The Help Side Podcast

Looking for a quality hockey and sport podcast? Check out ‘The Help Side’, an outstanding podcast hosted by Kookaburras forward Tom Craig.

Simply, The Help Side features Tom speaking to some of the most recognisable names in world hockey.

The thought of a podcast that provides a rare insight into the minds and journeys of some of hockey’s elite and best known players and characters had been on Tom’s radar for some time.

Then when COVID-19 hit, forcing the 2020 FIH Pro League and Olympics to be postponed, it provided the ideal opportunity for him to delve in and launch into it.

Tom has already released 12 episodes of The Help Side and his guest list is already full of five-star hockey talent including triple Olympic gold medallist Rechelle Hawkes, dual FIH Women’s World Player of the Year Eva de Goede, current Kookaburras co-captain Aran Zalewski and 2019 FIH Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year Rachael Lynch to name but a few.

If you are yet to catch any of the previous episodes never fear, all of Tom’s guests and an overview on each podcast is below – the are all well worth a listen.

Make sure to follow The Help Side social media channels and subscribe to the podcast to stay across whenever another edition is online.

The Help Side Podcast
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Episode 1 (Jeremy Hayward)
Jeremy Hayward has been one of the mainstays in the line up of the Australian men's field hockey team, the Kookaburras, over the past five years, winning gold medals at the World Cup and Commonwealth Games. But it hasn’t all been plain sailing. In this episode, he talks about the challenges of relocating to Perth as an 18-year-old, the disappointment of the 2016 Olympic campaign as well as what it’s like to live with a partner who is also an elite hockey player. Spotify: bit.ly/TheHelpSide Apple Podcasts: bit.ly/The_Help_Side

Episode 2 (Matthew Swann)
Matthew Swann or Swanny as he’s affectionately known, is one of the most popular players not just in the Kookaburras squad but in the sport! He’s a two time Olympian, a dual World Cup gold medallist and a qualified accountant. The energiser bunny of the Australian team, he can be carrying the ball into the attacking circle at one end and in a matter of seconds, inexplicably be making a goal-saving tackle at the other. Swanny’s skill, speed and elite level of fitness has made him one of the most dominant outside halves of the decade.

This interview follows Swanny’s journey from central Queensland where he grew up, to Brisbane then Perth in pursuit of his hockey dreams, and ultimately to the pinnacle of hockey at the London and Rio Olympics - and he’s not done yet. Spotify: bit.ly/TheHelpSide Apple Podcasts: bit.ly/The_Help_Side

Episode 3 (Aran Zalewski)
Aran Zalewski or Moose as he’s more commonly known is the co-captain of the Australian men’s hockey team and a proud West Australian. Hailing from the famous Margaret River region, Moose is one of the premier players in world hockey and was nominated for the FIH World Player of the Year award in 2019 - an impressive accolade to add to his gold medals at the World Cup and Commonwealth Games. He is the general of the national team - a big, strong defensive midfielder who calls the shots for the Kookaburras in both attack and defence.

In this interview, Tom and Aran talk about leadership, the professionalism required to make it to the top in elite sport, and the insatiable quest for self-improvement that has made Aran the world-class player he is today. As you’ll hear there are two sides to Aran - the determined, ultra-competitive elite athlete - and the chilled, laid back surfer dude - a juxtaposition that makes him a fascinating guy to chat to. Spotify: bit.ly/TheHelpSide Apple Podcasts: bit.ly/The_Help_Side

Episode 4 (Katrina Powell)
Katrina Powell is a bona fide legend of Australian Hockey. A key member of the all-conquering Hockeyroos team of the 1990s and early 2000s, Triny went to three consecutive Olympic Games and achieved every hockey player’s dream, not once but twice, winning gold medals at both the Atlanta and Sydney Games. A prolific goal scorer, Triny found the back of the net an impressive 141 times for the Hockeyroos across a career spanning the best part of a decade. Post her playing career Triny is continuing to score goals as a coach.

