Afternoons for Monday 28 July 2025

1.10 Third time really is a charm for netball's Tactix team

For the first time Mainland Tactix has won the Grand Final Trophy in the 2025 ANZ Netball premiership. 

They beat the Northern Mystics 58 - 46 at a well-attended Trust Arena showdown.

Tactix captain Erikana Pedersen joins Jesse. 

1:15 Celebrating one hundred years of Rural Women New Zealand 

This story takes us back to 1925 in Wellington where, at tea-party for wives of delegates to a Farmers' Union meeting, sixteen women agreed on the need for their own organisation. 

The inaugural meeting of the Women's Division of the New Zealand Farmers' Union was held the following morning, 28 July 1925 - one hundred years ago today. 

While there's since been a name change to Rural Women New Zealand, the organisation continues to play a vital contribution to supporting and advocating for women and the farming communities.
Sandra Mathews is the president of Rural Women New Zealand speaks to Jesse.

1.25 Why NZ should be clamping down on deepfake images

Denmark is set to clamp down on deepfake images, giving citizens copyright over their likeness and voice. 

A deepfake is an image, video or audio recording which has been digitally altered to appear to be someone else.

They have become increasingly sophisticated with the rapid advancement of AI, and recent studies have shown that the vast majority of people can't distinguish between deepfake and real images

So are New Zealand laws fit for purpose? Jesse finds out. 

1.35 Top 100 books list as voted by NZ readers

Bookstore Whitcoulls has just released their 2025 Top 100 books list.

This list - voted by readers - provides a snapshot of our every shifting reading habits. 

To talk us through this years winners and the themes they reveal, Jesse was joined by Whitcoulls Joan Mackenzie.

1:45 One Long Song: Free Bird by Lynyrd Skynyrd

In 1973, the same year this song was released, BIC introduced the first adjustable-flame lighter. If you have one to hand, hold it aloft, as we enjoy all nine minutes of Leonard Skynrd's "Free Bird"

2:10 Television Critic: Attack on London: Hunting The 7/7 Bombers

Twenty years ago London was rocked by a terrorist attack that saw four separate suicide bombers set off explosives across the city during morning rush hour.

A new documentary series on Netflix tells the story of the 7/7 bombings and its explosive aftermath.

Linda Burgess gives her take on this and Young Sheldon. 

2:20 Jesse's Cold Calls Ngāti Hine FM

As regular listeners will know, we like a cold call here on Afternoons, we've ticked off all the iSite centres around the country, and now we're embarking on other places that help turn towns and cities into communities. 

When Jesse was driving in Northland recently, he really enjoyed listening to the iwi radio station Ngāti Hine, so he decided to give morning host Phoenix Ruka a call. 

2.30 Expert Feature: Answering all your questions about fertility

Time for our Monday 'Expert' feature, where we pick a topic, invite an expert on, and learn everything we can in half an hour. 

Today we're talking fertility with Dr Andrew Murray. 

Dr Murray leads the doctors at Fertility Associates as Group Medical Director and is considered one of New Zealand's most experienced fertility specialists. 

3:10 Feature interview: How social media is changing language in real time

Unalive is the new dead. It's one of many words that evolved not from people talking to each other, but from social media algorithms. Language is changing in real time says Gen Z Linguist Adam Aleksic, also known asThe Etymology Nerd. 

He's a Harvard graduate and influencer himself, with millions of views of his videos on TikTok and Instagram.

Aleksic traces the hidden histories of words shaped by social media, algorithm-dodging hacks, and corporate jargon that change the way we talk to each other.     

3:35 Here Now: Beyond goldfields - documenting the history of early Chinese settlers

Dr Phoebe Li and Cameron Sang talk to Kadambari Raghukumar about their contribution toward constructing a more nuanced picture of how New Zealand's Chinese community grew beyond goldfields.

3:45 The pre-Panel

Wallace Chapman previews tonight's instalment of The Panel.