Ashleigh Nelson Interview
It's time to bring you our first ever Field Hockey athlete today as we speak with London Olympian Ashleigh Nelson about her incredible career for the Hockeyroos and Olympic experiences! We find out from Ash more about growing up in rural Western Australia and how deciding not to go on a trip with her family ultimately helped her towards her future Olympic appearance. We also learn more about her initial feelings of making the Hockeyroos and how she was able to turn that experience around into playing the best hockey she has played in her career between narrowly missing out on a spot in Beijing to her eventual London appearance. Added to that we also find out just why she can't stop meeting the Queen and why she probably won't be eating too many chicken sandwiches from the UK anymore. It's a great chat that you won't want to miss!
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
Please note this is an automated transcript that may contain errors.
BEN WATERWORTH: It is Off The Podium, An Olympics Podcast, coming to you once again for another interview episode. A brand new sport on the show. We're speaking to an athlete from a sport we have never, ever spoken to, field hockey. Finally, it's my sport. It's a sport. I very much could have been an Olympian in, maybe, would have had to be good for that. Ashleigh Nelson, a hockey roo, played in the 2012 London Olympics, stellar career for the hockey roo. You'll hear me in just a moment mention how many games and goals and medals and everything she achieved across her very esteemed career. And this is a great chat, learning a little bit about how she got into the sport. While the Olympics weren't necessarily a goal for her when she did first start playing the Olympics, a real sliding doors moment for her in what led her on a path to eventually representing Australia in the Olympics, as well as talking about some challenges that came with her representing Australia at the beginning, and sort of the challenging way her career essentially ended what prevented her from going to a second Olympics in Rio. Great chat, really learning a great insight into her career, as well as a bit on the sport of field hockey, which as you'll hear me say in this interview, will drop the field from at some point and talk about the real hockey. Sorry Canada, if you are listening. Here's our chat with 2012 London Olympian in the sport of field hockey slash hockey, Ashleigh Nelson.
BEN WATERWORTH: Always excited to bring a new sport to Off The Podium, and a sport which I'm actually quite ashamed that we have taken so long to talk about on this show, because this is the one sport that I can actually say I could have made the Olympics, maybe, if I was any good at it, field hockey. And we've got our first athlete from field hockey today. She competed in 205 games for the hockey group, scored 69 goals, represented Australia at the 2012 London Olympics. She's a two-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist, a World Cup and Champions Trophy silver medallist. And let's be honest, from the best sport at Asia Olympics, because it's field hockey and it's a great sport. Ashleigh Nelson is with us today. Ash, first of all, welcome to Off The Podium. It's a pleasure to have you on the show today.
ASHLEIGH NELSON: Thank you so much. I'm sure our credentials are exactly the same. I've heard about your reputation of playing hockey and very, very good.
BEN WATERWORTH: Well, that just settles it then. I don't need to achieve anything more on this show. I am known outside of Tasmania. So yes, obviously, I really didn't want to pursue the whole career because I just would have been too good. And I just want to give everyone else a chance, you know?
ASHLEIGH NELSON: The financial gains as well are great. So you really missed out there. Pleasure to be on the podcast. And it's good that you finally got field hockey on.
BEN WATERWORTH: Yeah, somehow we've had two ice hockey people on before we've had field hockey people on. So I don't know how we've managed that. I guess it's that whole Canadian connection we have. But I love obviously the sport of, I'm gonna start calling it hockey. We don't need to refer to it as field hockey. We've done the introduction now. The Canadians can put up with us calling it hockey here. I obviously love hockey. Australians love hockey. I mean, it's such a popular sport here in this country. And you obviously started playing it at a very young age. When you started sort of playing the sport and kind of going through the ranks, was this always something that you sort of strive towards for putting on the hockey ruse, jersey and going to an Olympic Games?
ASHLEIGH NELSON: Probably not to be honest. I actually grew up in a small country town in Wajin, which has about a population of just over sort of a thousand or so people. And my family actually were playing down there. And I kind of went along as a five-year-old and my two older brothers were playing, and my dad was playing and aunties were playing. So it was kind of one of those things that you just kind of went and did. And so I kind of tagged along. And as I kind of went on, I got a little bit better as you do when you're competitive with your brothers. And at the end of the day, I went to boarding school up in Perth. And by that stage, I just sort of played hockey in Perth. And you kind of get a little bit more exposed to the level of competition. And it's at that moment that I realised when I was about 14, I was like, oh, you know what, maybe I'm actually not too bad at this whole field hockey kind of thing. And I kind of went on and I went to my first state tryout. And I had a bit of a sliding door moment because I went and I tried and I got through the first round and my family was going away on holidays. And I was like, oh, you know what, I really want to go on this family holiday rather than go to the second tryout to make the state team. And my mum and dad sort of said to me, listen, you've made the commitment, you've signed up, you should see through the trials. You're not going to be able to go on your holiday down to a place called Albany, which is, you know, that's a nice place, but I wouldn't say that it's like going overseas or anything along those lines. So anyway, I went along and I kept up and managed to make my first state team. So, you know, it was a sliding door moment of basically, I either go on holidays with my family or I sort of start my hockey career. And from there, things just kind of, you know, sort of fell my way. And by the time I sort of got to 21 was when I made my debut for Australia. So sort of to answer your question, no, I didn't think that was very good. No, I didn't have any aspirations to be an Olympian. I don't think I ever really watched hockey all that much growing up. It just sort of happened to be the one sport that I was good at because to be honest, I'm pretty terrible at different types of sports. I'm not particularly coordinated and I've got horrible balance. So it just kind of happens that hockey must have been my thing.
