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What I've Learnt - Anthony Koutoufides · WHAT I'VE LEARNT

0:08
SPEAKER_00: Well, Anthony Cootafides is a former award-winning AFL player and a Carlton football club legend, playing over 270 games for the club.
0:17
SPEAKER_00: Anthony was often referred to as the prototype of the modern footballer, as he was notably athletic and versatile, allowing him to play almost every position throughout his career.
0:28
SPEAKER_00: Cooter, who insisted he was independent and not in any way aligned with the Liberal Party, said he was committed to bringing Melbourne back alive.
0:35
SPEAKER_00: Where are the people?
0:37
SPEAKER_00: Please, people, you need to come back into the city.
0:40
SPEAKER_00: It's just not enticing at the moment.
0:42
SPEAKER_00: Well, that's why he's having a tilt at the position of Lord Mayor.
0:46
SPEAKER_00: As somebody who is familiar with adversity, in his full career, he underwent a 10-day torture camp at which he cried nearly every day, saying he had to endure quite a bit.
0:56
SPEAKER_00: But if you have that goal and love for it, you're pushed through.
0:59
SPEAKER_00: One of Kuda Fidi's primary policies, should he win the position, is to take home the working from a home culture and force CBD-based employees back into the office at least four days a week.
1:16
SPEAKER_00: Well, I'm thrilled to have Legend KUDA join us on the What I've Learned podcast.
1:22
SPEAKER_00: Anthony Kuda Fides, welcome.
1:24
SPEAKER_00: Thank you for taking the time to have a chat to our um and let our listeners know what you're up to, which is a lot, actually.
1:31
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, thanks very much, Deborah, to have me on.
1:33
SPEAKER_01: I've got a lot on it, but I've I've made time, no problem.
1:36
SPEAKER_01: I'm looking forward to the conversation.
1:38
SPEAKER_01: I do have a lot on.
1:39
SPEAKER_01: And uh but life's life's meant to be exciting, isn't it?
1:42
SPEAKER_01: Like getting yourself out of your comfort zone, and that's what I'm currently doing, and that's me to it, too.
1:48
SPEAKER_01: I've learned that during my footy days.
1:50
SPEAKER_00: Well, this is what I've learned, and it seems to me you've learnt a lot.
1:53
SPEAKER_00: And also, I think that's the key to sort of, as you say, getting out of your comfort zone and always pushing forward.
1:59
SPEAKER_00: Um, it takes courage, it takes strength, and it takes not shying away from what I would say is a challenge, which you do love, let's be honest.
2:08
SPEAKER_00: Um, whether it's on the footy field or even dancing with the stars, you step up.
2:13
SPEAKER_00: What inspired you to step forward as a candidate for Lord Mayor?
2:18
SPEAKER_01: It's a great question.
2:19
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, because last year I got asked, but I think the timing just wasn't right for me.
2:23
SPEAKER_01: And I'm not a politician.
2:25
SPEAKER_01: Uh this year, when I got asked a few months ago, I had to sat down, considered it, you know, spoke to my wife with best friends and some other people around.
2:32
SPEAKER_01: They said, could it just go for it?
2:34
SPEAKER_01: And, you know, I think the the love of the city of Melbourne, I born with migrant parents, you know, they really couldn't speak English.
2:40
SPEAKER_01: My father was born in Egypt, Greek background, my mum was born in Italy.
2:44
SPEAKER_01: I don't know how they communicated.
2:45
SPEAKER_01: We got through, you know, I fell in love with sports, football and athletics, and I did both as juniors and excelled in both and then made a decision later on.
2:53
SPEAKER_01: But to think that I got to live my dream, you know, migrant parents, and I can only imagine how they felt being parents who watched me play.
2:59
SPEAKER_01: I got to live my dream.
3:01
SPEAKER_01: But I think as good as that was, if I can have an impact on the city of Melbourne to get it back to the way that it was before, I reckon to me, I'd be able to go, you know, footy was unbelievable, but this city of Melbourne that we all love and me who I spend so much time with, that that would go down for me as like being an incredible achievement amongst everything, not just me, other people achieve, but amongst everything I've achieved would be really humbling.
3:24
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and I think it's interesting you say that because you say you're not a politician.
3:27
SPEAKER_00: And while one has to be somewhat politically, I suppose, aware in order to take this role, maybe it's the fundamental humanity that comes with the life lessons of football, sport, that essence of giving back.
3:41
SPEAKER_00: That's really what maybe the city needs.
3:44
SPEAKER_00: I mean, that's what you're sort of putting forward.
3:46
SPEAKER_00: You're saying I'm not here to push particular particular um agendas, although we'll talk about some of your thoughts around the city.
3:54
SPEAKER_00: Do you think that's true?
3:55
SPEAKER_00: Do you think there's something where the the politicians get bogged down with the politics too much?
4:00
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, maybe they they're in their own little bubble or cocoon, we might say it.
4:04
SPEAKER_01: And so they're probably just, you know, amongst them and chatting themselves.
4:07
SPEAKER_01: But sometimes in business, you've got to stand back from afar and look down within.
4:11
SPEAKER_01: And, you know, we see a lot of issues there in the city.
4:14
SPEAKER_01: But I know what I took out of my football career.
4:17
SPEAKER_01: When I think of how many youngsters try to make it number one to the AFL, and then number two to you know have a long career, it's not easy.
4:25
SPEAKER_01: And there's only one way to do because talent takes you so far.
4:28
SPEAKER_01: But it's all the other stuff that you do.
4:30
SPEAKER_01: You've got to be disciplined and committed, and you've got to work hard, you've got to do extra work.
4:34
SPEAKER_01: And, you know, when your mates are going out drinking or having a little bit of fun, you have to like have incredible discipline and great mindset too, through adversity and stuff like that.
