June 18, 2026 • 46 mins
Former NRL player Luke Bateman joins Two Good Sports for one of those conversations that starts with rugby league and ends somewhere very different.
From growing up in western Queensland and chasing the footy dream, Luke opens up about life inside professional rugby league, the culture that comes with it, and the very real impact of gambling harm that's embedded in Australian sport.
Luke talks about his battles with addiction, therapy and embracing his inner child (Little Luke), before we turn the page and get to the second act: books, BookTok fame and writing his first novel. Plus a few reality TV stories, some fantasy hot takes, and a chat about the one book you'd take on a desert island.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
If you could read, If.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
You could read, that's why he's an audiobookman.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
We found out the breaking news. You could have an
entire bookshelf of just your book. Do you know that
that's fine?
Speaker 3 (00:15):
Good?
Speaker 4 (00:15):
I mean, if only you developed a captive audience that
likes reading.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
Dear listeners, We often say on this podcast that athletes
have many lives, many chapters, if you will, so many reinventions.
If we were to compare trying on new lives with
maybe trying on different plot twists, our next guest has
more of those than the Goosebumps book you used to
(00:46):
read when you were growing up. But let you choose
the ending. Luke Bateman, you may have seen him with
either a steeden in his hands, a rose in his hands,
but most recently a book in his hands. He has
become the Internet boyfriend of everyone's dreams. He is the
(01:08):
thinking man who drives a tractor, who also, hey, used
to be a professional athlete. And I am so thrilled
that he is our guest this week onto Good Sports.
Would your plays welcome?
Speaker 5 (01:21):
Look, babe, wow, thank you very much, girl.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
I appreciate that.
Speaker 5 (01:27):
That lovely, Actually it's really kind.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
How what chapter would you say your your life is
in right now.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
I always called this my little Luke chapter.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
Little Luke chapter. What do you mean just.
Speaker 5 (01:40):
Because we're going to get into deep, We're going to
get deep. We're gonna get We're gonna get deep. Very
early during my addiction recovery, I had to do a
lot of inner child work, Okay, and so a lot
of like working with like little Luke, and this is
a chapter that sort of is all about him.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Yeah, oh wow, And why why is this? Why why
have have you found that you can now tap into that.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
Through lots and lots of therapy?
Speaker 4 (02:06):
How good therapy the biggest therapy and the kids in
the world.
Speaker 5 (02:12):
Yeah, no, it's fantastic. I do a lot of parts work,
which is IFS, which is internal family systems, which was
developed by American psychologists called Richard Swartz. And it's all
about working with all the different parts of yourself. And
you've got heaps leaps of parts and they're all different
ages and everything like that.
Speaker 4 (02:31):
So, yeah, tell us a little bit about Little Luke then,
because a lot of people when they talk about sport,
they talk about falling in love with it when they
were kids.
Speaker 5 (02:39):
Talk to us.
Speaker 4 (02:39):
About a kid, paint a picture of what you were
like when you first went Oh, rugby league.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
Quite enjoy this?
Speaker 5 (02:45):
Yeah, well growing up, I mean growing up I always
loved books and reading, and then I was very naturally athletic.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
As well, so I was lucky at that too.
Speaker 5 (02:55):
But everyone where I grew up in Western Queensland, it
was just was rugbyly that's what you did.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
Yet it was that's just what you did. There was
no choice to it.
Speaker 5 (03:06):
It was just breathing. It was like you just went
to school and then you played rugby like that's it,
that's what you did. So and I always loved it,
you know. It was always good fun going up. And
I think we had there was only four there was
five towns in my competition, so every single year you'd
play the same you had the four other teams and
you'd play them one hundred thousand times each year and
(03:26):
it was always the same kids. And yeah, I loved
it and just loved sport. But I think, you know,
if we talk about little Luke, like he loved books
and reading and magic and stuff.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
Okay, hang on, when you say magic, do you mean
as in magic is in the fantastical realms or actual
physical magic like a magician.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
Is there a difference?
Speaker 1 (03:45):
Wow, here we go, here we go, here we go.
I've already said, Jemmy.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Clear the schedule.
Speaker 4 (03:53):
Clear, We've got some realms to it.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
In nine hours with you? When you look back at
that time, when did you know that you were good
enough to pursue a professional rugby league career? Because you're right,
like especially growing up where you grew up, and like
Queensland is in particular, you know, in a state of
origin where quite and our listeners know this, I say
this term with Indiemen feral, like we're fucking Feryl and
(04:22):
we just are. But I mean, when did you know
that that feralness could actually be concentrated into a professional career.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
We've branded you, you're one of us, You're f.
Speaker 3 (04:36):
Are you, You're Queen's and as well.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
No God. At this time, I am a West Australian.
Speaker 4 (04:43):
So when I did move to Sydney and decided that
I wanted to work at Fox Sports, they said what
do you think of you know, rugby league?
Speaker 2 (04:50):
And I said, I love the.
Speaker 4 (04:51):
Wallabies was my genuine answer, sitting opposite someone who just
hired me, and he was like, okay, So the state
of origin is the single mot creative sporting product in
the country, and you are banished to the TikTok desk
or the.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
One that broke the scores at the bottom.
Speaker 4 (05:07):
And he was like, don't stop it up, but you
are not going anywhere near a mic for a long time.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
So I just learned very quickly.
Speaker 4 (05:12):
So when Georgie became an animal for three games a
year and you talk about your town having.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
Four too, don't tell Luke these things.
Speaker 4 (05:20):
I said to Georgia. I'm like, so these two states,
we have more than two states.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
None of this makes any sense? Is this warrible?
Speaker 4 (05:28):
The AFL Grand Fund what it is, but it is
that's a long winter to say. I'm saying, no, I'm
not a Queenslander, but I'm very very Queensland aligned because
I learned early doors that you're either the new South
Wales or everyone else.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
Right, Yes, yeah, very very true, very much, so very much.
And Luke is on the right side of history.
Speaker 4 (05:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (05:44):
But when you know, I was Origin Knights for me
going up, they were always the best nights because that's
when we got to get takeaway pizza.
Speaker 3 (05:52):
Yeah, because we never.
Speaker 5 (05:54):
You know, that was a trick for Orage night take pizza.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
But I was probably y twelve.
Speaker 5 (06:01):
I reckon when I sort of knew that I was
good enough perhaps one day, and that was when I
very first signed my first scholarship to the Camera when
I was twelve. So and then you know, when she
was twelve, thirteen, four and fifteen, and you're making queens
and teams and things like that, you think, oh, I'm
in with a chance.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
I mean this kind of with love. But did you
enjoy Canbra the place?
Speaker 3 (06:28):
I loved Camera. I really loved living in Camera.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Yeah, lots of time to read books. Georgia.
Speaker 5 (06:36):
No, it was because it was from western Queensland. It
was just a small town, no traffic, no people. You
could go out and do something that no one would
bother her. It's just for And it was obviously because
it's all federal government. It's all really affluent and wealthy,
so all your facilities are all really nice and brand new,
and the restaurants and just everything in cameras clean and
(06:57):
nice and.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
Easy to get to.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
Where did little Luke go?
Speaker 3 (07:01):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (07:02):
So during my career, I really struggled with my mental
health and with a really severe gamming addiction, and I
was also abusing Drudge and now Go as well. But
so little Luke was buried beneath those. But a lot
of the pain that I was sort of trying to
numb and silence was just him wanting to be heard,
you know. Yeah, so he had had a few years
(07:22):
where he was he was very neglected. You know, I
really really failed that young man for a long time.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
How how do you then look back at your footy career?
Speaker 5 (07:34):
So, yeah, not through rose colored glasses, mixed mix, have
very mixed feelings about my football career. I always enjoyed,
and this is probably more so my entire football life.
I always really enjoyed the game. I always enjoyed the
eighty minutes. But a lot of what came without the
culture and the training and just like the people involved
(07:55):
with it, I always you know, I never enjoyed that,
and I always really struggled with that, Like it's a
really oh yeah, I mean it's a very harsh environment,
very brutal, very.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
Yeah, just a very very derogatory environment.
Speaker 4 (08:13):
It's a harsh, a harsh environment and also one that
if you're identified at twelve as being someone that will
excel at this, it's a really young age and I
have problems with this, and it's something that still exists,
and I'd be really interested in your perspective on this.
Is twelve too young to be highlighting children as having
(08:35):
talents and having pathways into an industry like this where
we know that sport it comes with a lot of
temptation and it comes with a lot of positives, but
also some negatives too. For me, a twelve year old
boy is still really a boy.
Speaker 5 (08:49):
Oh absolutely, I was still a boy when I was
twenty six.
Speaker 3 (08:55):
Twelve.
Speaker 4 (08:56):
Do you think having a scholarship was a positive experience
or did it put a lot of pressure on you
from a young age. Would you encourage someone to have
their kids.
Speaker 5 (09:03):
But they've actually they've changed the rules now so you
have to be fifteen, which I think is great. You know,
I think that that's really healthy, but it's.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
Not so much.
Speaker 5 (09:13):
I think it's really important to foster passion and driving
children and things that they're good at and give them
support around. You know, if they're really they really excel
in an area where they'd be sport, academic, athletes, whatever
it is, I think it's really important to support them
and give them all the chance to succeed in that area.
But that's where you know, it's sort of I don't
(09:35):
think that that support. I would say it's more pressure
than support. I think we put a lot of pressure
on fifteen year olds to succeed instead of giving they
have a lot of support to succeed.
Speaker 1 (09:45):
What were the good moments?
Speaker 5 (09:49):
Yeah, and there were many, Like don't get me wrong,
you know it's it wasn't all bad at all. I
had a lot of good moments. We had a I
mean in two thaty sixteen, we had a fantastic year
as a club. We went through to the pre limb.
That was amazing. He had many good memories from that year.
My deboo is always you know, I'm sure everybody, every
football player or any sporting code would talk about the deboo.
You know, there's something I'd worked my entire life for.
Speaker 3 (10:10):
So it was great and.
Speaker 5 (10:11):
Met many great people, share many great memories with good people.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
What I thought were probably good memories.
Speaker 5 (10:18):
At the time of like partying, good memories now ye know, Yeah, yeah,
there were numerous good times. And I wouldn't be and
I wouldn't be sitting here today the person I am
if I hadn't done that, And even with the addiction
and rehab and all that kind of stuff always said
to it. It's not I wouldn't wish that on my
(10:38):
worst enemy, but I wouldn't change it for myself.
Speaker 4 (10:42):
So, when you do talk about addiction, particularly gambling, gambling
is omnipresent in sport. It's more prevalent than it's ever been,
so much so that I went to look up the
ladder for a code that I won't mention, and right
next to the ladder with the odds.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
Yeah, And I wasn't searching to put a bet on
or get.
Speaker 4 (11:01):
It's just it's everywhere, so much so that when I
was doing a commercial news bulletin, that bulletin was brought
to you by a gambling company.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
And that's news. That's not anything that's editorial.
Speaker 4 (11:12):
It's just and understandably, when the money's there, the networks
are going to take it. We've see new laws brought
in to restrict to an extent the amount of gambling
that can be infiltrating sport coverage. Do you think those laws,
and I'm sure you took great interest in them, do
you think they're doing enough or not enough or no?
