Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign.
[00:00:08] Speaker B: Welcome back to the Bare Facts, a show that somehow manages to cram more chaos, footy and Bears pride into one episode than should legally be allowed. We've got a massive show lined up tonight. Shoutouts flying left, right and center, full breakdowns of the Bears feeder club results, and honestly, heaps more than we probably have time for. But that's never stopped us before. So settle in, crank up the volume, and if you want to keep the party going after the episode, head to thebearfax.com.
[00:01:44] Speaker A: Foreign.
[00:01:52] Speaker B: If you want to support the Bare Facts, keep an eye out for the QR codes popping up on the screen throughout the show. They'll take you straight where you need to go. You can also hit the links in the description for all the ways to support the Bare Facts and back the show.
[00:02:10] Speaker A: Sam.
[00:02:53] Speaker B: Hey Grizzlies, before we dive back in, quick shout out to our sponsors, which, let's be honest, is basically us. The Barefax is proudly powered by the barefax, the only sponsor who never misses a payment and always returns our emails. If you want to jump on board and sponsor the show, or even just a segment, we'd love to hear from you, Drop us a line and let's make something happen.
[00:03:14] Speaker A: Thunder on the turf, hear the crowd ignite perk Bears charging in red and black tonight from the try line battles to the lead wide steps. We break it down, we bring it home. These are the bare facts Per Pride game on, let's attack. This is the Bear Facts.
Hey, we are roaring with the Bears NRL story shaking up the air. Big hits, big hearts, never looking back. Head it up, tune it in, get the bare facts Perth Pride game on, let's attack. This is the best bear Facts.
[00:03:57] Speaker B: Hey Grizzlies, welcome back to the Bare Facts, the show that somehow gets wilder every week. Todd is out tonight, but don't panic. Paul's jumped into the hot seat, fully caffeinated and allegedly prepared. And of course, joining him is the man who breaks Bears news faster than the club can post it, Johnny Dosta. If something happens in Perth Rugby League, Johnny's already tweeted it, analyzed it and argued about it before anyone else even knows it's happened. Don't forget Roggy. She reckons orange is her color. And look, we love the confidence, but the rest of us know the truth. She absolutely shines in red and black. Maybe it's the Bear's energy, maybe it's the chaos she brings to the studio. Or maybe it's just that orange is a new red and black either way, she's the heartbeat of the show. The queen of socials and the only person who can make the Bears palette look like a fashion statement. But tonight, tonight is special because we are joined by a true icon, a Bears legend. A man whose on field presence was so intimidating he even his bladder couldn't handle the pressure. That's right don. Terror bear McKinnon is in the house. We're diving into his career, his stories and fingers crossed he can hold on until the end of the show.
[00:04:58] Speaker C: Here's Raji Paul onto our screens and ask them a few questions.
Hi guys, how are you?
[00:05:07] Speaker D: Hi Rogi.
[00:05:09] Speaker C: Hey, let's wait a second for Paul to jump on.
Okay, so perfect.
[00:05:22] Speaker E: Hey.
[00:05:23] Speaker C: And we have Don as well with us. Welcome to the Vex.
[00:05:28] Speaker E: Thank you.
[00:05:28] Speaker B: I think we're having a few technical issues at the moment because the streams rates are really, really low.
[00:05:33] Speaker E: So looks like there's two Dons.
[00:05:36] Speaker B: Yeah,
[00:05:40] Speaker C: that's all right.
So Johnny, I have a question for you. As always we start off with our questions.
What is the best way you think to support the Perth Bears right now?
[00:05:54] Speaker D: The best way to support the Perth Bears right now is get on the socials. Get on the streets, wear your red and black, get an all Sydney Bears membership, get an East Tigers membership and just keep up with the socials. Support the social media groups and keep live with all the media dropped by the club Wa all automatic supporters of the Bears. So let's get on it.
[00:06:24] Speaker C: Perfect. Yes, I definitely agree. Just keep going with the socials, follow everything you can.
Paul, your question.
Today it was officially announced that Sorenson was signed for the Perth Bears. What is your thoughts on that signing?
[00:06:38] Speaker B: I reckon it's great. It's good, it's good but I've gotta. I'm clear something up quickly. We had a chat or someone on the. Johnny did a video for us earlier on in the day and we uploaded to YouTube and then someone come along and said that it was clickbait and there's no information on it so I went looking, I can't, couldn't really find anything. I have seen stuff on socials but Johnny, is, is it official or is it
[00:07:05] Speaker D: two year deal mate?
[00:07:07] Speaker B: Yep, so it is official.
[00:07:09] Speaker C: Yeah, it was on the socials as well so pretty efficient.
[00:07:15] Speaker B: Just let everyone know because I, I have no idea what's happening with the Internet at the moment.
I'm not getting any updates coming through on anything so I'll try and get the chats working as we go through the show but I'm recording It. So if anything goes down, I'm recording it and we can get it up on the. On the shows anyway.
[00:07:36] Speaker D: Awesome.
[00:07:37] Speaker C: So perfect.
[00:07:39] Speaker B: I'll keep working in the background.
[00:07:42] Speaker C: No worries. Johnny, did you want to tell everybody about the Bears feeder club results that came out?
[00:07:47] Speaker E: Yeah.
[00:07:48] Speaker D: The Cub facts. I think we're going to call it that. All the red and black Cubs.
[00:07:52] Speaker B: Y.
[00:07:52] Speaker D: So yeah, North Sydney this. This weekend gone. We. We went up against the Cronola Sharks.
Harold Matz, tough game. Went down. Went down to a loss there. SG Ball got their first win of the season. 23:16. So that's good that the boys kicked off their season.
Lisa Fiola and Tasha Gale both went down unfortunately, which. Not ideal, but yeah, they'll. They'll keep getting better. And the trials, it was a. It was a good game. It was a tough game. We. We held in there. We actually had the lead a bit, but we went down to the Knights 36. 220.
As far as our Queensland brethren up here at the Tigers.
Yeah. Cyril Connell got a massive win over the wide Bay Bulls 44 to nil.
Malinga. We unfortunately went down to the Dolphins, but they're always a strong side in those juniors.
The girls both recorded wins, including a massive 84 to nil win.
And the Men's Tigers trial 18 apace with the Seagulls. So mixed results.
[00:09:09] Speaker B: Yeah, I was really impressed with the 84 to 0.
[00:09:15] Speaker D: Yeah.
Cakewalk.
[00:09:18] Speaker B: Yes.
Cool.
[00:09:23] Speaker C: Let's take a move on. We don, thank you again for coming on.
I'm gonna leave you with the boys to start your discussions and I'll be back when I need to.
[00:09:38] Speaker E: Okay?
[00:09:38] Speaker D: Thanks, Rossi.
