Dropped Balls and Big Calls

Fifteen years ago, an ordinary summer day became one of the darkest moments in New Zealand’s history. In this deeply personal tribute to his hometown of Christchurch, Jason Beardsley recounts where he was when the February 22, 2011 earthquake struck, the terrifying hours that followed, and the long years of aftershocks, uncertainty, and grief that reshaped a city and its people forever. This episo...

Dan Joyce has spent his life navigating trauma, care, responsibility and the quiet weight of burnout. In this episode, Dan opens up about becoming a foster carer at a young age, and how working with trauma affected young people throughout his career reshaped his identity, empathy and view of the world. We talk honestly about his childhood experiences, emotional exhaustion, the misunderstood realit...

Thirteen and a half years ago, I crossed the ditch with a suitcase, and a dream. Today, I became an Australian citizen. This episode is about belonging. I reflect on growing up in New Zealand, idolising Australia through sport, music and culture, surviving the Christchurch earthquakes, and starting again in Melbourne at 21 with no job, no network, and a lot of self doubt. It’s a short story about...

January hits different. The Christmas break gives you space to breathe, reflect, and ask the hard questions. Am I happy at work? Am I growing? Or am I just surviving until the next long weekend? In Episode 17 of Dropped Balls & Big Calls, I’m joined by recruiter Mollie-May Bennett of Brightside Recruitment to pull back the curtain on the Australian job market in 2026, with a sharp focus on NDI...

If you think sprint car racing is just loud engines and late nights, think again. In Episode 16 of Dropped Balls & Big Calls, I sit down with Matthew Leversedge, one of New Zealand’s most respected sprint car racers, to talk about what really powers a racing career. Spoiler alert: it’s not just horsepower and talent. From starting out at five years old to navigating the brutal realities of spo...

This week’s episode is a bit different. I’ve been feeling lost lately, so I went back to the words of my late mate, Kev. Kev lived with muscular dystrophy, but he also lived with more accountability and perspective than most of us ever find. In this episode, I read his final blog and reflect on the lessons he left behind. It’s a reminder to pay attention to our self-talk, own our choices, and live...

What would you do if your child’s life depended on it? For Boris Struk, the answer was simple, everything . When his son Ryan was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy, Boris turned heartbreak into action, founding Muscular Dystrophy Australia and dedicating his life to creating change. In this powerful conversation, Boris shares the story behind that fight: the speech that ignited a movement, the bel...

From the gritty reality of policing and counter-terrorism to the bright lights of Home and Away to building $200m business units, Michele Mattiuzzi’s story is a masterclass in resilience, reinvention, and relentless work ethic. In this deeply honest conversation, Michele opens up about his tough upbringing, the poverty that fueled his drive, and the lessons learned under pressure as part of the Au...

In this solo episode, Jason takes a step back to reflect on the first ten conversations of Dropped Balls and Big Calls . From lessons learned through powerful guest stories to the challenges of starting a podcast from scratch. He opens up about moments of grief, the importance of authenticity, and why no one’s going to hand you the path, you’ve got to carve it yourself. Along the way, Jason highli...

What happens when chaos becomes your normal? For Carol Beaumont, living with a partner battling alcoholism forced her to confront addiction, resilience, and self-discovery in ways she never expected. In this episode of Dropped Balls & Big Calls , Carol shares her raw and inspiring journey, from navigating the emotional toll of living with addiction to creating Her Courage Speaks , a platform t...

Former Australian Volleyballer Debs Moore has lived a life defined by resilience, risk, and perspective. From the highs of elite sport to living through the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami, Debs shares how she’s built a mindset that refuses to look back and never wants to say no to life’s opportunities. In this episode, we dive into her incredible journey, the moments that shaped her courage, and why embr...

What if the fear of regret was more powerful than the fear of failure? In this episode, Paul Harrison shares how that very mindset drove him to back himself, take risks, and step fully into the entrepreneurial path. From turning rejection into resilience to learning why energy and execution matter more than perfect plans, Paul brings honesty and insight into what it really takes to build something...

In this episode of Dropped Balls and Big Calls, Jodie Hellings opens up about some of the toughest moments of her life, moments that left her questioning everything. With raw honesty, she shares how she leaned on her family, rebuilt her sense of self, and found the courage to move forward. This conversation is about resilience, self worth, and the power of family and community when you feel like t...

In this conversation, Musician Jacob Petrossian shares his journey exploring personal growth through music and community. He discusses the significance of rites of passage, the impact of the Christchurch earthquake on his life, and his transition to living in Melbourne. Jacob reflects on his experiences with journaling, early musical influences, and the importance of supportive teachers in his edu...

In this powerful and honest conversation, I’m joined by Lauren Gibbs, a mum and business owner, who opens up about her trauma and the hidden side of parenting in one of the most important podcasts to date. From intrusive thoughts to trauma, ADHD, OCD, and rage, Lauren shares what many parents feel but few are willing to say out loud. We talk about: ​• Why some of the darkest thoughts happen to the...

This conversation explores the journey of Kiwi musician Gray Vickers, from early influences and experiences to the formation of These Four Walls and navigating the music industry. In this conversation, Gray discusses the differences in the music industry between New Zealand and Australia, reflecting on the challenges and opportunities faced by bands in both markets. He shares his personal journey...

Paul Rourke is a musician, husband, a father, and a bloke who’s faced things most of us couldn’t imagine. In this episode, Paul opens up about his journey through music, family dynamics, mental health, and the life changing experience of surviving not one, but two cardiac arrests in just seven days, with no clear answer as to why. We dive into his relationship with alcohol, overcoming imposter syn...

Tommy Flanagan’s that mate who somehow knows every sporting stat, every story behind it, and somehow, he's made a career out of it. From calling Footy as a kid to building a media career that’s seen him work with Sportsbet, overseas cricket tours and Clubby Sports, Tommy’s journey is one built on passion, persistence, and the people he surrounds himself with. In this chat, we cover everything from...

Ross Niven is a man of many talents, Flight Attendant and Inflight Trainer, musician, ice hockey fanatic, and devoted family man. He’s also someone I’m proud to call a dear friend. In this deeply personal conversation, Ross opens up about his journey through grief, mental health, and personal transformation following the death of his mother. He reflects on childhood, a life altering accident, and...

Chris Bull is a family man, singer and guitarist of The Snake Behaviour, Southern Zone Rugby League board member, office worker and an all-round legend. In this heartfelt first interview on Dropped Balls and Big Calls, Chris Bull opens up about his journey from childhood in Nelson to the emotional rollercoaster of adolescence, losing both parents, and becoming a father himself. He reflects on musi...

In this inaugural episode of Drop Balls and Big Calls , host Jason Beardsley sets the tone for a raw and honest podcast about resilience, grief, and growth. Jason opens up about his own mental health journey and the driving force behind launching the show, a desire to create a space where authenticity, vulnerability, and the messiness of life are not just accepted but embraced. This is more than a...

I’ve spent years pretending I had it together. Truth is, I was falling apart, quietly, deeply, and often alone. Dropped Balls & Big Calls is a podcast about the stuff we don’t talk about enough, grief, failure, Identity, mental health, setbacks… and how we find our way forward. This isn’t expert-led or polished for perfection. It’s real talk from someone who's lived it, a father, a mate, a run...