WAFL SERIES EP #3 JONATHON MARSH

Peter Menaglio is a name that is synonymous with the West Perth Football Club. Multiple fairest and best winner, life member, named in their team of the century and recently inducted in the hall of fame for the club. He was a star player in the 70s and 80s when the WAFL was at its peak. 

Peter shares some fabulous recollections of life growing up in Perth and how he made his way to becoming an elite player.

He also shares stories of the great players he has played with and against as well as what his different coaches were like - and there were many in his time at West Perth!

Peter also discusses why he chose not to go to the VFL, what it was like when the Cardinals became the Falcons and the impact the advent of the West Coast Eagles had on the WAFL.

To top it off he’s all round good bloke and well worth listening to! 

Jye Bolton is a highly decorated and big game football player who has been awarded two Sandover Medals (and a runner up) as the best player in the WA Football League as well as a record four Simpson medals as the best player for WA in State Games and in a Grand Final. But above all Jye is driven to achieve team success, with his greatest memories always involving his teammates. Achieving an elusive premiership with his beloved club Claremont still drives him to be the best he can be.

In this episode he tells us about his football journey to WA via Geelong, Collingwood and Werribee and he reveals how he could have become an East Fremantle player, but ended up at the Tigers. He shares his feelings about not playing an AFL game despite being such an accomplished player in the WAFL. He also shares some great stories about his teammates, opponents and interesting characters in the game.

Jye also talks about how hard he has to train to be an elite player and tackles head on the topic of social media and having to deal with trolls who want to drag great players down.

This is an episode not to miss.

Darren Harris is the reigning WAFL premiership coach of West Perth Football Club – who has a very interesting story to tell about life inside and outside of WAFL and AFL football.

Darren is WAFL royalty having won WAFL premierships with West Perth as a player, captain and coach. He is a fairest and best winner, Simpson Medallist and State Captain.

He is also a very successful coach having worked at various levels including Victorian Country Leagues, TAC Cup, WAFL (West Perth and Claremont) and in the AFL as an assistant coach at both the West Coast Eagles and Carlton.

Darren talks to us about the highs and lows of his life from growing up to adulthood, in his career in football, as a teacher and an executive coach He also discusses how he has overcome some challenges to achieve success.

Darren is humble and personable with some great anecdotes that will make you laugh, surprise and intrigue you.

Matthew Jupp is a leader who has learnt a lot during his football and life journey.

We hear of his fondness of growing up in Port Hedland being surrounded by family, sport and weekly adventures like boating, fishing and diving, as well as playing Friday night football due to the extreme heat.

Matthew made his way to Perth to complete high school, where he was noticed by the East Fremantle Football Club, progressing to colts and representing WA at the state 18's competition. Matthew’s first league game for the Sharks came in a classic ANZAC Day derby, defeating the old foe -South Fremantle. 

A revered clubman, life member, and best and fairest winner, Matthew now captains East Fremantle during what is becoming an exciting time of improvement down at Shark Park.

Matthew delves into the reasons for some poor years at the club and what was required to turn it around, from both a personal and club perspective.

We finish this episode with our usual WA Quiz where Matthew provides some entertaining answers to Sandgroper specific questions. 

Perth Wildcats legend Trevor Torrance gives a unique insight into the world of an elite basketballer who has also had a successful business career, while discussing with raw emotion the lasting impact of being bullied as a young boy and not being able to come out as a gay man in the 80s and 90s when intolerance and prejudice was rife in our community and the world of sport.

Trevor, a 300+ game player in the NBL, talks about how basketball, with the support of a special mentor, became a safer environment for him in an often-brutal world. He describes how he rose above the torment inflicted by others to play at the highest level, then progressing to become a professional coach to some of Australia’s leading business executives.

The word “inspiring” is often used too flippantly, but this truly is the story of an inspiring person.