Speaker 5 (11:30):
They were in no uncertain words, they were absolutely piss
week that was the Murphy Report, and then Elbow sort
of came out and addressed it on budget day and
hit it beneath the budget. You know, it was just
like just quietly sneak this in where I want to
talk about it while everyone else is talking about all
these other things. And it doesn't you know, until we
(11:52):
have someone who's going to go you know what, I think,
as you said, Galanz, there's so much money in it,
and I understand that, and money talks and money makes
things happen, but still someone stands up. So this money
is coming at the cost of lives. This money is
ruining young men's lives and taking young men's lives. And
(12:12):
until someone says, you know what, no amount of money
is worth the lives of all of these young men
that it's affecting because one in four young men will
have a problem with gambling one and four men experience
one in four young men experience gambling harmo. So until
someone is going to go and these are the and
these are the men, These are the young men that
(12:35):
are beneath the men making decisions like these are the
people in the industry that these are the same people
that they're the ones that like they're the ones who
say we're going to look after these young men and
then they go and take all that gambling money. So
until someone says, I'm actually going to look after these
young men and stop taking this you know, this gambling
advertising money, until someone says this is I'm not going
(12:56):
to I'm not going to put you know, my soul
or you know what to say, not soul, but my
integrity is worth more than is like, these boys' lives are.
Speaker 3 (13:09):
Worth more than this.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
Can you see it changing?
Speaker 3 (13:13):
No way? Not while, not.
Speaker 5 (13:15):
While the leader of our country barries changes beneath the budget.
Not all the leader of the country won't even like
front up to it and talk about these serious issues
that are killing young men in his country.
Speaker 4 (13:30):
It is also so nuanced, and you're right, and there's
a black and white in that the cost is not
worth the price in terms of and you can look
at it that simply. But the AFL will argue, and
different leagues have argued that the revenue that's brought in
by gambling is what funds grassroots it's what means that
(13:50):
you can have TV deals that mean that it's not
behind a paywall. There's so and I'm not saying it's
right or wrong, but I do think there's so many
layers to the nuance of it, and especially recently in
af when you've seen the like because of Cane Corn
and Luke Hodge take a step back from being on
the All Australian Panel because they have contracts with these
gambling agencies.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
I'm like, wait, you don't read the odds?
Speaker 4 (14:12):
Like how many people are just getting money from gambling
agencies that are on retainers with gambling? Like what do
you mean, like, if you're not actually on my TV
reading odds, I just assume that you're not working for
a gambling company, because that would be a conflict. I
don't know, it's I had no idea how, I don't
know how.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
Yeah, yeah, how would you describe I know, recovery would
obviously be ongoing. I don't know if it's actually something
that ever ends? No, no, no, no, well now how
are we change?
Speaker 3 (14:46):
It changes?
Speaker 1 (14:46):
It changes? Nothing is linear, nothing is linear? How are
you right now?
Speaker 3 (14:51):
Yeah? Fantastic? The best in mind?
Speaker 5 (14:55):
A look, yeah, I thank you. No, that's actually really
means a lot to me, thank you. Yeah, the best
I've ever been. And I went to rehab in twenty
twenty one, but I've only I've been completely sober for
about sixteen months now. So they started twenty twenty five,
(15:15):
between two and twenty one and two then twenty twenty
five recovery, I sort of would have. I had like
relapses over those years, and recovery is never linear. But yeah,
but so now and at the beginning of twenty twenty five,
I had like a very tiny relapse in the grand
scheme of things compared to you know what all my
life used to be like, and I just woke up.
(15:36):
I was just like I woke up the next day
and I was just like, I'm done. And I don't
know what it was. I was just like, I'm just
my entire body. I was just like, I'm done. Yeah,
and literally have not looked back since.
Speaker 1 (15:48):
To quote my girl Taylor Swift, if we moved to
the next chapter old life potentially and one that I
have to admit dearer now we Luke and I met
randomly in the coffee shop downstairs before walking into the studio,
and I said, gave him a big huggin said, it's
(16:08):
so nice to meet you, and you said, we've met before. Oh,
and I'm going to have to live with that for
the rest of my life. That insane or my face
was like oh no, I was like, have we and
looks like you're on the project and I'm like, Batchie
the Bachelor. Reality television hit me with your.
Speaker 5 (16:28):
Thoughts, Oh, I don't really have any thoughts.
Speaker 4 (16:32):
Would you do the amazing race?
Speaker 2 (16:36):
Would that be easier.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
More enjoyable if you're can I just say, if you
were standing across from us at Catman do like that
original circle, it was like, who's going to be your
biggest competition, I'd be like, I think maybe might have
a good fair crack at it.
Speaker 5 (16:57):
Yeah, reality TV is interesting. I've enjoyed both of my
experiences on reality TV, so such a I would say,
if you go in with the sort of right mindset
about it, all can be great, and if you go
in mentally healthy, it can be fantastic.
Speaker 3 (17:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (17:18):
So I've really enjoyed both my experiences and reality TV.
But I would say, you know, you have to end up.
I mean it's the same with everything. The production company
is there to get ratings, like they want ratings, that's
what Therefore, they're not there for your best interest. So
you have to go in knowing that they don't care
(17:38):
about you. They care about the figures on the board.
When the next morning after the episode, is that's.
Speaker 3 (17:44):
What they care about.
Speaker 5 (17:46):
So as long as you go in there knowing that
and prepared for that, you know, reality TVs, I have
a great experiences.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
Is it is it something you would potentially consider again?
As in I'm said, like I said here before, like
I was saying about.
Speaker 4 (18:04):
His back at you, George, because I'm like, I'm like,
I've never been on reality TV as a.
Speaker 2 (18:09):
Talent or as an invitee.
Speaker 4 (18:11):
I've hosted them, so I've been on the other side
of it where the contestants look exhausted. We're filming at
three point thirty in the morning in somewhere with no
lights so that no one realizes how late it is
and how much these people have just renovated for a
weeks and a wonder they want to kill each other.
Like I've seen all of the little things behind, like
all of the little as you said, like, it's about ratings, right,
(18:32):
so how can they whisper and be like, oh so
she said this, And I'm like, wait did.
Speaker 2 (18:35):
She say this? What are we what? Like It's it's
definitely a bit orchestrated.
Speaker 4 (18:39):
But I want to find that back at both of
you because Georgie, you're doing the race. When Georgie said
she was going on the amazing race, I'm like, I
love you not. Everyone needs to see that side of you.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
Because if you two had a physical challenge, she might.
Speaker 4 (18:53):
Win because she would actually destroy you. The filthy Queenslander
comes out agress. But reality TV it's a unique experience.
But maybe we'll phrase it this way. If you both
had to go on another reality show, what would it be.
Speaker 5 (19:09):
I came out of the jungle and I rang my
manager and I said, never again. I said, don't ever,
I said, I said, not for a million dollars, you
tell him no. It would have to be a millionaire.
It would have to be like a something extremely like.
(19:32):
The experience would have to be so incredibly alluring that
I'd want to do.
Speaker 4 (19:39):
It where you're just hungry, Oh my god, because I
think you would have.
Speaker 2 (19:44):
Been like never again, because I'm started during.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
It broke bo Ryan Bo. Ryan was so hungry that
he was like, get me out, gets me out of fear.
Speaker 5 (19:56):
I was like you, there's no you. Actually everyone needs
to understanding this. We were starved, like genuinely. It was
like it was borderline torture. You get no food and
then even when you got food, I'm eating the same
amount of food.
Speaker 3 (20:16):
This is the thing as you.
Speaker 4 (20:19):
Because you don't want to be the guy that's like, Hi,
can we do this pound for pounds? Because I realized
that we just got some rice, but my muscles are
eating me fucking alive.
Speaker 5 (20:29):
Literally yeah, And I was like, have you guys we're
doing this equally?
Speaker 3 (20:32):
Now? Have you guys heard of equity.
Speaker 2 (20:37):
Lost? Though?
Speaker 4 (20:38):
Because people see eating challenges or like you see the
winnings or like I had a friend that went on
Survivor and they were like we were starving and also
sleeping on the ground and when it rains and you
just get wet, like you don't realize the actual because
I keep seeing it and be like, oh, you keep
winning nacho.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
Challenges, Like you're right. He's like I lost fifteen yellows.
Speaker 4 (20:58):
I'm like, okay, mother of God, like it is that
is a chi I don't know that's meat, So look's
a fat, No, Georgie, are you going on anything?
Speaker 1 (21:07):
I would do the amazing race again in a heartbeat,
would you? I would do it in a heart. He
has a writer of reply. Okay, you might want a
different partner actually, but I don't know if I could.
I could probably deal with you Jemio, in all honesty,
but I don't know if I could necessarily do it
(21:27):
with anyone else. Like it was so intense and it's
like you have to be like you have to love
that person so that you're not going to murder them.
Speaker 5 (21:34):
Yeah, you know who I would do the amazing race with.
I would a twin sister, My twin sister.
Speaker 1 (21:39):
Do you have a twins? This incredible research for you.
I did not realize this.
Speaker 5 (21:45):
My twin sister would like she would run, she would
steer the ship. She's that kind of person. And I'd
just be like, she'd just like, get me on, man,
I'm with you.
Speaker 2 (21:55):
Would she also reading as a kid, Yeah, give you.
Speaker 5 (22:00):
She reads books to Actually, Yeah, she's just come and
pinch people for me the other day.
Speaker 4 (22:05):
Handy, because you would get sent every book under the sun.
Speaker 1 (22:09):
Who would send Luke Bateman a copy of their book?
Do so thirsty?
Speaker 5 (22:18):
Yeah, my sister is very different to me.
Speaker 3 (22:23):
Love her, love it a bit.
Speaker 5 (22:25):
She works in she works in corporate banking, and she's married.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
You that's same same.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
Come on, I actually do you know what I would do.
I would love to do dancing with the stars because
I cannot dance, but I'd get so fit, true. Yeah,
And I have a some may call it unhealthy thing
where I think I'm gonna be great everything, So I
would just like launch.
Speaker 5 (22:50):
You know, you know you can get super fit without
going on.
Speaker 1 (22:59):
I actually don't think it's possible. I no, I don't.
Speaker 4 (23:04):
Again, Georgie's watched Rob in real time and been like,
get abs in two weeks because you're stressed and doing
the chutter.
Speaker 2 (23:11):
I'll pay stress. Going to be half naked on national
television really does things for you. Let's get back to
(23:32):
I mean, let's be honest. This is why we're all here.
Speaker 4 (23:34):
And also, Georgie and I massive nerds, always have been.
It's what united us was our love of Irreverend, pop
culture sport and then just nerding out just a little bit.
Speaker 2 (23:43):
And I well, and.
Speaker 1 (23:44):
Also I don't know if I'm just going to jump
in here because I mean, you know, whatever you think
of its author right now, but jellmy, you and I
first bonded at a pub in Sydney over our love
of Harry Potter. I don't know if you remember that,
but that was like, literally you said you made like
a I think it was a snake reference and I
was like sorry and yeah, and she knows books.
Speaker 4 (24:06):
Between that and The Bachelor, this is really our commuter
what brought us together.
Speaker 1 (24:11):
We talk about the Venn diagram and you are.
Speaker 4 (24:16):
And it's also it's how we show love because I
when I have kids, I get really sick.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
And when I say I have kids, only have two
and I'm never doing it again.
Speaker 4 (24:25):
But I was literally in bed dying and Georgie came
in and looked at me. She's like, what are you reading?
I'm like a Little Life and she's like, oh, you
are sad enough.
Speaker 1 (24:36):
And you guess what what did I bring you? Jelmy,
I said, I literally found a kid.
Speaker 5 (24:41):
You know.
Speaker 1 (24:42):
She was so sick with hyperremess, which is this god
awful morning sickness that never ends.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
I looked like with this.
Speaker 1 (24:49):
Usually, but she looked like Gollum and she was gray,
the color of your bedding. And I walked in. She's
got reading A Little Life Tortured Poet's Department by Taylor
Swift is playing, and I was like.
