June 25, 2025 • 46 mins
Get Your Beanie for this week's Beanie for Brain Cancer round here! https://markhughesfoundation.com.au/
Mark Hughes, a former NRL player for the Newcastle Knights and NSW Origin representative, was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2013 and went on to co-found the Mark Hughes Foundation with his wife Kirralee, raising over $30 million through initiatives like Beanie for Brain Cancer and establishing a $25 million research centre at the University of Newcastle.
Mark shares his inspiring journey from professional footballer to brain cancer survivor and founder of the Mark Hughes Foundation. Hear firsthand how resilience, positive mindset, and teamwork can transform personal struggles into a mission to make a difference.
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Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
I Boris and this is straight talk mark Us. Well
straight talk.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Mate and b thanks for having me mate, I appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
And it is that time year. Of course we've got
the Marcus Foundation fundraiser coming up which we saw see
every year and I've got I seem to have a
I've got a collection of beanies. You seem to change
the boonies up every year and you know with m.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
H F on the front that it mate.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
Yeah, and it's a good time because there's been bloody
freezing down here in Sydney. I don't know about Upper Newcastle,
but it's bloody freezing down here. We're getting asked Arctic
wins and it's been the time of the year.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Mate, it's definitely getting car main. One thing you need
to know. These beanies are design. They last ten months,
then they start to come apart and I'm going to
replace them. So it's good that's the way we do.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
That's a good marketing strategy.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
You need a new one, mate, So let's just.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
Just go back a look because a lot of people
don't know a lot a lot about you. If they're
not a Roaby Leaf fan, they define wouldn't It's funny
Rugby League. There was the only thing about this. On
the weekend Rugby Leaves has the Mark Hugh's Foundation, which
it supports. ERL supports it heavily and as do the clubs,
and I know our club does with the roosters, and
(01:11):
your fundraising is on this time of year and you
build awareness around brain cancer, et cetera. And then I
noticed on the weekend though that the AFL has the
MND Foundation and I don't know what's called. I just
saw actually my mother passedway memody and I remember they
contacted me, but it was a Melbourne thing. And how
to go and jump into an ice bath or something
like that. I was watching a few people do it
(01:31):
on the weekend and I was I thought of myself,
it's important to get an institution behind you, like the NRL.
How important. And let's just go back a step. How
did you actually manage to do that? How did did
you talk to abdo did you talk to do you
(01:51):
go and see the BVL?
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Yeah? Well, way back, the Calendar family, Matt Calendar was
a high credent children of Channel nine, and unfortunately Matt
came down with brain cancer and we decided to in
the background We've been chipping away with beanies and we
wanted to try and take it to the next level.
So we connected with the Calendar family, we connected with
(02:15):
Channel nine and we got together and we said, let's
how can we take this to the next step. What
can we do to get the NRL involved, And some
talks happened and from there the NRL climbed on board
and said, yeah, let's give this a go, and it
just from that part it's been an absolute tidal wave
of support.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
It's been amazing, Like it's nearly like you can't afford
not to be in it if you're a club, To
be frank with you, it's like, why aren't you supporting it?
And I do want to talk about brain cancer if
you don't mind. I'm sure of course was a sort
of sensitive issue for you because but you first were
you playing for Newcastle when you got diagnosed with brain cancer?
Speaker 2 (02:56):
No, this was twenty thirteen. Yeah, i'd finished. I was
thirty six at the time, going along really well, feeling
fit and strong, had three children under ten, unstoppable, and
then from nowhere I got headaches. I was bed ridden
for a day or two. My wife said, you need
to go get this checked. So went and got a scan,
(03:18):
and from that moment my life completely changed. They said,
I'm sorry, you've got a brain tumor. You need to
get that out as soon as possible. What's his brain
tumer business? I don't know an think about this. No
one knew much about brain cancer, and suddenly I was
it was me. So the rushed at John Huntter Hospital surgery.
(03:41):
Then you're hopeful that the gym is not cancer, of course,
and I'm always very close. Yeah, all that stuff, so
I'm thinking I'll be fine, you know. And then a
week later we went in me and my wife clearly
into the doctor's surgery for the news and he just
sat us down, looked us in the eye, stared at us,
was pause, and just sort of simply said, sorry, Mark,
(04:02):
you've got high grade brain cancer. And you know, that
just shattered everything. You know. There's no cure for brain cancer.
You know, brain cancer kills more people forty and under
than any other disease. And wow, here we were with
this disease and it was a surreal, terrifying moment.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
Do you think that I guess most of us, I
don't know about you, but let's know what your view
on it is most of us always try and find
something to blame. Did you at some stage in and
reflect on how you'd live your life prior to that moment,
(04:41):
including footy and everything else? I mean, did you go
through that process?
Speaker 2 (04:45):
Look, my thoughts spiraled, like I think any persons would,
you know, lots of negative thoughts and it was really
tough time. And then people would say, oh, it's the footy,
the head knocks, or is it this or that. So
I'd get that thrown at me a few times, but
really there's just no no one knows. That just sneaks
(05:05):
up on you. That's that's the thing about the disease.
We don't know much about it and there's no reason
or ryan at this point.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
So your football career, I mean, I remember you in Origin.
I think you played in the same year as Joey.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
Joey was injured that year.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
It didn't play.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
Maddie wasn't there either, but from my team there would
have been Adam McDougal, mc gidley, Tammarnon didn't play in
that series. That was two thousand and.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
One, So I'm just trying to remember myself.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
Yeah, two thousand and one, people remember it because Alan
Langer came back from US England. Yeah that was one
all into the last game and Alfie come back and
we got beats. So that was my Origin career. But
you know, I found a way, Like from where I was,
you know, at eighteen or nineteen playing park football for
my beloved Curry Bulldogs. You know, life turned really quickly
(05:57):
for me. And you know I had no junior pro program.
I wasn't anywhere near the nights. So it's goes to
show if you just hang in there and and find
a way. And I think that's a bit like my
journey with this illness is I've got to find a way,
and that's that's what I'm trying to do.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
So do you think who's your coach and who coached
you in Origin? And Wayne Pierce you're on the infamous
falling off the Horse.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
Now that was that was a few years so Junia.
Speaker 1 (06:24):
Had a couple of years at Origin. So who's your captain?
Speaker 2 (06:29):
Freddie Fieler. But you know I just couldn't That was awesome.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
Yeah, Freddie. Wow. And so because I'm going because I
was sponsoring at the time, as you recall, but I
don't remember, did you guys win that.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
Series one all going into the last game, and then
Alfie came back.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
That's right, and Alfie was the magic, the magic to
the whole.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Then that was that was it for me. I like
to tell people that I retired from red football after
that game. You true that I didn't get picked, it's
a better story. Yeah, yeah, I was. Look, I just
I didn't have this. I wasn't strongest or fittest or biggest,
but I found a way. And you know, I was
(07:09):
surrounded by some amazing players at the nights, which helped.
And yeah, yeah, I got way more out of ragbya
league than I thought I ever would.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
It's funny if you good. But I think for the
process of roubilia, as I've observed at anyway at origin level,
as coaches and selectors liked in those days, they had selectors.
Now the coach does all selection, but you had a
selection panel, as I recall, and they tended to do
to select combinations. And Newcastle was doing pretty well at
the time, and they selected combinations out of winning size
like Newcastle, and they don't want to break the combination.
(07:39):
But was Mark Hughes always was here, the kid always
destined to be an Origin player or do you think
it was something that you made happen as a result
of just sheer hard work and as you say, finding
a way.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
Absolutely that it was. My whole footy career looked like that.
You know. At eighteen the Knights were nowhere, mean he
didn't want to name me. At twenty, I was doing
a lap around the Sydney Footy stadium. We just beat
Mainly in a grand final. So that's how quick life
can change, whether it be for the worst with my
(08:14):
illness or early days. My life changed like that, and
I was surrounded by these amazing players in a town
that just loved rugby league and we just won our
first ever premiership. It was electric, It was exciting. I
just couldn't believe I'd played fifteen first grade games, I think,
to sneak in for a grand final, I was very lucky.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
Would you remember the Do you remember the first time
we got chosen for played first grade for Newcastle?
Speaker 2 (08:39):
Yeah? Absolutely. We're playing the Roosters on a Friday night.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
We're playing you guys next week.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Yeah that's right, talk about that later, but yeah, just
a Friday night game. We had a drawer. Actually, I
remember that, but it was just yeah, Like I grew
up in Curry Curry, forty five minutes away. I grew
up loving rugby league. I had posted all over my
wall as a kid, I'd stare at him every night.
I'd wake up and stare at him. And I wanted
(09:04):
to be that. But it took a long time and
a lot of struggle and a lot of hardship. That
like in life, if you get through that struggle and
can wiggle your way out of it, some greatness can
happen at the end of it. And that's something I
learned from a young age.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
Well, but how does someone like you deal with things?
They can tend to be overwhelming. So let's not talk
about your brain cancer at this stage, but let's just
talk about like footy. Like when you're a young kid,
you come from, you're in Curry Curry, you obviously everyone's
dreaming to be in the Newcastle side, let alone the origins.
I would dream to be in the Newcastle side play
(09:39):
first grade. But things come at you and they go, oh,
I'm never going to get there. How do you stop
yourself from being the person who says I'm never going
to get there, to being the person who says I've
got to find a way to do this, Well, what
is there a mindset shift or is there a technique?
Speaker 2 (09:54):
It's a slog and a lot of people they fail
because they give up. They just give up, you know.
And I could have, probably as a seventeen year old,
was on that borderline where I could have easily went
in another direction. And we talk about the choices we
have in our lives, and I made good choices that
I wanted to stick it out and I wanted to
give it a go when it still looked a long
(10:15):
way away, it really did. And it was I didn't
make a rep team, you know, it was just it
was just play ball. Nowhere near any of that. I
was just struggling along in my Curry team in the local.
Speaker 1 (10:29):
Because some of us have discovered it, mar come on
those well.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
As an eighteen year old, I played in a Grand
final for Curry in first grade black Mail McGrady. I
played on the wing and that was a good game.
We won the game against West Newcastle, who are a
very strong local team. And from there I got a
trial for the Knights in nineteen ninety six and then
that was the stepping stone. But even the start of
ninety seven season, I wasn't at nights training for the
(10:53):
first week. I had to make a phone called why
am I there? Can I get there? So, yeah, come on,
why not come and have another trial? So I trial
for ninety seven. I get in, I'm signed in the
sheds on a Tuesday night. I think I signed for
five thousand dollars that year, and I want to calm
(11:14):
my opposition players were on four or five hundred some
of them guys. Maybe people maybe people saying I was
ever paid still, I don't know, but five thousand was.
