OK – State of Origin over for another year. Still some young league lovers roaming around Sydney who haven’t yet witnessed a Blues victory. Never mind. Stay patient. As the wise cracking, cigarette puffing, non-try scoring Rugby great Stan Pilecki used to say, “anybody can have a bad decade”.

While it’s impossible not to admire the tenacity and passion of this current Maroons side, when I think Origin, I still think Gordie Tallis. I can’t help it. The bulging whites of the Raging Bull, staring down Hollywood Bill Harrigan as he marched him for dissent. Even more vivid, the memory of the big man picking up Blues fullback Brett Hodgson in Sydney and dragging him, what was it – 10, 15, 20m? – before flinging him over the sideline like a rag doll. How good was that? Gordie developed that technique when he was a kid playing against his elder sisters in the backyard in Townsville. Wonder how they’re going now? His sisters? Still traumatised would be my guess, and probably still scarred from the rose bush thorns. [Read more…]

I wonder how Ben is getting on.

Remember him? Ben Cousins, indomitable AFL superstar. Fabulous, fascinating but unequivocally flawed, a drug addiction that in stark contrast to his beloved red Sherrin footy, he’s never been able to kick. Sad.

Of all the things I’ve read, seen and heard about Ben, one staggered me more than any other – the fact he was allowed, as a high school student, to wear white sneakers to Perth’s prestigious Wesley College.

That’s right. All you other boys – black lace ups. Ben – you’re going to be an AFL superstar – you can wear what you like.

The brash, confident young Cousins kept on pushing the boundaries, only to find they’d been removed. We can’t upset Ben. Incredible talent. He’s going to be an AFL superstar – 38 kicks last week.

What the? [Read more…]

Good to hear former Cowboys coach Graham Murray is back on his feet after a recent health scare.

Terrific bloke “Muz” – one of Rugby League’s best. Over almost two decades as a top grade coach, he always had one eye on his players’ wellbeing, as well as worrying about what they were doing on the field.

I remember five or so years ago, being asked to lend a hand with one of his young charges. The bloke was an emerging superstar – my task, help him understand some of the strings attached to his new “job” as a high profile professional footballer, and the implications of his impending fame. I couldn’t quite get a handle on the rookie so I asked Muz directly: What’s he like? [Read more…]

“Never count your chickens…”

I’d never really pondered the expression before, but in the space of two minutes on Monday morning, the significance of the expression became abundantly clear.

Twice.

First of all the phone rings at the most inopportune time – Brian, the neighbour across the back fence, wanting to chat, just as Angel Cabrera is standing over his approach shot at 18, needing a minor miracle to send the Masters into a playoff. Seriously, Brian – why now?

“You might want to count your chickens,” he said, apologetically.  “I fear you might be one short,” tapping his shoulder like a cricket umpire.  “The white one was in our backyard.  Unfortunately Zoomba got her.”  Ouch.  Zoomba, three parts dog, one part horse – poor Snowie was never going to win that one.  I thanked Brian for his honesty, made the necessary funeral arrangements, and rushed back inside just in time to see Angel can a ridiculously short birdie putt to send the Masters into a play-off. [Read more…]

Ok. So we haven’t got off to a terribly good start.

To date, we’ve had allegations of match fixing and sport’s links with organized crime. We’ve had allegations of illicit and performance enhancing drugs. One AFL club put up their hand, before somebody hoisted it high, involuntarily. We don’t know much yet, but we know they’re in strife.

We’ve had another AFL club investigated for “tanking” – the central figures fined huge sums, but the club cleared. Que? I think what they’re saying is… we can’t prove they broke the rules we devised, because the rules are stupid, so we’re going to smash them financially, just to show how powerful we are…

We’ve had boxing bouts where the loser was clobbered but claimed he was robbed, another bout where the loser won and claimed he was bribed. But still lost. Would have been easier just to take the money, surely. And how many rounds was that SBW fight again? Ask the promoter, he’ll tell you. [Read more…]

You know the world of sport is spinning off its axis when Warnie starts to make sense.

Didn’t you just love his remedy for the recent dissention in Australia’s Test cricket ranks – “Lock ’em in a room and get them on the grog together”.

At the risk of sounding like a dinosaur, I reckon Warnie’s on the money. In fact I’d bet my Boonie Beer doll on it.

Yes, good teams have standards, disciplines, structures and processes, They have common goals, frequently met. But they’re characterized by honesty and trust, sharing and sacrifice. They operate in an environment where individuals are not made to contribute, they want to contribute. And heaven forbid, they have fun. [Read more…]