Speaker 2 (24:59):
What happening?
Speaker 1 (25:01):
And I left her, went to literally closest bookstore, bought
every copy of in the series of a Court of
Thorns with Thorns and roses rock back up and like, becuse.
Speaker 2 (25:12):
She literally into my life.
Speaker 1 (25:15):
Yeah, prized a little. I said, not for now, not now,
and then gave her gave her ata and was just like,
this is your homework, And which.
Speaker 4 (25:27):
Is a wonderful segue, because I feel like the popularity
of that series and you're reading it and women not
understanding that men can enjoy that. We we just want
It's a sort of series that when you read it,
you just want to talk about it to anyone.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
That will listen.
Speaker 4 (25:42):
And the person that you talk to it about doesn't
usually look like you. Luke, how did you find the
reaction and was there like an uptick around that series
in particular?
Speaker 5 (25:53):
It was a very It was a very first Romancay series.
Speaker 1 (25:56):
That I ever read, And what a way to start.
Speaker 5 (25:58):
And yeah, what a place to start it. Yeah, yeah,
I enjoyed it. I will say this though, as a
fantasy I would say connoisseur, oh wow, look out. The
fantasy element or the fantasy storyline in those books are
(26:20):
pretty weak.
Speaker 4 (26:22):
You want more magic, You want Lord of the Rings,
You want new languages like lacking Elvish.
Speaker 3 (26:27):
I don't. I don't want to.
Speaker 5 (26:29):
I would never ever talk poorly of those books. But
they're they're basic fantasy.
Speaker 2 (26:35):
Wow, So am I, Sir Sarah J.
Speaker 1 (26:36):
Mass is coming on? And did you hear what the said?
Speaker 4 (26:40):
You know what you can you can probably put that
on my tombstone.
Speaker 5 (26:43):
Basic fantasy and yeah, no great Raids and Son and
then other things. So many especially women, have said to
me though, that was the book, that was a series
that got me back in the game. That was and
for me, that's there's no better book in the entire
world than that one. Then that's the I don't care.
(27:05):
My thoughts on it are completely irrelevant. If that is
the book in the series I got you inter reading,
got you back to loving books and things like that,
I am. I would champion that till the cows come home.
Speaker 1 (27:17):
Were you surprised by just how much your book talk
like took off?
Speaker 5 (27:24):
Yeah, I just wanted five friends because I was you know,
I was thirty, You know I was, I was thirty
years old.
Speaker 3 (27:33):
I've loved books.
Speaker 5 (27:34):
My entire life, and books are a massive part of
my recovery too. And I was talking to a friend
of mine and I just said, I've loved books my
entire life, but I've always been so secretive and shameful
around it because you never be you know, you could
never pull a book about dragons in front of the boys.
You'd get fucking ridiculed, which.
Speaker 4 (27:51):
Is unfair because I can talk about Harry Potter at
a pub with Georgie on first meet.
Speaker 2 (27:55):
Like there is a different extent.
Speaker 5 (27:56):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, growing like growing up for me, like
read was always what girls did, like boys didn't read.
And then yeah, in the NL, like you would never
pull out a book in front of the boys unless
it was unless it was you know, Ricky Ponting's or
oh ye, Darren Lockyer's, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (28:13):
Auto, that was They're the only kinds of book that would.
Speaker 1 (28:16):
Have been accepted to be fair, I would read Locky.
I don't do lucky.
Speaker 5 (28:23):
But yes, I was thirty and I was just and
I said, I have never ever had any book friends ever,
And it's the one thing that I love in my life.
Speaker 3 (28:31):
It's the one thing I've loved my entire life. I've
got I've got books that are older than my best friends.
And I went to book friends, and I was.
Speaker 5 (28:38):
Like, I just want five friends, you know, and then
I put my video.
Speaker 3 (28:42):
I was like, I just get a couple of friends.
And now is what it is.
Speaker 1 (28:45):
How many friends do you have? Now?
Speaker 5 (28:47):
Many many friends?
Speaker 4 (28:52):
I'm sorry, I'm I'm the light touch here. That's so lovely.
But I also just think, like that's the power of books,
and we know the subjects of all of this is
Georgie has written an incredible book that made me ball
my fucking eyes out. So I can't wait for us
to have You're gonna have a chat. We're gonna have chat.
Everyone's going to have a chat. Everyone's going to buy it.
(29:12):
It's going to build us a home, yes, because there'll
be a wing for me.
Speaker 1 (29:16):
Yeah, listen, listen to Taylor Swift and read a Little
Life and I can check on.
Speaker 4 (29:20):
The beautiful thing about books is that you're right like
I was a nerdy kid, not necessarily always a popular kid,
but my favorite books were always there for me and
those friendships and that like you know, now we've got
a bookshelf at home where those Harry Potters they're there,
and they're the same additions that I touched and felt.
Speaker 2 (29:38):
And I'm like one day.
Speaker 4 (29:39):
And that's why, like I'm a tangible gal, I can't
do a kindle like you've got to You've got to
give me the actual bits.
Speaker 2 (29:44):
And I think it's all part of the journey. Actually,
that's a great Are you a kindle?
Speaker 3 (29:48):
Yeah? Yeah, bookshelf?
Speaker 5 (29:52):
Yeah, But you're so right. And I can read the book.
I can read a book and someone in Alaska can
that same book, experience that same emotion, feel that go
on the exact same journey that I went on, and
then we can connect over that thing. And that's the
beautiful thing about it. It's it's connection, it's emotion, it's humanity.
Speaker 4 (30:12):
I'm probably speaking out of school here, but do you
feel if more men knew that not being an athlete
but reading books made you attractive to women, that we
would be living in a different society because you probably
felt like right growing up, it's like the height of
what women want is this much a guy that plays football,
when really.
Speaker 2 (30:30):
It's probably this part of your career that.
Speaker 4 (30:32):
Women are like, oh, and then tell me more about
what we're reading, Like it's a different.
Speaker 2 (30:36):
It's a big transition.
Speaker 5 (30:38):
Yeah, But if you want to really get into sort
of hetero sexual cultures and heteronormativity. Men are trying to
impress other men, not women. Yeah, and I don't know
how DPU want to get into you.
Speaker 4 (30:50):
Know, well, women are trying to impress other women most
of the time as well, So we get it.
Speaker 5 (30:54):
We get intersexual competition is very real thing, very big
expect Like for women, you know, that's a lot of
time I'm like, I'm not dressing good to impress men.
Speaker 3 (31:02):
I'm dressing good.
Speaker 1 (31:03):
Oh god, there's I don't know if you know this term,
but there's girl hot, boy hot. So we'll dress for
women mostly and it's like and often like straight guys
would just be like, I hate everything that you've gone.
Speaker 4 (31:15):
Someone walk past scars jeans at the moment you tell
me a bloke that understands what's going on there. All
the point Caine looked at me as I was leaving
the houses up, What are you doing? I'm like drawing
freckles on and he's like, are you welcome? Like there's
something that we do that He's like, yeah, okay, sure.
Speaker 5 (31:32):
This is so weird that I even know this. But
those like those on freckles big fans.
Speaker 2 (31:38):
Big, love them big. I can give them to you
right now.
Speaker 4 (31:46):
But even worse, I paid a lot of money to
get mine laser off so I can draw the ship.
Speaker 2 (31:50):
It is. It is a real thing. It's a girl
next doors.
Speaker 4 (31:56):
Anyway, we are we are getting off track, I feel,
which is exactly what we do.
Speaker 1 (32:00):
But this is but this is what I'm saying that
I mean, I don't know if you want to do it,
and I'm just you feel free to react. But I said,
I was like, we need to commission you another dating show.
You would have the entire world lighting up.
Speaker 2 (32:11):
Are you dating?
Speaker 3 (32:14):
Ah? No, not really. I want to be, but I'm
always out.
Speaker 5 (32:19):
I'm in western Queensland, so and where I am I'm
a nine hour drive from Brisbane and then I'm an
hour and a half to the closest town.
Speaker 3 (32:27):
I live in a caravan in the middle of the bush.
Speaker 2 (32:29):
So it sounds like an amazing race sequel to me.
You give them a plan, I reckon the walk, Luke.
Speaker 5 (32:39):
Oh, I think I can go weeks at a time
and I see about the same three or four blokes,
right yeah.
Speaker 1 (32:49):
Right, Okay, So this is so the sense of community
that you've now found three books in particular, would you
say that it's expanded your world in terms of because
I feel like when you say you only speak see
a few a few people, but now it's like you
actually do have connections with let's be honest, millions potentially.
Speaker 5 (33:11):
Absolutely, And yes, it has definitely expanded my world. But
books were always the thing that expanded my world I
grew up in. I grew up in Western Queens and
on a farm, Western Queens, and so books are always
the thing I grew up in. My world was very small,
and books always a place where my world came very big. Yeah,
so books have expanded both my internal world and my
external world.
Speaker 1 (33:32):
I still don't actually quite know, Like you say you
want to be dating, I don't know where you find
the time because your schedule is like, yeah, very busy.
Yeah that's crazy, that's crazy. How do you stay sane.
Speaker 3 (33:49):
Through books and writing? Writing? I think if anything, that's
more healthy.
Speaker 5 (33:54):
Than yeah, books keep me very sane.
Speaker 3 (33:59):
I'm always my ownt.
Speaker 4 (34:01):
How do you find books now becoming almost a cool
accessory like we've seen.
Speaker 2 (34:07):
We've seen.
Speaker 5 (34:07):
I think it's the best thing ever.
Speaker 4 (34:09):
One hundred percent. You've got Jacob Elaudy rocking around. He's
always got like a paperback that he's sort of carrying.
We've also seen Victor wembem Yama always reading in the
locker rooms, and then here you've got Jack Innovan who's
busting out books.
Speaker 2 (34:21):
I'm like, come on, Guinea, you tell me, you tell
me what you're reading.
Speaker 4 (34:24):
Like, I think it's I think it's actually really healthy
that it's becoming uber cool now, Like I do think
that now in today's NRL and AFL, potentially you would
bust out a book.
Speaker 1 (34:35):
Oh I don't know about sorry.
Speaker 2 (34:37):
Oh, come on, ad storm they read.
Speaker 1 (34:39):
I saw Harry's probably reading. Harry's reading.
Speaker 5 (34:43):
Yeah, i'd hope so. Actually yeah, I don't know, but
i'd hope so. But I think it's it's incredible that
reading is becoming cool. And I've even seen people be like, oh,
you know, calling it performative, Like, oh, this is all
I don't care if someone's doing it performatively reading. I
don't care if you're trying to I don't care if
you're doing it to look cool.
Speaker 3 (35:03):
Yeah, as know as you're reading a.
Speaker 5 (35:05):
Book, I don't care what your motivation is.
Speaker 4 (35:07):
Read and also read the power that would have on
little Luke looking on his screen and seeing one of
his favorite players pre game, reading a paperback on the sideline.
Speaker 5 (35:16):
And that's a big reason why I do what I do,
because I always say, you know, ten year old Luke
Baateman needed a me because he never saw anyone in
his world. He never had any role models or someone
to look up to that love dragons, love magic, love reading,
love books, you know, and love writing and things like that.
(35:36):
So that was never possible for me because I never
ever saw that reflected in the world around me. So
I I do what I do so that the ten
year old Luke Babman out there now gets to see
someone who looks like him, speaks like him, who grew
up in the places he did, who loves books, and
who loves dragons.
Speaker 2 (35:52):
Oh my god, I'm catching up with two Georgie's. I've
got two.
Speaker 1 (35:57):
It is actually quite weird.