Do yourself a favour and take the time to listen to the extraordinary story of a remarkable individual

Listen to one of Western Australia’s greatest cricketers who excelled at both state and national levels – Graeme Wood. He shares some very interesting stories of his experiences playing for WA and Australia from a very early age, in numerous tests and one day internationals, including regularly facing the fearsome West Indies bowling attack of the late 70s and 80s.

His Test debut came against in 1978, at the time of great upheaval for cricket with the advent of World Series Cricket. His recollections of that time are insightful, including his recollections of and interesting phone call he received from Kerry Packer.

Graeme also won a hat-trick of Sheffield Shields as captain of WA and later progressed to having a very successful business career, including taking on the role of CEO with the WACA.

He is one of those all-round talented sportsmen who was also a very accomplished footballer, playing league with East Fremantle and we hear about some of the good times he had in the WAFL too.

So do yourself a favour and listen in to one of WA’s greatest sports stars!

Sam Harding is a proud West Australian Paralympian that has put in the hard yards to get to where he is today. Early in life, Sam was diagnosed Choroideremia. A vision impairment that effects his peripheral vision. He explains how that effects his day to day actives as well daily training and events. 

Sam discusses his early sporting choices in rowing and athletics, before taking a liking tandem cycling to keep fit in the off seasons. However the love of athletics took over and saw him earn a chance at the AIS. 

Sam was selected for the 2012 London Paralympic games, but unfortunately couldn't compete due to illness, but he got his chance at the 2020 Toyko Paralympics. Which shortly after Sam decided to make the change to the Paralympic Triathlon team, which in his first year earned him a Silver Medal at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games. 

Sam's story is one of perseverance and makes you want to just give everything a go! 

Michael Veletta is renowned in Western Australian cricket circles as one of the finest opening batsmen our state has produced.

Born to an Italian family, and brought up on soccer, Mike broke the mould at an early age and took like a duck to water to cricket, soon showing talent as a batsman, fielder and wicket keeper.

He made his debut with the WA Sheffield Shield and One Day side at the young age of 19 with some of the great names of WA cricket such as Lillee and Marsh and progressed to representing Australia in both one day and test formats.

Mike tells us about the highs and lows of his career, what it takes to face some of the fastest bowlers in the world and the comraderies he formed with his team mates, that last to today.

He also shares his experiences in life outside of sport and his time on the WACA Board.

This is a great listen and one that you will enjoy right in the heart of cricket season.

Mike Ellis is one of the most recognisable sportsmen in Western Australia, being captain of the Perth Wildcats in the 80s and 90s (formerly the Westate Wildcats) when they were the biggest show in town with their games played in prime time TV across WA. 

As a member of Western Australia’s most famous basketball family, he is a dual championship captain, playing over 300 games for the Wildcats, was named in their 30th anniversary all-star team and was assistant coach and coach of the team along the way. 

Mike mixes some very funny stories with brutal honesty about former players and coaches, as he tells us about the challenges of getting a basketball team from WA into the National Basketball League and helping the sport in Western Australia rise from relative obscurity to popularity and fame.

Regardless of whether you like basketball or not – this is a fascinating story.

Grant Schubert reached the pinnacle of his chosen sport of Hockey, being a two Time Olympian for the Australian Kookaburras Hockey team, an Olympic gold medallist at Athens, a gold Medallist at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games and a bronze medallist at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In 2003 he was awarded the world young hockey player of the year – receiving a very unique prize!

Grant shares with us what it took to become an elite Hockey player, including relocating to Perth from South Australia at a young age to give himself the best chance to make it to the top. A couple of decades later – he still gladly calls Perth home. 

You will really enjoy listening to some of his incredible experiences in playing sport around the world, as well as amusing anecdotes of his time in the Olympics including escapes with Laurie Lawrence and the late Peter Brock, Grant reminds us how Athens looked twelve months out from hosting an Olympic games &  his excitement at meeting world famous basketballer – the late Kobe Bryant.

Grant is an engaging guest with a story that shouldn’t be missed.