[00:09:40] Speaker B: Hey. Hey. Hopefully I can leave it like this for a bit and not get any interruptions.
The Internet is just crazy.
[00:09:49] Speaker D: In Paul we Trust, mate. In Paul we trust.
Welcome. Don.
I think it goes without saying that you are true North Sydney royalty. Not just for the Bears, but North Sydney Rugby League in general, New South Wales Rugby League and Australian Rugby League. To our viewers and listeners out there, if you don't know Don's history with the Bears, then I highly suggest you go have a good read. Because he epitomizes everything that is right with rugby league, everything that is right with the Bears. And he's a figure that people like myself and others kept fighting to bring back the Bears because he fought on the field, he gave his all on the field. And people like us, we want to see that continued with this new generation. And if they can be half the players and half the men that Don is then The Bears are in very good hands.
So thank you for taking the time today, Don, to come on.
[00:10:50] Speaker E: No worries. No, you're too kind there.
[00:10:56] Speaker B: Just dropped out again. But I've got a quick question.
I've got a question for you, don. Back in 1980, I had a. I had a school teacher.
I was in year four and the teacher kept saying that she had a brother who played for the North Bears.
And my teacher was Ms. McKinnon.
Was that your sister?
[00:11:20] Speaker E: No, she isn't, no.
What school did you go to?
[00:11:25] Speaker B: John Warby in aids.
[00:11:28] Speaker E: In where?
[00:11:29] Speaker B: Eds out in Campbelltown.
[00:11:32] Speaker E: Oh, yeah, I know that. No, but I wouldn't say she's not related to me, but definitely not her.
[00:11:37] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:11:37] Speaker E: Sister. I think she. I think she was having her on. Yeah.
[00:11:40] Speaker B: Well, I was only little and we used to talk about football and stuff all the time, so there you go. Because I was talking on a Facebook page from the primary school and I was saying. And everyone. Everyone remembered it. Everyone remembered it, so it was crazy.
[00:11:53] Speaker E: Ms. McKinnon.
[00:11:54] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:11:57] Speaker E: Might have been a half sister or something.
[00:11:59] Speaker B: Yeah. Oh, she might have been a cousin or been.
[00:12:01] Speaker E: Scandal.
[00:12:02] Speaker B: Yep.
So.
Oh, there you go, Johnny. All right.
[00:12:07] Speaker D: All righty, Don. We'll get into it, mate. We'll ask a few questions and. Yeah, just answer away however you can and whatever you want to answer and we'll keep it going, mate. You're a true North Sydney. You're a true North Sydney, lad.
How was it growing up and coming through the North Sydney Bears grades in those early days? Pre senior debut,
[00:12:32] Speaker E: I played actually, as a junior, I played more rugby than I did rugby league. I probably played six seasons of rugby and five of rugby league, mainly because all my mates played rugby. And I lived in Willoughby on the Lower North Shore, which wasn't rugby league territory at that stage anyway. Then I went and played for Willoughby rugby league later on when they did form a team. And McMahon's point, before I went to grade, played Jersey Flag and President's cup in 74. 73 Jersey flag, 74 President's cup, and then went to under 23s in 1975, so.
And I played a couple of years in under 23s.
It was like a third grade.
Played the first first grade game in 1977, but last one in 1988, I was playing for Manly.
So I can say that we.
[00:13:30] Speaker D: We'll get to that one. We'll get to that.
So. So your debut, mate. Do you remember much of it? Your first grade debut? And. And how did that come about? Who told you that you were going to strap up the boots with the seniors and how. How are you feeling at that time?
[00:13:48] Speaker E: I can't remember how they told me or what my. My thought was but it was so long ago. But I do remember we played. It was an AMCO cup match against Parramatta and they had. I remember Dennis Fitzgerald was on that side and Ray Higgs, Ray Price of course Mick Cran and all Those guys and 1977 at Leichardt Overland Co cup match. We got beaten and somehow or other I. They gave me the man of the match award and which was. I think it was Joyce Maine donated a portable television. Color television. That was the prize for the man of the match.
[00:14:26] Speaker B: Anyway, I'll tell you what, you're. You're lucky you didn't get a. They didn't give away a bed because I heard back then Joyce Maine stood behind everything she sold.
[00:14:35] Speaker E: Big fan man.
[00:14:36] Speaker B: Lucky you didn't get awarded a bed because Joyce Main.
Because Joyce Maine stood behind everything she sold.
[00:14:47] Speaker E: Poor old Joyce. Anyway, luckily I did get colour TV and I took it down to Northbridge pub, got a 100 leaf raffle ticket. Sold all the tickets for $10 each.
Equates to a thousand dollars. And some lucky fellow at Northbridge pub scored the colour television, portable colour television and I got a thousand bucks.
Anyway and then the following Sunday whoever I'd replaced in first grade I think it might have been Bill Hamilton actually wasn't available for that game either. And we played against St. George at the cricket ground. It's one of those leagueathon games. They used to play two or three consecutive first grade games at the cricket ground and played against St George and they're pretty good side. They won the comp that year so that was my first and second. We lost both those and then later in the year played against Penrith at North Sydney Oval. They picked me in a game against Penrith and we beat Penrith at North Sydney. I remember Mick Stevenson and Bob O'Reilly were both playing for Penrith in those days before he went to Parramatta.
He got sent off in that game actually for coat hangering. Poor old Goldie Walker or poor young Goldie Walker at that stage. But yeah, anyway, that was the first win in first grade. It was good.
[00:16:14] Speaker B: What do you from back then like when you watch football. Football games from back in the 70s 80s and you watch football matches between like now the modern football game as they call it.
What do you reckon was the rougher and the tougher time to be playing? Was it now? Is it harder now or is it you reckon it's harder back then?
[00:16:35] Speaker E: Defense is definitely more punishing now than it was then because the bigger people played the game.
It's a more of a power game. It's more of an endurance game back in the.
Prior to.
Prior to interchange and a 10 meter rule and stuff. So it was more an endurance game.
So. But definitely the tackling now is much more punishing than when I played and a bit more.
But you didn't get, you know, you copped a lot of stick.
[00:17:05] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:17:05] Speaker E: Elbow and cheap shots and all that sort of stuff, you know.
Think that's tough? Fair enough.
But yeah, you used to cop a few whacks around the head and stuff that you don't see now.
But definitely the defense now a lot more brutal than it was when I played. J yeah.
[00:17:22] Speaker B: Did you give any biff?
[00:17:24] Speaker E: Peeps of biff. Got sent off heaps of times.
[00:17:28] Speaker B: So how did you get.
How did you get the nickname Terror Bear?
