Welcome And The Pub Test

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Alright, let's do this. Here we go. Just Sutherland from A Healthy Shift. He's amazing. He works hours daily. Around the world, talking to people and different organizations, better understanding of uh shift work, internal capability, workforce education. How are you doing?

SPEAKER_03 0:22

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 0:24

Are you pumped?

SPEAKER_03 0:24

I'm absolutely pumped because I've passed the pub test. I've passed the pub test.

SPEAKER_02 0:32

So where does that expression from where does that express?

SPEAKER_03 0:35

I absolutely love the expression. I'll take you to task on it. I'll tell you, it's an Australian expression and it's not in literal terms. It's like a typical Australian expression, and it is not in literal terms. Now the literal terms are um you walk into a pub with a microphone and you ask a group of people, right? That's literal. That's not what it's referring to. What it's referring to is it doesn't pass the general conversation of the layman in this country.

SPEAKER_02 1:00

How is that ever determined?

SPEAKER_03 1:03

Well, that's an interesting well, obviously that is the point of the journey that in general conversation. Now, I heard you when I was driving in saying that a lot of people would agree with you. I I would argue that if we had the ability to do a poll here, that 90% of the people would agree with me. It's a general conversation point. About the pub test, you meant?

unknown 1:24

Yep.

SPEAKER_03 1:24

Yep. 90%. Yeah. Because it's not literal, Tony, it's not literal. We're not walking into a pub with a microphone and going, okay, uh, Mick, who's who's 15 pots in, going, um, yeah, yeah, screw this and no that and blah blah blah. We're actually talking about general conversation. If I took a microphone, walked around the streets of Melbourne and asked them, what do you think about this? They would all go, that's rubbish, I don't agree with that. Well, not everybody would, would they?

SPEAKER_02 1:52

I think you'll find well I unless I were See see I spoke to a lot of people over the weekend, uh, friends, colleagues, random people with whom I spoke. And and certainly many would take the same view of the world and the issues that m most have, many have. And what are they? Oh, lots of things that we've talked about that we've canvassed. Yep. But the there are also many who are really extremely positive about the future of the state future of Australia. How? Because because I think that's where the power lies, Roger. The power lies in being strong and positive and motivated for the city.

SPEAKER_03 2:37

That's been gradually sucked out of us, Tony. In fairness, that's not true. Well, that's been sucked out of me. I I well maybe you're you're in a fortunate position then, a very loyal position. Well, because I run a small business from home to start off with, and I'm getting slaughtered, right, by the government with tax. But then what are we going to do about it? Well, what can I do about it until it gets to election stage? And then why would you have a lot of people?

SPEAKER_02 3:01

So there's no guarantee that once there's an election that much will change in terms of your taxation uh commitment.

SPEAKER_03 3:09

No, you introduced it. And uh Okay, let's we you talk about the pub test, okay. So we've got a situation where we just suddenly, a journalist suddenly, out of a report, discovers that the government snuck in a one per cent tax on travel. That's just insincere politics. Now I know, I understand that that it's their right. They can do whatever they like because they're an elected entity that we've put in there, right? I get that. But that's not transparent and open. I think what the government have completely forgotten here is we actually are the public, we are the ones that own them. We put them in there to make decisions in form for us, the right decisions, and they haven't done that. We have gone from what was zero debt to a trillion dollars debt. We've gone from a zero that hasn't happened by people's.

SPEAKER_02 4:03

The majority of people don't care about the debt.

SPEAKER_03 4:07

I totally disagree with that.

SPEAKER_02 4:09

The majority of all the things listed of impact.

SPEAKER_03 4:12

Yes, they do.

SPEAKER_02 4:13

Because it impacts on them greatly. Of all the important things that people list as being important for the country, the debt comes in roundabout number eleven.

SPEAKER_03 4:23

Oh no, well, no, because I think when you look at it, a lot of the things that people are complaining, the debt is what is creating a lot of those problems. Potholes in the road are not created by um like people will complain. What's your biggest issue in Victoria? Potholes. Where's that come from? Well, we haven't got enough money to fix them. We have cut the contracts, we haven't got enough money to fix them. That is the debt. We haven't got enough police, we're 1,500 police short, so we can't open police stations. That is the debt. We are nurses short. Why haven't we got enough nurses? That is the debt. We haven't got enough teachers, we're not paying teachers enough, we're not looking after them. Why is that a problem? That is the debt. Okay. No matter which way you cut it, that's the debt.

SPEAKER_02 5:07

Okay, so there are issues linked into the cost of providing those services. Yes, correct.

