Matt Kenyon from the South East Melbourne Phoenix opens up about the struggles and questions we all face, whether that’s as a person or in your career as an athlete. Matt talks about his shift in mindset when it comes to basketball, the importance of journalling and meditation when it comes to his mental health, and the gap in the Australian market when it comes to Australian athletes and their brands. Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 1:50 - Childhood 3:25 - Early challenges with balance and self doubt 4:40 - Knee injury setback 9:55 - Being vulnerable 11:15 - Outlets as an athlete 14:15 - Meditation 15:35 - Defining yourself away from basketball 18:05 - Setbacks and failures, DNP’s 22:35 - What is your why? 24:00 - What would you say to your younger self? 24:55 - Athlete branding 28:35 - Creative outlets: film photography, reading 30:55 - Anxiety and psychologists 35:15 - Movember 38:05 - What would you be doing if you weren’t a basketball player? 39:35 - Setting goals (or not) 42:05 - Who you are vs how people perceive you 48:45 - How to deal with change

Anneli sits down with little bro Finnbar to talk his burgeoning AFL career at North Melbourne. His path from working multiple jobs whilst studying to winning a Premiership before being selected second in last years Rookie Draft.

HoopsFest was a great thing for many reasons, but one of those was what it did to highlight the women’s game and continue to grow it. Anneli speaks about her first WNBL experiences, being in small stadiums with little crowds to now, where young teammates of hers got to play their first game at RAC Arena in front of thousands of people.

Anneli Maley and Marena Whittle are fresh off a rollercoaster, emotional Olympics run with their 3x3 basketball side the Gangurrus. The highs, the lows, the mixed feelings after making history, becoming Olympians, but falling short of their ultimate goal is a very tricky thing to balance. Anneli and Marena are here to talk about it all in this fascinating insight into the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Self love and self worth is a challenging thing for many. Sometimes you have so much love and positivity to give to others that you forget to give it to yourself! Ask your circle of people to tell you what they love about you, and then write a list, it helps. This is Under The Surface, with Anneli Maley. Pumped by Reebok. Produced by NBL Media.

4 x CrossFit Games Athlete Maddie Sturt joins the podcast! Maddie talks about how she discovered CrossFit, what it now means to her and the ins and outs of being a CrossFit athlete including diet, training, strategy and life outside of the gym.

Let’s all stop and ‘drop the anchor’. An exercise to make us feel present and relaxed in the moment. Anneli was taught this by her psychologist and still uses it to this day. It’s a short exercise in 3 steps: Acknowledging, Connecting and Engaging. Give it a go! This is Under The Surface, with Anneli Maley. Pumped by Reebok. Produced by NBL Media.

Sophie Cachia (Sophie Shaw) opens up about life in the spotlight, her online presence, her brands and passion for women in sport. This honest conversation touches on a lot of real life things and issues we all face / hear about. Thanks for jumping on, Soph!  This is Under The Surface, with Anneli Maley. Pumped by Reebok. Produced by NBL Media.

Failure is such a strong word and strong way of dealing with situations. Anneli talks about her experiences with failure and in particular, learning to trust the process and making sure failures aren’t determined by outcomes alone.

Journaling is something that has become more and more popular in recent years but finding the method of journalling that works best for you is key. Anneli talks about her initial struggles with it to now, the way she journals and her experiences with it. This is Under The Surface, with Anneli Maley. Pumped by Reebok. Produced by NBL Media.

Jo Lual Acuil Jr, NBL star for Melbourne United, gives us an honest and raw insight into everything that he has been through in life. Some serious challenges along the way where he was literally fighting to survive has made him realise that basketball adversity isn’t real adversity. Fleeing South Sudan on foot at 3 years old, the NBA shutting him down due to heart conditions, being told he’d never play again at 18 years old - these are just a few insights Jo gives us but through it all he has remained strong, confident and is where he is today because of that mindset.

The NBL's Champion Pride Round is an important one to many and Anneli talks about what it means to her and the LGBTIQA+ community. Inclusion, creating a safe space for everyone, being yourself, how Anneli came out to her friends and family - this is an insight into it all.

