The Pressbox Ep 95

The Examiner

All things local sport with The Examiner's sports legends Josh Partridge, Ben 'Hanny' Hann and Ryan Bentley

Transcript

00:00Welcome on all to another episode of The Press Box. My name is Ben Hand,

00:10joined alongside me once again is Josh Partridge and Ryan Bentley. Here for another massive episode

00:15of The Press Box. It is episode 95 and to take you guys into it is another episode of numerology.

00:23So boys, 95 as it turns out, the year 1995 is where we're going to because it's quite a big year in

00:37northern Tasmanian sports specifically so it's actually been quite handy for us with numerology.

00:44So in 1995 Launceston Tornadoes, we've discussed much over the past weeks and months,

00:51won their first and only premiership in 1995, that famous team, and I've actually written a story

00:58about another team that's won a 1995 flag. It was North Launceston, the Robins as they were known,

01:03the last time they won as the Robins led by David Rees-Jones, the former Norm Smith medalist.

01:10Who I've used on the numerology before, so he's linking to a two-time numerologist.

01:14That will be a first two-time numerologist and that's how he'll be known as, from the intense

01:20four, two-time numerologist David Rees-Jones. They broke a 45-year state premiership drought

01:25in 1995 when they beat Clarence. They are celebrating their 30-year premiership reunion

01:30on the weekend and that brings us straight into the footy. There have been a lot of North Launceston

01:35players where you were, or maybe not where you were, but where you're watching, Joshua.

01:39The state ref games have all finished up, unfortunately not on a good note for the Tassie,

01:45but it was at least some close games. Yeah, some really competitive footy in those regards.

01:50Both the men's and the women's team went down to North Hobart and played Sydney-Canberra,

01:55lost both of those, the women's by four points and the men's by 10. Really competitive games.

02:01The women, they had to kind of come back in the last term with the wind. The wind in that women's

02:06game was ridiculous. You obviously copped it at UTAS Stadium, but North Hobart Oval,

02:11being a pretty small ground, not really sheltered, it copped it. So yeah, they lost that one by four

02:17points. Then the men, they started really strong, which they didn't do against Queensland the game

02:21before, but then they got chased down, unfortunately. They didn't hit the scoreboard at all in the

02:27third quarter and they went down by 10 points. So another really strong performance from

02:31Launceston's Archie Wilkinson. He's played three state games now and has featured in the best twice.

02:37So moving from a forward role to a defensive role, he actually played on former DB West Giant,

02:44St Kilda Saint and Western Bulldog Josh Bruce. And he kept into, I think, just one goal and was really

02:51strong on him, especially in the first half. So a massive bit of applause there for Archie.

02:56Yeah, good time to do it, absolutely, which we'll talk about a little bit more later. But

03:01there was also the AFL. I know you were out in the miserable rain and cold,

03:04as far as the elements, Ryan. But the AFL, the last AFL game was also played on the weekend

03:09between Port Adelaide and Hawthorne. A bit of a brewing rivalry. I think maybe Hawke's got the

03:15last laugh, at least this year, knocking Port Adelaide out of any sort of finals contention. And

03:19yeah, themselves really boosting their chances for top four. But there was also a bit of a,

03:25maybe a funny moment amongst a certain player and a certain coach. Ryan will take us through that.

03:30A certain Jack Ginevan. What are the chances of that? He escaped the famous aeroplane celebration

03:36that Kenny Inkley did at the end of the semi-final last year. And Kenny Inkley, obviously,

03:41he saw the funny side of it. Such as the man he is, he finds a funny side in the water, I think.

03:45But yeah, it all seemed in reasonably good spirits, at least publicly. I don't know how

03:50they feel privately. Yeah, so it was a nice little touch at the end of the game, for sure.

03:54Yeah, absolutely. I think he said, look, I can't exactly sit here and give it out, but not take it.

04:01We're all in good stride. And I think, you know, with someone who is no longer going to be at

04:05Port Adelaide after this year, you know, I think maybe it's one of those ones it's not worth him

04:10getting too growly about. There was a bit of altercation, not necessarily altercation with the

04:15fans or anything like that, but they were certainly getting his face after the game.

04:20May have maybe gotten close to the line about what is and what is not acceptable, but I think

04:25overall it was all handled pretty well. I want to quickly swing back, though, to the VFL,

04:32because I'm going to introduce, of course, the landmark segment of the show. The way the show is

04:38centred around is, of course, Handy's hard hitters.

