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When Prime Minister Tony Abbott described himself as “captain of the coalition”, and made a “captain’s pick” on knighthoods, the former Sydney University rugby player and boxer, and current surfer and long distance cyclist, came within the radar of The Roar as a sporting website.
How he managed to select the Duke of Edinburgh for Australian knighthood defies description, when there are so many Australian sportsmen and women worthy of the recognition.
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Only six Australian sportsmen have been knighted, and not one dame.
Sir Norman Brookes was the first in 1939, the first non-Brit to win Wimbledon in 1907, and the first left-hander. He won Wimbledon again in 1914, and the Australian title in 1911. He played 39 Davis Cup matches for Australasia and Australia between 1905 and 1920, and was a long-time president of the LTAA. The winner of the Australian Open is awarded the handsome Norman Brookes Challenge Cup.
Sir Donald Bradman was knighted in 1949, the greatest batsman who ever lived, or ever will live. Many cricket lovers rate Sachin Tendulkar the greater batsman thanks to his 15921 Test runs to Bradman’s 6996. The level playing field are the averages – Bradman 99.94, Tendulkar 53.73, Bradman the better batsman by 54 per cent. End of discussion.
Sir Hubert Opperman was knighted in 1968, a champion road cyclist whose exploits are too numerous to list here. Sufficient to say he rode his bike practically every day from eight years of age until his 90th birthday, when his wife Mavys put her foot down, enough was enough. Sir Hubert died at 91, a former Liberal Federal Minister, and former High Commissioner to Malta.
Sir Nicholas Shehadie was knighted in 1976, a 30-cap Wallaby who captained the side three times. He made his first grade rugby debut at 15 in the centres for Randwick, played his first game for NSW at 16, and made his Wallaby debut at 21 against the All Blacks. He was a former Lord Mayor of Sydney, former chairman of the SCG Trust, and a former president of the ARU.
Sir Jack Brabham was knighted in 1979, a world formula one champion in 1959, 1960,and 1966. He revolutionised formula one with his Brabham car and in 1966 he became the only driver-manufacturer to win the world title – nobody has come anywhere close since. A great result cemented in motor racing folklore for the former RAAF flight mechanic.
Yachtsman Sir James Hardy was the last Australian sportsman knighted, in 1981. He skippered three America’s Cup campaigns in 1970, 1974, and 1980, represented Australia in four Admiral’s Cups, and two Olympic Games in 1964 and 1968. He came from the famous wine-making family, so the knighthood covered both facets of his life.
Champion batsman Bill Woodfull was offered a knighthood in 1934, but declined.
So rather than award a knighthood to the Duke of Edinburgh, with all due respect to His Highness, there are eight Australians who are far more deserving, and their selection would have been saluted instead of ridiculed.
Herb Elliott tops the list. Never beaten over the mile and 1500 metres in his life, a world record-holder in both events, at the 1960 Rome Olympics he broke his own world record, and beat Frenchman Michel Jazy into second place by 32 metres, still by far the biggest winning margin for the 1500. His time that day of 3.35.6 was so brilliant, he would have won seven of the next nine Olympic 1500s, up to 36 years later. He retired at 23 after Rome, saying he had nothing left to prove.
Richie Benaud, the original and only ‘Mr Cricket’, captained the Australian cricket team for 28 of his 63 Tests. He was rightfully regarded as the best leg spinner the world had ever seen, until Shane Warne came along. Benaud was an enterprising and entertaining skipper, no mug with the bat, and continued his close contact with cricket as the best television commentator, and among the best cricket-writers-authors.
Rod Laver, the ‘Rocket from Rockhampton’ is the only tennis player in the world, male or female, to win two Grand Slam singles, capturing the Australian, French, Wimbledon, and US in the same calendar year – in 1962 as an amateur, and 1969 as a professional. He won 11 Slams overall, but having missed 20 Slams when he was a pro and the sport remained amateur, that stat isn’t on a level playing field.
And Peter Thomson, winner of five British Opens in 1954, 1955, 1956, 1958, and 1965, without peer as Australia’s best golfer. Those wins among 88 around the world, including two Canada Cups with Kel Nagle in 1954 and 1959, now known as the World Cup. He has remained in close contact with golf as a highly-regarded course designer, television commentator, and writer.
Dawn Fraser heads the Dame nominations. Winner of the 100m freestyle Olympic gold at the 1956, 1960, and 1964 Games. If she hadn’t been wrongly accused and suspended by the snobbish Australian Swiming Union at the time for allegedly nicking the Emperor’s flag from his palace in Tokyo, there’s no doubt Dawn would have won 100 free gold at Mexico in 1968, and Munich in 1972 to set an all-time record for the same event.
Heather McKay was winner of an extraordinary 16 successive British squash Opens from 1962 to 1977, 14 successive Australian titles from 1960 to 1973, and a two-time Hockeyroo. Heather was beaten only twice in her entire squash career, and went on to carve out another successful career in the United States, winning their national racquetball championship, the American equivalent of squash.
Margaret Court, winner of the ladies Grand Slam singles in 1970, among her world record 24 Slam singles titles, 19 Slam doubles, and 21 mixed – the total of 64 Slam titles places her in a world of her own. Margaret was born left-handed, but her coach changed her to play right-handed, no doubt the reason why she had such a powerful backhand.
And finally Betty Cuthbert, with her blond hair flying and mouth wide open as she cleaned up 100, 200, and relay gold at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, and 400 gold eight years later in Tokyo, an inaugural event. Betty has been suffering from multiple sclerosis since not long after Japan, but is showing the same courage fighting the debilitating disease as she showed on the track – a mighty athlete, and a very special lady.
Selecting one or two of those eight would have saved the Prime Minister a lot of grief.
Besides, our cousins across the ditch have far more knights and dames than Australia, and their whole country is not much bigger than Victoria.
The Kiwis have 15 sporting knights, and 3 dames.
The Kiwi 18
All Blacks Sir Wilson Whineray, Sir Brian Lochore, Sir Colin Meads, Sir John Kirwan, and Sir John Graham, with coaches Sir Fred Allen, and Sir Graham Henry.
Middle distance athletes Sir Murray Halberg, Sir John Walker, and Sir Peter Snell, equestrian Sir Mark Todd, golfer Sir Bob Charles, yachtsman Sir Peter Blake, mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary, and cricketer Sir Richard Hadlee.
Plus Dame Lois Muir (netball), Dame Susan Devoy (squash), and Dame Naomi James (yachting).
Time for Australia to play catch-ups PM, pass it on to the council.