With our Commonwealth Games wrestler Hassene Fkiri and cyclist Shane Perkins flipping off judges left and right, Libby Trickett has weighed into the argument declaring that a good old fashioned dummy spit is “un-Australian”.
Hang on just a tic. This is a proud Australian tradition we’re talking about here, Ms Trickett.
Losing it when it’s all just so wretchedly unfair has a special place in Australian sport.
League
Our coaches have always been happy to blame everyone else bar themselves. Usually, it’s the refs who cop it sweet, rather than, of course, the coaches’ rubbish tactics or team selections.
Ricky Stuart cost himself a job during the last Rugby League World Cup when he gave a serve to referee Ashley Klein during the after-game interviews following Australia’s loss. Just to prove it wasn’t just the heat of the moment getting to a deranged Sticky, the next morning in the hotel when he had a chance meeting with Klein, he was reported to have fired off “You’re the c— that cost us the World Cup” before being dragged off.
He resigned a week later, and was fined $20,000.
Motorsport
One of the best blowups was Tony Longhurst punching on with his team-mate Paul Morris during 1994’s Bathurst Touring Car race. Longhurst looked to finally overtake Morris before clipping his left front and breaking Morris’ steering arm – both sensationally crashing out.
Despite appearing at fault, Longhurst took exception to Morris’ constant blocking, and perhaps ignoring Morris’ helmet, leaped out and dished out three haymakers to the head.
Darryl Eastlake in fine form hollering away just makes it better.
AFL
A a classic from the 80s was Fabulous Phil Carman’s head-butt on a boundary line umpire (after already whacking St Kilda’s Garry Sidebottom) earning him a 20 week suspension. Carman didn’t learn, later in life head-butting an umpire while Captain/Coach of an ACT districts side.
More recently, Barry Hall’s neat right to West Coast’s Brent Staker was a fine example of Australian prowess in dummy spits – although perhaps this was more of a mere Big Bad Mind Explosion.
Cricket
Our cricketers have been blowing up for years: a certain Dennis Lillee took exception to his aluminium bat being banned and hurled it in disgust. Incidentally, sales of aluminium bats sky-rocketed until they were banned too.
Our cricketers are also tremendous sledgers, although they haven’t always made the opposition lie down in fear; none more memorable than Glenn McGrath’s backfiring taunts to young West Indian Ramnaresh Sarwan in 2003.
McGrath, who’d seen Sarwan manage to dig out a couple of sharper ones, made a rather (tasteless?) enquiry:
“How does Brian Lara’s c— taste?”
Sarwan replied: “I don’t know. Ask your wife.”
McGrath took exception, belting out: “If you ever f—ing mention my wife again, I’ll f—ing rip your f—ing throat out!”.
Football
While internationally Eric Cantona and Zinedine Zidane dominate this category, we still have plenty of local madness to enjoy.
John Kosmina was a perennial bad sport in the A-League, his tirade against the referees a well-remembered favourite for somehow causing Adelaide United’s defeat at the hands of Melbourne Victory in the Grand Final 6-0 in 2007.
Possible the biggest dummy spit from Kosmina was targeted at Kevin Muscat, who smashed over Kosmina when fetching the ball from the sideline. Kosmina’s deathgrip on his throat is legendary.
Tennis
Australian tennis has had a whale of a time with Damir Dokic, father of Jelena, spouting all sorts of nonsense, including claiming the Aus Open draw was fixed against her and threatening all sorts of gibberish.
However, his rants took a worse turn when Jelena broke off contact with him, leaving Damir no choice but to apparently threaten the Australian Embassy in Serbia with a grenade attack, giving Serbia no choice but to jail him for 15 months.
In brighter news, youngster Bernard Tomic also has a firey father figure. John Tomic hauled him off court in an “unfair” game against Marinko Matosevic, after aggravation from foot faults not being called. John Tomic has gone on to abuse well known coach Roger Rasheed, and threatened to take Bernard out of Australia.
Share your favourite dummy spits in our comments section.
agreed
Guest
He really was an idiot. Btw I hate the expression "unAustralian" as if there is an agreed code of behaviour. Athletes have been behaving shockingly for years.
Tristan Rayner
Editor
Don't forget I was going for Australian blow ups - managed to get McEnroe in there though on a technicality of him steaming during the Aus Open!
Betty b
Guest
just trying to get into the spirit of the games Tristan. Nice article really. Thought you'd rate John McEnroe in there somewhere.