SPEAKER_03 5:14

Which is the debt. Well, yeah. No, we're in we are in serious financial trouble in this state. And and spending money on on areas that we just shouldn't be spending money on. I've told this, I've used this scenario hundreds and hundreds

Tax, Debt And Trust In Government

SPEAKER_03 5:30

of times. And that is, I mean, I'll just cover it quickly. Mum and dad tell you you can't have your footy boots to go and play on Saturday, and all of a sudden they go and put a brand new 50-inch colour high definition TV in their bedroom that they get the pleasure of, that the son can't play footy because he hasn't got footy boots. Now, this is what we're doing with the police at the moment. They're spending money on tunnels. I get it. They're spending money on um tunnels that hardly anyone's using. That hard hardly anyone is actually using that tunnel and what it's cost us. In the meantime, the police are 1,500 short, nursing short, the teachers aren't getting paid enough. Um we're in a real mess. No matter which way you cut it, we are in a real mess. But I don't want to live in that environment. Of course, neither do I, Tony.

SPEAKER_02 6:16

Where everybody says, oh, things are so bad. And it just becomes crippling. It becomes almost, dare I say it, a self-fulfilling prophecy.

SPEAKER_03 6:27

Yeah, I don't disagree, but it's a topic of conversation because it is affecting people. That's why.

SPEAKER_02 6:34

Uh there's a text here, I don't know what this means, but a triple A rating.

SPEAKER_03 6:37

I can't see.

SPEAKER_02 6:39

You haven't got your screen. Sorry, the screens around the wrong way, I'll turn the ramp. Um vote number one, Roger Sutherland. There you go. Would you have a crack?

SPEAKER_03 6:48

Uh no. No, no, no. I've got bigger news than that happening to meet the right.

SPEAKER_02 6:52

And there uh therein leads therein lies part of the concern, I guess, is people that have very strong view uh the ones that we want to put forward uh for office, who then go, Oh no, I haven't got time. But then we complain about the ones we get.

SPEAKER_03 7:09

Yeah, it's a fair point. We complain about the way because they show people love to sit in the opposition, don't they? People love to sit in the opposition. They love to sit outside and throw stones in. And we've always been like that.

SPEAKER_02 7:24

SFA by way of contributing to uh either going to a branch meeting, uh going and handing out how to vote cards, doing all those sort of things in a democracy.

SPEAKER_03 7:34

But some people that are doing some people that are creating the voice outside, and a lot of people and the government are terrified of this. The government are terrified of these platforms. The the federal government are terrified of it. Why do you think they're trying to limit social media so much now? Because they they don't have the control over it.

SPEAKER_02 7:53

Social media is ruining the world, though, Roger.

SPEAKER_03 7:55

I 100% disagree with that. There's a hundred percent disagree with that. Sure. I need it for my business. I'm helping and I I help hundreds of thousands of people.

SPEAKER_02 8:05

What about what about the story in the last few days about uh pornography and uh young people choking each other? That's the internet because of the crap that well, that's social media. Yeah, yeah. Because of the crap that they're learning the behaviour of young men in the world thinking it's okay during sex to choke uh uh a woman. It's a fetish for some women. Surely.

SPEAKER_03 8:27

It's a fetish for some women as well.

SPEAKER_02 8:29

Social media is is driving a lot of people.

SPEAKER_03 8:32

What's happened to our culture here in the country by the people that are coming in? Machetes are not an Australian culture. Where did that come from?

SPEAKER_02 8:39

I I can't understand.

SPEAKER_03 8:40

The violence against women are not Australian culture. Where did that come from?

SPEAKER_02 8:43

When you were a couple of forty years ago, what was the what was the weapon of choice?

SPEAKER_03 8:47

Um I'm holding it up. It's a fist. It was a fist. Forty years ago, having said that, oh, I was involved in Victoria during the gang, not the gang wars, but the the underworld. Yeah. Around the underworld with the um um even forgotten his name now. The Ligon Street. The Prince of Ligon Street. Yeah. But what they were doing was Gangetano. Gangetano, they were wiping each other out. There was no they weren't running through people's homes, they weren't stealing people's cars, they weren't um, they weren't doing all they were doing was sorting it out amongst themselves.

SPEAKER_02 9:20

But it was going on the new early.

SPEAKER_03 9:22

That was over drugs. Admittedly, that was over drug power at the time, um, and and ruling and being the king of the area. Um, armed robberies were done by organised people on Armour Guard vans and banks until they stopped that. Now we're all just soft targets.

SPEAKER_02 9:38

What about a text here that says, uh, Rog, what about uh Australia's debt levels, only about 25% of what other countries uh around the world have?

SPEAKER_03 9:46

We're still in debt a lot, and we shouldn't be. We should not be. Whether we're whether the rest of the I I know debt is an essential part of going forward. I totally understand that. But are we spending that debt in the right place? When you go into debt for something, when you put something on your credit card, you want something to show for it. That's what you want. Could I turn?

SPEAKER_02 10:06

I'm with you. Negativity breeds the same.

SPEAKER_03 10:09

100% agree, but what about we read all the texts out with the people that do agree?

SPEAKER_02 10:13

Well, I will. 91,000 people that use pothole roads to see a football game on Saturday night. Melbourne's doing okay under the circumstances.