[00:17:34] Speaker E: I think that was my running style. I used to sort of if someone come in to tackle me high, well I had to get through the forearm, you know, y to get. Anyway it was like you said, like a bumper bar and people reckon I elbowed them and stuff like that and I always thought tack me around the waist so I can't elbow you.
Anyway that, that was a Peter Peters article in.
In Rugby league week. Yeah, Peter Peters wrote it and it was more of a.
I think we beat Manly that week in emission therapy about it and yeah, he wrote a column about my running style.
Anyway.
Oh I thought if they're going to tackle me they're going to have to find it hard to tackle me. So yeah, make yourself an easy target.
[00:18:22] Speaker D: That's it.
[00:18:23] Speaker E: And yeah, so anyway, that's just the way it was. But everyone.
[00:18:29] Speaker D: How do you reckon you would have gone at the judiciary when you were there if you had to rule on yourself?
[00:18:34] Speaker E: Mate, I was on the district of the NRL for about 12 years actually.
I would have found myself innocent. Of course I.
I got sent off about seven times in grade altogether. I think probably four times in first grade and three in lower grades.
Mostly high tackle coating as, you know, steps inside you to stick your arm out, he twirls around your arm a couple of times those sort of things.
Got sent off a couple of times for fighting lots of Les Boyd.
It was funny let's.
He was playing a reserve guard. Gavin. He'd been sent off twice that season already in 1977 it was. Anyway, come back in reserve grade and someone was punching the hooker through the.
From the back row in the west team, right? So I reached through and grabbed the first bike I could find, which happened to be Les Boyd. And I had about a foot reach advantage on him. So I hit him about 50 times in his left ear.
And anyway we get, we packed that, sent off, go to the judiciary on the Tuesday night and we walk in, he says, oh, he's still ringing. You're so and so. I said it, Liz. He said, no, I didn't, it was Peter Walsh. I said, oh, I just grabbed the first bike I could.
[00:19:51] Speaker C: Yeah,
[00:19:54] Speaker D: that's awesome, mate. That's awesome.
[00:19:57] Speaker B: So what about 1982? That was it. The easiest guys went through undefeated until the last match.
[00:20:05] Speaker E: The Kangaroo Tour, was it?
[00:20:07] Speaker B: The Kangaroo Tour?
[00:20:08] Speaker E: North Sydney Bears didn't go through undefeated.
[00:20:09] Speaker D: I know that.
[00:20:10] Speaker E: We made the semis. Yeah, I went on the under the Kangaroo Tour which was undefeated. Yeah, one of our games.
First Kangaroo touring side to do that. But we Norse made the semi in 82, which went a long way to me going on the Kangaroo tour. Yeah, if we didn't make the semis, I probably wouldn't have gone, I don't think.
[00:20:28] Speaker B: What was it like?
What was it like going on?
[00:20:32] Speaker E: What was it like?
It was like a. Ever been on an end of season trip to the Gold Coast?
It was like that for three months.
[00:20:46] Speaker D: I'm only half hour from the Gold coast, mate. So yeah, that's, that's just every weekend.
[00:20:53] Speaker E: It was like going on a holiday with your mates for three months, having to play football and train as well. But anyway, that was all good. No, it was a fantastic tour.
We stayed in Leeds, which is a great city.
Traveled all around Lancashire and Yorkshire and down to London to play. And then we went to France for a few weeks after that and played over there. It's really good.
[00:21:21] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:21:21] Speaker E: Stayed in some nice French cities, Avignon and Carcassonne. Carcassonne. Good to see a little bit of the world.
No, it was a great trip. Fata said when I got off the plane, do you want to get back on and go again? I would have said, you bet, let's go.
[00:21:39] Speaker D: That's awesome, mate. Don.
[00:21:41] Speaker E: And it's funny, you play with against blokes like I used to hate Craig Young and Rod Ready. Of course, every time he played they stand on your hand and, you know, do nasty things to you. And I thought, what a, you know, didn't like them very much. And you go on a Kangaroo tour and you find out they're really Good blokes change the opinion about people.
[00:22:02] Speaker D: Yeah.
It's different when your teammates. Hey. When you're not. When you're not trying to tackle them and you're trying to help them make a tackle, it. It changes the perspective.
[00:22:11] Speaker E: Yeah.
People you play football with, you know, they're all pretty much the same, innit? Yeah, that's me. Too many meet too many unlikable people.
[00:22:20] Speaker D: Yeah, that's true.
[00:22:21] Speaker B: What's probably one of your best memories playing for the Bears.
[00:22:28] Speaker E: We beat Canterbury in the last game of 1982. Premiership matches, the last game of the season for the semis. We beat him in the last minute to get into third place and it was fantastic. We were going to make the semis anyway. But if we. West got beaten the day before, we were a point behind them and they were running third and we were running fourth and they got beaten that day by a point and we beat Canterbury in the last minute to get in the third spot, which gave us two shots in the semis.
So if we, you know, had to lose both times to get out to be out of the semis, that's what we did, as it turned out. But still gave us two shots at the.
[00:23:11] Speaker D: Yeah, yeah.
[00:23:13] Speaker E: In the semi final, something was fantastic. The atmosphere and the dressing was just unbelievable, man.
[00:23:18] Speaker B: What's probably your worst memory?
[00:23:21] Speaker E: Worst memory? Yeah. There's plenty of them,
[00:23:25] Speaker B: I think.
[00:23:28] Speaker E: I really didn't enjoy 1987 last year at Norse. Frank Stanton was the coach and he was also the catch on the Kangaroo tour. I went on and we didn't really get along that well and I just, you know, he just didn't want to pick me. And I played most of the year in reserve grade. Yeah. Anyway, that's probably my last year of north is probably the worst year ahead of Northern Metal. It was all great.
[00:23:55] Speaker B: Yeah. Because today I was going through YouTube and going. Trying to go through archives trying to find anything, any videos.
There's not that many videos of the old games.
[00:24:06] Speaker E: Yeah. Because he only had the Sunday night game or the Saturday afternoon game. Yeah.
So the Sunday game would be teams that were in contention or high up in the Premiership. And the Saturday game was whoever played on a Saturday. So that was it through those televised live, I think, at three o' clock in the afternoon on a Saturday.
So, you know, There was only two televised games each week up until probably about 1984 or five or something.
[00:24:34] Speaker B: Yeah. Didn't they have a midweek competition back then as well?
[00:24:38] Speaker E: Big.
[00:24:38] Speaker B: Didn't they have the midweek competition as well?
[00:24:42] Speaker E: Yeah. Amo Cup.
[00:24:43] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:24:43] Speaker E: Yeah, yeah, they did what. Whatever they called it after it was the Amo Cup. I can't remember what it was called after that, but yeah, Amo cup was first seven or eight years.