4:42
SPEAKER_01: And that's what I learned from football.
4:44
SPEAKER_01: I mean, you can look at my achievements and go, Kudie, you did quite well.
4:48
SPEAKER_01: But when I tell you some of the tough moments that I had and times when I was unsure if I was ever going to be a regular senior player, I can take you through that as well.
4:55
SPEAKER_01: And even as a young kid, some of the decisions I made through peer grid pressure when my mates decided to go this way, and I've gone, well, if I go that way, then this path where I want to go towards my goals, and I'm going to lose out on that.
5:08
SPEAKER_01: So if you want to go there, you go there.
5:10
SPEAKER_01: I'll continue down this pathway.
5:11
SPEAKER_01: And so that's how I see my life.
5:13
SPEAKER_01: I've learned so much through actual actions.
5:15
SPEAKER_01: I can not just sit there and go, oh, this and that.
5:18
SPEAKER_01: And you know, reading books is important.
5:19
SPEAKER_01: I read all the time, but I've actually live experiences.
5:22
SPEAKER_01: And so now, you know, looking in the city, uh, to me, there's a lot of issues there right now.
5:27
SPEAKER_01: And we I want to bring it back to, you know, being the most livable city in the world again.
5:31
SPEAKER_01: It's such a unique place around the world.
5:33
SPEAKER_01: When you think how many years in a row we were the most livable city in the world and where we currently slide if we don't do something.
5:40
SPEAKER_01: And also, Deborah, when I think how lucky I was to have walked into Calvin Football Club when I did in the 90s, after decades of success, I was a Mag Congress supporter, my brother was Matt Calderon, and he every year he'd be cheering an old cries.
5:52
SPEAKER_01: So Calvin had this most incredible culture.
5:54
SPEAKER_01: Out of the 17 seasons I was on the list, the first 12 were unbelievable.
5:59
SPEAKER_01: But the last five was a completely different football club.
6:01
SPEAKER_01: The culture was lost overnight.
6:03
SPEAKER_01: Now, Melbourne City, you know, have we taken that for granted, thinking that's the most liberal city?
6:07
SPEAKER_01: Let's do whatever we want to it and break it down to the way that it is now, it's not a great thing.
6:13
SPEAKER_01: And so if we didn't do something and really try to turn, turn the ship and steer the ship the other way, it's gonna be, you know, I'm not sure where it leads to.
6:20
SPEAKER_01: I'm not, you know, I can't see the future, but you can see what's what's happening right now.
6:24
SPEAKER_00: And I think that's an interesting reflection.
6:26
SPEAKER_00: I mean, I'm a Carlton supporter, putting my hand up, and I'm still recovering from Saturday, but that's okay.
6:31
SPEAKER_00: We'll talk about that later.
6:32
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, but um I'm sure you are.
6:35
SPEAKER_00: Um, but I think um what is interesting, which I I think you're reflecting on there, is that you know, something can be going really well, and you can be on top of the world like Carlton has been, and then you can, you know, there's always opportunity for change, transformation, and reflection.
6:52
SPEAKER_00: Do you think that's been a big part of what you've done in your life?
6:55
SPEAKER_00: Like when you've hit the skids or when it's really tough, how do you get off that field?
6:59
SPEAKER_00: Like even on Saturday, and we can refer to that because it was a tough, really tough time to be in the, you know, those final moments where you just thought, wow, tell me this isn't gonna happen, that they're not gonna have to score.
7:11
SPEAKER_00: Like I think we're all freaking out.
7:13
SPEAKER_00: But you know, I felt for those guys.
7:15
SPEAKER_00: Like, I I think we all did.
7:16
SPEAKER_00: You just felt like, oh, you know, just the ache.
7:20
SPEAKER_00: You get to that point and you just so I'm sure you've been there.
7:24
SPEAKER_00: Tell me how that informs your journey.
7:27
SPEAKER_00: How do you find that within to sort of come through something like that?
7:31
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, if I go back to 1995, you know, we won our 16th premiership as a Calvin Football Club.
7:36
SPEAKER_01: We only lost two games of the entire year.
7:37
SPEAKER_01: It was an AFL record.
7:38
SPEAKER_01: And so at that point there, with the success that Cullen had, you would have thought we would have won another five or six premierships by now.
7:45
SPEAKER_01: It's been 29 years without a premiership.
7:47
SPEAKER_01: And in 1998, as we struggled as a team, we won the first game, then we lost the next nine, and people were like, we've got to rebuild.
7:54
SPEAKER_01: Well, we had a leader, John Elliott, who said that Cullen Football Club, we never rebuild.
7:57
SPEAKER_01: By 1999, we make a grand final again.
8:00
SPEAKER_01: And although we didn't win, we were still back up there like that.
8:04
SPEAKER_01: And uh, year 2000, we won 13 games in a row.
8:07
SPEAKER_01: I got injured, we had a few injuries that sort of didn't help towards the end of the year.
8:10
SPEAKER_01: 2001, we almost get there, we had injuries again, so we had a little bit of bad luck.
8:14
SPEAKER_01: And so at that period, there you would have thought things would have continued on its pathway the way that it has.
8:19
SPEAKER_01: But, you know, a change of leadership overnight, the club falls into some you know deep hole.
8:25
SPEAKER_01: And it's the Calden Football Club.
8:27
SPEAKER_01: We'll be okay another year or two or three would back up again.
8:30
SPEAKER_01: But it hasn't been the case.
8:31
SPEAKER_01: It's 29 years.
8:33
SPEAKER_01: And if we take away the last two years, we hadn't made finals since 2013.
