like.
The college we had, Like I remember one thing I blew my mind was like we had a pool table and the pool balls had like we're customized balls and had like logos and everything else, and like we had the cowskin like couch and everything else, you know, and the twenty TVs and the saunas and the hot pools and cold pools, and I think the shower heads were like five hundred bucks each and you know, there's a half a million dollar meal, like marble staircase going downstairs,
and I'm like, you know, you have this whole gym that's a little underneath the actual like the court you play on, and there's a track around that. It was just like next level kind of stuff. And then I came here and I was like, oh, this is good, doing me wrong, but like some things need to be probably updated. Remember there's billions of dollars pumped into something like I think what was it Boom Pickens, who's like the big donator. He's donated over like a billion dollars
to the school. It's like one person right count that he's got his name on the side of the stadium, so to one school, to one school, and.
There's that stuffs happening all over the country. So yeah, it's pretty wild. I mean, it's just yeah, it's different, and like it's a bigger market, right, Like there's you know, three hundred and fifty million people in the States and there's a lot of them those went to college and you know, if they want to be able to brag on Monday that their football team exactly got.
Up, right, So now what is so like we're talking about to like basketball, college everything else. I'm a bit nervous on this because a lot of people don't know about my college life. I've dabbled into it here and there. Don't get me wrong, I've said a few things. Now you would know some stuff, though I probably don't want out there, and I'm happy to be this open conversation.
Right, So, freshman year, pretty tame, pretty tame, pretty in the dorms, in the dorms, keeping of the dorms. Legally, you can like get kicked out of the school. Yeah, yeah, right, so like, well you know what I mean, Like if you get caught doing that, like if you get caught off campus without call, right, it's like not as big of a deal on campus. Is like you don't to put the actual college career in jeopardy because you want to be able to have a lot more uh bene
filled evings later on in life. Right now, we got from the first year's pretty time. Second year. I live in a place called the Hester House. The Hester House. Now, this is disgusting.
I'm trying to find the best way to put this. I should have been condemned about twenty years before.
Yeah, Rent was one hundred and seventy five dollars a month, a month, a month. You get what you pay for, Yeah, you get what you paid for. That was that was the stars a hole on the floor that you guys stole a traffic cone whatever, so that whenever you had parties, people wouldn't fall into the hole. Like absolute liability and uh, we're coming on. Yeah, the upstairs is basically just collapsing
into the downstairs. Somebody had cut a hole in the staircase where the stair like when the wall came down, so they could fit their mattress and shove it off the staircase, which like just can't be legal. Then then like duct taped a beer can on a ninety degree angle to cover up the the hole that was just cut with a solid the whole like the whole thing, And funny enough, actually was condemned like a year. Yeah, exactly,
really nice part of Harker Kuboks. I'm not goodness. That place is an absolute dum and I lived in some pretty bad places too, but like that place took the cake. It was disgusting, and the people who lived there were
evenly discutting you being one of them. So yeah, this guy, I mean, like the type of person who would just break into his own home through the window because he'd forget his keys going out and you know, yeah rock up to like you know, Bible study tailgates with the handle of makers and just taking full full triple gulps before stumbling his way back over to the game. This is like eleven am. So I don't know if you
guys have he doesn't really have tail. You gotta have tailgates, like you know the big parks up by the g Like if you guys just had that thing full of full of you big girls at the back, like that's that's what you guys need to get there because that's the best part of the whole whole weekend. Yeah wrong,
but yeah, they tail get his money. So like that's where we just kind of get together, kind of bounced around to the different tailgates, and like it was cool too in the States, like in college all the tailgates when you're like in an away games, like if you drive from like Oklahoma to Iowa, for like the people Iowa are just like guys came from Oklahoma, like jump on in, like thanks so much for coming. At least
like the good schools. That's the way they do it. So, yeah, it's it's a whole nother but you guys got to get on the tail getting here.
I know, it's something I pushed for a long time. I think they tried it for a bit, but they just don't really understand how to do it. Yeah, And the thing is till getting like because you get like the satellite and you can see like.
Gas generator, the satellite up. You'd be watching all the like five different TVs in the back of the back of the van or whatever. Not the back of the van, right, like we're in the back of the van, but to the back of the back of theeabout Yeah, you'd have the truck. It's literally the tailgate, right, chuck tailgate open. Yeah, love a Barbie. You know.
I haven't jumped into it, but yeah, it's some crazy stuff now. I think because we went to a school where it was a very small town, still Water, Oklahoma. Shout out to the old Oklahoma State Cowboys.
That's right, I guess we were cowboys. We were.
We're not really help on this whole thing. We went to kind of somewhat of a small school. So now there are bigger schools in the middle of the town. But where we lived was very much a remote community and since there was no city around, it really is an hour and a half away. It was the school. The school ran the town, and I think anyone would agree with that. The school was run by a whole bunch of eighteen to twenty three year olds, and like, can you imagine how chaotic and crazy that is.
In half in the summer because all the kids went home from school. So yeah, say thousand person town, which is not very big thing to begin with, and then twenty thousand leave.
So now describe it because if you are an athlete in that town, right, so you we both played basketball. Now the benefits of being an athlete in a small town. Never stay on the line, Never stay on the line, never.
Had a tell drinks. This is a great thing over, that's right. It's very similar to your left in Melbourne. You cut every line, You cut every line. You don't pay for anything. You just flick a text to somebody and sure enough tickets show up on your front doorstep or you get you know whatever. It is like coming here with you is like being in college and away, like it's kind of kind of rock out to wherever you want. Professional college. Yeah, exactly.
It still super humble, which is great every once in a while, bring you back down to earth. Yeah, it's good Now, College obviously, we'll move on from that. There's a there's a lot of college stuff we could probably go into, but I probably won't be employed by the time we get this out. That's good point now before we get into the IFL SOB because you've got a big kind of massive you're my agent beforehead agents here you started.
We're still waiting for your paycheck, waiting on that. Yeah. But another passion we both have is travel. That's right.
Now, we've traveled all over We've been some pretty amazing places. We've been, you know, to Europe, you've done some time over there. You've been to Shirly obviously. You know you've been to Japan everywhere else. Now, can you tell me the story about Patagonia and donas I don't know if I mean beautiful.
Playing that but probably probably not, probably not, but yeah, no, Patagony is incredible. Like we so we did this like six day high through the w torus al Pain right southern southern tip of Chile, which is like about as far as you can get before you get to Antarctica. Like then these have charter boats that good Antarctica during
the summer. But yeah, we're down in Chile and like I remember, this is like the first year you were playing, right, So like we're playing the VFL, which is, you know, not exactly the most glamorous of lifestyles, right, Like you're not going to a ton of press covers at that stage. But yeah, we're like at this hostel talking to these guys about you know, just about life and travels and all that stuff. And they're trying of traveling through South America.
