'Deep misunderstanding' Marlee Silva wants to clear up about sports media

OPINION -- The first time I was sideline reporter in a men's NRL game, I was working in radio. It was a freezing Thursday evening at WIN Stadium in Wollongong and the Cronulla Sharks beat the St Illawarra Dragons.I'd been terrified of being the only female voice in our coverage of the men's game, and although I was confident in my knowledge of both rugby league and my role on the sideline, having done a number of women's games at this point, knowing the passionate and unforgiving nature of rugby league fans, I knew that night I was on probation with the public.Sure enough, shortly after my on air intro, a message from a listener popped up on the text line demanding my "footy credentials".My colleague, with the best of intentions, promptly assured them I'd earned my right to be a part of the coverage, alongside a mention of my dad's career as an NRL player, seemingly legitimising my presence – but with that, the pressure to perform and prove I wasn't some "nepo baby" piled on.READ MORE: 'Hit hard': Oscar winner delays filming after two bouts of illnessFor the full 80 minutes of that match, it bucketed down. The rain blew in sideways, making my umbrella pointless and I even had to abandon the glasses I usually wear at night because they kept catching the water droplets or fogging up, temporarily blinding me.Balancing a microphone, my notes and an umbrella was not an easy task and the call overall was certainly a challenge - but I loved every single part of it.As the final siren rang, and my focus on the play-by-play relaxed, the dread and nerves came rushing back. Imposter syndrome was inside me alive and well and although my sideline producer had assured me I'd done a good job, I was convinced the text line had been flooded with hate about me."In order to do our job and do it well, we also need to build trust with the players who make our game"I would go on to discover a rather angry message in my inbox from a stranger who'd tried their luck at guessing my email address to tell me they'd counted how many times I'd "umm'd" and that I'd never be asked to call a men's game again.The final task of the sideline reporter before you come off air is, of course, the post-game interview – where your role is to rush out onto the field, grab a couple of the either elated or disappointed athletes shaking hands with their opposition and shove a microphone in their face.For a daily dose of 9honey, subscribe to our newsletter here.This can be a whole other level of intimidating - especially when you are a woman who is generally a foot or two shorter than them and new to the space. In this, my first ever men's game, it could've been the part of the night that broke me.If I'd been unable to grab someone willing to talk to me, if I had stumbled on my questions and let the nerves take over, I could have easily given up my opportunity in this sport I was falling deeply and quickly in love with.But I had a secret weapon, a soft ball, an easy win: a good, personal relationship with one of the players.READ MORE: Hotel openings and news to get excited about in 2024Nicho Hynes is now someone who is deeply intertwined with my public and personal life, as the co-host of my podcast and my housemate, but a couple of years ago, in his first season at the Sharks, we'd only known each other for less than a year.At the end of this game, as I rushed out onto the field, seeing a familiar friendly face was comforting and when I tapped him on the shoulder to ask him for the interview, he hugged me hello and I was instantly at ease.The interview got a couple of laughs, I comfortably got out of him the reaction to the win and even slipped in a jab about the improvement in his conversions as he'd missed a few the week before.READ MORE: Karen never expected to hear what the vet told her at 4amHe exchanged a light play punch with me in response to my kicking jab and gave me a kiss on the cheek as we wrapped up - two things I wonder now how they would've been received if I was working in a visual medium then.But it was warm, it was fun and the most relaxed I'd felt through the night. It was ultimately the moment where I knew I belonged here in this world of rugby league.Throughout my career as a sideline reporter since, and as I've come into the Wide World of Sports team at Nine, the personal relationships and rapport I've continued to cultivate with all the athletes I work with has been absolutely vital to my success."I will never cut down my genuine love for these players and what they do and who they are on and off the field"Athletes across codes are scrutinised on and off the field from the second they enter the professional landscape, and it's our job in the media to report on this - but in order to do our job and do it well, we also need to build trust with the players who make our game and treat them with respect.The furore around Lachie Neale's peck on the cheek of AFL boundary reporter Abbey Holmes in a post-match interview is born from a deep misunderstanding of the nature of sports media.READ MORE: Husband's surprise discovery after wife's death from cancerWhile it would be bizarre and deeply inappropriate to see a court reporter be pecked on the cheek by an accused on the steps of a court house or anything similar from a foreign correspondent in a war zone, in the world of sports, this is what familiarity, rapport and good reporting results in.Neale and Holmes' personal relationship, which we caught a split second of in that moment, comes from mutual respect.Critiques of this firstly failed to remember Holmes' career as an AFLW player and secondly attempted to tarnish a friendly, nothing moment with rather stuffy and old-fashioned comments like "keep it classy".To me, this is revealing of that elitist minority who often look down on footy culture, in all codes, who view it as a classless place where the working class get boozed up and are not intelligent enough to respect more important endeavours like the arts - think the blow up from 2022 where calls for us to care more about the arts erupted as the opening night of the Sydney Film Festival clashed with a State of Origin game.We are a sporting nation and we who have the great privilege of reporting on sports for a living, are there because of our deep love and respect for it and its contributions which shape Australia.READ MORE: Eyebrows raise as star's note discovered under thousands of commentsWhen we're off-air, we aren't ever fully away from the sport we love and work in. I am deeply entrenched in the world of rugby league.In many ways it is my life and I'm sure there could be a montage of me hugging, kissing on the cheek, wiping away tears with and even in one instance, exchanging jerseys with, NRL and NRLW athletes from my career so far.I will never cut down my genuine love for these players and what they do and who they are on and off the field. As Roz Kelly said on the Today Show this week, it's already hard enough to be a woman in this world of sports media. If I can feel welcomed and at home on the field with the athletes I'm reporting on, the better I can perform and the more entertaining the conversations I get out of them can be.FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay across all the latest in celebrity, lifestyle and opinion via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.