Speaker 2 (35:58):
Yeah, oh my god. And you're like, I love dragons.
I love this.
Speaker 4 (36:01):
I'm like, wow, Okay, So I think they switched to
my Friday moment because that's the most funny thing I've
ever heard.
Speaker 1 (36:11):
It's just that it's just the best though, Like it's
actually just the great, Like it's honestly.
Speaker 2 (36:15):
And when you go around like everyone needs to know.
Speaker 1 (36:20):
Oh, yeah, oh yeah, and that's it. But that's the
joy of it, right, It's the joy that you get
in the community and the collective sharing of it and
the unhingedness of it. Like our fucking group chats are
mental whenever we like find that thing that we're obsessed when.
Speaker 5 (36:32):
You're yeah, you don't only have to look at Heated Rivalry.
What Heated Robbery did six months ago, I still think
about every day, you know. And that's connection. That is
that is human connection. That's everyone being so in love
and so experiencing the same thing across the entire globe.
Speaker 2 (36:50):
Producing is getting free from.
Speaker 4 (36:55):
I'm not allowed to watch Heated Rivalry until Georgie is
sitting next to me because her obsession. If you look
on her Explore page on Instagram right now, it's kind
of story in different different movements.
Speaker 1 (37:06):
It's literally it's just him.
Speaker 3 (37:08):
And that's the thing.
Speaker 5 (37:08):
You know, when you finish a good book, you tell
everyone about it, like you have to read this book.
You have to read this book. I'll give give you
read this book and then we can talk about it.
And then when someone comes back to you and they
says this was the best book ever, that is one
of the best feelings in the world when you recommend
this book. There's no when you when you recommend a
book someone and they come back they say that was unbelievable.
It is like, there's no better feelings.
Speaker 4 (37:30):
Did you read before you watched it? Did you read
Heated Ribal before you watched it?
Speaker 2 (37:36):
Wow?
Speaker 3 (37:36):
Read the book? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (37:37):
Oh wow? See I'm a fake fan. I watched it, yeah,
and then read it.
Speaker 5 (37:43):
But that's no can this is and this is one thing,
and this will probably a little rough track too, but
this is what was done so well. It was so
true to its source material. And I really I get
really pissed off when these production companies come in and
try to hijack book communities, try to hijack these book lovers,
(38:04):
and then they completely destroy this source material and then
they wonder why, like he doesn't do any well and
heat Rovaly the production was two at everything that happened
in the book. It was exactly what you read in
the book. And that's why and that's why everyone loved
it so much, and that's why the entire book community
(38:24):
uplifted it and was so good about it. Like that's
what when you pay respect to the fans who actually
got it to that position. Because the reason that Head
Robby became a TV series is because so many people
read the book and love the book. So when you
actually give those people, when you stay respect the people
that got you to there, of course you do well
and successful.
Speaker 2 (38:45):
How good is over to you going to be as
a TV series? I'm so excited?
Speaker 3 (38:52):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (38:53):
Yeah, even what's the other one? At the moment, I
haven't watched it, but I got off campus.
Speaker 3 (38:58):
Yeah, off campus. I haven't watched it. I haven't read
the book.
Speaker 1 (39:02):
I haven't. I've done again, I haven't read the book,
but I've been watching the series. I've got two episodes to.
Speaker 2 (39:07):
Reading rate. Like how many books are you getting through
a year? Or like do you know per week? Like
what are you?
Speaker 3 (39:14):
I would say, like a good week, I'm reading four
or five books.
Speaker 1 (39:17):
What really with your schedule?
Speaker 3 (39:21):
That's nuts.
Speaker 5 (39:22):
If I'm working, if I'm like in the tracktor, I'm
doing audio, I'll get through four or five books a week.
Speaker 3 (39:29):
But if I can see, if I'm not.
Speaker 5 (39:31):
Writing and I can read, I'm reading Payback will I'll
read five hundred pages a day.
Speaker 1 (39:36):
Oh my gosh, wow, Jemmy, when was the last time
you read a book that wasn't mine.
Speaker 2 (39:42):
Go George.
Speaker 4 (39:43):
Georgie gave me her book, and I said, honey, you're
going to have to give me a good week and
a half.
Speaker 2 (39:47):
I read spot That's what.
Speaker 4 (39:49):
I read, because I got like I will and my
son will actually sit in between I read.
Speaker 2 (39:56):
You know what, I read fifteen books a day.
Speaker 4 (40:00):
I had just lift the flat and give spots there
a little bit harder in our.
Speaker 5 (40:05):
Audio books, Like anyone listening girls audiobooks, audiobooks, just do audiobooks.
Speaker 2 (40:12):
Do you think it's the same.
Speaker 3 (40:13):
One million percent?
Speaker 4 (40:15):
Wow?
Speaker 2 (40:15):
Really there is.
Speaker 5 (40:17):
Absolutely, it's scientifically proven that the exact same part of
your brain that lights up when you're reading lights up
when you're listening.
Speaker 3 (40:22):
To an audiobook.
Speaker 5 (40:23):
No different, And in honesty, I will listen to audiobook
and there'll be times and I'll zone out for a minute.
Speaker 4 (40:28):
Or two, and you just continue on like it happens
when you're reading too.
Speaker 5 (40:33):
Don't like, I'm not going to I'm not going to
sit here and tell someone that they're not a reader
because they're listening to an audiobook. I'm happy if you're reading,
if you're consuming books and stories in any way, shape
or form. Once again, old champion that till.
Speaker 1 (40:46):
The Cows Come home, if you could read now this
is again, if I could read it, if you could.
Speaker 2 (40:54):
Read That's why he's an audiobook man.
Speaker 1 (40:55):
We found out the breaking news. If you could read
one book, only one book.
Speaker 3 (41:02):
My Desert Island book for the.
Speaker 1 (41:03):
Rest of your life. I remember I got asked this
at a dinner table once, and everyone I was with
picked a nonfiction book. And I was never more disappointed
in agreement people in my life. Thank you one book.
Speaker 2 (41:18):
It was one.
Speaker 1 (41:19):
Robert was one and he picked something on Stoicism.
Speaker 2 (41:21):
I was like, one book. You have one book to.
Speaker 1 (41:24):
Read for the rest of your life, and you're reading
Marcus Aurelius.
Speaker 2 (41:27):
Were they all trying to impress each other?
Speaker 1 (41:29):
Probably?
Speaker 2 (41:30):
Probably?
Speaker 1 (41:31):
Obviously I'm not falling for that propaganda. I was like,
absolutely no, It'll be Molina Market up till I die.
What would it be?
Speaker 5 (41:39):
I would yeah, there's no way in hell I'm reading
non fiction. It would be Magician by Raymond Feist, because
it's one of my favorite books all the time anyway,
but it's also nine hundred pages.
Speaker 3 (41:51):
You're taking the.
Speaker 5 (41:52):
Biggest fantasy book in the world, but it's also one
of my favorite books all the time, ye magician.
Speaker 3 (41:58):
There we go.
Speaker 2 (41:59):
Okay, I'll read it in six months and get back
to you at my two page a day.
Speaker 1 (42:05):
Right, we have taken up so much of your time.
You've been so generous, But I have to check in
with your own writing process, like you're writing a book,
if you've already got plans for the second the sequel,
like where are we at? When's it coming out? What's vibe?
Speaker 3 (42:19):
It's gonna publish early twenty twenty seven.
Speaker 1 (42:21):
Okay, that's like tomorrow.
Speaker 5 (42:23):
That's not far No, yeah, it's not fair away. So
we've got at the moment, we've got cover up back.
Speaker 1 (42:28):
Do you like it?
Speaker 3 (42:29):
Love it? Love it? It's so cool, very cool. Little
Luke's very happy.
Speaker 5 (42:37):
And I'm just working on this. You're working on the
third draft right now, and it's a lot of and
it's all so that all the structure is fine. It's
a lot of just scene level stuff now seeing them
on and just decoration. So once that's back to them,
we'll move into we'll move into a line at it
and then hoveryones get copy of it and get arcs out.
Speaker 6 (42:57):
Yeah, so abs and yeah, well I was actually just
thinking now there's a really lovely because obviously Georgie's just
on the precipice of her book coming out, and in
her acknowledgement, I've read it.
Speaker 2 (43:09):
I know you have, and that's why I'm dying.
Speaker 4 (43:11):
I'm trying not to dip into that chat because we're
trying to say that is more. In Georgie's acknowledgments at
the start of the book, She's like, I if I
think about little Georgie or like younger me holding this book,
I'd never stop crying. This is all I've ever wanted. Yes,
I've actually memorized your acknowledgments now, but what would it
(43:31):
mean to little Luke to hold the book that's been
published that's yours.
Speaker 5 (43:37):
It's a really good question. Actually it would mean everything.
And I've thought about this lot and spoken about the
lot to actually, you know, for him, for as I've
abandoned that young man for so long, and for him
(43:58):
to hold that book, because there's so many books I
think about when I was young and when I was
going up as a teenager, and I always I really
wish I could give my own world, of my own
story to people one day, and then for him to
hold that book and know that he did it. Yeah,
they're not ineffable, you know, they're not words that would
(44:20):
describe just the level of meaning that that holds.
Speaker 1 (44:24):
Mhm, it's pretty special and you'll get I got.
Speaker 2 (44:32):
To give you up.
Speaker 3 (44:33):
Yeah, it's really special.
Speaker 1 (44:36):
Well, it's going to happen very very very soon. Yeah,
you can have an entire bookshelf of just your book,
do you know that?
Speaker 3 (44:44):
Yeah, that's.
Speaker 2 (44:48):
Audience reading.
Speaker 5 (44:51):
I really I can't wait. I can't wait to share
that with my mum. Oh wow, because she she was
one who.
Speaker 3 (45:04):
My mom was.
Speaker 5 (45:05):
She's like the one who I can still love reading
me and we read We still do this day, read
books together all the time and talk about them. And
to share my own book with my mom would be
so special.
Speaker 3 (45:17):
Mm hmm.
Speaker 1 (45:18):
Has she read any of them?
Speaker 5 (45:19):
She's read the whole thing. She was the first person
when I was doing the first draft. I'd send her
every chapter, email her every chapter when I finished. Yeah,
and she wasn't giving good feedback, but only because I
could write. I could write, and she like, this is
the best thing I've ever read.
Speaker 4 (45:38):
Did she also find the most likable character and do
what I did and be like, well, that one's obviously me.
Speaker 3 (45:46):
No, I can't. Actually I can't tell you.
Speaker 2 (45:48):
Actually no, I.
Speaker 3 (45:50):
Can't tell you.
Speaker 2 (45:50):
But no, we have to have you back on obviously
when the book's album.
Speaker 1 (45:55):
But you've just got a standing appointment. Just come in.
Speaker 2 (45:59):
We'll make your album is here next time. We can
sort this.
Speaker 5 (46:02):
Yeah, let me get stuck in the human about having
a backbone of a jamming reform.
Speaker 4 (46:07):
Yeah, maybe that's a non fiction edition coming.
Speaker 1 (46:13):
Outway, So I know, I know, Luke, you're divine.
Speaker 2 (46:18):
Yeah, you would be.
Speaker 1 (46:21):
Thank you, Daniel, and I did know because we've met
and I remember, I remember it like it was yesterday.
But thank you so much for coming on this sports
podcast and talking to us about everything the.
Speaker 2 (46:38):
Kind that's sortable.
Speaker 3 (46:39):
Thank you so much having me gas. I really appreciate it.
That was wonderful.
If you could read, If.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
You could read, that's why he's an audiobookman.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
We found out the breaking news. You could have an
entire bookshelf of just your book. Do you know that
that's fine?
