This article has been transcribed without permission from Sea Eagle News, Friday, 2nd June, 1995, page 21.
Football funnyman Terry Hill doesn't mind a laugh at life - even if the subject of mirth is himself. The ace Sea Eagles centre was recently sent up on Channel Nine's top-rating Footy Show, with the whole panel horsing around because of his speech impediment. He was asked to mimic a well-known TV chewing gum commercial, in which the main character, retired tennis star Liz Smylie, speaks with a noticeable listp.
``Didn't bother me in the least,'' said Hill, ``it was all done in good fun, there was no harm intended and I actually got a kick out of it. I have had this speech problem ever since I was a kid and I've got it for life. They teased me about it at school but my parents encouraged me to laugh along with them so I wouldn't get upset. I had speech therapy for a month or two but quit when improvement wasn't made quickly.
``People keep saying that it's never too late to correct the problem but I'm used to it now. The trouble is caused by the way my teeth are structured at the back of my mouth. My back teeth failed to grow all the way down and there's a little pocket of air that flows through, especially when I try to make the ``S'' sound. I suppose the lisp has become a sort of trademark for me, sort of like Ita Buttrose and Ken Callander.
``At home the other night, one of the kids got this book which had a whole lot of tongue-twisters in it. I tried the one that starts: `She sells sea-shells by the sea shore' and everyone, myself included, got an attack of the giggles and couldn't stop for about 20 minutes. Honestly, I don't think I can beat it at my age, despite what the experts say.''
Hill's riotous sense of humour and happy-go-lucky personality have really come to the fore in recent months. The hard-running three-quarter has become hot property in various forms of the media. Channel Nine contracted him for regular work on The Footy Show, he has been snapped up by Tooheys for promotional work, he has filmed an advertisement for the ARL and then, of course, there is his popular column in Sea Eagle News. His witty remarks (some factual, some utter fiction) about his Manly team-mates have aroused widespread comment. Hill has lost count of the number of times he has been asked to identify his ghost writer.
``The contents are completely mine but I must admit my wife, Tracey, puts it down on paper and it comes out pretty much the way you read it,'' he said. ``She is very good at that sort of thing and we have a ball writing the column together. It's a whole new experience for me and heaps of fun. The only problem is getting everything I want to say onto one page. I have heaps of ideas, so much to say, but never enough room to get it all published.''
Hill said he was thrilled at Manly's flawless start to the 1995 season and satisfied with his form that has earned him rave notices at club level and further kudos at rep level. ``I'm going OK but I know I can play a lot better,'' he said. ``I'm only 23 and there's a long way to go, so many areas in which I can improve. The Kangaroo tour turned my whole career around. It really opened my eyes to all aspects of training and playing. Being with so many established players for three months helped me realise what it takes to succeed at the highest level.''
Hill said all credit for the new discipline in his game should go to the Australian and Manly coach, Bob Fulton. ``Bob has been like a father to me,'' said the powerful centre. ``He has helped me out in all areas - football, personal life, you name it. The best move I ever made in my life was to join Manly.''
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