Australia’s Harry Kewell takes control of the ball from Ghana’s Eric Addo as Kewell’s team mate Joel Griffiths offers support during their friendly match at the Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney, Friday, May 23, 2008. AAP Image/Dean Lewins
Welcome to 2010! No doubt you’re reading this column through the impaired vision of a New Years Eve hangover. But once your mind kicks into gear you can look forward to a huge year of sport in 2010.
In the first part of a two-part series we look forward to ten things to watch out for in 2010.
The first five are:
The World Cup. 2010 will be the year of the World Cup. How will the Socceroos perform in the challenging Group D against Germany, Ghana and Serbia? Will the scenes from 2006 be replicated in pubs and clubs across Australia, and how will those punters and the mainstream media judge the Socceroos’ performance?
Following on from the World Cup, will the A-League be able to ride the wave of national interest in the round ball game to reverse the downward crowd trend? And what impact will Melbourne Heart have on the competition?
Then in December, the big announcement – will Australia be awarded either the 2018 or 2022 World Cup? How will the bidding process have progressed up until that point and what factors will win or lose us the right to stage the tournament?
Make no mistake, 2010 is a massive year for Australian football, perhaps a defining one for its future trajectory.
The logjam at the top of the AFL ladder. Let’s take it as a given that last season’s finalists, Geelong and St Kilda, are all but certain top four candidates in 2010.
Throw into the mix last season’s fellow top four occupants, Collingwood – in Mike Malthouse’s swansong season – and a Western Bulldogs now equipped with a key forward in Barry Hall, and it seems you’ve got a top four.
But what of Brisbane Lions, with Coleman medalist Brendan Fevola paired with Jonathon Brown in a fearsome forward line-up? What of the Adelaide Crows, the surprise-packet of last year and a team that has such an exciting blend of promising youth and premiership-winning experience? Or Hawthorn, keen to make amends for their 2009 fall from grace, still equipped with the talent that took them to the 2008 flag.
The AFL isn’t short of contenders in 2010.
Aussies ruling the motorsport world. Mark Webber’s two Grand Prix victories were only the icing on the very rich cake that was Australia’s motorsport year, with Ryan Briscoe almost snatching the Indy Car title, Casey Stoner rattling of more MotoGP wins, David Brabham winning at Le Mans, Daniel Ricciardo winning the prestigious British Formula 3 series and Marcos Ambrose’s rise in NASCAR.
Those Aussies lead the charge in 2010, and there is a chance that Australians could win the Formula 1 and MotoGP world championships, the Indy 500, Le Mans 24 hours, Daytona 500 and more. Bring it on!
Star-studded cycling. Lance Armstrong’s 2009 comeback and rivalry with Astana teammate Alberto Contador added much intrigue to Le Tour de France.
Having left Astana to create his own shop, Team RadioShack, taking Johan Bruyneel and several key riders with him, the stage is set for Armstrong to engage in a titanic battle with Contador at Le Tour in 2010.
With the Schleck brothers (Andy and Frank) growing in stature, and Cadel Evans at greener pastures with the BMC Racing Team, bolstered by having the experienced George Hincapie as teammate, professional cycling has not had so much depth at the front end of the peleton since the days of Armstrong, Marco Pantani and Jan Ullrich.
Best of all, for us Aussies at least, the cycling season kicks off in Adelaide, with Evans joining the returning Armstrong at the Tour Down Under in January, and ends in Melbourne with Evans defending his road racing world championship crown on home soil.
Comebacks. The aforementioned Lance Armstrong and US Open winner Kim Clijsters were the comeback stories of 2009. In 2010, all eyes will be on Michael Schumacher. At 41-years of age, Schumacher will be pit himself against the generation that replaced him – Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel and co. How the seven-time world champion matches-up against drivers almost half his age will be fascinating to see.
And what of Tiger Woods? How will be received by the fans and media should he re-emerge from his self-imposed break from golf in 2010?
Justine Henin is another great who returns from retirement, hoping to follow compatriot Clijsters’ example and claim a Grand Slam in her comeback.
The second half of the ten things to look out for in 2010 will be here on The Roar in the coming days.
What are you most looking forward to in 2010?
