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December 11th 2008 @ 1:42am
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Games don’t get us out of armchairs
Australians take great pride in watching their compatriots perform at the Olympics, but less than a third are motivated enough by the Games to exercise.
A survey conducted in the week after the Beijing Games reported that 63 per cent of respondents thought good performances at the Olympics are important for Australia’s sense of optimism.
But only [...]
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![While Matthew Lloyd’s reckless hit on Brad Sewell has inevitably received plenty of attention this week in the midst of the debate about ‘the bump’, the Essendon forward’s act should also initiate discussion about the need for a send-off rule in AFL footy.
With his side trailing by 22 points at the main break, the Bombers [...] Ben Somerford: Lloyd’s hit raises the question of the send-off rule](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/lloyds-hit-raises-th.jpg)
![The Fox Sports effects microphone has become a fair barometer of an A-League match’s excitement level. When you can hear the players and coaches cussing, it’s a fair indicator that the crowd isn’t really into the match. Sadly, it’s a common occurrence.
Aside from the raucous at Etihad Stadium caused by Melbourne’s passionate and large supporter [...] Adrian Musolino: Lack of atmosphere stifles A-League games](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/33-or-22-rounds-a-league-ryall-th.jpg)
![During Friday night’s West Coast-Essendon preseason hit-out, some time in between feats of Nic Naitanui brilliance, a curious umpiring decision managed to raise a few eyebrows.
Right before half time, a goal umpire awarded a crucial six points to Eagle Andrew Embley. The decision put the Eagles in front seconds away from the siren. However watching [...] Michael DiFabrizio: Video replays shouldn’t do the work of umpires](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/grand-final-afl-umpire-accuracy-th.jpg)
![It’s been an obsession of amateur selectors to pick World XIs: an all-time great Earth XI to take on Mars; a pre-World War II Eleven Vs a Post WW II Eleven; Right-handers Vs Left-handers; Living Vs Dead.
Here’s a new idea: wow about a World XI from the northern hemisphere taking on a World XI from [...] Kersi Meher-Homji: A hypothetical clash of the cricketing hemispheres](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/a-hypothetical-clash-tendulkar-laxman-th.jpg)
![The chief executive of the ARU, John O’Neill, went out of his way to praise the efforts of Phil Coles, Kevan Gosper and John Coates in getting the IOC’s executive board to select Sevens Rugby as a new Olympic Sport, along with golf.
The implication in the praise is that Sevens Rugby will offer an opportunity [...] Spiro Zavos: Gold, gold for Australia with the new Olympic Sports](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/gold-australia-olympics-beijing-th.jpg)
![Rugby is a game defined by its lower levels, and in terms of basic hygiene, few bathroom facilities would rate lower than the gentlemen’s restroom under the Charles Wells stand at Goldington Road, the home of the Bedford Blues.
Airing an odour similar in my imagination to Anchorman’s notorious fragrance Sex Panther, these restrooms and [...] Garth Hamilton: The ARU should stop deriding English rugby](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/england-host-rugby-cup-phil-vickery-th.jpg)
![When Melbourne announce that coach Dean Bailey – who has presided over a total of seven wins in his two seasons at the helm – has been given a new contract, effectively extending his stay by a year, you have every right to question what the world is coming to.
The guy has lost 37 of [...] Michael DiFabrizio: Give Fremantle’s Mark Harvey a contract extension](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/mark-harvey-th.jpg)
![Last Friday, the Melbourne Knights announced Mark Viduka would be the team’s number one ticket holder for the new Victorian Premier League season.
In an article on the Knights’ website, the former NSL club also revealed that former Socceroo Danny Tiatto would be joining the club for two games as a guest player.
Interesting news that mostly [...] Davidde Corran: Viduka shows the way to embrace football’s roots](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/ACT-government-shoots-viduka-th.jpg)
![Melbourne Victory’s relationship with its supporters has been characterised by some splendid inconsistency almost since day one of the A-League.
The club has given its supporters a record two premiership and championship doubles. In return Victory has received the cash flow that comes with the highest attendances and memberships in the country.
The difficult side of the [...] Davidde Corran: Victory needs to start giving their fans credit](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/victory-fans-credit-melbourne-th.jpg)
![As primarily a rugby league fan I always find this time of the European football season fascinating. Players are traded across the continent as huge sums of money is transferred from one brimming account to another and players seemingly find themselves with the need to find an apartment in Wigan pronto. And all this, while [...] Steve Kaless: Rugby league needs a new window](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/rugby-league-new-window-braith-anasta-th.jpg)
![If 2009 was meant to herald the return to dominance of the little man in rugby league, then to borrow a phrase from our tourism board, “Where the bloody hell are they?”
The game was meant to be faster, meaning we were going to see more players like Matt Bowen carving up tiring forwards.
However, what coaches [...] Steve Kaless: A good big man will always beat a good small man](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/good-big-man-josh-perry-th.jpg)
![Bathurst’s importance to the V8 Supercar series is immeasurable. It is the categories’ showpiece event, its chance to reach viewers who ordinarily wouldn’t watch the regular V8 Supercar rounds. And as such, it ranks up there with the Melbourne Cup and the AFL Grand Final.
But where does it fit within Australia’s sporting landscape?
It has the [...] Adrian Musolino: Bathurst is one of Australia’s great sporting events](http://www.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/bathurst-th.jpg)