[00:24:54] Speaker B: Did the players enjoy the Amco Cup?
[00:24:58] Speaker E: Did I.
[00:24:58] Speaker B: Did they. Did the players back then enjoyed the midweek competition?
[00:25:06] Speaker E: We. 1977. 1977, I think. No, 70. 76 got beaten by south in the final. I think North. No, got beaten by Belmain in the final, I think. Yeah, I think it was 76 or maybe 77.
[00:25:20] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:25:21] Speaker E: Other than that we didn't do much good.
[00:25:24] Speaker B: Yeah, because I was. I'm trying to comprehend how you could play two competitions, one in the midweek and one at the end of the week. It would have.
[00:25:32] Speaker E: I really have trouble hearing you, Paul. I'm sorry.
[00:25:34] Speaker B: Oh, can you hear me all right, Johnny?
[00:25:36] Speaker E: Yeah, I can hear, Johnny, but I can't hear you too.
[00:25:41] Speaker B: All right,
[00:25:45] Speaker E: sorry, mate.
[00:25:47] Speaker B: I'll let Johnny ask some questions.
[00:25:50] Speaker D: Oh, that was good. You're. You're really loud then. That was good. That was.
[00:25:53] Speaker E: Yeah, I hear you better now.
[00:25:56] Speaker B: Oh, no.
[00:25:56] Speaker D: Yeah.
Hey, Don, back. Back on the 1982 season, what was different about that season? Because. Because kind of North's had been sort of bubbling lower end of the table, sometimes mid table. And that season just seemed to come out of nowhere.
What was.
[00:26:13] Speaker E: Yeah, we did.
I tell you what, we didn't have a great deal of depth at North Sea. So if we had our best side all the time, we were competitive with anyone.
And in 1982, I think we only used 21 or two players in the whole season in first grade runs, you know, Mark Graham played the whole season, John Adam, John Gray, all our main players, hardly anyone missed many games with injuries. So we played with our main side the whole season and we end up coming third in the premiership and the came third up until the semi finals, we came third and the next year we had the same team, but heaps of injuries. So, you know, you gotta be lucky.
Gotta be lucky with injuries in rugby league to be competitive all the time.
[00:27:06] Speaker D: And that season led. Led you obviously to the Kangaroo tour that we spoke about before, but also New South Wales representative jersey. How was that journey and how was that environment?
[00:27:17] Speaker E: I got picked in the deciding state of origin match at the cricket ground and I probably should have been picked in state of origin before that. That's just my opinion. But anyway, we played against Queensland, the cricket ground. It's 10, 5.
I don't know if you remember or not, but that was the one where Phil Sigsworth passed it to Phil Dukes in the his own end goal and pro Phil Dukes dropped the ball and Wally naturally was there to jump on it. Scored a try. They bet it's 10 5. So it's a good game. I had a good game. It got me on the. It got me on the tour. I think that game I played well that day night and plus I had good form in the Premiership as well. I got the Delian front row of the year award or something like that. So if we made the semi results almost certainly to go on the tour.
[00:28:12] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:28:12] Speaker D: All right.
[00:28:13] Speaker B: I've got to just bring Rosni back in. She's got a little bit of a job to do and we'll get back to the chats in a sec. His rose.
[00:28:21] Speaker C: Thank you, Paul. So I just want to do a quick shout out to some special sponsors we do have.
I want to shout to Jackson Bevin 47 who bought us a buy me a coffee through our QR code.
I think it was last week. So we want to say thank you for that.
We also want to remind you about the fantasy football and the footy tipping. I don't know if it is still open as the season starts on 1 March, but if it is, go ahead and join the fantasy football under the barefax podcast.
Also from last week we asked you to share photos and pictures of you in red and black and we want to say a big thank you to everyone who did last week and you can do that again this week and we will upload them on our next live.
And yeah, that's all the shout outs I have for you and just reminder to follow the socials and I'll head you back to the boys.
[00:29:21] Speaker B: Thanks, Roj.
Yeah, we're back but just letting everyone know too. I've recorded. I'm recording this. So if you're not, what if you're watching it live and it's kept dropping in and out, which it is. I can see it. I don't know what's wrong with the Internet, but yeah, we're recording it and I'll upload it again tomorrow so everyone be able to watch this.
Flicker free.
[00:29:43] Speaker D: Awesome.
Excuse me, Don, you grew up in in a legacy house of North Sydney Bears, obviously your dad, your uncle, your older brothers.
How was that? How was that, mate? That seems like for a lot of us fans that'd be like Candyland, mate. That'd be like Disneyland. So how was it as a young fella?
[00:30:03] Speaker E: Yeah, it was great. I used to get dragged off to the. Well, man was an official in the rugby league as well. New South Wales Rugby League. Is one of the vice presidents or something. And he used to.
Which gave him membership at the cricket ground. So he used to drag me to the match of the day games at say, you know, Norse versus St. George or north versus Balmain at the cricket. At the cricket ground. And after the game, he'd take me into the dressing rooms and introduce me to the players, right? They take me into the St George room and I was eight or nine years old. He would introduce me to Raper and Gaznia and Proven and all those guys and it was fantastic.
I disappointed him when I was. He was hounding me to play football. When I was nine, I said, I'm gonna want to play for Willoughby Rugby. He said, what? I said, no, my mates all five for Willoughby. I want to go play. So he took me up to Willoughby park and he said there I had to go.
He wouldn't go in with me and say, this is my son, Dawn. He wants to play rugby union. He just said, there you go.
Dump me up the ear. So I walked up and saw someone with the red and white jumper on and told them I wanted to play football. And they dragged me off to the appropriate people and signed me up. Nine years old.
Anyway, I scored every time I come home. I'd come home on a Saturday morning, played about 7 o', clock, and dad would be sitting there having breakfast and he'd say, how'd you go? I say, I have one and how'd you tries, your score? None.
That happened about six weeks in a row. And then the seventh week, he said, how'd you go? And I said, we won. He said, how many tries you score? I said, five.
So you found the try line, didn't you?
Anyway, so funny.
[00:31:49] Speaker D: Anyway.
[00:31:49] Speaker E: Yeah, but I always went to North Sydney Oval. I used from, you know, 5, 6, 7, 8. I always went to North Sydney Oval to watch the Bears.
Mum went and my brother Doug played a bit of first grade in the 50s and early 60s.
Uncle Don played with dad one near at north. 1943, the year they made the grand final, actually, and against Newtown. And Max, another brother, played lower grades at Norse as well, so quite well represented at The Bears. The McKinnons.
Dad was a prominent player. He played 10 years, first grade, 1936-45, I think it was. Didn't play first grade till he was 36, 26 years old.
[00:32:31] Speaker D: Dad.
Oh, true.
