October 14, 2025 • 7 mins
Matthew Pavlich joined Lisa and Russell this morning as he prepares to read his last sport bulletin on Nine news before heading East to be CEO of the Sydney Swans. He reflected on his time as a sports reporter and some of the events he's proud to have been a part of plus he tells Lisa and Russell how his kids reacted to the news of his new job.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Matthew Pavlis is with us because he's come to say goodbye.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
I have. It's with a heavy heart.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
Isn't it so sad to see you go? A bit
exciting for it is very.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
So incredibly exciting, but a heavy heart to leave this
great city and state. And all the people that we've
connected with were just sharing that we connected about twenty five.
You don't go.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
Way back because you when you know, with Fred bardaka
on the Bunch, used to be docout we'd speak every
Friday and sometimes not well, you know, I.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Mean it was to be expected. You were a teenager
government as.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
A drafter when he was still bewildered, bewildered, you know,
and didn't know what he was walking into.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
No I knew, I knew there were big things ahead.
You're right here, we are now. It's been wonderful time
here in Perth, and I've loved my time at nine.
It's been such a great and you know we are.
I'm leaving at a time where we're trending in the
right direction, in a world where we're always looking at
metrics and yes and numbers things like that. I feel
(01:01):
like I'm jumping off a bit of a rocket. Ship
because Tomo and Sherry and the team in general there
at nine everyone firstly just great people to work with,
and we will. I think that resonates with everyone is
that if you work with great people and you do
great work no matter the outcome, then you know you
can kind of leave each day with a with a
warm feeling in your heart and knowing that you've done
(01:24):
everything you can to succeed. And I very much feel
that way with our team. So it is with a
heavy heart that I do leave, but it is a
very exciting opportunity. I can tell you. It's been a
very tricky and busy couple of days with trade period
as well as finishing up by old job. So I did.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
Did Charlie Curno like what he saw a Swan's building.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
The other day? I think he enjoyed the tour. I
think he enjoyed the chat and enjoyed the time in Sydney. Yeah.
That look, it's been a massive three or four days
and a steep learning curve for me. I've sort of
been around it obviously in different iterations as a player
involved in some talent kind of stuff as well, and
then as a pseudo agent and then also be more
(02:09):
recently with the a FOPA and various things. So I
bet it's not until you're in at you know how
much goes on and how many phone calls are made
and how many different It's a roller coaster, a bit
like an AFL footy season. So a big day ahead
it all finished.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
Today's deadline day, isn't it?
Speaker 2 (02:25):
D day? Today finishes it about help us for our
time and there's a number of deals to be done.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
We live in a country that's mad for sport, all sports,
so being the sports presenter, what has been some of
your favorite stories that you've covered over the years?
Speaker 2 (02:42):
The Grand Finals, sort of big local footy stories often
the most interesting. You know Andy Brashaw's jaw being broken
a couple of years ago. That was hot topic for
many different reasons. But for me, I think the Australian Open.
Being involved in the Australian and when nine got the
rights to host the Australian Open, going over to the
(03:04):
Australian Open, working on that coverage and being a presenter
and a host as well as presenting the news was
a great thrill. But that's a world event, Yeah, the
world event. You're just so engrossed in that and every
result matters, and you know the rain that comes in Melbourne,
that it does and it's forty degrees and all the
challenges that a big tournament like that presents. But last
(03:26):
year in Paris was off the charts, fun, hard work.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
And just experience for anyone.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
I had a moment when we were preparing for the
Games and we were there in the just beneath the
Eiffel Tower, and every other day as the opening ceremony
was coming, you couldn't get close. You sort of like
another road blocked back or whatever, you couldn't get access
to it. And at this moment where we were basically
(03:58):
the only people, Eliot and I my cameraman that were
right next to the Eiffel Tower and the rivers there,
and all the preparations had been done, and I'm like,
this is goosebumps slit, because here we are at an
international event in an area sport which I've always loved,
(04:19):
and we're the only ones standing underneath the Eiffle Tower.
This is unbelievable. Get the camera tower amazing. Yeah, it
wasn't as romantic with Iliot as it was with.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
Take what you can get, So listen, what's the what's
the reaction been from Dockers, what's the messaging board is
when you go into the Swans?
Speaker 2 (04:42):
Do they get it? You know that it's Look, I
think it's probably the same for me as it like,
you know, I will always be a Fremantle person and
always be and my heart will bleed purple because it's
the club I was drafted to. It's the club I
played seventeen years for. It's the club that I happened
for nine years and I gave my all and we
gave our all for that teament for that club, so
(05:07):
that that will never change. But yeah, I think it's
been and it will be a transition for me and
the fans and the members. But what I do know
is it's also a transition for our family. So our
kids are half or twelve, Jack and Will ten and nine.