BEN WATERWORTH: I was going to ask, were you growing up sort of watching the hockey ruse, Atlanta, Sydney, back to back gold or anything along those lines? But were you aware sort of that moment you pull on the hockey ruse jersey, obviously of that success and kind of the history and everything that sort of had come with the team at the Olympics?
ASHLEIGH NELSON: Oh, absolutely. Later on as you sort of start to become more invested in the sport and spend more time in the sport and develop, you certainly start to understand just how good they were. And unfortunately, you sort of go back and you kind of take a look at footage. And there's not a whole heap of footage to watch, but the footage that you do see, there were certainly some very, very talented women within those sides that had sustained success over that period of time. So as I've got older, I think I've appreciated it more, but just when I was younger, I think that I sort of, when I went to the, watched the Olympics, it was always kind of swimming that I remember or athletics that I remember, not necessarily hockey.
BEN WATERWORTH: Yeah, yeah. Did you end up ever going to Albany then, Ash? Like you made it there eventually?
ASHLEIGH NELSON: Albany, I love it because over here we call it Albany. But yes, and you know what? I actually went back the other week to Albany and it is very beautiful. It actually reminds me a lot of Tasmania. It's a very sort of southern town, very cold, but it's got beautiful views and the whales are in at the moment. So gorgeous place, got there eventually and managed to have a hockey career as well. So at the end of the day, I didn't really miss out too much. I think I made the right decision not to go.
BEN WATERWORTH: I think so. It seems that way. Now I always, I love it when we get people on the show from sort of small towns and finding out who is notable from those small towns. Are you the only Olympian from Waging? Because I believe Waging is the home of the Materias. So obviously known for them, but are you the only Olympian to come from Waging?
ASHLEIGH NELSON: I am the only, I think I am the only Olympian to come from there, but certainly it is known as the home of the Materias. So those that maybe don't really know AFL, two really Aussie rules, great players, Phil and Peter Matera. Wally Matera was actually really good as well, sort of played more at a waffle level. But yes, they're probably the great sporting prodigies that came from the town at the time. And again, I've managed to come along and represent hockey. But there's a great pedigree of athletes actually coming from the great Southern region. Bevan George, who also went to the Olympics with the men and managed to win gold. He's from Narragans, so not too far away. So it's kind of one of those things that we sort of claim him as a Wajan person as well, Narragans, Wajans, same, same, but different.
BEN WATERWORTH: Well, I'm going to ask us quickly on the topic of AFL then. Are you Freo, West Coast, kind of go outside of Perth? Like, is there a preference?
ASHLEIGH NELSON: No, I am West Coast. And I actually went to the 1992 Grand Final at the MCG. Yeah, when West Coast, I was five years of age, and I still remember it because we made this wonderful sign for Peter Matera. And we went to put it up and we got immediately told to take it down because it wasn't sort of kosher. And at that moment in time, I think I chucked the biggest hissy fit that has ever been seen. And then I slept through the entire Grand Final only to wake up to go onto the grounds of the MCG and cry the whole time there as well. So there's this photo of me on the MCG looking gorgeous with these little stockings and my West Coast Eagles jersey on. And I've just got this red face and look like I've been crying for about the whole game. And that's my memory. So, wow, I am a West Coast Eagles passionate supporter. This year left a little bit to be desired. But, yeah, I do follow you get a grand final in your backyard, slight consolation. It's very exciting. Finally, we get the AFL grand final over here and neither side makes it. Yeah. Typical.
BEN WATERWORTH: Wow. Typical indeed. The one thing I love about Perth and Western Australia, I mean, it's kind of that colloquialism, the pride that you have sort of coming from Perth. And then I can imagine when you make a national team coming from Perth, I mean, were there many other sort of teammates that were from that region? Would you sort of when you were making the team had gone up the ranks sort of through Western Australian Hockey with some other girls and does that make a little bit more special when there's kind of a group of you making a team, you know, from Perth?
ASHLEIGH NELSON: Yeah, I think it does. I think that WA has kind of had a little bit of a funny history with representation within the hockey rules. And probably when I first sort of started, I'd have to say that there actually wasn't sort of too many in there. We were a very strong state when it came to actually playing our Australian Hockey League in terms of winning, but it didn't really translate to selection within the hockey rules. So when I sort of came in, M. Halliday had really been sort of holding the mantle, so to speak, as far as being the WA person to be within the hockey rules. But then to WA's credit and also the development that they put into players, we kind of had quite a rapid influx of WA players make it into the hockey rules. So that was really nice to see. And there was probably at the time between four or five girls from Western Australia any given time within the team while I was sort of playing across my 10 year tenure. And you know, the interesting thing about it is that majority, you would say, would have come from the country. So it just sort of shows that coming from a country area here in Australia, relatively isolated, doesn't necessarily equate to not being able to make it at an international level. If anything, you know, coming from the upper great southern or your sort of southwest region, it's probably a little bit more common that you would make it at an international level.