SPEAKER_03 10:21

How do they go with the trains up from Geelong? How'd they go with the trains from Seymour? How do they go with the trains from Sheppard and how do they go with the trains from Bendigo?

SPEAKER_02 10:32

The other one says be risky. How do they go? Be risky be realistic, Tony Mac, and stop living in La La Land. Vote one Roger Sutherland. Vote for me as well. Thank you. Wonderful. Well, let's go. But when we have these uh conversations, uh, I want a lot of calls about it so people can also contribute.

SPEAKER_03 10:50

If you're happy to do that for the rest of the No, I don't want to talk No. No, that's not it. No, I'm holding something up.

SPEAKER_02 10:59

Why you bought you bought it in for me? I want to know.

SPEAKER_03 11:01

I want to know what you've eaten overnight tonight. We know what Joe's probably had in there in the things, but I want to know what you've eaten. I want to bring it back into the shipwork. I'll tell you what. Let's talk about what you've had and eat when you come back.

SPEAKER_02 11:11

133693. Come and join us. It's Australia Revenue. Can I read that uh top text? Do you mind?

SPEAKER_03 11:19

Absolutely, go ahead with the top text. It's it's a superb one. I've got a couple I want to read out of here, too.

SPEAKER_02 11:24

Okay, uh, Roger, would you build more coal-fired power stations in Victoria?

SPEAKER_03 11:29

Okay, on that point, I want to yes, my answer to that is 100%. I'd build um actually I would build nuclear to start off with. That's what I would do. It's gonna cost us a fortune to do it, but the tiniest amount of power would power us forever.

SPEAKER_02 11:42

We have no money.

SPEAKER_03 11:42

That's correct. But let's just be clear on this. Let's be clear on this. We are pulling the coal out of the ground and selling it overseas to be burnt in exactly the same atmosphere. Why are we doing that? Dollars. We're doing it for dollars because we just want to keep India and I I I can't even. I just can't even.

SPEAKER_02 12:06

We're supporting India.

SPEAKER_03 12:08

I can't I can't even. Well,

Social Media, Culture And Safety

SPEAKER_03 12:10

they're burning majority of our coal. And China. They're burn they burn more coal in China in a day than we burn in a year. And what and it's going into the same atmosphere around this same globe, but we're quite happy to pull it out of the ground and send it overseas to them to burn it, going, we're not burning it. Oh no, we're not burning it. We can't because it's damaging the atmosphere. But we'll send it to another country and they're going to put it in the same atmosphere.

SPEAKER_02 12:37

Look, I agree with it. I'm sure other people agree with the that as well. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 12:40

And the other one I want to read, too, please, is um um Chris from Brody. Did Roger say no to stimulus payments from coalition government and VIC government due to the global pandemic? 100%. I said no. 100% I said no. Because we were how does that come back to us? All of that money that was given. I know a lot of people that they refurbished their restaurants. They while the restaurants were closed and they were getting the money, they managed to refurbish. A lot of restaurants survived.

SPEAKER_02 13:10

And I think the argument was put a couple of weeks ago on second favourite show Insiders on a Sunday morning, where they said all of a sudden we were we were given by a very conservative government, too, by the way. Yep. So it wasn't Labour. Giving out money uh during COVID, thinking that was the right thing to do, to preserve people's uh jobs, incomes during a very difficult time, or what was perceived as a very difficult time then.

SPEAKER_03 13:39

I I understand that, but there was also a lot of money that was given out to people that would still be taking money for the same reasons today.

SPEAKER_02 13:49

And so part of part of that was you're right about that, and part of that was we then started to learn that there's a lot of this sort of so-called free government money available.

SPEAKER_03 14:01

I I can't stand the term. I can't stand the term when the government says it's free public transport, it's free dentistry, it's free this. No, it's not. We have paid for that. Yeah, it's not free. We're giving back to you is different than it's free. It's not free. We've already paid for it.

SPEAKER_02 14:20

But aren't we lucky in a country where we can provide services to people that may not be in a position to provide?

SPEAKER_03 14:27

We are so blessed in this country in so many ways, but let's not ruin it. And that's why people are jumping up and down now to try and put a brake put the brakes on things. Ask a nurse what it's like in an emergency department overnight at the moment. Yeah, hard. Ask a paramedic what they're dealing with on the road every night. Every day. Ask the police what they're dealing with every day. Now let's go and ask the teachers why they're still teaching in today's day and age when the law is not even supporting the police. So we're in a mess.

SPEAKER_02 14:59

133693. We'd like to take some uh comments. Feel free to come and join us, 133693. Uh Jeffrey, good morning.

SPEAKER_00 16:00

Oh, good morning to you both. Uh, just on the point that uh that text made about uh the coalition spending money during the pandemic, you know who was wanting more spent? Albanese. He wanted more and more money spent. They he they said that the coalition didn't spend enough. So the solution would have been what would it sorry, what would the solution have been? Unemployment it's in the m to the masses, you know. They didn't want to do it, but Albanese said you're not spending enough.

