Greats

Rien MacDonald
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Discover what made history's greatest athletes, great. I read a book on an athlete, and tell you what made them one of the all-time greats.

Episodes

  1. Sep 28

    #7 - Leigh Matthews

    Episode 7 of Greats on Leigh Matthews. I read the book ‘Accept The Challenge” by Leigh Matthews. Leigh Matthews grew up in the southern suburbs of Melbourne and played for Hawthorn. In 332 games he kicked 915 goals between 1969–1985, winning four premierships (1971, 1976, 1978, 1983) and eight best-and-fairest awards. He retired in 1985, with his last game coming on the 28th of September in Hawthorn’s Grand Final loss to Essendon. 5 seasons later, and he was back in a Grand Final, this time as coach of Collingwood, has he led them to their first Premiership in over three decades. Just over a decade later, he took the Brisbane Lions to an incredible three-peat. He was declared AFL/VFL Player of the 20th Century by the Herald Sun in 1999. Nicknamed ‘Lethal Leigh’ for his uncompromising nature on field, I found this book to be incredibly honest and a brilliant insight into what it takes to be the best in one of the greatest sports on earth. Support the podcast for free, by simply engaging with the content. Whether sharing it with a friend, talking about it in conversation with another whom you think will benefit from these stories, or simply commenting/sharing it on social media. Follow Greats on Instagram and TikTok. Shot on iPhone. Edited on Premiere Pro. Recorded on RØDE.

  2. Aug 21

    #6 - Usain Bolt

    Episode 6 of Greats on Usain Bolt. I read the book ‘Usain Bolt - Faster Than Lightning - My Story’. Usain Bolt burst onto the international scene at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and remained there for nearly a decade, sweeping 19 gold medals across major tournaments in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay track events. No one compares to the showman he was on the track. I loved reading this colourful book on his life and I hope you enjoy listening to my favourite takeaways. Support the podcast for free, by simply engaging with the content. Whether sharing it with a friend, talking about it in conversation with another whom you think will benefit from these stories, or simply commenting/sharing it on social media. Follow Greats on Instagram and TikTok. Shot on iPhone. Edited on Premiere Pro. Recorded on RØDE.

  3. Jul 11

    #5 - Steve Prefontaine

    Episode 5 of Greats on Steve Prefontaine. I read Pre: The Story of America’s Greatest Running Legend, Steve Prefontaine by Tom Jordan. Steve Prefontaine was the first ‘cool’ runner. Only, he wasn’t cool because of his sweeping locks and thick moustache, he was cool because of how he treated the art of running. His art, was to go for broke and leave it all out there, whether it was training or in a race. I loved reading this book and it arguably was the initial spark for this podcast upon first reading it back in early 2025. Support the podcast for free, by simply engaging with the content. Whether sharing it with a friend, talking about it in conversation with another whom you think will benefit from these stories, or simply commenting/sharing it on social media. Buy the book, supporting yourself and the podcast simultaneously, via this link. Follow Greats on Instagram and TikTok. Shot on iPhone. Edited on Premiere Pro. Recorded on RØDE.

  4. Apr 17

    #4 - Robert de Castella

    Episode 4 of Greats on Robert de Castella. I read the book ‘Deek, The Making of Australia’s World Marathon Champion by Robert de Castella and Mike Jenkinson. Deek as he was known was and still is one of Australia’s greatest long distance runners. He held the Australian record for over 35 years and this week 40 years ago, set his PB in the Boston Marathon, a race he also won. A great book and incredible insight into what makes a marathon runner able to do what they do. Support the podcast for free, by simply engaging with the content. Whether sharing it with a friend, talking about it in conversation with another whom you think will benefit from these stories, or simply commenting/sharing it on social media. Buy the book, supporting yourself and the podcast simultaneously, via this link. Follow Greats on Instagram and TikTok. Shot on iPhone. Edited on Premiere Pro. Recorded on RØDE.

  5. Feb 24

    #3 - Michael Jordan

    Episode 3 of Greats, I read Michael Jordan The Life by Roland Lazenby. Michael Jordan is basketball royalty. His Airness revolutionised what it meant to be a baller in the 90’s driving his Chicago Bulls to two three-peats. In this episode, I unpack the competitive drive of a man who would stop at nothing to win. Thanks for being here and I hope you enjoy listening and applying the lessons in your life. Godspeed. Support the podcast for free, by simply engaging with the content. Whether sharing it with a friend, talking about it in conversation with another whom you think will benefit from these stories, or simply commenting/sharing it on social media. Buy the book, supporting yourself and the podcast simultaneously, via this link. Follow Greats on Instagram and TikTok. Shot on iPhone. Edited on Final Cut Pro. Recorded on RØDE.

  6. Feb 13

    #2 - Tiger Woods

    Episode 2 of Greats, I read Tiger Woods by Jeff Benedict and Armen Keteyian. One of the best athletes of all time, Tiger as he’s known across the world was built, ruthlessly, for the game of golf. From just 6 months, he was fed whilst watching his father hit golf balls in his family home, and by 2, and a swing most adults would love to have as their own. In this episode, I unpack 3 key themes that I think made Tiger the greatest golfer of all time, and which ultimately led to his personal destruction. Those themes are practice, focus/competitive edge and visualisation, and finally bad and good mentors in his life. Thanks for being here and I hope you enjoy listening and applying the lessons in your life. Godspeed. Support the podcast for free, by simply engaging with the content. Whether sharing it with a friend, talking about it in conversation with another whom you think will benefit from these stories, or simply commenting/sharing it on social media. Buy the book, supporting yourself and the podcast simultaneously, via this link. Follow Greats on Instagram. Shot on iPhone. Recorded on RØDE.

  7. Jan 28

    #1 - Novak Djokovic

    In this first episode of Greats, I read Searching for Novak by Mark Hodgkinson. Thank you for being here. This has been a project I have had in my mind for some time, and it feels good, dare I say great, to put it out into the world and share it with you. From the moment he picked up a racquet, Novak Djokovic was destined for greatness. It wasn’t just his father and family that thought this; it was his first coach Jelena Gencic and many who crossed paths with the determined boy from Belgrade, Serbia. What Novak has been able to achieve in his career to date, is nothing short of breathtaking. A record 24 Majors and 400 weeks in the number 1 ranking are just some of the numbers. It was a privilege to be able to read this book and fun to unpack what I found most interesting about this mans life. I hope you find some of it interesting to, and apply it to your life for the better. And so may we all. Godspeed. Support the podcast for free, please simply engage with the content. Whether sharing it with a friend, talking about it in conversation with another whom you think will benefit from these stories, or simply commenting/sharing it on social media. Buy the book, supporting yourself and the podcast simultaneously, via this link. Follow Greats on Instagram. Shot on iPhone. Recorded on RØDE.

  • 7 Episodes

About

Discover what made history's greatest athletes, great. I read a book on an athlete, and tell you what made them one of the all-time greats.

Information

  • Creator
    Rien MacDonald
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    7
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Rien MacDonald
  • Show Website
    Greats

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