BEN WATERWORTH: I'll crack myself too. I mentioned Perth about 20 times in that question, not Western Australia, of course.
ASHLEIGH NELSON: That's okay.
BEN WATERWORTH: There's more to WA than just simply Perth. So when you made your debut for the Hokie Rouge, you mentioned you were about 21. So was this roughly around about the time of Beijing? Was it after, I mean, was sort of you on the cusp of potentially making a Beijing Olympic team?
ASHLEIGH NELSON: Yeah. So I kind of had a relatively sort of interesting start. I probably my development was interrupted. I had a knee reconstruction really young as a 17 year old, so got into year 12 and I slipped on a stick and I partially tore my ACL and then after that, I went around a goalkeeper and then it fully went. So I probably had to have an ACL repair at quite a young age. So it took me a little while to probably get back up to speed and I went to an under 21 tournament, funnily enough, in Tasmania, where you're from. And that's when I first got selected to go to play for the Hockey Roos. So I think there'd be some kind of injury. Somebody had maybe broken their hand off. And I got a phone call out of the blue one day. And they just said, we need you to get on a plane and come over to South Australia. You've been selected to play for the Hockey Roos. And at that moment in time, I'd had really limited sort of experience with training at that sort of elite level. But, you know, you take the phone call and you'll agree, still to this day, don't know who actually called me. But I got on the plane and headed over and made my debut in South Australia. And I did, I guess I did well enough. That was in 2017. So sort of the year before Beijing Olympics. I think it was enough to kind of show that maybe I had sort of potential to be a future player. And so I got selected in the Olympic squad to go to Beijing. But to be honest, in hindsight, while it was a good experience in terms of being part of an Olympic training program, for that to be my first year within an elite environment, it probably I don't think I was physically nor sort of psychologically ready for being in that environment for my first year. And I think that we probably have got a lot better in terms of managing athletes and their expectations and also the expectations of the organisation for those first year athletes coming through. So yeah, to say that it was a positive experience in that first year, probably I learned a lot about myself, but it was a very sort of stressful year. And you know, going forward from that, I think that it made me a better player, but I think it could have been managed a lot better.
BEN WATERWORTH: What was the aspect of it that was so stressful? Was it the fact that all of a sudden, you're now on the hockey squad, and it's just dealing with all of a sudden making it to the highest level of the sport?
ASHLEIGH NELSON: Yeah, well, I think that it's really important to kind of, you know, when you've got a first year player coming in to make sure that you know what sort of the expectations are of you. You know, if I got selected for the Olympics, it would have just been an added bonus. You know, really, they selected me to be part of the squad to get that experience. But I think I kind of headed into it and straight away put the pressure on my shoulders of, well, I'm in the squad, you know, people expect me to be selected for the Olympics and you know, it's a lot to kind of take on and already you're sort of on the back foot because you've competed against girls that have had, you know, four to sometimes, you know, eight years within the program already. So, you know, you're sort of playing catch up. And then to put that pressure on your shoulders straight away of going to Olympic games when really it's probably not necessarily the most realistic thing. I think that that was quite hard to grapple with. And you know, I felt like I was letting people down if I didn't get selected. And it's just kind of probably a young mentality to have. But we need to remember that we're, you know, dealing with young girls and young boys that, you know, some of them are only sort of late teens or early 20s and probably don't have that perspective or ability to kind of reason as to, you know, being able to kind of put things into perspective and say, if you go as a bonus, if you don't, you've had the experience of actually being part of an Olympic campaign. And that's more than enough. So I don't think I really had that sort of support or that discussion with my coach at that moment in time. And it would have been really valuable to kind of have. And like I said, I think that that certainly has changed as, you know, we've come to sort of understand the importance of mental health. And yeah, it's good to hear that, you know, people kind of coming through now, I think have a bit more of a base, both psychologically and also physically when they come into a program.
BEN WATERWORTH: I was going to ask if that is changing and if it's not, is it something that you are or would like to sort of be more involved in based on the experiences that you had back when you first made the squad?
ASHLEIGH NELSON: Listen, it definitely has changed and it changed in the time that I was actually part of the program. You know, like now when there's a new player that comes in, there's not necessarily the expectation of doing the same physical components or training program as somebody that has four years experience. You know, there's a gradual introduction. Whereas when I came in, it was kind of like, well, you're in here now, so you do the entire thing the same as everybody else. I think that there's a little bit more understanding that, you know, you're spending time away from home and getting these young girls and boys to make sure that they go back on a little bit more regular basis is really important as well. So it certainly has changed for the better. And there's a lot more awareness on it as well. I'm part of the Players Association. And so certainly trying to, I guess, make it a little bit more professional. And, you know, when you go into a business now as to just how much emphasis they put on understanding people's mental health just as much as making sure that they're, you know, physically well. So it is a positive thing. It was a hard lesson maybe to sort of learn as a, what, 21 year old, not to, I guess, pin your self-esteem and your self-value on your performance in hockey. But moving forward, that certainly helped me with sort of, you know, when you have an injury or might not necessarily be performing to your best level, that I still had a positive level of a self-esteem.