Australian Football
Guest
Ha ha Al, yes of course tis your Briitish sense of hurmour.... :lol: you had me going there----real meat and vege soup out of a Heinz soup tin can. ~~~~~~~~ AF
Al
Guest
Surely you jest? The centrepiece will of course be a Fremantle Dockers vs Melbourne Demons match of "real" football, what is this World Cup gibberish that you speak off???
pH
Guest
Looks like the WC bid will dominate until it is sorted. I think Mister Football's concerns are valid, I independently shared them when I first heard the details of the bid. So clearly also did the AFL as Gerard Whateley (highly respected both Australian Football and Soccer commentator) reported in a key article everyone should read: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/12/14/2770679.htm?site=sport§ion=football The NRL also have a lot of concerns: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/soccers-plan-to-displace-nrl/story-e6frexnr-1225808419104 and http://www.cowboys.com.au/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&id=21608 Jimbo - can you explain what "recent discussions" mean the WC can be staged in Australia without any Melbourne stadia? The bid is scrounging for stadia as it is, which is why the FFA turned around and said they wanted Etihad stadium when they'd previously said they could get by without (hoping to use the Swan St Stadium instead). That turn around by the FFA with poor negotiating (sounds like they really left the AFL in the dark over Etihad) was the spark for all the ruckus. Hopefully the Federal Govt with control over the bid will sort all out. The problem is the sorting out is going to cost big-time. When those costs finally become public - the bid will definitely be the biggest story of the year.
Paul
Guest
Listen everyone it's about time you look in rugby league it's the best sport ever
Jeb
Guest
But was it not a successful world cup for you GenQ? I love it when people think they know what "most australians" know (or don't). You don't give people much credit GenQ. I'd disagree and say that I think most casual sports fans know that we are now part of the AFC hence our qualification route.
Mr cheese
Guest
Dude, you're right to find motorsports as interesting as a wet weekend spent in Scarborough. However, your criticism of football and cycling is a little peculiar: these two sports are as sweet as a nut. May I ask which sports you do watch ? I guess you're a fan of one of the versions of egg-chasing. None of them is as good as football or cycling, surely ?!?!?! "a los osados ayuda la fortuna"
Mr cheese
Guest
That's meant to say "you may not dress up as Englishmen and head straight for the shower..." It was meant to be a reference to Psycho. I was suggesting that the convicts have a Norman Bates-like relationship with their mothers. My apologies.....
Mr cheese
Guest
Jebediah, if you get to the second round, young man, you will be facing your Freudian nemesis i.e. the English. It would be fun to watch. The Australian attitude to the mother country seems to be similar to that of Norman Bates: very complex. You may not dress us up as Englishmen and head straight for the shower, but you get my point. It is my ( uninformed ) view that the convicts' group is a lot tougher this time around. I ain't convinced that the Serbs or Ghana will be wiped out by Tim Cahill et al. Still..................bonne chance. It will be fun to hear that song about "the vegemite sandwich". Senor queso
TinHat
Guest
haha I suppose I will. I can't think of much else on though.
James
Guest
Guess you will have to wait and see Part II
TinHat
Guest
Seems like a pretty dull year for me. I don't find football, cycling or motorsports even remotely interesting.
James
Guest
LeBron to the Knicks? Fingers crossed. If any franchise needs a player like LeBron it's New York.
Alex Moore
Guest
World Cup will definitely dominate the headlines as will our bid. Do we not have an Ashes campaign coming also?? On a more specific 'niche'-type level the NBA is coming up to it's biggest Free Agent market in decades. LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Joe Johnson, Amare Stoudemire and Chris Bosh may all enter the market.
jimbo
Guest
Nonsense Pip and you know it. The FFA can run a WC in AUstralia without using any Melbourne AFL parks.
jimbo
Guest
Pip, give your anti-football blogging a rest. This article is about what to look forward to in 2010. For football, the glass is half full. You know the answers to your questions already and all will be revealed in due time and the best thing to emerge out of recent discussions is that the WC can be held in Australia without playing any games in Melbourne - Sydney will get the opening ceremony and the final and possibly one of the semis. Great news.
GenQ
Guest
We won one game at the world cup and most australians still dont know what you mean when you say that they got us 'into asia'.
westy
Guest
I think I got here before you.
Westy
Guest
dont mind your idea hazza, as long as melbourne wins all of those :D ;) and i agree with james, 2010 is going to be the biggest year for australian football, except maybe 2018 or 2022, if we get either of those. But 2010 is definately going to be a defining year in australian football. my guess about the world cup bids for 2018 and 2022 are england for '18 and australia for '22. Hope australia gets at least one of those... whatever happens, if we get a world cup or not, we will look back on 2010 and think," gee, that year was huge"
Rob
Guest
Im hoping Schumi will continue to dress as the Stig in F1
hazza
Guest
In order. Sydney v Melbourne Grand final to take the domestic game to a new level. World Cup in June.Melbourne Victory to make it final of champions league. World Cup bid in December.