And about an hour into the conversation, they're like, what do you guys live, you know, where you guys grow up? And I'm like, oh, I live in live in Austin, Texas. And Mason goes, I live in Melbourne and they're like, we know who you are. We didn't want to be weird about it, and we know who you are. Like so cool. I hope you guys make it or whatever. These guys are like from Perth somewhere, and I don't even know what Perth is at this point, but yeah,
it's so ridiculous. So like that's kind of like probably when I I was on the recruiting trip when you kind of came over here first, but like that was like one of the first times I was like, man, these people really do like a nuts for the love is ridiculous. Yeah. So yeah, they're like, you know, they know the VFL guys that are like traveling halfway across the world. But yeah, punterin, it's like we've had some
good travels. Yeah. South America is really really solid, like all over yeah, all over Asia and Australia, anything else. So favorite place in Australia, the place in Australia that I've been. Tell you what, Tazzi is good. North Melbourne's good.
You guys trash Now, you guys be nice to Tazzy on this podcast.
You need to. I'm just need to get them ANFL club And I think North Melbourne's best. Uh, Fraser Fraser Island's really good. Yeah, like squak but yeah, I've been to Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourn obviously, great ocean road love, great, huge goodness. Yeah, twelve Apostles is cool. I've been all that way down to Warnable, Warnable, shout out the hotel, Yeah, pick hotel, down to Warnable. Yeah, big fans of the hotel's, right, So yeah, no, I've kind of been all over, but yeah,
I think I don't know. So, like, you know, the big cities here, especially like the Melbourne's of the Sydney is like they're very kind of similar to America, Like you know, it's not like a very big culture shot coming here. Everyone speaking in English. You get like really good food, good uh you know, like buol pubs and
stuff like that. But man, like my favorite travels and you're just kind of out in the middle of nowhere, and when you get out, you get out some of these hikes and stuff like wine Glass Bay and has like out in Fraser when you're just driving the beach for hours not seeing a soul. It's like where else can you do this? Like you can't do this anywhere
in America, like hardly anywhere else in the world. So that's the type of stuff that I'm like, this is like a truly a unique experience, you know, Like you're in Melbourne, like you know, it's a unique experience, Like things are a bit different, but it's still a really big city, right, So like, yeah, you get out there and some of these hikes and stuff, it's yeah, new Zealand the New Trip. Yeah, yeah, so not unreal. Yeah yeah, and I've been it sounds maybe like yeah, the best
place I've ever been. Huge in the world. We had these dolphins like rolling past our, like riding with our boat the entire way. This lady was like, this happens maybe once or like two or three months, and you guys just got the one lucky boat, right, So like yeah, so we're just like looking items like you're in like like Avatar or something where it's like, all cgi, there's no way this is real. But I'm here like now. Yeah,
so that place is nuts. Yeah, but she said every two or three months, Uh yeah, every well maybe like every month or two. Yeah, definitely not very often. Head to write too. Whenever I was there, there was a dolphins.
Was really sell you sold it? She said, no chance, we'll come back to this. There was a dolphin. There was only one though, if you had a pot of dolphins maybe it was a different experience.
Yeah, we only had one. Apparently it was kicked out of the pod.
So it was like it was like, oh, this is so beautiful. I talk to the guys like I was like, oh gosh, oh no, so beautiful. Tell I heard the story, Well we'll get into a FL. Now you've been into this whole Like a f L was very and we didn't know what the hell it was. We had no idea what we're getting ourselves into. And I want to dive into like the first experience of maybe whenever I had called you and I said, oh, I'm going to go to this thing in Los Angeles for this AFL
combine and you were like, what the is that? What was your what was your mindset on that? Because I tell people all the time it was a whole thing. It's like and we'll get back to this as a degree doesn't expire, but opportunities like this always never come, never come again.
And what was your thought process?
I guess as an older brother given advoss to someone else who has no idea what the hell it is and he's just going out to a combine in LA for no reason whatsoever.
Yeah, the combat thing, I'm like, well, free trip to LA. I take it, right. But like as far as like what could have actually become of this with a sport I've never heard of? Like my first thought is you know, probably like the like parental instincts kicking in I'm like I had a couple of guys I played basketball in college that ended up in like Lithuania and some shady basketball league that like, yeah, I couldn't afford it some play ticket home whenever the league folded or whatever, Like
we better make sure it's not that. So like I go into like full on like Jerry McGuire mode. Right, I'm like I've got one client and I got to make sure he makes that that's right, So I jump in. I'm like all right, So I'm you know, like I was joke about, like I was your first aid, but like I was doing like a lot of legit research. I'm like, all right, are there like salary caps, like do you have to get drafted? Can you pick what
club you go to? Like what are the like as you know, if there's a salary cap, like what is the average salary? Like what is the average career span? Like you know, what endorsement type of deals are there? So like I actually like kind of did a fair amount of research to make sure that you were going to be stuck in a foreign country with the plane right now, and so by the time like we actually got the trip material realized, Like yeah, I was like
pretty confident. I'm like, all right, I think that this is pretty legit, but you know, you never know until you see it, That's right exactly.
And we had never seen this thing before until we actually had visual proof of it.
I was like, yeah, I think that's what the ANFL was thinking too, right, So like the AFL, you know. So I'm like all right again, full dammy. I'm like I'm going to start taking some phone calls. I'm like talking to agents. I'm talking to different clubs at like three am in the morning, isn't it. Yeah yeah, yeah, So I'll actually no because like eight am Melbourne time
would be like five ish back home. So like I get off clear, I get off work and I set all the meetings for like the morning in Melbourne, right, So like I jump off work and go straight into the zoom calls or whatever. And I'm like all right, So, like we got to figure out a real agent who like knows tet run contracts and everything like that. In America. I haven't passed the bar yet in America or in
Australia nor whatever. But so I'm like, you know, so I have conversations with these agents with the league offices some of the different clubs and stuff like that, and I'm like, man, I just I don't know, like what.
Was your impression of the IFL Was it like this is legit like they speak while I'm talking to like know what they're talking about, or like, were you kind of like Makeson described this this little combine thing he had and it was a bit not what he expected.
Yeah, well you know the combine thing. I know that. I think you've told the story before. There's like old ladies walking the track around the field. Yeah, this is so like this is the field running like awesome, this
is a good start. But yeah, so you were kind of you kind of like I don't know if you really wrote it off, but you're like whatever, I have finals, Like finals are kind of the big exams that you have to pass to be able to graduate, and you had the coming up in like a week or two, and they do a thing called dead week where like you just nobody goes out. It's just all study, all study, like cramming for these finals basically the week before, and so you were going into the dead week. You're like,
I don't have time to deal with this stuff. Can you please get on the phone with these people and just see if this thing is real. So I'm like, yeah, I got you. So that's whenever I start the whole you know, back and forth with all the different agents and the clubs and the and the league and whatnot. And then like you kind of gave me. You know, We're talking like kind of throughout the week, and by the end of By the end of the week, I'm like,
it seems pretty legit. I don't know, like there's a coward caps Like it's guaranteed, right, So like the sports that was a big thing. Yeah, because like in the US, like if you're in the NFL, like Fell, contracts are guaranteed, right, So like if you get like drafted at the very end of the draft, tear an ACL guess what, don't get paid, Like you just signed a three year yeah, three year contract for two million a year, but like you're seeing literally none of that. So like they just
they cut you and move on. So I'm making sure that it wasn't anything like that too, So like because obviously pretty brutal sport like, so I find out enough to think that, all right, this seems pretty legit. So we start talking again and You're like, so what's the deal, Like what do they want to do because all the different clubs are like we want to fly them out, we want to fly them out, and the League's like, pump the brakes. We can't have him spend like two
months over here with all these different clubs. Like we got to hold around, Yeah, we got to get this thing. So the league is like, listen, we want to fly them out. And I'm talking and they're like, we just we want to get them to three or four different clubs, so like we can have him check out a bunch of different facilities, meet a bunch of different people, and then kind of like just pick the one that seems
like the best fit. And I'm like all right, So I call you and You're like, you know, I still don't know much about this, saying like you're the only one that's really talk to these people. And so I call him back and I could listen, he doesn't really want to go alone. I said, we'll fly got to I said, we're in so so you know then that's that's part of the whole thing. Kind of kicked off
the whole thing. So like they put together this trip and you know, we visit North Richmond, Collingwood, uh, and in Port, and so we went to a couple different games, like went visited all different facilities and stuff like that.