In this interview, she reflects on what was a golden era of Australian hockey to understand the ingredients that made the Hockeyroos so dominant but also delves into why that dominance ended. She talks about the challenges of transitioning from an athlete to a coach and also her take on how the sport can do better to support women to become more involved in coaching. As someone who has dedicated their life to hockey, Triny has amazing insight into what it takes to succeed. Spotify: bit.ly/TheHelpSide Apple Podcasts: bit.ly/The_Help_Side

Episode 5 (Rachael Lynch)
Nurse, business owner, mental health ambassador, Australian hockey player, shoot-out beast and FIH World Goalkeeper of the Year. These are just some of the ways to describe star goalkeeper Rachael Lynch. After debuting in 2006, Rach has played a whopping 223 games for the Hockeyroos, a statistic that includes appearances at three World Cups, five Champions Trophies, three Commonwealth Games and the Rio Olympic Games. Playing in arguably the most competitive position on the field, Lynchy provides a goalkeeper’s take on competing at the highest level, and all that entails.

With 14 years of experience, Rach has seen almost all there is to see over her stellar career with the Hockeyroos. From the ordeal of missing two Olympic selections to being crowned World Goalkeeper of the Year, you’ll find Rach has learned an incredible amount over her journey that started with a 12-year-old basketball-playing tomboy from Melbourne. Rach shares those lessons in a very candid manner, along with some of her goalkeeping secrets to being the best in the world. Spotify: bit.ly/TheHelpSide Apple Podcasts: bit.ly/The_Help_Side

Episode 6 (Adam Dixon)
Part A
Adam Dixon is the current captain of the Great Britain men’s hockey team and is one of the most highly respected players in world hockey having represented England and GB on more than 250 occasions. Adam is an Olympian, dual Commonwealth Games medallist, European Championships Gold medallist, Hockey India League champion, and above all else he is a ripping bloke. Tom and Adam cover plenty of ground in this interview - so much so that it had to be split into two episodes.

In this episode, Adam gives us an insight into the GB high performance set up and the challenges of the lockdown - including how he was forced into early isolation with suspected coronavirus symptoms. He talks about the current state of the game in the UK - a country where hockey is enjoying a bit of a renaissance following the London Olympics and the gold medal success of the GB women at the Rio games. Adam is open, thoughtful and has some interesting perspectives on where the game needs to head to break into the mainstream. Spotify: bit.ly/TheHelpSide Apple Podcasts: bit.ly/The_Help_Side

Part B
In this episode, Adam shares his journey as an international hockey player - from winning gold at his first international tournament to missing selection at his home Olympics in London through to getting his chance to shine at Rio and now being on the verge of leading his country to the Tokyo games as captain. Spotify: bit.ly/TheHelpSide Apple Podcasts: bit.ly/The_Help_Side

Episode 7 (Michael McCann)
As one of only 16 Kookaburras to have won an Olympic gold medal, Michael McCann can rightly be considered one of the greats of Australian hockey. From his aunty giving him 10 cents a goal as a kid running around Bankstown in Sydney’s west, to playing in the pressure cooker of Olympic and World Cup finals, and now coaching at the elite level in Germany, Mick has done just about everything there is to do in the sport.

Mick’s insight, humour and unbridled love of hockey shines through in this interview and you will come to appreciate why Mick believes “hockey is in his blood". He takes us behind the scenes of the famous Athens gold medal-winning class of 2004 with some cracking stories that you won’t want to miss. The interview concludes where Mick reflects on the culture shock of starting out as a coach in Germany, a nation where things are done a bit differently from the way we do things in Australia. Spotify: bit.ly/TheHelpSide Apple Podcasts: bit.ly/The_Help_Side

Episode 8 (Ashley Morrison)
For hockey fans down under, Ashley Morrison can reasonably be considered the voice of hockey. With 32 years in media across 37 different countries, Ashley is the world’s premier hockey broadcaster with a level of insight and attention to detail that is second to none. He’s a commentator, journalist, writer, award-winning documentary maker, and as anyone that knows him will tell you - a fierce ambassador for sports like hockey that maybe don’t get the recognition in the mainstream media that they deserve. If you haven’t listened to his podcast, search for Not the Footy Show on any podcasting platform, it is a cracking sports show.