Everyone knows Bryce Cotton the basketball player but even he admits that Bryce Cotton the person is a bit of a “mystery man”. Bryce gives us a great insight into who he is and explains that often there is seemingly two sides to him. Many see the quiet, professional side but there’s a different, louder side to him that he hopes to show more of in the media space moving forward. Mindset, self belief, NBA opportunities, making Australia his home, the NBL GOAT conversation and much more is discussed in this chat with Perth Wildcat and NBL legend, Bryce Cotton. This is Under The Surface, with Anneli Maley. Pumped by Reebok. Produced by NBL Media.

Managing anxiety is a tricky thing to navigate and Anneli talks through 3 ways she deals with it before and after games. Comparing anxiety to excitement, circuit breakers and telling people you are anxious about something. These are all topics discussed in our latest solo episode. This is Under The Surface, with Anneli Maley. Pumped by Reebok. Produced by NBL Media.

A wholesome and energetic chat of the best kind with basketball and all round star Sara Blicavs. It’s basically a fantastic coffee chat between two friends, just recorded, if we’re being honest. Anneli and Sara touch on Sara’s clothing brand Sara Kristi (check them out), her fascinating insight into her WNBA and Olympic team experiences, how she re-found her love for basketball and the art of remaining positive throughout anything and everything. The energy in the room was felt by all, this episode is a great vibe, even if we do say so ourselves. This is Under The Surface, with Anneli Maley. Pumped by Reebok. Produced by NBL Media.

In the most wholesome studio setup Anneli heads down to the beach with her dog Loki and answers a fan question about how to deal with comparison in a professional and athlete sense. Hello and welcome to Under The Surface Solo’s! A series of short episodes to talk about ongoing life situations that Anneli and many more have to deal with. This is your chance to submit a question to Anneli via Under The Surface socials or underthesurfaceshow@gmail.com and have her discuss it in a comfortable and more personal way. Good hey? We’re keen to get stuck into them. This is Under The Surface, with Anneli Maley. Pumped by Reebok. Produced by NBL Media.

The 8th fittest man on earth, a CrossFit athlete, Reebok athlete, Jay Crouch joins us live from the Reebok Studio to talk about his journey to ‘fitness fame’, the mindset it takes to be a CrossFit athlete, the dedication and everything in between. Jay explains that sometimes it literally does just come back to having fun and enjoying the process you’re going through, enjoy the path that you’re on and the rest will take care of itself. This is Under The Surface, with Anneli Maley. Pumped by Reebok. Produced by NBL Media.

She’s a Netball stud, singer, media analyst and overall just a great person who has had to overcome some challenges recently that she never would have predicted. Kelsey Browne talks about her Netball journey, what the future holds in that regard and how she’s simply running towards anything that makes her feel positive right now. A fantastic listen and a conversation you can take many different things from. Thanks for joining us Kelsey!  This is Under The Surface, with Anneli Maley. Pumped by Reebok. Produced by NBL Media.