[00:32:33] Speaker E: Played country football.
Someone spotted him at a park in Neutral Bay somewhere having a game of pick up football and invited him up to try out for the Bears. And I think he played about six lower grades and never played another one for 10 years.
Yep, straight into first
[00:32:52] Speaker B: for more than years. When you were like a child watching your dad play and watching the. Some of the greats play, like you mentioned a couple of seconds ago, right up to now, when do you reckon was the best time to be a spectator to watch the game?
[00:33:07] Speaker E: Well, I think the 80s, 50s and 60s was, was up until about 1966 it was unlimited tackles.
[00:33:20] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:33:22] Speaker E: And St. George mastered that. That's why they've won 11 premierships in a row. And anyway they changed that rule to stop their reign I think. Anyway went to the four tackle rule and the six tackle rule. So you know, probably 70s and 80s and 90s. I retired in 88 and the 90s was great football, you know, Canberra Raiders and the Broncos and were great sights to watch.
But I might be biased, but I think the 80s was great. Yeah, some of the players, Steve Rogers and all those guys are fantastic players.
[00:33:57] Speaker B: Yeah. What was it like playing against teams like Newtown that guys now probably never heard of?
What was it like playing against teams like Newtown and against teams that players or people now probably never heard of?
[00:34:12] Speaker E: Yeah, well, Newtown Henson park was a dump, you know, probably. I went and watched my son play a game of Aussie rules there a few years back and I went into the dressing room to see if they'd spent any money on it since 1984 whenever I was last there and they hadn't.
Yeah, still exactly the same. But no, I used to love playing at Redfern and Pinsford park and all those grounds. Yeah, they were parochial, those parochial. There's bloody spectators, I tell you.
[00:34:41] Speaker B: Yeah.
Before we moved to Campbelltown we used to live up, up on the hill. You know the hill at Henson park you had the grandstand and the hill was just up there.
[00:34:51] Speaker E: That was a messy.
[00:34:52] Speaker B: Yeah, we used to live up just about just past that hill and we used to, because we were like little kids, we used to walk down between the Henson park and the, and the tennis court and when you walk between the two, there's like a footpath there and it's all cemented off. But there used to be these spiky bushes and scrubs along the fence but if you, if you lifted up the, the bush the fence would lift up with it and there was a spot that had a little bit of a dugout. We used to get in under there and steal all the dry ice from behind the stage.
Grandstand.
Yeah. One day we got caught by our grandparents in there. They're watching, I think, Newtown and the Bulldogs playing and. Oh, scared to live in daylights out of us.
[00:35:33] Speaker E: Tell me, what did you want the dry ice for?
[00:35:35] Speaker B: I don't know. I was only little.
[00:35:37] Speaker E: It was not very tasty.
[00:35:41] Speaker B: No, we're only little kids. We just thought it was great stealing all the dry ice.
[00:35:46] Speaker E: The only thing you do now, the Fenton park that had a bigger capacity than the cricket ground, you know. Yeah.
[00:35:54] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:35:55] Speaker E: Because that massive hill, you can fit 70,000 people. Yeah, it's massive.
[00:35:59] Speaker B: What was it like playing at North Sydney? I like North Sydney.
[00:36:02] Speaker E: North Sydney was. I loved playing there, but it was. The surface was dreadful.
It was either hard as a rock or there was a quagmire in the middle.
[00:36:14] Speaker A: But
[00:36:17] Speaker E: you'd walk off the game there and shaking hands with the other players and they say, Jesus, we hate playing here. And I said, you only have to play here once a year, 11 times a year.
Can't feel sorry for that.
But no one liked playing there and no one liked tackling on the cricket pitch.
It wasn't bad route to take through the cricket pitch because Alan was overly keen to tackle it.
What it's like now is just chalk and cheese.
[00:36:49] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:36:49] Speaker E: The surface.
But it was. It was. But the hardest ground was the SCG. The cricket ground not only had about 50 cricket pitches wide, but the whole ground was like concrete because it had to be fast for first class cricket. Test cricket stage cricket had to be fast. So the whole ground was hard as a rock.
[00:37:10] Speaker D: Yeah.
[00:37:10] Speaker E: But it was still. Still great to play then.
[00:37:13] Speaker D: Yeah.
[00:37:14] Speaker B: I hope you can't hear my dog in the background. I got it.
He's. He's licking his paw. He's a typical French bulldog. He just licks.
[00:37:22] Speaker D: We thought that was you, Paul. We thought that was you.
Hey, Don. 99 bears getting kicked out.
How are your. How are your feelings? How are your feelings on those? In those dark days, I guess what we thought would be the end.
[00:37:42] Speaker E: That was filthy. Yeah.
I.
They merger with the.
With, you know, the nrl and then the.
The merger with the NSO Rugby League and.
And NRL was unfair. You know, like they made St George merged with Ilawarra. You know, St George is one of the great club, won 16, 17 premierships. Why didn't they make Canala merge with Illara and, you know, and Canala had the ass out of the pants of all existence. Propped up by the nrl, by the New South Wales Rugby League and as soon as NRL comes along, they jump ship. Right. Since Super League comes along, they jump ship and they get rewarded by standing alone. And they make Western Western Balmain.
[00:38:31] Speaker B: Yep.
[00:38:32] Speaker E: Join. You know, I don't know how it all happened. North and Manly.
[00:38:36] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah.
[00:38:37] Speaker E: Awesome. It was just a bad combination. Yeah.
[00:38:40] Speaker B: I'm still trying to get my head around Western suburbs, which is west and Balmain, which is in the city. How did they manage to get their adjoining areas?
[00:38:50] Speaker E: Yeah, they did. Not exactly. Sarah, Patrick, like Lincoln and like very far apart. Yeah.
[00:38:57] Speaker B: But don't they play like Campbelltown now?
[00:39:00] Speaker E: Yeah, they do now, but it was those days, it was Litcombe like. Yeah. But yeah. Anyway, they're joining junior league, but. Yeah, it's a cruel thing to do, you know, Punished.
[00:39:11] Speaker B: All.
[00:39:11] Speaker E: Most of the foundation clubs and yeah, all the other clubs get the standalone, you know.
[00:39:18] Speaker B: Well, now they're coming back.
[00:39:21] Speaker E: Sad really.
[00:39:22] Speaker B: Now they're coming back.
[00:39:24] Speaker E: Yeah, I know.
[00:39:25] Speaker D: Yes.
[00:39:26] Speaker E: Yes. That'll be good.
[00:39:28] Speaker B: Yeah. How do you feel about that? How did you feel when you watch
[00:39:31] Speaker E: TV and actually have a preference about who wins?
I still watch rugby league but the only games I really care about is state of origin. You know, I'm New South Wales to win state of origin.