BEN WATERWORTH: What was that moment like? Can you remember, Ash, when you got that phone call, you got the call up and you're wearing the Hockey Roos clothes, you're representing your country, you know, is at that point just everything sort of had come to that point where it maybe not necessarily was the goal starting off in hockey, but here you are. Is it before you're at the peak of the sport, you're representing your country in the sport?
ASHLEIGH NELSON: Yeah, to be honest, I think that when I made my debut, it was just such a whirlwind. I mean, the whole process of getting over to South Australia to meet the team, having the random call up and getting there. And then all of a sudden, you know, being expected to play, like it just seemed like it was a bit of a dream. And I remember kind of getting it onto the field. In the first five minutes, I was absolutely exhausted. Like the intensity and the level was just so much higher than playing, you know, state under 21s. So I think I remember coming off the field going, oh my gosh, this is so quick, so fast. They are so fit. How am I going to run out the game? I've only been playing for five minutes and I'm exhausted. And I think also I was a little bit nervous because you are nervous of making a mistake. You know, you kind of put that pressure on yourself that you think everybody's perfect. And then I remembered that I finally got this one ball and I passed it through and to the lead of Nicky Hudson, who for those that don't really follow hockey, Nicky was sort of the very iconic player for the Hockey Roos, a very good player, captain of the team as well for a long period of time. Anyway, she got the ball and she just completely missed it, missed the goal. It was an open net and it was kind of, while it wasn't great that she missed it, because I think we ended up, we might've actually ended up winning, but I remember thinking, oh, that makes me feel a little bit better. Even Nicky Hudson makes a mistake like that. So that was a positive experience to sort of take away from the game. But yeah, probably the pinch me moment of knowing when I had made it was actually when I probably started to feel as though I was playing to my best level. And I think that sort of came in 2009 where I kind of had a standout tournament, which was Champions Trophy here in Sydney. And I was playing sort of midfield and I had come back after the 2008 Olympic campaign and wasn't really sure as to my longevity within the squad and team. And went out there for this Champions Trophy and just had a really strong, consistent tournament where I felt confident in what I was doing. I felt as though that I was, you know, I guess playing my part and my role, so to speak, within the team. And I felt like I was adding value to the team. And that's probably when I kind of went, this is what it feels like to be part of an elite team and be happy within a team and know that I've got the ability to kind of match it with the best in the world.
BEN WATERWORTH: In terms of sort of your positions over your career, I mean, did you prefer the midfield? Did you like it when you were at Ford? I mean, did you ever sort of dabble in defence much? Sort of, you know, what was kind of your preference over the career?
ASHLEIGH NELSON: Depends if I was scoring goals. If I was scoring goals, well, then I was enjoying being a Ford. If I wasn't, then I was a midfielder, you know? Good answer. The funny thing is, is that I'm still playing at the moment and I found myself at Centre Defender, Central Defender. And yeah, the only place I can go now is into being a goalkeeper. And then after that, I think I have to retire. So it's this kind of natural progression that as you get older, yeah, further and further back into the, you know, defence and then onto the sideline. And then I would just have to stick with coaching or something. But I actually, I think I preferred midfield. I think that it was a little bit easier to get involved in the game. And on top of that, I think my ability to kind of read the, read the ball and kind of get ahead of the play once we had that transition and turnover, allowed me to actually probably score more goals from the midfield than being a forward. So getting onto sort of what we call the back posts and getting those deflections and getting ahead of my fellow opponent. So yeah, I would say that my preference would be a midfielder, but hey, when you're in a team like that, you don't really say no to where you get put. You kind of just enjoy the moment and make the most of actually getting the opportunity.
BEN WATERWORTH: I was a goalie. I actually didn't start out that way. It was kind of just forced upon me. There was a season where we didn't have a goalie. We'd lost the opening two games, I think like 20-0 both games. So they're like, we need a goalie. Come on, Ben, your dad's a goalie. Put on pads. You've got them available. And it kind of stuck. And I guess my claim to fame, Ash, is that I stuck with that. And then eventually a certain Eddie Ockenden used to score about however many goals he did a game against me. So I interviewed him many years ago and I said, I think you owe your career to me for letting me practise all those goals that you scored back in the day. So I like to think that I made Eddie Ockenden happen.
ASHLEIGH NELSON: Hey, you know what? I think that you're not the only goalkeeper that Eddie Ockenden would have snuck a few goals past. He's a wonderful player. And that's the thing with being a goalkeeper. I think a lot of goalkeepers is very rare to hear a goalkeeper that goes, oh, I made the choice to be a goalkeeper. It usually happens at a junior level where there's that rotation system, isn't there? That you've got the one set of pads that's like a one size fits all. So no matter if you're this child giant or you're tiny, you gotta wear these pads. And basically stand in front of the goal and just hope that the ball actually gets hit at you in order to make a save. So I even had my stint as a goalkeeper. The key is just don't do well in it and then they don't put you in there again, you know?