So yeah, it was a pretty like wild time, like and I was like kind of full wheeling a deal and like, you know, it was you know, I thought I was I thought I was killing I'm sure like all the people and had nothing really like literally talking to like you know we had And at the time it was kind of funny too, because like you go to lunch at these people, you go to like, uh, you know, dinner with these like legends of the game, and we're like, never heard of any of these people. Yeah, Eddie,
Eddie macguar, cool, Yeah, what do you do? So that happened over and over, right, Like I think like one of the funniest things I remember from that trip was We're at Richmond and I guess, like, so Damian Hardwork picks us up from the hotel, right and uh and super nice right, so like all in like every club and that's why I don't like you dump it on North of the Sink. They were very comminating whatever, yeah, saying it's an opportunity and Tezzy yeah, it's fair enough,
pack pack your jackets. But so we're Richard, like you know, David Hardbrok picks us up. We've rolled into the car park and Jackie Waltz running into the club and he's like, I got to talk to this guy today, and I'm like, what's going on with him? And he's like, oh, he just said some stuff in the media like about how this maybe the coaching staff doesn't have the right mix or whatever, because this is mid season and I guess
they weren't like killing it just yet. But so we get in there and like sure enough, you're in some psych evaluation thing and I'm just like talking to the assistant coaches upstairs and the facilities, and you see him like running across the field to go catch the train,
and I'm like, what is he doing? All the coaches you're like, oh my gosh, Like he's like all the media's in the car park of like waiting to ask him these tough questions and he but I guess they caught him on camera like running across, so like you got busted anyway, like trying to avoid the media. But I'm like, is that really what it is? Here? Like
this is that big of a deal. You make one comment and there's like fifteen people at your doorstep trying to doorstop you to talk about like was like to you know, it's just crazy, and like that's the thing that's crazy about the media here in general. Right, Like every week it's you're either like kind of win the
premiership or your career. It's like, man, you just can't catch a break if you're like, well you specifically, but like you know, it's not just you, it's like a lot of other a lot of other players of also I don't know, I.
Do remember that, and you're telling the story of like because they have this like it's kind of like a third story up, you know, and you've got this like aerial view of the whole field and you just see Jack just go bang straight out the gates and it's right next to the Richmond station.
So he's playing this out. There's no like no doubt.
He's like, I think I've got this, Yeah, I think I could possibly get away. Yeah I'll get back in. And apparently the next day at the club you have to come in and get asked again. I don't know, but you just leave your car there and just pick it up another time. It seems like things turned around for them later, well three of the last four. Yeah, yeah, anyway, that was one of the funnier stories I remember for that trip. They've asked you to play in there, like local I did play basketball.
All the coaches were like, yeah, we got a break basketball, like you played basketball growing up. Come on, I was like, whoever's got shoes?
I went just like throwing all ups at the in sac just absolutely dominating. You know, your boy had halfs thet pack of the day. Oh man, all right, Well we'll go into a bit of I guess going into this, this whole experience, right, So we so we met up with four teams, five teams really if you count Freemantle.
We did have a little meeting with them.
Now we get to the back end of this, right, and I'll never forget like we were in the Crown I think it was and big kind of like wrap up of the whole experience.
Well we'll go back, I guess for the first AFL game. We're a geelong. Yeah, I told I told the story about the meat pie. That's right, Chuck, Mine about.
Ten piece of ship? Can you tell that story? Because I feel like I've told it maybe once or twice, but we got to hear from your So the.
Meat pie is like the hot Dog Show whatever, right, So yeah, so hot dog in a baseball game in America is kind of the same same, right. So we get to the game and I've never been to a footy game. We don't know what a meat pire is. We don't know. We didn't know what's six points? No clue, right, yeah? Oh yeah. The first BFL game you played, I remember like somebody kicked a point. My mom's like, let's go calling. We don't like points. Yeah she did, stood up in
the crowd. He's like, yeah, go team, go team. And I was like, it's not a good thing. There's a point on the board. I guess it could be worse. Yeah, not the best. It's not good. But no, we go. Yes, we go this game, and you know, everyone's like again like over welcoming. So the North, the North coaches or the you know whoever it was, they're like, let's gotta get you meat pie. It's like the quinnescent Australia experience. So we're getting this like half cooked, like half cold
meat pie downage along. It's like pretty cool that yeah. Absolutely. I took one bite and I was like, Mason, and You're like, there're no way, no way, this is happening. So I go all right, so I suck it back in. The little pouch thing comes in right, and like the next thing that they turn around, I like just chuck it down down to the and they they turned indo like I'd done it too quick, so they're like, oh my gosh, finished already. You want to if you want
another one? And I'm like that in that full four Mason sit there with like sliding on this thing and everyone's like what are you thinking.
You're like pretty good, thank you, so thank you, Please give me a contract.
Yeah yeah exactly exactly. But then like the songs start coming and I'm like, you know, we got the wee gelong, Like.
This is not real.
They're not really getting to hide to this song. Like nobody's getting hip to this song. This is ridiculous. So that was like the funniest. But that was like the first time we went to and it was like kind of the cool little bootss hating down the down the coast. And then we went to the Port Hawthorne game, I think like Adelaide Oval, which is also like those teams were flying at the time.
Yeah, decked out all year making sure and like that was all I had. And remember we went out that not I went out like here out of the town and they're like, oh, you're the guy on the TV.
So yeah, that was crazy. But I remember like even when we got to Adelaide, there was like cameras at the airport Mason Coxes in town and I'm like, this guy's like not even decided if he's going to come play. Well yeah, and they're like, don't worry, it's a sleepy town Adelaide. I'm like, you guys can't talk at all. Nobody's got more cameras than anywhere I've ever seen. Its ridiculous.
So we actually on that plane it was like a seven NAM fly to Adelaide, and I was so exhaustive, like the jet lag and everything else is going on. I remember falling asleep and everyone's probably done this, like fall asleep, put their head on like the seat in front of them.
Yeah, and then I woke up.
