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Joined July 2013
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Ian aims to provide his own unique perspective. This comes from a lifelong passion covering many and varied sporting activities world-wide concerning balls of all shapes and sizes to those involving pure individual achievement and effort, together with the enjoyment that comes with observing the sporting characters that make this all the more fun. He has attended many major international events including World Cups in Cricket, Soccer/Football and Rugby Union but nothing was better than the two biggies at Sydney's Olympic Stadium. For him witnessing Cathy Freeman's 400m final at Sydney 2000 was right up there for its sheer exhilaration, passion and excitement. But nothing quite beats the experience of watching John Aloisi sink that penalty against the hapless Uruguayans to get the Socceroos through to Germany 32 years after their first appearance in the World Cup in 1974.
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Name a one-day or Twenty20 International you can honestly recall in any level of detail that was outside of an official ICC World Cup…
Two months ago, recently promoted English Premier League club Leicester City sacked three players (including James Pearson, the son of the club's manager, Nigel…
"Blaming Adam Goodes is like blaming a rape victim for the way that they dress” Swans chairman Andrew Pridham. Studies have proven that race-related…
The coaching credentials required to achieve Asian World Cup Qualification and Asian Cup success compared to those needed to succeed in the FIFA World…
With the Socceroos heading to play the five time FIFA World Champion, Brazil, next week, let's hope that they overcome some of the bad…
'What do you mean?' is the outcry from all you fans from that very proud rugby rainbow nation. But let's first look at what…
How different would game two of 2013 Bledisloe Cup series have been if the offending All Blacks been sin-binned for their professional fouls early…
It's Bledisloe Cup time once again and 'Hope springs eternal' for Wallaby fans that 2013 is the year the Cup will return from across…
The Rodney Marsh lead Australian Cricket Academy was the X-Factor that produced those great Australian teams of the 90s and the Noughties. This is…
Former Australian cricket coach, Mickey Arthur has been naive in the aftermath of his dismissal. How could he realistically believe that the contents of…
Geoff Boycott said in commentary yesterday is that he needed to use more variation or should have changed the angle, bowled around the wicket and tossed it up more to tempt the batsmen.
The Ashes: Nathan Lyon has breakthrough series abroad
It is no accident that he has the responsibility for leading the singing of the team song
The Ashes: Nathan Lyon has breakthrough series abroad
Gold Jumper fans should take heed of the approach taken by Ange Postecoglou – the Socceroo Head Coach – who also experimented with his combinations in the build up games prior to the winning the Asian Cup.
When the Socceroos went to Brazil in 2014 for the World Cup he reiterated that ithe matches were preparation and experience for the team in preparation for the end game – winning the 2015 Asian Cup on Aussie soil, which he successfully achieved.
Postecoglou recently supported Cheika;’s coaching and selection approach in the ABC Offsiders programme a few weeks ago for these reasons.
Ange mentioned that Chek needs to experiment with his combinations in the the lead up to the RWC so that he knows which is the best combination to use at crunch time later in the year which is in a 6 week tournament which is so different to Home and away Test matches.
So lets give Cheika (and his very able assistants eg Larkham) his due…………it can’t go worse for Aussie than it did in RWC07 or RWC11 applying predictable coaching methods and selections where the Aussies were patently boring to watch and didn’t come close to “bringing back Bill”.
Michael Cheika: A man with a plan
ODI crowds have been dropping in Aus – outside of the recent WC which has been a concern that this format of the game is in decline in Aus.
I was amazed at the small capacity of English cricket grounds compared to its football grounds and Aus cricket grounds
……………………..small wonder that tickets are difficult to come by considering a much bigger population & fan base than Aus in UK
Meaningless friendly ODI and T20 Internationals must stop
Whilst I am just as disappointed as the next Wallaby fan let’s remember that………
……………. this battle may have been lost but the War is yet to be won.
Now is not the time to become fickle fair weather fans after lauding the team just a week ago.
Gold Jumper fans should maybe take heed of the approach taken by Ange Postecoglou – the Socceroo Head Coach – who also experimented with his combinations (and lost embarrassingly sometimes in some build up games) prior to the winning the Asian Cup – where he knew the combination he wanted to field for each situation in that tournament..
