The Inside Word with… Chris Knights

chris knights with Fisho's Kelly Oudendyk

Following his retirement last year, former Australian Football League player Chris Knights has turned his hand to technology, developing the ZIBIT app, that helps groups of friends to split payments. Here, he talks about his love for his home city:

What do you love about living in Melbourne?I love that Melbourne is such a diverse festive city, with a real passion for sport and food. After returning home from living in Adelaide I was amazed with the different variations of food that can be found from one suburb to the next; from Vietnamese on Victoria Street in Abbotsford, to modern breakfasts in Preston or authentic Italian on Lygon Street.Describe your perfect weekend.My perfect weekend would start with an early round of golf at one of the finest Sandbelts Melbourne has to offer – a few of my favourites being the National Golf Club in Cape Schank and Thirteenth Beach Golf Links located in Barwon Heads. We would then gather with some close friends and visit a boutique winery; we always love visiting Montalto and Polperro. The next morning we would visit one of our favourite cafes such as Little Henri’s and Barry’s, indulging in aromatic coffee and a modern variation of eggs. We would then finish by visiting our families out in the foothill of the Dandenong Ranges, catching up over a beer and barbecue.

If you had friends or family visiting from overseas, where would you take them?I would take them to one of the modern Japanese restaurants for dinner, our favourites are Mr Miyagi’s and Ichi Ni Nana. The next day we would venture down to Barwon Heads. We always enjoy going to the beach, playing golf and visiting some of their nice eateries – our favourite is Fisho’s which is just around the corner in Torquay (featured in picture with owner Kelly Oudendyk).

Where would you recommend visitors to Melbourne go to stay fit while on holiday in Melbourne or Victoria?There are plenty of scenic places to train when you’re holidaying in Melbourne. I should know, I have spent many a gruelling session completing them. If you enjoy riding you can head along Bay Road and enjoying the stunning 180 degree views. Or if you are a runner and seek a hilly challenge, the 1000 steps in Upper Ferntree Gully will always get your heart racing.

You’ve recently launched a new app, ZIBIT to make it easier for groups of friends to split payments. What would your top five destinations be to utilise this app?ZIBIT is social payment app allows you to pay friends and family instantly, and handles splitting and sharing the bill. The most practical use for the app is when you are out for dinner and it’s that awkward moment when the bill comes. We always use it when we visit to Mr Myagi’s, Ichi Ni Nana, Kong, when we go the Melbourne Cricket Ground and especially when playing golf; this week it was at Flinders Golf Club.

How has Melbourne helped you develop your passions for sport and technology?Sport was everything growing up in Melbourne. I can recall many summers walking the cones out for cricket, and kicking the dew off the grass for the older kids. Sport has shaped me from a young age and introduced me into a life I will be forever thankful for. I got a taste for technology early in my professional football career; data was a big thing and football clubs knew that they could get a training advantage from.