Chris Johnson, 3 Time Premiership Player with the Brisbane Lions, 2 Time All Australian & a player made for the big stage. Chris' journey to Premiership Glory had its up's & down's. A dominant Junior Forward, his career with Fitzroy as a Half Forward Flanker quickly turned when Fitzroy merged with the Brisbane Bears. However, the merge lead to him becoming one of the most skilled, reliable & tough defenders inside a team of special players. Chris talks about wanting to play in Victoria, the impact Leigh Matthews had on Brisbane & what it is like to win not only your first AFL Premiership, but to be a 3 time Premiership Player. Chris also discusses his work post career with talented young people from all backgrounds.

Sam Weideman is Melbourne's bright up & coming key forward. From his debut game, to his break out game, Sam has looked at home in the red & blue on the MCG. Sam chats the difficulty of not being able to play for a majority of his draft year, the work he has had to do to develop his game & the special moments he has encountered already in his short, promising career. Sam also gives us an insight to what being a modern footballer looks like, not only under Covid restrictions, but also under the intense pressure from the outside world. Sam is just a lovely person who loves his family, his cricket & his WWE & enjoy every chance we get to catch up.

Part B of my chat with Jack Fitzpatrick. Jack discusses the culture of the Hawthorn Football Club & being the ruckman to some of the all time greats. Jack talks us through his moment against the Pies & what it is like to play under lights at the G in a big final. We hear how challenging & difficult it is to have your career cut short due to concussion. Jack also gives us a comical insight into Football's night of nights.

Part A of my chat with Jack Fitzpatrick. The Demon turned Hawk had to go through enormous adversity to earn his 26 games at the elite level. In Part A, Jack talks about his Junior Days with chronic fatigue & the joy of Draft Night. Jack lets us into the shock of being diagnosis with Type 1 Diabetes before the age of 21. We also learn about the frustration of injuries & lack of opportunity in the Red & Blue & how he discovered he was going across to Waverley to join his childhood team. Jack is honest, he's authentic & he is a pleasure to chat & have a laugh with.

Troy Selwood is a member of one of the most successful families in AFL History. Troy spent 8 seasons with the Brisbane Lions before moving back to Victoria to start his life as a Geelong Cat, firstly in the VFL, but most recently in their Recruiting Department. As a brother, Troy discusses what it is like to be part of the Selwood 4 who have all played football at the highest level. As a recruiter, Troy gives us an insight to the Draft & what it is like to watch a player of Tim Kelly's calibre for the first time & as a tagger, who were the hardest midfielders to trey & contain. He is one of the great blokes of the AFL & a joy to chat too.

Joe Misiti, an old fashioned midfielder who was part of arguably the most successful single season team of all time. Smokin' Joe was a key member of Essendon's midfield, who not only shocked the football world in 1993 but dominated the competition in 2000. Joe played 236 games in the red & black, but it almost was never the case in his early days. Joe discusses premiership success, the greats he played with & how football is vastly difference from the era he played in. One of the great characters who is up for a laugh.

Mark 'Choco' Williams. The Port Adelaide Football Club means more to him than meets the eye. 4 time Premiership Player with Port in the SANFL & was their senior coach when they won that elusive AFL premiership in 2004. Choco discusses what the club means to his family, the pressure a senior coach feels when trying to achieve the ultimate & the joy that helping young players reach their potential brings him. He is one of the all time great characters & someone that has helped me a great deal.

Ross Smith, 224 Games with North Melbourne & over a decade as an Assistant Coach in the AFL. Ross has had the pleasure of working alongside some of the great people of the modern era both players & coaches. Ross discusses the 2008 season & being part of the Hawthorn Football Club where under Alastair Clarkson, they defied the odds & became premiers in one of the great Grand Final upsets.

The Second Half of our chat with Tom Lonergan. Tom talks about the heartache of missing out on premiership success. Also, the change of head coach at Geelong, his transition to becoming one of the premier 1 on 1 defenders in the AFL & the 2011 Grand Final, where Tom's important role that day on Collingwood's power forward helped contribute to finally having that elusive medal around his neck.

Tom Lonergan, Premiership Defender, 209 Games for the Geelong Football Club, is the first guest of 'The Hallowed Turf Podcast'. In Part A, Tom takes us through being drafted to Geelong, his early days with a special group of young players & the club finally breaking the 44 year Premiership drought. Tom also gives us an insight into one of the greatest challenges in his life, when he was seriously injured playing at Geelong in 2006.