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The Whistle – September 2015

September 11, 2015 By michael blucher Leave a Comment

The Whistle – September 2015

Not long now folks. Rugby World Cup 2015. 20 countries, 48 matches in 42 days. Most Melbournians aside, how much are we looking forward to that? Congregating in pubs, around television sets, on back decks, the Tong Master on duty, so too the CEO – the Chief Esky Operator. Can’t wait.

Remarkable to think this will be the eighth RWC tournament. How time has flown. But hasn’t there been some iconic moments? 1987 – John Kirwan’s 90m try against Italy, Michael Lynagh in 1991, saving the day against Ireland in the quarterfinal, David Campese, throughout the entire tournament, yinging while the defence was yanging. 1995 – Francois Pienaar and Nelson Mandela – Madiba – huddled together with the Webb Ellis trophy, both wearing the Sprinbok No 6.

In 1999 Steve Larkham’s field goal in the semi – how long was that kick – 70 or 80m? And of course in 2003, bloody Johnny Wilkinson, with his right footed snap in extra time in Sydney, sinking the Wallabies hopes of going back to back. We could go on and on, but I won’t because I’d get to the point where the Kiwis finally won again. And nobody wants to relive that. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Latest, The Whistle

Play Like A Girl

June 6, 2015 By michael blucher Leave a Comment

Play Like A Girl

Given the highly sensitised, politically correct world in which we we now live, I wasn’t at all surprised when immediately after launching Bubble Boys, I was fielding criticism of my scant reference to female athletes.

I thought I’d provided a pretty useful hint in the title as to the subject matter, but alas, some still insisted the focus of the book should have been more equitably shared. (I’m guessing they’re part of the same breed who every November/December, resume campaigning for the introduction of “Person Christmas”, to replace that overweight, outdated 17th century plodder, Father). But I digress.

 To prove that I’m not female-sport-a-phobic, I’m going to devote this entire edition of the Whistle to the biggest, brightest, boldest “Bubble Girl” I know. Australian Diamonds Netball captain Laura Geitz.
If there’s a female sporting bubble that most resembles the male football equivalent, it’s netball, and Geitz is at the epicentre of the netball universe. So huge is her profile and popularity within the sport, some of netball’s senior officials privately fear Geitz now stands taller than the game itself.
So what can the masters of the male sporting domain – the Bubble Boys and their menagerie of minders, managers, meddlers and malingerers – learn from Australia’s No 1 ball-playing Bubble Girl?
A few things spring to mind.
Let’s start with balance – the merit of “multi-tasking”. Through sheer financial necessity, practically all our top netballers have a job or a career outside their sport. In between training, playing and fulfilling sponsor obligations, Geitz runs her own on-line, sports-centric fashion label. No time to dwell on wins or losses, or sit around playing Xbox. There’s a business to run.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Latest, The Whistle

Musings from September

October 3, 2013 By MichaelBlucher Leave a Comment

Musings from September

Gee. Aren’t there a lot of “what ifs” in sport?

Not a week goes by without an athlete or a fan or an official uttering the words, about something or somebody. What if he hadn’t put his foot over the touchline? What if he’d held onto that mark? What if that pass hadn’t been ruled forward? What if any of those six officials – just one of them – had been able to count to six?

Sliding doors, opening and shutting, altering pathways, defining and redefining careers, turning dreams into nightmares and nightmares into dreams.

Sometimes, as I discovered recently, the “what ifs” occur even before a footy has been kicked or a ball has been bowled. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Latest, The Whistle

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