And then like that night, we see I got to see myself on camera like watching the news or something, and I've got this big crease of like the you know the table like that keeps it up. It's just like this big crease across my forehead of that. And I was just like, oh, great, this is a great, great first look for Attle. I sure they'll be real interested whatever. And then they were the ones that did
great contract. I remember you've been in that like psych evaluation thing too, and you're like why do you want to do this? Like what is what's your motivation? I'd be like, well, I just yeah, I love it. It just loves sport or whatever. Can Agley goes.
You don't love it. You don't even know it existed until three weeks ago.
And I was like, I'll take your fair enough. Yeah on that side, fair call. Well.
The one was that they were like, well, like how are you going to possibly make it and not living at home or you're like I haven't lived at home for five years. Yeah, it's different to the university, like you're not going back every weekend to you know, you see your parents like once every six months, kind of the same as what you would hear, so it's different. But yeah, that was man, that was a fun trip.
But like it's like literally they went to Geelong game the night before you didn't get back to my wents like three o'clock. And then we're on a seven o'clock flight, which we would be up at like four thirty five, and we're just being like two hours got to Adelaide.
Then they're like straight into the boots, go train against them.
I followed that out. I forget his name now, but he he had play. He was playing basketball. We're looking at him and he was just like bank one on one, go at it, kick a ball off and just whoever comes up with it. And I was like, I'd barely even seen a football at this point. They're just like essentially I think they're trying to They always I remember I first came here, I said, how much.
Cun t do you? Haven't you? Yeah? And always like how much is he having? Is he really like, you know, does he really want to do this? You know?
Not kind of get it because it's like this guy trying to have a worldwide like we're investing him, like, yeah, best believe me to make sure that he's gonna put enough effort into it.
They playing Monopoly when you're eight years old, they would know that you're You're a board flipper. You're the type of guy that gets down board.
Flippers stole a few five hundred out of the board, as we all do.
Yeah, why'd you end up with? Park Place? Was about six hours ago? I just bought it. I don't know, Yeah, well it was. It was a crazy trip and I think we got to the end.
I'll talk about this so like this instance where the Crown and I remember like this whole time, like they're not only kind of wining, dining red carpet myself, but because they knew you were the person in my ear of, like you got all the benefits and all the different stuff you could possibly it's actually even better, even better.
And you're still living that life. That's not bad. Yeah, I keep saying, everyone's like, he comes to us, show you a lot, and I'm like, well, you know, tell Mason gets a legit girlfriend and gets married.
Like I'm gonna keep living that fust one life as long as I can't. If anyone's listened to the pod, that's not happening anytime soon. So dating life not so well. You could talk about some actually some interesting dating stories. I'm sure you've you've heard in.
The past, But we go back to that last day. So like you're getting wine to dine.
Everything's happening right, And we get to this kind of pointy end of this trip and it kind of comes to the point where like they told us, Okay, every contract's gonna be the same yep, and like financially is
going to be the same. There's it might be benefits in the sense of like Collingwood might have more followers, which might help you know, build brand outside wherever it may be, or you might have a better opportunity of getting a job someone else because they've got more connections, whatever it may be.
And I remember we get to this dinner and I remember where it was.
It wasn't like a Nobu, but it was like a very fancy dinner and like there was beers are flowing. It was like, hey, thanks so much for coming, great job, awesome, thanks for having us.
For me more please, Yeah, I haven't strapped up a pair of boots the whole time, and I'm just yeah for two weeks.
And we got through this dinner and then we go for more drinks and there's like I'll never forget this little place and it's like right next to the entrance and there's a little mini bar and everyone's hanging out having drinks and stuff, and yeah, they kind of get
weeded out and stuff and whatnot. And then we get to the point end we're given two agents that kind of were giving us an idea of what it would look like the contract now because we're ignorant, Like you did a business degree, but like, did you have any experience as a sport agent.
No. I remember going up to this.
I think it was like a sports bar upstairs, and like, I'm not gonna lie, I was pretty pissed, Like I was quite drunk at this point, Like we had a few beers in us and I remember sitting there. I'll
never forget this moment. Is like they sit there and there's the first time we had talked about financials this whole trip, right, and they give like all the contracts of the different clubs are given to me, and then like we both looked at each other and we're looking at these and I'm like, I can't even read the letter.
Finally talk numbers and we're like ten years.
To just hammered, which I'm like, I remember sitting there and they like start chatting there for like five ten minutes, and I just kind of look at you. I was like, you're like, can we getting five minutes?
Now we get ten minutes. Just we're gonna have a chat about this.
I remember like going off to the side and I was like, yeah, I'm hammered, Like what are you okay?
I was like, do you know what's going on here?
No, it's like should we be making life decisions under this circumstances? Like no, no, no, no, no, So go back. We're like, thanks so much, guys, can you just give us a little bit of time. We'll think, we'll go back home, we'll talk to the family and we'll have a conversation with them and see if we want to come out here. But the AFL had already invested this, because they had already gone through and told the media
that I was coming. They kind of pushed this whole thing of like tallest player to ever play American coming out here. You know it's going to be this great you know, you know, great thing for the game and all this, and like they put a lot of investment into it. And like you said, I had not said I was coming, Like I got a job at Excellent Mobile, Like I was a nine hundred percent invested in this since I knew I was gonna come yet.
Yeah, And a lot of people are like, well, isn't it like kind of a waste of a college degree? This and that. But like you were able to negotiate the contract based on what Excell had already offered, right, so you got paid more than what a normal rookie was and then so off the salary cap because it's a rookie, like international rookie. See I did my homework, Yeah, exactly work. So yeah, that was. That was a coop
of like to your point. I mean, it was still like probably a little dice where they're like, man, this guy better come over because we've been really hyping it up in the media for the last week or so. So yeah, so but like, yeah, that was we were in no state to make that decision in that stage of the game, so uh, you know, kept on rolling. It was a it was a unique circumstance.
I remember flying back and there's a guy named Chris who had come to the combine in the US early stag just came to the combine. Was like a hype man, right, so he's like this fellas hyped up, you know, He's like, oh, man, like the boys you know all this kind of shit.
You know, I was like, not probably the person they thought they get out of it, you know, like this like suburban like walk on what that just was like, you know, an engineer, Like I don't think that was probably the person they were thinking was gonna come out of this. And I never forget Chris was on that flight over to I think it was from LA, like whenybody flew through LA maybe on.
The way back from the US.
Yeah, and Collingwood knowing, and like Collingwood's very good at this, and Decker Derek Hans is very good at this. And I loved it because I love ruthlessness. Who becomes suck recruiting. He schmoozed it, He lathered it up, you know, I just lathered it up and whatever you need, let us know whatever it is. You know, we've got all the connections in the world and all this kind of stuff, and they do have quite a bit. And I don't
forget Chris sat next to us on the plane. And this is a guy that like was kind of hired to like be in my ear, and somehow he had sorted out the I guess the airplane tickets at the AFL had booked for us, and then just I haded to book a ticket literally right next to us. We had a guy in our ear for like seventeen hours straight talking to us how great calling.
Because the trip wasn't a Callingwood trip, it was a tripfl to be like meeting all the different teams, and like we had no idea this is this guy was even coming, but they not only find out they're coming, he's sitting right spang next to us, like halfway through.
The flight, basical gets up together ise he's like, I can't let this guy anymore. You gotta swall seats of me. So we He's a super nice guy, but man.