04:49With, obviously, we have our full taste of the VFL this year. We've had nine games and everything else.

04:54We've obviously had the state rep games as well, with some of the success, but I think overall a

04:59fairly positive experience. But that was all in preparation for the VFL. We want VFL this year,

05:06we want VFL next year, you know. Will the VFL team play a full season in 2026?

05:13I think it's starting to look like they won't, which on one hand is incredibly disappointing,

05:17because we were meant to enter the VFL this year. Now we might be entering on a full-time basis next

05:22year. But as we talked about off the air kind of thing, there'll be contracts involved for these

05:28players that will get them to stay in Tasmania. And the way sport is, money talks. And I think that'll be

05:35something that really helps these players and really gives them the chance to stay in Tasmania

05:41and to thrive really.

05:43And you, Rob?

05:45Yeah, it seems unlikely, doesn't it? Everything's been delayed. Obviously,

05:49we won't know about the stadium until September. If that doesn't happen, then the whole thing doesn't

05:54happen. So what's the point of any of it? So I don't think it will end up happening on a full-time

05:59basis for sure for 2026, but... Lovely, lovely piece of positivity there.

06:06I agree. I think it's going to be a bit of a hybrid again. I think there'll be more content,

06:10definitely. And there'll be much more professional, actual coordinated setup rather than just a broad

06:16training squad. I think you're right. There will be contracts and there will be some sort of

06:21formula to how it works. But I don't expect to see the Tasmania Devils featuring on the BFL ladder

06:27this year, which is disappointing. But it is the way it is, often the way it goes with this, and perhaps

06:33for reasons that the Tasmania Devils cannot be blamed for. We'll quickly switch codes to netball.

06:39Finals have started. The Silverdome, I was lucky enough to be in the dry and out of the wind in the

06:45Silverdome between either side of the AFL game, I should say. I'm going to start off though with you

06:51Ryan. You joined me for the qualifying final on Saturday night between the Cavaliers and Kingston.

06:57Again, a number of months in the making. Play us through what happened. Yes, the Cavs got the job

07:03done, keeping their undefeated season alive. 62-49. Hayley McDougal, obviously premier goal scorer in the

07:11comp, scored 49 of the Cavs 62 goals. So did just match Kingston's score just quietly. But it wasn't all

07:18Cavs from the very start. I think the Blues had the lead at the first break. But then, yeah,

07:23Cavaliers just far, far too good really. Yeah, absolutely. And I was there earlier in the day

07:28as well to watch the Hawks put on a real vintage performance. Genuinely, it was their leaders,

07:33the people who have been around for those three premierships who stood up. Their defence was

07:37amazing. They had Cripps at just 20 goals halfway through the third quarter. And it was never in doubt

07:44from that point. It was a wonderful defence performance and hopefully they can take that

07:48into their game against Kingston and maybe have yet another all-Northern grand final. We'll quickly

07:54move through to a segment that's made. It's way out of the wilderness and is now back into regular

08:02viewing. It is, of course, Ryan's extremely difficult sports quiz.

08:05Yes, the segment is back for a second week. It's survived for a second week. And it's gone

08:17international, I will say. Gone international. Open Championship was obviously over the past

08:22weekend. Scully Sheffield got the job done at Royal Portrush. And my question to you is this,

08:27how many different venues have hosted an Open Championship over its 153 runnings?

08:32That's a great question. I'm not going to have the faintest idea. My guess is going to be 25.

08:3925? And I'm going to look at 37.

08:41Jeez. Well, you both overestimated massively. It was just a simple 14. So,

08:46Ben Hand, congratulations. I believe that is now one all in the series.

08:50Wonderful. Well, we do have to quickly move on to, of course, the upcoming segment,

08:55the one that everyone wants is, of course, Josh's local hero of the week.

09:02Well, we took Ryan's extremely difficult sport quiz international. I'm going to take my local hero

09:09of the week, somewhat international, and give it to Mitch Owen from Hobart, who debuted for

09:17Australia, mind you, in the international 2020 competition. And he scored a half century,

09:24putting him up there with only Ricky Ponting and David Warner to have done that. So,

09:26congratulations, Mitch. You've achieved a lot, but this would obviously be the icing on top of the cake

09:32for it all. Late at night in Jamaica, I'm sure he's watching this, going, pumping, pumping his fist

09:37in the air, going, this is the real reward that I wanted. That is all the time we have for this week.

09:41We'll catch you guys for the next one.

Category

Transcript

Recommended