Caley Wilson

At the Big Sound music conference in Brisbane last month, 150 hot young acts were strutting their stuff by night and hoping to catch attention and step into brighter lights. Tash Sultana – who is currently on a sold-out US tour – is one who had done just that after performing at Big Sound last year.

The best player in the NRL right now started the season as, perhaps, the fourth-best player at his club.

Being open and honest is always the best policy – except when it isn’t. And when it comes to media management in professional sport, that can be quite often.

Checking back through old emails this morning, after Emirates Team New Zealand had won the America’s Cup, I was reminded that I reached out to their communications manager, Hamish Hooper, on March 24 last year.

When it comes to media phone interviews, which is the higher priority: easy access to talent or the privacy of that talent?

There was a time when it was routine for a journalist to gather up the private phone number of VIPs – and call them directly for a comment or interview whenever they became especially newsworthy.

A few years ago, when a reporter asked me for Kieran Foran’s mobile number, I passed it on to him. I’d already checked with Kieran if that was OK, but on reflection it was a wrong move.

The hunt is constantly on in top-level sport for ways to improve. And as more and more minds have put attention to this space, the concept of ‘marginal gains’ has come into the spotlight.