I think I was pretty good value.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
And that's what I'm sort of trying to get to
my league because I you know, I come across all
sorts of it. But sometimes people hope I will come
across as say stuff this, and they'd let the fact
that they're only getting paid in five thousand overwhelm them
and actually get them to give up. Not because they're
week or they just say it's not worth it. What
is it that got someone like you to say, I'm
(11:46):
still going to do it, even tho I'm only getting
five grand.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
Just the love of rugby league, you know, and just
the fact that I was getting this opportunity, and somehow
I'd made it into first grade, I would have got
zero money that year. I wouldn't have mattered. It was
just so exciting to be living your dream. It's something
that you'd work for all your life and there it was,
and you're in this really great team with playing for
(12:11):
all these great players. Some leaders talk about leadership, you know,
Paul Harrigan, Tony Butterfeld, these type of guys leading just
really like big brothers there in your team. So I'm
a twenty year old soaking all this in.
Speaker 1 (12:24):
Yeah, I guess you've got to be prepared. I guess
you gotta have a really sort of generally speaking, a
positive outlook on life and say, well, look, I'm just
privileged to be here. I mean, because the same would
happen if you're diagnosed with something you get dirty, could
get dirty in the world, but you could also say, well,
I'm privileged. I now know about it, and there are
(12:45):
ways to manage at least. It's sort of a difference
between letting it completely fuck you over or learning how
to manage things and actually just get on with stuff.
It's a very fine line and make a massive difference
as to the outcome.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
Huge difference and I feel that for me, resilience and
positive mindset are two key areas that I've had in
my life since I've been young, and I've worked on
them and they're like muscles, you can you can work
on them and make them better and bigger. And I
feel without those two anxiety, we wouldn't be talking today
because I would have been tipped out of footy. And yeah,
(13:24):
it's just the choices I made have led to this road.
And without my rugby league background, I wouldn't have the
charity and the opportunities we've got as well.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
And the contacts. I guess, yeah, I think the contacts,
and I think it's a double for me, like just
from seeing other things that have failed in the same
sort of regard and all those that are successful. It's
the contacts that you have. But it's also likability. I mean,
the idea has got to be relevant. Obviously brain cancer relevant,
(13:57):
so that's a sort of given that wasn't something you created.
But likability. If you're not a likable person, it doesn't
matter about your contacts. You're not going to get the
job done. And are you conscious of your likability or
you or is it just something you think is more natural.
Speaker 2 (14:16):
But I think when I came in at the Knights,
we had like Andrew and Maddy John's confident, funny, mad yeah,
mad people, and if that, I learned off the leadership
a chief and I grew in confidence. And at school
I didn't want to do a speech in front of
the class or anything like that, but I grew into
this role. And then at sponsors function, I was there
(14:38):
doing the interviews and I was doing different things, and
I think I was in training for what was going
to come because I was I was doing, and I
was getting Clubmen of the Year award. I didn't get
Best Player, but I was getting Clubman of the Year because.
Speaker 1 (14:50):
It was the Mitche Aubison style.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
Yeah, yeah, that's right. So and I was proud of
that because I loved representing the Knights and wearing the
jersey and representing a town and I wanted to put
back I was on the other side of the fence
and cheering them on a few years earlier. So I
was so grateful to be there. And as far as
the charity goes, I feel like gratitude is a big
(15:12):
thing for me and I want to thank every person
I see in a beanie, but I can't, and it's
hard in charity because you're always asking. So all I
can do is try and be friendly and share gratitude
and have a bit of fun with it, which is
amongst what is a very very serious subject.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
So between footy, so the start of your footy crew
and Newcastle and you know, all the various situations your
football career comminating probably will not only grand fineal it wins,
but also you know, playing with great players and playing
origin and the date you got diagnosed a minute before
(15:50):
you got diagnosed, what do you think you learned during
that period? What are some of the things you learned
during that period about yourself that allowed you then to
dig in and deal with the diagnosis once you got it.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
I think I think I'm a was very consistent in
what I did and had good work ethic.
Speaker 1 (16:14):
And what does good work ethic mean to you?
Speaker 2 (16:17):
Just getting up and showing up. You know, we're sick,
or you've you've had a big night out, but get
getting show up and and do what you've got to do.
Speaker 1 (16:24):
It was about not feeling sorry for yourself.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
And not feeling sorry for yourself. It's Yeah, it's it's
it's getting out there and having a go and making
a difference.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
Do you think that no one really, i mean really
deep down and gives the stuff? I mean, is that
one thing that about you? For example? I mean people go, oh, wow,
pol you know, blah blah blah. It's terrible, it is,
but they get on with their life. They're not going
to They're not going to not go to work because
of it. They're going to say they're going to get
up and take the kids to school and do the
shop in the afternoon, cook dinner, and they're going to
go to bed that night. They're probably not going to
(16:54):
It's not going to stop them from sleeping. It's not
that they don't give you a shit. It's that they've
got their own lives to live and you're not really
looking for sympathy, you know. But a lot of people
look for sympathy and say, well, no one gives a shit,
no one cares. Well, Actually, it's a reality. That's the
way the world works. Otherwise everything was stop. Is that
a realization you had or did you already know about that?
Speaker 2 (17:16):
I've realized that I know in my journey, I'm so lucky,
so many people that get brain cancer don't have the
opportunities that I'm having. I'm ten years down the track
and from my diagnosis. To be here now is a
huge probably shock, like from what I was told. But
now I'm here, I'm going to keep going and I'm
(17:37):
hell bent. On my fiftieth birthday in a couple of years.
I'm really positive mindset and thinking in on those types
of things. But I feel when people see me that
they should feel good because I'm getting these opportunities to
live and try and make a difference and help the brain,
help brain cancer and help their family hopefully if ever
(17:58):
they need it one day. So I'm on a real
mission and I'm fully supported and I'm definitely not fell
and sorry with myself. I'm I'm really grateful.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
So your brain cancer, maybe you could describe it a
little bit. When I presume they showed you an MRI
or something like that, a scan at least I presume
did you get a first gone for MRI or do
you want for.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
Pet scan MRI scan first, yes, And then it showed
a small avocado sized tumor.
Speaker 1 (18:28):
A small avocator that sounds pretty big to me.
Speaker 2 (18:30):
Yeah, So then we had to wait a few weeks
to let things saddle, and then went to the hospital
got it removed.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
So what did that entail?
Speaker 2 (18:40):
Just big surgery.
Speaker 1 (18:41):
So they cut your head open. Yep, you were awake.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
No, they they emphatiz you fully out surgery. Then a
few weeks later radiation. You know, thirty three sessions of radiation.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
Thirty three sessions. Ye, So we'll just explain that. So
they're sending a beam into your skull, I presume.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
Yeah, So I'd drive, I'd get a lift to the
central coast. Every morning, I'd put the mask on, lay
down and that would that would drill you fair. I
think it's only about ten minutes so that that happened
for you three days in a row. I'd come home,
I would I'd go and do some training. Ben Kennedy,
an old teammate of mine. Yeah, yep, we go to then.
Speaker 1 (19:20):
Other origin plan. What a great plan, what a backwell?
Speaker 2 (19:23):
Yeah, sensational. So we go and do run throughs at
the oval, then we go to the ace. You're physical, Yeah,
I wanted to do that. You know, good good in
this game is no good. I think you're in business
like goods not goods. Planning you've got to be great,
but you want excellent results. So what could I do
to get excellent results that maybe other people aren't doing?
(19:45):
What can I do over and above? And it's not
going to cure nothing? But how about I keep moving?
How about I train, try and be fitting during this time?
So I had a partner, and I think it's important
to get get people around you. I think resilient people
are great at getting the right people around them. And
I did that and every afternoon I do that training.
Speaker 1 (20:03):
To run through. Explain what that is.
Speaker 2 (20:05):
We're just one hundred meters runs. We go and do
I think it was walk back twenty nice cruisy run
and then walk back to it again. Yeah, nice and cruzy,
but it was I was moving.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
How do you physically feel though?
Speaker 2 (20:15):
Were you maybe felt good? But after I wasn't pretty good?
Speaker 1 (20:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:21):
So I was a bit younger than a lot of people.
Speaker 1 (20:23):
Of course. Yeah, kid at the top of relatively speaking. Kid.
But so they take the growth out just as.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
Much as they can.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
They show it to you.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
No, they didn't shame me, but they keep samples of it.
We've got at the Foundation, We've got a library of
chambers that we use for bank out.
Speaker 1 (20:42):
Like the brain bank down here in the city. There's
a couple.
Speaker 2 (20:44):
Yeah, that's right. So, yeah, they get out as much
as they can. You're dealing with the brain. It's not
as you can cut it out.
Speaker 1 (20:51):
You know, you didn't see it. I mean I often
wanted what it looks like. Yeah, I've never seen I
know the brain looks, but I don't want to what
the tum looks like.
Speaker 2 (20:58):
Yeah, we didn't say it. They just removed as much
as they can. That's a hard part about brain cancer.
You're dealing with the brain. Yeah, you know.
Speaker 1 (21:06):
And was it touching on any particular part like motor
era or.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
A bit of visual stuff and that at the back here.
But I haven't had too much. I can't. I don't
like reading anymore, night driving. I'm a little bit slower.
I think that I'm really really good, really and.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
One of the symptoms. So you just woke up with
headache one day or do you thinking back, do you
think you had probably a series of things you should
have clocked about.
Speaker 2 (21:30):
Yeah, I just there was a couple of little things,
like I'd have a vomit a few times when I'd
had a couple of few beers. I thought what's this
all about? That in hindsight it might have been a sign.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
Yeah, yeah, that's mate, But you only really you weren't
getting headaches consistently.
Speaker 2 (21:46):
No, just just like I thought, Oh, this is what
a migraine is. Two day headache, and then from there
it's flipped and it's all of a sudden it's a tumor.
Speaker 1 (21:54):
Wow. Yeah. And then when you give you the radiotherapy,
I mean someone told me I got mates have had.
They told me it's like you're like getting cooked. It burns.
Speaker 2 (22:03):
Yeah, did you didn't feel any burn? I had this
helmet on and just laying there and trying to trying
to think positive thoughts during that time and getting that
done and then getting out of there. And it's not
a great feeling, but you're also feeling like you're killing
the bad It's like a game. Yeah, you can picture
this light coming in and killing these things. I think
(22:26):
that was good.
Speaker 1 (22:26):
And do you have to do kima?
Speaker 2 (22:28):
Yeah? It was through tablets for six months, so it's
not too bad, not too invasive.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
Yeah, but were you sick? No, it was too bad.
Speaker 2 (22:37):
I had Yeah, I had a bit of a there
in the backs there, so I wore a beanie that
a bit, and that's sort of how beanies and brain
cancer I brought them together.