Ash is a man with a passion for both the history and the human side of sport and in this podcast we talk about his journey as a sports journalist - a path that has taken him to all corners of the globe - and we tackle some of the big issues facing hockey as a sport from TV coverage and the Pro League, to the domestic and international calendar, through to grassroots hockey and the current state of the game. Spotify: bit.ly/TheHelpSide Apple Podcasts: bit.ly/The_Help_Side

Episode 9 (Rechelle Hawkes)
When it comes to champions of hockey they don’t get any bigger than Rechelle Hawkes. Winner of an incredible three Olympic and two World Cup gold medals, Rechelle was the captain of the all-conquering Hockeyroos during the 1990s, an era where they swept all before them to become one of the greatest teams of all time, not just in hockey but across any sport. In 2000 Rechelle joined Dawn Fraser as one of only two Australian women to win gold at three separate Olympic Games and in 2018 she was made a member of the Order of Australia for significant services to hockey as a player, captain, role model and commentator.

From growing up in Western Australia to reading the Athlete’s oath at the Sydney Olympics, Rechelle’s story is one of resilience, determination and extreme dedication that saw her reach a standard of achievement that quite frankly may never be seen again in our sport. Spotify: bit.ly/TheHelpSide Apple Podcasts: bit.ly/The_Help_Side

Episode 10 (Eva de Goede)
Part A
Back-to-back reigning FIH Women’s Player of the Year, Eva de Goede, joined Tom for a two-part special. Few teams have dominated a sport to the extent that the Dutch national team have dominated the women’s game since their Olympic Gold in 2008 and Eva has been there for every major moment along the way. A two-time FIH World Player of the Year, Eva has arguably the most impressive hockey resume of any current hockey player. Boasting over 230 internationals, Eva has incredibly lost only two games across three World Cups and three Olympics in her career.

In this episode, she discusses what it is that makes the Dutch so successful, and what it feels like to be part of that team. She also provides some of her most memorable hockey moments, of which there are many. In typical Dutch fashion, Eva is incredibly forthright about her experiences at the top and as you can imagine has some wonderful lessons to share as she’s progressed from the fresh-faced 17-year-old debutant from a little town in the Netherlands to the captain of the world’s best team.

Part B
In this episode, Eva touches on her learnings from taking a year away from the sport. The results of that break were remarkable with de Goede being crowned the FIH Women's Player of the Year twice after her return. Talk about a good sabbatical. Spotify: bit.ly/TheHelpSide Apple Podcasts: bit.ly/The_Help_Side

Episode 11 (Flynn Ogilvie)
Part A
Flynn Ogilvie burst onto the international hockey scene in 2014 and has since mesmerised defenders and spectators alike with his skill and speed. Hailing from Wollongong on the NSW South Coast, Flynn has been through a lot on his journey to 109 games for the Kookaburras, a tally that includes a Commonwealth Games Gold and a berth at a World Cup, both in 2018.

In this episode, Flynn talks about what it’s like to grow up in a family with six siblings who all play hockey. He then touches on his journey from playing juniors in the Gong to a whirlwind move to Perth in order to vie for a spot at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, including discussing the things he learnt in overcoming a serious injury that put him out for the better part of a year. Flynn is a ripping lad and speaks openly about the highs and lows of living in a high-performance environment. Spotify: bit.ly/TheHelpSide Apple Podcasts: bit.ly/The_Help_Side

Part B
Learning to play a new position is tough at any level, let alone having to do it on the international stage with the Kookaburras. Flynn Ogilvie talks through his transition from midfielder to striker and much more in Part B of his interview. Spotify: bit.ly/TheHelpSide Apple Podcasts: bit.ly/The_Help_Side

Episode 12 (Kieran Govers)
The man they call the Tattooed Titan, Kieran Govers. After bursting on to the scene for the Kookaburras as a youngster at the 2010 World Cup, Kieran quickly became one of the most popular players in world hockey and made a name for himself as a lethal striker and walking highlight reel, with some of the most unforgettable goals scored on the world stage. Kieran’s story is by no means a smooth one, and the resilience Kieran has shown throughout his career is something truly inspiring.

Tom and Kieran sat down after a game of golf in the change rooms of Sutherland Hockey Club and chatted about the highs and lows of his career. Being one of the great Sydney clubs, you’ll hear a bunch of excited kids in the background at times, eager to get back to training and there’ll be an intrusion or two, but to be honest, it was kind of fitting. Kieran is one of the true servants of hockey, and despite it being really quite a cruel game to him at times, his love and passion for the game and its development remains quite incredible. Spotify: bit.ly/TheHelpSide Apple Podcasts: bit.ly/The_Help_Side