Besides the bleedin’ obvious, better appreciation for the anxiety the All Blacks. He was there at the played for nothing; we pretty much what inspired you to become a he went through, in getting so many crease when bowled did. We got $400 before tax for a Test Mo Mentor for Movember? doors slammed in his face. And yet the ball along the pitch. He threw his match, including the It seemed like too many boxes got he believed in the idea on a couple of bat on the ground ... I was at fine leg, match when we signed up for World a tick. I’ve had a big moustache all levels. A , he loved . And B, he actually. That was the last game I Series Cricket. Today, if you’re a good my life, and men’s health is very wanted it to be a marketing magnet played for Australia. I thought, “My player, in the Twenty20 sense, some of close to me. Most weeks, someone for his television station, and the goodness, he’s upset.” the top players are getting two million Max near and dear is either being only way that was going to be Simon O’Donnell would’ve been bucks for 50 days in the IPL. Then you diagnosed with prostate cancer or achieved was if we committed to the last bloke to do it; he played 26 or have one-dayers and Test matches as anxiety attacks or depression. It’s one another and didn’t pull out. As it 27 games for St Kilda in the VFL, a well. These guys are mega-million- something you have to take very was, West Indian Alvin Kallicharan handful of Test matches and 98 dollar players. You’d have to do some seriously. And if, in a small way, I can and eventually did, one-dayers. It’s a pretty unique group, research on the exact amounts of Walker make a difference, by being part of but the strength of it was ... he just though. There’s probably under ten money, but when you think that 400 egendary Australian reinvented himself time and this critical mass of humanity that’s eyeballed everyone and walked who have played both million sets of eyeballs tune into an L fast bowler Max Walker again; from batsman to bowler, putting its hand up, albeit for a around and asked, “Any reason you and AFL footy. IPL final or a World Cup final, then was famous for his elaborate from radio star to television moustache, then it’s pretty won’t give me 55 days of your life for you can see the magnitude of Kerry action; it earned him the face, from architect to writer. symbolic, isn’t it? ?” And we all Speaking of uniqueness, is that Packer’s influence. nickname “Tangles”, with cricket It’s often forgotten that before said, “No, Mr Packer.” Only David something modern cricket could experts the world-over perplexed his Test and 17-ODI career, he Did you ever think one day that Hookes was a little apprehensive benefit from, more characters and What was the best piece of batting at how such a “wrong-footed” starred in the then-VFL, clocking your mo would be behind such a about it, but once he was across personalities like there seemed to advice you ever received? action could result in a perfect up 85 top-grade games for the good cause? the line, the rest of it is, as they say, be in your playing days? The best coaching book I have ever line and length ‒ and an Football Club I initially grew it, and it did take a history. Great television. It was a game when we played. We seen, and I got it for my 12th birthday impressive set of stats. He between 1967-72. while, when I was about 20-odd, were good enough to get picked to play (my dad gave it to me, Big Max), was retired after 34 Tests, having Today, the 64-year-old is a and it came in really handy What do you remember this game for Australia. We would’ve The Art Of Cricket by Sir Donald } Tangles’ wasn’t the taken 138 , including a media tech guru, having set in the West Indies most about your prettiest style, but career-best 8/143 in the ’74-75 up a company, bhive Group, because it was so switch from Aussie it worked. below Ashes. These days, around which specialises in mobile hot over there. I do rules to cricket? Walker meets Queen this time each year, in fact, it’s web platforms, streaming media, smile a lot; the “My It wasn’t a Lizzie in 1975. another physical characteristic ‒ QR codes and analytics ... We tendency was for moustache conscious his still-booming soup- don’t know what any of my lips to crack. I decision. For strainer ‒ which earns that stuff is, but Big thought, ‘I’ll put a is part of me, it was an him cred, for his role as Max does. shade on it.’ It’s evolution. Most a “Mo Mentor” in the We wanted to part of my DNA. I my DNA.” of life’s journey is annual Movember get his thoughts guess I’d feel that I meandering, like a fundraising crusade on cricket’s wasn’t complete if I switch-back railway, for men’s health transformation ever lost it. or whatever way you awareness. in recent years, want to describe it. I was From a one-time so we stole him There was certainly a lot of facial chosen to tour the West Indies in self-confessed away from the hair being flashed around on the 1973. I had my architecture thesis to “fountain pen Movember mini-series Howzat a month or complete at the Royal Melbourne dinosaur”, campaign trail two back ... Institute of Technology when I came Walker has for a slice For the ’73 tour of the West back. We didn’t get back until May emerged of Walker Indies, which occurred a few years that year. The footy season had and wisdom. before when Howzat was set, started, obviously ‒ about five almost everyone in the side had a games in, so I had to make a choice. moustache. There was a tendency I didn’t think it was possible to be to almost link the sideburns up really successful at all three, so I with the mo, but it was an unwritten retired from footy and I got through team rule that there had to be an my architecture; I had to submit a inch gap, or 25mm, from the bottom month or so early in October so I of the moustache to the bottom could take on my cricket itinerary, of the sideburns ... and I just never got back to footy. At the ripe old age of 22, I’d had 85 What did you make of the factual senior games ... I never “retired”, I just never got back to it.