Speaker 1 (22:46):
Yeah, because you wore to cover off the patch.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
Yeah, and I thought, you know, beanies in brain cancer
do that. That goes well. So we decided to get
some local schools to wear their favorite beanie and bring
a gold coin and the kids love doing it. So
then we said, let's design our am beanie. So we
decided to design our am beanie, which I designed myself,
Like you know what colors? I come up with, red
(23:10):
and blue. I'm a genius. Sold well in Newcastle and
no one else wanted to buy them. So I got
sacked from Beanie Design and we got clever and we
started to bring design two beanies and make them so
that even if the foundation doesn't mean much to you,
other it's a nice beanie. Yeah, no, it's cool and
other people are wearing them, so I'll get one. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
It's sort of like trendy. Trendy, especially when you turn
the TV on and there's chief, For example, young people go,
I wouldn't mind get one of those? Yeah? Could you
just go? If it wouldn'tnd going make a step though,
and you're probably under selling it a little bit. But
the idea to establish a foundation, which is essentially a charity,
there's a number of steps involved. There's board of directors,
(23:52):
there's constitution, there's documentation, there's registration with your south I
was government. Whatever you got to do that you got
to you want to make a charitable donation, so you
want to make a tax deductible, so you've got to
go to the federal government. Maybe you could take me
through a few of those things that you know, and
how how Mark Hughes got onto all this sort of
stuff and how he worked it out. Did you go
(24:13):
to KPMG or how do you do that sort of stuff?
Speaker 2 (24:16):
Yeah, well my wife careerly drove all that. I was
focusing on my fight back. But there's so much red tape,
so many hoops to jump through, totally.
Speaker 1 (24:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (24:27):
So we had some help off HMRI, big Institute in Newcastle,
they do so much great research there. We got some
help off them and some advice off them, and we developed,
we changed, we went in different directions, but we got
there in the end. But it takes a lot of work. Yeah,
charity takes a lot.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
On registrations. Yeah, government's approval at so much so right now,
the income or the money that goes into the charity taxable.
You're registered in New Southwae I was probably across Australia,
but definitely in New South Wales to receive money, because
you can't just set up a charity and just take
(25:07):
the moneys. You've got to be registered, and you've got
government whatever the word is. Federal Government Tax Office consented
that if I make a donation to it, it is
tax deductible and then there's all the administration goes with it.
So you obviously had to set up a website and
somehow allow people to transact that website and or give
(25:29):
them a receipt for the tax if they want to
claim it on the tax. Most people don't, but you
know what I mean, it's about how much how much
you have original beanies.
Speaker 2 (25:36):
The original beans? How much were they It might have
been say fifteen or twenty twenty dollars the first time
they went on the footage show, the first announcement of
these beanies. And who was hosting the FOTAE show then
Fatty Stello Chief? Yeah, you know those types of them guys.
Speaker 1 (25:52):
And do you remember saying something to chat and Chief
or somebody saying can we do this or just that
comes through the nine connections.
Speaker 2 (25:58):
Why palest was the pretty gunny. He was instrumental gun.
He was a gun. So it happens, it goes on
the TV and then we didn't realize the power of
television at the time. And then it just went off
and everyone went on our website and then our website busted. Yeah,
completely blew up the Smimmrans. We couldn't handle it. And
(26:21):
the first year we didn't have enough beanies. But people
are ordering beans and we still have. We didn't even
have the beans. We had to order more in and
there was six week waits, but no one cared. They
were doing it in the right spirit. And it's been
like that ever since.
Speaker 1 (26:34):
So most of pop don't realize that Glen Palace, it
was the original thought behind the footy show, the style
of the show, et cetera, and Glendee I think it
was like a Queensland or something like that. Now he's
moved out of Telly and we put the whole concept
together for Channel nine and it was brilliant. Like I mean,
obviously he's had his day, but it was brilliant at
(26:56):
the time. It was great entertainment like Thursday night for
me in those days, I used to go to my farm.
I'm all in your south house, so I don't drink anymore.
But Thursday night for me was a bottle of wine
and the Footae Show and they just laying in bed,
just drinking the wine. And you know, I drink maybe
three quarters of it on my own, which is these
days I think would be ridiculous. But those days I
didn't give a shit. And and the Footag Show was
(27:20):
great entertainment. And people I saw it on the Footag Show,
I sooner recall, like this is a memory thing. I
don't know it was true or not. I soon remember
them are wearing a hat, I remember. But the person
I remember most was Chief with a beanie on. Yeah.
And I thought I thought myself was a great idea.
And I remembered you at that time from origin, and
(27:41):
I remember the news, etcetera about your brain cancer. So
your brain cancer went through the two therapies. Do they
say at some stage you I look made, it's in
remission or we can't do anymore. What's the conversation.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
We don't use the word remission in brain cancer, right,
So I get scans I had a scan yesterday the
Royal North Shore, so I'm I'm feeling great about everything.
Speaker 1 (28:03):
And what can you are? You later say what the
result is?
Speaker 2 (28:06):
Yeah, like everything's excellent. There's no sign of regrowth for
the tumor, so there's nothing going any better. You can't
nothing that you can see. There are there are nasty
cells that potentially are still in there that we just
hope they ain't go active again. It's a it's a
bit of a luck of the draw.
Speaker 1 (28:22):
So it's sort of latent. It's sort of just there
but not active, so to speak, not growing.
Speaker 2 (28:26):
But some people's their scans would show a tumor, but
it's it's it's staying the same or it's not getting bigger,
which stable, which is good results as well. So yeah,
it's a it's a it's a really tough game to
be in brain cancer. And that's you know, people who
live and dying by their scans and and what's going
(28:46):
on in there. And it's you know, people get a
lot of anxiety going into their scans because you just
don't know what the next scan is going to show.
Speaker 1 (28:55):
I'm going anxious you're talking about it because I'm thinking
of myself. You wouldn't know if you've got bloody brain
cans because it's not like it's not something you can see.
It's differently you got skin cancer or something, you will
see it. Or if you've got prostate cancer, your prostrates
probably blown up and you're not gone to the bathroom
properly or whatever, and there'd be some other for if
you've got a lung cancer, you probably feel it in
your lungs when you breathing. The brain cancer just gets
the point where you don't but it's gone. It's gone
(29:15):
too far, or it's gone pretty far, and all of
a sudden, like you said, you get headaches and it
starts to affect them whatever it is.
Speaker 2 (29:22):
Have a seizure. Yeah, and then you'll have a scan,
and then your life will be changed forever. Your family
will be shattered. It's a yeah, it's you know, because
you don't want to google brain cancer because there's not
much good stuff on there.
Speaker 1 (29:35):
Did you find yourself doing that now?
Speaker 2 (29:36):
I haven't. I've never googled really, no no purpose. Yeah, yeah,
Well I've got to focus on my journey and interesting. Yeah,
and just I just don't want to get negative.
Speaker 1 (29:49):
You don't want to go down the rabbit hole. So, yeah,
that's interesting. That's a very interesting technique. Said something they
advise you to because no doubt they have counseling and
stuff like that for you. Do they say this, don't
attempt this, or stay away from that.
Speaker 2 (30:03):
No, it was just that something from the start. I
don't want to know much about it. I don't even
know what the name they give them, all these massive
long names. Yeah, so I don't know the name of
my tum up my wife looks after that. I don't
want to know about too much. I just want to
know that I'm going to get up each day and
fight it and fight the best I can for myself
and then for everyone else out there that's in this battle.
(30:24):
I need to keep carrying that torch and keep going
with this. That's the thing. There's not too many advocates
of brain cancer because the realities are we lose we
lose them.
Speaker 1 (30:35):
So that the death rate is quite high the worst
Yeah yeah, right, wow.
Speaker 2 (30:41):
Yeah, And I see families that diagnosis six months later
passed away like there's it can be horrific, but it's
case by case. And I tell people that your tumor
reads different to mine. And this one say there's a
little bit of hope.
Speaker 1 (30:57):
So did you just when you say you left it securely,
does that mean but do you not discuss it? I mean,
would you get out in the morning and you know,
like feel as over, Oh, let's have a cup of
coffee and talk about it? I mean? Or did she
more more as more interested in just supporting your fight.
Speaker 2 (31:13):
Yeah, No, we didn't. We didn't talk too much about it.
We just we just got back on track and probably
focused on the foundation. And I think when you do that,
when you give them back in any way, you're focusing
on other people. And it was a really good focus.
So I think our focus changed from exactly what I
was doing to hey, let's let's fix this big problem.
(31:35):
Let's let's have a crack at this. And I think
that we shifted our mindset to fixing the big problem
and not not focusing too much online.
Speaker 1 (31:43):
And do you think that had something to do with
the fact that you're was not better, it was not recovered,
but managing for such a long period of time your
brain cancer. Do you think it's because of the attitude
you had, the way you addressed it, the way you
approached it. Do you think that had something to do
with your let's call it success, because it is success.
(32:06):
You're still sitting here.
Speaker 2 (32:08):
Yeah, Look, it doesn't cure it. Don't cure nothing, And
there'd be people out there that have had the best
mindset and got torn apart. Now, my my tumor had
a couple of readings in it that could give favorable
outcomes and give you a real chance to fight. So
I was grateful for that reading in that and there
are there's levels above what I was originally diagnosed with,
(32:32):
so that helped as well. So the attitude, and that's
not curing nothing, but it makes a big difference, and
you really you start living life, you start having holidays,
you start doing things because you just don't know where
things are going to end up. So in a strange way,
and you can talk to lots of cancer people their lives.
(32:52):
Your life can be better after this diagnosis. So it's
like I like to say to people, now, don't wait
for the cancer diagnosis or the tragedy. Get living now,
do good stuff now. Make today count now because we
don't know what's around the corner.
Speaker 1 (33:06):
That's very interesting. I have a friend who's suffered on
a number of occasions for cancer, but not brain cancer,
but cancer maybe four or five times over his last
twenty years. And I don't think I know a more
positive person. And he said to me, the first time
(33:27):
we got DIOS diagnosed with it was in his thirties.
He said to me, it changes your attitude towards what's important.
You reprioritize things all of a sudden, or you prioritize
things you weren't prioritizing you that you might have been
taking for granted. What are some of the things that
you started to put more weight on compared to what
you were doing before when you just Mark Hugh's footy player,
(33:50):
hanging out with your mates, not just we don't.
Speaker 2 (33:54):
Yeah, yeah, we've found a way to have the good
family holidays. You know, we had young kids, you know,
go to Fiji, do nice things. Yeah, we really prioritize
some really great family experiences. We did a nice adults
only American one as well, so just live.
Speaker 1 (34:12):
And we got one of those ships. It sounds like
as a porn porn event and adults only currently wiped
that out.
Speaker 2 (34:22):
Okay, let's grub that out. But yeah, you know, just
with another group of friends went over and did that
and just do some good things. We did. We wanted
some better stuff in our house. We did our renovation.
But I mean, it's not just about money things. It's
just you know, family time, going for a walk, having coffees,
doing nice stuff.