It was just like we can't listen to seventeen hours of this, Like I gotta take a nap, so.
We'll go into I guess now the IFL career. So everything obviously panned out with all this kind of stuff, and we are ignorant, like we kind of have no idea. And I've called you many of times, going, you know, do I want to keep playing?
Do I not? Is this really worth it? What's going on? All this kind of stuff?
And you've kind of known me through the highs and lows and everything else they've gone through, and there's very few people I feel like they probably have the background information that you do of like kind of my experiences and the lows and the highs and kind of we'll talk a bit of both, I guess. But the first year obviously very very hard. Moving to a country where you don't know anyone, you've never heard of the place, never heard of Melbourne in my life. Yeah, moving to
a country to play sport you never heard of. And I guess my reliance was a lot on you to give me a bit of advice on you know, saying this isn't like, you know, like just stick it out. You've got a three year deal, stick it out in worst case scenario, like if things move on to life, you've got.
That in your back pocket. You go back to working engineering job.
Now, I will say this, like, and I don't know if you remember this moment we were in Saint Kilda, was after the chaos of like just the AFL trip, right, and it was like this fucking nuts And it's probably one of the first like actual conversations we've had like man and man kind of thing. And we're sitting down this like just I don't even know, like this little brick bledge looking out the beach, going like what the fuck have we just got ourselves into?
I had no idea? And we're like, well, we thought this wasn't real.
Now we've come into a game, we've seen it can have thirty thousand people, one hundred thousand people with the MCG have walked out onto the stadium and like being able to walk around and see how big of a deal this is. Because we didn't think it was real and we're like, all right, well now we've got to the back into this. We we're probably gonna get a deal.
Like what do we do?
You know?
Like, and it's kind of this moment in life where everyone has these you know, it might go one way or mic go or the other.
And I think like on that beach in Saint Kilda, it was like we essentially said like, nah, you're going to actually do this thing, and it was like shit, like I'm about to move my life to like this place I know nothing about and like just have this massive just risk. I'm about to take it live and I'll be internested.
Now.
I guess like you're what were you thinking whenever you're kind of going through this whole process of me and what I was kind of mentally all over the place and not really sure I was gonna do and had a job and everything else and giving it up and all that.
But you had kind of already been to work.
A proper career already, and like you kind of had an idea, like what was it kind of like I guess giving you advice.
Now that was like that was exactly it, right, So like I, you know, I played, We had like like we just talked about very very similar life experience up to that point, playing college basketball, Like you don't really think anything's going to happen after that, and like I just remember sitting on the here whatever it was at little legend say kill. Then You're like, I mean, like what do you think? Like what should we do here? And I was like, look for me, I'm proud of
you either way. Like you're gonna go work for an awesome, like massive company back in the States. They're going to have this crazy adventure. Like I've worked four or five years at that point in the corporate world, and I can tell you not that cool. It's not that cool,
like sending a cubicle all day whatever. So I was like, look, your college degree never exp your athleticism does like you will never probably have a day where you're sitting like on the field and I'll show you being like, man, I really wish I was in a cubicle right now, and that'd be awesome because you're gonna have plenty of those days probably in the future with yeah yeah, so, but I'm like, you know, if you pass this up, there's I can guarantee you there will be multiple times
a year where you sit there in your cubicle in Houston thinking like, man, be cooled to be in Aushowa right now. I wonder what would have happened, you know, Like it's like, look, I'm probably either way. I do whatever you want. I really don't care. Like I'm not trying to tell you to do one thing or the other.
But for me, like there's one path that like will always be there and the other one pretty much leaves when we leave Australia if you decide it does so like do without what you wish and uh, And then we didn't really talk about it again. I don't think the rest of that trip, I was just gonna like just leave it with you because, like I said, I'm like, I'm proud of either way. So we'll get back and then we kind of talked about a little bit more once we got back to the States and uh, just
enjoy the rest of the trip. But uh yeah, I ended up ended up deciding to go and then obviously ended up a calling with you eve A worried about maybe an over on my own. Uh not really again, like after seeing the ass house, like if you can survive that, you can survive that. Like I think he's
gonna be all right. So but honestly, man, like getting over here and like the more I've come throughout the years, like it's so cool meeting all the different people you've met here because like I get them to know you're
a really good friend group. Then all the people you work with and like, and it's like once you once you meet and get to know the network that you've like created over here and all the people that are like essentially helping you along, it like makes you worry a lot less because you're like, oh, he's got like really really good people that will make sure he's taken
care of regardless. So and there's been a ton of them through the years, right, So like it's you know, once you kind of see that and like see the infrastructure that you have around you, like, yeah, you don't really worry at all. Yeah, that's good.
I think it is one thing I always talk about Australians and the willingness to be able to help other people out and stick a handout whenever someone needs something, Like it's never their experience they expect something back. It's always like, how can I help this person be a better human? And like wild, it's unlock anywhere else. Yeah, it's they're kind of like there is this whole tall
poppy syndrome. But I think before you get to that status in life of being able to like say you're successful, a lot of people want to get you to the successful point. And then once you get there and then you become media and all this other stuff, then people try to bring you back down to where you were. Yeah. Like so there's never like this is like kind of
this weird happy medium somewhat. But I have found it amazing the Australians are so willing to say, oh, you're from a different I couldn't tell you how many people have gone, oh you're from no, come over for dinner come dinner, come see the family, like don't worry about it. And it's like it's amazing, Like I just have never experienced that kind of hospitality anywhere else.
But you get to a certain level, then you got to start giving back. Right then you get to be the person and that that feels even better than anything, right, like being of I've got some of the younger guys and like, oh, like I'll give you this, come with me.
This that like even little things like I remember were driving back from Fraser Island and like we pulled out you see, you know this is like after Queen's birthday, you can five like one of you know whatever, you know, dy in her trophy and all that stuff, and like so it's a big, really big week and like you got the bi week next week. So go to Fraser and like just see some kids kicking the footy on the side of the road and I'm like, dude, let's
go have a kid. And so sure enough, like pull over on the side of some random street out and queens queens, Yeah, god nos where and like these kids are like what are you doing? Like a it's like and like could not tell you like absolutely made the day and like being able to like make somebody's day just by giving an odd handball at the park or whatever.
Like that stuff is really cool. So I it's I don't know, so sometimes as small as that, and then sometimes it's you know, like you said, like taking along some of the younger, younger folks that are on the squad or whatever and like kind of you know, helping them get into the media stuff or into you know, stuff outside of footy and making sure that people are like set up for the next phase of life, because I feel like that's something that you know, no matter
the sport, like across the world, a lot of people just don't probably playing for that as well as they could.
Yeah, it's just not using It's not like making haywhile it's on Schine's Like everyone has a finite end to their career. No one's going to really retire from it. You have to get a job after. And it's being able to use the connections and stuff within it to be able to kind of, I guess somewhat leverage yourself into a career after and a lot of people regret not doing that until the end. And it is interesting though, but like, yeah, it's that's My favorite part of thing about playing ifl.
It's like, well, I kind didn't grow up with that.
I don't have a team I loved growing up or this or that, you know, and it's just like it's cool to see how much it means to other people.
