WACA CEO John Stephenson: Perth Is Buzzing

WACA CEO John Stephenson joined Lisa & Russell for a chat ahead of The Ashes returning to Perth this Friday for the first time since 2017. The guys had some serious cricket questions for John,  including just how good the pitch will be at Optus Stadium. Take a listen to hear the full chat!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
England's here, Australia's here, the Barbie Army is here. It
is the Ashes and John Stevenson, who's the CEO of
the Whackers, also here.

Speaker 2 (00:09):
Good morning John, John, give money? Now? Are you good?

Speaker 1 (00:12):
It's finally here. How have preparations been for the Ashes
this weekend? It's going to be the first Ashes Test
in Person's twenty seventeen and the first time it's not
at the Whacker.

Speaker 2 (00:22):
Yeah, yeah, incredible. I mean preparations have been awesome. Perth
is buzzing and a lot of English fans have descended
on Perth, so yeah, it's become real.

Speaker 3 (00:36):
We've noticed. Yeah, they're a noisy mob. They're a noisy mob.

Speaker 2 (00:42):
Yeah, Barmie Army fun I like.

Speaker 3 (00:44):
Them, Yeah, exactly, bring a bit of character in the game.
It was announced yesterday. If we can just move on
to something else apart from the Ashes, WA head coach
Adam Vogis is going to be departing at the end
of the cricket season. What's the reasoning behind that, John?
What do we know?

Speaker 1 (01:01):
Why?

Speaker 3 (01:02):
Why is he leaving us?

Speaker 2 (01:04):
Well, Adam has had an incredible career with WA cricket.
After eight years in the role and he's been offered
some opportunities in franchise cricket around the world in T
twenty cricket and he decided he wanted to take up
those opportunities. And we're hoping he won't be lost to
WA Cricket because he's obviously done such an incredible job

(01:26):
and it's got a brilliant record. So yeah, it's a
sad date, but he'll see out the rest of the
season with us and hopefully continuing his involvement potentially with
the Scorches next year. We're just working through that.

Speaker 1 (01:38):
One of the big debates heading into the Perth Test
is which all round our Australia should play Bo Webster
or Way's Cam Green. What are your thoughts on that,
John Well?

Speaker 2 (01:49):
I think now Cam is bowling well. I mean he
bowled sixteen overs in the Shield match. He's fitting, raring
to go. I would have thought he were bat six
and and bowl you bowl his full quota. So I
think that's best for the balance of the team and
then give Jake Weather or Older a US open. I

(02:09):
think that's probably the best option for the way I
see it, But he knows they might know they might
go the other way.

Speaker 3 (02:16):
What what's your what are your thoughts on the on
the pitch that they've put down inside Perth Stadium as
we're calling it for the for the Ashes this year?
Any inside gos? Who's it going to favor us? Hopefully?

Speaker 2 (02:28):
I think it'll be a brilliant pitch. In fact, after
listening to you, I'm just about to go down to
Optus for a pitch inspection. Stick stick a key in it.
Hopefully I won't be able to stick a key in it.

Speaker 3 (02:43):
Stop doing it.

Speaker 2 (02:45):
Now. I'm sure it'll be a good pitch, you know.
I mean it should have characteristics of of you know,
the Whacker and the pers Stadium. It should have good
pace and bounce.

Speaker 1 (02:55):
So one year into the into the job as CEO
at the Whacker, have you settled in John, And how
the Whacker redevelopment is that all going?

Speaker 3 (03:05):
Because we see a lot of that. We're just up
the road. We see a lot of change.

Speaker 2 (03:09):
Yeah, it's really exciting. Yeah, we're nearly complete. I'd say
we're ninety percent there and we're looking to open the
new facility sometime next year, probably around February March. Oh,
so yeah, we're nearly there. March, I would say you
know a lot of cave out, so you know what
it's like instruction.

Speaker 3 (03:26):
It'll still be warm enough to use the water slide.
That's the most important thing.

Speaker 2 (03:29):
Oh yeah, I can't wait to have a go at that.
So I reckon, I reckon, might be going down the
water slide in March at some set. That's good.

Speaker 3 (03:38):
Get to have first go Yeah of the job.

Speaker 2 (03:41):
Really I think I might be second. Oh yeah, yeah, Well.

Speaker 3 (03:46):
John, we know you're a busy man because the ashes
are almost almost upon us. Now we have one big
question for you though, before you go. Now, being from England,
as people might have picked up on the phone, but
the room, the CEO of the Whacker, who will you
be cheering for? Are you a clandestine member of the
Barmie army? Will you be singing in the stands? Who

(04:09):
you going for?

Speaker 2 (04:11):
Do you know what? I just want a four or
five day contest, great cricket.

Speaker 3 (04:16):
I just want cricket to be the winner. Have a
good time. Talk about sitting on the fence. You've got splinters, John, Sorry.

Speaker 1 (04:30):
A huge few days. John, thanks for joining us and
enjoy the first test.

Speaker 3 (04:34):
Thank you very much, pleasure, Thank you very much for
your time.