Postecoglou supported Cheika;’s coaching and selection approach in the ABC Offsiders programme earlier today
Ange mentioned that he needs to experiment with his combinations in the the lead up to the RWC so that he knows which is the best combination to use at crunch time later in the year which is in a 6 week tournament which is so different to Home and away Test matches.
Check out the episode if you haven’t already
http://www.abc.net.au/sport/offsiders/content/2015/s4294273.htm
……………..and keep the faith!
Quade Cooper has a shocker as All Blacks hammer the Wallabies
8 gigs will unfortunately probably won’t get you that far if you are regular user, Midfielder.
Once it becomes the vogue you’ll most likelyneed to get much more and hopefully the broadband prices will come down too.
Foxtel boxed into a corner as sport streaming takes hold
Its not about winning this battle but its about winning the war – RWC15.
In the build up to both of its Webb Ellis Trophy Aus wins in RWC91 and RWC99 the Wallabies beat NZ in home Bledisloe Tests whilst losing the away tests at Eden Park in both of those RWC years
So for a three-peat to be on course the Wallabies need to lose to NZ in the return Bledisloe Test today at Eden Park 🙂
Cheika's selection gambles unlikely to pay off
David Warner has just been made Test Vice Captain …………..so anything is possible 🙂
How Mark Bosnich can be 'The Donald' of Australian football
The current pay TV model will be replaced sooner than we think.
Streaming services don’t need sophisticated equipment and antennas etc and are cheaper to run which should make it cheaper for the punters like us.
Beinsports is already active in the Aus market streaming subscription Rugby and Soccer and is making huge in roads overseas already
One would expect News Corp to enteri the streaming market sooner than later too to avoid being shut out.
Foxtel boxed into a corner as sport streaming takes hold
The magnanimous thing to do would be to have put Cahill in the team instead of himself
Kewell snubs Cahill in all-time Socceroos
Let’s not forget that Luke Wilkshire has been a quiet achiever and has had a career many of the aspiring current Aus footballing crop would dream to have; not to mention being a a great servant to the Soccerroos in 2 World Cups.
This is not the time kick a man when he is down as has happened more recently to Michael Clark.
Wilkshire released by Feyeenord
This article is a great wind-up!. 🙂
In all seriousness Mark Bosnich has form for displaying inappropriate behaviour at times (eg knocking over cyclists and nazi salutes) which should preclude him from consideration to such a key position.
The same can be said for Shane Warne whose itinerant behaviour at times also precluded him from the Test captaincy.
That aside I with others enjoy the colour and insight Bozza brings to the football media
PS Les Murray may be a better suggestion. Only if Johhny Warren were still alive?
How Mark Bosnich can be 'The Donald' of Australian football
Comparisons are odious, Brendan, but I’d thought I’d throw it into the the mix :-).
Armor has a great bio but not really as good as Puskas.
When the great man arrived in this country he had experience as a proven winning manager in both Greece and Paraguay not to mention his selection in Pele’s FIFA 100 which he achieved before his passing.
Gombau too had one stuff in Hong Kong as a manager when he was appointed by United.
Armor is a bit of a risky choice because its essentially his first gig in a top job, but if he has the smarts he should deliver.
However one needs some luck too to win a premiership eg refereeing and injuries.
Bring it on, eh?
Success the measure of the mission for Amor
Good piece, Brendon.
Expectant Adelaide fans live in hope with you for a successful season.
I also can’t help thinking that Gombau brought Amor in as a succession plan knowing full well that he would be leaving.
Gombau also only made an announcement after the Liverpool game which was also carefully engineered.
At least there is someone who can continue with the Gombau Project that he began which I believe has included technical grassroots Barca type programmes that should benefit South Aussie football in the longer term.
I agree that “Football is littered with former champion players who have failed to translate their on-field achievements into success…”
But there are exceptions to this.
Let’s not forget the legendary Ferenc Puskas who coached South Melbourne to NSL League (90/91) and Cup titles (89/90).
