Lugging his step ladder around, GUFC’s newest journalist is asking the hard questions at the club. Photo: Dominic Giannini.
Gungahlin’s youngest journalist is making waves throughout the Gungahlin United Football Club, lugging around his step ladder to look players in the eye before he asks the tough questions.
Aged only 12, Harry Labouchardiere speaks well beyond his years as he carries his microphone to interview the football club’s best talents for Interviews with the Big Man.
Although he isn’t even in his teens yet, this is Harry’s second gig as a reporter. The district’s very own Kerry O’Brien, Harry and his friends came up with the idea of starting a news channel at his primary school, Good Shepherd at Amaroo, two years ago when he was only in Year Five.
“We started Good Shepherd News with my friends. We made a news channel for our school and I was the interviewer on it,” he said.
“I find it really easy because I like talking to people.”
John Hewson may not have been able to tell us the GST on a cake, but could he tell us chocolate or vanilla? You will have to tune into Interviews to find out.
Harry with his interviewing equipment. Photo: Dominic Giannini.
If you want to know who the best FIFA player in Gungahlin United (GUFC) is, who supports Nike and who swears by Adidas, what foods make them gag and who has what phobia, Harry has you covered, extracting the information from the unsuspecting footballers.
He says stepping up to interview the players at Gungahlin United is an exciting change of pace.
“It is different with Gungahlin because they are more well known, so it is good for some of the younger peewees to get to know the players,” Harry said.
However, becoming a full-time journalist might be put on the backburner for the young reporter.
“My mind is still fixed on being a lawyer but this could be a good fall-back plan in case I need something else,” he said.
“I do not really watch the news because I find it either too dark or really boring.”
Brothers Samuel and Jeremy Habtemariam, who both play for GUFC, were quick to respond after Harry pressed them over who the better player was.
Harry interviews brothers Jeremy (left) and Samuel (right) Habtemariam. Photo: Dominic Giannini.
It is this competitive rivalry that helped GUFC take out the Premier League Championship last year.
At the start of the 2019 season, GUFC were docked six competition points by Capital Football after the club fell behind on a host of payments; however, they still managed to turn the season around and take out the title.
Samuel says it is the reason he wants to play for the club.
“There is a lot of competitiveness but we want to play in the best team possible, and that is Gungahlin,” he said.
“Overcoming the loss of six points and getting kicked out of the FFA Cup was difficult but it was worth it.”
His brother agrees.
“The parts that made it more difficult made the win a lot sweeter. It ended up being worth it in the end,” Jeremy said.
“We are just trying to win as many trophies as possible, last year we had the minus six [points] so that put us back of winning the league and we got kicked out of the FFA Cup, so those two are on the table this year.”
Although his technique might be unconventional, Harry has no problem asking the hard questions. Photo: Dominic Giannini.
To see Harry in action, head over to the GUFC YouTube channel here.
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