Speaker 1 (34:41):
It's funny, it sounds like because everyone talks about mindfulness,
but it sounds like you're forced to be mindful of
every moment and just really enjoy and sort of sit
on every moment if it's even it's just having a
cup of coffee, because most of us get struck. I'll
get your work because I've got to do this and
I've got to get home, want to go to the gym,
that I've got to go over a dream of mates,
(35:02):
and like we're just doing all the time and we
never really sort of sit on something for a moment.
And of course that's what everyone keeps talking about mindfulness.
I'm just imagining from what you were saying, that you
would be mindful of just about everything you do. When
you're about to do, you're really well aware of what's
what you're doing.
Speaker 2 (35:17):
Yes, Yes, that hustle and bustle of life that goes
and for the first twelve months, I couldn't drive, and
so I grounded at home and it was like you
know that feeling when COVID hit and everyone was stuck
at home and all of a sudden everyone thought, oh,
there's how bad it was. But there was some advantages
of start stopping and keeping still and just focusing on
(35:37):
your family.
Speaker 1 (35:38):
Totally, totally. So how much money of you guys raise
so far?
Speaker 2 (35:43):
So we're about thirty five million.
Speaker 1 (35:45):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (35:46):
Yeah, it's a lot over a million beanies And.
Speaker 1 (35:48):
And what do you put that to work? To do?
It's the sort of things you got to do. Well.
Speaker 2 (35:52):
We've got the Marcus Foundation Brain Cancer Center at Newcastle.
Speaker 1 (35:56):
Now it's a physical center.
Speaker 2 (35:57):
Yeah, but we didn't there, we got given the bill.
It's not like something we spend money. We didn't want
to waste any of our money.
Speaker 1 (36:03):
But you occupy it.
Speaker 2 (36:04):
We occupy it. And we have a lot of collaboration.
We have one hundred researchers connected to our center.
Speaker 1 (36:12):
From the university.
Speaker 2 (36:14):
They're all from around Australia. We have research going on around.
Speaker 1 (36:17):
Australia, all cancer related, all.
Speaker 2 (36:20):
Brain cancer cancer, i should say. And we had a
symposium in Melbourne and a couple of years ago and
all these researchers come up and going, we've never had
this connection and teamwork. We've all worked on our own,
but you're connecting people and that rugby league background and teamwork.
I've said, I need this for brain cancer because we're
(36:41):
not going to solve this on our own. It's a
big problem. We need some big minds. We need to
get together, collaborate, share and be a team. And that's
what we're doing with the Markeus Foundations.
Speaker 1 (36:52):
Any good outcomes, it's some great.
Speaker 2 (36:54):
Stuff happening and they're really excited about it. And there's
different areas we're looking at, whether it scanning, whether it
be kids can brain cancer. There's all these different streams
that we're working through and yeah, we're feeling good about it.
But it's a big problem.
Speaker 1 (37:10):
And it goes on forever. It goes on for can't stop.
Speaker 2 (37:13):
So we keep working on that. We have our brain
cancer Cannass is doing a wonderful job throughout regional New
South Wales. They're like angels. What they do for patients
and their families is overwhelming. And I just did a
tour of Tamworth and Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbor and
spoke to people firsthand at the difference we're making with that,
so that that's a really big part of what we
(37:34):
do as well.
Speaker 1 (37:34):
Now you're a volunteer for this, you know it's got it.
You're not sort of sitting up there as the president
elect or something that you're a volunteer. I mean, obviously
these things are on properly as I said earlier, is registered,
it's probably ordered it, it's got the whole process going on.
You're a volunteer, so how I mean, it's one thing
to have the foundation. It's another thing to raise money
(37:57):
and to have an awareness for a week or two
weeks in the lead up because which what's the date
by the way.
Speaker 2 (38:02):
When twenty six the gym's coming up to two? Three weeks?
Speaker 1 (38:05):
Okay, a couple we'll get this out probably next week
beginning next week, and that's okay. There's awareness. You'll probably
do another cup podcasts that might get you on. They
don't know Footy show anymore, but John and I might
do a cross blah blah blah. You do stuff for
a couple weeks, but then it'll drop off. So what
does Mark Hughes do to keep pushing the agenda outside
(38:29):
of that.
Speaker 2 (38:30):
Yeah, so we do lots of different things. We've got
a trek coming up in October where we're going to
do Kokoda, but we're going to walk across, touch the
finish line and walk back. Well, yeah, it hasn't been done.
Speaker 1 (38:42):
Did you do the Robber.
Speaker 2 (38:44):
I've done Mount Kilimanjaro, I've done base Camp, Mount Everest. Right, Robot,
what a man. I know. You know he helped set
this up. And I remember killing Majara. It's the last night.
It's eleven pm at night. We're in our camp. It's fundering,
it's pouring down rain, and we've got to do our
final climb. Robo gets us in its people are sick
(39:06):
by now we're about four thousand meters above sea level.
We have to get to five thousand, five hundred that night.
So we leave at eleven pm. Robot gets us in
a circle and he gives us this great you know,
it's game day and on game day you just do it.
You've got to make it happen. And he done this
ten minute speech and he had us reven and we spent.
(39:27):
We left at eleven pm. We got up there at
nine am the next morning. Well, you spent ten minutes
at top one photo and then get down because people
are sick. But every media you're going down, you're starting
to feel better. But yeah, what an wild experience that was.
Speaker 1 (39:42):
So But if you thought at any stage yourself to
get out and do like a corporate speech is like
speaking to they get up there and actually sit in
front of a quarry bank staff on you because they
do these things every month, not not for you, but
they do this sort of stuff. They're booking people all
the time. Are you doing that sort of.
Speaker 2 (39:59):
Yes, that's that's my my new passion, and I really
want to go meet people, make a difference, give my
message in and around resilience, positive mindset, teamwork. I laugh
with a key message and yeah, that's what I'm really
excited about. I know you've done some of that. Do
you love going in and meet.
Speaker 1 (40:16):
I love talking to people. But if Mark, if someone's
listening to this now, they say, I would't mind booking
because we've got an event coming up. We've got our
like we do with my coming Yell growth, we have
our events coming every year. How would someone how do
we get in contact with you? Do you want to
leave your mobile phone around the bottom of this.
Speaker 2 (40:32):
I've got a Marcus website now dot you yeah, or
people can just get on the foundation and contact there
and just say could I could I have Marx details
of the game. That would be amazing. I just want
to meet people and yeah, spread the word. And like
you said, I'm a proud volunteer with the foundation, so
I get flexible hours, but the hourly rate needs a review.
(40:56):
But no, it's with my heart. And we've got four
or five team that's it. The rest of is volunteers.
You know, all this money we raise, it's just into
the right spot.
Speaker 1 (41:07):
So so much though that what's important about this is
that people so they are listening. We get a big listener.
So like, what are the types of things. What's the
value proposition you'll bring to let's say some corporate or
some business with fifty or sixty employees? What is it
your What is it you bring apart from your story?
(41:27):
What is you going to talk about?
Speaker 2 (41:29):
I'm going to come in and talk and make people
realize that in life, things go wrong, but it's about
fighting back and how we react to those situations. And
I feel like for me, the resilience and positive mindset
are being key and there's things like I've brought in
personal values, because how do I want to show up?
So I've made myself personal values. And I talk about team,
(41:52):
I talk about the right the people around you that
make you the person you are, surrounding yourself with those
right people. I love talking about the power of giving back,
controlling our thoughts. My thoughts were going wild nuts. I
had to level them up and square them up because
I had to be a leader and I had to
I had to have strong, clear thoughts and just things
(42:13):
like movement, fun doing things to keep your yourself in
a great position. And I like talking about that and
lots of other stuff with people, and it resonates and
I just hope to get the opportunity to do more
of it.
Speaker 1 (42:25):
And I just as you're speaking, I can think of
businesses like a business doesn't get brain tom it, but
a business can have something equivalent to a brain trim
and something can go really bad and you might think, well,
that's the end of us. But at the same time,
you might be able to manage the way through, just
like you've done in relation to your brain cancer. And
(42:47):
it's about I mean, obviously you built a strategy. I
mean you had a strategy and go, oh, you know,
I'm going to go and bring up Ben Kenny go
for a run. You thought, now I'm going to get
this part. We're going to get exercise right. I'm going
to get my food right, going to get my you know,
I'm going to form the foundation and give me something
to push and run. How do you go about building
(43:08):
a strategy like it was your strategic thought process? Did
you have some mentor or somebody coming to a mate
they said, sit down and write it all out. I mean,
what's your process as a footballer.
Speaker 2 (43:20):
You get injured, you go to physio, you get yourself
right to play the next week. That's all you're made
at the very tactical. Yeah, you just workday Saturday to Saturday,
whatever it was. You just need to get yourself back
on the paddy. When I got sick, I had that
mentality of hey, I've got to get myself back on
the paddy. I've got a young family, I've got a
foundation that I'm about to start up. So I needed
(43:40):
to be fit and strong, and I think the first
thing is just simple things like yeah, you're sleep, your nutrition,
your exercise, be consistent with those. And then so I
just started doing that, and I started to build momentum,
and I couldn't keep thinking about my diagnosis or looking
too far into the future. I just had to make
(44:02):
today count, do the best today, wake up tomorrow and
do it again. And I think if we do that,
just for a simple, simple way of starting is just
focusing on the next foot in front of you. I think,
like we've done these tricks. I do them every year,
and I remember walking and i remember hearing a stream
down there and I'm looking ahead at it and I
(44:24):
stumbled and fell because I'm not focusing on my next step.
Speaker 1 (44:27):
Yeah, and that's important.
Speaker 2 (44:28):
We're all guilty of that.
Speaker 1 (44:30):
Yeah, as funny as you said, because even I mean,
I have had experiences with people for are alcoholics and
or drug addicts, and it's not about some massive, big
plan about just getting through today and tomorrow and being consistent,
and the thing will solve itself over time, and you
might even have some setbacks, but you get back on
the horse and you solve things over time. And so
(44:53):
maybe it's probably not that important to beat yourself up with, oh,
what's my strategy, and you don't draw it up on
whiteboard and start connecting things with arrows and stuff like that, because,
as you say, it's just better to get something done
each day and be consistent at it and have a
good attitude.
Speaker 2 (45:14):
Step by step, day by day. You just you plan
your fight back. I've been an underdog my whole life.
I continue to be an underdog now, but I don't
mind that, and I'm ready to take on this disease
and everything around it. And people need to know that
things aren't always going to go well, and they're going
to be the underdog at times. They've got to wiggle
and fight and scratch and claw each day and build
(45:38):
a bit of momentum. Don't look too far ahead. We
can't change what's happened, and just do what we can today.
Speaker 1 (45:45):
Just scramble, scramble, scramble.
Speaker 2 (45:47):
Full scramble. That's what life's about.
Speaker 1 (45:50):
Well, Mark, I hope you have a record year this
year and what you raise, and thanks very much for
everything you do for research when it comes to brain
cancer and everybody I imploy you to, I'll be doing it.
