The Yass Valley Times would like to welcome our new journalist, Max O’Driscoll.
Max is from Melbourne and nearing completion of a degree in Business and Media Communication at Monash University.
He hopes to develop his writing craft further and identifies sporting coverage as his current area of expertise.
“I have moved to part-time study this year because I think real working experience could be invaluable for me moving forward and see little point in racing to finish my degree,” he said.
Max has wanted to work in sports media for as long as he can remember. His most recent experience in the field was with Nine News, where he was featured on the nightly news interviewing AFL star Brodie Grundy, a moment he described as a “dream come true”.
After what was undoubtedly a challenging year to be a Melbournian, Max came away from the experience with a new perspective which ultimately triggered the move to the region.
“I probably found the first lockdown particularly difficult. I had a few different opportunities planned throughout 2020, which I was really excited about, and I certainly spent that first period feeling sorry for myself once they were all cancelled,” Max reflected with a laugh.
A shift in approach was required, and Max began to look around for positions with regional newspapers.
“I didn’t want to just go get a newspaper job for the sake of it, I wanted to ensure that the job description aligned with the experiences I was seeking and the position with the Yass Valley Times certainly did that for me,” he said.
Max also aims to host and produce podcasts for the Yass Valley Times once he settles into life in the Valley.
“Podcasting is the direction I see media heading over the next decade, and the opportunity to diversify my skillset and develop as an audio storyteller was what initially stood out to me with this role,” he said.
He hopes to immerse himself within the Yass community and sees sport as his likely path to doing so.
“I’ve played cricket and AFL virtually all my life and a lot of my fondest memories come from within sporting club environments, so I’m pretty eager to get involved with whatever I can,” he said.
Max wants to learn more about the issues and topics that concern and interest the citizens of Yass and is eager for any assistance he can be offered throughout the coming weeks.
“I’m assuming the lifestyle in Yass will be quite different to the life I’m used to in Melbourne, and I’m keen to hear from anyone that has a story to tell,” he said.
We look forward to seeing Max get to work here with the Yass Valley Times, be sure to give a warm welcome to Max when you see him.
