John Grant on Peter Beattie’s Cronulla confusion, Billy Slater’s fitness insights and AFLW star Jodie Hicks aims for rare double
SPORT CONFIDENTIAL I: John Grant has his say on successor Peter Beattie’s Cronulla confusion, Billy Slater’s fitness insights and AFLW star Jodie Hicks aims for rare double.
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JOHN Grant knows what it is like to make a gaffe, especially one involving the Cronulla Sharks.
And from one chairman to another, Grant has lent his support to the man who replaced him last month, Peter Beattie.
Grant had to live with referring to the Cronulla Hawks and Manly Seagulls while announcing the Kangaroos team in 2014.
In a bizarre similarity, Beattie apologised for his “brain fade” when he couldn’t identify the nickname of Cronulla, despite Phil Gould giving him the options of the Hawks, Seagulls or Sharks during an interview on Monday.
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“If we’re going to sabotage people because they are going to make mistakes we aren’t going anywhere,” Grant told Sport Confidential.
“My comfort to him is we all make mistakes. Some of them are insignificant, some of them are significant.
“He should move on from it very quickly and everyone should allow him to move on from it quickly. He is going to be a very good chair.
“He has demonstrated his greatest skill, which is getting people around the table. That will pay off in spades.
“People need to focus on what he brings. Look at players, coaches and administrations, they all make mistakes.”
Former chief executive Dave Smith also failed to get over his slip of the tongue when he referred to Ben Barba as “Benji Barba”.
Recalling his own gaffe, Grant said his mind was elsewhere when he was reading out the Australian team.
“Instead of reading what was in front of me, I let my mind wander,” Grant said.
CHANNEL 9 had five hours to prevent Beattie looking like a goose, but elected not to.
Gould’s “Cronulla Hawks’’ question was filmed around 5pm that evening. The program didn’t air until 10pm.
Beattie had to shoot off to Sky News to film a weekly political segment with another former Queensland Premier, Campbell Newman, before he appeared on Fox Sports’ Bill And Boz.
Gould penned a stack of his own questions and thought the opener was about as easy as they come.
Some in the Beattie camp thought Nine might have yelled “cut’’ and started again.
JODIE CHASING A RARE DOUBLE
HER body may be due for a rest but one of Australia’s premier athletes, Jodie Hicks, is not ready for a break yet.
Hicks is preparing for Friday night’s must-win AFLW game for GWS against Brisbane, with a spot in the grand final on the line.
It comes just months after she was part of the Sydney Sixers’ Women’s Big Bash League-winning team. She trained simultaneously for both sports, which included a hectic finish with the Sixers.
“The body is good,” the 21-year-old said. “I have niggles but I haven’t come across any injuries. There is a bit of fatigue when I was training for both but it is fun and it keeps your mind fresh.
“Your body does change depending on sport you play which I’ve noticed. Not too much just a little bit.
“I want to play both and do it for as long as I can. Until hopefully I don’t have to choose yet.”
Hicks is channelling Sixers teammate and housemate Ellyse Perry, who has combined soccer and cricket successfully at the top level.
“She noticed I was pretty run down,” Hicks said. “She’s a pretty good mentor and knows what she is doing.”
After dropping their first two games of the season, the Giants have rebounded to keep their season alive. GWS — featuring Hicks — play Brisbane at Blacktown International Sportspark at 705pm tonight for a spot in the grand final. Entry is free.
SLATER’S FITNESS INSIGHT
NOT many rugby league players can still get their shirt off and grace the cover of a magazine as they prepare to play their 300th NRL game.
Billy Slater still looks the goods as he strips off for the April issue of Men’s Fitness.
Slater, who turns 35 this year and brings up his milestone game on Saturday night against the Wests Tigers, sheds no light on playing beyond this season, but provides a wonderful insight into his fitness regimen and how “being selfless is a non negotiable’’ at the Storm.
Since he first started his wonderful career, Slater said his game-day diet was one thing that had definitely changed.
“I like to feel ‘light’ before a game,’’ Slater tells the magazine.
“Ten years ago everything was carbohydrates, pasta loading. Now it’s about high fats like avocados, nuts and bacon.’’
Slater quipped the Storm players had been spared gruelling sandhills during the summer, but only because coach Craig Bellamy “hasn’t found any’’ yet.
Men’s Fitness is out now.