Tristan Rayner
Editor
Hehe thanks Betty - keep me on my toes! Cheers Mick :)
Mark Young
Guest
A Ha!!!!!
Holty
Guest
Rubbish!!! They were great competitors of the highest esteem and regard.... Well maybe not Symonds
Mick Gold Coast QLD
Roar Guru
I say "Well done" Tristan, writing an entertaining piece about "dummy spits". I read through your words, Betty, and I wonder if you have any comment or examples to offer on "dummy spits"?
Mick Gold Coast QLD
Roar Guru
Spare me the self righteous indignation, Axel V, the remarks were hilarious and they had nought to do with anyone's missus. They never do - for your own aural protection don't stick your head in a scrum. The other front rower will tell you all manner of evil things about your sister, whether you have one or not! Jane McGrath was diagnosed after, and cricketers world wide have responded generously for years to Glen McGrath's efforts in promoting the McGrath Foundation. Incidentally, the one about “Everytime ... your wife, she gives me a biscuit” as told to me several times over 15 years was first hand, undoubtedly, most definitely about ... Botham's wife, Warne's wife, Gatting's and a couple of others.
Mick Gold Coast QLD
Roar Guru
Hewitt's self importance reminds me of all those dreadful explosions of temper by Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall and Evonne Goolagong. Just can't remember the detail of them. :)
Mick Gold Coast QLD
Roar Guru
As I recall the incident involving Dick Johnson had him blaming the mob at the top of the hill for rolling rocks onto the track, spoiling his chances. It was later shown an ambulance dislodged the rocks whilst attending another incident. We loved it in NSW back then - another opportunity to bag the knuckle draggers from up north! He copped plenty for it from the crowd for years after. Later on some of us learned how to spell "climate". :)
Betty b
Guest
oh my dear Tristan. Unable to look beyond those few sports that manage to flood our lounge rooms for most of the year. And the the truly loyal Roar crowd join in with memories that extend as far, to football, football and a bit of cricket. Barely a representation of sport, wouldn't you say, though admittedly with more than their fair share of dummy spitters. As the Games roll on, I would add the Australian Athletes Association (or whatever name they went under then) and our media for ignoring (was it a ban?) one of our greatest athletes of all time, Peter Norman after he won Olympic Silver in the 200 metes sprint. One of the few white men to do so, he joined in his fellow medallist's protest about racial injustice in the US, on the podium, and was hardly heard of again. Then there's the swimming asoociation - they banned our greatest swimmer Dawn Fraser, for climbing a flag pole. Come on Tristan - you can do better than this.
M1tch
Roar Guru
Fair enough about at the time..the sledge happened when she was alive, and it finally brough cricket sledging to what it was going too and probably still is
Axel V
Guest
Anyone who thinks it's funny about the remarks reguarding Mcgraths wife, it would have been funny back then, but now she is dead...
apaway
Guest
Brett, Trystan, that's the one. Cheers!
Kazama
Roar Guru
A lesser known Hewitt dummy spit was when he thought he got a bad line call while playing in Adelaide a few years back. After abusing the linesman, Hewitt won the next two points to wrap up the set. He then placed a ball on the line and gave the linesman the death stare as he cockily strutted back to his chair. I seem to vaguely remember a cricketer ramming their bat into the wall of the dressing room after being dismissed - can anyone help me out here?
Warren
Guest
Batsman was Eddo Brandis, I think.
Mark Young
Guest
Joel Griffiths taking a dive in an A-Legue game and then, when a foul was not forthcoming, flicking the linesman in the crotch was good value. Danny Vukovic slapping the umps hand at the end of the A-League grand final. Michael Slater coming back to the dressing room and trying to flush his bat and pads down the toilet. Darren Lehman screaming out about 'Blacks Runts' when a Sri Lankan took his wicket. Lleyton Hewitt squealing out that the court needed to be fixed when he was losing a tennis game. Lleyton Hewitt squealing about the ump was a spastic when he was losing a tennis game. Lleyton Hewitt squealing about the ump being biased to James Blake when he was losing a tennis game. Bit of a loser all round really.
Mark Young
Guest
What was just as funny as Richards' outburst was the look on Skaife's face. He was ready to get down there and punch on with every single last one of them!
M.O.C.
Roar Guru
Would you count Michael Brial's "assault" on Frank Bunce as a dummy spit? - that was pretty impressive and seemingly unprovoked.
M1tch
Roar Guru
I always laugh at the McGrath one, talk about the perfect example of someone who dishes it out constantly but cannot take 1 comment back