Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
I know everybody's keeping an eye on everything that's going
on over there in Paris. I'm loving watching all of
the sports and I think, well, i think it's safe
to say all of Australia is right. Like I'm getting
up in the morning and rather than listening to the
news or watching the news immediately, I'm catching up on
the sport from the night before. And my next guest
in the studio will not only set to be the
(00:22):
head coach of the men's Territory Stingers, but also former
Australian hockey superstar and twenty twelve Olympic bronze medalist Karen Gophers.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Good morning to you, Hi, How are you?
Speaker 3 (00:34):
Yeah? Good, lovely to have you in the studio.
Speaker 4 (00:36):
Mate.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Are you watching everything over there in Paris as well?
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Yeah, I'm trying to. I'm sleep deprived.
Speaker 4 (00:40):
It's been awesome little bros over there, so it's really yeah. Yeah,
he's playing on the hockey team, so I've had some
late nights, but obviously then go too well and.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
Yeah, now it's been a bit of a shame, hasn't
it to see that they did you know that they
did get knocked out. I think we all had we
always have high hopes, right for our hockey teams because
you guys have performed so well over the years.
Speaker 4 (01:01):
Yeah, so do we go on the expectation of winning
or medaling at least So when yeah, to go out
in the quarters two Olympics out of the three, it
is pretty disappointing. But yeah, big tournaments bring out weird
things and yeah, stuff like that.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
So yeah, well that's exactly right.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
You know, that pressure, I suppose of competing at something
at that level would just be a whole other level
for any athlete, no matter how good or how experienced
you are.
Speaker 4 (01:28):
Yeah, and one game probably ruined four years of preparation
and they didn't turn up to play, and that's what happens.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
Yeah, we know, well we know there's been a bit
of controversy as well with one of the players obviously
getting into some strife with allegedly trying to purchase drugs.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
It's you know, it's a terrible situation however you look
at it.
Speaker 4 (01:51):
Yeah, it sort of tainted the day yesterday, the best
medal day for the Australian Olympic team in history. Yeah,
it's unfortunate it the player made a very bad decision
and when went out after a dinner with the families.
So yeah, but yeah, as we said, by no means
(02:12):
where we can do only what he's done. He's a
awesome bloke, I know him personally. Yeah, things happen in life,
and unfortunately it happened on the big stage. And now, yeah,
I've touched bases obviously, my brother and some teammates and
we can only look after his welfare now, yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
That's all you can do. What's it like watching your
little brother play over there? Do you like?
Speaker 3 (02:34):
Do you watch it?
Speaker 1 (02:35):
I've got two older brothers and they both coach professional
sport as well, so I watch it like with a
different I Right, you kind of get I don't know,
you get you get really into it and you feel
it on a real emotional level.
Speaker 4 (02:46):
Yeah, and knowing what they're trying to do as well,
and when they don't do it, he gets frustrated. I
just want to grab the TV or jump through the TV.
But understanding they've trained for so long for this this position. Yeah,
and it's just awesome to see where he's come from
as well. We're able to fortunately play a year together
in the Aussie team, then we'll fight for the same
(03:07):
spot in Rio and he got it and I did it.
It's awesome like as well, mums followed us around around
the world and dad's just at home watching on TV.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
So yeah, it's awesome.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
I think it's wonderful. And how lucky are we here
in the Northern Territory. Now you're going to be coaching
the Stingers. You've been here for three days, is that right?
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Yep? Three days? Yeah, and it's been unreal so far.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
Ye, how are you feeling about taking on the job.
Speaker 4 (03:32):
Yeah, big shoes to fill after Butch, but now he's
helped me along. I met the boys the first time
on Tuesday, which was awesome.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
They're ripping in really well.
Speaker 4 (03:44):
Yeah, doing what I'm what I'm telling them to do, listening,
which is good. But yeah, you're very excited for the
opportunity coming up and hopefully yeah we can get some
get some wins against Buzzy.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
Can you tell us a bit about the team, like,
is it a mixed sort of a team in the
sense it's you know, some young talent coming through and
some of the you know, some of the older players
a bit more experienced.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
Yeah, it's a good variety.
Speaker 4 (04:05):
So yeah, we've got young ones from seventeen eighteen to
old codges probably my age or a little bit older
in the state boys that like obviously gone away like
to better their hockey indifferent states. So we're bringing them
back in into the group. We've probably I know, we'll
have a maybe twenty six ish to choose from, so
(04:26):
it's going to be pretty hard to cull eight or
ten of them, but yeah, pretty exciting, good opportunities showcase
what they can do against the reigning champions as well.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Yeah, so yeah, we're looking.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
Forward to it. So remind us again the dates of
those games, and I know obviously anybody can come along
and support the Stingers.
