Kasey Brown and Mick McDonald at the Sporting Hall of Fame
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00:00 The Commonwealth Games is a hugely great experience.
00:04 Oh, amazing.
00:05 It's to represent your country and to walk out,
00:08 especially at the opening ceremony,
00:10 to walk out and just see a stadium of people all cheering you on
00:15 is absolutely incredible.
00:16 The thing too about the Commonwealth Games
00:18 is also the longest two weeks of your life
00:21 because there's so much pressure to compete for Australia
00:24 and to absolutely do your best and put every effort in.
00:29 It's such an amazing event.
00:31 And for squash, we had to compete all the way through,
00:35 so we didn't get a day off.
00:37 I think the final day, we did,
00:41 so we actually got to see one sport,
00:44 which I actually saw the hockey final where you showed India,
00:48 I think, and then South Africa beat 7-1.
00:50 So we got that one experience, but we competed the whole time.
00:54 So we would see all of these other athletes and swimmers
00:57 at the end of the first week, and they're partying at the Philwoods
01:01 and we're trying to sleep, getting ready for the next day.
01:03 So I'm a bit jealous of that,
01:04 but competing for your country is the pinnacle, I think.
01:09 So I was fortunate to do that in three Commonwealth Games
01:11 and also the World Championship as well,
01:14 where we won, Australia won in 2010.
01:20 And you know more than I do.
01:23 We won that in New Zealand.
01:25 -Brompton, yeah. -Yeah, that's right, yeah.
01:28 Yeah, so how was that?
01:30 Was Nicole David there? Was Malaysia...?
01:33 Yeah, Malaysia was there.
01:34 Now, we actually beat England, who was such a dominant force.
01:37 They won so many.
01:39 England is massive for squash,
01:41 so to beat them is always amazing.
01:44 So to beat them in the final was extra special.
01:47 You were also president, I think, of the Squash Fighters Association
01:51 at one stage.
01:52 Yeah, I was the president of the world tour.
01:55 For the last couple of years of playing,
01:59 the girls had asked me, "Would I..."
02:02 We got a group together and they said, you know,
02:05 "Would you be willing to become president?"
02:08 Which, to think back, when I was young
02:12 and I didn't even want to pick up the phone when I was little
02:17 and didn't want to speak in front of anyone,
02:19 I was the most quiet little girl,
02:23 to then have to get up and represent an entire world tour,
02:29 just so much for growth that you can achieve in sports.
02:32 So it taught me so many things.
02:34 So at that point in time, we wanted to amalgamate with the men's tour
02:39 to become one tour, as opposed to two separate tours,
02:44 and we were able to achieve that during my time there.
02:47 2013/14, did you know that your end was coming, that your time was up?
02:51 Yeah, I definitely did.
02:53 I was burnt out, I think, and I knew it.
02:57 So there was a point in time where I thought,
03:03 you know, I really got into coaching in the States at that point in time,
03:07 and I just wanted to give back to the sport,
03:09 which is another reason why I became president.
03:11 So to try and give back.
03:14 So I got into coaching at that point in time
03:18 and I knew I didn't want to compete anymore,
03:23 and I loved training, but just the competition and expectation,
03:27 and that real...
03:29 You've got to be quite selfish as an athlete, I think,
03:32 because everything is revolved around you and winning
03:36 and, you know, trying to compete for a certain goal.
03:43 So I just wanted to give back,
03:45 and I got into a little bit of coaching,
03:48 but an opportunity came up to come back to Australia,
03:51 and at that point in time,
03:54 I really wanted to re-evaluate my life, I think, as well.
04:00 I kind of got a bit lost after I stopped playing,
04:04 because your whole world is revolved around sport.
04:07 So suddenly you take that identity away
04:10 and you have to evaluate what's important to you.
04:14 And I think the thing that was missing for me was community.
04:20 So coming back to where I grew up,
04:23 and I hear a lot of people do that,
04:25 that come from Tyree and end up coming back here.
04:27 So coming back to this area,
04:30 being with my family was really important
04:32 and just re-evaluating what was really important to me.
04:36 But you did go to Mornington, I think, first,
04:38 to do a coaching job down there.
04:40 I did do that for a little bit,
04:41 but like I said, there was that piece missing, I think,
04:44 and being with family, I had to evaluate that.
04:50 And like I said, now I'm part of this community in the Tyree,
04:56 Ulba, in the Metting, is just an incredible experience,
05:00 and I'm really grateful to be back
05:03 and to be able to give back now too.
05:05 So, you know, I'm involved in the surf club
05:08 and the Rugby League as well,
05:11 and trying different things.
05:12 And I've tried a few different things
05:14 since I've come back as well.
05:15 You know, I had a stint at hockey again,
05:17 and Tony was my coach.
05:18 So to see him win this award tonight
05:22 and to have the Service Person's Award is amazing,
05:26 and all credit to the people that have put this event together,
05:30 because I think it's so important.
05:33 Because like Tony said, without volunteers
05:36 and without people who put in such big hours,
05:40 we don't have the sporting events that are put on.
05:44 And to see these young people that are absolutely thriving,
05:47 and I'm really looking forward to seeing
05:49 and following their careers,
05:51 these young people that have been awarded tonight.
05:54 I love being in this area, and, yeah, it's amazing.
05:57 Do you still stay in touch with any of your former comrades
05:59 from the tour at all?
06:01 Every now and then.
06:03 And sometimes for two years,
06:05 I didn't even want to look at a record.
06:06 I didn't want to touch it.
06:08 I didn't want to know anything about it.
06:10 But after a little bit of time,
06:14 actually, my dad was playing,
06:17 and he said, "Oh, we'll have a hit one day,"
06:20 which was such a fantastic experience.
06:23 So we're very lucky to still have Old Bart squash courts,
06:26 and we have our owners here
06:27 who have just really looked after me during my career as well.
06:31 So I'm very grateful to Old Bart squash.
06:35 So we started playing and just loved it.
06:40 So playing socially, and now we play every week,
06:45 which is such a great catch-up and time
06:47 that I've really missed out on with family.
06:49 So his knees are newer than mine,
06:52 so we have a good run each week and get to catch up
06:56 and talk about footy and all sorts of things.
06:58 When's our game, Nick?
07:00 -Sorry? -When's our game?
07:01 Oh, no.
07:03 Is there a bar there?
07:06 Possibly.
07:08 -Can be done. -Can be done.
07:10 OK, I'll keep that in mind.
07:13 So, in case, Daria, I've got myself got heavily involved in now,
07:16 which is clearly a bit removed from squash.
07:18 How did that come about?
07:20 It was actually during the fire,
07:23 so I really wanted to volunteer and give back,
07:26 and it was the toss-up.
07:28 Like, I was going to do the firefighting volunteering,
07:32 but at that point in time after the fires,
07:35 they had so many people put their hand up,
07:37 which was amazing from this community.
07:39 But the surf club needed people to be involved,
07:43 so I got involved in that one.
07:46 You're truly a great sports person.
07:48 You should have been at this Hall of Fame many years ago,
07:53 but we had a break, and now you're there,
07:55 and you're justifiably there.
07:57 Congratulations on your career,
07:58 and I'm sure there's going to be many great days ahead.
08:01 We will now, I guess, induct you into the Hall of Fame.
08:04 [BLANK_AUDIO]