Full Transcript for S2 Episode 11: Bye Bye Barrington

Stu. 00:04:49.439 --> 00:04:54.480 Are there still tears, you know, just every every 20 minutes or so, just thinking about it? 00:04:56.000 --> 00:04:59.120 Oh, that's called hay fever when you're in Canberra, Chris. 00:05:00.079 --> 00:05:07.199 No, it was it was amazing because the entire way down the course, you could hear it in Richard's voice the entire call. 00:05:07.360 --> 00:05:11.040 So at 500 metres, Queensland lead the King's Cup. 00:05:11.199 --> 00:05:14.319 At a thousand metres, Queensland lead the King's Cup. 00:05:14.480 --> 00:05:19.519 At 1,500 metres, Queensland still lead the King's Cup. 00:05:19.759 --> 00:05:28.399 And in that last 500 metres, then all of a sudden, everybody who was from Queensland kept coming down and going, hang on a minute. 00:05:28.879 --> 00:05:29.680 This could be it. 00:05:29.839 --> 00:05:30.399 This could be it. 00:05:30.480 --> 00:05:39.680 And you had this mass of people in Maroon caps that were racing down to the finish line, the area between the presentation and the finish. 00:05:39.839 --> 00:05:50.399 And it was this like everyone with their hands over their mouths, their, you know, this intake of breath as they came up towards the line, because Victoria pushed right towards the end. 00:05:50.480 --> 00:05:55.759 Uh, you know, they got to within, I think it's 0.2 of a second in the end, that winning margin. 00:05:55.839 --> 00:06:00.800 Uh, in front of us in the presentation area, you had the Queensland women's youth eight that won silver. 00:06:00.959 --> 00:06:04.959 They were sitting there on their seats, they're up out of their seats, looking out for it. 00:06:05.199 --> 00:06:14.240 And then as they crossed the line, and as Richard called Queensland winning the King's Cup, it was relief. 00:06:14.800 --> 00:06:19.920 It was literal waves of emotion from all the Queensland fans that were there. 00:06:20.079 --> 00:06:27.600 Um, two of the selectors apparently swum out to the boat as they turned around to come back to the presentation pontoon. 00:06:27.759 --> 00:06:33.199 And then even afterwards, Queensland finished second in the Queens Cup behind New South Wales. 00:06:33.839 --> 00:06:40.720 The girls pulled straight up at the pontoon, the Queensland Queens Cup crew, straight up at the pontoon. 00:06:40.800 --> 00:06:46.240 Instead of sitting down where they had to, they just bolted straight for where the King's Cup was still celebrating. 00:06:46.480 --> 00:06:51.199 Um, yeah, it was so much of it completely wholesome. 00:06:51.439 --> 00:06:57.439 All those people, you know, Ray Ebbett, who's, you know, for a long, long time was the chief commentator. 00:06:57.680 --> 00:07:01.120 Um, it's now only been a couple of years since he stopped commentating. 00:07:01.439 --> 00:07:10.319 He called us up in the commentary box afterwards, you know, he and he even put in our chats, you know, tears in his eyes. 00:07:10.560 --> 00:07:20.160 Um there were Queensland representatives from the 80s,

from the 90s that were there that were just about in tears. 00:07:20.639 --> 00:07:32.240 Um it was it was one of you don't often get to witness sporting history, and oh uh that's that's gonna stick with me for the rest of my life. 00:07:32.399 --> 00:07:34.319 Like it was just such a beautiful moment. 00:07:34.399 --> 00:07:41.120 And then afterwards, like just you could see them down on the pontoon having a quiet beer, just talking about it. 00:07:41.279 --> 00:07:47.199 It was it was incredibly wholesome, and all of us from North of the Tweed are incredibly proud. 00:07:47.519 --> 00:07:53.360 Yeah, I'm very glad that uh that that you got to do the interviews at the end, being a Queenslander. 00:07:53.519 --> 00:07:57.519 Um, and I can't imagine how special that would that would have that would have been. 00:07:57.680 --> 00:08:01.199 And um very sad that I missed it, but uh it was emotional even for me. 00:08:01.279 --> 00:08:01.680 Watch you. 00:08:01.759 --> 00:08:12.720 I had a text from uh from Michael McCrae saying that uh he was getting emotional and he's you know him and I are two rusted on New South Welshman and and you know we just couldn't be happier for Queensland. 00:08:13.040 --> 00:08:15.040 Look, as long as Victoria don't win it, I don't mind. 00:08:15.199 --> 00:08:20.720 So um speaking of uh Victoria and Decosmo, the lighties. 00:08:21.360 --> 00:08:24.000 Um my gosh, there was just no stopping. 00:08:24.560 --> 00:08:25.680 Oh my gosh. 00:08:26.079 --> 00:08:27.040 Oh my gosh. 00:08:27.199 --> 00:08:34.080 Well, I don't know if sorry, I'm watching the Penrith Cup and I'm backing those boys in and I have the whole season, but I don't know if you guys saw the Victoria Cup. 00:08:34.240 --> 00:08:45.200 When I saw, I think it was Frankie Spano when she let go of her all so they had that really dominant lead, and then the wind picked up, and then I I I don't know if you saw it, but it's on the live stream. 00:08:45.360 --> 00:08:51.440 She let go of her all, and my heart sunk because I was like, no, no, no, no, get that all back, get that all back. 00:08:51.679 --> 00:08:52.799 Just let anyway. 00:08:53.039 --> 00:09:00.559 She they recovered amazingly, and I think that even they just had such a good, strong lead in the first half that it really carried them home in the second half. 00:09:00.639 --> 00:09:03.519 That's the Vic Lighty Girls of far out, guys. 00:09:03.679 --> 00:09:06.639 You know how to give me a heart attack in the back end of a race. 00:09:07.440 --> 00:09:08.639 I didn't even see that. 00:09:08.879 --> 00:09:09.200 Jeez. 00:09:09.679 --> 00:09:15.360 If you go, I I was glued to this rate because I started up in the commentary box and then I couldn't watch the Vic Cup from up there. 00:09:15.440 --> 00:09:19.039 I was too like, I would have been so distracting to Lizzie and Richard up there. 00:09:19.120 --> 00:09:24.000 So I quickly took myself out and I'm watching on the back screen and I'm intently watching

them the whole time. 00:09:24.080 --> 00:09:26.000 I'm ignoring everything else, I'm just watching it go. 00:09:26.080 --> 00:09:27.840 I'm like, okay, stay flat, stay flat. 00:09:28.000 --> 00:09:29.600 The winds just need to stay flat here. 00:09:29.840 --> 00:09:33.200 So they've blasted out of the blocks, and I was like, oh my god, yep, here we go. 00:09:33.440 --> 00:09:34.080 Here we go. 00:09:34.240 --> 00:09:44.080 And they've set up their lead, and then in the second half of the race, just as the wind changed, and it only happened for the Vic Cup in the first half of the next race, and then it sort of died back down again. 00:09:44.159 --> 00:09:50.559 But there was a couple of massive gusts, and I just saw, yeah, I I think it was it it could have been, I think it was Frankie. 00:09:51.200 --> 00:10:00.240 I just saw it like come out of her hands, and then the boats the boat stopped, and I was like, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. 00:10:00.480 --> 00:10:10.559 But it was a really good recovery from those guys, and they managed to pull through, but we haven't won it in 10 years, so that's the first time in 10 years that the Vic Lighdies have um the Victoria Cup Lighties have won it. 00:10:10.960 --> 00:10:12.480 And um, yeah, I don't know. 00:10:12.639 --> 00:10:20.720 I feel yeah, it was just so I feel like I've invested so much of myself into that boat after the over the last five years. 00:10:20.960 --> 00:10:27.039 Because when I started in that boat, we were coming forth, we were getting walloped, a shellacking to steal Richard's words. 00:10:27.200 --> 00:10:55.600 We were always out the back door, and then we got the bronze at Cirque, and then last year we got the silver in Barrington, and it's been a pretty long rebuild process in Victoria to get the interest back in lightweight because there was no interest in those boats, there was zero interest, so it's been a massive culture revival, and I think the eights helped that to get to a point where we now have a really strong stream of lightweights coming through in Victoria. 00:10:56.480 --> 00:11:06.320 Yeah, and across the board, um, so many of the lightie events outside of the interstates were were won by by lightweight uh by Victorian athletes. 