ASC and Sportish Launch ‘Play Well’ Podcast

The Australian Sports Commission (ASC) has announced a media partnership with Sportish podcast to launch an eight-part series titled Play Well.

The collaboration is a key pillar of Australia’s National Sport Participation Strategy, aimed at shifting the national conversation from elite results to the social and personal benefits of community sport.

Hosted by three-time Olympic gold medallist Libby Trickett and co-host Georgie Trickett, the series features an elite roster of Australian icons. The lineup includes three-time Grand Slam winner Ash Barty, AFL legend Adam Goodes, and Paralympic great Ellie Cole, alongside mindset and parenting experts. The series explores how sport fosters lifelong connection, resilience, and a sense of belonging for millions of Australians.

Commenting on the announcement, ASC CEO, Kieren Perkins OAM, noted: “We often celebrate high performance, and rightly so, but the real strength of Australian sport lies in the local clubs, volunteers and the millions of Australians who show up each week.”

“This series goes deeper into what the Play Well movement is all about. It’s a national approach that puts fun at the heart of community sport,” Perkins OAM said.

Strategic Content and Commercial Reach

The partnership leverages the established audience of Sportish, which launched in 2024, to reach a broad cross-section of the Australian public. By utilising a podcast format, the ASC is adopting a modern “content-first” approach to government strategy, moving away from traditional policy documents to relatable, high-value storytelling.

A National Conversation on Participation

For host Libby Trickett, the project is about redefining the value of the sporting experience.

“Some of the most important lessons I learned didn’t come from winning Olympic gold, they came from being part of a team and having that sense of belonging,” she noted.

Co-host Georgie Trickett emphasised that the series aims to “bust open” a national conversation about inclusivity. The inclusion of Ash Barty discussing her transition from professional tennis to social golf serves as a primary example of the strategy’s goal: re-evaluating the Australian relationship with sport to ensure it is sustainable and enjoyable at all life stages.

The series is produced by award-winning production house Deadset Studios and launches on Wednesday 4 March, with new episodes released weekly across all major podcast platforms and YouTube.

The series includes:  

• Tennis champion Ash Barty 
• Founder of the Resilience Project Hugh van Cuylenburg 
• Paralympic legend Ellie Cole 
• Mindset coach Ben Crowe 
• Diversity and inclusion leader Rana Hussain 
• Dual Olympic gold medallist and ASC CEO Kieren Perkins 
• Parenting expert Gen Muir 
• AFL great and indigenous leader Adam Goodes 

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