When we started floating this idea that hey, look we
have to make this decision as a family. We may
(05:29):
be going to Sydney for these reasons and we're going
to you know, I'm going to be involved at the Swans.
And they all sort of paused and they said, well,
we're not going to be Swan supporters and we looked
for three purpose and it was so you know, once
once we locked it all in and it was still
(05:49):
under the radar. They'd sent across all this, you know,
Swan's jumper and scarves and and so we'd received it.
We put it all in the kids' beds while they're
at school, and came home and half our daughter, who
is passionate free I walked in and was like, oh,
wants this get it off as she grabbed it all
off her bed and put it straight in the bin.
So we've got a little bit of work to get
(06:11):
them on board. The red and the white.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
That is the very definition of football.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
Yeah, my grandmother told you to tell this great story
about a friend of hers getting married and she said
to her husband, I changed my name for you, I
changed my religion for you.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
I will not be But it's good.
Speaker 3 (06:29):
It's good that they didn't turn so easy.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
No, that's good. It's a sign of loyalty. Was a
sign of sticking fat no matter what I think, Lauren,
And and maybe perhaps our education.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
Yeah, I think loyalty is a published thing. I mean,
we know when you played, as you said, you did
give everything for Frio. Other teams wanted you bad and
you stayed and so you know it's it's it's a
career move and we wish you all the best.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
Nervous are you very yeah, very well. I keep saying
to people.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
That's just for driving around Sydney.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
And buying a coffee for ten dollars. I think the
biggest thing I keep saying to people I'm equal parts excited,
daunted and ready. Yeah. I feel like I've been preparing
that a long time. So yeah, you'll go great, Thank
you so much.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
Tomorrow night is the last time to watch you deliver
the sports on Channel Night News at six o'clock.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
You will be very missed. You will be I will well,
I'll miss everyone, but give us away. We'll say hello,
yeah yeah, and you know when I come to up
to starting, everybody just don't boom me.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
Yeah, come at you because you want that fire and
the free man well I mean they yeah, they can
boo maybe the team, just not me.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
That's fair.
Speaker 3 (07:49):
We hope we'll see you back here soon. Great, good
luck in Sydney. Thank you very much being here this
morning with you.
Matthew Pavlis is with us because he's come to say goodbye.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
I have. It's with a heavy heart.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
Isn't it so sad to see you go? A bit
exciting for it is very.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
So incredibly exciting, but a heavy heart to leave this
great city and state. And all the people that we've
connected with were just sharing that we connected about twenty five.
You don't go.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
Way back because you when you know, with Fred bardaka
on the Bunch, used to be docout we'd speak every
Friday and sometimes not well, you know, I.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Mean it was to be expected. You were a teenager
government as.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
A drafter when he was still bewildered, bewildered, you know,
and didn't know what he was walking into.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
No I knew, I knew there were big things ahead.
You're right here, we are now. It's been wonderful time
here in Perth, and I've loved my time at nine.
It's been such a great and you know we are.
I'm leaving at a time where we're trending in the
right direction, in a world where we're always looking at
metrics and yes and numbers things like that. I feel
(01:01):
like I'm jumping off a bit of a rocket. Ship
because Tomo and Sherry and the team in general there
at nine everyone firstly just great people to work with,
and we will. I think that resonates with everyone is
that if you work with great people and you do
great work no matter the outcome, then you know you
can kind of leave each day with a with a
warm feeling in your heart and knowing that you've done
(01:24):
everything you can to succeed. And I very much feel
that way with our team. So it is with a
heavy heart that I do leave, but it is a
very exciting opportunity. I can tell you. It's been a
very tricky and busy couple of days with trade period
as well as finishing up by old job. So I did.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
Did Charlie Curno like what he saw a Swan's building.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
The other day? I think he enjoyed the tour. I
think he enjoyed the chat and enjoyed the time in Sydney. Yeah.
That look, it's been a massive three or four days
and a steep learning curve for me. I've sort of
been around it obviously in different iterations as a player
involved in some talent kind of stuff as well, and
then as a pseudo agent and then also be more
(02:09):
recently with the a FOPA and various things. So I
bet it's not until you're in at you know how
much goes on and how many phone calls are made
and how many different It's a roller coaster, a bit
like an AFL footy season. So a big day ahead
it all finished.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
Today's deadline day, isn't it?