Speaker 3 (00:15):
Good?
Speaker 4 (00:15):
I mean, if only you developed a captive audience that
likes reading.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
Dear listeners, We often say on this podcast that athletes
have many lives, many chapters, if you will, so many reinventions.
If we were to compare trying on new lives with
maybe trying on different plot twists, our next guest has
more of those than the Goosebumps book you used to
(00:46):
read when you were growing up. But let you choose
the ending. Luke Bateman, you may have seen him with
either a steeden in his hands, a rose in his hands,
but most recently a book in his hands. He has
become the Internet boyfriend of everyone's dreams. He is the
(01:08):
thinking man who drives a tractor, who also, hey, used
to be a professional athlete. And I am so thrilled
that he is our guest this week onto Good Sports.
Would your plays welcome?
Speaker 5 (01:21):
Look, babe, wow, thank you very much, girl.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
I appreciate that.
Speaker 5 (01:27):
That lovely, Actually it's really kind.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
How what chapter would you say your your life is
in right now.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
I always called this my little Luke chapter.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
Little Luke chapter. What do you mean just.
Speaker 5 (01:40):
Because we're going to get into deep, We're going to
get deep. We're gonna get We're gonna get deep. Very
early during my addiction recovery, I had to do a
lot of inner child work, Okay, and so a lot
of like working with like little Luke, and this is
a chapter that sort of is all about him.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Yeah, oh wow, And why why is this? Why why
have have you found that you can now tap into that.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
Through lots and lots of therapy?
Speaker 4 (02:06):
How good therapy the biggest therapy and the kids in
the world.
Speaker 5 (02:12):
Yeah, no, it's fantastic. I do a lot of parts work,
which is IFS, which is internal family systems, which was
developed by American psychologists called Richard Swartz. And it's all
about working with all the different parts of yourself. And
you've got heaps leaps of parts and they're all different
ages and everything like that.
Speaker 4 (02:31):
So, yeah, tell us a little bit about Little Luke then,
because a lot of people when they talk about sport,
they talk about falling in love with it when they
were kids.
Speaker 5 (02:39):
Talk to us.
Speaker 4 (02:39):
About a kid, paint a picture of what you were
like when you first went Oh, rugby league.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
Quite enjoy this?
Speaker 5 (02:45):
Yeah, well growing up, I mean growing up I always
loved books and reading, and then I was very naturally athletic.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
As well, so I was lucky at that too.
Speaker 5 (02:55):
But everyone where I grew up in Western Queensland, it
was just was rugbyly that's what you did.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
Yet it was that's just what you did. There was
no choice to it.
Speaker 5 (03:06):
It was just breathing. It was like you just went
to school and then you played rugby like that's it,
that's what you did. So and I always loved it,
you know. It was always good fun going up. And
I think we had there was only four there was
five towns in my competition, so every single year you'd
play the same you had the four other teams and
you'd play them one hundred thousand times each year and
(03:26):
it was always the same kids. And yeah, I loved
it and just loved sport. But I think, you know,
if we talk about little Luke, like he loved books
and reading and magic and stuff.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
Okay, hang on, when you say magic, do you mean
as in magic is in the fantastical realms or actual
physical magic like a magician.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
Is there a difference?
Speaker 1 (03:45):
Wow, here we go, here we go, here we go.
I've already said, Jemmy.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Clear the schedule.
Speaker 4 (03:53):
Clear, We've got some realms to it.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
In nine hours with you? When you look back at
that time, when did you know that you were good
enough to pursue a professional rugby league career? Because you're right,
like especially growing up where you grew up, and like
Queensland is in particular, you know, in a state of
origin where quite and our listeners know this, I say
this term with Indiemen feral, like we're fucking Feryl and
(04:22):
we just are. But I mean, when did you know
that that feralness could actually be concentrated into a professional career.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
We've branded you, you're one of us, You're f.
Speaker 3 (04:36):
Are you, You're Queen's and as well.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
No God. At this time, I am a West Australian.
Speaker 4 (04:43):
So when I did move to Sydney and decided that
I wanted to work at Fox Sports, they said what
do you think of you know, rugby league?
Speaker 2 (04:50):
And I said, I love the.
Speaker 4 (04:51):
Wallabies was my genuine answer, sitting opposite someone who just
hired me, and he was like, okay, So the state
of origin is the single mot creative sporting product in
the country, and you are banished to the TikTok desk
or the.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
One that broke the scores at the bottom.
Speaker 4 (05:07):
And he was like, don't stop it up, but you
are not going anywhere near a mic for a long time.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
So I just learned very quickly.
Speaker 4 (05:12):
So when Georgie became an animal for three games a
year and you talk about your town having.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
Four too, don't tell Luke these things.
Speaker 4 (05:20):
I said to Georgia. I'm like, so these two states,
we have more than two states.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
None of this makes any sense? Is this warrible?
Speaker 4 (05:28):
The AFL Grand Fund what it is, but it is
that's a long winter to say. I'm saying, no, I'm
not a Queenslander, but I'm very very Queensland aligned because
I learned early doors that you're either the new South
Wales or everyone else.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
Right, Yes, yeah, very very true, very much, so very much.
And Luke is on the right side of history.
Speaker 4 (05:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (05:44):
But when you know, I was Origin Knights for me
going up, they were always the best nights because that's
when we got to get takeaway pizza.
Speaker 3 (05:52):
Yeah, because we never.
Speaker 5 (05:54):
You know, that was a trick for Orage night take pizza.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
But I was probably y twelve.
Speaker 5 (06:01):
I reckon when I sort of knew that I was
good enough perhaps one day, and that was when I
very first signed my first scholarship to the Camera when
I was twelve. So and then you know, when she
was twelve, thirteen, four and fifteen, and you're making queens
and teams and things like that, you think, oh, I'm
in with a chance.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
I mean this kind of with love. But did you
enjoy Canbra the place?
Speaker 3 (06:28):
I loved Camera. I really loved living in Camera.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Yeah, lots of time to read books. Georgia.
Speaker 5 (06:36):
No, it was because it was from western Queensland. It
was just a small town, no traffic, no people. You
could go out and do something that no one would
bother her. It's just for And it was obviously because
it's all federal government. It's all really affluent and wealthy,
so all your facilities are all really nice and brand new,
and the restaurants and just everything in cameras clean and
(06:57):
nice and.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
Easy to get to.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
Where did little Luke go?
Speaker 3 (07:01):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (07:02):
So during my career, I really struggled with my mental
health and with a really severe gamming addiction, and I
was also abusing Drudge and now Go as well. But
so little Luke was buried beneath those. But a lot
of the pain that I was sort of trying to
numb and silence was just him wanting to be heard,
you know. Yeah, so he had had a few years
(07:22):
where he was he was very neglected. You know, I
really really failed that young man for a long time.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
How how do you then look back at your footy career?
Speaker 5 (07:34):
So, yeah, not through rose colored glasses, mixed mix, have
very mixed feelings about my football career. I always enjoyed,
and this is probably more so my entire football life.
I always really enjoyed the game. I always enjoyed the
eighty minutes. But a lot of what came without the
culture and the training and just like the people involved
(07:55):
with it, I always you know, I never enjoyed that,
and I always really struggled with that, Like it's a
really oh yeah, I mean it's a very harsh environment,
very brutal, very.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
Yeah, just a very very derogatory environment.
Speaker 4 (08:13):
It's a harsh, a harsh environment and also one that
if you're identified at twelve as being someone that will
excel at this, it's a really young age and I
have problems with this, and it's something that still exists,
and I'd be really interested in your perspective on this.
Is twelve too young to be highlighting children as having
(08:35):
talents and having pathways into an industry like this where
we know that sport it comes with a lot of
temptation and it comes with a lot of positives, but
also some negatives too. For me, a twelve year old
boy is still really a boy.
Speaker 5 (08:49):
Oh absolutely, I was still a boy when I was
twenty six.
Speaker 3 (08:55):
Twelve.
Speaker 4 (08:56):
Do you think having a scholarship was a positive experience
or did it put a lot of pressure on you
from a young age. Would you encourage someone to have
their kids.
Speaker 5 (09:03):
But they've actually they've changed the rules now so you
have to be fifteen, which I think is great. You know,
I think that that's really healthy, but it's.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
Not so much.
Speaker 5 (09:13):
I think it's really important to foster passion and driving
children and things that they're good at and give them
support around. You know, if they're really they really excel
in an area where they'd be sport, academic, athletes, whatever
it is, I think it's really important to support them
and give them all the chance to succeed in that area.
But that's where you know, it's sort of I don't
(09:35):
think that that support. I would say it's more pressure
than support. I think we put a lot of pressure
on fifteen year olds to succeed instead of giving they
have a lot of support to succeed.
Speaker 1 (09:45):
What were the good moments?
Speaker 5 (09:49):
Yeah, and there were many, Like don't get me wrong,
you know it's it wasn't all bad at all. I
had a lot of good moments. We had a I
mean in two thaty sixteen, we had a fantastic year
as a club. We went through to the pre limb.
That was amazing. He had many good memories from that year.
My deboo is always you know, I'm sure everybody, every
football player or any sporting code would talk about the deboo.
You know, there's something I'd worked my entire life for.
Speaker 3 (10:10):
So it was great and.
Speaker 5 (10:11):
Met many great people, share many great memories with good people.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
What I thought were probably good memories.
Speaker 5 (10:18):
At the time of like partying, good memories now ye know, Yeah, yeah,
there were numerous good times. And I wouldn't be and
I wouldn't be sitting here today the person I am
if I hadn't done that, And even with the addiction
and rehab and all that kind of stuff always said
to it. It's not I wouldn't wish that on my
(10:38):
worst enemy, but I wouldn't change it for myself.
Speaker 4 (10:42):
So, when you do talk about addiction, particularly gambling, gambling
is omnipresent in sport. It's more prevalent than it's ever been,
so much so that I went to look up the
ladder for a code that I won't mention, and right
next to the ladder with the odds.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
Yeah, And I wasn't searching to put a bet on
or get.
Speaker 4 (11:01):
It's just it's everywhere, so much so that when I
was doing a commercial news bulletin, that bulletin was brought
to you by a gambling company.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
And that's news. That's not anything that's editorial.
Speaker 4 (11:12):
It's just and understandably, when the money's there, the networks
are going to take it. We've see new laws brought
in to restrict to an extent the amount of gambling
that can be infiltrating sport coverage. Do you think those laws,
and I'm sure you took great interest in them, do
you think they're doing enough or not enough or no?
Speaker 5 (11:30):
They were in no uncertain words, they were absolutely piss
week that was the Murphy Report, and then Elbow sort
of came out and addressed it on budget day and
hit it beneath the budget. You know, it was just
like just quietly sneak this in where I want to
talk about it while everyone else is talking about all
these other things. And it doesn't you know, until we
(11:52):
have someone who's going to go you know what, I think,
as you said, Galanz, there's so much money in it,
and I understand that, and money talks and money makes
things happen, but still someone stands up. So this money
is coming at the cost of lives. This money is
ruining young men's lives and taking young men's lives. And
(12:12):
until someone says, you know what, no amount of money
is worth the lives of all of these young men
that it's affecting because one in four young men will
have a problem with gambling one and four men experience
one in four young men experience gambling harmo. So until
someone is going to go and these are the and
these are the men, These are the young men that
(12:35):
are beneath the men making decisions like these are the
people in the industry that these are the same people
that they're the ones that like they're the ones who
say we're going to look after these young men and
then they go and take all that gambling money. So
until someone says, I'm actually going to look after these
young men and stop taking this you know, this gambling
advertising money, until someone says this is I'm not going
(12:56):
to I'm not going to put you know, my soul
or you know what to say, not soul, but my
integrity is worth more than is like, these boys' lives are.
