Virtual Shed is a men’s motivational project that sees various guest speakers visit Scone a couple of times each year to entertain and advise the local men.

But, the trend differed with a number of women also attending the event on Friday night.

The draw cards were bush poet Tim McLoughlin, Dr Steve Sylvester from the Scone Medical Practice and Bill Harrigan who is best known as a rugby league referee.

Bill Harrigan has also recently been a referee on Gladiators and was a police officer in the NSW tactical response group and the special weapons and operations squad. On Friday night, Mr Harrigan said he does a lot of guest speaking and usually talks about his times on the football field as well as motivation and leadership.

“This one is a little more about adversity,” Mr Harrigan said.

Mr Harrigan spoke about the different types of adversity he faced on his climb to the top.

“I certainly won’t profess to have been through hardship like people on the land might have gone through,” he said.

Dr Steve Sylvester said he has been talking at the men’s nights for a while and started speaking when the DPI paid for men’s motivational nights at the height of the drought.

Shortly after he finished, Scone Neighbourhood Centre manager, Lee Watts said she was very pleased with Dr Sylvester’s speech.

“It was light entertainment and the message got across,” she said.