BomberBlitz.com Exclusive Interview - Tiffany Cherry

BomberBlitz – How/Why did you become an Essendon fan?
Tiffany Cherry – I started to follow the Bombers when I was four. A family friend on a holiday in Perth asked me who I barracked for and I didn’t know what she was talking about. So she told me to follow the Kangaroos…which I did for about 5 minutes until she told my brother who then told me in no uncertain terms, I barracked for Essendon!!

BB – Was there a Bomber player you ‘swooned’ over as a kid?
TC – Loved Tim Watson and Paul Van der Haar.

BB – Who are your favourite past and present Essendon players?
TC – My favourite player growing up was Tim Watson. So it was great working with him at Channel Seven. These days I have to say I don’t really have a favourite player, although James Hird is phenomenal and Lloydy will go down as one of the all time greatest. I also think Adam McPhee has been a great acquisition for the Bombers.

BB – How often do you get to see the Dons live?
TC – Don’t get to see Essendon play live much at all unfortunately. But whenever I can, I get out to a game…even if it’s for only a half!

BB – What was the first AFL/VFL game do you remember going to?
TC – I think it was Essendon versus Carlton at Windy Hill some time in the Seventies with my dad. Can’t remember who won.

BB – What is your all-time favourite Essendon moment?
TC – Definitely the 1993 Grand Final. It was my first Grand Final; I snuck into the grounds; sat behind the goals; and watched one of my uni friends (Rick Olarenshaw) win a Premiership. It was a brilliant day.

BB – Which number would you have on the back of your Essendon jumper if you were a teenager once again today?
TC – Number 4.

BB – Having had an active role in football, how do you find the game today, in terms of fitness and players recovering from their injuries?
TC – Players are a lot fitter these days than their predecessors. Football is now a multi-million dollar business, players are full time and consequently a lot higher standard is demanded. Also, training and medical facilities have improved greatly, decreasing the likelihood of injury and increasing the speed of recovery.

Tiff in action!

BB – When/If do you think a female will become a full commentator/caller on the game? And would you like to have that opportunity yourself to call a game?
TC – I think woman will call football one day. When that is, I don’t know, but I don’t see any reason why it can’t happen sooner rather than later. If she’s good enough…why not? I hope one day to be deemed good enough to be given a go at it.

BB – What future role(s) do you feel the female population will have in the game?
TC – Females are becoming far more prevalent in the game every year. When I first started out as a physio for Richmond in 1995 there were hardly any females around, especially in the media. And I think women can become involved in every facet bar playing and coaching.

BB – As an Essendon supporter, how did it feel working for another club (Richmond)?
TC – Barracking for Essendon, it was a bit funny walking in the Richmond rooms as an employee of the club. I remember my first game was an Essendon Richmond match and Brendan Gale asked me who I was going to barrack for. I said I’d love a draw…and it was!!! I soon learnt the song and still feel pretty strongly about the Tigers.

BB – As an elite athlete, do you ever judge the work-rate, or the social lives of footballers and think “I wouldn’t do that if I were you?”
TC – There are some players I see out and pushing the limits. I know how hard Olympic athletes work and how much they dedicate their lives to their sport and the health of their bodies. But I have to say the professionalism is improving every year and players are becoming more like Olympic athletes in their preparation.

BB – As reported in the Herald-Sun recently – Why do you buy a Richmond membership?
TC – I brought a Richmond membership last year because I was doing a couple of training runs with the Tigers coaching staff and they said I couldn’t join them anymore unless I became a paid up member…so I did!

BB – When you were working as Richmond’s physio, did you sense anything “wrong” in the club?
TC – I never sensed anything wrong at Punt Road when I worked there. The club, just like every other at some stage, is going through a tough time. But Richmond is working through it and no doubt will taste success soon enough.