AFLW star, Essendon Bombers fan as a youngster turned Essendon Bombers player, dog lover, potential DJ, Maddy Prespakis joins the show! She talks about growing up with women's football on the rise, her journey to becoming an AFLW player, her interests outside of sport, how important the mental side of the game has been to her, the move from Carlton to Essendon and much more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We welcome in with open arms Alice Kunek to the studio. Hear all about her European upbringing, what Australia means to her on and off the court (shoutout to the Opals) and almost most importantly she talks about the art of enjoying the game of basketball and realising there’s a whole lot more to life. This is a fun, honest and real chat with 2 great players and people as they even admit to having a moment with each other at the end of the episode so please stick around for that! LISTENERS, hello, a special offer from Reebok gives you 15% off full-priced items from their online store, just enter the code ANNELI15 at checkout, you're welcome. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Now playing in his home town of South East Melbourne, Ben Ayre talks about his journey to the NBL and the key points in his life that got him there. Including treating training as “his game”, being a gym rat, playing overseas, not caring about the bright lights of being a pro and how everything for him comes back down to one thing, his genuine love of basketball. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From 6-time NBL Champion to a present day Psychologist, this episode with David Stiff is a truly fascinating one. David and Anneli have some really interesting discussions about the highs and lows of sport, mindset, as well as talking through Anneli's experiences over the past few months including getting cut from the WNBA, to then proceeding to win bronze at the 2023 FIBA 3×3 World Cup. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Angus Glover is a brilliant and inspirational story. Angus' basketball career has had literally everything, from the massive highs of 2 X NBL championships to the excruciating lows of three torn ACL injuries. This is a story of resilience, bravery and never letting go of your dream... no matter what life throws at you. Angus should have quit numerous times throughout his career - so what kept driving him forward? Well, apart from his dads transplanted hamstring... it took incredible mental strength and we thank him for sharing his story in full for the first time on Under The Surface. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We swoop in and catch up with Jade Melbourne right before she jets off to the WNBA to play for the Seattle Storm. Everyone knows Jade for her fun, contagious energy but we learn more about Jade in this episode, what motivates her, what she does in her down time, and reflecting on what has already been an impressive career at the ripe old age of 20! Run Your Own Race! TM - Jade Melbourne See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome in Damon Lowery, NBL Champion, Anneli's 3x3 Basketball Coach and recently turned fitness fanatic as he takes us through his regular "missions" that he has no choice but to complete. Damon gives us a great insight into his mindset, his growth as a person and talks to us about how he got to the stage now, where fear is no longer a thing for him. It's really fascinating and we hope you enjoy the listen. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meet Lexi Rodgers, a Transgender athlete who shares her remarkable and brave story about finding herself, the challenges and confusion along the journey, to now, as she tries to find her way in the sport she loves, basketball. There were many steps along the way that Lexi shares, including the struggles of hiding who she really was, the guilt of potentially having to give up sport, gender euphoria, how her family and friends reacted to being Transgender, and lastly, the challenges with judgement, negativity online, and understanding her situation as a whole. Lexi's insight and bravery to tell her story is admirable and we can't thank her enough for coming on the podcast to share it with us! CONTENT WARNING Some content within this podcast contains information about mental health, anxiety, suicide and suicide ideation, and may trigger personal emotions. If content of this podcast raises any concerns for you, support is available.The views and opinions of the athlete within this story are their own lived experience and does not speak for the entire LGBTQ+ community. Lifeline: 13 11 14 QLife: 1800 184 527 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's a special co-host episode with none other than Marena Whittle who is not only Anneli's partner but a WNBL/3x3 gun and is also the perfect one to help highlight some of Anneli's journey and insights as well as us being able to dive into her story too. This one was fun (it was always going to be) as they share some laughs, some truths, some insight into what it's like playing against each other... there's a lot to unpack here! Sit back and enjoy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Being a professional in any sport is impressive but being a professional in two sports... that's something only a handful can say they are and Monique Conti is one of those. What's life like as a dual athlete? Mon talks us through her football and basketball careers as well as everything that comes with them and much more! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The fantastic Cayla George is in the studio but she's not the only one! The adorable Pearl (Cayla's daughter) joins her mother as she discusses how motherhood has affected her, the unique background to how Pearl came into her life and much more including only getting better with age as a basketball player and her exciting next chapter in the WNBA with the Las Vegas Aces. This is one you don't want to miss! Many laughs and smiles were had in the studio. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Born in South Sudan, grew up in Sydney, college in Hawaii and now playing for the South East Melbourne Phoenix in the NBL. Junior Madut has had quite the pathway to becoming a professional basketball player and he talks about those life lessons and learnings along the way. From the rude awakening to adulthood, to playing for the South Sudan national team and lastly, a new found passion for modelling? Junior gave us a great insight into who he is as a person. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Penina Davidson, New Zealand basketballer for the Melbourne Boomers, takes a seat opposite Anneli Maley and opens up about her life lessons and discoveries away from the court. Including using art as an outlet, her challenges throughout her basketball journey, mental health and also her love of flowers, tattoos and modelling for New Balance! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rayjon Tucker, known for his fiery competitive spirit on court, talks about his calm and warm nature off it. The Melbourne United guard speaks about what makes him the player and person he is, including how important his cousin (who he only just realised was related!) and family is to him, his NBA experiences and being a bit of entrepreneur with his clothing brand, music and oh, did we mention his elite ability to dance?  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Illawarra Hawks big man Sam Froling gives us an insight into his large basketball-talented family, almost choosing football, his lessons and learnings from a 10-month college career at Creighton and last but not least, how he wants people to view him. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NBL star from the South East Melbourne Phoenix, Mitch Creek, talks us through his journey as a youngster, his eye opening experiences firstly in the NBL and secondly in the NBA, and also shares his struggles and learnings along the way, both physically but mainly mentally.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to Under The Surface! Join professional basketball player Anneli Maley as she dives into players stories, experiences and struggles, to really discover who we are underneath basketball. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.