BEN WATERWORTH: Well, I don't know how I kept my spot. The first game, we lost 15-nothing. And I remember though, everyone was like, oh, Ben, like you did, I think I got three votes. And they're like, we would have lost 30-nothing if you're like, we lost 15-nothing. I'm not best on ground.
ASHLEIGH NELSON: Well, you just kind of think how bad the other guys must have been.
BEN WATERWORTH: Exactly.
ASHLEIGH NELSON: You never know, you could have actually been quite good. And if you got Eddie Ockenden against you, they probably went, nah, 15's not too bad, he got 20, he got the other bloke.
BEN WATERWORTH: He had a bad game. He had a bad game. That period sort of make the team and obviously leads to an appearance at the London Olympics. And you sort of saying your breakout year in 2009, Commonwealth Games gold in 2010, obviously pretty special. I mean, sort of when you're going through the ranks and London's getting closer, you're on the squad. I mean, was this all of a sudden this just realistic goal that all of a sudden that, hey, this is what I'm striving towards. I want to make that Olympic team in 2012.
ASHLEIGH NELSON: Oh, absolutely. I think that 2012 London Olympics certainly was the goal and it was a really a sick goal, but a lot of people say, oh, you make your own luck. And to be honest, I think that in sport, there actually is a large element of luck that has to go your way in order to probably have the career that you aspire to have. And sometimes I have been lucky in my career, sometimes I haven't, but in lead up to the London Olympics, I actually had been playing quite well. And in my mind, I thought that if I keep on progressing the way that I'm progressing and playing the way that I'm playing, that I should be selected. But then I got a really bad bout of patellar tendonitis, which really affected me. Managed to come back from that tournament prior to the London Olympics. I ate a chicken sandwich prior to my 100th game. I got severe food poisoning, ended up in hospital. And so I didn't really get to play that tournament that was essentially a selection tournament for London. And I'd already missed a significant period of time off because of this patellar tendonitis. So, you know, I mean, what are the odds of eating a chicken sandwich and end up with food poisoning in hospital in a, you know, a tournament that essentially could sort of make or break whether or not you get selected for the London Olympics. So fortunately luck was on my side. And I think they sort of based my selection on what they knew I was capable of doing and how I had been playing prior to the tendonitis and my severe food poisoning. My poor roommate, I look back at that now and just think, gosh, the things that she probably would have seen and heard. It wasn't great. But luck was on my side there. And there's nothing that I could have really done about it.
BEN WATERWORTH: Where do you, do you never go back to that place again when you got the chicken sandwich? Like, I mean, gosh, I'd be scared off for life.
ASHLEIGH NELSON: To be honest, I think it was like one of those like Tesco's or Marks and Spencer or one of those stores. And I remember thinking at the time though, which is weird. I was like, you know what? This is a really good chicken sandwich that I've made. I'm feeling really good about this. And then I was getting strapped for physio and went, you know what? I'm actually not feeling so good now. And yeah, quick trip to the bathroom. And it was all downhill from there. I think that I spent my 100th day well playing against Holland. And it was in England and it was like a makeshift turf that they'd put into place. And so they didn't really have like a stadium. So they had these kind of like little portable loos at the back of the turf. And so that's where I spent my 100th game. It was a really memorable moment. And from there, it was all downhill, ended up getting admitted to hospital because I just couldn't keep anything down. So it wasn't the best time of my life, but it's kind of funny now that you look back at it and all worked out. But, you know, I look, I fast forward to sort of Rio Olympics and 100 days out from Rio, same kind of thing. And I thought, yep, been playing really well, looking like I should go if I can kind of, you know, keep my position with the team and keep on progressing. And then I tore my ACL again. So, you know, you kind of go, well, there's nothing that I could do. I put my best foot forward, did everything right, but I got an injury that essentially ruled me out for my Olympic campaign. The timing was just really bad. So I think luck does play a large element in whether or not, you know, you go to the Olympics one time, two times, three times. You know, I was eligible to go three times. Probably two of them were realistic to go to and only end up going to one.
BEN WATERWORTH: Hmm, I was going to say sort of, you mentioned before that sliding doors moment that sort of, you know, got you representing the state and everything. It's kind of almost a little bit that way that one thing got in a different way. You could have been on that plane to Beijing and one thing got in a different way. You could have been Rio, yeah, three time Olympian, which I mean, at the end of the day, though, you're an Olympian. No one can ever take that away from you. You got to experience London, you know, one, three, obviously. At the end of the day, you've got the OLY after you name all the time, Ash, it can never be removed. I mean, just that experience of representing Australia at an Olympics, kind of not just in the competition side of things, but being in the village, kind of experience all of that lifestyle. I mean, how can you describe that? How do you reflect on that sort of nearly a decade later?