BB – How is it like being a boundary rider and being so close to the action?
TC – I love my job. Being so close to the action on game day is such a buzz. It’s one of the things I really missed about not being a physio. So when the offer came along to be a boundary rider…I jumped at the chance.

BB – How did you get into the media after being a club physio?
TC – A lot of hard work! Actually, I heard Wayne Campbell was doing some radio and I just started swapping notes with him one day about working in the media. He said Sport 927 – where he worked – was looking for a female and I should give them a call. I ended up working with Brian Taylor once a week which was great. I also got a job at The Age helping out in the sport section and on the front desk and working as a reporter for Talking Footy on Channel Seven.

BB – How did you get into the ‘football industry’ and did you always want to work around football?
TC – I love sport and I suppose working in Melbourne where football is so huge, it was a natural progression. But I have to say, I did see an opportunity in the nineties because there weren’t many females involved. I thought if I can get in here, I might be able to really do something with it.

The joys of being a boundary rider!

BB – How do you feel you are treated being a female in football? Does a ‘boys club’ culture still exist?
TC – Boys club only exists if you acknowledge it. On the whole, the guys are great and I love working with them.

BB – What is the most common sporting injury you have worked on? And which one is the most difficult to treat?
TC – Sprained ankle is the most common sporting injury I would have seen and the hardest would have to be osteitis pubis.

BB – What is the one thing players should do to minimize injuries?
TC – Be prepared – fitness, strength, hydration and mental preparation.

BB – What is the worst injury you’ve seen an AFL player suffer?
TC – Former Geelong player Jason Snell break his ankle and never play football again.

BB – Do AFL players become ‘cry babies’ in the rooms after they suffer an injury? Or are they ‘tough men’ and don’t show the pain?
TC – Like all of us, they’re affected by pain. Each copes in his own way, but I’ve never seen a player act like as you say, ‘a cry baby’.

BB – I saw you hosting the “Men For All Seasons” program on Fox Footy with MJ & Macca – who do you think is the “hottest“current Essendon player?
TC – Both boys scrubbed up pretty well!

BB – What would you do if you were stuck on a deserted island with Sheeds?
TC – Get him to tell me all his footy stories!

BB – Who do you think should be Essendon captain after James Hird retires?
TC – Matthew Lloyd.

BB – What is your opinion of Sheeds? Sane or Insane?
TC – Sheeds is sane and very cunning.

BomberBlitz – What is your birthday?
Tiffany Cherry – 4th August 1971.

BB – How tall are you?
TC – 172cm.

BB – Do you have any tattoos?
TC – No.

BB – What schools did you go to?
TC – East Kew Primary and Carey Grammar.

BB – What sort of car do you drive?
TC – Black VW Golf.

BB – What did/do your parents do for a living?
TC – My mum raised my brother Tim and I. My dad was a mechanic who played one game in the reserves for Essendon before he got homesick and went back to the bush!

BB – Do you have or had any pets?
TC – I don’t have any pets, but I used to have a rabbit (Sherbie), dog (Benni) and a fish (Amadeus)

BB – Is Tiffany Cherry your real name?
TC – Yes! (Captain Jack wins the award for the oddest question says the BB Evil Overlord Andy!)

BB – What is your personal sporting background and achievements?
TC – I’m a runner and triathlete. I finished in the top eight in the open 400m hurdles in consecutive years in 1992 and 93. I also represented Australia in my age group at the 1999 World Triathlon Championships in Montreal. I throw myself into most sports…give everything a try is my motto.

BB – What would be your ultimate sporting fantasy if you had the chance to fulfil it?
TC – Win an Olympic gold medal in the 400m hurdles.

BB – Do you have any heroes (sporting or non-sporting)?
TC – Carl Lewis was my first sporting hero and I have to say my friend Catherine Freeman has been a great inspiration.

Lloydy & Tiff!