We'll be doing here at the studios. Get yourself one
of Mark Hughes's foundations, Beanies. Even if you had last years,
(46:10):
but don't wory about it because it's probably going to
fall apart because they've only designed to last for ten
leven months and now's the time to get behind this
great course.
Speaker 2 (46:17):
Thanks very much, pleasure, Thank you mate, very mate.
I Boris and this is straight talk mark Us. Well
straight talk.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Mate and b thanks for having me mate, I appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
And it is that time year. Of course we've got
the Marcus Foundation fundraiser coming up which we saw see
every year and I've got I seem to have a
I've got a collection of beanies. You seem to change
the boonies up every year and you know with m.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
H F on the front that it mate.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
Yeah, and it's a good time because there's been bloody
freezing down here in Sydney. I don't know about Upper Newcastle,
but it's bloody freezing down here. We're getting asked Arctic
wins and it's been the time of the year.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Mate, it's definitely getting car main. One thing you need
to know. These beanies are design. They last ten months,
then they start to come apart and I'm going to
replace them. So it's good that's the way we do.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
That's a good marketing strategy.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
You need a new one, mate, So let's just.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
Just go back a look because a lot of people
don't know a lot a lot about you. If they're
not a Roaby Leaf fan, they define wouldn't It's funny
Rugby League. There was the only thing about this. On
the weekend Rugby Leaves has the Mark Hugh's Foundation, which
it supports. ERL supports it heavily and as do the clubs,
and I know our club does with the roosters, and
(01:11):
your fundraising is on this time of year and you
build awareness around brain cancer, et cetera. And then I
noticed on the weekend though that the AFL has the
MND Foundation and I don't know what's called. I just
saw actually my mother passedway memody and I remember they
contacted me, but it was a Melbourne thing. And how
to go and jump into an ice bath or something
like that. I was watching a few people do it
(01:31):
on the weekend and I was I thought of myself,
it's important to get an institution behind you, like the NRL.
How important. And let's just go back a step. How
did you actually manage to do that? How did did
you talk to abdo did you talk to do you
(01:51):
go and see the BVL?
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Yeah? Well, way back, the Calendar family, Matt Calendar was
a high credent children of Channel nine, and unfortunately Matt
came down with brain cancer and we decided to in
the background We've been chipping away with beanies and we
wanted to try and take it to the next level.
So we connected with the Calendar family, we connected with
(02:15):
Channel nine and we got together and we said, let's
how can we take this to the next step. What
can we do to get the NRL involved, And some
talks happened and from there the NRL climbed on board
and said, yeah, let's give this a go, and it
just from that part it's been an absolute tidal wave
of support.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
It's been amazing, Like it's nearly like you can't afford
not to be in it if you're a club, To
be frank with you, it's like, why aren't you supporting it?
And I do want to talk about brain cancer if
you don't mind. I'm sure of course was a sort
of sensitive issue for you because but you first were
you playing for Newcastle when you got diagnosed with brain cancer?
Speaker 2 (02:56):
No, this was twenty thirteen. Yeah, i'd finished. I was
thirty six at the time, going along really well, feeling
fit and strong, had three children under ten, unstoppable, and
then from nowhere I got headaches. I was bed ridden
for a day or two. My wife said, you need
to go get this checked. So went and got a scan,
(03:18):
and from that moment my life completely changed. They said,
I'm sorry, you've got a brain tumor. You need to
get that out as soon as possible. What's his brain
tumer business? I don't know an think about this. No
one knew much about brain cancer, and suddenly I was
it was me. So the rushed at John Huntter Hospital surgery.
(03:41):
Then you're hopeful that the gym is not cancer, of course,
and I'm always very close. Yeah, all that stuff, so
I'm thinking I'll be fine, you know. And then a
week later we went in me and my wife clearly
into the doctor's surgery for the news and he just
sat us down, looked us in the eye, stared at us,
was pause, and just sort of simply said, sorry, Mark,
(04:02):
you've got high grade brain cancer. And you know, that
just shattered everything. You know. There's no cure for brain cancer.
You know, brain cancer kills more people forty and under
than any other disease. And wow, here we were with
this disease and it was a surreal, terrifying moment.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
Do you think that I guess most of us, I
don't know about you, but let's know what your view
on it is most of us always try and find
something to blame. Did you at some stage in and
reflect on how you'd live your life prior to that moment,
(04:41):
including footy and everything else? I mean, did you go
through that process?
Speaker 2 (04:45):
Look, my thoughts spiraled, like I think any persons would,
you know, lots of negative thoughts and it was really
tough time. And then people would say, oh, it's the footy,
the head knocks, or is it this or that. So
I'd get that thrown at me a few times, but
really there's just no no one knows. That just sneaks
(05:05):
up on you. That's that's the thing about the disease.
We don't know much about it and there's no reason
or ryan at this point.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
So your football career, I mean, I remember you in Origin.
I think you played in the same year as Joey.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
Joey was injured that year.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
It didn't play.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
Maddie wasn't there either, but from my team there would
have been Adam McDougal, mc gidley, Tammarnon didn't play in
that series. That was two thousand and.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
One, So I'm just trying to remember myself.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
Yeah, two thousand and one, people remember it because Alan
Langer came back from US England. Yeah that was one
all into the last game and Alfie come back and
we got beats. So that was my Origin career. But
you know, I found a way, Like from where I was,
you know, at eighteen or nineteen playing park football for
my beloved Curry Bulldogs. You know, life turned really quickly
(05:57):
for me. And you know I had no junior pro program.
I wasn't anywhere near the nights. So it's goes to
show if you just hang in there and and find
a way. And I think that's a bit like my
journey with this illness is I've got to find a way,
and that's that's what I'm trying to do.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
So do you think who's your coach and who coached
you in Origin? And Wayne Pierce you're on the infamous
falling off the Horse.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
Now that was that was a few years so Junia.
Speaker 1 (06:24):
Had a couple of years at Origin. So who's your captain?
Speaker 2 (06:29):
Freddie Fieler. But you know I just couldn't That was awesome.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
Yeah, Freddie. Wow. And so because I'm going because I
was sponsoring at the time, as you recall, but I
don't remember, did you guys win that.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
Series one all going into the last game, and then
Alfie came back.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
That's right, and Alfie was the magic, the magic to
the whole.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Then that was that was it for me. I like
to tell people that I retired from red football after
that game. You true that I didn't get picked, it's
a better story. Yeah, yeah, I was. Look, I just
I didn't have this. I wasn't strongest or fittest or biggest,
but I found a way. And you know, I was
(07:09):
surrounded by some amazing players at the nights, which helped.
And yeah, yeah, I got way more out of ragbya
league than I thought I ever would.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
It's funny if you good. But I think for the
process of roubilia, as I've observed at anyway at origin level,
as coaches and selectors liked in those days, they had selectors.
Now the coach does all selection, but you had a
selection panel, as I recall, and they tended to do
to select combinations. And Newcastle was doing pretty well at
the time, and they selected combinations out of winning size
like Newcastle, and they don't want to break the combination.
(07:39):
But was Mark Hughes always was here, the kid always
destined to be an Origin player or do you think
it was something that you made happen as a result
of just sheer hard work and as you say, finding
a way.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
Absolutely that it was. My whole footy career looked like that.
You know. At eighteen the Knights were nowhere, mean he
didn't want to name me. At twenty, I was doing
a lap around the Sydney Footy stadium. We just beat
Mainly in a grand final. So that's how quick life
can change, whether it be for the worst with my
(08:14):
illness or early days. My life changed like that, and
I was surrounded by these amazing players in a town
that just loved rugby league and we just won our
first ever premiership. It was electric, It was exciting. I
just couldn't believe I'd played fifteen first grade games, I think,
to sneak in for a grand final, I was very lucky.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
Would you remember the Do you remember the first time
we got chosen for played first grade for Newcastle?
Speaker 2 (08:39):
Yeah? Absolutely. We're playing the Roosters on a Friday night.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
We're playing you guys next week.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Yeah that's right, talk about that later, but yeah, just
a Friday night game. We had a drawer. Actually, I
remember that, but it was just yeah, Like I grew
up in Curry Curry, forty five minutes away. I grew
up loving rugby league. I had posted all over my
wall as a kid, I'd stare at him every night.
I'd wake up and stare at him. And I wanted
(09:04):
to be that. But it took a long time and
a lot of struggle and a lot of hardship. That
like in life, if you get through that struggle and
can wiggle your way out of it, some greatness can
happen at the end of it. And that's something I
learned from a young age.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
Well, but how does someone like you deal with things?
They can tend to be overwhelming. So let's not talk
about your brain cancer at this stage, but let's just
talk about like footy. Like when you're a young kid,
you come from, you're in Curry Curry, you obviously everyone's
dreaming to be in the Newcastle side, let alone the origins.
I would dream to be in the Newcastle side play
(09:39):
first grade. But things come at you and they go, oh,
I'm never going to get there. How do you stop
yourself from being the person who says I'm never going
to get there, to being the person who says I've
got to find a way to do this, Well, what
is there a mindset shift or is there a technique?
Speaker 2 (09:54):
It's a slog and a lot of people they fail
because they give up. They just give up, you know.
And I could have, probably as a seventeen year old,
was on that borderline where I could have easily went
in another direction. And we talk about the choices we
have in our lives, and I made good choices that
I wanted to stick it out and I wanted to
give it a go when it still looked a long
(10:15):
way away, it really did. And it was I didn't
make a rep team, you know, it was just it
was just play ball. Nowhere near any of that. I
was just struggling along in my Curry team in the local.
Speaker 1 (10:29):
Because some of us have discovered it, mar come on
those well.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
As an eighteen year old, I played in a Grand
final for Curry in first grade black Mail McGrady. I
played on the wing and that was a good game.
We won the game against West Newcastle, who are a
very strong local team. And from there I got a
trial for the Knights in nineteen ninety six and then
that was the stepping stone. But even the start of
ninety seven season, I wasn't at nights training for the
(10:53):
first week. I had to make a phone called why
am I there? Can I get there? So, yeah, come on,
why not come and have another trial? So I trial
for ninety seven. I get in, I'm signed in the
sheds on a Tuesday night. I think I signed for
five thousand dollars that year, and I want to calm
(11:14):
my opposition players were on four or five hundred some
of them guys. Maybe people maybe people saying I was
ever paid still, I don't know, but five thousand was.
I think I was pretty good value.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
And that's what I'm sort of trying to get to
my league because I you know, I come across all
sorts of it. But sometimes people hope I will come
across as say stuff this, and they'd let the fact
that they're only getting paid in five thousand overwhelm them
and actually get them to give up. Not because they're
week or they just say it's not worth it. What
is it that got someone like you to say, I'm
(11:46):
still going to do it, even tho I'm only getting
five grand.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
Just the love of rugby league, you know, and just
the fact that I was getting this opportunity, and somehow
I'd made it into first grade, I would have got
zero money that year. I wouldn't have mattered. It was
just so exciting to be living your dream. It's something
that you'd work for all your life and there it was,
and you're in this really great team with playing for
(12:11):
all these great players. Some leaders talk about leadership, you know,
Paul Harrigan, Tony Butterfeld, these type of guys leading just
really like big brothers there in your team. So I'm
a twenty year old soaking all this in.