Speaker 2 (02:25):
D day? Today finishes it about help us for our
time and there's a number of deals to be done.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
We live in a country that's mad for sport, all sports,
so being the sports presenter, what has been some of
your favorite stories that you've covered over the years?
Speaker 2 (02:42):
The Grand Finals, sort of big local footy stories often
the most interesting. You know Andy Brashaw's jaw being broken
a couple of years ago. That was hot topic for
many different reasons. But for me, I think the Australian Open.
Being involved in the Australian and when nine got the
rights to host the Australian Open, going over to the
(03:04):
Australian Open, working on that coverage and being a presenter
and a host as well as presenting the news was
a great thrill. But that's a world event, Yeah, the
world event. You're just so engrossed in that and every
result matters, and you know the rain that comes in Melbourne,
that it does and it's forty degrees and all the
challenges that a big tournament like that presents. But last
(03:26):
year in Paris was off the charts, fun, hard work.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
And just experience for anyone.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
I had a moment when we were preparing for the
Games and we were there in the just beneath the
Eiffel Tower, and every other day as the opening ceremony
was coming, you couldn't get close. You sort of like
another road blocked back or whatever, you couldn't get access
to it. And at this moment where we were basically
(03:58):
the only people, Eliot and I my cameraman that were
right next to the Eiffel Tower and the rivers there,
and all the preparations had been done, and I'm like,
this is goosebumps slit, because here we are at an
international event in an area sport which I've always loved,
(04:19):
and we're the only ones standing underneath the Eiffle Tower.
This is unbelievable. Get the camera tower amazing. Yeah, it
wasn't as romantic with Iliot as it was with.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
Take what you can get, So listen, what's the what's
the reaction been from Dockers, what's the messaging board is
when you go into the Swans?
Speaker 2 (04:42):
Do they get it? You know that it's Look, I
think it's probably the same for me as it like,
you know, I will always be a Fremantle person and
always be and my heart will bleed purple because it's
the club I was drafted to. It's the club I
played seventeen years for. It's the club that I happened
for nine years and I gave my all and we
gave our all for that teament for that club, so
(05:07):
that that will never change. But yeah, I think it's
been and it will be a transition for me and
the fans and the members. But what I do know
is it's also a transition for our family. So our
kids are half or twelve, Jack and Will ten and nine.
When we started floating this idea that hey, look we
have to make this decision as a family. We may
(05:29):
be going to Sydney for these reasons and we're going
to you know, I'm going to be involved at the Swans.
And they all sort of paused and they said, well,
we're not going to be Swan supporters and we looked
for three purpose and it was so you know, once
once we locked it all in and it was still
(05:49):
under the radar. They'd sent across all this, you know,
Swan's jumper and scarves and and so we'd received it.
We put it all in the kids' beds while they're
at school, and came home and half our daughter, who
is passionate free I walked in and was like, oh,
wants this get it off as she grabbed it all
off her bed and put it straight in the bin.
So we've got a little bit of work to get
(06:11):
them on board. The red and the white.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
That is the very definition of football.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
Yeah, my grandmother told you to tell this great story
about a friend of hers getting married and she said
to her husband, I changed my name for you, I
changed my religion for you.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
I will not be But it's good.
Speaker 3 (06:29):
It's good that they didn't turn so easy.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
No, that's good. It's a sign of loyalty. Was a
sign of sticking fat no matter what I think, Lauren,
And and maybe perhaps our education.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
Yeah, I think loyalty is a published thing. I mean,
we know when you played, as you said, you did
give everything for Frio. Other teams wanted you bad and
you stayed and so you know it's it's it's a
career move and we wish you all the best.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
Nervous are you very yeah, very well. I keep saying
to people.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
That's just for driving around Sydney.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
And buying a coffee for ten dollars. I think the
biggest thing I keep saying to people I'm equal parts excited,
daunted and ready. Yeah. I feel like I've been preparing
that a long time. So yeah, you'll go great, Thank
you so much.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
Tomorrow night is the last time to watch you deliver
the sports on Channel Night News at six o'clock.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
You will be very missed. You will be I will well,
I'll miss everyone, but give us away. We'll say hello,
yeah yeah, and you know when I come to up
to starting, everybody just don't boom me.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
Yeah, come at you because you want that fire and
the free man well I mean they yeah, they can
boo maybe the team, just not me.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
That's fair.
Speaker 3 (07:49):
We hope we'll see you back here soon. Great, good
luck in Sydney. Thank you very much being here this
morning with you.
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