00:11:06.399 --> 00:11:12.960 Um, so whatever you're doing down there, I was gonna say whatever they're feeding you, but it's but it's you know it's lightie, so it's whatever they're not feeding you, isn't it? 00:11:13.200 --> 00:11:14.720 Um down there. 00:11:14.879 --> 00:11:23.039 Um, I think it's just like gaining interest in the boat because when I started, very much no one was interested in it. 00:11:23.360 --> 00:11:31.120 And even I was talking to Tomzak because that's the first time Carl Tomzak has won that boat, and he's represented Victoria a number of times in the Pandora's Cup. 00:11:31.200 --> 00:11:31.679 I cried. 00:11:31.840 --> 00:11:38.559 I I I genuinely speaking of tears, when I saw Carl, I just kept balling my eyes and I couldn't choke the words of I'm so proud of you at. 00:11:38.639 --> 00:11:51.039 Because he's had it like six or seven attempts at it, and um he finally came back again this year, and for him to win it, it's just anyway, I think it's just regenerating that competitive interest in those boats. 00:11:51.200 --> 00:11:54.960 Because the Kings and the Queen's cups, you're always gonna have takers for them. 00:11:55.279 --> 00:11:56.159 Always. 00:11:56.559 --> 00:12:04.559 Um but in those smaller boats, I it's it's hard to find you you really need to generate a co culture of interest. 00:12:05.200 --> 00:12:06.000 Yeah, yeah. 00:12:06.240 --> 00:12:14.320 And I I think I was gonna shout out um the New South Wales Penrith Cup crew because their row to second I thought was incredible. 00:12:14.480 --> 00:12:16.799 Um and uh really gutsy row. 00:12:16.960 --> 00:12:22.240 And um, you know, they could have like last year as well, they could have easily finished off the podium. 00:12:22.320 --> 00:12:25.360 Um, but you know, backs up against the wall and they did it. 00:12:25.440 --> 00:12:39.679 Um I think Rob Black and Pete Warren, the coaches there, are doing quite a good job of getting Lighty 8s out and getting a bit of a squad happening um up here, and be interested to see if that can follow through in the same way that uh Victoria have done it. 00:12:39.759 --> 00:12:46.159 Although I think it's a couple of years before anyone's gonna catch uh the big white V in the lightweight events. 00:12:47.200 --> 00:12:51.600 Looking a little bit forward in the Queen's Cup, we spoke about the shellacking. 00:12:51.679 --> 00:13:01.039 Um, you know, it was almost 10 seconds to New South Wales, but I think the really big story out of that was that Victoria finished off the podium in the Queen's Cup for the first time ever. 00:13:01.759 --> 00:13:02.080 Ever. 00:13:02.240 --> 00:13:02.399 Yeah. 00:13:02.720 --> 00:13:06.639 The first time since it had been run as an as an eight-ordered race, so 27 years. 00:13:06.879 --> 00:13:11.440 Um you know, it's the most dominant run in our sport, really. 00:13:11.519 --> 00:13:14.559 Um, Victoria in the Queens Cup, ridiculous numbers. 00:13:14.799 --> 00:13:25.840 Um you know, we've spoken before about Western Australia and how Stu, they're just one Annabelle McIntyre away from having a tilt out back on their home waters next year. 00:13:26.000 --> 00:13:34.399 Queensland now back in it as well, um, with the controversial but not controversial uh New Zealand import because that is completely allowed under the rules. 00:13:34.639 --> 00:13:45.759 Um, they're a little ways off New South Wales, but I feel like there's a bit of momentum there, and I feel like there's more momentum in WA and Queensland than there is in Victoria. 00:13:45.919 --> 00:13:48.720 Could we see WA winning on their home waters next year? 00:13:49.279 --> 00:13:49.919 100%. 00:13:50.720 --> 00:13:58.240 You could, you know, and I think what

was great from a WA perspective was that they won the Bicentennial Cup, which was the youth women's eights. 00:13:58.559 --> 00:14:04.000 Um, they've already got some really, really talented rowers in those crews. 00:14:04.159 --> 00:14:09.279 Um, I think Greta Spencer, Lila Fieves, I think Greta was here, but Lila wasn't. 00:14:09.519 --> 00:14:12.480 Um, so you know, those two are going to add a bit to it. 00:14:12.639 --> 00:14:19.840 You take out, if you're, you know, Annabelle McIntyre's just one of the best rowers in the country, you take out your weakest rower in that. 00:14:20.240 --> 00:14:22.080 Yeah, yeah, exactly. 00:14:22.320 --> 00:14:31.279 Um, so you take the weakest rower out of that WA8 and you put in Annabelle McIntyre, that closes the gap right up. 00:14:31.360 --> 00:14:37.840 Um, I think they faded a little bit towards the end, gave Queensland that little bit of an opening to try and make it through. 00:14:37.919 --> 00:14:44.559 But with, you know, winning the bicentennial cup means they've got a whole heap of talent that's coming through. 00:14:44.799 --> 00:14:48.240 And if it's I I don't I think it'll be a bit closer. 00:14:48.320 --> 00:14:51.039 I don't think it'll be a shellacking again next year. 00:14:51.279 --> 00:14:54.080 Um so it'll it'll just start to get closer. 00:14:54.159 --> 00:14:57.360 But I think to your point, Chris, I had to look back through all the results. 00:14:57.440 --> 00:15:06.559 I think it was the last time Victoria didn't make the podium in the Queen's Cup was uh so obviously when it's eight oars, they've never not made the podium. 00:15:07.360 --> 00:15:10.320 Last time before that, yep. 00:15:10.559 --> 00:15:13.840 The last time before that, 1977. 00:15:16.960 --> 00:15:18.720 That was back when it was a four. 00:15:20.720 --> 00:15:22.320 They've done it for 50 years. 00:15:23.519 --> 00:15:26.480 That is that's outside of my lifetime. 00:15:27.679 --> 00:15:35.279 Yes, I think I just quickly before I go into my Yeah, I know. 00:15:35.440 --> 00:15:48.960 And I I kind of I have an opinion on what the I think the problem is, but before I get to that, I want to note like Eliza Bridgeford in that Queen's Cup crew that came second, she double voted, she did the skull and she backed it up in the Queen's Cup and they got a silver. 00:15:49.200 --> 00:15:56.399 So I promised, I said I would say it, but that watch that girl because she's under 23, she's going again for under-23s this year. 00:15:56.639 --> 00:16:00.480 I reckon she'll the Queen's Cup and even the skull. 00:16:01.039 --> 00:16:02.559 Good things coming out of that girl. 00:16:02.799 --> 00:16:12.000 Um but the problem I think we've got in Victoria at the Queen's Cup, and we're gonna start to see it in the King's Cup too, is aspiration. 00:16:12.320 --> 00:16:26.960 There is a lack of aspiration among the younger boats to continue through to the Queen's Cup and the King's Cup because there is a perception that they're all gonna be NTC athletes and it's gonna be so dominant, so there's not even a point, there's no point in trying to nominate for those boats. 00:16:27.440 --> 00:16:34.639 I think there's a lack of tunnel and pathway and aspiration for those boats at the moment in Victoria. 00:16:34.960 --> 00:16:41.600 And that's not to say that we can't rectify that quickly and and learn from our mistakes this year and go forth and build for next year. 00:16:41.919 --> 00:16:51.679 But there is uh a genuine disconnect between our youth boats who are under-21s, that under-23 gap, and then the king's and queens cups. 00:16:52.559 --> 00:17:03.759 So uh that's if you ask, that's what I think the problem is, is the pipeline up as we start to see those great names like Lucy Stefan and and you know, those big names start to retire and step back from rowing. 00:17:03.919 --> 00:17:10.240 We have a lack of talent to fill that that gap just yet because of our aspiration and our pathways up. 00:17:10.799 --> 00:17:17.519 And and you could probably say that could be reflected right across the country with uh just the way that the Australian system works with the with the National Training Centre. 00:17:17.599 --> 00:17:24.400 There is this gap uh between your sort of your school lever rowing and then you're up to your under-23s and up to your senior rowing. 00:17:24.480 --> 00:17:28.640 There's this weird gap that sometimes it's hard to back yourself, I think. 00:17:28.720 --> 00:17:28.880 Yeah. 00:17:29.039 --> 00:17:29.680 Um that you can't. 00:17:30.000 --> 00:17:33.440 But those Queensland crews were primarily under 23 athletes. 00:17:33.680 --> 00:17:34.000 Exactly. 00:17:34.079 --> 00:17:35.680 That's yeah, Queensland has done it well. 00:17:36.559 --> 00:17:40.559 Yeah, yeah, they because they've backed themselves for years that they could do it. 00:17:40.720 --> 00:17:44.799 Well, well, the Queensland Bicentennial Cup crew were really young as well. 00:17:44.880 --> 00:17:48.079 I think they had Isabel Patterson in there and Ayla Drury. 00:17:49.839 --> 00:17:52.559 They're under seven, Ayla Drury's under 17. 00:17:52.960 --> 00:17:53.839 Yeah, yeah. 00:17:54.160 --> 00:17:56.880 And she's racing Bicentennial Cup. 00:17:57.200 --> 00:17:59.599 Yeah, how many bicentennial cups can she do there? 00:17:59.839 --> 00:18:05.920 If New South Wales is not careful as well, because they've got the stronger there, they they're in the position that Victoria was in. 00:18:06.160 --> 00:18:13.440 If they don't look at their pipelines up now and look at their succession planning now, they'll find themselves probably in a similar puddle. 00:18:13.759 --> 00:18:17.759 Whereas Queensland are doing we have we have with our men's. 00:18:18.480 --> 00:18:19.119 Yeah. 00:18:19.599 --> 00:18:20.400 It's the pipeline. 00:18:21.759 --> 00:18:22.799 Yeah, sorry, keep going. 00:18:22.880 --> 00:18:24.960 We I'm getting off topic now, classic. 00:18:25.200 --> 00:18:25.680 Yeah, yeah. 00:18:26.000

