What does it actually take to make a living playing professional pickleball in Australia? 🇦🇺

On this episode of Around the Pod, Aaron & Josh sit down with Australian pickleball stars Harry Brown & Katy Hart at Pickle4real to talk about the realities of life on the professional circuit, the money behind the sport, international travel and what it takes to compete against the best.

Harry has established himself as one of Australia's leading men's singles players, while Katy has competed internationally and experienced the highs and lows of making professional pickleball work financially. Together, they give us an honest look at the opportunities, sacrifices and challenges facing Australia's top players.

In this episode:

• Can you make a living playing pickleball? Harry and Katy break down tournament earnings, travel expenses, sponsorship deals and why making a profit on the professional circuit isn't always straightforward.
• Inside Apex Academy: How the Gold Coast-based programme supports Australian pickleball players through coaching, gym training, sports psychology, nutrition and financial assistance for international competition.
• Playing pickleball overseas: The realities of competing in Asia, finding practice partners in unfamiliar countries and why travelling with a team can make such a difference.
• The future of Australian pickleball: Supporting the next generation, growing the sport in schools and the dream of representing Australia on the international stage.
• On-court drama and rivalries: Katie opens up about a heated match involving Aaron Johnson, Nicola and Harry, explaining what happened and why emotions boiled over.
• Pickleball pet peeves and hot takes: Wrong scores, illegal paddles, uncontrolled shots in training and Harry Brown's questionable obsession with hitting net cords.
• The Pickleball Love Island draft: Which Australian pickleball players would thrive on reality TV? The crew picks their dream cast, debates the personalities and leaves a few notable names off the list.
• Career highlights: Harry and Katy reflect on their proudest achievements, memorable international wins and the team competitions that have meant the most to them.

From the financial realities of professional pickleball to hilarious stories from the court, this is an inside look at the people pushing Australian pickleball forward.

🎧 Enjoying Around the Pod? Follow the podcast on your favourite platform and join us as we cover Australian pickleball, professional players, tournament news, equipment debates and everything happening in the sport.

FOLLOW THE GUESTS:

• Harry Brown
• Katy Hart

FOLLOW THE HOSTS:

• Aaron Blitz
• Josh Chia

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• Youtube
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Around the Pod brings together professional players and passionate amateurs for honest conversations about pickleball, its personalities and the community behind the game.

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A special thanks to our studio sponsor, Pickle4real — Melbourne’s premier indoor pickleball centre in Mentone.
Pickle4Real features eight climate-controlled indoor courts for social play, coaching, DUPR games, tournaments and private events. Open seven days a week, it also hosts PPA and DUPR competitions and offers venue hire and event support.
Play indoor pickleball in Melbourne at Pickle4real:
■ Website: https://pickle4real.com.au/
■ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pickle4real/
■ Facebook: Pickle4real Facebook
■ Join Pickle4real League
■ Location: 36–40 Shearson Crescent, Mentone VIC 3194

Send us your questions and comments!

Choice Pickleball
Get 15% off your order at Choice Pickleball with code ATP15 at checkout!

https://choicepickleball.com.au/ATP15

The ATP crew is back in the studio! In this episode, Aaron, Josh, Michael, and Justin break down everything that went down over the past month.

In this episode:

• Team Friday Signing: Josh breaks down his Asia trip, joining Team Friday, and transitioning to hot foam paddles.
• Tournament Recaps: Gippsland Championships bronze run, Eastern Indoor league finals, and PPA Gold Coast recap.
• The Hot Take: Are modern paddles getting too hot and fast for the game, or has the meta simply evolved?
• Paddle Tech Breakdown: Foam vs. honeycomb, 14mm vs. 16mm, wide-body vs. elongated, and how to weight your paddle.
• APC 2026 Preview: 1,300+ players heading to Pimpama Sports Hub and ATP hosting the official Trivia Night on Wednesday!
• Drafting Beer Buddies: Answering George Wall's question on who we'd pick for a cold one in the pickleball scene.

Sponsor Deal: Get 15% off your order at Choice Pickleball with code ATP15 at checkout!
https://choicepickleball.com.au/ATP15

Rate and review us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts—it helps the Aussie pickleball community grow!

HOSTS:
Aaron Blitz
Josh Chia
Michael Murrell
Justin McLeod

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Send us your questions and comments!

The MLP Australia 2026 Draft is in the books! 🇦🇺🏓 In this mini-episode of Around the Pod, the team sits down to analyse all 8 team rosters ahead of Event 1 in Melbourne.

We break down draft strategy, debate left-vs-right court positioning, evaluate Dream Breaker capabilities, and share our bold predictions for the season ahead.

Inside this episode:

• Brisbane Breakers: Harry Brown taken #1 overall - how will he pair with Joey Wild?
• Sydney Smash: Joey Farias joins Mitch Hargreaves in an ultra-experienced lineup.
• The Coasters: Danni-Elle Townsend leading a high-octane offensive squad.
• Gold Coast Glory: The wild 3-leftie lineup experiment.
• Melbourne Thunder: Zach Grabovic, Tom Protzek, and 16-year-old phenom Aria Henare.
• Bondi Pickleball Club: Ethan Chung’s rapid rise from beginner to Premier in under 6 months.
• Pacific Flame: Sahra Dennehy and Lucas Pascoe headline a stacked, balanced team.
• Northern Crocs: Solid depth with Andie Dikosavljevic and Prycen Haas.

Who do you think will win the 2026 season? Drop your predictions on our socials!

Rate and review us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts—it helps the Aussie pickleball community grow!

HOSTS:
Aaron Blitz
Josh Chia
Michael Murrell
Justin McLeod

FOLLOW US
Youtube
Instagram

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MLP Australia, Major League Pickleball Australia, Pickleball Australia, Around the Pod, Pickleball Podcast, MLP Draft 2026, Australian Pickleball, DUPR Ratings, Harry Brown Pickleball, Joey Wild, Danni Townsend, Joey Farias, Pickleball Strategy, Dream Breaker Pickleball

Send us your questions and comments!