8:37
SPEAKER_01: And before that, you know, another so many amounts of years before we made finals, it's only now that we've risen up a little bit.
8:43
SPEAKER_01: You know, last year made in the preliminary final.
8:45
SPEAKER_01: This year I thought we were certainly to win a premiership.
8:47
SPEAKER_01: They don't come around easy all the way down.
8:50
SPEAKER_01: And so I feel for the boys, Deborah, only because I know I walked into the most incredible time early 90s when I had leaders like Stephen Koernahan, who arguably go down as the greatest leader at the Cullen Football Club of all time, maybe second best player of all time.
9:04
SPEAKER_01: But I had Greg Williams there, one of the greatest AFL players of all time, you know, Craig Bradley, Stephen Tobani.
9:10
SPEAKER_01: And as much as Sticks was a leader, he had spent 17 lieutenants around him that were not maybe quite as good, but you know, almost as good as him, who led.
9:18
SPEAKER_01: And so he they were able to teach us youngsters what we needed to do in order to be part of the club.
9:23
SPEAKER_01: You know, there were standards there set all the time, and that's how I learned through that system.
9:27
SPEAKER_01: And so I was very blessed because that probably made me a lot better player than what I am.
9:31
SPEAKER_01: So the players in, you know, this year they're under pressure because us council boys, but you know, we're waiting for this premiership.
9:37
SPEAKER_01: We've been waiting a long time.
9:38
SPEAKER_01: We've allowed our architecture Hollingwood, we've given them 29 years to catch up to us on that, and that hurts.
9:44
SPEAKER_01: We're allowing his as bad as us, you know, given times.
9:48
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
9:50
SPEAKER_01: We just want to see Calden get back up there again.
9:52
SPEAKER_01: And as I said, Deborah, it's not easy.
9:54
SPEAKER_01: And so I feel sorry for the players because they got a sniff of how good Carlton is, but really Calvin is an elite football club.
10:02
SPEAKER_01: The greatest football club I walked into at that time was the elite of the competition, the greatest club in Australia.
10:08
SPEAKER_01: But it's not that right now.
10:09
SPEAKER_01: So it takes a lot of hard work.
10:11
SPEAKER_00: And I think you point out something which I think is also relevant to what you're doing, which is at the end of the day, you've got to have good leadership in whatever it is you're doing.
10:19
SPEAKER_00: And you've got to have mentors and you've got to have people that that show that, you know, shine the light on the path ahead.
10:25
SPEAKER_00: No matter how much talent you have, whether it be a football field or whether it be, you know, going for the Lord Mayor position, for you, what have you learned about leadership from some of the footy players you refer to, or just from life in general, in business, or how important do you see that?
10:41
SPEAKER_00: Because in essence, that's you will have a leadership role should you be successful.
10:45
SPEAKER_01: So leadership comes in all different forms.
10:46
SPEAKER_01: There's some guys who are loud on the field, other guys not as loud, but you know, did it via actions.
10:51
SPEAKER_01: And so leadership comes in different forms.
10:53
SPEAKER_01: But to me, you have to lead with integrity.
10:56
SPEAKER_01: You have to lead the way as well.
10:57
SPEAKER_01: And that's how I did it as a as the captain of the Calderon Football Club.
11:01
SPEAKER_01: I probably wasn't the most vocal captain through very difficult times, but whatever I said, I then delivered on the message and hope that now I do that as well.
11:09
SPEAKER_01: Because by being a leader and the things you say, you want people to go, you know what, he said it and he did it.
11:14
SPEAKER_01: And that's how I think that I think that's important as well.
11:17
SPEAKER_01: But you've got to have a vision and you've got to, you know, have these people go, I love what he says, and I want to follow him, and I want, I believe what he says, and I'm excited by it.
11:26
SPEAKER_01: And that's what the the president did, and that's what the the captain did, you know, through '95, it was like, we've got this, you know.
11:33
SPEAKER_01: And even if we're behind it half time, that belief that everything will be okay and we could go on and win.
11:38
SPEAKER_01: And so I want to lead in that sort of style to make sure it's not about me, it's about what the people want.
11:44
SPEAKER_01: The city of Melbourne, what that what the city of Melbourne needs to get back to become vibrant again.
11:48
SPEAKER_01: You want to walk around the streets and feel safe.
11:50
SPEAKER_01: You want to walk, it there's an energy about the city right now, if you ask people.
11:54
SPEAKER_01: There's a lot of issues and reasons why they don't want to come in.
11:56
SPEAKER_01: Whereas if it was 10 or 15, 20 years ago, everyone could not look, you know, couldn't wait to come into the city, have a drink, walk around and be proud.
12:05
SPEAKER_01: So when I think of the the city of Melbourne and I look to people on the outside around Australia, well, they're not going to come here for the weather.
12:11
SPEAKER_01: And let's be honest, even us Melbourne's complain about the weather.
12:15
SPEAKER_01: Our beach isn't the greatest, there's better beaches around.
12:18
SPEAKER_01: Wineries might be beautiful, but there's probably just there's equal, maybe better ones around as well.
12:23
SPEAKER_01: They come here for the culture, for the fashion.
12:27
SPEAKER_00: Absolutely, absolutely.
12:28
SPEAKER_00: We're a cultural hub, yeah.
12:30
SPEAKER_00: Like that's what we are.
12:31
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and I think also the city is where you go to the theater, you go to the gallery, you go to the, you know, the MSO or whatever it is that you so, in a sense, what you're saying is all that attrition of people not going into the city has got all this, it sort of feels a little desolate, doesn't it?
12:48
SPEAKER_00: I mean, there's some amazing things happening in the city.