--> 00:18:29.839 No, but I think getting member pushing her uh pushing her cases here. 00:18:32.079 --> 00:18:40.079 But I think that gets to the point, Chris, where exactly what you're saying there, Ant, because New South Wales finished off the podium in the King's Cup. 00:18:40.240 --> 00:18:50.160 And the last time New South Wales finished off the podium in the King's Cup, the last two times New South Wales have finished off the podium in the King's Cup have been when a non-big state has won. 00:18:50.240 --> 00:18:56.400 And that was when WA won in 2005, and then when WA won in 1999. 00:18:56.799 --> 00:19:10.160 Um, and again, you know, it and it you're just not expecting to see the big states off the podium in either of those ones, and yet there was one of each across the Kings and the Queens. 00:19:10.559 --> 00:19:18.559 Which I will point out, Stuart, to your uh uh as a very good segue for me, that uh your rogue prediction uh in our predictions podcast. 00:19:18.880 --> 00:19:28.079 If you haven't listened, go back and listen and see how poorly all of our predictions have aged, because some of us, not Stu, um, have made some pretty terrible predictions. 00:19:28.319 --> 00:19:32.880 Um and a big thank you to Nick Bartlett for uh messaging me to that effect. 00:19:33.039 --> 00:19:40.400 Um but uh your rogue prediction for the King's Cup was that uh New South Wales and Victoria not to finish on the podium. 00:19:40.559 --> 00:19:42.079 Um and we had that. 00:19:42.559 --> 00:19:43.920 Well top two, not to finish top two. 00:19:44.240 --> 00:19:47.440 Not to finish at the top two, sorry, yeah, off the podium would be a stretch. 00:19:47.599 --> 00:19:53.759 Um but we had that um yeah, we had that in the uh across both events. 00:19:53.920 --> 00:20:02.160 Uh where we had uh both uh Victoria not finishing on the podium in the Queen's Cup and New South Wales not finishing on the podium in the King's Cup. 00:20:02.319 --> 00:20:17.680 So I I think the other um the other quick thing that we'll just touch on, and then because I appreciate that uh it is early morning for us and we do have all of the schools racing to get through, is that uh we saw probably who we expected to win in the Para singles. 00:20:17.839 --> 00:20:20.720 Um well in all the singles, really. 00:20:21.440 --> 00:20:25.680 Um do we think they're up for grabs in the coming years? 00:20:25.839 --> 00:20:28.559 I mean, I don't think I don't think the women's singles aren't for grabs. 00:20:28.640 --> 00:20:32.720 Um but the para singles would be, wouldn't they, Shu? 00:20:34.079 --> 00:20:35.519 I think certainly the men's. 00:20:35.599 --> 00:20:39.680 It was a cracking race between Cormac Hayes and Flynn Wilkinson. 00:20:39.759 --> 00:20:41.759 Um Wilkinson got out early. 00:20:42.079 --> 00:20:44.319 Hayes nearly caught up with him. 00:20:44.480 --> 00:20:49.119 Um I know that Cormac really, really wanted to win that race. 00:20:49.279 --> 00:20:58.240 Um, but unfortunately,

you know, Flynn was good enough to hold him off right in the final strokes because Cormac led with a couple of strokes left to go. 00:20:58.400 --> 00:21:02.960 Um, but Flynn Wilkinson just has an amazing amount of power in those legs. 00:21:03.200 --> 00:21:08.640 Uh, I think in the women's, Wallace Russell is looking reasonably comfortable. 00:21:08.799 --> 00:21:13.680 I I'd love to see a fit Isabel Egan up against her, and we haven't seen that yet. 00:21:13.759 --> 00:21:22.559 Um, Izzy didn't race in the interstate this year because she'd had the schoolgirl quad skulls earlier on in the day and just went, Oh, look, I'm cooked from that. 00:21:22.960 --> 00:21:26.480 Um so I think Izzy finishes grade 12 this year. 00:21:26.559 --> 00:21:31.680 So next year we would expect to see her having time with the National Training Centre. 00:21:31.839 --> 00:21:37.839 Um, so having that opportunity to train, and she doesn't have to move for that either if she stays in Canberra for uni. 00:21:38.400 --> 00:21:38.559 Yeah. 00:21:38.799 --> 00:21:47.279 So having Izzy against Wallace, I think, will be fascinating, and then Cormac against Flynn in the men's will be interesting as well. 00:21:47.680 --> 00:21:52.240 I think, Ant, you are just jumping at the bit to mention Ella Marshall. 00:21:52.799 --> 00:21:56.960 Yes, I want to mention Ella Marshall because that was a stellar performance from her. 00:21:57.039 --> 00:21:59.599 Because we saw Susanna beat um beat her. 00:22:00.079 --> 00:22:01.279 Earlier in the in the week. 00:22:01.440 --> 00:22:12.799 And I know Susanna didn't have a great race that race, but I'm really proud of Ella Marshall from if you look at her journey from where she's come from and now in the Paris, because she's very much in the space where she belongs. 00:22:12.880 --> 00:22:15.680 She was battling around in the open lightweights for a while. 00:22:15.920 --> 00:22:17.599 And um it's good. 00:22:17.839 --> 00:22:20.400 I reckon to add to that mix if I can, Stu. 00:22:20.799 --> 00:22:26.400 Let's see, Ella would be a very good case to have a look and see what training centre does for an athlete. 00:22:26.559 --> 00:22:41.920 We'll we'll be able to very clearly see in Ella's Ella's journey from non-center, like being not even anywhere near any sort of Oz athletes, whereas uh Wallace Russell has had that exposure in her career from no exposure to to being at the centre. 00:22:42.000 --> 00:22:42.559 I think Ella. 00:22:42.960 --> 00:22:46.960 Ella is probably a good marker to see where the gains are at. 00:22:47.920 --> 00:22:49.839 Yeah, fantastic call. 00:22:50.079 --> 00:22:50.559 Yeah. 00:22:50.799 --> 00:22:53.119 All right, we're gonna move on to the school's racing. 00:22:53.279 --> 00:22:57.680 Oh, of course, uh New South Wales reclaimed the the John Coates Cup for the overall interstate point score. 00:22:57.759 --> 00:22:59.039 I haven't seen the point score yet. 00:22:59.119 --> 00:23:01.680 Neither of you two, I don't