SPEAKER_03 16:31

Yeah. I I I also argue, what do you think? No skin in the game either. There's no no responsibility from the government. They just spend the money willy-nilly and still walk away with three hundred thousand dollar a year pensions and things like that with no consequence for it.

SPEAKER_02 16:46

That's not quite right. Those That's pretty close to it. Well There's no consequence. Well, those those regulations and those deals have been uh cut back in fairness. So those those deals are historical under the law, so there's no laws being broken, and they didn't.

SPEAKER_03 17:03

No, no, I know I I I know that's been very carefully manipulated all the way through.

SPEAKER_02 17:08

But but but but well you say manipulation, but it was But it has been. But it Well how how do you determine manipulation? Who made the decision? Who made the decision to do that?

SPEAKER_03 17:16

Who surrendered the body?

SPEAKER_02 17:17

Well the independent tribunal does all of that.

SPEAKER_03 17:20

How independent is the tribunal?

SPEAKER_02 17:22

How is how is police awards made? How are police awards made? Awards for the city. Nominated volunteers. That's right. Same same deal with But they don't make the decision on it.

SPEAKER_03 17:35

Who does? The Governor General and the Queen make the decision around awards. No, they don't.

SPEAKER_02 17:41

The Governor General doesn't make the award about how you get.

SPEAKER_03 17:44

Where do you think the awards come from?

SPEAKER_02 17:46

The Governor General. Which sorry, what are you talking about? Which awards are you talking about?

SPEAKER_03 17:50

Awards as far as Are you talking about No, for for per salaries? Oh, salaries different, sorry. No, the government makes that decision. No, they don't made by an independent government.

SPEAKER_02 18:03

Well they do because they how much is the government tribunal makes those decisions?

SPEAKER_03 18:07

The budget allows for an income. When you cut the guts out of the government and out of the budget and there's nothing left, that's where the police association comes to Vic poll and says, we want this, and Vic Pol goes, hey, this is all we've got. That's all we can pay you. But then what is that but then wait? Then the chief commissioner goes to the government and says, We need this many more dollars to be able to pay these police what they're asking for. So the ultimate decision comes from the government.

SPEAKER_02 18:34

Uh Ronnie says, by way of text, uh, giving up money during COVID turn our young workers into lazy people. For example, my niece was getting $220 a week for shifts at a cafe, but the government paid her how much? $700 a week. $700 a week during pandemic to stay at home.

SPEAKER_03 18:51

And why would you go to work when you're getting paid $700 a week when you used to get paid $220 at Matthew? I didn't get $700 a week. No, no, but you were still blessed to be able in a position to still work.

SPEAKER_02 19:02

Yeah, I was, in fact.

SPEAKER_03 19:03

You were. Yeah. But these people weren't. All right. Like me, I was blessed too, because I was in the police. I was able to drive to work. I was able to drive home. I wasn't, you know, when I was driving along going to work on night shift, there was not a car on the road because it was during the uh curfew. And and it was a wonderful time driving to work, but nothing on the road. It was great. It was But you were lucky because you could go to work, so you could still talk to people. A lot of people were still trapped in their homes during that.

SPEAKER_02 19:30

Do you think that what we're seeing today in terms of the political narrative is the i is a lingering impact of COVID to the COVID?

SPEAKER_03 19:40

COVID destroyed the globe. Yeah. Everything culturally. Think of just think of Australia and think of places pre-COVID and then think of Australia post-COVID. And in fact, the world as well. The UK are in a mess in their policing and their their health service and things like that. Having said that, how lucky are we? We're not living in the US with exactly my point. Exactly my point. Living when it comes to well, hang on, live with their health system is where I was going with that. Their health system is dreadful. Oh my goodness me. And how lucky are we? Blessed.

SPEAKER_02 20:15

Not perfect by comparison.

SPEAKER_03 20:17

We're blessed with that, but we're paying for it. We're getting but with the debt that comes, the money that the government spends on that, we're getting something for that. That's my point. Whereas money being sent to and I'll leave it. Okay anyway, I'll leave it.

SPEAKER_02 20:32

Uh what are we going to talk about? Daylight saving.