And like we've been with the club, like we've been able to experience people that you know, not been dealt the greatest hand in life, it might be towards the back end or given terminal cancer, whoever it is, and like to be able to give them the happiness by just hanging out with them for the day and be like, yeah, come to training, like we'll show you around the place where it is.
You know.
It's like that's cool to me because I just don't look at it as like this crazy. It is a crazy thing, but it's not like I always hope there's gonna be better things in life once I'm done, Like you always kind of have this idea of like, oh, there's always gonna be something better, you know, like I'm gonna be able to do something cooler this or that, you know.
And even on that trip, like you were like, well, I don't like these kids don't care. I was like Mason, remember when you were that age, Like how cool would have been if this person would have pulled them inside of the road just had You're like, I'm like lost my mind. Yeah, you would have lost your mind, like go give them that experience. You know, it's like some
of that stuff. So yeah, it is like tough to sort of think back to like when you were that age and some of those things, and yeah, to be able to give like some of that, that's you Like, I mean what else is sport about? Right? Yeah, seriously, it's about just kind of like giving people a bit of hope.
I think more than anything. We'll go to my first game. Now, the whole family came out in the exact day. This is a is a big day, big big day.
Now, Well, selections on like what the Wednesday or Thursday, so like selection happens, get a text on the club. Mason's in book a flight. I literally booked fly out of Houston is the only one I could find that was leaving within the next like three hours, and I had to leave like right on the day, on the day, so like book a flight, get home, packet a carry on, and then just drive to Houston. It was just like two and a half hours to drive away, and I'm
like literally flying out. I got I mad my flight by like forty five minutes, so I barely like make this light to Australia and then get in you know, the morning of the game or whatever, and man just like flat on. But yeah, crazy day. Like one of my favorite parts. They do the first kick, first goal right like beuse nobody can stop gambling in this country.
Big deal, big deal. So they just had these like little envelopes at the table we were at were like whatever luncheon beforehand, and they're like, yeah, you can just put in one of the player's names, like yeah, put a dollar in whatever it was, you know. And I didn't have any Australian cash of like put in stod in some usc and these ladies ext to me, they're like putting in money. I go, he goes going for and I think they're like, oh, this is steel Sidebonthom
or somebody. I go, No, Mason Cox and they started laughing at me. They're like, Mason the American, I got chick any goals. I was like that's my brother. Yeah, gosh, I'm so sorry. And then sure enough kicked the first time I got strip back to him, I go, what do you think, let's go? That was good? No, what a fun day. It was crazy, like just a whirlwind thing.
And like the day, like the Anzact day in general, is such a cool thing because like you got the trumpet, like you know, all the the pregame stuff, anything else super unique and like just like clearly more than you know, like about more than football, like like both the teams run through the banner together, right, like that doesn't happen, And there's stuff like that that I think is just
like a really kind of cool tradition. That was like cool to see and that's why I first like that's the first game I've seen at the MGG as well, so like put a one hundred thousand people there and I'm like, oh my gosh, this is this is wild. So yeah, that was that was a cool, cool day and a man on real trip.
That was probably the first time I realized how chaotic media can be. And it was like after that day, I was freaking out and like I only kicked one goal in the day. It wasn't like that's on ground by anything like, but people lost their f and mind.
Yea.
It was like crazy I remember going out to dinner and it was just like everyone was just like saying something about it and like and I was just like, this is wild, Like this is it is very much this idea. And I always says, this is like big fish, small pond, like this is very much a bubble and it's like everyone falls. I fhon it's the most I'd say it's probably the highest followed per capita sport in the world.
Yeah, first city for sure. I'm like I was talking to Craig mcra about that this week, like when we're in Sydney at the at the game, and like he's like, man, the biggest thing that's different for me is just I was like nobody knew who I was. Like I'm walking around Victoria and like I played for Brisbane like twenty years ago, people aren't well you know, walking up asking for photos and stuff. Until the last few months has
just been chaotic. So it's like different, Like that's definitely like one of the biggest transitions just from last year this year. For him. He's like, you know, I knew it was a big deal obviously, but like, man, it's just wild, Like you one when people they wanted all the photos and stuff with.
So these guys own the badge of the club. That's a big time, a little big time. What is a bad one A badge's face, you know, badge? Oh yeah yeah, the bad Yeah I got you, yeah yeah, the one that mom that's seventeen seven. Yes, like buys the whole thing. Every year, we'll go to another game, now, grand finel.
You missed the prelim, which is follow the best game career so far, you know, and like unfortunately you came to Sydney, which is another prelim, and you thought maybe he's gonna happen again, and then he gets supped out a halftime, so yeah into.
The spectrum, yeah halftime, as I was, my goodness. Now, but if across the road tell you what those flights of Sydney, they weren't lying, not cheap, not cheat at all.
From the United States, people complaining about getting from Melbourne and Sydney. And I was like, yeah, well the whole fan's coming in from the US, so don't complaining to me. Yeah now the Grand Final and you've never been to a Grand Final like now, the chaos of it and everything else, like I think you were on media street play more than anyone else side down you were.
I think your agent was like, oh, there's something they want to like film you guys drinking Carlton beer and like eating these like mee pies.
I was like, it's gonna do that in veggiemon. Yeah, that was gonna be my Saturday either way.
So for Friday, I think it's a Friday, right, So like, yeah, so we land straight away, like we landed. I'm such a neat land and like there's like media at the airport, like for being all and like are the brothers getting in cameras cameras the airport and they were like, oh, Mason Cox's family gets here from America. And I'm like, I love ridiculous. I love it. Sure enough. They they're like, oh, can we get a word?
You know?
So I talked to him for a second and then yeah, they pull off the vans leave and I'm like I should ask them for a ride getting it down like such an idiot, but anyway, so idok at an uber back then, But yeah, it was just like straight through it. I was like, it's kind of the same thing. You don't know you're planning until you win. The prelims to
like book a flight on the flight the next day. Yeah, it's like, goodness, man, so been some cool stuff like just find half a half a world away on the last the last minute, which yeah, the flights are never cheaper. One again, that's all good. Yeah, So I guess I've been to like six or seven games at this point. Once the Inxact day I went to the Queen's birthday. Queen's Birthday was arguably like one of your best games of twenty eight goals goals because most goals you've kicked, right, and.
Yeah, bag a bag, say a bag, that's right. Only time kick the bag you're never getting leather poisoning, so you might as well.
Yeah, so what did that one? Then I went to the game in Bristolin this year, which I would say is not your highlight, the game of the Sydney and then yeah, I guess that's that's maybe it, but yeah it's cold for a guy who lives half a world away. I think that's really good. Ones and a couple of ones along the way. But where it goes.
Now, we'll get into this because you do play if L Yeah, and I've mentioned it before. You you've won
a few more premierships than I have. And there is a league in the in the in the States called the U s a f L. Now, I've been an ambassador for a long time, like I've gone, I've gone to the national tournament after our season every single year pretty much, and it has become this big thing and I've fallen in love with it because it is kind of cool somewhat to be somewhat of a representative of like a nation and a sport that exists in a nation.