think have seen it yet. 00:23:01.759 --> 00:23:02.079 Have you? 00:23:02.160 --> 00:23:04.720 But I'm like back and forth. 00:23:05.279 --> 00:23:06.720 Yeah, well, I told you. 00:23:06.799 --> 00:23:11.359 I think we can flash back to commentary at New South Wales State Champs where I said that we're not letting you touch it. 00:23:11.519 --> 00:23:16.000 Um and uh back and forth like a like a crazy person. 00:23:16.640 --> 00:23:18.319 Yeah, it's it's our trophy. 00:23:18.400 --> 00:23:19.119 Thanks, mate. 00:23:19.359 --> 00:23:20.640 Um, and we're gonna move on to the city. 00:23:20.799 --> 00:23:22.720 It'll be Queensland's next year. 00:23:23.039 --> 00:23:24.400 Ooh, be cool. 00:23:24.559 --> 00:23:26.480 We're gonna move on to the schools racing. 00:23:26.559 --> 00:23:29.680 Uh, just about every single race on the Sunday, I thought was a surprise. 00:23:29.759 --> 00:23:42.160 There were a couple uh which went, let's say, according to plan or according to the form guide, uh, one being the foregordon conclusion debate that we had in the uh previous podcast about uh about Marist College. 00:23:42.240 --> 00:23:44.400 Um, incredible row from them. 00:23:44.480 --> 00:23:50.079 Um we'll mention in this under-17s, uh, Kinross uh got the win there in what was a good race. 00:23:50.400 --> 00:23:55.039 Marist weren't in the 17s because they've got two under-17s in their open quad. 00:23:55.200 --> 00:24:04.960 Um, but great from them to to step up and take that that young crop of uh boys, Kinross scholars really have been really impressive throughout the season. 00:24:05.200 --> 00:24:09.279 Um let's let's talk about the quads. 00:24:09.440 --> 00:24:18.240 Um in the girls, firstly, Stuart, because Ant has just disappeared off our screen. 00:24:18.400 --> 00:24:20.640 Um, I'm sorry, I'm here. 00:24:20.720 --> 00:24:21.359 I am here. 00:24:23.440 --> 00:24:29.200 Well, okay, well, Ant first then, uh, given it's a Victorian crew, how impressive were Gippy Grabber. 00:24:30.160 --> 00:24:40.240 I am so proud of those guys, and I saw Nick around the boat park as well, and just everything that they battled with the whole squad during the week to come back and do what they've done. 00:24:40.480 --> 00:24:42.480 But I've been backing them all season. 00:24:42.720 --> 00:24:47.920 All season I've backed that crew, and I dare say we're gonna see some amazing things out of the next season. 00:24:48.240 --> 00:24:52.000 Anyway, I love Mike's and grandma crew because I didn't even go there. 00:24:54.480 --> 00:24:56.640 Three of them will be back next year. 00:24:56.720 --> 00:25:00.960 Um, I know Nick is is keen to go back to Henley at some point as well. 00:25:01.039 --> 00:25:03.440 Um, I don't think that's gonna happen this year, unfortunately. 00:25:03.519 --> 00:25:07.599 I think it's just a little bit too late with everything going on in the world for anyone to make that decision. 00:25:07.680 --> 00:25:09.200 It's all just a bit too expensive. 00:25:09.359 --> 00:25:15.599 Um, I would love to see them over there this year, but I think you know they'd be a very competitive crew next year. 00:25:15.920 --> 00:25:19.200 Um, Marist, as we mentioned, Stu, unstoppable. 00:25:19.279 --> 00:25:24.799 They've got at least at least two back next year, and possibly for the year after as well. 00:25:25.119 --> 00:25:29.359 Um they've just leveled up again this season, haven't they? 00:25:30.000 --> 00:25:31.039 They have, they have. 00:25:31.119 --> 00:25:40.960 And I think what's interesting is that this is the first year that they've ever ever had a paid coach, and that coach happens to be Lyle McCarthy, who coached Kim Brennan to gold in Rio. 00:25:41.359 --> 00:25:47.599 So if you're gonna get your first ever coach, that's not a bad one to um take in. 00:25:47.759 --> 00:25:58.240 And uh actually what's interesting is that locally, you know, you've got Lyle who's helping out with Maris College, Mark Prater, who was an Australian men's coach last year as well in 2024 as well. 00:25:58.400 --> 00:26:01.440 He was coaching the Canberra Girls Grammar crew, yeah. 00:26:01.680 --> 00:26:04.799 Yeah, yeah, he was coaching the Canberra Girls Grammar crew. 00:26:04.960 --> 00:26:11.039 Um, so you know it's there's some not bad uh coaches that are floating around there. 00:26:11.279 --> 00:26:13.200 Uh at Bradford College, yeah. 00:26:13.759 --> 00:26:19.039 Yeah, so it's you know the three big and then Kendall Brody coaches at uh at Canberra Grammar. 00:26:19.200 --> 00:26:26.400 So all all of the four sort of main uh big running schools at in Canberra have all got pretty high caliber coaches, I suppose. 00:26:26.480 --> 00:26:32.720 When you uproot your life to go move to Canberra, you're generally you're generally it's the hardest thing to do in Canberra is leave, isn't it, Stu? 00:26:33.039 --> 00:26:36.640 So um that's the biggest black hole known to mankind. 00:26:36.960 --> 00:26:37.759 Yeah, exactly. 00:26:38.079 --> 00:26:42.319 I'll get another text message from Sarah Davron telling me off for saying that. 00:26:42.559 --> 00:26:44.559 Uh is this why you're so positive about Canberra? 00:26:44.640 --> 00:26:47.839 Is Sarah Davron just mean to you if you say anything bad? 00:26:49.920 --> 00:26:51.359 I'll just blink twice. 00:26:53.839 --> 00:26:58.000 No one can see that, he's just doing international health podcasts. 00:27:01.440 --> 00:27:02.960 Oh hilarious. 00:27:03.119 --> 00:27:05.519 Um, let's talk about the eights. 00:27:05.839 --> 00:27:12.799 Um I'll firstly want to make the point that we had the new under-17 eights this year. 00:27:12.880 --> 00:27:21.599 We had the under-17 open eight, I guess, the just the straight under-17.8, which allowed club crews and composites, and then we had the under-17 schoolgirl eight. 00:27:22.079 --> 00:27:24.559 First across the line in both events was the same. 00:27:24.799 --> 00:27:29.279 Commercial came second in um in the the the the club

event. 00:27:29.599 --> 00:27:33.519 Do do we need but in the in the boys it was Joey's in both. 00:27:33.759 --> 00:27:34.960 Do we need to have two? 00:27:35.200 --> 00:27:37.759 Does it does it make sense to have two? 00:27:38.160 --> 00:27:44.720 Yes, it's obviously more money uh for the regatta, uh, but do it do we need to have two of them? 00:27:44.799 --> 00:27:46.400 I want to get your thoughts on this. 00:27:46.799 --> 00:27:50.720 I I am completely ambivalent about it. 00:27:50.799 --> 00:28:06.160 I mean, they've made the savings, they've made the savings in the regatta time with the few of the you know, the under-23 in the open events going to the world rowing timing progression, you know, first couple across the line and then the next fastest. 00:28:06.559 --> 00:28:37.200 So they do have that in there if it gives, you know, if it gives them the opportunity to because the big difference between the two is that the under-17 school eights are run on the Sunday, and that could potentially give younger rowers that opportunity of competing on the Sunday, and you know, because it's the massive, massive crowds on a Sunday morning at the championships, those under-17 school-aights, they've always been on the Sunday, and those events have been around for forever. 00:28:37.359 --> 00:28:39.440 Um uh but the little bit of a lot of it. 00:28:39.680 --> 00:28:41.920 I suppose it's probably there for a reason. 00:28:42.160 --> 00:28:44.319 Like they they wouldn't make more money. 00:28:44.480 --> 00:28:46.559 It's obviously been requested, right? 00:28:46.960 --> 00:28:50.720 Well, yeah, and no, there's obviously a demand there. 00:28:51.440 --> 00:28:58.160 So I I I find it hard to speak on this issue because I was never an under-17s schoolboy, and so I've not gone through that system. 00:28:58.240 --> 00:29:10.960 But if there's a demand, if there's a genuine interest and a demand there to allow for like non-schools to participate in it, because I know there are quite a few club programs who are pushing under-17s and doing juniors and learn to rows. 00:29:11.359 --> 00:29:15.839 So if it gives more people an opportunity to row, then I say keep it. 00:29:16.000 --> 00:29:18.559 And I'm very much speaking from a point of the lightweight eights. 00:29:18.880 --> 00:29:21.759 A bias, there's a bias there coming from that. 00:29:23.039 --> 00:29:30.000 But if it was impact impacting the timetable and there wasn't a genuine interest, then no, I don't see the point of the two. 00:29:31.119 --> 00:29:31.359 Yeah. 00:29:31.680 --> 00:29:38.160 Sorry, I was thinking of the quads rather than the eights, because that was this was the first year of the under-17 quads. 00:29:38.559 --> 00:29:39.440 Yeah, the school quads. 00:29:39.519 --> 00:29:46.799 And and what we've seen in the under-17 quads is for a number of years it's been dominated by composites and club crews, and now they've got the straight school competition. 00:29:46.960 --> 00:29:48.640 So I kind of understand it on that front. 00:29:48.799 --> 00:29:56.079 The eights has kind of gone the other way where we've we've created the this club event, and then you know, the boys, there was one. 00:29:56.480 --> 00:30:01.279 I'm just let me look, uh the boys, there was one composite crew entered in it. 00:30:01.680 --> 00:30:07.759 Um, and it was a fairly throw-together smoggers board, fun sort of composite crew. 00:30:07.920 --> 00:30:12.480 And in the girls, there was one uh club crew entered in it. 00:30:14.079 --> 00:30:19.119 I I just at the moment it doesn't seem like the demand really justifies it. 00:30:19.680 --> 00:30:30.079 But I think we wait and see whether having the opportunity, you know, chicken and egg, you know, give the opportunity the crews come versus having people banging down the door for this new event. 