SPEAKER_03 20:35

No, I don't want to talk about daylight saving. What are we talking about? No, I'm holding up. What am I holding up and showing you at the moment? I'm showing you. Don't tell me, tell the audience. Yeah, no, but I'm holding you, holding up and

Night Shift Food And Caffeine

SPEAKER_03 20:45

showing you at the moment. Because everyone struggles with what to eat on night shift. They really do. Because look at the time now. It's 10 to 5. Is it commercial? No, now is around the time when people are really struggling. Now, science tells us we should be fasting overnight. We should be fasting from 9 pm to about 6. And this is what science tells us. But science also tells us that we can create problems. And life also tells us that we have to be extremely careful that we don't fast to the point where we overeat afterwards as well, right? But what can we eat? What is there that we can actually eat? So what we need to be eating is foods that are like nuts and seeds. We need to be having things like maybe a baby bell cheese. Because we do, people are working overnight, spending energy, and they need to be able to, literally, they need to be able to sustain energy overnight. But zero caffeine drinks are not energy drinks. No, then right. But I had one coffee. Yeah, no, no, and I agree with that. And I've told you, we've had this conversation before. Caffeine, about 40 grams every two hours of caffeine is good because it sustains, keeps you awake, and keeps you going without impacting on sleep later on. But what I'm holding here at the moment is a really good option for shift workers, and that's that Chibani um pouches, those yogurt pouches that we see in the supermarket. And the reason why I've got this is because you don't even need a spoon. You just unscrew the top off it. You get 20 grams of protein, it's sweet. Now we're looking for a sweet treat at this time of the morning. At um, you know, at nearly five o'clock, we're looking for a sweet treat so that we can um uh satisfy that sweet craving because it's our body searching for energy.

SPEAKER_02 22:27

But you could be doing that at four o'clock in the afternoon.

SPEAKER_03 22:29

No, but we digest we metabolise and digest differently at four o'clock in the afternoon than we do at four o'clock in the morning. Our body is resting, it's sleeping. Even though we're awake, the uh diurnal clock that we have puts our body in rest. So anything that we generally eat overnight is going to the hips. That's the problem. The hips. Well, it does. Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 22:51

Um let me let me deal with a couple. Of these, because then we'll do a uh quickie. Uh 590 says 340 million in the US, 25 million in Australia, and we're the lucky country. Well it's now 28 million. Uh I'm not too sure what that text means. Uh Helen Keller, quote, we pay expensive masters to govern us and blame them when they look after themselves and their class. Says I think that's Shane. Not too sure what that means either. Good morning, Tone. If you believe the tribunals are independent, you are delusional, mate, as they're controlled by government. Don't be so naive. Well, my understanding is they are at I mean the everything I've read about it suggests that all those tribunals are well and truly at arm's length. No, they're not.

SPEAKER_03 23:36

Well, how do you know that? We look at the Victorian government. Why don't I know that? What we're looking at the Victorian government with the people that they've put in place while they've been in government. The Labour government in Victoria have put people in place over the top of them to protect them. They're a machine, the Labour government. Or is that just being cynical, Rog? I mean, don't want to. No, that's being realistic. That's what they've done. We just go through and have a look.

SPEAKER_02 24:02

Um, when we look at tribunals, mate, we'll come back very shortly. It is Australia Overnight. Roger's here. This is Australia Overnight with Tony McManna. Now pass me that lovely what is it, a protein bar.

SPEAKER_03 24:18

No, it's a protein bar. It's a protein pouch that we've got um here. Um shift workers, the Chabani 20 gram protein. They're three dollars at Woolies this for. This is just a grab, squeeze, and go that will sustain you overnight.

SPEAKER_02 24:31

How many should I have those uh throughout the morning? One.

SPEAKER_03 24:33

Just wondered about three o'clock before you get that pang.

SPEAKER_02 24:37

Will I have will I have a better attitude?

SPEAKER_03 24:41

Will I? If only people were here while the news was being read. My goodness me. But anyway.

SPEAKER_02 24:46

Will I have a more pleasant demeanour?

SPEAKER_03 24:48

You will. I want to talk about pickleball. Please do. Oh look, uh you know, Tony, because I leave here on Mondays and I'd go and play pickleball.

Pickleball Explained With Runway Founder

SPEAKER_03 24:56

And um I I absolutely love it. But I wanted to talk about pickleball today because um we have a special guest. Um we're trying to create a safe environment for basically shift workers and also first responders to be able to go and play pickleball. Um, and we want to know what what pickleball actually is because we hear about it, it's massive in the US, it's massive in um Europe, um, and it's growing so rapidly here. And we've got a special guest, we've got Anthony on the phone from Runway Pickleball, which is in Talamaroon, and we talk about it. Anthony, welcome to the show this morning. Can you tell us, describe to us what pickleball is to someone who has absolutely no idea because it's got a weird name? Yeah. So, um, what is it?

SPEAKER_04 25:48

Yeah, hey, hey Roger, hey Tony, thanks for having me on. Um, yeah, basically it's just uh it's a mixture of a few sports there, it's a mixture of uh tennis, sort sort of batminton and um table tennis. And it's yeah, it's just uh play it on a batmint sized court.

SPEAKER_03 26:05

Would it be fair to say it's like standing on a table tennis table and playing table tennis?

SPEAKER_04 26:11

Yeah, basically a little bit a little bit bigger than that, but uh yeah, it's a lot more social. You're up you're up a lot uh closer with with um with teammates there, and it's yeah, it's it's it's great fun.