Speaker 3 (13:09):
Worth more than this.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
Can you see it changing?
Speaker 3 (13:13):
No way? Not while, not.
Speaker 5 (13:15):
While the leader of our country barries changes beneath the budget.
Not all the leader of the country won't even like
front up to it and talk about these serious issues
that are killing young men in his country.
Speaker 4 (13:30):
It is also so nuanced, and you're right, and there's
a black and white in that the cost is not
worth the price in terms of and you can look
at it that simply. But the AFL will argue, and
different leagues have argued that the revenue that's brought in
by gambling is what funds grassroots it's what means that
(13:50):
you can have TV deals that mean that it's not
behind a paywall. There's so and I'm not saying it's
right or wrong, but I do think there's so many
layers to the nuance of it, and especially recently in
af when you've seen the like because of Cane Corn
and Luke Hodge take a step back from being on
the All Australian Panel because they have contracts with these
gambling agencies.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
I'm like, wait, you don't read the odds?
Speaker 4 (14:12):
Like how many people are just getting money from gambling
agencies that are on retainers with gambling? Like what do
you mean, like, if you're not actually on my TV
reading odds, I just assume that you're not working for
a gambling company, because that would be a conflict. I
don't know, it's I had no idea how, I don't
know how.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
Yeah, yeah, how would you describe I know, recovery would
obviously be ongoing. I don't know if it's actually something
that ever ends? No, no, no, no, well now how
are we change?
Speaker 3 (14:46):
It changes?
Speaker 1 (14:46):
It changes? Nothing is linear, nothing is linear? How are
you right now?
Speaker 3 (14:51):
Yeah? Fantastic? The best in mind?
Speaker 5 (14:55):
A look, yeah, I thank you. No, that's actually really
means a lot to me, thank you. Yeah, the best
I've ever been. And I went to rehab in twenty
twenty one, but I've only I've been completely sober for
about sixteen months now. So they started twenty twenty five,
(15:15):
between two and twenty one and two then twenty twenty
five recovery, I sort of would have. I had like
relapses over those years, and recovery is never linear. But yeah,
but so now and at the beginning of twenty twenty five,
I had like a very tiny relapse in the grand
scheme of things compared to you know what all my
life used to be like, and I just woke up.
(15:36):
I was just like I woke up the next day
and I was just like, I'm done. And I don't
know what it was. I was just like, I'm just
my entire body. I was just like, I'm done. Yeah,
and literally have not looked back since.
Speaker 1 (15:48):
To quote my girl Taylor Swift, if we moved to
the next chapter old life potentially and one that I
have to admit dearer now we Luke and I met
randomly in the coffee shop downstairs before walking into the studio,
and I said, gave him a big huggin said, it's
(16:08):
so nice to meet you, and you said, we've met before. Oh,
and I'm going to have to live with that for
the rest of my life. That insane or my face
was like oh no, I was like, have we and
looks like you're on the project and I'm like, Batchie
the Bachelor. Reality television hit me with your.
Speaker 5 (16:28):
Thoughts, Oh, I don't really have any thoughts.
Speaker 4 (16:32):
Would you do the amazing race?
Speaker 2 (16:36):
Would that be easier.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
More enjoyable if you're can I just say, if you
were standing across from us at Catman do like that
original circle, it was like, who's going to be your
biggest competition, I'd be like, I think maybe might have
a good fair crack at it.
Speaker 5 (16:57):
Yeah, reality TV is interesting. I've enjoyed both of my
experiences on reality TV, so such a I would say,
if you go in with the sort of right mindset
about it, all can be great, and if you go
in mentally healthy, it can be fantastic.
Speaker 3 (17:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (17:18):
So I've really enjoyed both my experiences and reality TV.
But I would say, you know, you have to end up.
I mean it's the same with everything. The production company
is there to get ratings, like they want ratings, that's
what Therefore, they're not there for your best interest. So
you have to go in knowing that they don't care
(17:38):
about you. They care about the figures on the board.
When the next morning after the episode, is that's.
Speaker 3 (17:44):
What they care about.
Speaker 5 (17:46):
So as long as you go in there knowing that
and prepared for that, you know, reality TVs, I have
a great experiences.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
Is it is it something you would potentially consider again?
As in I'm said, like I said here before, like
I was saying about.
Speaker 4 (18:04):
His back at you, George, because I'm like, I'm like,
I've never been on reality TV as a.
Speaker 2 (18:09):
Talent or as an invitee.
Speaker 4 (18:11):
I've hosted them, so I've been on the other side
of it where the contestants look exhausted. We're filming at
three point thirty in the morning in somewhere with no
lights so that no one realizes how late it is
and how much these people have just renovated for a
weeks and a wonder they want to kill each other.
Like I've seen all of the little things behind, like
all of the little as you said, like, it's about ratings, right,
(18:32):
so how can they whisper and be like, oh so
she said this, And I'm like, wait did.
Speaker 2 (18:35):
She say this? What are we what? Like It's it's
definitely a bit orchestrated.
Speaker 4 (18:39):
But I want to find that back at both of
you because Georgie, you're doing the race. When Georgie said
she was going on the amazing race, I'm like, I
love you not. Everyone needs to see that side of you.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
Because if you two had a physical challenge, she might.
Speaker 4 (18:53):
Win because she would actually destroy you. The filthy Queenslander
comes out agress. But reality TV it's a unique experience.
But maybe we'll phrase it this way. If you both
had to go on another reality show, what would it be.
Speaker 5 (19:09):
I came out of the jungle and I rang my
manager and I said, never again. I said, don't ever,
I said, I said, not for a million dollars, you
tell him no. It would have to be a millionaire.
It would have to be like a something extremely like.
(19:32):
The experience would have to be so incredibly alluring that
I'd want to do.
Speaker 4 (19:39):
It where you're just hungry, Oh my god, because I
think you would have.
Speaker 2 (19:44):
Been like never again, because I'm started during.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
It broke bo Ryan Bo. Ryan was so hungry that
he was like, get me out, gets me out of fear.
Speaker 5 (19:56):
I was like you, there's no you. Actually everyone needs
to understanding this. We were starved, like genuinely. It was
like it was borderline torture. You get no food and
then even when you got food, I'm eating the same
amount of food.
Speaker 3 (20:16):
This is the thing as you.
Speaker 4 (20:19):
Because you don't want to be the guy that's like, Hi,
can we do this pound for pounds? Because I realized
that we just got some rice, but my muscles are
eating me fucking alive.
Speaker 5 (20:29):
Literally yeah, And I was like, have you guys we're
doing this equally?
Speaker 3 (20:32):
Now? Have you guys heard of equity.
Speaker 2 (20:37):
Lost? Though?
Speaker 4 (20:38):
Because people see eating challenges or like you see the
winnings or like I had a friend that went on
Survivor and they were like we were starving and also
sleeping on the ground and when it rains and you
just get wet, like you don't realize the actual because
I keep seeing it and be like, oh, you keep
winning nacho.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
Challenges, Like you're right. He's like I lost fifteen yellows.
Speaker 4 (20:58):
I'm like, okay, mother of God, like it is that
is a chi I don't know that's meat, So look's
a fat, No, Georgie, are you going on anything?
Speaker 1 (21:07):
I would do the amazing race again in a heartbeat,
would you? I would do it in a heart. He
has a writer of reply. Okay, you might want a
different partner actually, but I don't know if I could.
I could probably deal with you Jemio, in all honesty,
but I don't know if I could necessarily do it
(21:27):
with anyone else. Like it was so intense and it's
like you have to be like you have to love
that person so that you're not going to murder them.
Speaker 5 (21:34):
Yeah, you know who I would do the amazing race with.
I would a twin sister, My twin sister.
Speaker 1 (21:39):
Do you have a twins? This incredible research for you.
I did not realize this.
Speaker 5 (21:45):
My twin sister would like she would run, she would
steer the ship. She's that kind of person. And I'd
just be like, she'd just like, get me on, man,
I'm with you.
Speaker 2 (21:55):
Would she also reading as a kid, Yeah, give you.
Speaker 5 (22:00):
She reads books to Actually, Yeah, she's just come and
pinch people for me the other day.
Speaker 4 (22:05):
Handy, because you would get sent every book under the sun.
Speaker 1 (22:09):
Who would send Luke Bateman a copy of their book?
Do so thirsty?
Speaker 5 (22:18):
Yeah, my sister is very different to me.
Speaker 3 (22:23):
Love her, love it a bit.
Speaker 5 (22:25):
She works in she works in corporate banking, and she's married.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
You that's same same.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
Come on, I actually do you know what I would do.
I would love to do dancing with the stars because
I cannot dance, but I'd get so fit, true. Yeah,
And I have a some may call it unhealthy thing
where I think I'm gonna be great everything, So I
would just like launch.
Speaker 5 (22:50):
You know, you know you can get super fit without
going on.
Speaker 1 (22:59):
I actually don't think it's possible. I no, I don't.
Speaker 4 (23:04):
Again, Georgie's watched Rob in real time and been like,
get abs in two weeks because you're stressed and doing
the chutter.
Speaker 2 (23:11):
I'll pay stress. Going to be half naked on national
television really does things for you. Let's get back to
(23:32):
I mean, let's be honest. This is why we're all here.
Speaker 4 (23:34):
And also, Georgie and I massive nerds, always have been.
It's what united us was our love of Irreverend, pop
culture sport and then just nerding out just a little bit.
Speaker 2 (23:43):
And I well, and.
Speaker 1 (23:44):
Also I don't know if I'm just going to jump
in here because I mean, you know, whatever you think
of its author right now, but jellmy, you and I
first bonded at a pub in Sydney over our love
of Harry Potter. I don't know if you remember that,
but that was like, literally you said you made like
a I think it was a snake reference and I
was like sorry and yeah, and she knows books.
Speaker 4 (24:06):
Between that and The Bachelor, this is really our commuter
what brought us together.
Speaker 1 (24:11):
We talk about the Venn diagram and you are.
Speaker 4 (24:16):
And it's also it's how we show love because I
when I have kids, I get really sick.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
And when I say I have kids, only have two
and I'm never doing it again.
Speaker 4 (24:25):
But I was literally in bed dying and Georgie came
in and looked at me. She's like, what are you reading?
I'm like a Little Life and she's like, oh, you
are sad enough.
Speaker 1 (24:36):
And you guess what what did I bring you? Jelmy,
I said, I literally found a kid.
Speaker 5 (24:41):
You know.
Speaker 1 (24:42):
She was so sick with hyperremess, which is this god
awful morning sickness that never ends.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
I looked like with this.
Speaker 1 (24:49):
Usually, but she looked like Gollum and she was gray,
the color of your bedding. And I walked in. She's
got reading A Little Life Tortured Poet's Department by Taylor
Swift is playing, and I was like.
Speaker 2 (24:59):
What happening?
Speaker 1 (25:01):
And I left her, went to literally closest bookstore, bought
every copy of in the series of a Court of
Thorns with Thorns and roses rock back up and like, becuse.
Speaker 2 (25:12):
She literally into my life.
Speaker 1 (25:15):
Yeah, prized a little. I said, not for now, not now,
and then gave her gave her ata and was just like,
this is your homework, And which.
Speaker 4 (25:27):
Is a wonderful segue, because I feel like the popularity
of that series and you're reading it and women not
understanding that men can enjoy that. We we just want
It's a sort of series that when you read it,
you just want to talk about it to anyone.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
That will listen.