Speaker 1 (12:24):
Yeah, I guess you've got to be prepared. I guess
you gotta have a really sort of generally speaking, a
positive outlook on life and say, well, look, I'm just
privileged to be here. I mean, because the same would
happen if you're diagnosed with something you get dirty, could
get dirty in the world, but you could also say, well,
I'm privileged. I now know about it, and there are
(12:45):
ways to manage at least. It's sort of a difference
between letting it completely fuck you over or learning how
to manage things and actually just get on with stuff.
It's a very fine line and make a massive difference
as to the outcome.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
Huge difference and I feel that for me, resilience and
positive mindset are two key areas that I've had in
my life since I've been young, and I've worked on
them and they're like muscles, you can you can work
on them and make them better and bigger. And I
feel without those two anxiety, we wouldn't be talking today
because I would have been tipped out of footy. And yeah,
(13:24):
it's just the choices I made have led to this road.
And without my rugby league background, I wouldn't have the
charity and the opportunities we've got as well.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
And the contacts. I guess, yeah, I think the contacts,
and I think it's a double for me, like just
from seeing other things that have failed in the same
sort of regard and all those that are successful. It's
the contacts that you have. But it's also likability. I mean,
the idea has got to be relevant. Obviously brain cancer relevant,
(13:57):
so that's a sort of given that wasn't something you created.
But likability. If you're not a likable person, it doesn't
matter about your contacts. You're not going to get the
job done. And are you conscious of your likability or
you or is it just something you think is more natural.
Speaker 2 (14:16):
But I think when I came in at the Knights,
we had like Andrew and Maddy John's confident, funny, mad yeah,
mad people, and if that, I learned off the leadership
a chief and I grew in confidence. And at school
I didn't want to do a speech in front of
the class or anything like that, but I grew into
this role. And then at sponsors function, I was there
(14:38):
doing the interviews and I was doing different things, and
I think I was in training for what was going
to come because I was I was doing, and I
was getting Clubmen of the Year award. I didn't get
Best Player, but I was getting Clubman of the Year because.
Speaker 1 (14:50):
It was the Mitche Aubison style.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
Yeah, yeah, that's right. So and I was proud of
that because I loved representing the Knights and wearing the
jersey and representing a town and I wanted to put
back I was on the other side of the fence
and cheering them on a few years earlier. So I
was so grateful to be there. And as far as
the charity goes, I feel like gratitude is a big
(15:12):
thing for me and I want to thank every person
I see in a beanie, but I can't, and it's
hard in charity because you're always asking. So all I
can do is try and be friendly and share gratitude
and have a bit of fun with it, which is
amongst what is a very very serious subject.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
So between footy, so the start of your footy crew
and Newcastle and you know, all the various situations your
football career comminating probably will not only grand fineal it wins,
but also you know, playing with great players and playing
origin and the date you got diagnosed a minute before
(15:50):
you got diagnosed, what do you think you learned during
that period? What are some of the things you learned
during that period about yourself that allowed you then to
dig in and deal with the diagnosis once you got it.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
I think I think I'm a was very consistent in
what I did and had good work ethic.
Speaker 1 (16:14):
And what does good work ethic mean to you?
Speaker 2 (16:17):
Just getting up and showing up. You know, we're sick,
or you've you've had a big night out, but get
getting show up and and do what you've got to do.
Speaker 1 (16:24):
It was about not feeling sorry for yourself.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
And not feeling sorry for yourself. It's Yeah, it's it's
it's getting out there and having a go and making
a difference.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
Do you think that no one really, i mean really
deep down and gives the stuff? I mean, is that
one thing that about you? For example? I mean people go, oh, wow,
pol you know, blah blah blah. It's terrible, it is,
but they get on with their life. They're not going
to They're not going to not go to work because
of it. They're going to say they're going to get
up and take the kids to school and do the
shop in the afternoon, cook dinner, and they're going to
go to bed that night. They're probably not going to
(16:54):
It's not going to stop them from sleeping. It's not
that they don't give you a shit. It's that they've
got their own lives to live and you're not really
looking for sympathy, you know. But a lot of people
look for sympathy and say, well, no one gives a shit,
no one cares. Well, Actually, it's a reality. That's the
way the world works. Otherwise everything was stop. Is that
a realization you had or did you already know about that?
Speaker 2 (17:16):
I've realized that I know in my journey, I'm so lucky,
so many people that get brain cancer don't have the
opportunities that I'm having. I'm ten years down the track
and from my diagnosis. To be here now is a
huge probably shock, like from what I was told. But
now I'm here, I'm going to keep going and I'm
(17:37):
hell bent. On my fiftieth birthday in a couple of years.
I'm really positive mindset and thinking in on those types
of things. But I feel when people see me that
they should feel good because I'm getting these opportunities to
live and try and make a difference and help the brain,
help brain cancer and help their family hopefully if ever
(17:58):
they need it one day. So I'm on a real
mission and I'm fully supported and I'm definitely not fell
and sorry with myself. I'm I'm really grateful.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
So your brain cancer, maybe you could describe it a
little bit. When I presume they showed you an MRI
or something like that, a scan at least I presume
did you get a first gone for MRI or do
you want for.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
Pet scan MRI scan first, yes, And then it showed
a small avocado sized tumor.
Speaker 1 (18:28):
A small avocator that sounds pretty big to me.
Speaker 2 (18:30):
Yeah, So then we had to wait a few weeks
to let things saddle, and then went to the hospital
got it removed.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
So what did that entail?
Speaker 2 (18:40):
Just big surgery.
Speaker 1 (18:41):
So they cut your head open. Yep, you were awake.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
No, they they emphatiz you fully out surgery. Then a
few weeks later radiation. You know, thirty three sessions of radiation.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
Thirty three sessions. Ye, So we'll just explain that. So
they're sending a beam into your skull, I presume.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
Yeah, So I'd drive, I'd get a lift to the
central coast. Every morning, I'd put the mask on, lay
down and that would that would drill you fair. I
think it's only about ten minutes so that that happened
for you three days in a row. I'd come home,
I would I'd go and do some training. Ben Kennedy,
an old teammate of mine. Yeah, yep, we go to then.
Speaker 1 (19:20):
Other origin plan. What a great plan, what a backwell?
Speaker 2 (19:23):
Yeah, sensational. So we go and do run throughs at
the oval, then we go to the ace. You're physical, Yeah,
I wanted to do that. You know, good good in
this game is no good. I think you're in business
like goods not goods. Planning you've got to be great,
but you want excellent results. So what could I do
to get excellent results that maybe other people aren't doing?
(19:45):
What can I do over and above? And it's not
going to cure nothing? But how about I keep moving?
How about I train, try and be fitting during this time?
So I had a partner, and I think it's important
to get get people around you. I think resilient people
are great at getting the right people around them. And
I did that and every afternoon I do that training.
Speaker 1 (20:03):
To run through. Explain what that is.
Speaker 2 (20:05):
We're just one hundred meters runs. We go and do
I think it was walk back twenty nice cruisy run
and then walk back to it again. Yeah, nice and cruzy,
but it was I was moving.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
How do you physically feel though?
Speaker 2 (20:15):
Were you maybe felt good? But after I wasn't pretty good?
Speaker 1 (20:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:21):
So I was a bit younger than a lot of people.
Speaker 1 (20:23):
Of course. Yeah, kid at the top of relatively speaking. Kid.
But so they take the growth out just as.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
Much as they can.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
They show it to you.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
No, they didn't shame me, but they keep samples of it.
We've got at the Foundation, We've got a library of
chambers that we use for bank out.
Speaker 1 (20:42):
Like the brain bank down here in the city. There's
a couple.
Speaker 2 (20:44):
Yeah, that's right. So, yeah, they get out as much
as they can. You're dealing with the brain. It's not
as you can cut it out.
Speaker 1 (20:51):
You know, you didn't see it. I mean I often
wanted what it looks like. Yeah, I've never seen I
know the brain looks, but I don't want to what
the tum looks like.
Speaker 2 (20:58):
Yeah, we didn't say it. They just removed as much
as they can. That's a hard part about brain cancer.
You're dealing with the brain. Yeah, you know.
Speaker 1 (21:06):
And was it touching on any particular part like motor
era or.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
A bit of visual stuff and that at the back here.
But I haven't had too much. I can't. I don't
like reading anymore, night driving. I'm a little bit slower.
I think that I'm really really good, really and.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
One of the symptoms. So you just woke up with
headache one day or do you thinking back, do you
think you had probably a series of things you should
have clocked about.
Speaker 2 (21:30):
Yeah, I just there was a couple of little things,
like I'd have a vomit a few times when I'd
had a couple of few beers. I thought what's this
all about? That in hindsight it might have been a sign.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
Yeah, yeah, that's mate, But you only really you weren't
getting headaches consistently.
Speaker 2 (21:46):
No, just just like I thought, Oh, this is what
a migraine is. Two day headache, and then from there
it's flipped and it's all of a sudden it's a tumor.
Speaker 1 (21:54):
Wow. Yeah. And then when you give you the radiotherapy,
I mean someone told me I got mates have had.
They told me it's like you're like getting cooked. It burns.
Speaker 2 (22:03):
Yeah, did you didn't feel any burn? I had this
helmet on and just laying there and trying to trying
to think positive thoughts during that time and getting that
done and then getting out of there. And it's not
a great feeling, but you're also feeling like you're killing
the bad It's like a game. Yeah, you can picture
this light coming in and killing these things. I think
(22:26):
that was good.
Speaker 1 (22:26):
And do you have to do kima?
Speaker 2 (22:28):
Yeah? It was through tablets for six months, so it's
not too bad, not too invasive.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
Yeah, but were you sick? No, it was too bad.
Speaker 2 (22:37):
I had Yeah, I had a bit of a there
in the backs there, so I wore a beanie that
a bit, and that's sort of how beanies and brain
cancer I brought them together.