12:52
SPEAKER_00: Um, I mean, and what they're doing at the National Gallery and what they're doing with lots of some of the bars are amazing and the clubs, but there seems to be like when you and I were younger, you know, like we would just going into the city was just part of what you did every weekend.
13:05
SPEAKER_00: It was just part of our sort of regular fun.
13:10
SPEAKER_00: And but I mean there's a lot of changes.
13:12
SPEAKER_00: There's obviously there's the urban scroll, which is obviously a factor too, because people are moving out further.
13:19
SPEAKER_00: There's affordability, there's housing, there's safety, as you referred to.
13:24
SPEAKER_00: What do you see as the key ingredients?
13:26
SPEAKER_00: And obviously, then you've got the COVID fallout with people not in the offices in the same way, although there's people are coming back more.
13:32
SPEAKER_00: What do you think this is fixable?
13:34
SPEAKER_00: And how what's your vision?
13:36
SPEAKER_00: How do you see this changing?
13:37
SPEAKER_01: I think it is fixable.
13:38
SPEAKER_01: I mean, you know, to get it the most livable city in the world is going to take it take a lot of hard work from where it is right now.
13:43
SPEAKER_01: I mean, there's a, you know, obviously the safety issue that we spoke about, there's a parking issue as well.
13:48
SPEAKER_01: People don't come in there because of the parking.
13:51
SPEAKER_01: There's a, you know, the bike lanes that we're reviewing, and we've we've uh, you know, there's Exhibition Street that we believe should be open, two lanes going both sides with more car parks.
14:00
SPEAKER_01: It's to help the businesses, you know, the retail.
14:03
SPEAKER_01: It's just it's just really been difficult for them.
14:05
SPEAKER_01: And so if we drive in there now and it's not even that busy, if you take a wrong street, it's gonna take you half an hour to get out of the car.
14:11
SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
14:12
SPEAKER_01: And so people avoid that.
14:13
SPEAKER_01: Now, what happened in in the past was people could stop for an hour, quickly run in, do a bit of shopping, maybe buy some some sandwich or whatever.
14:21
SPEAKER_01: And it's too difficult now because if they go into the car parks, it's expensive.
14:25
SPEAKER_01: You go a little bit over an hour, but it's gonna cost you a lot of money.
14:27
SPEAKER_01: And so there's all these issues, you know, and and also, you know, we talk about you know, freezing council rates as well, is just to give businesses a little bit of a breather.
14:38
SPEAKER_01: We want to give incentives for new businesses to get started in there.
14:41
SPEAKER_01: There's there's um you know, 20% vacancy rates of the you know, retail offices in the city that it that is growing.
14:48
SPEAKER_01: I went down to South Bank a couple of weeks ago, and like people are hurting.
14:52
SPEAKER_01: There were 16 cafes, there's five left, and the the busiest one there might only have the air.
14:59
SPEAKER_01: So, you know, people aren't coming on a Monday and Friday to the city because the workers aren't coming back.
15:03
SPEAKER_01: We can't force workers to come back.
15:05
SPEAKER_01: But we need to do something, you know, we need to get people back there.
15:08
SPEAKER_01: So we're having incentive coffee, free coffee on a Monday.
15:12
SPEAKER_01: It's you know, that may not be it's not the only way to get and attract people there.
15:16
SPEAKER_01: But what if it does attract if you've got to come back?
15:18
SPEAKER_01: We want it to we want people to come back, but we're giving back to the cafes, we're giving back to people that are struggling through these difficult economic times.
15:25
SPEAKER_01: And so if we see people smiling again in the city, that's a start of it.
15:29
SPEAKER_01: They've got to feel good as they're coming in there as well.
15:31
SPEAKER_01: And so on a Friday, we're gonna talk to the state government and the private transport holders, we want to concession rate transport into the city.
15:38
SPEAKER_01: Brisbane's done it at 50 cents.
15:39
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so we want to like talk to them.
15:42
SPEAKER_01: And who knows what can evolve from there.
15:44
SPEAKER_01: We want more events, we we want to bring back, you know, excitement back into the city and a reason for people to come.
15:49
SPEAKER_01: We're a sporting hub of the world as well.
15:51
SPEAKER_01: Let's create like the city back to the, you know, like even more vibrant than what it was, Deborah.
15:56
SPEAKER_01: And when yeah, 100 years ago, you look at the city and look at some of the things that were built, you sit there and go, how did they build that back then, 120 years ago?
16:06
SPEAKER_01: I might be out of school, but we're probably ahead of the rest of the world.
16:10
SPEAKER_01: I I don't know, but right now we're not.
16:12
SPEAKER_01: There's other cities around the world that have evolved and we're falling backwards, and that's not where we want this city to be, you know, and so there's a lot of work to do.
16:19
SPEAKER_00: Well, I think also the the essence of, you know, you talk about it was built with a lot of migrant input, and that's part of our multicultural.
16:28
SPEAKER_00: I mean, we love the multiculturalism of this city, you know.
16:31
SPEAKER_00: I mean, who hasn't been at Pellegrini's like forever, and you know, all of those great little places that probably you visit as well.
16:39
SPEAKER_00: It's just like I don't know, I think there's a cynicism that's emerged, and I think we're dealing with a a wave, particularly of the neck the next gen, um, probably your kids and my kids, who are just like they're a little like, you know, it's all a little bit hard.
16:54
SPEAKER_00: There's not something, unless they're going to uni or they're doing something, you know, and they have to go through the city in a sense, or they've got RMIT.
17:02
SPEAKER_00: It's something that I think we need to tap the next gen and make sure that we listen to what they need as well, because at the end of the day, it's you and I, yes, but it's it's it's you know, our kids and them wanting to go in and feel safe and not hesitate.
17:19
SPEAKER_00: But whether that transition, I mean, I noticed you've got um your team's quite diverse.
