Beyond the Boundary: Corinne Hall

All-rounders Corinne Hall (Tasmanian Roar) and Delissa Kimmince (Queensland Fire) spent an intensive week with the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service (QFRS) as part of the ACA's Beyond the Boundary program.

We caught up with Corinne to talk about her time in Brisbane and her plans for the cricket season ahead...

Corinne how did you find the experience with the QFRS?
From my perspective, I couldn't be happier with my placement and everything that went with it. The staff were always willing to answer any questions I had, the placement was enjoyable and beneficial, we gained practical experience, the contacts - including Justine and the rest of the QFRS staff - were welcoming and knowledgeable, and we received payment for the placement promptly.

What aspects of the organisation did you experience?
I received a holistic view of all levels of the QFRS and was allowed to participate in practical activities and demonstrations which I really enjoyed. Everyone that was involved in the placement was happy and more than willing to answer any questions we had and treated us with respect. I really gained an insight into the demands of the role in which I was interested, made some good connections regarding references, and enjoyed every moment of the placement.

What were the main tasks you completed during your placement?
We visited multiple fire stations with the Wellness Team, who were offering members of the Fire and Rescue teams health and nutrition advice. We also participated in some of the scenario activities the new recruits were undertaking, including: learning how to distinguish a variety of fires; becoming familiar with different tools; learning how a fire originates; and strategies in fighting fires.

We spent some time with the recruitment team that took us through their offices, explaining the recruitment process and taking us on a tour of the communication centre. We participated in fitness and exercise classes designed for the Fire and Rescue employees and got to do a shift with the fire crew from the Roma Station in the city. This allowed us to experience first-hand the skills and expectations involved in living with other fire fighters, an appreciation of the response time required to react to situations and practical experience of the procedures to be followed when attending a call out.

What part of your placement did you enjoy the most?
The recruitment school day where we got to participate in the fire drills, wear the protective equipment, use tools and observe other recruits undergoing special training was great. I also really enjoyed the thrill of working with the fire fighters at Roma station, as the whole day was very insightful and the people there were more than willing to assist us with whatever we needed.

Having completed your stint with the QFRS, what effect has this had on your career ambitions?
I am very grateful for the work Erin, Andrew and the rest of the Beyond the Boundary staff who helped organise my placement. It was definitely more than worthwhile, and I fully intend to continue pursuing a career in this field.

You started your cricket career with New South Wales and still live in Sydney although you now represent Tasmania.

Yes I still live in Sydney but travel down to Tasmania for training camps, pre-season tours and obviously the matches as well.

How have you found the experience?
Tassie (Cricket Tasmania) as an organisation have supported us really well. We have a Sydney-based coach so we can still train up here and he's in regular contact with our Tasmanian coach so we're constantly getting feedback even though practically it's difficult to get the face-to face time. That's been developed over the past couple of years. I'm really enjoying the opportunity to play down there with a young group of girls and be part of a developing state. It's been a good challenge so far.

Has it presented you with the chance for more opportunities, such as batting in a higher position?
Yeah, definitely. I really enjoyed my time with New South Wales and the chance to play with some of the girls there who were at the elite level for a very long time. I learned a lot from that. But obviously with such a strong team there wasn't a whole lot of opportunity. Often the top order would get a lot of the runs so it's a bigger challenge having more responsibility as an older, more experienced player. It's good to step up and play more of a senior role. I've been fortunate to bat high and have a bowl and pass on some of things I learnt with Cricket New South Wales with the girls at Tassie.

You seem to have responded well to that responsibility from a form point of view.
I had half a year off before last season to recharge the batteries a bit. I was a little up and down last season so I'm hoping to be more consistent this year. I've done a lot more training and specific work in this pre-season so hopefully it pays off with some consistent performances throughout this season.

What are the ambitions for the Tasmanian Roar this season?
We're gradually getting a lot more competitive; we're starting to find our own style of game and we're competing with even the higher class teams like Victoria and New South Wales. We'd like to push for finals this year under the new format but having said that, we've got our own goals that we want to achieve in each match against each state. Personally I'd like to be more consistent with the run-scoring and take a bit more ownership of helping get us to a good total.

Do you have any ambitions for higher honours?
I think previously I've always wanted to play at the top level. I think it's something that any player in the National League would want to achieve. I played some junior Australian stuff but at this point I'm just focussed on putting together some performances for Tassie and repaying them for the faith they've put in me and giving me the opportunity to play.

Off the field, what are you doing with yourself?
I manage a retail cricket store, and also did some study in Early Childhood and Nursing - so I've dabbled in a few things. I really like the lifestyle of fire fighting and helping people and being active, so that what led to me getting involved in the placement through the ACA. There's no real course you can study for it so it was about trying to get some on the job experience and an insight into that world. I really enjoyed that week and it's given me the buzz to try and pursue it as a career.

Who was your hero going up?
In the men's I loved Mark Waugh and how easy he made cricket seem, and in the women's, I was a Newcastle girl so I saw Belinda Clark a fair bit at training camps and that sort of thing so she was someone I looked up to as a little kid. Players like Leah Poulton and Sarah Andrews were also from my area and Lisa Sthalekar was another who was influential.

All the best for the summer ahead Corinne.
Cheers!