And how did you so you're playing for the Austin Crows now the other brother plays for Seattle Grizzlies, and shout out both of them. If you are in America listening to this, check out your local league Austin foy dot com. You go on there and yes, love that. How did you find out AFL in the US existed?
So I'm thinking, like there's got to be So there's all these like you know, English Premier League pubs that like they watched the soccer games at ten in the morning or whatever, and I'm like, there's got to be something equivalent for AFL, right, Like I got to have some people I can go watch the games with and like, at least I get stuck into the like you know,
the the culture of AFL. So like I'm kind of googling, like, you know, Austin footy bars, Austin you know, like any of that stuff I come across, like Austin Crows Football, right, So I'm like to hit up these guys. They definitely, you know, it seems like they know what's going outside. I email them, like the generic email, and I'm like, hey, do you guys like go watch the games at all? And they're like, we'll come after kick. I'm like, no, no, no,
I just want to watch two. I don't get murdered exactly. Like so yeah, they're like, no, no, no, come comfort kick, Like, well, you know, we'll tell you. And so I'm like a god. So we go to the Zilker Park, which is like where they hold Awston City Homes Music festival, big beautiful park and you know, Central Austin, same park you got the phone call from from Frio with uh, might've been right next to you on that one.
Probably, Yeah, if you haven't heard that store, it's on the last It's on one of the previous ones of Freeman A check the TikTok and the Instagram there's a little thing out there about me getting almost traded to Freeman while I was absolutely hammered at a cl So the first couple of times I go down and I was training on Tuesdays, and first couple of times, it's just pouring rain, and I'm like, I'll make a quick
clop and see if they're there. And I do see him out there kicking the ball, and I'm like, it's raining, I'll just keep on cruising by.
So I keep going, and eventually, like it's a nice day, I'm like, I'll go out for kick, kick the ball around. I'm like, like it's a falling league. If they were in the drills, they're like running, you know, all this stuff. I'm like, all right, so we'll see and I end up like becoming friends with some of these guys, end up, you know, kind of playing. They're like, we got a game this Saturday, so I like, you know, I don't know how physical it's going to be any of that stuff.
I'm like, probably pretty hung over at this point on a Saturday morning to a game and we're coming out, I'm like, oh my gosh, it's like one hundred degrees out and all of sudden go out and I'm just like getting smashed around the rock because they're like, listen to this guy that can't kick. He just like first time he ever attempted to kick a ball was like last week. Been there. But he can jump in six
six and he's got yeah, he's got some hops. So I rolled out of the ruck and then like ended up, you know, just kind of getting suck in from like we just kind of go grab youers whatever after training, and it's just like a really good and again, like it's kind of exactly what I had hoped for in terms of the social outlet of like having people that I can talk to about footing and watch the games
with and stuff like that. But they have like a full on league get I'm like regional tournaments and they travel like once or twice a year to these big national tournaments and so like there's like a national tournament at the end of each season and like the next thing, you know, we're like playing you know this, so our our team like you know, ends up. It turns out like, for whatever reason, I live in the city with like
the best like local fitting clubs in America. It's like these guys are just smashing people like every single year. So I ended up INFL. Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, son, My buddy Kendrick like played yeah Sandful I think for like a few years and in TfL and some of that stuff. And like we've so we've got some guys that played like pretty high level, like some you know, we have a guy this year that played Port Melbourne VFL last year. So we've got some guys that like
actually are pretty legit. So yeah, so I end up getting stuck in with this group and like really it kind of became like really good friends with a lot of them. And it's about half Australians, half like uh, you know, Americans are you know, We've got like a French guy and a you know guy from Fiji or something like that. Anyway, so like all of the place right, So like but it's a cool league. It's like definitely like a little bit of Australian expats and a few Americans.
So it's like kind of a good way to grow the game, I suppose, but like for me, it's just a good way to like sort of stay connected with what's going on back here and gives a good like athletic endeavor outlet because like once you're done playing sport
in America, like they don't have these options. There's no country footy leagues like they'd have here, right, there's no country footy equivalent of like basketball or American football, Like if you don't play American football in college, or even if you do play in college, like once you're done, you're done, like you never play again. So it's like
ninety nine percent athletes go pro and something other than sports. Yeah, that's right, so classic you can't even yeah, so like even to have somebody to go throw football with, it's just like people don't really go do that. So I'm like, this is great. Like we've got sporting outlets. There's forty or fifty clubs here in the in the United States, and like I somehow end up on like the best ones,
like playing you know, these national tournaments. So end up being like a really good it's just kind of outlet and again like a good way connected back here.
So I want to ask you this because a lot of people don't know this, and you're you're being a bit humble, and now how many So they've got best in Ferris for the tournament, So there's a big national tournament where everyone kind of comes and that's where the winter kind of becomes the whole whole thing.
It was in Austin last year.
Yeah, the boys won, boys won, Boys gout lit boys during Out of the Cup old fosso we called we called the beer out of the Cup fossil Fueld, Fossil fossil field.
Fossil.
Is this guy who's like, it's like mid fifties at this point, that this is not high level football he played. You've got sponsors on your jerseys he.
Played, like, yeah, he played like pretty high level when he was younger. But anyway, so yeah.
So how many how many best and Farris if you want, I think I've won best in Farriss at our club. I think four times for our our club. And then like I've won the best on in the grand final for like the big national tournament. Yeah twice, I want to say. And then that's for the whole tournament.
That's on for the whole tournament, like once or twice a well. So yeah, I'm been a pretty good little crack over the States. Again, very low level. This is not.
This is.
There's some good players for sure, but like I'll tell you what when you're like the six to six rocker, you can get your hands onto the bed like it's yeah, you get a lot more touches and you probably should and go forward and kick a goal or two. Then you're you're pretty well set for some of these medals that you probably don't deserve.
I'll say this, Man, there's some people, because everyone used to play NFL, there's some people just see it as an opportunity to absolutely run through someone. And there was like I've seen some absolutely brutal things, like probably more brutal than that.
As I found out that you can win medals without land of tackle. Figured that out. Yeah, well it is.
It is unique down It's it's really cool because like this whole thing obviously in the US and to see sports. Someone make it over there and you know these opportunities and you talked about before, and that's something I want to eventually do in my lifetime is try to bring other Americans over here because there's such a there's such a limit as far as you know opportunities post in Cola and everything else.
If you're not at the very very high end and there's so many athletes over there, there's absolute freaks that like we're just dominated to get go, you know, like learn how to kick at a younger age or whatever. Right, Like it's there's some like spatial awareness of the game when you're like, you know, if you're six foot and under, that you'd really kind of need to grow up playing
the sport. But like there's some there's some big boys out there that they could just really wreck it up, right if they, like, hell a lot better than athletes than I am.
I'm going to say that, but you know, it is very awkward on my side to be able to hand metal to to your brother who's showing improving to be
a better athlete than myself every single year. But I'll ask you this, I want I want to kind of move on from the US I fl now as a brother, you see me do a lot of random ship, right, So obviously I came here and I had no idea anything anyone, And now I'm kind of doing all this random stuff and starting a podcast and also this shit, where do you see me And what's the most ridiculous thing you see me doing in the future.