SPEAKER_03 26:21

Now, what sort of age group would normally play pickleball, um Anthony?

SPEAKER_04 26:25

We get ages from yeah, from five right up to eighty-five. Um so yeah, it's it's accessible for for all ages.

SPEAKER_03 26:32

Oh isn't it isn't it just fantastic? Now I know at Runway at Sullivan Marine there they run a children's program from five years of age right the way through to um I think it's so um yeah, it's it's it's great fun.

SPEAKER_04 26:48

The kids love it within within you know five, ten minutes they're having five, six shot rallies and uh it's yeah, it's it's good it's good fun.

SPEAKER_03 26:56

Now that was going to be my next question as well. How hard is pickleball for people to actually learn how to play it? Because actually describe w what it is, you know, like um um it it's played with like paddles, which if you can explain it.

SPEAKER_04 27:11

It's kind of a a larger table uh table tennis paddle. Um so yeah, we call it a paddle as well. Yep. And yeah, it's very easy to learn. I've I've I've come I've just come from a football background, never played racket sports. Uh played it for the first time last year, and I'm absolutely hooked. And and um yeah, it's it's it's it's great fun. You you improve in in rapidly, and yeah, it's it's it's it's it's good. Now we call it pickle ball. Describe the ball. Describe the ball. I think ball is basically holes in it. That's it is yeah, it's a funny one, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 27:44

It's absolutely fantastic. Is it is it just for mug?

SPEAKER_03 27:47

Is it heavy? Is it a heavy No, it's light, it's super light. Um it's a ball that's hollow in the middle, it's plastic, it's about the size of what I would call a hockey ball, maybe. Is that about right, Anthony? About a hockey ball?

SPEAKER_01 27:59

Yeah, about that, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 28:00

And that it's got holes in it. Um so you can really give it a good whack and um and have fun.

SPEAKER_04 28:06

I've got to tell you out sound when you hit it, so it's you get a pop.

SPEAKER_03 28:09

You get a pop. In fact, there's a lot of complaints in the USA from people because it's predominantly played outdoors in the USA because it's a um you know all weather. Um whereas here with our weather we tend to play it indoor more. So it is it hard to learn to play? Not at all, not at all.

SPEAKER_04 28:26

Like I said, um we get groups in from yes, my my I girl, my mum hooked on it a couple of weeks ago, she played for the first time and she's loving it. It's she goes down there every Monday regularly. You'll probably see her there, Rodgers, at the 50 plus program.

SPEAKER_03 28:39

Who invented 50 plus enough for the 50 plus time? We don't talk about that.

SPEAKER_02 28:43

Do we know who invented the this uh thing that's uh captured the imagination uh in many countries of the world? Who invented pickleballs?

SPEAKER_04 28:50

Yeah, I think it was um there's a story, it was about three three guys in America. It was actually invented about over sixty years ago. Yes. And um yeah, they basically had some some equipment laying around and started playing this sport and yeah, and they came up with the rules, didn't they?

SPEAKER_03 29:06

And they they got it was designed to keep the kids entertained. And what what do you need? Like if I'm someone who walks in off the street, what do I need to play pickleball?

SPEAKER_04 29:15

Literally a paddle and a ball. So most venues will will have those thready. We've got them here at runway, you can just grab a paddle and jump on away you go.

SPEAKER_03 29:23

Yeah, so it's just t-shirt runners, you can you can borrow a paddle while you're there, you can come along a play and have fun, have fun with it. How popular is pickleball worldwide now, Anthony?

SPEAKER_04 29:32

Huge. Oh, it's massive. I think in America there's over 20 million people, active players playing.

SPEAKER_03 29:38

It's crazy, isn't it?

SPEAKER_04 29:39

Booming throughout Asia. And yeah, it's starting to start to take off here in Australia.

SPEAKER_03 29:43

Oh, hasn't it ever?

SPEAKER_04 29:45

Last couple years sort of just yeah, started taking off. As you said, I only played for the first time last year, and here I am now, I've got my own venue and no, I know, it's fantastic, isn't it?

SPEAKER_03 29:56

Um what makes pickleball fun?

SPEAKER_04 29:58

Like what is it that you can actually um it's just uh the way the the way you can pick it up so quickly and and the social aspect as well. Like I said, you're you're you're up up close with your partner and your your your your opponents and yeah, it's a bit of fun. It's if you're yeah, like like Roger always says, if you're not laughing within a minute, you're not playing right.

SPEAKER_03 30:18

I I agree with that. I I always say if you're not laughing within ten minutes, then you play for free because it is a game that you literally and you can play any. I'll try and get Tony Mackie to come down and have a hit with us too, there, um Anthony, one day, because I I think you r you'd absolutely love it. Um so can you tell us all about your centre? Now uh Tony, I'll tell you. Anthony hadn't played pickleball just over 12 months ago, he now owns the centre in um in Tull the Maroon. Tell us about your centre there in uh Tull the Marine, Anthony.