[00:39:42] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:39:43] Speaker E: And I like watching.
[00:39:43] Speaker D: Sorry.
[00:39:48] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:39:50] Speaker E: Queensland made state of origin by winning.
[00:39:53] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:39:53] Speaker E: If they had have lost the first state of origin game, it would never have happened again.
[00:39:57] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:39:59] Speaker E: If they lost a second one off State of Origin game in 81, it would never have happened again.
[00:40:03] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:40:04] Speaker E: But they won both of them.
That's what made our state of Origin game three, 1982.
[00:40:12] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:40:13] Speaker E: Yeah.
[00:40:15] Speaker D: Then those bastards can't stop winning.
[00:40:17] Speaker E: I know.
[00:40:18] Speaker D: Good.
[00:40:20] Speaker E: I think it's.
Deep down it means a lot more to Queensland than it does to us.
[00:40:25] Speaker D: Yeah, it does, it does, it does. But it's all relative too. It's all footy. It's all footy too, mate. Yeah.
Yeah.
It meant a lot to the Queenslanders that didn't go for the Broncos. Especially because if you didn't go for the Broncos, say you went for the Early Days Cowboys or the Gold coast team.
Jesus. You're not. You're not looking at many wins, are you? So.
[00:40:53] Speaker E: Yeah, yeah, A lot of Queensland hate the Broncos. But anyway, it's funny, when I didn't get picked in a state of origin team, which was most of the time I used to barrack for Queensland.
Is that wrong?
[00:41:10] Speaker D: Yeah, we got it on record.
[00:41:12] Speaker B: It is. It's wrong. It's just I used to work in Queensland and have to go up There having to put up with all the Queenslanders up there. I just had to wear me and wear me blues jumper and.
[00:41:27] Speaker E: Yeah, yeah.
[00:41:29] Speaker D: We get a bit. We do get a bit feral around. Around origin. So I'll be the first to admit.
That's right.
Come into the TO now and Paul and Paul touched on it. The Bears coming back or being announced, being back.
How did you feel and did you think it was ever going to happen?
[00:41:55] Speaker E: I was confident was it'd happen eventually. Yeah. But get the right circumstance in that. But anyway, a lot of hard work by everyone at North Florimo and all the rest of them to get off the ground and make that connection with Perth. It's, you know, in Perth have been, you know, accommodating, you know.
[00:42:16] Speaker D: Yeah.
[00:42:16] Speaker E: They've gone out of their way to.
To appreciate Norse history and all that sort of stuff. So it's great.
[00:42:24] Speaker B: Yeah. I was involved with their.
A little bit of their fan engagement committee or a forum they had. We got invited there.
John Fielding as well. He went along and one of the things that is a bit of a concern. They don't want people to forget the. The heritage of the Bears.
[00:42:41] Speaker E: Yeah.
[00:42:42] Speaker B: Which is a good thing. It's great.
[00:42:45] Speaker E: Not necessarily successful history, but it's a great history. Been successful in producing a lot of great players over the years and
[00:42:54] Speaker B: great. Greg Flormo mentioned when we spoke to him that.
Yeah. That the North Bears were probably the most successful in turning up for September. Like in the finals. They made more finals than most in the 90s. Yeah. In the most.
[00:43:10] Speaker E: In the 90s.
One of the top sides in the 90s and probably top three or four teams in the 90s.
[00:43:16] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:43:16] Speaker E: Really unlucky not to make three grand final. Yeah. 91, 94, 97. They're so unlucky in those four. Those three playoffs for the grand final, the preliminary finals, whatever. Yeah.
[00:43:28] Speaker D: Even 96. 96 against the Dragons.
96. The Dragons made the grand final and they had like a pretty average team. And Norse, I think, came. They didn't get the minor premiership, but they were up there with Manly and Brisbane the whole year.
[00:43:42] Speaker E: Yeah.
Yeah.
[00:43:44] Speaker B: All right, well, I'm gonna.
I'm gonna bring Rosny back in because she's got a. A little segment that we've got to do.
I just got to make sure I get the right button because here we go. Are you ready, Rosny? Here we go.
[00:44:03] Speaker C: Thanks, Paul.
[00:44:04] Speaker B: Oh, it's not the right button. Hold on a sec.
It's this one. This is the button I had to Press.
[00:44:10] Speaker E: Yep, we got it.
[00:44:11] Speaker B: Finally got it.
It's just a technical nightmare tonight. Apologies to everyone.
[00:44:16] Speaker E: That's right.
[00:44:17] Speaker C: So we like to do a little segment where we do a little quiz and for Todd and Paul, they have to say their name and then answer the question.
[00:44:31] Speaker B: Just go back and forth. Just do one each because of the lag.
[00:44:35] Speaker C: Okay. One each for Johnny. Sorry, Johnny and Paul.
And you can correct them if they're wrong or give us a little bit of a story, depending on what the answer question is.
So let's get started.
First question is to Johnny.
Which club was Don McKinnon most famously associated with during his playing career?
[00:45:03] Speaker D: Well, it's this club, this club behind us. Red and black, I think. I think I even got one of the era of jerseys that. That's the. That's one of the jerseys he would have played in. And there's another one there with.
[00:45:14] Speaker E: That's not a terribly bad question,
[00:45:20] Speaker D: Buddy. If I didn't know that question, I don't deserve to be on the show. I tell you what.
[00:45:26] Speaker C: Perfect. Next one's for Paul.
What was Don McKinnon's well known nickname during his rugby league career?
[00:45:34] Speaker B: We've mentioned it a few times. That's Terror.
[00:45:37] Speaker C: Yeah.
Is there. Did you tell us the story behind that one?
[00:45:42] Speaker E: Only one person ever called me that was Peter. Peter's. My nickname at Norse was Baby Huey.
[00:45:47] Speaker B: Baby.
How did you get Baby Huey?
[00:45:53] Speaker E: Well, I don't know if you might be old enough, but this be a cartoon character called. Baby Huey was a big duck and when the fox came to get the other ducks, Baby Huey used to get hold of him and punch the crap out of him. So anyway, I must have had a fight and Bruce boy called me Baby Huey and everyone called me Huey from that time on. All my Norse mates called me Huey.
[00:46:15] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:46:16] Speaker E: So whatever Bruce will come up with stuck for some reason.
[00:46:22] Speaker C: Next one's for Johnny.
Which position did John McKinnon primarily play?
[00:46:28] Speaker E: It was entirely.
[00:46:31] Speaker D: Yeah, he was in. It was in a barnstorming prop.
[00:46:35] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:46:36] Speaker E: Not primarily entirely.