Do you think anything involving politics? Oh, I think I think Like so, you know, I think any kind of like ambassadorship would be a pretty cool You.
Think i'd get like an om medal or something like that? Is that they call it aom or Order of Australia. Oh I am o am metal? What is that Order of Australia? Essentially, you know that ridiculous thing called the Queen and the royal family. They kind of like acknowledge you and say like you're a better human than others.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I don't. I don't know about that. I don't know. I think can we get any of those? That'll same time? But I think, like, I guess you're a citizen now, right, so maybe you can jump into some of that stuff. So yeah, I have to give up my US citizenship, that's okay. Yeah. So as far as like ridiculous things, that's like maybe one of the things the US Ambassador to Australia. I think I love that. That would be pretty sweet. Yeah, I don't know, try
to hook that up, but no, I don't. I don't know as far as like other ridiculous things, I mean I could see you getting on like I don't know if there's like a Bachelor equivalent. Oh yeah, you jump into something like that. Some reality TV. Maybe some like Dancing with the Stars. That's a question. Yeah, no, I think, like, you know, you're real embarrassing, right, dancing with the stars. Yeah. I've never seen a draft dance, but it'd be kind of yeah yeah, country line dance. That's right. That is
one good thing about it. Yeah, the country experience back in college. But no outsaide that. I think, you know, probably continue to do a bit media, maybe some some travel. Try to parlay some of that into something like this. Maybe I think the Bachelor. I like that.
Yeah, yeah, some terrible stories might be and be on the Bachelor, and oh gosh, I'd be there. I'd be ruthless. I feel like that absolutely terribarts. Some of the women that come on there, they just are there for the fame. You should yeah, be great, you'd be great viewing. That's a great viewing. That's tell you went not for the Bachelor one year? What for the Bachelor's a for you guy? They had open casting in Austin.
Well they put me through, so like, well, so you made to the next round. Oh yeah, so they had they had open casting in Austin, And it's like and we're thinking, I'm like saying, I'm like probably twenty four, twenty five. This one. I'm single. It's like right next where I'm living, so I'm like i can walk over there, and it's open casting for the Bachelor. Likes gonna be some good looking young ladies there, so we're gonna go
to good play hello. And yeah we did like the whole try to put it just kind of like a like a random Tuesday, and I'm like whatever, and then yeah, they're sure enough. They called back. They're like, we want you to like go to the next round. We want to want to fly you to the Sorry, they didn't not want to fly me anywhere. They said, we need to get you. We need you to come to Dallas or whatever. It was like, yeah, yeah, exactly, and I
was like, I'm good. So never I never actually like went forward on it, but it's kind of a fun I was like, oh, it's a bit of a bit of a pump up, but yeah, it's funny. It was like, yeah, definitely, Well I'll try to carry the torch. Maybe I'll be on the Bachelor. Is a Cox brother.
There you go, before we get out of here, any embarrassing stories, you will throw me under the bus with.
I don't know, like maybe when I touch you how to ride a bike? That was y. So we got a big hill by our house, and I'm like, let's just get him going, you know, like on two weeks.
Oh, I can I set the scene here. I'm like twelve. Most people aren around their pocket like six.
I was two wheeler. It's like two years old. I was more of the guy on the scooter the razor.
I was like, it's way easier to stay on than actually, like well, you know on two wheels, it's obviously the faster you get going easier doesn't stay out.
So I'm like, listen, let's just take him to the top of.
The hill, get him going nice and past, and he'll be able to stay up because otherwise.
He's like too nervous to get going too fast. He's telling them one way or the other. So like, get on to the top of the hill. We get him rolling down, rolling media shut out, We're rolling out is this does her? Guy Fieri?
This thing roll out to get him rolling downhill and I forgot to tell him which one was the breaks?
No idea which of the breaks? And he smashes into this mailbox. He's got blood coming out of his gut and I'm like, oh, no, Mom's gonna be pissed.
So like he's like he starts crying.
I'm like just getting stuck inside. And so yeah, we got him into the side. But like no, I said that, it was like a pretty funny one. There's definitely one. We're playing indoor soccer, we're kids, and uh, Mom had this old like oil painting of her like great aunt who was like a pasty was young. It was like a year old painting and like it's got the original glass, the original frame, all this stuff. And he just goes over the proverbial crossbars right into this glass painting smashes
the glass. I'm like, Mom had nothing to do with this, and she's like, I mean I've never seen her that, I don't think yet in my life and rolls in. But so needless said, the painting survived. The frame is finally that one hundred and fifty absolutely cooked. Yeah, so you know, I had to take it back into the frame shop. And now there's probably a couple others that I should should probably remain off air that. Yeah, that's that's more college stay for the next time. The good
old day just sinking out all was great about. So we had this nineteen sixty one for share. That was our first car. So anytime you wanted to leave the house late night, it's tough getting out, but you left early enough because this thing was loud.
It was like there was you can hear it rolling down from five blocks away, like the tree.
You got the shifter up top on the on the you know, on the steering column. Yeah. Well, if you wanted to come home late night, so you couldn't get out late now because it's too loid like you just like you could?
Well you do, yeah, your buddy, Yeah, I got Chuck Camoe in front of mind.
You got to push the front.
You pushed it out neutral eventually rolled down the rest of the hill and then turn it out right.
But again, the same hill that you can roll down on your bike and smash in the mailbox with, you can use that same hill throw the car neutral, makes not a sound and drift it right into the driveway and then nobody knows what's how you got help and you like at the next day, feeling awful.
Mom and Dad are never otherwizer all good? Oh man, was there any other stuff you want to embrass me with? While we're on this.
I think we're all set for today. Say something for the next one. You'll do a part two. Wheneybody come back next time. There we go. Well, massive, thank you for coming on.
Hopefully people have learned a bit more about the journey of myself, yourself, everything else, all the crazy stories that come with it.
We'll write a book one to day, I'm sure, but we'll that. Massive. Thanks for coming on. I appreciate it. Thanks for flying out here.
I know, and I played half a footy and you've sent probably ten grand to get out here, but hopefully it was worth it.
It's all good. Yeah, maybe next time next year having me. We're all probably super proud obviously of what you've accomplished over here, so I definitely appreciate you if you have us a platform to share some of the stories. And yeah, it's it's pretty cool what you got here. The podcast is also look forward to hear more of them. But yeah, thanks for having me. And it's been a really cool experience from from day one, from.
Day one, and we're still kicking on. That's right, still kicking on here nine coming out all right, we can get double digits. It'll be huge, huge, get one hundred gas. It'll be massive.
I will be back. What are you on? Ninety four? Ninety four? All right, more games, hundred goals. That's it. I like you. I've already done hundred goals, scheduled to a hundred games.
But thanks so much mine, as always everyone, before we finish up. We've got the seven platforms, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, uh TikTok, Spotify, and Apple fall us all on those check it out. We got some amazing stuff. We've got some some interesting talks Bread and I've been having recently, and we're gonna get back onto the schedule and we're gonna seriously have some amazing stuff coming up in a lot of catch ups and everything else, some embarrassing stories.
I'll probably go into it more, but as always, thanks so much for listening, and very excited to have you on like share everything else, and we'll speak.
To you soon. See Yeah,