00:30:30.240 --> 00:30:32.559 So um let's wait and see. 00:30:32.720 --> 00:30:42.640 I will just mention in those under 17 eights, Normo first across the line in both of them in the girls' ones, and then that were 100 grams underweight on the Sunday, and they were disqualified. 00:30:42.799 --> 00:30:44.400 And MLC Q took the wins. 00:30:44.640 --> 00:30:46.000 Congratulations to MLCQ. 00:30:46.079 --> 00:30:56.319 I'm gutted for the Normo girls, and I know uh the girls and the coaches were definitely yeah, I mean, and you know uh how how tough that is to come in underweight. 00:30:56.720 --> 00:30:58.240 Um yeah, this happened to me. 00:30:58.400 --> 00:31:06.640 I yeah, it it honestly is, and there's nothing because in your head you you deserve to win, it's not your ability, and a hundred grams. 00:31:06.799 --> 00:31:12.799 Like if you think about a 30 mil short glass or and like you double it, that's essentially a hundred grams. 00:31:12.880 --> 00:31:14.799 That's what it is, that's how little it is. 00:31:15.920 --> 00:31:17.920 It just so I feel for those girls. 00:31:18.079 --> 00:31:26.079 Obviously, I I'm very happy for the Victorian Z ML DQ girls, but like it's not an emark on their ability. 00:31:26.319 --> 00:31:28.880 It's really not, and a hundred grams means nothing. 00:31:29.359 --> 00:31:36.319 It's just yeah, I feel for those girls because I know I've been there, I know exactly how how how gutted they'll be right now. 00:31:36.880 --> 00:31:39.440 It's it's tough, I think, especially at the school level. 00:31:39.519 --> 00:31:42.480 Um, I think it's tough on the coaches, the coaches have beat themselves up. 00:31:42.640 --> 00:31:53.440 I did chat to them and um they reckon they've weighed the boat about five times over the course of the weekend, including on Saturday after they won the the under 17-8, um, and it was fine. 00:31:53.519 --> 00:32:06.160 Yeah, but they didn't weigh it on Sunday morning, and they think all the wind and everything um has uh had had dried it dried it out um over over the course of the Saturday afternoon, and and and that was that, which is brutal. 00:32:06.319 -->

00:32:08.160 Um let's talk about the eights. 00:32:08.319 --> 00:32:16.000 Uh my rogue prediction back at New South Wales State Champs was that Head of the River wouldn't predict the race for the Barrington Cup. 00:32:16.079 --> 00:32:20.960 And boy was I right because I had no inkling that Riverview would do what they did. 00:32:21.599 --> 00:32:24.240 Stu, did you were you shocked when you were calling it? 00:32:25.279 --> 00:32:26.799 I couldn't believe that someone was leading. 00:32:27.200 --> 00:32:28.319 It was almost like the King's Cup. 00:32:28.559 --> 00:32:46.960 Couldn't believe that someone was leading Scotch, and then they kept leading, and Scotch just threw everything at them, and Scotch looked great, but Riverview were just you could tell they were burnt by that head of the river result, and they just like a scalded cat, they were straight out of there and just held onto it the entire way down the course. 00:32:47.599 --> 00:32:54.640 Yeah, and those margins, just having a look at the results at the moment, those margins were nothing in it every single timing point. 00:32:54.720 --> 00:33:02.640 You know, I think the biggest margin through the first three timing points was 0.7 of a second, which you know is absolutely nothing. 00:33:02.880 --> 00:33:10.559 And yeah, like the entire way down, I just kept thinking this was going to be Scotch, Scotch would row through, Scotch would row through. 00:33:10.880 --> 00:33:11.680 And St. 00:33:11.839 --> 00:33:17.680 Ignatius held on the entire time for back-to-back Barringtons on Lake Barrington. 00:33:18.079 --> 00:33:27.759 Uh, so I'd I'd I haven't gone back through, but it'd be very interesting to see if that's ever actually happened before because it's not often we have back-to-back on Lake Barrington. 00:33:27.839 --> 00:33:31.359 Um I don't think we've ever had back-to-back nationals on Lake Barrington before. 00:33:31.440 --> 00:33:48.960 Because I think I looked this up for someone else for another statistic, and I was like, well, of course it hasn't been done because um, yeah, I think I looked it up for this uh when I was writing the preview for this, and uh, I think I figured, oh, well, no, this hasn't happened because um it's we've never had two nationals in a row in Tassie. 00:33:49.440 --> 00:34:02.960 Yeah, so and no, I think this was the first time though, and again we saw it, you know, you can sometimes see it with the crews that have been really quick all season when they get they don't know how to react when they're under pressure. 00:34:03.200 --> 00:34:09.039 Um, and as you say, I don't think it was that Scotch rode badly. 00:34:09.199 --> 00:34:13.199 There was nothing that stuck out calling the race that you'd go, okay. 00:34:13.360 --> 00:34:14.400 Well, this was the thing. 00:34:14.480 --> 00:34:25.599 It was just absolute guts and determination from Riverview to hold on because they just they just got out to a little bit of a lead, and that's where it stayed. 00:34:25.679 --> 00:34:30.880 And then right at the end, they were able to make a final push and extend it out to a couple of seconds. 00:34:31.039 --> 00:34:34.000 So it was it was an unbelievable row from them. 00:34:34.320 --> 00:34:39.920 Yeah, well, that's the the thing that I thought was most impressive was I was thinking that same thing at the halfway point. 00:34:40.000 --> 00:34:45.119 I was thinking, well, this Scotch crew have never been behind at this point, they don't know what to do. 00:34:45.519 --> 00:34:52.719 But then they still mounted a massive charge at the end and they looked like they could row through. 00:34:52.800 --> 00:35:05.920 Um, so I thought credit to them on that is that you know it coming from behind and learning how to how to do that if you haven't had to do it your entire schoolboy career or whatever is uh is tough. 00:35:06.159 --> 00:35:11.440 And you know, they handled it pretty well and they threw everything out review, but review just had the best row on the day. 00:35:11.519 --> 00:35:14.480 And that was um very, very impressed with that. 00:35:14.639 --> 00:35:26.800 In the girls, I was warned uh by Ben Watt from Kin Ross not to write off the girls from Orange in uh at the national championships, and uh I clearly didn't listen. 00:35:26.880 --> 00:35:34.320 And we had a very similar story to last year where the crew that was uh down and out after after Head of the River came through and took an emphatic win on Lake Barrington. 00:35:34.400 --> 00:35:42.960 It's actually Kinro the first time Kin Ross have ever won the Sydney Cup, um, which is hard to believe uh given how much winning Kin Ross does. 00:35:43.039 --> 00:35:48.239 They've won the quad a couple of times, they've won the 17-8 before, but have never won the Sydney Cup. 00:35:48.320 --> 00:35:54.239 Um Pinball were off the podium, which I thought was a little bit surprising, but it is tough to peak for two events. 00:35:54.320 --> 00:36:00.320 Um, and when you're peaking that high, like you know, like Pinball have done, um, it it it is uh pretty tough. 00:36:00.400 --> 00:36:08.960 So I'm keen to see what I'm sure there's more to come out of those girls in the coming weeks and months with the junior trials and um maybe a trip overseas. 00:36:09.119 --> 00:36:10.719 We'll see how everything pans out. 00:36:11.039 --> 00:36:16.800 Um but uh yeah, but I think that's enough said on the school girl. 00:36:17.360 --> 00:36:22.079 The incredible row from from Kinross and and well done, and there's still plenty of them back next year. 00:36:22.159 --> 00:36:23.519 We've just lost Ant. 00:36:23.920 --> 00:36:30.239 Um, but I think we're gonna hope that she uh comes back into our call because otherwise we're in some trouble. 00:36:30.480 --> 00:36:31.760 Um, Stu. 00:36:34.000 --> 00:36:35.519 Let's talk about the singles quickly. 00:36:35.599 --> 00:36:37.920 Isabella Henderson, what a week for her. 00:36:38.639 --> 00:36:40.079 Yeah, amazing week.