ASHLEIGH NELSON: Oh, I think that... And this is, you know, what I sort of said about that moment in time, in sort of 2008, I walked away from that, I guess, learning how to put things into a bit more sort of perspective and, you know, not base my self-worth based on my hockey performance. And it was an important lesson because, you know, if we were just solely basing whether or not you had a successful career on the amount of Olympics that you went to, there would certainly be some people that are very, very talented that, you know, were successful in their own right, but maybe just didn't kind of go to the Olympic Games. I was very proud and still very proud of my career, you know, to play over 200 games for Australia, go to multiple com games and World Cups, which, you know, World Cups and Olympics are sort of on par to a certain extent. But yeah, to go to London, I think, out of, you know, all the Olympics, it was a pretty special Olympics to go to, just based on, you know, how well to put together it was, you know, the athletes that were there competing. And then also, you know, the things around the Olympics that don't necessarily focus on competition was pretty special. I mean, I got to see the Spice Girls in the closing ceremony. How many people get to see the Spice Girls live? You know, not many, so it certainly was a memorable moment. And I've never seen so many grown men squeal with delight when the Spice Girls came out, aside from maybe Kylie Minogue when she came out for the closing ceremony of the Comm Games. So, yeah, it was, you know, London was amazing and felt very, very fortunate to have a wonderful experience there.
BEN WATERWORTH: I was going to say, that's a good answer, that people still react that way to Kylie in Glasgow as well. So, you know, that's a difficult one. Like, I mean, I'm guessing you've mentioned the Spice Girls, but I mean, what was it, Kylie like at Glasgow? Kind of, was it up there?
ASHLEIGH NELSON: Yeah, yeah, it was very, very good. And yeah, I think that, you know, she's just such an icon. You know, when you think about Aussie singers, you think Kylie, you think Johnny Farnham, and they just elicit a response. Even if you don't necessarily like, I'd very rarely, to be honest, listen to Kylie Minogue's music. But when she comes out and she's got her gold hot pants on and, you know, looks amazing for whatever age she actually is, you just appreciate that moment because she's such an entertainer. And those are the little things that I think that when you're a hockey player or when you're in a sport that sometimes doesn't necessarily pay like a professional sport, you kind of wonder why you do it, and you do it because you love the game, but you also do it because there's opportunities outside of financial game. They're really quite special, you know, like you sort of look at the AFL players and guess what, they've got a career, financial sort of career backing, you know, to go to Olympic games really is a unique experience. Now it'd be great to be able to kind of make a little bit of money at the same time. But, you know, going and having the Spice Girls at the closing ceremony, Kylie Minogue, walking through the village and seeing Usain Bolt in the flesh and just how much of an amazing athlete and specimen he actually is, you know, those are things that I guess money can't buy, not to sound too cliche.
BEN WATERWORTH: No, absolutely, absolutely. The tournament itself, I mean, obviously back in London, it was sort of pool stages, semi-finals only. There were no quarter finals back then. And ultimately it came to goal difference. It was a couple of goals away from a semi-final spot, of course. I mean, I guess the obvious question being how was the mood after that? Obviously disappointment, I can imagine, to miss out on goal difference. But I mean, has the mood changed? Like do you still reflect back on sort of how the tournament went with sort of disappointment? What could have been if we'd scored a couple more goals, things like that, or is it sort of a case of, again, it's just reflection now, I'm an Olympian. It sort of, it was that experience.
ASHLEIGH NELSON: Yeah, it still is a little bit frustrating, I think, because you do, like, it was so close. And I think going into the tournament, there was a lot of discussion about, you know, taking it sort of step by step, and the first step is qualifying sort of four year semi-finals. And we kind of had in our mind that, in Olympics gone by, if you get about 10 points within your round matches, like that sort of guarantees you a spot in the finals. Anyway, as it turns out, it doesn't. So, yeah, and it's a game of inches that it never runs so true when it came to the London Olympics, because we went out to play New Zealand in our first match. And it was one of the first games, it was really early, kind of in the morning, and the game started. And within the first couple of minutes, New Zealand scored against us, and we hit the post. And I think we went on to sort of lose that opening game. And I just remember thinking, will that cost us in the long run? And as the tournament sort of went on, we did really well, we beat Germany, and came up against Argentina in our last game, which we had to win, and we ended up drawing. But we performed quite well. And I just kind of look back now and go, you know what, that goal in the first couple of minutes and us hitting the post, it did, it came back to sort of bite us in the bottom. So it's just such a tournament at that stage with having the semi-finals and no quarterfinals, that those little moments can ultimately cost you, even though it's a tournament that runs over two weeks. I think there's a little bit more leniency now when it comes to having quarterfinals that you can afford to drop a couple of games. You just have to kind of finish in the top four out of six, and you've got the opportunity to then make it into the semi-finals. So I think to a certain extent, it maybe is a little easier to make it into the middle rounds. There might be people that agree to disagree with me.
