Locker Room: St John Ambulance push for defibrillators at every Canberra sport venue

"The difference between life and death" is behind a push for every sporting venue in the ACT to be fitted with a defibrillator and overturn startling survival rates for sudden cardiac arrest.

St John Ambulance ACT has donated defibrillators to 10 of Canberra's leading sporting organisations.

Now chief executive Adrian Watts wants to work with the government to have defibrillators posted at every sporting ground in the city.

Canberra cricket was rocked when Ravi Srinivasan died of a cardiac arrest four balls into his over during a Canberra City and Suburban Cricket Association fifth grade game in Deakin last year.

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Now defibrillators have been donated to the ACT Brumbies, Canberra Region Rugby League, Cricket ACT, AFL Canberra, Basketball ACT, Baseball Canberra, Netball ACT, Capital Football, Hockey ACT and Tennis ACT.

"We really need to lift the bar and get that early access to a defibrillator which really does make the difference between life and death," Watts said.

"Unfortunately we know there is a 10 per cent survival rate in Australia for sudden cardiac arrest. We know early access to a defibrillator makes a big difference.

"Every sporting oval managed by the ACT government should absolutely have access to a defibrillator. I think at every private venue, more often than not, that's actually happening now.

"I'd like to see the government step up and look after the sporting community as well, and we can do this in partnership.

"What I'd really like to see, further than even the sporting community, as common as I see a fire hydrant in a building, there should be a defibrillator. We shouldn't need an app on our phone to tell us where the nearest one is, it should be commonplace."

Tennis ACT has already locked in Red Hill tennis club as the location for its new defibrillator. It is understood to be the last tennis club in the ACT to be fitted with a defibrillator.

St John Ambulance has been working with Capital Football for six months and now plan to ensure all codes are supported.

"We will now work with these sporting codes to work with all of their clubs, to survey what are the standards that are out there at the moment in terms of first aid, health and safety, and access to defibrillators on a weekend," Watts said.

The ACT Brumbies need a new captain, so does Stephen Larkham turn to a Wallabies skipper or the heir apparent?

Allan Alaalatoa could miss the bulk of the Super Rugby season after rupturing his Achilles in a Bledisloe Cup loss to the All Blacks that has Australian fans on edge about the Wallabies' World Cup hopes.

Injuries to Alaalatoa and Michael Hooper coupled with James Slipper's shift to the bench has forced Wallabies coach Eddie Jones to hand the captaincy reins to Tate McDermott in Dunedin this week.

Closer to home, another scrumhalf could follow suit with Alaalatoa facing a recovery period of six to nine months.

Ryan Lonergan and Slipper will emerge as leading contenders to captain the Brumbies in Alaalatoa's absence amid concern he could miss the club's entire Super Rugby campaign.

At 25, Lonergan has long been considered a future captain and became the fourth homegrown product to skipper the Brumbies - following Tom Cusack, Matt Giteau and George Gregan - last year.

"It's obviously a massive honour," Lonergan said last year. "But there's nothing too much different for me, it doesn't change a whole lot for what I do.

"I'd never really thought about. I didn't set out for this, it just happened. This is probably the most I've thought about it now that you're asking. It's a massive honour and a privilege, but I'm super proud to represent the area."

Lonergan will finally graduate to a full-time starting role next year with Nic White bound for the Western Force.

The other leading contender for the ACT captaincy is Slipper, the 34-year-old prop on track to become Australia's most-capped Test player in history.

Slipper has already captained the Wallabies and will avoid a Rugby Australia-enforced resting policy next year, making him available for the Brumbies' entire campaign.

But Larkham could opt to give Lonergan the nod for a glimpse into the future.

The Brumbies coach will not be rushed into a decision on appointing a captain or even signing a new player to cover for Alaalatoa.

Larkham says club officials will monitor Alaalatoa's recovery before deciding whether to add another player to their roster for coverage.

George Rose was sure he had a deal done.

But at 12.03pm, three minutes after the press conference started, the No Limit Boxing promoter laughed he wasn't so sure. Because the seat to his left, reserved for the charismatic Jack Brubaker, was still empty. The man on his right, Nikita Tszyu, knew Brubaker would be there. He was just making an entrance like Conor McGregor used to.

Sure enough, Brubaker strolled through Sydney's Entertainment Quarter a minute later dressed from head to toe like a cowboy.

"I had a bit of trouble tying my stallion up out the front, no parking for horses around here," Brubaker said.

"I'm glad in there boxing him in the ring. Nikita has got a little bit of a weird vibe about him, I wouldn't go back to his house if he invited me over for a barbecue, I'll tell you that. I'd wake up with his dogs licking my toes out the back while I'm tied up to a chair."

Brubaker [17-4-2] will have a second crack at the Tszyu family - having already been beaten by WBO interim world champion Tim - when he faces 6-0 Nikita in the main event of a pay-per-view show at the Hordern Pavilion on August 23.

"This is definitely a massive step up for me," Tszyu said. "I used to watch him spar George Kambosos at our gym when I was 14 years old, so I've known him for quite a long time."

Natasha Monger wants to break the stigma surrounding mental health.

Which is why the Tuggeranong Valley Australian football and netball club are hosting an R U OK? round on Saturday.

Footballers have undergone mental health activities and chats at training. They'll wear yellow socks for their AFL Canberra clashes with Eastlake at Phillip Oval on Saturday. The netball sides will host games against a backdrop of mental health tents providing resources, cake stalls and fundraising activities, with money donated to local mental health organisations.

"Within out club, we have lots of people who have experienced different sorts of mental illnesses," Tuggeranong player Monger said.

"As a sporting club, we kind of do represent the broader society in terms of having all kinds of people. As a sporting club, you become so close with those within the community. It becomes important to constantly check in with other people and make sure they're doing okay, being able to help and that kind of thing.

"I see two main benefits to the round. One is pushing that message of making sure you're checking in with other people, because you never know what someone else is going through unless you check in with them. The other side to that is also reducing the stigma of mental health, mental illnesses, and showing it's okay to ask for your help or say 'I'm not doing okay, I need support'.

"There are so many people who don't ask for help when they need it. Being able to reduce the stigma is a big thing.

"We're really just aiming for promotion of the message and as groups within the club, actually checking in with each other."

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