Speaker 4 (25:42):
And the person that you talk to it about doesn't
usually look like you. Luke, how did you find the
reaction and was there like an uptick around that series
in particular?
Speaker 5 (25:53):
It was a very It was a very first Romancay series.
Speaker 1 (25:56):
That I ever read, And what a way to start.
Speaker 5 (25:58):
And yeah, what a place to start it. Yeah, yeah,
I enjoyed it. I will say this though, as a
fantasy I would say connoisseur, oh wow, look out. The
fantasy element or the fantasy storyline in those books are
(26:20):
pretty weak.
Speaker 4 (26:22):
You want more magic, You want Lord of the Rings,
You want new languages like lacking Elvish.
Speaker 3 (26:27):
I don't. I don't want to.
Speaker 5 (26:29):
I would never ever talk poorly of those books. But
they're they're basic fantasy.
Speaker 2 (26:35):
Wow, So am I, Sir Sarah J.
Speaker 1 (26:36):
Mass is coming on? And did you hear what the said?
Speaker 4 (26:40):
You know what you can you can probably put that
on my tombstone.
Speaker 5 (26:43):
Basic fantasy and yeah, no great Raids and Son and
then other things. So many especially women, have said to
me though, that was the book, that was a series
that got me back in the game. That was and
for me, that's there's no better book in the entire
world than that one. Then that's the I don't care.
(27:05):
My thoughts on it are completely irrelevant. If that is
the book in the series I got you inter reading,
got you back to loving books and things like that,
I am. I would champion that till the cows come home.
Speaker 1 (27:17):
Were you surprised by just how much your book talk
like took off?
Speaker 5 (27:24):
Yeah, I just wanted five friends because I was you know,
I was thirty, You know I was, I was thirty
years old.
Speaker 3 (27:33):
I've loved books.
Speaker 5 (27:34):
My entire life, and books are a massive part of
my recovery too. And I was talking to a friend
of mine and I just said, I've loved books my
entire life, but I've always been so secretive and shameful
around it because you never be you know, you could
never pull a book about dragons in front of the boys.
You'd get fucking ridiculed, which.
Speaker 4 (27:51):
Is unfair because I can talk about Harry Potter at
a pub with Georgie on first meet.
Speaker 2 (27:55):
Like there is a different extent.
Speaker 5 (27:56):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, growing like growing up for me, like
read was always what girls did, like boys didn't read.
And then yeah, in the NL, like you would never
pull out a book in front of the boys unless
it was unless it was you know, Ricky Ponting's or
oh ye, Darren Lockyer's, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (28:13):
Auto, that was They're the only kinds of book that would.
Speaker 1 (28:16):
Have been accepted to be fair, I would read Locky.
I don't do lucky.
Speaker 5 (28:23):
But yes, I was thirty and I was just and
I said, I have never ever had any book friends ever,
And it's the one thing that I love in my life.
Speaker 3 (28:31):
It's the one thing I've loved my entire life. I've
got I've got books that are older than my best friends.
And I went to book friends, and I was.
Speaker 5 (28:38):
Like, I just want five friends, you know, and then
I put my video.
Speaker 3 (28:42):
I was like, I just get a couple of friends.
And now is what it is.
Speaker 1 (28:45):
How many friends do you have? Now?
Speaker 5 (28:47):
Many many friends?
Speaker 4 (28:52):
I'm sorry, I'm I'm the light touch here. That's so lovely.
But I also just think, like that's the power of books,
and we know the subjects of all of this is
Georgie has written an incredible book that made me ball
my fucking eyes out. So I can't wait for us
to have You're gonna have a chat. We're gonna have chat.
Everyone's going to have a chat. Everyone's going to buy it.
(29:12):
It's going to build us a home, yes, because there'll
be a wing for me.
Speaker 1 (29:16):
Yeah, listen, listen to Taylor Swift and read a Little
Life and I can check on.
Speaker 4 (29:20):
The beautiful thing about books is that you're right like
I was a nerdy kid, not necessarily always a popular kid,
but my favorite books were always there for me and
those friendships and that like you know, now we've got
a bookshelf at home where those Harry Potters they're there,
and they're the same additions that I touched and felt.
Speaker 2 (29:38):
And I'm like one day.
Speaker 4 (29:39):
And that's why, like I'm a tangible gal, I can't
do a kindle like you've got to You've got to
give me the actual bits.
Speaker 2 (29:44):
And I think it's all part of the journey. Actually,
that's a great Are you a kindle?
Speaker 3 (29:48):
Yeah? Yeah, bookshelf?
Speaker 5 (29:52):
Yeah, But you're so right. And I can read the book.
I can read a book and someone in Alaska can
that same book, experience that same emotion, feel that go
on the exact same journey that I went on, and
then we can connect over that thing. And that's the
beautiful thing about it. It's it's connection, it's emotion, it's humanity.
Speaker 4 (30:12):
I'm probably speaking out of school here, but do you
feel if more men knew that not being an athlete
but reading books made you attractive to women, that we
would be living in a different society because you probably
felt like right growing up, it's like the height of
what women want is this much a guy that plays football,
when really.
Speaker 2 (30:30):
It's probably this part of your career that.
Speaker 4 (30:32):
Women are like, oh, and then tell me more about
what we're reading, Like it's a different.
Speaker 2 (30:36):
It's a big transition.
Speaker 5 (30:38):
Yeah, But if you want to really get into sort
of hetero sexual cultures and heteronormativity. Men are trying to
impress other men, not women. Yeah, and I don't know
how DPU want to get into you.
Speaker 4 (30:50):
Know, well, women are trying to impress other women most
of the time as well, So we get it.
Speaker 5 (30:54):
We get intersexual competition is very real thing, very big
expect Like for women, you know, that's a lot of
time I'm like, I'm not dressing good to impress men.
Speaker 3 (31:02):
I'm dressing good.
Speaker 1 (31:03):
Oh god, there's I don't know if you know this term,
but there's girl hot, boy hot. So we'll dress for
women mostly and it's like and often like straight guys
would just be like, I hate everything that you've gone.
Speaker 4 (31:15):
Someone walk past scars jeans at the moment you tell
me a bloke that understands what's going on there. All
the point Caine looked at me as I was leaving
the houses up, What are you doing? I'm like drawing
freckles on and he's like, are you welcome? Like there's
something that we do that He's like, yeah, okay, sure.
Speaker 5 (31:32):
This is so weird that I even know this. But
those like those on freckles big fans.
Speaker 2 (31:38):
Big, love them big. I can give them to you
right now.
Speaker 4 (31:46):
But even worse, I paid a lot of money to
get mine laser off so I can draw the ship.
Speaker 2 (31:50):
It is. It is a real thing. It's a girl
next doors.
Speaker 4 (31:56):
Anyway, we are we are getting off track, I feel,
which is exactly what we do.
Speaker 1 (32:00):
But this is but this is what I'm saying that
I mean, I don't know if you want to do it,
and I'm just you feel free to react. But I said,
I was like, we need to commission you another dating show.
You would have the entire world lighting up.
Speaker 2 (32:11):
Are you dating?
Speaker 3 (32:14):
Ah? No, not really. I want to be, but I'm
always out.
Speaker 5 (32:19):
I'm in western Queensland, so and where I am I'm
a nine hour drive from Brisbane and then I'm an
hour and a half to the closest town.
Speaker 3 (32:27):
I live in a caravan in the middle of the bush.
Speaker 2 (32:29):
So it sounds like an amazing race sequel to me.
You give them a plan, I reckon the walk, Luke.
Speaker 5 (32:39):
Oh, I think I can go weeks at a time
and I see about the same three or four blokes,
right yeah.
Speaker 1 (32:49):
Right, Okay, So this is so the sense of community
that you've now found three books in particular, would you
say that it's expanded your world in terms of because
I feel like when you say you only speak see
a few a few people, but now it's like you
actually do have connections with let's be honest, millions potentially.
Speaker 5 (33:11):
Absolutely, And yes, it has definitely expanded my world. But
books were always the thing that expanded my world I
grew up in. I grew up in Western Queens and
on a farm, Western Queens, and so books are always
the thing I grew up in. My world was very small,
and books always a place where my world came very big. Yeah,
so books have expanded both my internal world and my
external world.
Speaker 1 (33:32):
I still don't actually quite know, Like you say you
want to be dating, I don't know where you find
the time because your schedule is like, yeah, very busy.
Yeah that's crazy, that's crazy. How do you stay sane.
Speaker 3 (33:49):
Through books and writing? Writing? I think if anything, that's
more healthy.
Speaker 5 (33:54):
Than yeah, books keep me very sane.
Speaker 3 (33:59):
I'm always my ownt.
Speaker 4 (34:01):
How do you find books now becoming almost a cool
accessory like we've seen.
Speaker 2 (34:07):
We've seen.
Speaker 5 (34:07):
I think it's the best thing ever.
Speaker 4 (34:09):
One hundred percent. You've got Jacob Elaudy rocking around. He's
always got like a paperback that he's sort of carrying.
We've also seen Victor wembem Yama always reading in the
locker rooms, and then here you've got Jack Innovan who's
busting out books.
Speaker 2 (34:21):
I'm like, come on, Guinea, you tell me, you tell
me what you're reading.
Speaker 4 (34:24):
Like, I think it's I think it's actually really healthy
that it's becoming uber cool now, Like I do think
that now in today's NRL and AFL, potentially you would
bust out a book.
Speaker 1 (34:35):
Oh I don't know about sorry.
Speaker 2 (34:37):
Oh, come on, ad storm they read.
Speaker 1 (34:39):
I saw Harry's probably reading. Harry's reading.
Speaker 5 (34:43):
Yeah, i'd hope so. Actually yeah, I don't know, but
i'd hope so. But I think it's it's incredible that
reading is becoming cool. And I've even seen people be like, oh,
you know, calling it performative, Like, oh, this is all
I don't care if someone's doing it performatively reading. I
don't care if you're trying to I don't care if
you're doing it to look cool.
Speaker 3 (35:03):
Yeah, as know as you're reading a.
Speaker 5 (35:05):
Book, I don't care what your motivation is.
Speaker 4 (35:07):
Read and also read the power that would have on
little Luke looking on his screen and seeing one of
his favorite players pre game, reading a paperback on the sideline.
Speaker 5 (35:16):
And that's a big reason why I do what I do,
because I always say, you know, ten year old Luke
Baateman needed a me because he never saw anyone in
his world. He never had any role models or someone
to look up to that love dragons, love magic, love reading,
love books, you know, and love writing and things like that.
(35:36):
So that was never possible for me because I never
ever saw that reflected in the world around me. So
I I do what I do so that the ten
year old Luke Babman out there now gets to see
someone who looks like him, speaks like him, who grew
up in the places he did, who loves books, and
who loves dragons.
Speaker 2 (35:52):
Oh my god, I'm catching up with two Georgie's. I've
got two.
Speaker 1 (35:57):
It is actually quite weird.
Speaker 2 (35:58):
Yeah, oh my god. And you're like, I love dragons.
I love this.
Speaker 4 (36:01):
I'm like, wow, Okay, So I think they switched to
my Friday moment because that's the most funny thing I've
ever heard.
Speaker 1 (36:11):
It's just that it's just the best though, Like it's
actually just the great, Like it's honestly.
Speaker 2 (36:15):
And when you go around like everyone needs to know.
Speaker 1 (36:20):
Oh, yeah, oh yeah, and that's it. But that's the
joy of it, right, It's the joy that you get
in the community and the collective sharing of it and
the unhingedness of it. Like our fucking group chats are
mental whenever we like find that thing that we're obsessed when.
Speaker 5 (36:32):
You're yeah, you don't only have to look at Heated Rivalry.