BEN WATERWORTH: What's interesting just on that, it's interesting you mentioned that, because Georgie Parker spoke out about that during Tokyo, where obviously with how the hockey rules went out in the quarterfinals, she was sort of talking about how, I think she didn't agree with the fact there was a quarterfinals and maybe should just go straight to a semi-finals. Do you think they should revert back to that format that they did have prior to Rio?
ASHLEIGH NELSON: Yeah, I think that people kind of look at what Georgie sort of said, and they kind of go, oh, it's a sore loser because you guys got knocked out in the quarterfinals. But to be honest, I think I would have had the same thought even prior to this Olympic campaign. I think we should be rewarding consistency, and I think the other model rewards consistency more than this one, where there's the quarterfinals. So I think we should revert back, but in saying that, I can understand from a broadcast perspective that having quarterfinals keeps teams, particularly the host team, in contention for medals for a longer period of time. So I think from a broadcast perspective, that's why they do it. You've got more teams that have the potential to get into the semifinals. You're gonna have more people watching. There's an element of drama. I mean, imagine the number one team that's unbeaten or gone through undefeated gets knocked down in the quarterfinals. It's a fairly emotional time. It's the excitement for India that has gone through to the semifinal where thousands upon thousands, thousands love hockey. It's their national sport. And it's just so exciting for them. And then you've got the heartbreak for Australia. So that's what quarterfinals creates. It creates moments like that, which I think then sort of reinforces that model, even though I think if you speak with most athletes when it comes to hockey, I reckon that if you're a realistic chance of meddling, you would sort of favour the getting rid of the quarterfinals and just having the semi-final, having to finish top two in your pool in order to progress into the medal rounds. But it's a conversation that people have got different opinions on. I can see it from both sides, but I do agree with Georgie Parker that I don't like quarterfinals from an athlete's perspective.
BEN WATERWORTH: I've got to ask a question. A lot is obviously mentioned about sort of this curse that is over the Kookaburras. You know, never can quite get that dominance in the Olympics that they do on the world stage. But what is it now about the hockey ruse post Sydney? I think fifth, fifth, fifth, sixth, fifth, like this fifth place finish, we've got to stop, Ash. Like, what can we do to stop finishing fifth at an Olympics?
ASHLEIGH NELSON: It must finish. They've got the potential. And I think that we saw at this Olympic Games that there was a lot that kind of went on prior to the Olympics in terms of selections and reviews. And I've never seen a hockey ruse team so gel together so well, perform so well in Olympic Games in recent years. And I thought that they certainly have the potential to win a gold medal. And that's saying something, because I think Holland have been the dominant side for many, many years. So, it was disappointing. I think that it's a relatively young team. And I feel as though if we kind of get another three years, the next Olympics, we'll see this side sort of stay together. And experience is quite important at Olympic Games. And I think we sort of saw that go missing in that final game against India. So I'm kind of hoping that maybe next Olympic Games, just having a core group that stays together for this period of time, it's a very talented, it's a fast side as well. And you know, physically very fit. This is the group that I actually genuinely believe might be able to kind of break that, that hoodoo.
BEN WATERWORTH: Great. Well, we'll definitely be keeping that in mind.
ASHLEIGH NELSON: I say that now, and I probably put the mockers on them.
BEN WATERWORTH: Well, we'll loop that in, in our Paris coverage. Hey, remember that time that Ash Nelson said this? Well, look to them, fifth again. Thanks, Ash.
ASHLEIGH NELSON: Yeah, exactly, exactly. But, you know, and the thing is, is that if the old model was in place, the hockey ruse would have, would have had a model. Now, I know that's kind of you saying like, you know, at the end of the day, they didn't get one. But it certainly showed that they are a dominant force. If you look at their performance solely on, you know, game by game.
BEN WATERWORTH: Yeah, for sure. Before we let you go, Ash, you're obviously now in journalism. Was this ever something that kind of you thought you were doing? Sports reporting for Channel 10 and sort of how are you finding it?
ASHLEIGH NELSON: Yeah, I've kind of dabbled in a few little bits and pieces. I think you really get the opportunity to explore your career as much when you sort of focus on being an athlete. So I was originally an occupational therapist and I always had a bit of an interest in writing. I think when I was in year 10, I went and did a little kind of work experience at Channel 7. So I think in the back of my mind, I was always kind of going between healthcare and broadcasting or journalism. And then, you know, one of the silver linings of, I guess, missing out on Rio Olympics with the knee injury was that I started to be more involved in coverage of the Rio Olympic Games. So going and sort of doing some radio bits and pieces and making comment. And I found that I really liked that. And so then I started doing a blend of media and occupational therapy, which was great. But it got a bit taxing, because I'd wake up in the morning and go, what am I actually doing with my day? What kind of hat do I have to have on? So, you know, I just kind of thought that, well, I love sport. I love presenting. I love hearing people's stories. I think that it's always fascinating. And most of the time, when you look at the news, it can be a little bit depressing, but sport generally is pretty happy. So it kind of made sense that that would be the, generally, that'd be the path that I would kind of head down. And yeah, I do. I really enjoy it. And I love sport. You know, I've got a soft spot, obviously, for hockey and Olympic sports. But as you heard, you know, I love the AFL and AFLW is growing. So, sort of being a part of the women in sport and pushing it has been great, but also pushing women in broadcasting sport as well has been good to be a part of as well. And I'm really enjoying the growth in that area and the opportunities that it presents.
