GYM KEY TO CAREER

Q AI always loved my footy and being around the game and then I found the gym. I loved it. We used to steal the key to the Brothers gym as a kid. My mum was the treasurer of the club and we lived just around the corner. In the school holidays we would come down here and I would always try to get my mates to join.

Q AWhat was the spur for yourself to work in this field? How did you get into the strength and conditioning work?

I went to university to become a teacher but did not like it and the way we were being educated. Then they started the sports science degree and I liked the sound of that at JCU. I always wanted to work with kids and help get young athletes better, especially up here. I wanted to work with kids that were overweight or struggling to have a place to train. But, as I was coming out, my missus got pregnant and I needed to step up my work stuff and less study. Then the Northern Pride came about. Tell me about your time with the Northern Pride? Andrew Dunemann was the coach early days, he was really smart, tough, he worked them hard. Dunemann was on the ball. We ended up third in 2008 the first year and I think we would have won it all if Chris Sheppard did not get hurt in the first semi-final. My missus did not want me to take the role with the Taipans at first with the money on offer. Sheppard was the CEO of the Pride and they spoke about me doing both jobs at once and split my time between the two. They could not agree on it though. I still did both but they could not come to a joint agreement.

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