accuracy of Howzat ... Did you find other Movember images by Images Getty yourself nodding your head while reminiscing about the ol’ days? Your career switch was a big one I thought the first part, in compared to today’s mere footy particular, of Howzat was fantastic. code-hoppers, hey? As players, we weren’t privy to a lot I guess a lot of that was going on of the conflicts and confrontations back then. Brian McKechnie, who behind closed doors, which were played in the underarm incident, was

Kerry Packer’s wars, but you have a a dual international. He played for courtesy photo left far CPR11747_25x450_Pal . pdf Page 1 28/ 09/ 12, 12: 26 PM

kwp!CPR11748 Bradman. That suggested, as a batsman, and I’d been playing with them for five or fabulously mechanically perfect I don’t think there’s much wrong that you try and tread on the ball ... if six years, so how did it all happen? My first before biomechanics was even a with the 50-over game. We just play you’re successful, you’ll break your ankle. game for was a Colts match the word! I was never bio-mechanically too much of it. It’s a cash-cow, Anyway, the idea was to pick the pitch of year I came across in ’67; was perfect, but Lillee broke down ... I there’s no doubt about it. There’s the ball. Second, it suggested that you 12th man for . Rodney didn’t break down. only a couple of matches that count, “sniff” the ball; in other words, you get Marsh played, and there was a guy named and they’re the semi-finals and final your head down over it, and you play with Bruce Yardley, who opened the bowling You developed into a cult hero ... of the World Cup. Seriously, the rest a very straight bat. And that worked for Western Australia, who turned out who were your idols as a player? of them ... from a player’s point of very well. My last two knocks for North to be one of the great off-spinners that Viv Richards was probably the view, there’s not much kudos in in district cricket batting at three we’ve ever had. So life was very different, best batsman I bowled against in my saying “we won the third match, were 117 and 119. That will probably shock wasn’t it? Peter Bedford, the Brownlow time. I like to brag that I got him out Pakistan vs Australia, in Sharjah”. I you and a lot of other people, but I saw medallist, played in that match, the late a couple of times ... for 181 and 179. mean, sorry, but big deal. myself as a batsman! John Scholes, Les Joslin, there were some But he really was the crown prince amazing names. But yeah, I thought I was in those days. He was probably Do you have Twenty20 vision, How does a batsman who scores a batsman. the most complete cricketer I or are you a cricket purist? centuries become one of Australia’s had ever seen. He fielded I’m a purist. I don’t dislike the best-known bowlers? Your front-on bowling action is one of beautifully, he bowled medium- other forms; I speak at a lot of The didn’t have a the more interesting styles from over quick, bowled spin, and was one conferences around the world, and fast bowler, and I batted at ten in my first the years. How did it develop? of the truly great all-rounders, my subject is change, reinvention. match. It was 14 weeks before I got a hit. Just to get ahead at recess and lunch at with Sir Garfield Sobers, who I Played well, Twenty20 looks great. While I opened the bowling at school, I’d school, really. Right arm over your left ear, only played against once ‒ when Score 170-180 off 20 overs, wow! But The mo and taken one district for North Hobart, ol’ legs crossed at the point of ... sideburns could he played for South Australia. you see four bad shots and they’re never join. far Of the bowlers, well, Lillee was 4/50. The ten-or-11-year-old kid Viv Richards, right just the best. He was an suddenly thinks that’s the the crown prince. below Big Max amazing machine when right way to play: wham, strikes in ‘75. he walked through the bam, thank you very gate and onto the much, tee-off on field. He became “I got Viv every ball, no dot this menace; balls allowed. they could hear this one.” And so was your initial reaction to his technically Richards In Test you’re rolling out last year’s