[00:46:38] Speaker D: Yeah. Yeah. But I reckon if you played in today's era, you'd probably get a sniffer at the new age lock as well because you had a bit of ball playing to you, which people don't, don't ever bring up. But you could play. You could, you, you could shimmy out the line. You had a bit of a step as well and yeah, a bit of
[00:46:56] Speaker E: pace a little quicker than the average front row forward, which isn't that quick, I must admit. But yeah.
[00:47:04] Speaker C: Next one in which year did Don McKinnon famously urinate on the field during a match for Manly?
[00:47:15] Speaker B: Yeah, that was. Yeah, that. Those that you didn't exist. But if it did, it was 1988.
[00:47:23] Speaker C: Yeah,
[00:47:28] Speaker B: Broncos, wasn't it?
[00:47:30] Speaker D: It was the first Broncos game ever
[00:47:34] Speaker E: televised live in Sydney and Brisbane.
[00:47:36] Speaker B: Unfortunately, I heard they, they cut that bit of grass out and they rang it out and turned it into 4X.
[00:47:45] Speaker E: That's right.
I didn't know a man who on his last week at that stage, he said, he's done over a week.
Mum said, yes, I think he is watching it live.
[00:48:03] Speaker C: Oh, this one was already answered earlier in the interview, so we'll skip that one.
Johnny. Don McKinnon came from a strong rugby league family. Which relative of his also played for the North Se. Sydney Bears?
[00:48:20] Speaker D: All of them.
Just the whole, the whole lineage. The whole lineage. We can go back to.
We can go back to the Cambridge England team where your descendants come from, Don. And they probably played for some sort of Sydney Bears.
[00:48:38] Speaker E: Scotland.
[00:48:38] Speaker D: Good place actually. Yeah. Actually, that would, that would explain the ferocity. Oh, Sky.
[00:48:46] Speaker C: All right, Paul, next question's for you.
[00:48:49] Speaker E: Before Harry was myself.
[00:48:52] Speaker C: Oh.
Oh, yeah, sorry.
[00:48:54] Speaker E: Go on.
[00:48:55] Speaker C: That's all right. So, Paul, before joining Manly, which club did.
[00:49:01] Speaker B: North Sydney.
[00:49:02] Speaker C: Okay.
[00:49:02] Speaker B: Yeah, that's why he's here. That's why he's here. These questions, whoever come up with these questions, I won't, I won't say who it was, but they're pretty simple.
[00:49:10] Speaker C: It's a bit, bit easy. Okay, last one for Johnny.
Don McKinnon's playing style made him a fan favorite. What was one reason Bear supporters loved him?
[00:49:23] Speaker D: Oh, I can give you the reason as a fan that, that I love them and that's just because he was rugby league. He played ferocious hard line rugby league.
And yeah, he, he. Don's style resonates. It doesn't matter if it was in 1908 or in 2028, that style of footy will always be applicable to whatever era of rugby league is played. My opinion,
[00:50:00] Speaker B: Did you have any, do you have any questions? Rosie, do you want to stick around for some questions?
[00:50:04] Speaker C: Yeah, I, I've got a question, Don. What do you think of the players now in the, in the rugby, such as Nathan Cleary, Reese Walsh, all those players, what's your opinion on them?
Do you think they've two pretty good.
[00:50:18] Speaker E: You've named two pretty good ones there.
Nathan Clear is a great place. If he's not, he's very close to, you know, one of the best halfbacks ever. He's Andrew John sort of player.
He's, you know, he's big. He's a good defender like Andrew was and.
And Reese Walsh is unbelievable the way he finished the season last year.
[00:50:39] Speaker C: I'm a supporter at the moment so I was very happy with his play.
[00:50:44] Speaker E: Yeah, he was fabulous in the semi finals. Yeah, he's a great player.
Those players would be great players in any era.
[00:50:53] Speaker B: Yeah, I've rugged the league now. After rugby league you had a different career.
[00:50:59] Speaker E: You were a policeman during rugby league too?
[00:51:03] Speaker B: Oh, during.
Yeah.
[00:51:05] Speaker E: That was a cop the whole time I was in. I played football there.
[00:51:08] Speaker B: All right. Did you.
[00:51:09] Speaker E: Football wasn't.
[00:51:10] Speaker B: Did you ever arrest any players?
[00:51:13] Speaker E: No, I didn't arrest many people at all, but not unless I really deserved it.
Yeah, no, I didn't know because we've
[00:51:24] Speaker B: got no scandal, no scandals. You could have arrested people, arrested players so they couldn't play on the weekend.
[00:51:32] Speaker E: Yeah, that's a good idea.
[00:51:34] Speaker B: Yeah.
Yeah.
[00:51:36] Speaker E: Probably. Probably end up going to jail myself.
[00:51:39] Speaker B: Yeah. Because we got.
We found some comments.
A fellow copper, John Olson wrote. I remember Donnie McKinnon.
I remember him as my colleague and friend at Phillips street police station. Yes, he was a gentleman.
And if you had to go to a pub brawl and Donnie was with you, the size of him and the brawl would. The brawl would stop and both combatants would immediately sober up and go home.
[00:52:07] Speaker E: He's making that up.
[00:52:10] Speaker B: And then Ken. Ken Vesey. Don is a great person, a true blues, true blue Bears man. A great supporter of the northern Sydney family of league on the Northern Beaches.
[00:52:21] Speaker E: Very nice man.
[00:52:23] Speaker B: And Eric G.R. said of you, the brilliant Parramatta winger Eric Groth. Great bloke, great player, great tourist.
[00:52:32] Speaker E: He would say that. We had a great time with that too.
[00:52:35] Speaker B: Yeah,
[00:52:38] Speaker E: fantastic. Bl.
[00:52:39] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, it's.
[00:52:41] Speaker E: And he was a very, very good player coaching.
[00:52:47] Speaker D: Yeah. I mean some of some of the best footy players and cops, Wayne Bennett's and Melvin Ingis for example turn out to be great coaches.
[00:52:57] Speaker E: No, I never did.
I.
I don't know. When I finished playing football, I think I was more concentrating on.
I got married and had a couple of kids and stuff like that. I never really thought about coaching.
[00:53:15] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:53:16] Speaker E: For not particular reason, but never really appealed to me that much. Plus no one ever offered it to me either. So.
[00:53:21] Speaker B: Yeah. Did any of the kids ever want to try playing rugby league?
[00:53:26] Speaker E: One's a daughter.
I'm with her now actually. My grandson and her partner.
Yeah. My son Dallas is about 6 foot 7 and about 120 kilos and he's played every sport known to man.
Soccer, rugby, rugby league, Aussie rules.
He went pretty good at Aussie rules. I won a few comps in the subby sub districts and that.
[00:53:51] Speaker D: Yeah.
[00:53:52] Speaker E: But yeah, I've only got those two kids.
