Cal Twomey has lived & breathed footy all his life. So when he decided to pursue his passion of Football & the media landscape, he decided to give it all he had & do as much as he could. Now, he is one of the AFL Media's most respected & talented journalists. Since 2012, Cal has been writing & producing outstanding work in the AFL's media landscape & continues to be one of the very best in the business. However, it's the enormity of the work he contributes each year to the AFL Draft Process that has made him the AFL's household Draft Expert. Cal year in & year out brings to the keen draft followers the stories of the current crop of rising stars & gives us a background to their journey to go with their exciting talent. Cal puts in the work at high level talent games & speaks on a consistent basis with list managers & recruiters to put together the most elaborate Draft Phantom Form Guide in the AFL environment which is consumed by hundreds of thousands of people annually. We get an insight into the work that Cal puts into not only his Draft Content, but into his role of being an outstanding journalist of the game of Aussie Rules.

Daniel Worrall, State Cricketer, International Cricketer & a bloke you would love to have a beer with in the change rooms after the game. Dan has taken everything that has come his way in his stride, from a kid who was just playing cricket to play with his mates, to bowling to the best batsman the country has to offer. Dan has made his mark in the South Australian Cricketing setup, continuing to take wickets for his beloved Redbacks. Dan has experienced all formats, from the Big Bash, to the domestic 1 day & 4 day competitions, to white ball at the international level. Dan plays every game with the same enjoyment as if he was back at club level with his mates. We speak to Dan about his cricketing career, what he has achieved, the challenges he has faced & the aspirations he still holds dearly. An Australian fast bowler who is just a great bloke, who enjoys the lighter side of life & having a laugh.

Tim Hazell, was severely unlucky through injury & lack of opportunity for his AFL career to be cut short with 5 games to his name. However, his time in Football taught him some extremely valuable lessons that helped him be successful in his post playing days. Tim has created his own Personal Training Business 'ProSport' which through his love of fitness has opened the doors for him to travel across the globe & not only achieve feats that are truly remarkable but give the general public these opportunities of a life time. Tim already with his busy schedule, has become a 'Player Manager' for AFL & AFLW athletes & we get an insight into the positives & hard moments that the Management Industry is presented with. Even though with his chaotic work schedule, Tim is a down to earth family man who was a pleasure to chat to & learn about chasing your passions & the value of work ethic.

Umpiring can be an unforgiving task. They cop an enormous amount of scrutiny & in the public eye can at times never be seen to do anything right. The Goal Umpires are no different & in this episode we get to listen in & understand what it takes & what it means to stand goals at the elite level. Matthew Dervan, who at a young age for his craft has already officiated 85 games & is a young, aspirational person who is dedicated to improving his craft. Dervo speaks in this episode about the current state of play in the AFL & being involved in the Hub life situation. His quick rise through the ranks from local level to the big time. His weekly dealings with players & passionate, one eyed fans who sit not too far away from where Dervo performs his caper. The special moments Dervo has witnessed & the dream of one day, officiating the AFL Grand Final. Dervo is an enthusiastic, goal minded person who is one of the great's to just chew the fat with & chat about football.

There isn't many players who can say they are the following. Dual Premiership Player, Norm Smith Medallist, All Australian & a Best & Fairest Winner. Ryan O'Keefe however, is a player than can. After speaking to him, it's no secret why he was able to achieve what he did. 286 Games with the Sydney Swans, Ryan was determined to achieve the absolute most out of his time as an elite sportsman. Ryan speaks about the introduction of the famous Blood's culture in his early days. The experience of playing finals early on & how that was crucial to their future success. We also get to speak about Premiership Success & the all time historical moments that played a part in the Swans achieving the ultimate. He is driven, competitive & hard working & paints a terrific picture for aspiring footballer's on what is needed to achieve your dreams.

Part B of my chat with Brad Murphy. Murph discusses the difficulty surrounding his family after the passing of his brother. How Murph was able to deal with & find an escape in football during a tumultuous 2002 year. Murph also talks us through his draft process & becoming a Bulldog player & the struggles of being young player trying to find their feet in a professional environment. Murph talks about his regrets, how he has learnt & grown from his time being a professional footballer & the remarkable things he has been able to achieve since & the tremendous work he now undertakes as an ambassador for Adopt Change.

Brad Murphy, 7 Games with the Western Bulldogs between 2003 - 2006. However, what he had to endure to get to his dream of being an AFL Footballer far exceeds what the majority of footballer have to deal with. Brad was a child from foster care into his Mum & Dad's home where he was raised. Murph had to learn & understand from a young age the uniqueness of his situation & had to cope with the how the world would perceive his life. Brad discusses the difficulties of not being able to be legally adopted by his mum & dad, how hard it was to comprehend his situation a such a young age & the night in 2001 when life was shattered by the tragic loss of his brother. Murph discusses the part sport & particularly football played in his teenage years. Murph's story is one of tragedy, heartache & dealing with adversity that will give everyone some persepctive.

Georgia Patrikios is one of the AFLW's up & coming stars. In her first season in the AFLW with the St. Kilda Football Club, Georgia was awarded with a Rising Star Nomination & was voted the AFLWPA's Best First Year Player. Georgia has always been a talented footballer & we chat in this episode about her journey into the AFLW. The people who have inspired her from Family & teammates & her friendship with current AFLW Best & Fairest Winner Madison Prespakis & little sister Georgie. Georgia speaks about life away from football & what's most important to her. It's great insight into the life of a young AFLW star.

Ted Whitten Jnr, the ultimate, Son of the West. Ted is the son of EJ Whitten, Mr Football. Ted followed his old man everywhere, which lead him to the Western Oval, where he saw his himself being one day. Ted played 144 games at the club his dad was a champion at & was able to pull on the Big V Jumper which his father had an unrivalled passion for. When the man Ted called Dad passed away due to Prostate Cancer in 1995, Ted created the EJ Whitten Foundation which was established to help raise awareness & fight prostate Cancer. Ted chats about his childhood, becoming a Bulldog Footballer like his father, what his father meant to him & what the Bulldogs Football Club means to their family.

The 2001 National Draft has been appropriately nicknamed, 'The Super Draft'. Littered with Premiership Players, Brownlow Medallists, All Australians & Hall of Famers, the 2001 Draft has helped shaped the AFL's modern era. The resumes of the champions to have come out of this draft are hardly rivalled by any other draft that has been conducted. My friend Joel Child jumps on to chat about the stories & careers of the 2001 National Draft. Joel has a wide range of experience in the AFL, form talent pathway programs in Queensland to being a development coach at the Western Jets, Joel's work with talent ID & pathways has lead to him being a part time recruiter at the Adelaide Football Club. Joel is a great mate of mine who helps me redraft the 2001 draft along with discussing the great outcomes. So, with Pick 1, Hawthorn Football Club are now on the clock.