The Heart of it: A distinctly Tasmanian conversation

Jamie Cox

With more than 18-thousand first-class runs, former Tasmanian captain Jamie Cox is a revered figure in cricket and widely considered as desperately unlucky to have never played in Tests for Australia. What is less known about the Wynyard product, is that he was once an Essendon footballer – despite being completely oblivious to the fact. In 1987, a young Cox was drafted by the Bombers, initially without his knowledge, but he was too focused on his blossoming cricket career to take the club’s offer seriously. It’s something, to this day, he still regrets. But Cox did get his taste of the AFL becoming a senior administrator at St. Kilda and was a significant figure in the club’s entry into the AFLW. This followed a management stint at the South Australian Cricket Association, where he witnessed the board-table brawls over the return of football to Adelaide Oval and the controversial stadium redevelopment.

Andy Bennett

Andy Bennett is proof you don’t need to be born in Tasmania to become a Tasmanian – a very passionate Tasmanian.  Originally from Broken Hill, Bennett was very late to football but quickly rose to prominence representing the revered South Australian state team in the late 1970’s. After stints with Hawthorn and St. Kilda in the VFL, which included a near-death encounter with the fearsome Tony Lockett, Bennett made the lifechanging decision to move south for a coaching opportunity with Sandy Bay. He fell in love with Tasmania and would ultimately lead the state representative side to famous wins over South Australia, Western Australia and Victoria during a remarkable period of success for Tassie footy.

Ian Stewart

One of only four players in the history of the game to win three Brownlow Medals, Ian Stewart describes the harsh environment that gave rise to his immense football talents. Stewart spent his early years on Tasmania’s rugged west coast, but his childhood was most shaped by his experiences living alongside orphaned migrant children at the Hobart welfare institution, Boys’ Town. Football was to become his salvation, as a teenage Stewart rose to prominence at the Hobart Football Club before an audacious move to Melbourne and the big time of the VFL. 

Ian Callinan

There is no better example of the importance of the state’s AFL license to young Tasmanians than the story of Ian Callinan.
A star junior, the Rokeby product was the epitome of the natural footballer – highly skilled on both left and right foot and with an uncanny sense of where the goals were.
But despite a glittering football resume, Callinan’s dream of being drafted to the AFL was a cruel tale of continual rejection.
It took a move away from Tasmania to deliver a belated chance at the highest level and he took it with both hands.
Now back home living in Hobart, Callinan has overcome a fresh challenge, having suffered a stroke at the age of 37.

Darrin Pritchard

One of the AFL’s finest wingmen during the 80’s and 90’s Darrin Pritchard played in three premierships with Hawthorn, the club he barracked for as a child. In this episode, Pritchard details how he had initially hoped to play for Fitzroy. He also reflects on his childhood growing up at Mount Nelson, the guidance of Chris Fagan and Andy Bennett at the Sandy Bay Football Club and captaining Tasmania in one of its most famous triumphs.

Jess Wuetschner

From a near death experience to an AFLW premiership, the career of Tasmania Devils girls’ head coach Jess Wuetschner has been truly remarkable. In this episode, Wuetschner details the circumstances around her brush with death and the crippling aftereffects. The women’s football trail blazer also reflects on her involvement in the AFLW revolution and her new role guiding the next generation of Tasmanian players.

Max Brown

One of Tasmanian football’s sharpest minds Max Brown discusses his journey from premiership-winning forward to highly decorated coach. Affectionately known as ‘The Fox,’ Brown’s involvement in senior football on the north west coast spans five decades. In this episode, he reflects on the bitter rivalries that existed between towns in what was a fertile breeding ground for football champions. 

Peter Gutwein

The state of Tasmania is well known for its football champions, in this episode a true champion of Tasmanian football’s quest to join the AFL, former premier Peter Gutwein, discusses the strongarm tactics he used to help deliver the coveted 19th license. Gutwein also shares his own extraordinary football story, which began as a kid at Myrtle Park, saw him represent Tasmania and play senior NTFA football at the age of 15. By his own admission, talented but temperamental, Gutwein once needed the help of Queen Elizabeth to resume his football career with East Launceston. He ultimately went on to play with Swan Districts in the WAFL during the emergence of the West Coast Eagles. 

Peter Hudson

With 727 goals in only 129 VFL games at an average of 5.64, the extraordinary goal kicking feats of Australian Football Hall of Fame legend Peter Hudson will never be surpassed. In this episode, the champion full-forward reflects on his early years growing up behind the Boyer Oval in New Norfolk and his cherished memories of playing in a senior premiership with his father as a 15-year old. From kicking 18 goals in a game against Hobart and not receiving the three votes, to traveling by Helicopter to play with Hawthorn and scarcely remembering a moment of his only VFL premiership, Peter Hudson’s story is truly the stuff of legend. 

Mia King

Launceston's Mia King reflects on her journey from talented teenage gymnast to emerging star of the AFLW. With a family history that bears the scars of the stolen generation, King opens up on her indigenous heritage and the challenges that have accompanied it. She also touches on the disappointment of losing last season's AFLW Grand Final, her love for Tasmania and the family's shack on the state's east coast.