[00:53:56] Speaker B: Yeah. No, yeah. Because normally would have been good to have a.
Another, another generation come through.
Yeah.
[00:54:06] Speaker E: Well my grandson, he's nine months old and he must weigh about 20 kilos. He's a monster.
[00:54:13] Speaker B: Yeah.
Yeah. So you can get into coaching now. You can coach him, get him ready.
[00:54:19] Speaker E: That's right.
[00:54:20] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:54:21] Speaker E: I don't think they want him to play football.
[00:54:25] Speaker B: A lot of money to be made in it nowadays.
[00:54:27] Speaker E: Yeah, I know. He's only nine months old. Mates a bit early in the piece to start worrying about that.
[00:54:33] Speaker B: So back in the day you have to work and play at the same time.
[00:54:37] Speaker D: Yeah.
[00:54:38] Speaker E: It wasn't full time professional until that was one. Probably the only good thing about Super League was that players end up getting the money they deserve. You know like getting paid a lot more money and just through the competition of the Super League and then, and then and the New South Wales Rugby League competing for players, you know, contracts tripled and quadrupled in a year. You know guys are getting 30,000, were getting 150 and stuff like that.
[00:55:08] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:55:09] Speaker E: Any which was. That was good because the players should get the bulk of what the money the game generates.
[00:55:17] Speaker B: Yeah.
Because going back when you go back to when rugby league broke away from rugby union, that was one of the reasons why.
[00:55:28] Speaker E: Injury or whatever, they, they didn't get paid.
No. When I played it was.
Wasn't full time professional. Even every most, you know, most people had a job up until Super League come along. Yeah.
[00:55:44] Speaker B: Yeah. So you train Tuesday nights, Thursday nights,
[00:55:48] Speaker E: play the midweek play on the weekend.
[00:55:51] Speaker B: Yep.
[00:55:52] Speaker E: I've worked in the cops and, and during, during the football season they'd have me doing warrants and summonses which was a Monday to Friday job.
[00:56:01] Speaker B: Yep.
[00:56:01] Speaker E: Go and knock on people's doors and demand money for their unpaid parking fines or something. But.
Yep. Anyway.
Yeah. So most 90, 99% of football. Seven other jobs, if you could.
George Paponis was a doctor.
[00:56:20] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah.
[00:56:21] Speaker D: Y.
[00:56:22] Speaker E: Still is.
[00:56:24] Speaker B: He played for the Bulldogs, didn't he?
[00:56:26] Speaker E: He did. Long time. Yeah.
What do you think, John Adam? I played with the north solicitor.
[00:56:33] Speaker B: Yep.
What do you think of the scrum? When now they've changed the scrum.
[00:56:38] Speaker E: I don't know what they bother with it. Yeah. They just should.
I don't even understand how if it's an Uncontested scrum.
So every now and then that still happens. The mob who aren't putting the ball in push the other mob off the ball and win it against the feed. And for some insane reason the referee lets it go.
They're uncontested scrums.
[00:57:01] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:57:01] Speaker E: It means that just putting the ball in, there's no contest. They have to win it. Yeah.
Some reason the referees ignore that rule sometimes.
[00:57:10] Speaker B: Should we bring back the scrums the way they used to be?
[00:57:14] Speaker E: I don't think it'll happen now. But one thing about scrums are exhausting because you're competing, you know, and especially in a game of if it was a wet weather and a lot of drop ball and you'll scrum every couple of minutes there's a scrum.
[00:57:29] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:57:29] Speaker E: You know, pretty, you know, wrestling with guys and stuff like that to try and get superiority in the scrum, it was definitely an exhausting thing.
[00:57:37] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:57:38] Speaker E: Not so much now though.
But it's really.
I'm happy from the Leave it is leave it as it is because it gets 12 people out of play. It makes the game a bit more open for that particular. Yeah. Moment of the game. So, you know, most teams I think should use that opportunity to try and, you know, open the game up. Bit scoring opportunity, you know.
[00:58:00] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:58:00] Speaker E: Because you got six guys out of the way stuck in a scrum somewhere.
[00:58:05] Speaker B: Yep. One on one for the wingers and the centers.
[00:58:08] Speaker E: Yeah, that's right. Yeah, they do if the widow, don't they?
Yep. Yeah. Clear out pen.
Yeah.
[00:58:18] Speaker B: Particular player we would have normally put a lot of shout outs from the people. Normally we get comments from the crowd that would bring up on the screen and get you to answer and things. But unfortunately it's just not happened for us tonight. The Internet has just not not performed the way it should have.
So it's a pity that. Yeah. Because I'm pretty sure we would have had lots and lots and lots of questions. I know, I know there was a few people really interested in getting online and watching tonight. So hopefully they'll be able to tune in tomorrow and watch us.
[00:58:57] Speaker D: And Don, I got one. One final thing, mate.
What is the Bears DNA? And if you had to explain the Bears DNA to a brand new fan from Western Australia that's going to pick up the Perth Bears, what would you tell them?
[00:59:16] Speaker E: I just think the tradition of the club, the foundation club, the great players that they've churned out over the years, you know, Norse haven't won a lot of premises, but they've always been a competitive club and particularly in the 90s, just the fact that they're a foundation club.
You know, rugby league wouldn't be the same without a bear side somewhere. So I just think that it's going to be a great combination of Perth and the Bears. I think it'll work well.
[00:59:51] Speaker B: Will we see you coming over to wa?
[00:59:54] Speaker C: I was just going to ask that.
[00:59:56] Speaker E: Yeah, I know, mate. If someone will fly me over there, I'll come over. Don't worry about that.
I imagine. I don't know if this will have it or not, but I'm a life member of Norse and there's, you know, probably 30 or 40 life members I would imagine may not happen that they would fly us over there for the first game.
[01:00:17] Speaker B: Yep.
[01:00:18] Speaker E: The North Spears would. Yeah. See what happened.
[01:00:21] Speaker B: Wasn't Greg promoting that? Fly with flow.
[01:00:25] Speaker E: Fly with flows back. But anyway, they'll be playing at Sydney games. Seven or eight Sydney games each year. So try and get the most of those, I'd say. Yeah.
[01:00:38] Speaker B: Well, thank you very much for joining us.
[01:00:41] Speaker C: Yes. Thank you for taking time and joining us.
[01:00:45] Speaker E: No worries at all. Enjoyed it.
[01:00:47] Speaker B: Thank you.
[01:00:50] Speaker E: Yeah. See you guys.
[01:00:51] Speaker D: Thank you.
Have a good one, buddy. Thank you, mate.
[01:00:54] Speaker B: Take care. Thanks. Bye.
[01:00:56] Speaker E: See you.
[01:01:00] Speaker A: It.