A side that included none other than Ange Postecoglou – who must have learned heaps from the great man.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferenc_Pusk%C3%A1s
Success the measure of the mission for Amor
“The thing with the race stuff is that so many white people have opinions about whether Australians are or aren’t racist. To me, ask people who aren’t white. They’re the ones who know.”
David Pocock, former Wallaby captain
http://www.theage.com.au/rugby-union/australia-rugby/wallaby-david-pocock-slams-talk-adam-goodes-is-running-an-agenda-for-political-gain-20150807-giu08g.html
Racist booing and chanting should result in immediate eviction
Difficult to know how you measure this but the Socceroos would look a darn sight more capable with players of this quality than what is available now.
If it be any measure, Craig Johnston and Harry Kewell are the only two Aussies to have won the UCL or what was previously called the euro Cup.
No other Aussie has won as many top English tier medals (5 in old Div 1) as Johnston for one of the most dominant teams in English football history so he couldn’t have been too shabby. Btw he was born in South Africa
Add Cahill to the list and I guess that be it.
Mat Ryan: Aussie history-maker sets his sights on starting spot
Tis great news about Mat who continues the Aus Football tradition of producing world class goalkeepers ala Schwarzer and Bosnich.
To reach the latter stages of a World Cup finals campaign one has to have 20 world class outfield players in the squad.
And when can the FFA programmes realistically do this …………in 10, 20 or 30 yrs?
You can count Aus world class ball players on one hand if one were generous ie Harry Kewell, Craig Johnstone and maybe Mark Viduka but none yet in the current crop.
The gap in quality was so very evident when watching the likes of Real Madrid and Man City “toy” with the A-League clubs, although there were few Socceroo level players on view.
Of all the emerging nations Japan have produced some wonderful technical players after nearly 3 decades into a 50 year programme and they are clearly ahead of Aus in this regard but still not anywhere near being a consistent last 8 nation.
It may still be a long time before the Socceroos again qualify into KO stages of a the World Cup Finals as they did in 2006
But I would of course love Ange P to prove me wrong.
Anyways,…………much luck and success to Mat Ryan..
Mat Ryan: Aussie history-maker sets his sights on starting spot
I accept that that booing is something that one can’t do much about as it is part of the game, but I wonder how well racist taunts are addressed Peeko.
I read on this site about someone who highlighted the racist taunts of a fellow spectator to security who said that they had no powers to do anything about it.
This is such contentious topic that even the AFL are divided on how to deal with it.
It will be interesting to hear what Adam Goodes’ has to say at his next public statement whenever that may be.
Racist booing and chanting should result in immediate eviction
I wonder how many of those who have commented above have ever experienced any form of discrimination in their lives as members of one of Austraila’s minority groups Eg Aboriginal, Gay, Muslim, Jewish, Black African or Asian.
I have noticed that support in the media asserting the premise that the treatment of Goodes by spectators is fair and justifiable have come from people that are members of one of the majority Australian groups eg White Anglo Saxon males, who would not for the most part suffered any form of discrimination.
Until one has experienced such discrimination, I don’t believe that one would be able to properly appreciate how it feels to be in Adam Goodes’ shoes right now.
He needs a fair go from us all.
Racist booing and chanting should result in immediate eviction
Osman
You will need to contact the ACB for that
Cheers
Ian
We need Rod Marsh and the Cricket Academy back
Great analysis about Rugby tactics, Nick – as usual
But that is only the half of it
He is going into a toxic environment which will require well honed political, people and media savvy attributes, about which we have heard little.
Rugby in Aus is in disarray and has been for years. The leadership has been uninspiring to put it mildly and lurches from one crisis to the next with the Chair’s resignation coinciding with this appointment which again seems uncoordinated and questionable.
The most important stakeholders are disenchanted – the fans
Over 15 years have passed since the Bledisloe was held this side of the Tasman and over 20 since the last RWC triumph
There appears to be talent coming through with Junior Wallabies reaching the World Cup finals this year.
It’s a results based business. Period.
He needs to be given time as the wins may not come to the Wallabies until RWC2023 looms.
But short termism prevails in today’s Social media driven environment
The jury’s out …….
The Dave Rennie casebook: Can a Kiwi coach the Wallabies again?