Speaker 1 (22:46):
Yeah, because you wore to cover off the patch.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
Yeah, and I thought, you know, beanies in brain cancer
do that. That goes well. So we decided to get
some local schools to wear their favorite beanie and bring
a gold coin and the kids love doing it. So
then we said, let's design our am beanie. So we
decided to design our am beanie, which I designed myself,
Like you know what colors? I come up with, red
(23:10):
and blue. I'm a genius. Sold well in Newcastle and
no one else wanted to buy them. So I got
sacked from Beanie Design and we got clever and we
started to bring design two beanies and make them so
that even if the foundation doesn't mean much to you,
other it's a nice beanie. Yeah, no, it's cool and
other people are wearing them, so I'll get one. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
It's sort of like trendy. Trendy, especially when you turn
the TV on and there's chief, For example, young people go,
I wouldn't mind get one of those? Yeah? Could you
just go? If it wouldn'tnd going make a step though,
and you're probably under selling it a little bit. But
the idea to establish a foundation, which is essentially a charity,
there's a number of steps involved. There's board of directors,
(23:52):
there's constitution, there's documentation, there's registration with your south I
was government. Whatever you got to do that you got
to you want to make a charitable donation, so you
want to make a tax deductible, so you've got to
go to the federal government. Maybe you could take me
through a few of those things that you know, and
how how Mark Hughes got onto all this sort of
stuff and how he worked it out. Did you go
(24:13):
to KPMG or how do you do that sort of stuff?
Speaker 2 (24:16):
Yeah, well my wife careerly drove all that. I was
focusing on my fight back. But there's so much red tape,
so many hoops to jump through, totally.
Speaker 1 (24:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (24:27):
So we had some help off HMRI, big Institute in Newcastle,
they do so much great research there. We got some
help off them and some advice off them, and we developed,
we changed, we went in different directions, but we got
there in the end. But it takes a lot of work. Yeah,
charity takes a lot.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
On registrations. Yeah, government's approval at so much so right now,
the income or the money that goes into the charity taxable.
You're registered in New Southwae I was probably across Australia,
but definitely in New South Wales to receive money, because
you can't just set up a charity and just take
(25:07):
the moneys. You've got to be registered, and you've got
government whatever the word is. Federal Government Tax Office consented
that if I make a donation to it, it is
tax deductible and then there's all the administration goes with it.
So you obviously had to set up a website and
somehow allow people to transact that website and or give
(25:29):
them a receipt for the tax if they want to
claim it on the tax. Most people don't, but you
know what I mean, it's about how much how much
you have original beanies.
Speaker 2 (25:36):
The original beans? How much were they It might have
been say fifteen or twenty twenty dollars the first time
they went on the footage show, the first announcement of
these beanies. And who was hosting the FOTAE show then
Fatty Stello Chief? Yeah, you know those types of them guys.
Speaker 1 (25:52):
And do you remember saying something to chat and Chief
or somebody saying can we do this or just that
comes through the nine connections.
Speaker 2 (25:58):
Why palest was the pretty gunny. He was instrumental gun.
He was a gun. So it happens, it goes on
the TV and then we didn't realize the power of
television at the time. And then it just went off
and everyone went on our website and then our website busted. Yeah,
completely blew up the Smimmrans. We couldn't handle it. And
(26:21):
the first year we didn't have enough beanies. But people
are ordering beans and we still have. We didn't even
have the beans. We had to order more in and
there was six week waits, but no one cared. They
were doing it in the right spirit. And it's been
like that ever since.
Speaker 1 (26:34):
So most of pop don't realize that Glen Palace, it
was the original thought behind the footy show, the style
of the show, et cetera, and Glendee I think it
was like a Queensland or something like that. Now he's
moved out of Telly and we put the whole concept
together for Channel nine and it was brilliant. Like I mean,
obviously he's had his day, but it was brilliant at
(26:56):
the time. It was great entertainment like Thursday night for
me in those days, I used to go to my farm.
I'm all in your south house, so I don't drink anymore.
But Thursday night for me was a bottle of wine
and the Footae Show and they just laying in bed,
just drinking the wine. And you know, I drink maybe
three quarters of it on my own, which is these
days I think would be ridiculous. But those days I
didn't give a shit. And and the Footag Show was
(27:20):
great entertainment. And people I saw it on the Footag Show,
I sooner recall, like this is a memory thing. I
don't know it was true or not. I soon remember
them are wearing a hat, I remember. But the person
I remember most was Chief with a beanie on. Yeah.
And I thought I thought myself was a great idea.
And I remembered you at that time from origin, and
(27:41):
I remember the news, etcetera about your brain cancer. So
your brain cancer went through the two therapies. Do they
say at some stage you I look made, it's in
remission or we can't do anymore. What's the conversation.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
We don't use the word remission in brain cancer, right,
So I get scans I had a scan yesterday the
Royal North Shore, so I'm I'm feeling great about everything.
Speaker 1 (28:03):
And what can you are? You later say what the
result is?
Speaker 2 (28:06):
Yeah, like everything's excellent. There's no sign of regrowth for
the tumor, so there's nothing going any better. You can't
nothing that you can see. There are there are nasty
cells that potentially are still in there that we just
hope they ain't go active again. It's a it's a
bit of a luck of the draw.
Speaker 1 (28:22):
So it's sort of latent. It's sort of just there
but not active, so to speak, not growing.
Speaker 2 (28:26):
But some people's their scans would show a tumor, but
it's it's it's staying the same or it's not getting bigger,
which stable, which is good results as well. So yeah,
it's a it's a it's a really tough game to
be in brain cancer. And that's you know, people who
live and dying by their scans and and what's going
(28:46):
on in there. And it's you know, people get a
lot of anxiety going into their scans because you just
don't know what the next scan is going to show.
Speaker 1 (28:55):
I'm going anxious you're talking about it because I'm thinking
of myself. You wouldn't know if you've got bloody brain
cans because it's not like it's not something you can see.
It's differently you got skin cancer or something, you will
see it. Or if you've got prostate cancer, your prostrates
probably blown up and you're not gone to the bathroom
properly or whatever, and there'd be some other for if
you've got a lung cancer, you probably feel it in
your lungs when you breathing. The brain cancer just gets
the point where you don't but it's gone. It's gone
(29:15):
too far, or it's gone pretty far, and all of
a sudden, like you said, you get headaches and it
starts to affect them whatever it is.
Speaker 2 (29:22):
Have a seizure. Yeah, and then you'll have a scan,
and then your life will be changed forever. Your family
will be shattered. It's a yeah, it's you know, because
you don't want to google brain cancer because there's not
much good stuff on there.
Speaker 1 (29:35):
Did you find yourself doing that now?
Speaker 2 (29:36):
I haven't. I've never googled really, no no purpose. Yeah, yeah,
Well I've got to focus on my journey and interesting. Yeah,
and just I just don't want to get negative.
Speaker 1 (29:49):
You don't want to go down the rabbit hole. So, yeah,
that's interesting. That's a very interesting technique. Said something they
advise you to because no doubt they have counseling and
stuff like that for you. Do they say this, don't
attempt this, or stay away from that.
Speaker 2 (30:03):
No, it was just that something from the start. I
don't want to know much about it. I don't even
know what the name they give them, all these massive
long names. Yeah, so I don't know the name of
my tum up my wife looks after that. I don't
want to know about too much. I just want to
know that I'm going to get up each day and
fight it and fight the best I can for myself
and then for everyone else out there that's in this battle.
(30:24):
I need to keep carrying that torch and keep going
with this. That's the thing. There's not too many advocates
of brain cancer because the realities are we lose we
lose them.
Speaker 1 (30:35):
So that the death rate is quite high the worst
Yeah yeah, right, wow.
Speaker 2 (30:41):
Yeah, And I see families that diagnosis six months later
passed away like there's it can be horrific, but it's
case by case. And I tell people that your tumor
reads different to mine. And this one say there's a
little bit of hope.
Speaker 1 (30:57):
So did you just when you say you left it securely,
does that mean but do you not discuss it? I mean,
would you get out in the morning and you know,
like feel as over, Oh, let's have a cup of
coffee and talk about it? I mean? Or did she
more more as more interested in just supporting your fight.
Speaker 2 (31:13):
Yeah, No, we didn't. We didn't talk too much about it.
We just we just got back on track and probably
focused on the foundation. And I think when you do that,
when you give them back in any way, you're focusing
on other people. And it was a really good focus.
So I think our focus changed from exactly what I
was doing to hey, let's let's fix this big problem.
(31:35):
Let's let's have a crack at this. And I think
that we shifted our mindset to fixing the big problem
and not not focusing too much online.
Speaker 1 (31:43):
And do you think that had something to do with
the fact that you're was not better, it was not recovered,
but managing for such a long period of time your
brain cancer. Do you think it's because of the attitude
you had, the way you addressed it, the way you
approached it. Do you think that had something to do
with your let's call it success, because it is success.
(32:06):
You're still sitting here.
Speaker 2 (32:08):
Yeah, Look, it doesn't cure it. Don't cure nothing, And
there'd be people out there that have had the best
mindset and got torn apart. Now, my my tumor had
a couple of readings in it that could give favorable
outcomes and give you a real chance to fight. So
I was grateful for that reading in that and there
are there's levels above what I was originally diagnosed with,
(32:32):
so that helped as well. So the attitude, and that's
not curing nothing, but it makes a big difference, and
you really you start living life, you start having holidays,
you start doing things because you just don't know where
things are going to end up. So in a strange way,
and you can talk to lots of cancer people their lives.
(32:52):
Your life can be better after this diagnosis. So it's
like I like to say to people, now, don't wait
for the cancer diagnosis or the tragedy. Get living now,
do good stuff now. Make today count now because we
don't know what's around the corner.
Speaker 1 (33:06):
That's very interesting. I have a friend who's suffered on
a number of occasions for cancer, but not brain cancer,
but cancer maybe four or five times over his last
twenty years. And I don't think I know a more
positive person. And he said to me, the first time
(33:27):
we got DIOS diagnosed with it was in his thirties.
He said to me, it changes your attitude towards what's important.
You reprioritize things all of a sudden, or you prioritize
things you weren't prioritizing you that you might have been
taking for granted. What are some of the things that
you started to put more weight on compared to what
you were doing before when you just Mark Hugh's footy player,
(33:50):
hanging out with your mates, not just we don't.
Speaker 2 (33:54):
Yeah, yeah, we've found a way to have the good
family holidays. You know, we had young kids, you know,
go to Fiji, do nice things. Yeah, we really prioritize
some really great family experiences. We did a nice adults
only American one as well, so just live.
Speaker 1 (34:12):
And we got one of those ships. It sounds like
as a porn porn event and adults only currently wiped
that out.
Speaker 2 (34:22):
Okay, let's grub that out. But yeah, you know, just
with another group of friends went over and did that
and just do some good things. We did. We wanted
some better stuff in our house. We did our renovation.
But I mean, it's not just about money things. It's
just you know, family time, going for a walk, having coffees,
doing nice stuff.
Speaker 1 (34:41):
It's funny, it sounds like because everyone talks about mindfulness,
but it sounds like you're forced to be mindful of
every moment and just really enjoy and sort of sit
on every moment if it's even it's just having a
cup of coffee, because most of us get struck. I'll
get your work because I've got to do this and
I've got to get home, want to go to the gym,
that I've got to go over a dream of mates,
(35:02):
and like we're just doing all the time and we
never really sort of sit on something for a moment.
And of course that's what everyone keeps talking about mindfulness.