BEN WATERWORTH: Got to ask, journalists are journalists. This is a question we all like to ask anyway, and sometimes most famous person or most exciting person you've interviewed. Go on, let us know.
ASHLEIGH NELSON: Oh, interviewed. Oh, see, I was going to say that I've met and probably would have actually been a hockey player. So the queen I've met a couple of times. And then the funny one was is that we actually met Prince Philip when we're at the pool at the Comm Games. And now, you know, hindsight, you look back, you're like, oh, that might be a little bit like creepy, but not too many, not often do you meet royals in your togs or bathers. And Roger Federer. So none of them I interviewed.
BEN WATERWORTH: I was going to mention Roger.
ASHLEIGH NELSON: Had a photo with Roger, which was amazing, but none of them I actually interviewed. And now that you're talking about who's the most famous person that I've interviewed, I've kind of drawn a bit of a blank.
BEN WATERWORTH: I'm glad you mentioned the queen though, because I remember that photo in Glasgow where she photo bombed, you weren't in that photo bomb photo, were you? Or was that your teammates?
ASHLEIGH NELSON: No, that was another WA girl, so Jade Taylor. So yeah, photo bombed her and that went absolutely viral. Yeah, that was an hilarious moment. I think that I've never seen a Twitter account get so many followers in one period of time after she posted that. It just went absolutely ballistic. So the Royals, they love the hockey. Kate Middleton loves hockey, and they're often down there when there's an international tournament over in England.
BEN WATERWORTH: Fantastic. Good to hear. Well, before we let you go, I mean, if people want to kind of stay up to date with what you're up to, your journey, besides tuning in, of course, to Channel 10 every single night, Instagram, social media, where can people follow you?
ASHLEIGH NELSON: Oh, well, I actually had my Twitter account hacked, and so I'm starting from scratch again. So I've put a new Twitter handle, Ash Nelson, 08. So follow that. Don't follow Nelson underscore Ashley, because that's not me anymore, not my story. And yeah, most of the, anything that I'm sort of doing, as far as journalism goes, usually goes on Twitter. So I'd say check that out.
BEN WATERWORTH: Great. Awesome. Ash, it's been an absolute pleasure to be able to have you on the show today, to have somebody from the real hockey on the show and learn a little bit more about your career. Best of luck with everything moving forward. I don't want to say go Eagles. I'm a Carlton supporter. Actually can't stand the Eagles. So I'll end on that note. But we appreciate your time here on Off The Podium today.
ASHLEIGH NELSON: Listen, I think you need more luck than me being a Carlton supporter than an Eagles supporter. So exactly, exactly. Thanks for having me, but good luck in the future.
BEN WATERWORTH: And a big thanks to Ash there. Lot of fun, and we got some more hockey athletes coming up, and I'm excited for that. I do obviously love all forms of hockey. I'm a mad ice hockey fan, but having played field hockey, it's always something that's quite partial to me, and getting that opportunity to talk about it is always fun. And although I will say, I never got to meet the queen playing hockey. So clearly, I said many times in that interview that the peak, of course, is representing your country, but I think the peak of hockey is meeting the queen, particularly if the Royals love their hockey. So there's a moment in itself. But a big thanks to Ash there for her time. Great to get her on the show and chat. Plenty more interviews still to come here and Off The Podium in the lead up to Beijing, keeping you entertained. Of course, if you want to stay up to date with all the episodes and interviews that we do have for you, hit us up on the good podcast platforms out there. Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, Amazon Podcast, simply search Off The Podium. We are on there. Hit the subscribe button, never miss an episode. And of course, you can go back and listen to all the old episodes. Scroll through there to see who you've missed or re-listen to again, if you've got a particular favour that you want to hear over and over again. You can even hear our coverage from past Olympics. We go all the way back to Rio, daily coverage in Rio, then Pyeongchang, then of course, in Tokyo. We've got other coverage, sort of a couple of episodes we did during the Commonwealth Games back in 2018. Our Paralympics wrap that we did during the Tokyo Paralympics. So obviously a bunch of other fun episodes covering Olympics. And outside of those, we do have other episodes talking about metal designs. And of course, going over what we think about certain sports in the Olympics. We've got a preview sort of episode looking ahead to Beijing, which we'll do another full preview episode coming up. And some other episodes you might have missed our discussion point when Brisbane got the Olympics earlier this year. And there's even a chat and an episode about that time I stupidly tried to get Hobart to get the Olympics and it went a little bit crazy. So if you're a first time listener to the show, there are some of the things that you have missed here on Off The Podium, plenty to keep you entertained. If you're enjoying the content that we're putting out there, I'm sure you'll find something out there that you will love and enjoy. And social media as well. Stay up to date with everything that we've got going on there. Big thanks again to Ash. Big thanks to everyone else for tuning in to the show. My name is Ben. This is Off the Podium. And as always, go left.
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