00:36:40.239 --> 00:36:50.960 Um, so we've seen her row for UTS, and she won multiple medals for UTS earlier on, I think in the uh under 19 doubles, and I think there might have been one in the quad as well. 00:36:51.119 --> 00:36:56.000 But a first ever national rowing championship for the Armadale school. 00:36:56.079 --> 00:37:06.320 Uh, it was great calling that bright yellow bucket hat over the line, and I believe she's now signed it and handed it to our co-colleague uh co-commentator Lizzie Chapman. 00:37:06.559 --> 00:37:12.960 Um so Lizzie now has the famous bucket hat for uh the Armadale school, but no, what a what a great row. 00:37:13.119 --> 00:37:19.119 She comes down, you know, drives down from Armadale to Sydney on a regular basis to come down and compete. 00:37:20.079 --> 00:37:22.639 From what I've heard, and drives it down itself. 00:37:23.119 --> 00:37:24.000 Yeah, yeah. 00:37:24.239 --> 00:37:30.880 Um, really, it was it Lizzie and I were both up in the combox. 00:37:31.280 --> 00:37:40.079 Wasn't quite tears in the eyes, but we were both absolutely like massive grins on our face to see uh Isabella Henderson win that one. 00:37:40.239 --> 00:37:44.800 Um really, really cool thing and a great, a great underdog story. 00:37:44.880 --> 00:37:50.320 And yeah, uh national champion in rowing out of Armadale. 00:37:50.400 --> 00:37:57.599 There's quite a few, you know, kids from country from the country that do well at national level. 00:37:57.679 --> 00:38:05.039 Alex Hill, Laura Goulay are probably the two that immediately spring to mind, but they're not often representing their hometown. 00:38:05.199 --> 00:38:11.119 Uh and to have you know someone come out of Armadale, it's it's just really cool. 00:38:11.599 --> 00:38:26.960 Yeah, not a bad nationals for regional New South Wales with uh the Almidale School or for the regions in general, with the Alberdale School, with uh Gippy Grammar, with Kin Ross, um, you know, I feel sure a number of the the review boys are are from the country as well. 00:38:27.119 --> 00:38:30.159 And um I Ladrill from Mwillenbar. 00:38:30.800 --> 00:38:41.440 Exactly, yeah, like plenty of uh regional representation, which is great to see and uh just proves that we don't need a rowing course in the middle of nowhere to boost regional participation in the sport. 00:38:41.519 --> 00:38:43.360 But that's all we'll say on that, isn't it, Stu? 00:38:43.920 --> 00:38:49.679 Um I think uh Ant, do you want to quickly uh give a little bit of a shout out to one of the Cox 4s? 00:38:50.079 --> 00:38:51.280 One of the Cox 4s? 00:38:51.840 --> 00:39:03.920 Uh yeah, I to Bucket in the Coroa Anglican Girls one uh Coroa, they were one of those Cox 4s that were in that Friday that was a mess of weather. 00:39:04.239 --> 00:39:07.679 And um they had a bit of a scare there with Bucket in the Coxs and seat. 00:39:07.760 --> 00:39:15.440 And I just want to give a good shout out to those girls who came back stronger on the Saturday and the Sunday and did really, really, really well. 00:39:16.880 --> 00:39:22.320 What I I thought you were gonna have a chat about uh your animal master. 00:39:22.639 --> 00:39:24.880 Oh, sorry, I've talked about Scarro is a Cox Quad. 00:39:25.039 --> 00:39:40.800 You said Cox 4, you were talking about Genizano! Oh my god, the girls who got abroad sorry, my head wasn't completely I'm standing up now in a different um space there, but the Genizano girls got off on the podium, which is probably their most successful result in in probably 10 years. 00:39:40.960 --> 00:39:45.920 And Genizano started in Cox 4s and now they've come full circles and they're doing the Cox 4s again. 00:39:46.079 --> 00:39:50.079 And those girls just got pipped by Loreto Ballarat, the head of the school girls. 00:39:50.239 --> 00:39:51.760 Anyway, I'm very proud of those girls. 00:39:51.840 --> 00:39:56.800 So a massive shout out to the Genizano girls, the Jen Dogs, as we uh we love them. 00:39:57.440 --> 00:40:00.079 Because that was, yeah, it was so it was so good to see. 00:40:00.239 --> 00:40:00.880 Yeah, yeah. 00:40:01.039 --> 00:40:02.159 The program on the rise. 00:40:02.320 --> 00:40:04.639 This has just been so many good stories from nationals. 00:40:04.800 --> 00:40:09.280 I appreciate we are getting off of time, so we're gonna move on to uh a little bit of the club racing. 00:40:09.440 --> 00:40:12.320 The club point score came right, or the medal tally, rather. 00:40:12.400 --> 00:40:18.559 I think the point score probably had a slightly larger margin with the way that that's calculated, but the medal tally came right down to the last race. 00:40:18.639 --> 00:40:31.920 And if you take the sprint medal for Eric Horry out of the mix, because those don't actually count to the point score, and you just say just the traditional medal tally, Mercantile were within one gold medal of topping the medal tally. 00:40:32.079 --> 00:40:40.480 If we take that one uh sprint gold for Sydney out of the mix, mercantile are just uh I think we said it very early on in the season after head of the Yara. 00:40:40.800 --> 00:40:45.280 Scott Rose come in there, done a great job, and they're seriously on the rise now. 00:40:45.760 --> 00:40:52.079 I think everybody seems to know say that they're on the rise when all the athletes are standing in front of you. 00:40:52.400 --> 00:40:57.760 But that has programmed there's been a massive turnaround at a committee level from the last two years. 00:40:57.920 --> 00:41:01.280 Um, because there's a bit of a cycle between Melbourne Uni and Mercantile. 00:41:01.360 --> 00:41:04.320 They when one's up, the other's down, it's like peaks and waves. 00:41:04.559 --> 00:41:17.679 So Mercantile has have done a number of things over the past three years with their Mercantile radio, their youth junior program, which is now in its second year running, and they've done a few things in the past, probably three to five years, to get them to this

point. 00:41:17.840 --> 00:41:20.880 And what you're seeing is the product of five years work. 00:41:21.199 --> 00:41:28.719 So, yeah, Scott, I think Scott Rowe's done an uh like an amazing job with that program, and he's taken them definitely from one level to another. 00:41:28.960 --> 00:41:37.760 But it would be remiss of us to not acknowledge all the behind-the-scenes work that has got them to these points because under 23 athletes aren't just standing in front of you magically. 00:41:38.239 --> 00:41:40.639 They just they haven't just appeared in the last two months. 00:41:41.280 --> 00:41:47.920 That has been a long-term um that's been a long-term plan under Gina Peel, their president. 00:41:48.000 --> 00:41:49.360 And so they've done a really, really good job. 00:41:49.519 --> 00:41:52.800 And it's come out now in nationals, you've just seen it. 00:41:53.280 --> 00:42:02.320 Yeah, yeah, I definitely um remember last year hearing a little bit about some of the coach hunting, and I know that that's the product of things that have been in place for for a couple of years' time. 00:42:02.480 --> 00:42:05.360 I thought that really impressive in a couple of a couple of categories. 00:42:05.440 --> 00:42:23.039 I think you mentioned the their junior um the sort of pathway um out from school into under-21s, and you know, they had all those girls uh head over to Henley last year in the Prince the Prince Philip 8, and then they backed that up with a win in the 21 Cox 4 and the 21-8 in the girls' side, and they looked just unstoppable. 00:42:23.119 --> 00:42:25.920 Like it's a lot of their medals is working. 00:42:26.639 --> 00:42:29.360 A lot of their medals as well were picked up, like Freya Axon there. 00:42:29.440 --> 00:42:31.840 She's a club rower, she rose under Pete Somerville. 00:42:32.000 --> 00:42:34.000 The juniors are led by Susie Franklin. 00:42:34.079 --> 00:42:40.800 Like they've just got a massive coaching staff there that all have their their focus and they all do their job really, really well. 00:42:41.280 --> 00:42:45.840 So it was in yeah, and it's come out of nationals. 00:42:46.239 --> 00:42:46.800 You can see it. 00:42:46.880 --> 00:42:50.239 It's it's that succession planning, it's that creation of aspiration. 00:42:51.679 --> 00:43:04.880 I'm I'm really keen to see I mean uh Sydney have won the medal tally and the point score for I think the last time they didn't win it would have been I can say 2018. 00:43:05.039 --> 00:43:14.000 Um, and that was there's some controversial calculations going on then um about uh they won the medal tally but not the point score. 00:43:14.239 --> 00:43:17.519 Um but um excuse me. 00:43:17.840 --> 00:43:27.360 Uh yeah, so kudos to Sydney that uh they've done it again, and it's it's been a dominant, dominant run for a club that's just had so much depth. 00:43:27.440 --> 00:43:36.480 And um, I think you know, we mentioned Henley before, it's this carrot that now both Mercantile and Sydney um are carrying, and and uh it does attract a lot of athletes over. 00:43:36.719 --> 00:43:43.920 Um but I I think we could see a real battle on our hands for the champion club of Australia next year. 00:43:44.159 --> 00:43:59.760 Stu, I wanted to pose a question to you, a club that we we we sort of saw maybe who had very good results for a very small program, but Mossman Rowing Club, if they had maybe done a few things slightly differently, could they have been quite up there in the medal in the medal? 