What Heated Robbery did six months ago, I still think
about every day, you know. And that's connection. That is
that is human connection. That's everyone being so in love
and so experiencing the same thing across the entire globe.
Speaker 2 (36:50):
Producing is getting free from.
Speaker 4 (36:55):
I'm not allowed to watch Heated Rivalry until Georgie is
sitting next to me because her obsession. If you look
on her Explore page on Instagram right now, it's kind
of story in different different movements.
Speaker 1 (37:06):
It's literally it's just him.
Speaker 3 (37:08):
And that's the thing.
Speaker 5 (37:08):
You know, when you finish a good book, you tell
everyone about it, like you have to read this book.
You have to read this book. I'll give give you
read this book and then we can talk about it.
And then when someone comes back to you and they
says this was the best book ever, that is one
of the best feelings in the world when you recommend
this book. There's no when you when you recommend a
book someone and they come back they say that was unbelievable.
It is like, there's no better feelings.
Speaker 4 (37:30):
Did you read before you watched it? Did you read
Heated Ribal before you watched it?
Speaker 2 (37:36):
Wow?
Speaker 3 (37:36):
Read the book? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (37:37):
Oh wow? See I'm a fake fan. I watched it, yeah,
and then read it.
Speaker 5 (37:43):
But that's no can this is and this is one thing,
and this will probably a little rough track too, but
this is what was done so well. It was so
true to its source material. And I really I get
really pissed off when these production companies come in and
try to hijack book communities, try to hijack these book lovers,
(38:04):
and then they completely destroy this source material and then
they wonder why, like he doesn't do any well and
heat Rovaly the production was two at everything that happened
in the book. It was exactly what you read in
the book. And that's why and that's why everyone loved
it so much, and that's why the entire book community
(38:24):
uplifted it and was so good about it. Like that's
what when you pay respect to the fans who actually
got it to that position. Because the reason that Head
Robby became a TV series is because so many people
read the book and love the book. So when you
actually give those people, when you stay respect the people
that got you to there, of course you do well
and successful.
Speaker 2 (38:45):
How good is over to you going to be as
a TV series? I'm so excited?
Speaker 3 (38:52):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (38:53):
Yeah, even what's the other one? At the moment, I
haven't watched it, but I got off campus.
Speaker 3 (38:58):
Yeah, off campus. I haven't watched it. I haven't read
the book.
Speaker 1 (39:02):
I haven't. I've done again, I haven't read the book,
but I've been watching the series. I've got two episodes to.
Speaker 2 (39:07):
Reading rate. Like how many books are you getting through
a year? Or like do you know per week? Like
what are you?
Speaker 3 (39:14):
I would say, like a good week, I'm reading four
or five books.
Speaker 1 (39:17):
What really with your schedule?
Speaker 3 (39:21):
That's nuts.
Speaker 5 (39:22):
If I'm working, if I'm like in the tracktor, I'm
doing audio, I'll get through four or five books a week.
Speaker 3 (39:29):
But if I can see, if I'm not.
Speaker 5 (39:31):
Writing and I can read, I'm reading Payback will I'll
read five hundred pages a day.
Speaker 1 (39:36):
Oh my gosh, wow, Jemmy, when was the last time
you read a book that wasn't mine.
Speaker 2 (39:42):
Go George.
Speaker 4 (39:43):
Georgie gave me her book, and I said, honey, you're
going to have to give me a good week and
a half.
Speaker 2 (39:47):
I read spot That's what.
Speaker 4 (39:49):
I read, because I got like I will and my
son will actually sit in between I read.
Speaker 2 (39:56):
You know what, I read fifteen books a day.
Speaker 4 (40:00):
I had just lift the flat and give spots there
a little bit harder in our.
Speaker 5 (40:05):
Audio books, Like anyone listening girls audiobooks, audiobooks, just do audiobooks.
Speaker 2 (40:12):
Do you think it's the same.
Speaker 3 (40:13):
One million percent?
Speaker 4 (40:15):
Wow?
Speaker 2 (40:15):
Really there is.
Speaker 5 (40:17):
Absolutely, it's scientifically proven that the exact same part of
your brain that lights up when you're reading lights up
when you're listening.
Speaker 3 (40:22):
To an audiobook.
Speaker 5 (40:23):
No different, And in honesty, I will listen to audiobook
and there'll be times and I'll zone out for a minute.
Speaker 4 (40:28):
Or two, and you just continue on like it happens
when you're reading too.
Speaker 5 (40:33):
Don't like, I'm not going to I'm not going to
sit here and tell someone that they're not a reader
because they're listening to an audiobook. I'm happy if you're reading,
if you're consuming books and stories in any way, shape
or form. Once again, old champion that till.
Speaker 1 (40:46):
The Cows Come home, if you could read now this
is again, if I could read it, if you could.
Speaker 2 (40:54):
Read That's why he's an audiobook man.
Speaker 1 (40:55):
We found out the breaking news. If you could read
one book, only one book.
Speaker 3 (41:02):
My Desert Island book for the.
Speaker 1 (41:03):
Rest of your life. I remember I got asked this
at a dinner table once, and everyone I was with
picked a nonfiction book. And I was never more disappointed
in agreement people in my life. Thank you one book.
Speaker 2 (41:18):
It was one.
Speaker 1 (41:19):
Robert was one and he picked something on Stoicism.
Speaker 2 (41:21):
I was like, one book. You have one book to.
Speaker 1 (41:24):
Read for the rest of your life, and you're reading
Marcus Aurelius.
Speaker 2 (41:27):
Were they all trying to impress each other?
Speaker 1 (41:29):
Probably?
Speaker 2 (41:30):
Probably?
Speaker 1 (41:31):
Obviously I'm not falling for that propaganda. I was like,
absolutely no, It'll be Molina Market up till I die.
What would it be?
Speaker 5 (41:39):
I would yeah, there's no way in hell I'm reading
non fiction. It would be Magician by Raymond Feist, because
it's one of my favorite books all the time anyway,
but it's also nine hundred pages.
Speaker 3 (41:51):
You're taking the.
Speaker 5 (41:52):
Biggest fantasy book in the world, but it's also one
of my favorite books all the time, ye magician.
Speaker 3 (41:58):
There we go.
Speaker 2 (41:59):
Okay, I'll read it in six months and get back
to you at my two page a day.
Speaker 1 (42:05):
Right, we have taken up so much of your time.
You've been so generous, But I have to check in
with your own writing process, like you're writing a book,
if you've already got plans for the second the sequel,
like where are we at? When's it coming out? What's vibe?
Speaker 3 (42:19):
It's gonna publish early twenty twenty seven.
Speaker 1 (42:21):
Okay, that's like tomorrow.
Speaker 5 (42:23):
That's not far No, yeah, it's not fair away. So
we've got at the moment, we've got cover up back.
Speaker 1 (42:28):
Do you like it?
Speaker 3 (42:29):
Love it? Love it? It's so cool, very cool. Little
Luke's very happy.
Speaker 5 (42:37):
And I'm just working on this. You're working on the
third draft right now, and it's a lot of and
it's all so that all the structure is fine. It's
a lot of just scene level stuff now seeing them
on and just decoration. So once that's back to them,
we'll move into we'll move into a line at it
and then hoveryones get copy of it and get arcs out.
Speaker 6 (42:57):
Yeah, so abs and yeah, well I was actually just
thinking now there's a really lovely because obviously Georgie's just
on the precipice of her book coming out, and in
her acknowledgement, I've read it.
Speaker 2 (43:09):
I know you have, and that's why I'm dying.
Speaker 4 (43:11):
I'm trying not to dip into that chat because we're
trying to say that is more. In Georgie's acknowledgments at
the start of the book, She's like, I if I
think about little Georgie or like younger me holding this book,
I'd never stop crying. This is all I've ever wanted. Yes,
I've actually memorized your acknowledgments now, but what would it
(43:31):
mean to little Luke to hold the book that's been
published that's yours.
Speaker 5 (43:37):
It's a really good question. Actually it would mean everything.
And I've thought about this lot and spoken about the
lot to actually, you know, for him, for as I've
abandoned that young man for so long, and for him
(43:58):
to hold that book, because there's so many books I
think about when I was young and when I was
going up as a teenager, and I always I really
wish I could give my own world, of my own
story to people one day, and then for him to
hold that book and know that he did it. Yeah,
they're not ineffable, you know, they're not words that would
(44:20):
describe just the level of meaning that that holds.
Speaker 1 (44:24):
Mhm, it's pretty special and you'll get I got.
Speaker 2 (44:32):
To give you up.
Speaker 3 (44:33):
Yeah, it's really special.
Speaker 1 (44:36):
Well, it's going to happen very very very soon. Yeah,
you can have an entire bookshelf of just your book,
do you know that?
Speaker 3 (44:44):
Yeah, that's.
Speaker 2 (44:48):
Audience reading.
Speaker 5 (44:51):
I really I can't wait. I can't wait to share
that with my mum. Oh wow, because she she was
one who.
Speaker 3 (45:04):
My mom was.
Speaker 5 (45:05):
She's like the one who I can still love reading
me and we read We still do this day, read
books together all the time and talk about them. And
to share my own book with my mom would be
so special.
Speaker 3 (45:17):
Mm hmm.
Speaker 1 (45:18):
Has she read any of them?
Speaker 5 (45:19):
She's read the whole thing. She was the first person
when I was doing the first draft. I'd send her
every chapter, email her every chapter when I finished. Yeah,
and she wasn't giving good feedback, but only because I
could write. I could write, and she like, this is
the best thing I've ever read.
Speaker 4 (45:38):
Did she also find the most likable character and do
what I did and be like, well, that one's obviously me.
Speaker 3 (45:46):
No, I can't. Actually I can't tell you.
Speaker 2 (45:48):
Actually no, I.
Speaker 3 (45:50):
Can't tell you.
Speaker 2 (45:50):
But no, we have to have you back on obviously
when the book's album.
Speaker 1 (45:55):
But you've just got a standing appointment. Just come in.
Speaker 2 (45:59):
We'll make your album is here next time. We can
sort this.
Speaker 5 (46:02):
Yeah, let me get stuck in the human about having
a backbone of a jamming reform.
Speaker 4 (46:07):
Yeah, maybe that's a non fiction edition coming.
Speaker 1 (46:13):
Outway, So I know, I know, Luke, you're divine.
Speaker 2 (46:18):
Yeah, you would be.
Speaker 1 (46:21):
Thank you, Daniel, and I did know because we've met
and I remember, I remember it like it was yesterday.
But thank you so much for coming on this sports
podcast and talking to us about everything the.
Speaker 2 (46:38):
Kind that's sortable.
Speaker 3 (46:39):
Thank you so much having me gas. I really appreciate it.
That was wonderful.
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Betrayal Weekly is back for a new season. Every Thursday, Betrayal Weekly shares first-hand accounts of broken trust, shocking deceptions, and the trail of destruction they leave behind. Hosted by Andrea Gunning, this weekly ongoing series digs into real-life stories of betrayal and the aftermath. From stories of double lives to dark discoveries, these are cautionary tales and accounts of resilience against all odds. From the producers of the critically acclaimed Betrayal series, Betrayal Weekly drops new episodes every Thursday. If you would like to share your story, you can reach out to the Betrayal Team by emailing them at betrayalpod@gmail.com and follow us on Instagram at @betrayalpod and @glasspodcasts. Please join our Substack for additional exclusive content, curated book recommendations, and community discussions. Sign up FREE by clicking this link Beyond Betrayal Substack. Join our community dedicated to truth, resilience, and healing. Your voice matters! Be a part of our Betrayal journey on Substack.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com