Courtside Coffee Catch-Up

Why C3? Courtside - Basketball has been my lifeCoffee - Is life at this point Catch-Up - I LOVE a chat and connecting The concept is simple, organic and authentic conversations with great people across the sporting landscape.

Courtside Coffee Catch-Up is a sports podcast hosted by Kerry Waller, with 33 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Kerry Waller hosts Courtside Coffee Catch-Up, a sports show with 33 episodes published.

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  Episode #4

  C3 with Tom Giles - Australian Sports Consultants

  Sep 29, 202639 minS2

  From tap dancing and footy to basketball opportunities around the world, Tom Giles’ sporting journey has been anything but conventional. Tom’s basketball pathway took him from the Central District Lions to representing South Australia, before he spent a year playing high school basketball in Colorado, USA. When the US college pathway didn’t unfold as he had hoped, Tom returned to Australia and attended Phil Smyth’s Australian Basketball Academy—a decision that eventually brought him home to Adelaide. Tom shares how that next chapter led to his introduction to the NBL, an opportunity within the Adelaide 36ers development program and time in the Illawarra Hawks training environment. From the outside, it looked like the beginning of a pathway towards professional basketball—but it didn’t go to script. In this honest and insightful conversation, Tom reflects on the playing career he had, the impact of feeling that he hadn’t fulfilled his potential, and the process of making peace with a journey that unfolded differently from the one he imagined. Today, Tom draws on more than 17 years of experience as a player, coach, teacher, mentor and educator through Australian Sports Consultants. We explore how his own experiences now shape the way he supports athletes and families, the importance of holistic development, and the opportunities he is helping create—including the upcoming visit of Olympic gold medallist and WNBA champion Kara Wolters. This is a conversation about basketball, identity, disappointment, growth and finding purpose when the pathway doesn’t unfold exactly as planned. Tom Giles joins us on Courtside Coffee Catch-Up.

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  Courtside Coffee Catch-Up

  Ruby Porter - C3 Collab

  Sep 8, 202610 min

  Sturt Sabres junior Ruby Porter has packed plenty into her basketball journey. Representing South Australia and Australia throughout a successful junior career, Ruby joined the Adelaide Lightning on an amateur contract while still in Year 11. Her journey later took her to NCAA Division I basketball at the University of Nebraska, where she was one of three Australian junior national representatives on the Huskers roster alongside Isabelle Bourne and Jaz Shelley—an incredible opportunity complicated by COVID. Since returning home, Ruby has played across NBL1 North and West and held WNBL development-player roles with the Bendigo Spirit and Adelaide Lightning. She became an NBL1 West champion and Grand Final MVP with the Cockburn Cougars in 2025, before being named the Willetton Tigers’ 2026 MVP despite an ankle injury ending her season. But there is so much more to Ruby than the résumé and numbers. We chat about her deep South Australian basketball roots, including the influence of her mum, 300-game WNBL player Sandra Porter (née Prettejohn), and her grandfather, Lee Prettejohn. Ruby also shares her love of coaching, giving back and doing the small things—from cheering for teammates to spending time with fans—that build genuine community connections. It was only a short yap, and we couldn’t cover every chapter, but it was special to hear more about Ruby’s family connections and what matters most to her. An easy, insightful and fun chat about family, community, connection and basketball.

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  Episode #3

  C3 with Daisy Hocking - South Adelaide Panthers NBL1

  Aug 31, 202630 minS2

  At just 17, Daisy Hocking has a work ethic and maturity well beyond her years—but she is also warm, thoughtful and great fun to chat with. With her FIBA U17 Women’s World Cup bronze medal in hand, Daisy joined me for a cappuccino and a conversation about representing Australia in Czechia, growing up in Karoonda and the important role her family continues to play in her basketball journey. We chat about balancing school with the demands of a high-performance pathway, her considered approach to social media and the decision to step outside her comfort zone by moving from her junior club Eastern Mavericks to the South Adelaide Panthers for the 2026 NBL1 season. Daisy also shares what’s next, including the Adelaide Lightning Academy, U20 State Team trials, NBL1 in 2027 and her college basketball pathway. It’s an insightful and fun catch-up with a grounded and driven young athlete—and a chance to get to know Daisy beyond the basketball court.

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  Episode #2

  C3 with Steve Pilkington founder of 2HOOPS Basketball

  Aug 2, 202628 minS2

  Debuting in the Central League of the then Australian Basketball Association (ABA) at just 16 years of age, Steve Pilkington was still attending Wirreanda High School while fighting to earn the respect of legendary coach Don Shipway and sharing the court with South Australian basketball greats Mark Davis, Scott Ninnis, Brett Wheeler and Shane Ahmat. Growing up in Adelaide's southern suburbs, Morphett Vale Stadium became far more than a basketball venue. It offered Steve a place of belonging, opportunity and purpose—an alternative to walking the streets, and the place where a lifelong passion for the game was forged. His senior playing career began with a championship in 1997 as a rookie with the South Adelaide Panthers. Fittingly, it ended with another championship in 2014 as a Woodville Warrior, bookending an outstanding career with team success. Eligible for a British passport through his father, Steve discovered an alternative pathway to pursue basketball abroad. Leaving Australia for the first time as a boy, he returned home a man. His time competing across the British and English basketball leagues broadened not only his experience on the court, but also his perspective on life, relationships and the power of genuine connections. Soon after hanging up the boots, Steve transitioned from player to coach, launching 2Hoops Basketball. What began as a passion project has grown into a thriving full-time business, helping athletes of all ages and abilities develop their skills, confidence and love for the game. Today, the 2Hoops community extends far beyond individual player development. With junior and senior teams now proudly representing the 2Hoops brand, Steve has created a community where players, coaches and families all belong. It also gives him the chance to lace up each week alongside fellow coaches and parents—proof that basketball has never been just about the game, but the people you share it with. In this episode of Courtside Coffee Catch-Up, Steve reflects on the highs and challenges of his playing career at home and overseas, the lessons basketball has taught him, the importance of surrounding yourself with good people, the power of genuine connections and the infamous story of bringing down the ring at Morphett Vale Stadium. This is a conversation about resilience, relationships, leadership, community and leaving the game better than you found it.

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  Episode #1

  C3 with Rio & Cal Bruton

  Jul 20, 202630 minS2

  On this episode of Courtside Coffee Catch-Up , we're joined by South Adelaide Panthers guard and Brisbane Bullets Development Player Rio Bruton, with a special appearance from his grandfather, NBL Hall of Famer Cal Bruton. This conversation is about far more than basketball. It's about family, legacy and the people who shape our lives. Rio's journey is a reminder that development isn't always a straight path. He wasn't selected in a South Australian Metro State Team until Under-18s and, despite earning a place at an Australian junior camp, narrowly missed final team selection. Rather than letting those setbacks define him, Rio continued to embrace every opportunity. That resilience led to selection in the NBA Select Team at last year's NBA Academy Games in Atlanta before recently signing with the Brisbane Bullets. We also explore the power of connection—from Game Ready and the South Adelaide Panthers to the mentors, teammates and family who have helped shape Rio's journey. One of the highlights of this catch-up is hearing Rio and Cal reflect on their shared connection to the Brisbane Bullets. Rio was born in Brisbane, the same city where both his grandfather, Cal, and father, C.J., became NBL champions. Now, Rio begins his own chapter with the Bullets, adding another meaningful layer to the Bruton family's remarkable basketball legacy. As always, this isn't just a basketball conversation. It's a conversation about resilience, family, opportunity and the relationships that shape who we become. We hope you enjoy this catch-up as much as we did.

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