00:44:00.079 --> 00:44:02.000 I think there's a couple of events where they'll be disappointed. 00:44:02.079 --> 00:44:04.079 They would have been disappointed not to get medals. 00:44:04.159 --> 00:44:10.559 So if we chuck those in and then say that, you know, they they targeted a couple of different events or something like that. 00:44:10.880 --> 00:44:16.559 Could we have seen them, you know, up at the pointy end with your with your UQs and your mercantiles? 00:44:17.280 --> 00:44:21.360 Yeah, they definitely would have been, so they won 4.25 gold medals. 00:44:21.519 --> 00:44:28.800 Um, so they're only a couple behind Sydney University and UTS, um, which even from a Sydney perspective would have been something. 00:44:28.960 --> 00:44:32.079 They weren't a million miles off Melbourne University either. 00:44:32.400 --> 00:44:40.960 Some of the so some of the crews that they had um weren't always full Mossman crews when they could have done so. 00:44:41.119 --> 00:44:53.599 Um so I think in the like in the under-19 women's quads, you know, they had uh Steven uh Elise Stevens and Elise Coates, yeah. 00:44:53.679 --> 00:45:04.880 Elise Coates Eloise Stevens um in a double, but then you had Lottie Ravenstein and Frieda Kirkham in a different double, and then in another double, you had another three rowers. 00:45:05.360 --> 00:45:15.760 So, but I guess for them the focus would have been on the performance and not necessarily the um not necessarily winning the medals. 00:45:15.920 --> 00:45:29.440 I think it's it it it it feels as though it's one of those ones where, yep, they 100% could have been well at the top, uh, but they're focused on the what's best for the individual rowers. 00:45:29.920 --> 00:45:36.000 Yeah, and I don't want to criticize them over it because I think they have done the right thing uh by them and by their athletes. 00:45:36.079 --> 00:45:50.000 Uh, this is not a criticism at all, but I think it's just showing that um, you know, you prioritize different events and do different things and um they're within uh they're even with a shot, despite being a really small program, what they're doing is trying to build crews towards under-19 selection. 00:45:50.079 --> 00:45:55.920 That's why all those composite quads were all out there and there was no sort of full Mossman quad in that that event. 00:45:56.079 --> 00:46:09.519 And you know, they're a club that has lost their pathway funding in recent years because their high performance

program was um, let's say dismissed uh a number of years ago and the Ungamarks went over to to UTS and there was that whole thing going on. 00:46:09.679 --> 00:46:16.559 Um, they to if they want to become a high performance club again and get that funding back, they need to put athletes on the national team. 00:46:16.719 --> 00:46:18.320 And that's what they're trying to do. 00:46:18.480 --> 00:46:20.800 So they are doing the right thing by them and by their athletes. 00:46:20.960 --> 00:46:44.880 Not a criticism at all, but I just wanted to make the point that there's another club that's there in the mix, and you know, they get they can pull another four or five athletes who are capable of winning a couple of medals and and they want to put together just a couple of club boats that are gonna be up there or um something like that, you know, they are gonna upset some some big names next year if if that's what they want to do. 00:46:45.920 --> 00:46:51.119 I think that kind of gets us over most of the club stuff. 00:46:51.920 --> 00:46:57.199 We are getting on for time a little bit, but I want to talk about the regatta as a whole. 00:46:57.840 --> 00:47:10.480 And before we get on to the club stuff, it looks like Ant uh is having some public transport dramas and is gonna have to duck off to work, but thank you for all your contributions so far this season, Ant, and uh enjoy the real world while we're gonna be able to. 00:47:10.719 --> 00:47:12.079 Thank you for having me, guys. 00:47:12.480 --> 00:47:13.920 Thank you so much for having me. 00:47:14.079 --> 00:47:14.639 All right. 00:47:19.360 --> 00:47:24.400 Okay, Stu, let's quickly run through just a couple of things more broadly. 00:47:24.639 --> 00:47:39.199 Um, of course, we need to shout out Alice, Chris, and Catherine for their work um running the Regatta and what a fantastic job they did uh keeping us on track despite all the things that were outside of everyone's control at the Regatta. 00:47:40.480 --> 00:47:41.599 Yeah, absolutely. 00:47:41.760 --> 00:47:50.639 And you know, just about every single delay was you know, the power outages, um, you know, the winds, the lightning. 00:47:50.800 --> 00:47:59.440 It was I I joked on commentary that I was half expecting to see a thylosine jump out of the forest around uh Lake Barrington. 00:47:59.760 --> 00:48:09.519 They've they've done a fantastic job to keep the sprint regatta in there, um, you know, when that is consistently the first thing to go. 00:48:09.920 --> 00:48:12.639 Um they've when they had the decision about the. 00:48:13.119 --> 00:48:14.159 I was surprised. 00:48:14.400 --> 00:48:15.119 I was surprised. 00:48:15.360 --> 00:48:19.119 I was surprised, but but pleased to see. 00:48:19.280 --> 00:48:28.159 But also, too, one of the things that was was really impressive was that they took a um you know the decision on the Thursday, I think it was. 00:48:28.239 --> 00:48:32.400 They got the coaches involved when they had that big afternoon where racing was completely cancelled. 00:48:32.559 --> 00:48:36.960 They got the coaches on board, said, look, this is how we're gonna go about it. 00:48:37.280 --> 00:48:43.599 Um, you know, speaking to a couple of people that were there, they said, not really appreciated that. 00:48:43.840 --> 00:48:45.519 You know, people knew what was going on. 00:48:45.599 --> 00:48:49.599 It was it's really tough, and it's really tough at Barrington because the phone coverage isn't great. 00:48:49.760 --> 00:48:57.920 And so you can't just check your mobile phone to be able to see uh easily when the races have been rescheduled for. 00:48:58.079 --> 00:49:00.639 So they they did a fantastic job. 00:49:00.719 --> 00:49:02.400 It's it's highly stressful. 00:49:02.559 --> 00:49:27.679 And having done you know regatta management before at a local level, you know, it can be stressful enough, let alone trying to juggle a shark, a crocodile, and uh a bunch of um sharks, crocodiles, butchers' knives, and chainsaws, whilst also trying to go through ride a motorbike through a flaming hoop, because that's what it felt like at points. 00:49:28.239 --> 00:49:29.280 Yeah, I don't know. 00:49:29.360 --> 00:49:31.679 That's definitely how Alice Evans was feeling. 00:49:31.760 --> 00:49:34.239 Uh and she was sick halfway through the week as well. 00:49:34.400 --> 00:49:36.880 So um, so many people are doing such a great job. 00:49:36.960 --> 00:49:58.239 Um, I will say and mention that so we did obviously have some sunk crews on Friday night, and uh you know, we had one girl apparently uh uh who did need some medical attention because she was quite cold in the waters of Lake Barrington, and apparently very little follow-up from rowing Australia in the way of incident reports and all the rest of it, which is very disappointing to hear. 00:49:58.480 --> 00:50:02.639 I'm sure there is an explanation, but if there's not, that needs to be done better, for sure. 00:50:02.719 --> 00:50:04.960 That's pretty unacceptable, really. 00:50:05.039 --> 00:50:12.079 That um yes, there's a lot going on and they've done a great job, but the welfare of athletes is um always has to be the number one priority. 00:50:12.159 --> 00:50:20.480 And if there's been no follow-up from anyone um for those uh Korwer and Gibson grammar quads, um I think it would just be a nicer gesture. 00:50:20.880 --> 00:50:22.639 You mentioned the phone reception stew. 00:50:22.960 --> 00:50:24.079 We love Barrington. 00:50:24.159 --> 00:50:27.760 It is a beautiful place, it is just like a painting when you look out of the commentary box. 00:50:27.840 --> 00:50:34.320 It's one of my favourite places to commentate, uh, despite the oddities of the lanes uh taking, which it always takes a couple of days to get used to. 00:50:35.039 --> 00:50:36.800 The government support was incredible. 00:50:36.960 --> 00:50:42.719 Obviously, there was a lot more money going into that event this year, and that's why it went