BB – There has been a rumour around town that you and White Line Fever co-host Clinton Grybas are romantically linked, can you confirm or deny this and are you single or is there currently a special someone in your life? And what do you look for in a man?
TC – Clinton and I are great friends and no, we’re not going out! I’m single and I don’t look for anything…if it’s meant to be, it is! No-one special at this stage.

BB – What do you think you will be doing in 10 years time?
TC – Hopefully having fun!

BB – Have any footballers tried to ‘hit on you’? Do you take it as a complement or “you wish!”
TC – I don’t know…I turn a blind eye!

BB – What does a normal day at Fox Footy entail for you?
TC – Nothings ever normal. I work in news which is different every day – one of the things I love about my job. But I do read the news every night which I have to start preparing for around 5.30pm. I also produce and present a medical show on Monday and I do the boundary riding every weekend.

BB – Do you have any special match day preparations or superstitions?
TC – I like to go for a ride or run and clear my head and also read the papers.

BB – Do boundary riders actually hear what the coaches say that the quarter breaks? Or do they just ‘make up stuff’ to tell the viewers. I ask this because during the Essendon/Brisbane game a few weeks ago I saw Christi Malthouse not go within 50 metres of the teams huddles but watched the replay on Fox Footy afterwards and she said “Sheedy said this, Matthews said that etc etc”. Or do boundary riders just have special hearing superpowers?
TC – It’s very hard to hear. I take my ear piece out and try to capture what I can without being too intrusive. I also watch very closely what happens and try to report players who receive treatment or are yelled at.

BB – Have you had any embarrassing on air moments?
TC – A number of them!

BB – Do you have to pay for your own clothes you wear on Fox Footy?
TC – I get a clothes allowance which I usually spend very quickly…love to shop.

BB – Who is your tip to win the 2004 AFL Flag and Brownlow?
TC – Brisbane & Jeff White.

BB – Do you think Eddie McGuire should be calling Collingwood matches on Channel 9?
TC – Yes.

BB – Which AFL club do you hate the most? (be honest!)
TC – Honestly, I don’t hate any club.

And now on with the news ….

BB – Do physios treat themselves when they injure themselves?
TC – Speaking for myself, I try to treat myself…but often I can’t. In my experience, physios tend to not get treatment for their own injuries probably because they’re so sick of being in a medical room by the time they’ve finished work. But of course they should…including myself!

BB – Do you have any advice for a girl on how to break into the male dominated world of AFL Sports Medicine?
TC – Never give up and believe in yourself. If you want it bad enough, it will happen.

BB – What do you do to relax when not working?
TC – I love going to the movies, love running, riding, skiing, playing golf and horse riding. Sitting on the beach is one of my favourite pastimes and catching up with friends. Love weekend mornings, reading the paper and having a coffee…and I loved renovating.

BB – What are your favourite TV shows?
TC – I rarely get to watch TV other then the news and football! But I do watch Sixty Minutes every Sunday, Sportsworld, the footy shows and CSI.

BB – Can you tell us about your trip to India with Jen Adams (Channel 7 news chick) a few years ago and what were your highlights and impressions of that country?
TC – India was incredible. Jen and I absolutely loved it…it was hard and a real eye opener, but it really made you realize how lucky we are and how much we take for granted. They are wonderful, spirited people with a great sense of freedom and happiness.

BB – Rex Hunt on 3AW a few weeks ago said he wanted to launch the “Rex & Tiff Fishing Hour”. So will we see you kissing a flathead on TV anytime soon?
TC – Didn’t hear Rex say that…but open to offers…I love fishing and I love Rex!!!

BB – Do you think Murali is a chucker?
TC – As a patriotic Aussie who barracks for Warney…yes! But I’m not an expert.

BB – On the BomberBlitz.com forum there is a massive debate raging about donuts. What is your opinion on the humble donut? If you are a believer in the donut cult are you a cinnamon, iced or jam centred type girl?
TC – I love the good old cinnamon donuts!!!

Posted 10 August 04 in Interviews News