17:24
SPEAKER_00: It's a really diverse group of committed individuals.
17:27
SPEAKER_00: How did you guys find each other?
17:29
SPEAKER_00: And how did, you know, it's quite an interesting group that you have on this ticket.
17:33
SPEAKER_00: Tell me a little bit about that, because that's appealing probably to different parts of our community.
17:39
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so Zaim, uh, who's counsellor number two, well, he was a personal friend of mine, and so he was the one who initially invited me down along to go and talk.
17:47
SPEAKER_01: And so Intaz Khan, who's been a counselor there out in Wyndham, and Gladys Lou, who's uh been in politics for a long time under Ted Bowie, also.
17:56
SPEAKER_01: So we bring a lot of experience into the team, and then we've got Emma Kearney, who's a world champion triathlete now, who's part of the team as well.
18:02
SPEAKER_01: And so that that is really exciting for me.
18:05
SPEAKER_01: And uh, you know, health and fitness has been a passion of mine for a long time.
18:08
SPEAKER_01: And so to have someone as a lead as her part of the team as well, uh, I'm I'm thrilled to have.
18:13
SPEAKER_01: So, yeah, we are diverse, different nationalities and all that, and that's what it's all about.
18:18
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and Deborah, I'm so proud to say, you know, I feel like our parents, you know, that old generation made Melbourne to the most spectacular place.
18:26
SPEAKER_01: I remember growing up in the 70s and 80s.
18:28
SPEAKER_01: I know we can't get back to that time, but how do I try to explain to my kids how incredible it was to be able to leave home early in the morning, go out, there was no phones, there was no trouble, get home, have a little bit of water out of the hose, run off again, and you know, come back home when it was dark.
18:44
SPEAKER_01: And so it's sad that our kids can't experience that.
18:47
SPEAKER_01: We have to move on.
18:48
SPEAKER_01: And I understand that life evolves, but just you know, we want to bring back at least a little, a little bit of, you know, like normality back over there, like in terms of at least safety.
18:57
SPEAKER_01: I was in the city before, walking down little Collins, and there was a little bit of, you know, that I feel uneasy myself walking through there.
19:04
SPEAKER_01: I can't, that's what you know, families would feel like as well.
19:06
SPEAKER_01: And that's you, I talk as honest truth as I have, you know, as I can, like walking through the city.
19:11
SPEAKER_01: You don't want to feel that way.
19:13
SPEAKER_01: And I feel for the the cafes, restaurants, retail.
19:15
SPEAKER_01: I mean, Harold's just closing down.
19:17
SPEAKER_01: It's iconic.
19:18
SPEAKER_01: Like I would always, yeah, I would always beg them to say, please, you know, let's look after them and let's have them back there.
19:23
SPEAKER_01: We're a fashion capital of the world, or we were.
19:25
SPEAKER_01: You know, I mean, we need Harold's and places like this.
19:27
SPEAKER_01: We look at Docklands, it's a ghost town.
19:30
SPEAKER_01: Like, really, I mean, it's it's struggling.
19:32
SPEAKER_01: It's got a first wall that doesn't move.
19:33
SPEAKER_01: Costco's leaving.
19:34
SPEAKER_01: I mean, we have to do a lot of work.
19:37
SPEAKER_01: Darling Harbor's thrived, obviously, and it's not Darling Harbour here, but they're still beautiful.
19:41
SPEAKER_01: The Dockland's still beautiful.
19:42
SPEAKER_01: We we've got this thing like the wind summer.
19:44
SPEAKER_01: Well, there's some days there's no no wind.
19:46
SPEAKER_01: It's a beautiful place, and so we have to reinvigorate that also.
19:50
SPEAKER_01: So we have a lot of work to do and uh yeah, it to bring it back to the way that it that it was.
19:56
SPEAKER_00: Do you think it'll be a hybrid of private and government um energy?
20:00
SPEAKER_00: Do you think that I mean you need the private sector to step up too, yeah?
20:05
SPEAKER_01: We're gonna need help from everyone, really.
20:07
SPEAKER_01: I mean, the state government don't have a lot of money right now, too, but we're gonna reach out to them and uh we're gonna do our best to try to re-uh vitalize the city because we we believe if we get the city right, then it it starts to flow out to all these other suburbs as well, and then we can start to thrive again.
20:22
SPEAKER_01: And I think that's really important.
20:24
SPEAKER_01: And uh yeah, it's a bit a big job, there is no doubt about it.
20:28
SPEAKER_01: But uh now's the time because when I look at the footy club as well, you had warning signs of those last five years that I was in, you can just see things we needed to make change earlier back then, and maybe now we would have been all right, but they just allowed things to go on and on and on.
20:42
SPEAKER_01: I feel like we need change now desperately uh in the city of Melbourne to get it going again.
20:47
SPEAKER_01: And we can't like I talk city oilers and talk docklands, but there's there's a lot of other areas.
20:53
SPEAKER_01: There's East Melbourne, there's West Melbourne, there's Calder and Calder North, um Princess Hill, there's uh Kensington, there's North Melbourne, there's Flemington Race Course, like it's a in Port Melbourne and South Diarra.
21:04
SPEAKER_01: I mean, it's a huge um area.
21:07
SPEAKER_01: It's an absolute honor to be able to, you know, if you were Lord Mayor, maybe this is a prestigious honor to lead the greatest city in Australia.
21:15
SPEAKER_01: So it's an incredible thing, you know.
21:17
SPEAKER_01: You I would not definitely not take it lightly, and anyone should.
21:20
SPEAKER_01: So we have a lot of hard work to do there, both and it's out of my comfort zone.
21:23
SPEAKER_01: But amongst the team and talking to the people in the city about what they want, we we we can do a great job there.