back to Barrington. 00:50:43.119 --> 00:50:50.559 Um, it meant that the boat park was fantastic, there was more support for other ancillary things to make the regatta run well. 00:50:51.280 --> 00:50:55.280 But how often do we need to go there, really? 00:50:55.440 --> 00:51:00.320 It is clearly not the best venue in Australia to uh to have a rowing race. 00:51:00.480 --> 00:51:04.000 Uh do we need to be going back there every two years, really? 00:51:05.360 --> 00:51:31.119 I mean, the problem is is that from a rowing Australia perspective, if they are getting a significantly uh, you know, if they're getting significantly more to go to Barrington than from their perspective, because we know that, you know, in Australia, high performance funding in particular comes out from uh having to, you know, win medals, which we didn't do in the last Olympiad. 00:51:31.599 --> 00:51:37.360 Um, so it it's it's a really interesting point. 00:51:37.440 --> 00:51:53.440 If the Tasmanian government are putting in so many dollar redoos that they are, you know, that we have that it's better for the sport overall and it builds the sport in Tasmania. 00:51:53.679 --> 00:51:57.039 The problem that we've got now is that it's two years in Barrington. 00:51:57.360 --> 00:52:07.119 Next year's going to be in Perth, which it has its own transport issues, and particularly now that you know we've had it where fuel prices have gone through the roof. 00:52:07.280 --> 00:52:12.159 So it's gonna be much diesel over the corn more at the moment, I'm sure, is like four dollars a litre. 00:52:12.239 --> 00:52:15.760 Like it's expensive, yeah. 00:52:16.079 --> 00:52:27.679 Plus, you know, so that's that's gonna be a concern, and then we're going back down, um we're going back down potentially to Barrington the following year. 00:52:27.920 --> 00:52:30.079 Um that's the rumour that we're hearing. 00:52:30.239 --> 00:52:34.639 Uh it's yeah, I I don't like that rumour. 00:52:35.039 --> 00:52:50.559 My stance on it is if you know if we are being consistently forced, essentially, into having nationals somewhere where the vast, vast majority of the rowing population it's very expensive and difficult for them to get to. 00:52:50.800 --> 00:52:55.119 I think we need to look at how like, you know, why do we need this much money? 00:52:55.280 --> 00:53:00.400 Should we be commercialising the regatta in other aspects and making money out of some other things? 00:53:00.480 --> 00:53:07.920 I think the live stream's heavily underutilized, um, considering the traction it gets for um sponsors and and and everything like that. 00:53:08.000 --> 00:53:14.800 Um I I think you know there's obviously there's got to be places where costs can be cut and other income can be generated. 00:53:14.880 --> 00:53:26.320 I don't think we should be having our hand I don't think we should be so reliant on um the government giving us money for uh um to to have the events. 00:53:26.559 --> 00:53:29.360 Um unfortunately I think that is the situation we're in. 00:53:29.519 --> 00:53:45.280 I really, really hope we're not gonna have like we could potentially be another five years without having a regatta at the best, one of the one of the best man-made courses in the world that's sitting there in Sydney if we do go back to Barrington in in 28. 00:53:45.440 --> 00:54:01.679 And I think that would uh be a big shame, and especially when we're going on and on and on about you know, rowing in Rockhampton, not having rowing in Rockhampton and it not being appropriate and um needing to have a venue where the athletes are. 00:54:02.079 --> 00:54:09.440 We look a bit silly when we're saying all of these things, but then we're gonna go travel everywhere that the athletes are not to have nationals. 00:54:11.039 --> 00:54:13.920 Yeah, yeah, it's it's a really difficult thing. 00:54:14.000 --> 00:54:18.880 And I mean, the the astounding thing is since 2019 we've been back to Cirque once. 00:54:19.039 --> 00:54:21.119 Um, part of that was with Nigambi. 00:54:21.199 --> 00:54:29.840 I think it was because CERC flooded um back in 2022, so that was a real last-minute thing to move it down to Nigambi. 00:54:30.400 --> 00:54:35.840 Um we need the New South Wales government to step up with some level of support. 00:54:36.000 --> 00:54:39.039 I I just don't know the ins and outs of what's going on there. 00:54:39.199 --> 00:54:58.719 It is kind of funny that the Tasmanian government so much has been on the stadium for the AFL and then you know we're getting the extra money, but I guess it's it's not Hobart's roof over Lake Back to Yeah, yeah, or at least a um at least something to stop the wind coming through from the south. 00:54:58.960 --> 00:55:10.320 Um yeah, I I genuinely, without knowing the ins and outs of the why it's the why's of the decision to go to Barrington and potentially go back there that we're missing out on. 00:55:10.559 --> 00:55:15.119 Um, you know, so it's I I think you can call it. 00:55:15.519 --> 00:55:20.000 I would be happy to go to Barrington every two years if the other if the other year was at Sydney. 00:55:20.719 --> 00:55:30.239 Yeah, and I think the and I think if it's if it's a little bit more transparent going, hey, this is why we're back in Barrington this year, it's because XYZ. 00:55:30.880 --> 00:55:36.159 Um I think we saw this year the entries were up, but the athlete numbers were down. 00:55:36.400 --> 00:55:46.639 And I know in the para space, you know, we didn't have community rowing club um coming down, and they've normally got a swathe of athletes in the paracategories. 00:55:47.039 --> 00:55:51.840 So I think it's yeah, it's this year we've sort of got away with it. 00:55:51.920 --> 00:56:03.760 Next year's gonna be really tough because it's gonna cost so much to get across the nullaboard to get those boats across, um, particularly if everything keeps going on in the Middle East. 00:56:03.840 --> 00:56:11.360 And then if we

are in Barrington again, then I think you could see numbers just drop off a cliff. 00:56:12.159 --> 00:56:13.679 Yeah, I I agree. 00:56:13.760 --> 00:56:18.320 Um, I don't want to finish the podcast on uh a sour note. 00:56:18.400 --> 00:56:23.920 Uh so uh, Stu, can I just have one highlight from the regatta that we haven't mentioned yet? 00:56:24.000 --> 00:56:26.800 So sorry, it can't be Queensland winning the King's Cup. 00:56:27.920 --> 00:56:29.679 That we haven't mentioned yet. 00:56:29.840 --> 00:56:34.320 I think the guys from Surface Paradise Rowing Club, I think they had a brilliant regatta. 00:56:34.639 --> 00:56:39.440 Um they, you know, last year it was commercial uh up in Queensland. 00:56:39.519 --> 00:56:46.239 They sort of dropped off a little bit this year, but this year I thought it was Surface Paradise Rowing Club, the performance of their young rowers. 00:56:46.320 --> 00:56:49.360 Um they seem to have a great squad under Gus Rodero there. 00:56:49.440 --> 00:56:58.559 And to come back from having their trailer burnt to a crisp and all their boats wrecked was uh after New South Wales Championships. 00:56:58.639 --> 00:57:02.000 To come back from that and to do so well was amazing. 00:57:02.480 --> 00:57:04.880 Yeah, I'm gonna say the Thursday morning. 00:57:05.039 --> 00:57:14.079 I don't think I've reflected on it a little bit, and I think I mentioned it in the Thursday podcast, but I don't think I've seen a better Thursday morning of racing at a national championship that I've been to. 00:57:14.239 --> 00:57:16.880 And uh this year was my tenth nationals, I think. 00:57:17.119 --> 00:57:21.119 Um so I think might have been my ninth, COVID permitting. 00:57:21.280 --> 00:57:26.719 Um it despite the conditions, look, sometimes the Thursday morning can be a bit flat. 00:57:26.880 --> 00:57:36.159 The small boats can be a bit predictable, and uh, but the racing we saw was so unpredictable, so many good performances, so many great storylines. 00:57:36.239 --> 00:57:41.440 Um, we did cover those off in the Thursday podcast, so please uh go and check those out. 00:57:41.920 --> 00:57:44.480 I think that's gonna just about do us, Stew. 00:57:44.719 --> 00:57:47.840 If you've made it this far, thank you so much for listening. 00:57:47.920 --> 00:57:50.159 Thank you so much for the support all the way through the season. 00:57:50.239 --> 00:57:53.119 Uh, stay tuned to hear if we're gonna do anything over the winter. 00:57:53.199 --> 00:58:01.679 Um, don't have any solid plans for anything just yet, but potentially the Oceania Teams regatta if we get up there to Queensland, which we might. 00:58:01.920 --> 00:58:09.840 Um, and uh make sure that you leave us a five-star rating wherever you're listening to the podcast, let us know as well what you want to see from us. 00:58:10.000 --> 00:58:14.880 If you want to see some content over the winter, let us know what you want to see next season as well. 00:58:15.039 --> 00:58:16.880 Um, very, very keen to hear from you. 00:58:16.960 --> 00:58:23.280 Reach out to either of us on Instagram or through uh comment or send us a message through your podcast platform. 00:58:23.519 --> 00:58:26.800 Stu, any closing remarks from the season. 00:58:27.920 --> 00:58:29.039 Fantastic season. 00:58:29.199 --> 00:58:32.559 Can't wait to see what uh next summer throws up at us. 00:58:33.360 --> 00:58:34.000 Fantastic. 00:58:34.159 --> 00:58:38.880 Well, with that, rowing down under season two is proudly sponsored by WinTech Racing Australia. 00:58:39.039 --> 00:58:46.000 Wintech Racing have established themselves as the world's largest and foremost sustainable boat builder, producing over 2,000 shells annually. 00:58:46.159 --> 00:58:56.159 Wintech's unwavering commitment to sustainability, affordability, and innovation drive them to propel the sport of rowing to a more inclusive and exciting future where your excellence will know no boundaries. 00:58:56.320 --> 00:58:58.960 WinTech Racing can be found at a regatta near you. 00:58:59.119 --> 00:59:05.360 Learn more about how you can get a fair price and an unfair advantage at wintechracing.com.au