The sun’s setting in the Sydney suburbs, but a young Brandon Jack’s still running his science experiment. Or rather, he’s still pretending to run his science experiment. In reality, he’s just kicking an Aussie Rules football around. But when you’re the son of an NRL legend, you have to come up with a good cover story to even go near other football codes. 

Brandon’s talent for side-stepping the truth about football continued into adulthood. Rather than speaking openly about his fears and doubts as a professional athlete, he told his superiors he intended to run a law firm before retiring from the game, hoping they’d decide on his behalf that he wasn’t committed to the team. 

Now, Brandon’s writing his own story, and in doing so, he’s casting light on the darker side of professional sport and the deeply masculine culture that surrounds it in Australia. 

He also opens up about his fractured relationship with his parents and why he’s just started to mend some bridges with them after years of estrangement. 

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Curveball is a production of Deadset Studios. Sometimes, life throws up moments that are unexpected. Things you could never plan for. Challenges you couldn’t have seen coming. The human experience is all about adapting. On Curveball you get the lowdown on how people grow in extraordinary times. 

Keep up to date with Curveball by following @_deadsetstudios on Twitter and @deadsetstudios on Instagram. And get more wisdom and life lessons delivered to you directly with Curveball’s LinkedIn newsletter! 

Find out more about the show by visiting www.curveballshow.com

This was episode was produced by Liam Riordan with editing by Travis Vetier. 

The executive producers are Rachel Fountain and Kellie Riordan. 

We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made. 



Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The sun’s setting in the Sydney suburbs, but a young Brandon Jack’s still running his science experiment. Or rather, he’s still pretending to run his science experiment. In reality, he’s just kicking an Aussie Rules football around. But when you’re the son of an NRL legend, you have to come up with a good cover story to even go near other football codes. Brandon’s talent for side-stepping the truth about football continued into adulthood. Rather than speaking openly about his fears and doubts as a professional athlete, he told his superiors he intended to run a law firm before retiring from the game, hoping they’d decide on his behalf that he wasn’t committed to the team. Now, Brandon’s writing his own story, and in doing so, he’s casting light on the darker side of professional sport and the deeply masculine culture that surrounds it in Australia. He also opens up about his fractured relationship with his parents and why he’s just started to mend some bridges with them after years of estrangement. +++ Curveball is a production of <a href="https://www.deadsetstudios.com/">Deadset Studios</a>. Sometimes, life throws up moments that are unexpected. Things you could never plan for. Challenges you couldn’t have seen coming. The human experience is all about adapting. On Curveball you get the lowdown on how people grow in extraordinary times. Keep up to date with Curveball by following @_deadsetstudios on <a href="https://twitter.com/_deadsetstudios">Twitter</a> and @deadsetstudios on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/deadsetstudios/">Instagram</a>. And get more wisdom and life lessons delivered to you directly with <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/curveball-6745938675223425024/">Curveball’s LinkedIn newsletter</a>! Find out more about the show by visiting <a href="http://www.curveballshow.com/">www.curveballshow.com</a>This was episode was produced by Liam Riordan with editing by Travis Vetier. The executive producers are Rachel Fountain and Kellie Riordan. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

The human experience is all about adapting. Whether it’s a CEO trying to ride out an international travel crisis, a surfer struggling against a monster wave while his floatation vest fails, or a media star whose whole life changes in an instant, rarely do you get to glimpse what’s really going on during a someone's darkest hour.

In these revealing, personal conversations with a range of successful people, Curveball host Kellie Riordan gets the lowdown on how people grow in extraordinary times. 

Keep up to date with Curveball by following @_deadsetstudios.com on Twitter and @deadsetsetstudios on Instagram. Find out more about the show or suggest a guest by going to www.curveballshow.com

Curveball is also now a LinkedIn newsletter! It's a weekly top-up of the best advice our guests have to help set you on the right path. Subscribing is totally free.

Curveball

Brandon Jack pulls back the curtain on the most common careers in the AFL, and reflects on the impact his own career’s had on his family, his future, and his identity.

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