talk to comical character portrayals? brilliant with his out a cricket, while a new audience. Which is lovely. We weren’t consulted. Billy would ability to swing we’ve had One of my signature stories is sit down with a mate in front of the and bounce. So couple of blokes like about my old man and me playing in a television, whether it was the cricket too was Sir times ... for Gilchrist, there grand final in the middle of or Wide World Of Sports, over a slab ; 181 and 179.” aren’t a lot of on a Sunday afternoon. I was about of beer, and he’d try and make his he was a great guys who can 12 ‒ we scored 17 runs off the last mate laugh. When he did, that meant exponent of swing, successfully hit ball! Only a Tasmanian could believe it was genuinely funny, so he took but at the pace Lillee across the line at a that was possible. It’s a long story, notes. Then they’d write a script, go bowled, he was lethal. Chuck swinging ball and be but I think it ended up in How To into a sound booth and recreate the Thommo down the other end, just to confidently successful. So, what you Hypnotise Chooks. voices of Bill Lawry, Max Walker, put the fear factor between them, see is kids mirror-imaging the guys The bat handle of the only bat we Tony Greig, . That’s and they were unstoppable. they see on telly, but you need to had in the club had broken ‒ we were how it was done ... no collaboration. have a technique. It’s like a building poor. So the old man goes out with a It’s a form of flattery or notoriety Do you have any hobby horses – you need a foundation for it to picket! We run 17, the grass is a metre when someone mimmicks you. I about the modern game which stand up, and if the foundation – or high. I’m compressing the story, but haven’t been in a commentary box you like to ride? technique – is weak, then you can’t the old man walks over to the for 21 years at Channel Nine, The crowds and Test cricket need bat against a swinging ball with four opposition and asks, “Do you contrary to when Billy has me say to maintain their currency as being slips, two gullies and a bat-pad. It’s a really want to know where the ball “Give me my job back” ‒ that famous the blue-chip. While we’re coming whole different proposition to no is?” He turns the picket over and line in The 12th Man. It was a into Bollywood-style cricket now, slips, the field spread out, an old nailed to the end of the picket with a conscious decision for me to leave. with a lot of the Bollyood guys ball on a flat wicket. dirty great big nail, is a cricket ball. But it’s very funny and Billy’s won owning teams, dancing girls, and “Never let the facts get in the way more ARIAS than Johnny Farnham, pyrotechnics, we have to look at Your books were a popular part of a good story,” my old man said. Kate Ceberano and Jimmy Barnes Test cricket. One of the things I of an Aussie summer. Any all- You’re allowed a little bit of creative for his very Australian take on think should happen, without time favourite stories from them license, particularly at a barbeque. humour. He probably doesn’t realise actually destroying the integrity and which you still like to spin at My old room-mate Kerry O’Keeffe it, but he’s been my PR man for the heritage of the game, is to play Tests barbeques or dinners? turned it into an art-form! last two decades. Guys still come up over four days. Split up the number Look, as a speaker, you get tagged to me and say, “Maxy, you’re doin of overs, so you don’t bowl more with, “Oh, that’s a signature Max You were painted as an out- such a good job in the commentary

Getty Images Getty overs on any given day. You can have Walker story.” Year after year, I’ll try of-control madman in Billy box,” and I don’t have the heart to a day-time and a night-time session. and come up with some new stuff, Birmingham’s famous The 12th say, “Mate, I haven’t been there for At the MCG, for example, they have but then people say to me, “I brought Man episodes. Were you consulted 21 years!”

photos by a “night” ticket. three of my colleagues along just so before he unleashed? And what ‒ James Smith CPR11747_25x450_Pal . pdf Page 1 28/ 09/ 12, 12: 26 PM

kwp!CPR11748