I'm just imagining from what you were saying, that you
would be mindful of just about everything you do. When
you're about to do, you're really well aware of what's
what you're doing.
Speaker 2 (35:17):
Yes, Yes, that hustle and bustle of life that goes
and for the first twelve months, I couldn't drive, and
so I grounded at home and it was like you
know that feeling when COVID hit and everyone was stuck
at home and all of a sudden everyone thought, oh,
there's how bad it was. But there was some advantages
of start stopping and keeping still and just focusing on
(35:37):
your family.
Speaker 1 (35:38):
Totally, totally. So how much money of you guys raise
so far?
Speaker 2 (35:43):
So we're about thirty five million.
Speaker 1 (35:45):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (35:46):
Yeah, it's a lot over a million beanies And.
Speaker 1 (35:48):
And what do you put that to work? To do?
It's the sort of things you got to do. Well.
Speaker 2 (35:52):
We've got the Marcus Foundation Brain Cancer Center at Newcastle.
Speaker 1 (35:56):
Now it's a physical center.
Speaker 2 (35:57):
Yeah, but we didn't there, we got given the bill.
It's not like something we spend money. We didn't want
to waste any of our money.
Speaker 1 (36:03):
But you occupy it.
Speaker 2 (36:04):
We occupy it. And we have a lot of collaboration.
We have one hundred researchers connected to our center.
Speaker 1 (36:12):
From the university.
Speaker 2 (36:14):
They're all from around Australia. We have research going on around.
Speaker 1 (36:17):
Australia, all cancer related, all.
Speaker 2 (36:20):
Brain cancer cancer, i should say. And we had a
symposium in Melbourne and a couple of years ago and
all these researchers come up and going, we've never had
this connection and teamwork. We've all worked on our own,
but you're connecting people and that rugby league background and teamwork.
I've said, I need this for brain cancer because we're
(36:41):
not going to solve this on our own. It's a
big problem. We need some big minds. We need to
get together, collaborate, share and be a team. And that's
what we're doing with the Markeus Foundations.
Speaker 1 (36:52):
Any good outcomes, it's some great.
Speaker 2 (36:54):
Stuff happening and they're really excited about it. And there's
different areas we're looking at, whether it scanning, whether it
be kids can brain cancer. There's all these different streams
that we're working through and yeah, we're feeling good about it.
But it's a big problem.
Speaker 1 (37:10):
And it goes on forever. It goes on for can't stop.
Speaker 2 (37:13):
So we keep working on that. We have our brain
cancer Cannass is doing a wonderful job throughout regional New
South Wales. They're like angels. What they do for patients
and their families is overwhelming. And I just did a
tour of Tamworth and Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbor and
spoke to people firsthand at the difference we're making with that,
so that that's a really big part of what we
(37:34):
do as well.
Speaker 1 (37:34):
Now you're a volunteer for this, you know it's got it.
You're not sort of sitting up there as the president
elect or something that you're a volunteer. I mean, obviously
these things are on properly as I said earlier, is registered,
it's probably ordered it, it's got the whole process going on.
You're a volunteer, so how I mean, it's one thing
to have the foundation. It's another thing to raise money
(37:57):
and to have an awareness for a week or two
weeks in the lead up because which what's the date
by the way.
Speaker 2 (38:02):
When twenty six the gym's coming up to two? Three weeks?
Speaker 1 (38:05):
Okay, a couple we'll get this out probably next week
beginning next week, and that's okay. There's awareness. You'll probably
do another cup podcasts that might get you on. They
don't know Footy show anymore, but John and I might
do a cross blah blah blah. You do stuff for
a couple weeks, but then it'll drop off. So what
does Mark Hughes do to keep pushing the agenda outside
(38:29):
of that.
Speaker 2 (38:30):
Yeah, so we do lots of different things. We've got
a trek coming up in October where we're going to
do Kokoda, but we're going to walk across, touch the
finish line and walk back. Well, yeah, it hasn't been done.
Speaker 1 (38:42):
Did you do the Robber.
Speaker 2 (38:44):
I've done Mount Kilimanjaro, I've done base Camp, Mount Everest. Right, Robot,
what a man. I know. You know he helped set
this up. And I remember killing Majara. It's the last night.
It's eleven pm at night. We're in our camp. It's fundering,
it's pouring down rain, and we've got to do our
final climb. Robo gets us in its people are sick
(39:06):
by now we're about four thousand meters above sea level.
We have to get to five thousand, five hundred that night.
So we leave at eleven pm. Robot gets us in
a circle and he gives us this great you know,
it's game day and on game day you just do it.
You've got to make it happen. And he done this
ten minute speech and he had us reven and we spent.
(39:27):
We left at eleven pm. We got up there at
nine am the next morning. Well, you spent ten minutes
at top one photo and then get down because people
are sick. But every media you're going down, you're starting
to feel better. But yeah, what an wild experience that was.
Speaker 1 (39:42):
So But if you thought at any stage yourself to
get out and do like a corporate speech is like
speaking to they get up there and actually sit in
front of a quarry bank staff on you because they
do these things every month, not not for you, but
they do this sort of stuff. They're booking people all
the time. Are you doing that sort of.
Speaker 2 (39:59):
Yes, that's that's my my new passion, and I really
want to go meet people, make a difference, give my
message in and around resilience, positive mindset, teamwork. I laugh
with a key message and yeah, that's what I'm really
excited about. I know you've done some of that. Do
you love going in and meet.
Speaker 1 (40:16):
I love talking to people. But if Mark, if someone's
listening to this now, they say, I would't mind booking
because we've got an event coming up. We've got our
like we do with my coming Yell growth, we have
our events coming every year. How would someone how do
we get in contact with you? Do you want to
leave your mobile phone around the bottom of this.
Speaker 2 (40:32):
I've got a Marcus website now dot you yeah, or
people can just get on the foundation and contact there
and just say could I could I have Marx details
of the game. That would be amazing. I just want
to meet people and yeah, spread the word. And like
you said, I'm a proud volunteer with the foundation, so
I get flexible hours, but the hourly rate needs a review.
(40:56):
But no, it's with my heart. And we've got four
or five team that's it. The rest of is volunteers.
You know, all this money we raise, it's just into
the right spot.
Speaker 1 (41:07):
So so much though that what's important about this is
that people so they are listening. We get a big listener.
So like, what are the types of things. What's the
value proposition you'll bring to let's say some corporate or
some business with fifty or sixty employees? What is it
your What is it you bring apart from your story?
(41:27):
What is you going to talk about?
Speaker 2 (41:29):
I'm going to come in and talk and make people
realize that in life, things go wrong, but it's about
fighting back and how we react to those situations. And
I feel like for me, the resilience and positive mindset
are being key and there's things like I've brought in
personal values, because how do I want to show up?
So I've made myself personal values. And I talk about team,
(41:52):
I talk about the right the people around you that
make you the person you are, surrounding yourself with those
right people. I love talking about the power of giving back,
controlling our thoughts. My thoughts were going wild nuts. I
had to level them up and square them up because
I had to be a leader and I had to
I had to have strong, clear thoughts and just things
(42:13):
like movement, fun doing things to keep your yourself in
a great position. And I like talking about that and
lots of other stuff with people, and it resonates and
I just hope to get the opportunity to do more
of it.
Speaker 1 (42:25):
And I just as you're speaking, I can think of
businesses like a business doesn't get brain tom it, but
a business can have something equivalent to a brain trim
and something can go really bad and you might think, well,
that's the end of us. But at the same time,
you might be able to manage the way through, just
like you've done in relation to your brain cancer. And
(42:47):
it's about I mean, obviously you built a strategy. I
mean you had a strategy and go, oh, you know,
I'm going to go and bring up Ben Kenny go
for a run. You thought, now I'm going to get
this part. We're going to get exercise right. I'm going
to get my food right, going to get my you know,
I'm going to form the foundation and give me something
to push and run. How do you go about building
(43:08):
a strategy like it was your strategic thought process? Did
you have some mentor or somebody coming to a mate
they said, sit down and write it all out. I mean,
what's your process as a footballer.
Speaker 2 (43:20):
You get injured, you go to physio, you get yourself
right to play the next week. That's all you're made
at the very tactical. Yeah, you just workday Saturday to Saturday,
whatever it was. You just need to get yourself back
on the paddy. When I got sick, I had that
mentality of hey, I've got to get myself back on
the paddy. I've got a young family, I've got a
foundation that I'm about to start up. So I needed
(43:40):
to be fit and strong, and I think the first
thing is just simple things like yeah, you're sleep, your nutrition,
your exercise, be consistent with those. And then so I
just started doing that, and I started to build momentum,
and I couldn't keep thinking about my diagnosis or looking
too far into the future. I just had to make
(44:02):
today count, do the best today, wake up tomorrow and
do it again. And I think if we do that,
just for a simple, simple way of starting is just
focusing on the next foot in front of you. I think,
like we've done these tricks. I do them every year,
and I remember walking and i remember hearing a stream
down there and I'm looking ahead at it and I
(44:24):
stumbled and fell because I'm not focusing on my next step.
Speaker 1 (44:27):
Yeah, and that's important.
Speaker 2 (44:28):
We're all guilty of that.
Speaker 1 (44:30):
Yeah, as funny as you said, because even I mean,
I have had experiences with people for are alcoholics and
or drug addicts, and it's not about some massive, big
plan about just getting through today and tomorrow and being consistent,
and the thing will solve itself over time, and you
might even have some setbacks, but you get back on
the horse and you solve things over time. And so
(44:53):
maybe it's probably not that important to beat yourself up with, oh,
what's my strategy, and you don't draw it up on
whiteboard and start connecting things with arrows and stuff like that, because,
as you say, it's just better to get something done
each day and be consistent at it and have a
good attitude.
Speaker 2 (45:14):
Step by step, day by day. You just you plan
your fight back. I've been an underdog my whole life.
I continue to be an underdog now, but I don't
mind that, and I'm ready to take on this disease
and everything around it. And people need to know that
things aren't always going to go well, and they're going
to be the underdog at times. They've got to wiggle
and fight and scratch and claw each day and build
(45:38):
a bit of momentum. Don't look too far ahead. We
can't change what's happened, and just do what we can today.
Speaker 1 (45:45):
Just scramble, scramble, scramble.
Speaker 2 (45:47):
Full scramble. That's what life's about.
Speaker 1 (45:50):
Well, Mark, I hope you have a record year this
year and what you raise, and thanks very much for
everything you do for research when it comes to brain
cancer and everybody I imploy you to, I'll be doing it.
We'll be doing here at the studios. Get yourself one
of Mark Hughes's foundations, Beanies. Even if you had last years,
(46:10):
but don't wory about it because it's probably going to
fall apart because they've only designed to last for ten
leven months and now's the time to get behind this
great course.
Speaker 2 (46:17):
Thanks very much, pleasure, Thank you mate, very mate.
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