Local podcasters make their mark

MARK Heenan and Mark Stone have used the lockdown as a chance to innovate and cover their passion from a new angle.

The two combined their decades of experience in sports media to start their new podcast, The Stoned Heen View. The podcast has opened a window for them to explore how people involved with amateur and professional sports are managing during the pandemic.

Stone, who recently became a Bellarine local, said the podcast originated from their understanding that there is still plenty happening to those involved in sport despite no games being played..

“In the shutdown we started throwing around ideas and thought of creating a podcast about clubs and administrators and people connected with local sporting clubs, about what they’re doing during the shutdown and how they’re dealing with it.”

Heenan, previously wrote for a local newspaper and with his media business has headed public relations campaigns for Bellarine based events such as the Rip to River Classic and Wreck2Reef. He said he was intrigued to see the different sides to how lockdown and the lack of sport is affecting people.

“I like our podcast because it’s unique. There are so many individual perspectives: there’s your fans, your players, your volunteers, your administrators, your managers, your professional players, the canteen operators, the umpires… there’s so many people that are affected.”

The first three people interviewed on the podcast are all associated with football clubs in vastly different capacities.

Heenan and Stone have so far spoken to a fitness and wellbeing manager, a coach and the chief executive officer of Werribee Football Club (where Stone is a recruiter).

An episode set to air later this week has an interview Australian netball star Tegan Philip.

Stone said he not only looked to learn how the interviewees are affected practically, but also personally.

“We want to give an insight to the listener about the human side of sport.

“I love talking about sport, and I like to come from a different angle about what makes people tick and why they do what they do.”

Stone said this allowed the podcast to show the strength of the sporting community.

“I think you find the real parts of people in a crisis. I think if you take everything away are kindhearted.

“In troubled times compassion comes through and especially in sport where it’s about people who volunteer.”

Heenan said their interview with Drysdale Football Club co-coach Daniel Jull highlighted the positive ways people were dealing with the crisis.

“One of the things I like about the Daniel Jull one was we talked about what’s a special skill he’s picked up during this period. He loves playing Trivial Pursuit with his wife and learning different games that he is playing with his kids.”

There is a symmetry in the podcast’s examination of how people are dealing a lack of sport, as the podcast is part of Heenan and Stone’s way of dealing with it.

Heenan said the podcast has been invaluable as a substitute for his usual involvement in the sporting community through his work in the media.

“I suppose the podcast is a way of filling a gap in my life, and trying to reach out to people who work in that space that I see most weekends where I’m writing copy and taking photos.”

People can listen to The Stoned Heen View on iTunes or by heading to thestonedheenview.podbean.com.