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My favourite Australian sports moments

Steve Waugh owns an all-time classic Ashes moment. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
Roar Guru
26th January, 2015
2

What better time than Australia day to reminisce about some of our favourite Australian sporting moments.

Below is the top 10 moments that I’ve had the pleasure of witnessing – from my couch of course – in my sports watching career.

I’m not claiming these to be the most important or the most iconic in Australian history, although some are.

They are just the sporting moments that brought me the most joy and excitement.

10. Steven Bradbury – Last man standing

Dubbed the most unexpected gold medal in history, Steven Bradbury qualified for the final when the three skaters in front of him crashed on the last turn, allowing him to take second place.

Then in the final, with Bradbury again well off the pace, this time all four skaters in front crashed out. Bradbury rolled past the finish line in first place to take the gold medal.

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You couldn’t make this story up, truly one of the most amazing sporting moments.

9. John Eales’ Bledisloe winning penalty

With the Wallabies down by two points in the dying seconds of the 2000 Bledisloe cup match in Wellington, they are awarded a penalty.

Needing to win the match to retain the Bledisloe, John Eales opts for the kick, only problem is Wallaby’s kicker Stirling Mortlock is off the ground.

Up steps captain Eales, who calmly slots the penalty in a true captain’s performance.

8. 4x100m relay ‘Smash them like guitars’

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Ian Thorpe provided us with so many thrilling moments but this would be my pick of them. Coming into the 2000 Sydney Olympics the United States had never lost the 4x100m freestyle relay event. Such was their confidence in the race, star American swimmer Gary Hall Jnr promised they would “smash them [Australia] like guitars”.

Well Michael Klim and Ian Thorpe along with Chris Fydler and Ashley Callus had other ideas. With Thorpe trailing Hall Jnr at the final turn, he pulled out one of the greatest performances of his career and powered home to beat the yanks in world record time.

7. Stephen Larkham’s 48 metre drop goal

Australia would go on to win the 1999 Rugby World Cup but not before an amazing drop goal from my favourite Wallaby, Stephen Larkham, in the semi-final against the Springboks.

The truly amazing part was that neither Larkham or any other Wallaby playing that day had ever made a drop goal at Test level. But that’s precisely what Larkham did, smashing one home from 48 metres out in extra time to give the Wallabies the lead and a ticket into the final.

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A great moment from a great period of time for Australian rugby.

6. Kieren Perkins from Lane 8

Coming into the 1996 Atlanta Olympics Kieren Perkins was the raging favourite to repeat his 1500 metre freestyle win from Barcelona 1992.

But plagued by poor form and self-doubt he only just qualified for the final, swimming from Lane 8. In a remarkable turnaround Perkins defied the odds and won the final easily.

5. Cathy Freeman wins gold

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Few if any sport people would have felt pressure like Cathy Freeman did before the 400 metre final of the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Thrust into the spotlight as the lighter of the Olympic flame at the opening ceremony and with the weight of the entire nation on her back this will go down as one of the gutsiest runs of all time.

Freeman’s cause was made a tad easier when her main competitor pulled out in mysterious circumstances prior to the heats, no doubt succumbing to the pressure.

4. Tim Cahill versus Japan 2006 World Cup

To say Tim Cahill turns up in big games would be an understatement. Super Tim’s first such performance for the Socceroos was in the opening game of the 2006 World Cup against Japan.

The Aussies were down 1-0 when, in the 83rd minute, Cahill came to the rescue with two late goals to give the Australians an unbelievable win. It was the first of many magic moments by the greatest Socceroo of all time.

3. Steve Waugh’s perfect day

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What made this such a special moment was the intense pressure the Aussie captain was under coming into the last Test of the 2002-03 Ashes series. Waugh hadn’t exactly set the world on fire that series and he was made to look especially bad against the short-pitch balling England had employed against him. Many critics had written him off and were expecting the Sydney Test to be his last.

What followed was a typical gutsy Steve Waugh innings bringing up his hundred on the last ball of the day with a jam-packed SCG crowd going ballistic. Australia would lose the Test but the man they called ‘Tugga’ won that day.

2. Australia qualify for the World Cup 2006

When John Aloisi kicked that penalty to put Australia into our first World Cup since 1974 the nation erupted. The Socceroos won in a penalty shootout, with Mark Schwarzer the hero with two brilliant penalty saves. It was a landmark moment for Australian football and one the sport has continued to build on ever since.

1. 1999 Cricket World Cup semi-final

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A drama-filled cricket match between the Aussies and the Proteas ended with Allan Donald dropping his bat and forgetting how to run. The match see-sawed all throughout the day but after Lance Klusener smashed the first two balls of the last over for boundaries to tie the match the South Africans looked home. But in what will go down as one of the greatest chokes of all time Donald and Klusener gift the Aussies not one but two run-out chances to reach the final.

This was the start of Australian cricket dominance which would last for close to 10 years.

There is no doubt I grew up in a golden period for Australian sports and was blessed to have witnessed such amazing moments.

Let’s hope we can add to this list in the coming years while continuing to punch well above our weight as a sporting nation.

Go ‘Straya

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