21:29
SPEAKER_00: What I actually like about the way that you're going into this is that you are used to a big challenge and you you're quite blunt and honest about the fact this is one, but you're also you've seen it, what you're sort of saying is you've seen warning signs before when you've been on a footy team and you know that it needs it needs a fix.
21:47
SPEAKER_00: And so you're used to you're not shying away from that challenge, but you're also coming up with strategies that it sounds like are somewhat, you know, there's a realism to what you're dealing with.
21:56
SPEAKER_00: You're not going in with some so because it it is a it it is a big Commitment for you.
22:01
SPEAKER_00: But it sounds what you do have is that passion for Melbourne and for the people.
22:06
SPEAKER_00: And it sounds like you've also got a great team.
22:09
SPEAKER_00: I mean, for you, what do you see as the biggest challenge in this space?
22:14
SPEAKER_01: I think that everything's going to be a challenge.
22:16
SPEAKER_01: I don't think there's one right answer for that because there's multiple things that we need to do to really change everything there.
22:22
SPEAKER_01: And like e-scooters, I wasn't a fan of them, Deborah, to be honest.
22:25
SPEAKER_01: But talking to the people around, a lot of people utilize them, and it might be 20% of the people that just don't respect it.
22:32
SPEAKER_01: And when I got first asked, as I first did my press release, and they asked about e-scooters, I disliked the fact that people just dumped them anywhere.
22:40
SPEAKER_01: Like just not show respect.
22:42
SPEAKER_01: I was brought up in a respectful way.
22:44
SPEAKER_01: You know, as much as I played footy and senior footy for the Cowan Football Club, my mum was like, you're driving your mum and dad every single week to the footy game.
22:52
SPEAKER_01: And I said, okay, mum, I drove them to every game until my father passed away.
22:55
SPEAKER_01: But my mum until the day I retired, I drove her.
22:58
SPEAKER_01: And that's the sort of way that I grew up.
22:59
SPEAKER_01: And so if it's taxpayers' money, we're allowing you to have these e-scooters, don't go and abuse them.
23:05
SPEAKER_01: And so our thing is now that if we were to get elected and uh the e-scooters, we would definitely have them back because uh the current um Lord Mayor's just said no more of those, but we'll have designated areas where you actually have to park the bike from there that can charge.
23:23
SPEAKER_01: But if you don't do that and disrespect it, then you get a fine.
23:25
SPEAKER_01: And so we don't want them dumped in front of shops, we don't want them dumped on the footpath, you know, the hourly walking.
23:31
SPEAKER_01: We want it to be fair.
23:32
SPEAKER_01: We want all sorts of transport, all to all work together equally.
23:38
SPEAKER_01: You know, it's fair over there with the bikes, fair with the e-scooters, tram, whatever it is, to train to get in there, the cars, everyone have their own space.
23:45
SPEAKER_01: And so that way, if you whichever transport you like to get into the city, then you have access to that.
23:50
SPEAKER_01: And so we have to respect that.
23:51
SPEAKER_01: It's not one should be in favor over there, should be in favor of that.
23:54
SPEAKER_01: We're all equally important as we go through the city.
23:58
SPEAKER_01: And so they're the little things that really that I believe, you know, we we just want to speak or help.
24:03
SPEAKER_01: We listen to the people out there and do what they want.
24:06
SPEAKER_01: And so if that's what they want, then we're happy to deliver.
24:08
SPEAKER_01: We just want to deliver it in a better way than what it has been in the past.
24:12
SPEAKER_00: That makes a lot of sense.
24:13
SPEAKER_00: You refer to your family, and I know you're a big family, family man, and you come from a strong, it's Greek-Italian heritage, as you talked about earlier on.
24:24
SPEAKER_00: Um what lessons did you learn from your from your parents and from your family?
24:29
SPEAKER_00: Because clearly that's a really strong core, and it's very, it's it's very much about what drives this this city, like the sense of community and family, and and footy is big on family.
24:41
SPEAKER_00: Footy is family, you know.
24:43
SPEAKER_00: So, what what has that taught you?
24:45
SPEAKER_01: So, my father was born in Egypt, and you know, where they had to flee the country when the new government came in, as far as I know.
24:51
SPEAKER_01: And so his dad went to South Africa, his brother and sister with their husband and wife went to South Africa.
24:55
SPEAKER_01: The two other brothers went back to Greece, and he came to Australia on his own with nothing.
24:59
SPEAKER_01: And so he had to work extremely hard and uh build.
25:02
SPEAKER_01: And my mum was the same by the age of 22 or 23, she had lost both her parents and so came out to Australia.
25:07
SPEAKER_01: Her brother was here, and uh, she had a one-way ticket, but with the intentions of going back to Italy.
25:12
SPEAKER_01: And uh then she met my father.
25:14
SPEAKER_01: And so I understand how hard they worked.
25:16
SPEAKER_01: I mean, my mum worked in the garage like all the migrants did back then.
25:19
SPEAKER_01: There was no charity, it wasn't like the government looked, you know, gave them anything.
25:23
SPEAKER_01: They all were just like hard work.
25:25
SPEAKER_01: And so my mum would be in the garage working from home.
25:27
SPEAKER_01: There would be food on the table for my brother and I, my brothers when we got home from school, there'd be dinner on the table for my father and us as as um, you know, as a family, and we all ate together and we're all, you know, family and closeness and protect each other.
25:42
SPEAKER_01: And that's the way we grew up.
25:43
SPEAKER_01: And I know how hard they worked, and uh, you know, I I felt it when they didn't.
25:47
SPEAKER_01: And so any opportunity I got after I turned 18, it was like, you don't have to help me, I'll help you.