SPEAKER_04 30:48

Yeah, so we've got uh eight uh indoor courts down in Teller Marine just off Micklin Road there.

SPEAKER_01 30:52

Yep.

SPEAKER_04 30:53

Um yeah, full like fully indoors, car park at the back. Um so yeah, we're starting to put together some programs. Like you said, Roger, we're trying to get some shift workers in there and um sort of create a sp safe space there so people can come down, have a hit, um, make some new friends. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 31:10

Is it open overnight?

SPEAKER_04 31:12

Uh we're open 9 a.m. till 10 p.m. at night.

SPEAKER_03 31:15

And it's honestly Tony, it's it's packed. Like um Anthony shares on their stories about the people that are playing. The courts are booked out at night, you can't get a court at night. Um, and there's so many people that are playing and having a ball playing this game after work. But during the day, now what we're trying to do is we are trying to create, because of I know how good it is and how much fun it is, what we're trying to do is we're trying to create a safe space for shift workers to come along and actually play in an environment where they do feel safe playing with it. Well, during the day, during the day, when at a time when it's quiet and they're just amongst their own peers. Like everyone turns up at an accident scene and the police are there, the fire brigade are there, but no one gets a chance to talk, everyone's doing their job. But it'd be great to have a mixed environment for everyone to be able to come along and play. Now, Anthony Blessem has actually provided the centre that we can do this with in Teller Marine. So, uh, what we want to do is we want to get all ages, male, female, bring a friend. It doesn't matter whether you're retired, whether you're serving, what you're doing, come along and play. Anthony, where can people find you so that they can actually um do something about this and learn more?

SPEAKER_04 32:27

Yeah, on our on our website, uh runwaypickleball.com, um or active on our social media, so Instagram, Facebook, um give us a call, yeah, just um reach out, reach out through you.

SPEAKER_03 32:39

Yeah, through and if they come to any of my posts, if anyone goes to any of my Instagram posts on a underscore healthy underscore shift, if you comment the word pickleball on any of my posts, I will send you the form where you can just put your name and details and I'll keep you in the loop via email as to where we're holding it and when we're doing it, because we're still trying to work out a good day during the week for people to turn up and come and play. So what number is it on Mickle and Road? We've got a text. What's what's the address there, um Anthony? It's actually just off uh it's off Mickelman Road, off Garden Drive there, so it's in Sabre Court, number eight, sabre court in Tulham Marine. So fancy Anthony, thank you so much for coming on the show and um and telling us about pickleball. Um I'll definitely be seeing you this week because I can't I honestly I can't keep myself away from it. Um I actually do type. It's another form of addiction. It's an addiction. But it literally Anthony started Ed and played 12 months ago. Now he owns a centre that I'm absolutely I just live at. We absolutely love it, Anthony. And I know he loves it as well. And they've just run a massive competition there, which was over 300 people registered to play in this competition. Anthony, well done. Thank you so much for your time. We really appreciate you getting up and having a chat with us this morning. Does Anthony have a surname?

SPEAKER_02 33:58

Or is he going to just be incognito?

SPEAKER_03 34:00

His Anthony Runbike just had on the runway. But go down there. Anthony's on the front desk. You can just walk in. He's the smiling face that's there, and um, and you can go in and have a chat with Anthony. He can show you the paddles, he'll lend you a paddle because you don't have a breakfast. Do you have a beverage?

SPEAKER_04 34:13

Does he uh got some uh sports drinks there, so the sports drink?

SPEAKER_03 34:18

There's colours they're gonna put a coffee machine in there, there's gonna be a cafe, Alex. You can get up and sit on the platform and look down on what oh it's just anyone that plays pickleball. There's there's only one I'm just so passionate about it, but I will say this the only person that doesn't like pickleball is the person that's never played the game.

SPEAKER_02 34:36

Anthony, well done, you you've you've changed since you've retired.

SPEAKER_03 34:40

Oh, yeah. Oh, full of energy. Love it. Look at you. Oh no.

SPEAKER_02 34:43

Where we come back, where we come back. More with Roger. Roger Sutherland joins us every couple of weeks. Do

Building A Shift Worker Pickleball Community

SPEAKER_02 34:50

you think you might come back? I might. One double three one double three, six nine three. Look at all the texts. We'll get to them in just a moment as well. It is Australia overnight, the Breckie program getting underway uh with Ross and Russ. Uh they're in a special place, are they not? Uh and I could tell you exactly where. Oh, they're in Foster, South Gippsland.

SPEAKER_03 35:10

Down in Foster. I grew up in Foster. Is it Foster, Foster? Foster. Foster. No, it's Foster. They're down in they're down in Foster in South Gippsland, the gateway to Wilson's Prometheary this morning. And when I heard them say that they were going to be down there today, I was jealous as. Because that's where I grew up. I went to Foster Secondary College and I spent majority of my growing years in the world. How long is a drive to Foster? It's about an hour and a half, an hour and forty.

