Sporting Max

Sporting Max
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Our host Max Becker takes us on the journey of the lives of sporting stars, their careers, struggles, growing up and of course a few laughs along the way!

  1. 2d ago

    Claudia Brassard: Inside the Tasmania Jewels | #264

    In episode 264, Max chats with inaugural Tasmania Jewels head coach Claudia Brassard! From representing Canada at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games to winning WNBL championships as both a player and coach, Claudia reflects on the experiences that have shaped one of the most respected coaching careers in Australian basketball. We dive into the opportunity to build the Tasmania Jewels from the ground up, creating a destination club, the importance of recruiting people before players, developing a high-performance culture, leadership, accountability, and the values that will define the inaugural WNBL season. Claudia also shares behind-the-scenes stories from the Sydney Olympics, earning a professional contract while backpacking through Australia, helping save the Townsville Fire, winning WNBL championships, working alongside Scott Roth, and what separates good teams from championship-winning teams. A fascinating conversation on leadership, culture, high performance, team building, and what it takes to create sustained success. All this and much more in episode 264 of Sporting Max! www.instagram.com/sportingmax.podcast/

  2. 6d ago

    Alicia Lucas: Inside Australia's Olympic Rugby Sevens Gold | #263

    In episode 263, Max chats with Australian Rugby Sevens legend and Olympic gold medallist Alicia Lucas! From growing up in Wagga Wagga to receiving a life-changing letter from Rugby Australia, Alicia reflects on her incredible journey from touch football to becoming one of Australia's most decorated Rugby Sevens players and an Olympic champion. We dive into Australia's historic Rio 2016 gold medal campaign, the mindset that transformed the program into the world's best, what Tim Walsh did to build a championship culture, the famous "they fear the black jersey" comment before the Olympic final against New Zealand, and what it was like competing on sport's biggest stage. Plus, Alicia shares the challenges of learning rugby from scratch, the sacrifices required to become a full-time athlete, life inside the Olympic Village, returning to elite sport after motherhood, transitioning into coaching and commentary, and the lessons she's learned throughout an extraordinary career. A fascinating conversation on high performance, resilience, leadership, Olympic success, and what it takes to build a championship mindset. All this and much more in episode 263 of Sporting Max! www.instagram.com/sportingmax.podcast/

  3. Jul 27

    Simon Madden: The Truth About Essendon's Future | #262

    In episode 262, Max chats with Essendon legend Simon Madden! From debuting for Essendon as a 16-year-old to becoming one of the greatest players in AFL history, Simon reflects on the defining moments of his remarkable career, the lessons behind the Bombers' premiership dynasty, and what the club must do to return to sustained success. We dive into Essendon's coaching search, why James Hird should earn the role through the process, what the next senior coach must get right, building a winning culture, and the leadership philosophies that shaped one of the AFL's most successful eras under Kevin Sheedy. Plus, Simon shares behind-the-scenes stories from the 1984 and 1985 premierships, the famous $550,000 Sydney Swans offer that nearly changed football history, the supplements saga, overcoming adversity, and the mindset that helped him build one of the greatest careers the game has seen. A fascinating conversation on leadership, culture, resilience, success, and what it truly takes to build a great football club. All this and much more in episode 262 of Sporting Max! www.instagram.com/sportingmax.podcast/

  4. Jul 22

    Damien Austin: How the Brisbane Lions Built a Dynasty | #261

    In episode 261, Max chats with Brisbane Lions Head of High Performance Damian Austin. From rebuilding the Brisbane Lions into a premiership team to managing elite athletes through the biggest moments of their careers, Damian provides a rare insight into what it takes to build a high-performance environment in the AFL. We dive into the Lions' rise from the bottom of the ladder to the 2024 premiership, the philosophy behind creating a winning culture, why relationships matter more than data, the club's remarkable turnaround after a 2–5 start, and the mindset that drove sustained success. Plus, Damian shares behind-the-scenes stories on Lachie Neale's race against time to play in the Grand Final, the famous GWS finals comeback, developing young players, and the lessons he's learned across more than three decades in elite sport. A fascinating conversation on leadership, high performance, resilience and building championship teams. All this and much more in episode 261 of Sporting Max! www.instagram.com/sportingmax.podcast/

