This is one of the storys i have always had a chuckle over. Its so unbelievable that you just know its true.
18 BEERS, A FIRE AND A WHACK IN THE GUTS
While playing for the Newtown Jets, Raudonikis was doing some boxing training with iconic trainer Johnny Lewis. He also dabbled in the management side of things, representing an up and comer at the time, Jeff Malcolm.
Back in 1980, Malcolm had an exhibition fight in Wagga on the same day as Raudonikis’ game for the Jets back in 1980 so the pair organised for a mini van to take them from Henson Park straight to Bankstown Airport to board a four-seater chartered flight.
A few years ago, Paul Kent told the story of Raudonikis’ day of drinks, smokes, a fire and an almighty whack to the guts.
“Tommy walked straight through the dressing room, grabbed his bag, jumped straight into the Tarago and they’re on their way to Bankstown,” Kent told Triple M.
“He’s still got his boots, jumper, shorts on, mud all over him and as they’re flying through traffic cutting in and out, Tommy’s yelled out ‘stop the car, stop the car.’ The driver’s panicked and hit the breaks, Tommy’s jumped out of the car, ran into the bottle shop and came out with a carton of Tooheys.”
The duo finally arrive to the airport where another boxer — a very well-dressed one — Paul Ferrari was waiting. He had no idea who Raudonikis was.
“He’s looked at Tommy like the monster from the Green Lagoon has jumped out,” Kent said.
Unfortunately for the group, the pilot was a rookie and could only take them to Bathurst, where they’d have to board another flight... they begin their trip anyways.
“Tommy starts getting on the drinks. He likes to have a smoke when he has a beer so Tommy starts lighting up cigarettes on this little plane,” Kent said.
“The pilot starts to panic because he can smell smoke — he has no idea that Tommy’s behind him — so he starts checking all the instruments and he suddenly turns around to ask if anyone was smoking.
“Tommy hides his smoke down beside him and said ‘nah mate.’ But as Tommy was talking — this is back in the days when carpet went up the wall in planes — he set the carpet on fire and flames started to come off the carpet.”
Ferrari jumped up and put out the fire, but Raudonikis was more upset that he wasted a beer.
They arrived to Bathurst only to find out the new pilot isn’t licenced to take them to Wagga either, so they reboard with the rookie pilot — after convincing him — and off they went.
“As they’re flying, Tommy’s still drinking the cans and there’s no toilet on the plane. He solves that problem though,” Kent said.
“So he stands up and as he’s bouncing around in the aisle he’s got an empty can in front of him and he’s trying to sort himself out.
“There ends up being a little offshoot to the side all over Ferrari. He gets up wanting to kill Tommy because he just peed all over him, Malcolm had to separate them so this fight was mid-air on a four-seater.”
They finally arrive at Wagga but by the time they get to the exhibition fight, Malcolm’s opponent was sick of waiting around and had left.
So what do they do?
“Tommy — who is about 18 cans into his day after playing footy — says ‘I’ll spar him’,” Kent said.
Malcolm was hesitant and asked Lewis what he should do. Lewis just told him “you know what, he’s made this trip a misery, I’ve had a gutful of him, whack him in the guts.’
And so he did.
“Jeff Malcolm hit Tommy nice and low... and this big foam shot across the ring and Tommy’s hit the deck,” Kent said.