25:52
SPEAKER_01: And that's the sort of person that I was, knowing that I was indebted to my parents forever because to get a new pair of runners wasn't easy.
26:00
SPEAKER_01: I remember our first boots, we had to go into second-hand sports, you know, sports sort of second-hand box to but you know, get our boots.
26:05
SPEAKER_01: But everyone did it back then.
26:07
SPEAKER_01: And uh, you know, if you wanted a certain type, mum would be in the garage making it like just as good as what you, you know, to save money.
26:14
SPEAKER_01: And that's the way we did.
26:14
SPEAKER_01: We didn't, I always say we didn't grow up with a lot, but we grew up with love.
26:18
SPEAKER_01: And I think love to me, I felt like I had everything because I had the love of my parents and family, which was really, really important.
26:24
SPEAKER_01: And uh for you know, a long time I I looked after them and you know, I did what I had to do.
26:29
SPEAKER_01: And so all those things of hard work, nothing came easy, you know, that they put their bodies under an enormous amount of stress.
26:36
SPEAKER_01: But like at the end of the day, they they might maybe complain, but they they were just strong, you know, they were strong and tough, and so they led by just strength, nothing bothered them, you know.
26:46
SPEAKER_01: It wasn't, you know, the they didn't they just kept soldiering on nowadays.
26:50
SPEAKER_01: I know there's a lot of mental issues with people, and I understand because now life's not as simple as what it was before, but we talk about resilience and toughness and that that's what my my parents were, and so I learned from them exactly.
27:02
SPEAKER_01: I mean, my parents were always like praised me for my sport, sometimes just gave me a little bit of a nudge, and that nudge was enough to make me play, help me play A5 footy.
27:11
SPEAKER_01: Because I always say if it wasn't for my parents' support, I never would have made it.
27:14
SPEAKER_01: And so they were my strength and they were the reason why I pushed on.
27:17
SPEAKER_01: And I lost my father in 1998, it was the most difficult time of my life.
27:21
SPEAKER_01: But I dedicated my footy career after that to my father and made sure that I trained harder than I ever did after losing my way.
27:28
SPEAKER_01: When I lost him, I was drinking a lot and I was just in a bad way.
27:31
SPEAKER_01: And I had to play my worst game ever, Deborah, to then realize I needed to do something to change.
27:38
SPEAKER_01: And then when I promised to my father up above, that I'll train harder than I ever did before I did that.
27:43
SPEAKER_01: So any time I didn't feel like training, I thought of him and I just continue to push.
27:48
SPEAKER_01: I had three of my best years, footy years after the loss of my father.
27:50
SPEAKER_01: So difficult time, learned a lot of lessons, pushed myself to then, you know, experience the three greatest years.
27:57
SPEAKER_00: I just think first of all, that thank you for that.
27:59
SPEAKER_00: It's really insightful because um clearly you learnt a lot about resilience and how you actually have to spin things around.
28:06
SPEAKER_00: When you're ready, you find it within.
28:09
SPEAKER_00: And that's something that you've applied to your life, and clearly you'll apply it.
28:12
SPEAKER_00: Should your uh application be successful, which hopefully it will be, because I think we need discipline and focus to get the city back on its feet.
28:21
SPEAKER_00: But also you sound like somebody who you're sort of you're tough, but you've also got a sort of a sensitivity, like an awareness of your family.
28:31
SPEAKER_00: How's it affected you as a as a father and a husband?
28:35
SPEAKER_00: Is it do you think it you've learned a lot from your parents who clearly were very dedicated to family and each other?
28:41
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I've tried to be the best dad as I can.
28:43
SPEAKER_01: I know I'm not perfect and there's no right way of doing it, but I just try to teach them through everything that I've been through so then they can understand what I've been through and nothing's come easy for me.
28:51
SPEAKER_01: I continue to work hard.
28:53
SPEAKER_01: I like to get myself fit and healthy, so I lead in that sort of way as well.
28:56
SPEAKER_01: And so I always believe like your health, your health has to be value number one, because if you're not healthy, then you know you get agitated and you're not as friendly to other people and you're not as uh good as a parent as well.
29:08
SPEAKER_01: And so I try to treat my health number one first, but then of course try to guide the kids as best as I can through it's difficult now to grow up as a kid.
29:17
SPEAKER_01: There's a lot of challenges that they face, and we make them aware of a lot more than probably what we were aware of.
29:23
SPEAKER_01: The good or the bad, I don't know, because to me, anytime I went through tough times as a young kid, I just thought, and it's just life, you know, you've got to go through it.
29:31
SPEAKER_01: And I had a lot of anxiety playing under nine to Calderon, but I didn't know any better.
29:36
SPEAKER_01: So it's like that's okay, it's normal.
29:38
SPEAKER_01: Just I'm not looking forward to playing, but just play, just play and get through.
29:42
SPEAKER_01: And that that's the way I sort of got through.
29:44
SPEAKER_01: I never really understood anxiety as a young kid or depression.
29:47
SPEAKER_01: You have your moments like this.
29:49
SPEAKER_01: But I guess now we get taught that as well.
29:50
SPEAKER_01: And that awareness sometimes probably doesn't help, but although we need to be there to support everyone because it really is difficult times.
29:57
SPEAKER_01: And hey, I'm just as human as human as anyone else.
30:01
SPEAKER_01: So I feel anxiety, I get out there and I start running.
30:04
SPEAKER_01: You know, I mean, I need to breathe and all that stuff as well.
30:06
SPEAKER_01: I'm just as vulnerable as anyone else.
30:09
SPEAKER_01: But uh yeah, I just try to lead the best way that I can.
