Our Minute with Moose

OurOurOurOur Minute Minute Minute Minute With Mo ooseWith Mo ooseWith MooseWith Moose

First of all, what are Minutes with Moose?

Minutes with Moose is a sports site that focuses purely on women’s football. Its main aim is to feature/ highlight the football journey of female footballers, from the grassroot level right through to the AFLW. In addition, MWM also offers news and content on local leagues as well as information on women’s leagues, clubs, and players from all over Australia.

Have you always had an interest in sports journalism?

Honestly no, in fact, it wasn’t until year 12 that I decided to pursue a career in sports journalism. I had written a couple of books on the South Adelaide Football Club while I was in high school, but my main focus was on becoming an author more so than a sports journalist – that was until year 12 of course. One day it just kind of clicked. I have always loved footy, and I am okay at writing, so I thought, why not combine the two.

When did you realise there was a real opportunity to get your work out there through the emergence of Women’s Football?

Originally, MWM was planned to be about one club, with all the content produced to be on them. But I began to learn more about other footballers from other clubs, and I soon realised that they had stories that deserved to be told as well.

I just kept featuring players without thinking about how big of an opportunity it was, it was never really clear to me. That was until an interstate player agency reached out to me, to see if I could feature some of the players that they represent, and they highlighted just how niche and promising the site was. That was when I truly realised the opportunity that I had to grow MWM alongside the growth of women’s footy.

You have established yourself as a part of the Women’s Football community, with up-and-coming players excited at the prospect of being featured on your site. How does it feel to be a part of this new and thriving community?

It’s humbling, and I especially feel lucky to know that nearly 3 years of writing has paid off but, whenever someone usually compliments the page, I just say that we cannot do great writing without the great talent to write about, and the women’s footy community certainly has no shortage of talent. It is a great feeling to know that I have made somewhat of an impact, it’s a community that is full of great characters and inspiring people, and I’m glad that players actually have the opportunity now of having their stories told. But honestly, nothing gives me greater pride than seeing the players I have featured fulfil their dreams of reaching the AFLW. Overall, it is super exciting to be a part of the women’s football community and it has developed so rapidly. They’re just doing what they love, after being told for many years that they cannot play after a certain age. Have you noticed a difference in culture between the men’s and women’s football community? Yeah, I have noticed a difference. The women’s football community seems more approachable, more encouraging, and inclusive, I guess because it is still relatively new the players are just so excited to finally

get the chance to have a pathway in football. It’s new, it’s fresh, in the sense that AFLW history is being made right now because it’s still in its infancy. Honestly, its approachability and positive atmosphere are what made me focus on women’s footy over men’s footy. The men’s football community on the other hand is more-established, people probably take for granted the fact that men’s footy has been a thing since the 1850s. For example, the SANFL has its legends, rivalries and famous moments stretching back to the late 1800s. The SANFLW, which started in 2017, is still new, full of opportunities, and what’s happening now is shaping the future of the game. Only in the next few decades will we look back with the same awe and nostalgia that we look back to the early days of men’s footy with.

What do you think the role of the media is in strengthening community and connection?

In terms of women’s football, the media plays a major role in strengthening community and connection. It’s the communicator, it allows for the next generation to see, hear about, and connect with their idols. It allows the community to strengthen its support and gain interest, and it allows the community to have a voice. If done right, the media allows the people within the community to feel engaged, involved and connected, which, with something as new as the AFLW, is extremely well required.

Many of the young up-and-coming women’s football players are quite young, how do you create a supportive and safe connection when interviewing or featuring young players?

I just aim to keep things as casual and relaxed as possible. I avoid tricky questions, give them time to think, and allow them to talk about what they’re comfortable talking about. There is certainly no ‘gotcha’ journalism – I instead focus on encouraging them to talk about their footy journey which, when it comes to up-and-coming players, usually jump at the chance to talk about it. And I try to do the interviews in a way so that, regardless of whether it’s their first or fiftieth interview, it’s an enjoyable experience. Then, when it's all done, I allow them, their parents, and in some cases their player agent, to read the article before it's published to make sure they are okay with it.

What is your advice to current media/journalism students who have found a niche they are passionate about, but feel too unqualified to start approaching people and putting their work out there?

My advice is that you just have to have a crack, you never know what could happen. The beauty of having a niche subject is that there are usually so few others doing it that it is easy to develop your own brand identity and, if done well, you end up being at the forefront of that subject. You just have to start somewhere. MWM has grown and developed so much over the past couple of years to become what it is now. It featured the stories of well over 200 players, but all of that started with just 1 feature. Setting goals does help if you are unsure, breaking down a large idea into small goals helped me. For example, I started by aiming to feature 1 player, then it featured a player from each SANFLW side, then a player for each state and so on. To those who feel unqualified, you might as well start now because you may never feel qualified, or worse, someone else will beat you to that niche subject. There’s plenty of time to develop and grow once you start, but you have to start, and at worst, if you get knocked back, you will at least gain an insight into what to do differently or better the next time. So, if you are passionate about your idea, go get it.

Now, the question we’ve all been waiting for is, why ‘Moose’?

The name Minutes with Moose was suggested to me by a mate I met through football. The name Moose itself is a childhood nickname, and it has perhaps the least exciting origin story you can have for a nickname. Simply, when I was a year old I was given a shirt that had a Moose on it that read ‘I’m Mr Morris Moose’. It was my favorite shirt, I wore it all the time, and so the family then started calling me Moose, and it stuck, and it has stuck for 20 years since. Honestly, the name Minutes with Moose seemed strange at first, since it doesn’t hint at all to women’s football, but now that it’s becoming synonymous with women’s footy I guess it shows how far the site has developed.