Speaker 4 (04:44):
Yeah, it's the twentieth and the twenty first of September
at the Hockey Center.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
Yep, it's a Friday and Saturday night. Yeah, as well
as the.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
Girls are playing and looking at you know, the Northern
Territory when it comes to our talent hockey wise, like
we've had some incredible talent out of the Northern Territory,
haven't we.
Speaker 4 (05:01):
Yeah, Well, currently you have Brook Paris and Jeremy Haywald
that are in there. Now. Leo's playing for New Zealand
and unfortunately missed the he got reserve going back in
the day when I was playing obviously Joel Carroll, Travi,
Carroll des Abbott and you can even go back further
like over Paris and help Mark Kickman Stephen Locke. It's
it's crazy some of the people that have come from
(05:23):
the Northern Territory and taking the stingers and helping with
the futures this week, it's they're in good shape.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
Hockey ntea.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
Yeah, Like, are we doing something different here? Is there
something in the water making our hockey players play the
way that they do?
Speaker 3 (05:37):
And like, is it tough for them.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
When you've got that natural talent sort of being quite
far away from some of the other major states when
you look at you know, the competitive nature that you
see in the other states and how often they're going
up against other tough teams.
Speaker 4 (05:52):
Yeah, it's it all comes down to a commitment from
the coaches as well. So yeah, Michelle Jason, they're putting
in big, big hours, hard yards.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
Got plenty of knowledge in the experience to give to
these kids. So and that's the thing. The biggest thing
is turf time as well.
Speaker 4 (06:09):
Availability they're not they don't have to travel too far
it's a bonus, so you can get as many sessons
in as you want. Yeah yeah, maybe maybe just the
isolation up here up north, but at the end of
the day, it's it's a bonus as well. No one
sees what you're doing, and then you go to a tournament,
then you can expose other people.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
No wonderful stuff.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
Well, it's great to have you in the territory and
great to chat with you this morning, and we'll be
keeping a very close eye on the hockey when the
Stingers played.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
So thanks so much for joining us in the studio
this morning.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
Awesome, thanks for having me.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
Thank you.
I know everybody's keeping an eye on everything that's going
on over there in Paris. I'm loving watching all of
the sports and I think, well, i think it's safe
to say all of Australia is right. Like I'm getting
up in the morning and rather than listening to the
news or watching the news immediately, I'm catching up on
the sport from the night before. And my next guest
in the studio will not only set to be the
(00:22):
head coach of the men's Territory Stingers, but also former
Australian hockey superstar and twenty twelve Olympic bronze medalist Karen Gophers.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Good morning to you, Hi, How are you?
Speaker 3 (00:34):
Yeah? Good, lovely to have you in the studio.
Speaker 4 (00:36):
Mate.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Are you watching everything over there in Paris as well?
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Yeah, I'm trying to. I'm sleep deprived.
Speaker 4 (00:40):
It's been awesome little bros over there, so it's really yeah. Yeah,
he's playing on the hockey team, so I've had some
late nights, but obviously then go too well and.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
Yeah, now it's been a bit of a shame, hasn't
it to see that they did you know that they
did get knocked out. I think we all had we
always have high hopes, right for our hockey teams because
you guys have performed so well over the years.
Speaker 4 (01:01):
Yeah, so do we go on the expectation of winning
or medaling at least So when yeah, to go out
in the quarters two Olympics out of the three, it
is pretty disappointing. But yeah, big tournaments bring out weird
things and yeah, stuff like that.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
So yeah, well that's exactly right.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
You know, that pressure, I suppose of competing at something
at that level would just be a whole other level
for any athlete, no matter how good or how experienced
you are.
Speaker 4 (01:28):
Yeah, and one game probably ruined four years of preparation
and they didn't turn up to play, and that's what happens.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
Yeah, we know, well we know there's been a bit
of controversy as well with one of the players obviously
getting into some strife with allegedly trying to purchase drugs.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
It's you know, it's a terrible situation however you look
at it.
Speaker 4 (01:51):
Yeah, it sort of tainted the day yesterday, the best
medal day for the Australian Olympic team in history. Yeah,
it's unfortunate it the player made a very bad decision
and when went out after a dinner with the families.