SPEAKER_02 35:33

We could be there for breaking. We could. Okay. Give up your pickleball, we'll go straight there. No, I won't be giving up pickleball for a drive to Foster. Time Tom Elliott, just after 8:30. It's all part of Australia overnight. Good morning. We have a regular contributor to this programme, uh simply known as uh Justin at Frankston. And Justin, as you may or may not be aware, is uh a very well-known elite athlete. Tell him to come down and play. Uh well he plays he plays the pickleball.

SPEAKER_03 35:59

Well, he better come and play with me.

SPEAKER_02 36:00

And he's rated number five in the world. He told us he's rated number five pickleball player in the world. That's very interesting. And prior to that, he played uh what else did he play, Jay? A bit of basketball. Yep. Uh and he travelled overseas. Squash. Played squash. Played squash. Uh what else there was another thing for which he was very uh famous. Um judo? Uh judo. Might have been judo karate. He's done it all. He's he's one of the elite and a regular contributor to this programme.

SPEAKER_03 36:25

That's incredible. Pickleball for the last few months. Incredible. And well, he's on the right jazz now if he's playing pickleball now. Um I I do on honestly, and I mean this with the utmost sincerity, pickleball is such a fun way for people to exercise where you don't even realise you're exercising, but you're just having fun. Um, it's not difficult at all, it's very simple to learn. Um, and you can be as competitive with pickleball as you want to be. Um, and as you but you heard from Anthony, like he only played for the first time 12 months ago, and here he is now. He owns a centre, it's it's running beautifully, it's clean. Well, there are other centres apart from the one that's gonna be. Yeah, there are there's the jar in Port Melbourne, there's another one in Mariban, there's they're breaking out of the way. If you pick they're breaking it everywhere, but and what I love about them here is girls play? Oh god, yes. Some of the women are fantastic. I play I played against a woman, uh a female, three uh in Forsome, you know, we were playing, um, as in mixed, and this this woman was amazing. Look, she just destroyed me. I've been playing for probably 12 months, uh, and I don't profess to be any good at all. I I'd I'd like to be, but I'm not. How many days are you doing? I'm playing twice a week at the moment. Uh and for I play for an hour on Monday, which I'll be today, and I play for two and a half hours on Friday. It's just great fun. Just and you don't have to play for the whole two and a half hours, you can just hang out.

SPEAKER_02 37:48

So, this is what happens when you get it.

SPEAKER_03 37:49

And I've made a great network of friends out outside of policing mates, um, a fantastic network of people who I really enjoy um playing with that we look forward to. We've got our own WhatsApp chat group. Honestly. We're a sick level of people. But you know what, there's always someone up to play. You could walk into a centre pretty much anywhere, and someone will be up to have a hit with you, no problems. Don't matter where they are. There's a beautiful centre out in Knox, uh, Knox City, and one turn of south out there. Um I I can't name them all, but I just know the ones that I've been to on the box.

SPEAKER_02 38:26

Yeah, what about the uh accidents people have? So pickleball, the latest way to keep orthopedic surgeons in your Porsche. 100%.

SPEAKER_03 38:33

Uh which is that's true, so so injury is a bit of an issue? But injury in any sport's an issue as well, isn't it? Yeah. Like, don't get me wrong. People I'll tell you, a lot of people are transitioning from tennis to pickleball. Um Medvedev made the comment during the uh during the tournament the other week saying, I think I'll retire and just go and play pickleball. Because Agassiz, Jim Courier, all of them are all playing pickleball now. All of them. Very competitively. And Andre Agassi is on on record as actually saying that he loves it more than tennis because it's more social. He just loves the social side of it as well. Um and he plays with Steffi, with his wife, Steffi as a as a mixed double. Mate's got his own paddle, and it's just an incredible how a lot of people, a lot of tennis players transition to pickleball because it's a lot easier for them, a lot easier on the on their bodies. But I played Friday for two and a half hours. It's taken me the whole weekend to get over it. To get over it.

SPEAKER_02 39:25

Uh lots of texts we're not going to get to them, but in particular, how do people the best contact you via your email or your website?

SPEAKER_03 39:32

Through the website. Healthyshift.com. People can contact me through a healthy. I I will say, don't ask me about police and court matters, please, because I'm a guy.

SPEAKER_02 39:40

Okay, a healthyshift.com.au.

SPEAKER_03 39:43

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 39:50

If we had more time, we would have said uh the best way to play the game and how to play the game. We'll do that next time. Uh thank you for coming in. Thank you. Uh the boys, Ross and Russ, they're at the Fauceter, beautiful Fauceter in South Kippersland. That's the 3AW breaking show. That's next. Have a great night, and we look forward to uh seeing you tonight at midnight.