  5. Jul 15

    Joel Khalu: Inside the Illawarra Hawks' Championship Culture | #260

    In episode 260, Max chats with Illawarra Hawks Assistant Coach Joel Khalu! From growing up in Cairns and discovering basketball as a teenager, to playing college basketball in the United States, leading programmes across Australia and Papua New Guinea, and helping guide the Illawarra Hawks to an NBL championship, Joel's journey is a remarkable story of persistence, leadership, and a lifelong commitment to developing people through basketball. Joel takes us inside the Hawks' championship-winning culture, reflecting on the challenges of defending a title, integrating JaVale McGee into the roster, the leadership of Tyler Harvey, and the standards that helped build one of the NBL's best teams. We also dive into his coaching philosophy, the influence of mentors including Justin Tatum, why authenticity has become the foundation of his leadership style, and the lessons he's taken from coaching at every level of the game. Plus, Joel shares fascinating stories from his time leading the Papua New Guinea national team, founding the Hoop Dreaming Project, working throughout Indigenous communities in Far North Queensland, and how basketball has become a vehicle for creating opportunities and changing lives. A fascinating conversation on leadership, high performance, player development, culture, resilience, and building winning basketball programmes. All this and much more in episode 260 of Sporting Max! www.instagram.com/sportingmax.podcast/

  6. Jul 10

    Lisa Willis: From the WNBA & Team USA to Coaching the New York Knicks | #259

    In episode 259, Max chats with former WNBA star, Team USA gold medallist, UCLA legend, and former New York Knicks assistant coach Lisa Willis! From dominating high school basketball in California to becoming one of the greatest defenders in UCLA history, being selected fifth overall in the WNBA Draft, and representing Team USA on the international stage, Lisa's journey is one of relentless self-improvement, resilience, and an obsession with mastering her craft. Lisa takes us inside the mindset that drove her career, including the lessons her father instilled from a young age, developing an elite basketball IQ, competing against some of the best players in the world, and why she always believed the game was won by understanding the "game within the game." We also dive into her experiences at UCLA, winning a Pac-10 Championship, representing Team USA, hearing her name called on WNBA Draft night, adjusting to life in the WNBA, leading the league in three-point shooting, and the realities of competing professionally across the United States, Russia, and Greece. Lisa also shares fascinating insights into becoming the first woman to coach in the New York Knicks organisation, earning the respect of NBA players, transitioning out of professional sport, and the identity challenges many athletes face once their playing careers come to an end. Plus, we discuss resilience, leadership, confidence under pressure, developing elite performers, and the principles behind her SPORT Method, which she now uses to help Fortune 500 executives, CEOs, and elite athletes recover from setbacks and perform at their best. A fascinating conversation on leadership, resilience, high performance, mindset, and what it really takes to succeed at the highest level. All this and much more in episode 259 of Sporting Max! www.instagram.com/sportingmax.podcast/

  7. Jul 6

    Dillon Boucher: Inside the New Zealand Breakers' Championship Rebuild | #258

    In episode 258, Max chats with New Zealand Breakers General Manager Dillon Boucher for an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at one of the biggest offseasons in the NBL! From appointing FIBA World Cup-winning coach Gordon Herbert to landing DJ Vasiljević and reigning NBL champion Kouat Noi, Dillon explains the philosophy behind every major decision and how the Breakers identified leadership, shooting, and experience as the areas that needed to improve. We also dive into what makes Gordon Herbert one of the world's most respected coaches, why DJ Vasiljević became an immediate priority when he became available, the importance of maintaining a strong Kiwi core, and the championship expectations surrounding the club heading into NBL27. Plus, Dillon shares insights into modern list building, balancing local identity with elite talent, and the process of constructing a roster capable of competing for a championship. A fascinating behind-the-scenes conversation on leadership, recruitment, culture, and building a winning basketball program. All this and much more in episode 258 of Sporting Max! www.instagram.com/sportingmax.podcast/

  8. Jun 29

    John Giramondo: Inside AFL Recruiting & How The Sydney Swans Build a Contender | #257

    In episode 257, Max chats with Sydney Swans National Recruiting Manager John Giromondo! After building his career through North Melbourne, Brisbane and the GWS Giants, John now leads recruiting at one of the AFL's most consistently successful clubs. John takes us inside the world of AFL recruiting, explaining what clubs are really looking for when identifying talent, how draft decisions are made, and why recruiting is about far more than simply watching highlights and reading statistics. We dive into the evolution of recruiting, how clubs assess character, personality and athletic potential, and the growing role of GPS data, testing metrics and psychological profiling in modern talent identification. John also shares insights into recruiting players such as Aaron Cadman and Finn Callaghan, what stood out about them as prospects, and how recruiters balance upside, potential and proven performance when making career-defining decisions. Plus, we discuss the rise of mature-age recruiting, life inside AFL draft rooms, how recruiting teams prepare for draft night, handling criticism when decisions don't work out, and the challenge of building a list capable of sustained success. A fascinating behind-the-scenes conversation on talent identification, decision making, leadership and the realities of AFL recruiting. All this and much more in episode 255 of Sporting Max! www.instagram.com/sportingmax.podcast/

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About

Our host Max Becker takes us on the journey of the lives of sporting stars, their careers, struggles, growing up and of course a few laughs along the way!

Information

  • Creator
    Sporting Max
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    278
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    Sporting Max

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