So yeah, but yeah, as we said, by no means
(02:12):
where we can do only what he's done. He's a
awesome bloke, I know him personally. Yeah, things happen in life,
and unfortunately it happened on the big stage. And now, yeah,
I've touched bases obviously, my brother and some teammates and
we can only look after his welfare now, yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
That's all you can do. What's it like watching your
little brother play over there? Do you like?
Speaker 3 (02:34):
Do you watch it?
Speaker 1 (02:35):
I've got two older brothers and they both coach professional
sport as well, so I watch it like with a
different I Right, you kind of get I don't know,
you get you get really into it and you feel
it on a real emotional level.
Speaker 4 (02:46):
Yeah, and knowing what they're trying to do as well,
and when they don't do it, he gets frustrated. I
just want to grab the TV or jump through the TV.
But understanding they've trained for so long for this this position. Yeah,
and it's just awesome to see where he's come from
as well. We're able to fortunately play a year together
in the Aussie team, then we'll fight for the same
(03:07):
spot in Rio and he got it and I did it.
It's awesome like as well, mums followed us around around
the world and dad's just at home watching on TV.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
So yeah, it's awesome.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
I think it's wonderful. And how lucky are we here
in the Northern Territory. Now you're going to be coaching
the Stingers. You've been here for three days, is that right?
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Yep? Three days? Yeah, and it's been unreal so far.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
Ye, how are you feeling about taking on the job.
Speaker 4 (03:32):
Yeah, big shoes to fill after Butch, but now he's
helped me along. I met the boys the first time
on Tuesday, which was awesome.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
They're ripping in really well.
Speaker 4 (03:44):
Yeah, doing what I'm what I'm telling them to do, listening,
which is good. But yeah, you're very excited for the
opportunity coming up and hopefully yeah we can get some
get some wins against Buzzy.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
Can you tell us a bit about the team, like,
is it a mixed sort of a team in the
sense it's you know, some young talent coming through and
some of the you know, some of the older players
a bit more experienced.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
Yeah, it's a good variety.
Speaker 4 (04:05):
So yeah, we've got young ones from seventeen eighteen to
old codges probably my age or a little bit older
in the state boys that like obviously gone away like
to better their hockey indifferent states. So we're bringing them
back in into the group. We've probably I know, we'll
have a maybe twenty six ish to choose from, so
(04:26):
it's going to be pretty hard to cull eight or
ten of them, but yeah, pretty exciting, good opportunities showcase
what they can do against the reigning champions as well.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Yeah, so yeah, we're looking.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
Forward to it. So remind us again the dates of
those games, and I know obviously anybody can come along
and support the Stingers.
Speaker 4 (04:44):
Yeah, it's the twentieth and the twenty first of September
at the Hockey Center.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
Yep, it's a Friday and Saturday night. Yeah, as well
as the.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
Girls are playing and looking at you know, the Northern
Territory when it comes to our talent hockey wise, like
we've had some incredible talent out of the Northern Territory,
haven't we.
Speaker 4 (05:01):
Yeah, Well, currently you have Brook Paris and Jeremy Haywald
that are in there. Now. Leo's playing for New Zealand
and unfortunately missed the he got reserve going back in
the day when I was playing obviously Joel Carroll, Travi,
Carroll des Abbott and you can even go back further
like over Paris and help Mark Kickman Stephen Locke. It's
it's crazy some of the people that have come from
(05:23):
the Northern Territory and taking the stingers and helping with
the futures this week, it's they're in good shape.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
Hockey ntea.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
Yeah, Like, are we doing something different here? Is there
something in the water making our hockey players play the
way that they do?
Speaker 3 (05:37):
And like, is it tough for them.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
When you've got that natural talent sort of being quite
far away from some of the other major states when
you look at you know, the competitive nature that you
see in the other states and how often they're going
up against other tough teams.
Speaker 4 (05:52):
Yeah, it's it all comes down to a commitment from
the coaches as well. So yeah, Michelle Jason, they're putting
in big, big hours, hard yards.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
Got plenty of knowledge in the experience to give to
these kids. So and that's the thing. The biggest thing
is turf time as well.
Speaker 4 (06:09):
Availability they're not they don't have to travel too far
it's a bonus, so you can get as many sessons
in as you want. Yeah yeah, maybe maybe just the
isolation up here up north, but at the end of
the day, it's it's a bonus as well. No one
sees what you're doing, and then you go to a tournament,
then you can expose other people.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
No wonderful stuff.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
Well, it's great to have you in the territory and
great to chat with you this morning, and we'll be
keeping a very close eye on the hockey when the
Stingers played.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
So thanks so much for joining us in the studio
this morning.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
Awesome, thanks for having me.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
Thank you.
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