30:12
SPEAKER_00: And actually, in terms of mentors, um, you would be an amazing mentor, clearly, to have as a dad, but also in the community, men and young boys in particular, clearly are a little at sea.
30:25
SPEAKER_00: There's a lot of talk about trying to make sure that we hear the next gen of men and boys.
30:31
SPEAKER_00: And you've got some horrible influences out there on social media which have been really toxic, which we're all aware of, the Andrew Tates and people who there is a lot of toxicity, but there's also, as you say, a lot of also addressing mental health and anxiety and making them aware of when they need help and putting their hands up.
30:51
SPEAKER_00: So it's a really strange time for boys and men, I think.
30:55
SPEAKER_00: There's these extremes.
30:57
SPEAKER_00: Is that something that you've noticed?
30:59
SPEAKER_00: It must be compared to when you grew up, as you say, as an 18 or 19 year old, it was like, mate, get out there, work it out.
31:05
SPEAKER_00: I'd like to deal with it.
31:06
SPEAKER_01: Well, and it was, you know, when I got the Carl and Deborah, it was a tough, it was tough, you know.
31:11
SPEAKER_01: Like it was like, if you want to be here, yeah, you've got to speak to the senior players, you've got to get accepted by the boys.
31:17
SPEAKER_01: You know, the first preseason we did 5100s, that was brutal.
31:20
SPEAKER_01: And then we had a 10-day torture camp in Narrabeen.
31:23
SPEAKER_01: But, you know, those tough times were what made me what I am.
31:26
SPEAKER_01: I was a soft, sensitive kid.
31:27
SPEAKER_01: But I I'm very appreciative that I went through that because, as we all know, if you're out of your comfort zone, that's where growth happens.
31:33
SPEAKER_01: And maybe the kids nowadays, you know, we're so sensitive on them that they don't understand that if they actually push themselves and continue to push through barriers, they become stronger after that as well.
31:43
SPEAKER_01: But it's a tough line because the kids are a lot different nowadays.
31:46
SPEAKER_01: And so I was brought up in a different time, and so we have to be aware of that.
31:50
SPEAKER_01: It's not easy.
31:51
SPEAKER_01: We don't know what's right or wrong.
31:52
SPEAKER_01: I'm very fortunate that I coach my my young boy Lucas, his football club, and I'll his footy team, I should say, Ivan O Junior Football Club that I coached last year and this year, and we've won premierships back to back.
32:03
SPEAKER_01: And I tend to push them a little because I can see um how much talent they have, and I I pinpoint and identify areas where they can improve on their footy.
32:12
SPEAKER_01: And some of them have a love and passion to become an AFL player, and if they want to do that, unfortunately, you just can't go the easy way.
32:19
SPEAKER_01: You have to go a little bit harder on.
32:21
SPEAKER_01: And uh the kids have responded so well on back-to-back premierships, and I always tell them I was lucky, I won in 1995, but I know any junior football premierships that I have, I remember them forever.
32:31
SPEAKER_01: It doesn't matter which level, which club, or whatever, you remember them forever.
32:35
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, the parents have been so good to me.
32:37
SPEAKER_01: They're like, Yeah, no worries because you go.
32:39
SPEAKER_01: But for me, it's about whether we win or lose.
32:42
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I still want them to learn life lessons as they play football.
32:45
SPEAKER_01: And that's where I think it's important as well.
32:47
SPEAKER_01: Play and all that.
32:48
SPEAKER_01: But this is what I'm this is what I'm teaching, this is what you're learning out of this game of foot.
32:52
SPEAKER_01: If you push a little bit over here and push a bit more there, you might be thankful.
32:56
SPEAKER_01: There might be the difference whether you make it or not, you know, later on.
32:59
SPEAKER_01: So I'm very privileged and lucky that I get to coach these young kids as well.
33:02
SPEAKER_01: And I love it.
33:03
SPEAKER_01: I love it with a passion to see them when they go and play and the way they respond.
33:07
SPEAKER_01: It's it's a thrill for me.
33:08
SPEAKER_01: And you know, my assistant coach now this year was Severio Rocca, who's another AFL great.
33:13
SPEAKER_01: And the kids are lucky to have two AFL players at their disposal to help them, you know, improve.
33:19
SPEAKER_01: And, you know, I I absolutely love it.
33:22
SPEAKER_01: I'm I'm raped that I decided to do it.
33:23
SPEAKER_01: It's kept me busy, but it's a thrill.
33:26
SPEAKER_00: Well, aren't they lucky to have you?
33:27
SPEAKER_00: I tell you what, and your son must be thrilled that dad's there, as well as all his mates.
33:32
SPEAKER_00: They'll probably be hysterical every weekend that they get to hang with you and learn from you.
33:36
SPEAKER_00: Well, on that note, I just want to thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learnt, take us on your journey, and hopefully you're successful.
33:46
SPEAKER_00: And the transformation of Melbourne is up ahead.
33:50
SPEAKER_00: Um, lots of good things there, lots of good irons in the fire.
33:53
SPEAKER_00: It's just a question of where it's all going to land.
33:56
SPEAKER_00: But it sounds like you've got a vision and a passion, and that's what we need.
33:59
SPEAKER_01: I appreciate your time, Deborah.
34:00
SPEAKER_01: Thank you so, so much for having me on.
34:02
SPEAKER_00: Absolute pleasure.
34:03
SPEAKER_00: Good luck, Kuda.
34:05
SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
34:09
SPEAKER_00: Thanks so much for listening.
34:11
SPEAKER_00: I'm blessed to have so many wonderful guests coming on the show.
34:14
SPEAKER_00: So check out my What I've Learned Instagram for updates.
34:18
SPEAKER_00: Meanwhile, stay tuned, kind and curious.
34:21
SPEAKER_00: Love Jeff.