How I long for my teenage years – roughly 1995 to 2005. Not because now I’m a bit podgier, a little slower, and can’t recover from a hangover nearly as well.
I miss these days because Australia was unbeatable at everything.
The cricketers were legendary. We had the likes of Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist, Damien Martyn, and the Waugh brothers dismantling bowling attacks with an almost inhumane ease.
Openers Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer had the bromance that every man wants with his mate.
Glen McGrath and Shane Warne would strangle opponents, more than ably supported by Jason Gillespie, Michael Kasprowicz, or Damien Fleming. Stuart MacGill was our backup spinner. Hell, even Colin ‘Funky’ Miller took 69 wickets at 26.15.
The Wallabies were pretty decent too. In that ten year period they won a World Cup, made another World Cup final, and a couple of Tri-Nation and Bledisloe Cups.
Ah, how we would love another Stephen Larkham, Matt Burke, Totai Kefu, Stirling Mortlock or Owen Finnegan right now.
Towards the end of this time, football burst on to the scene as the golden generation of Mark Viduka, Harry Kewell, Mark Schwarzer, John Aloisi, Lucas Neill, Tim Cahill et al. come up with the goods.
They avenged defeat to Uruguay in the previous qualifying campaign to book a place in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, where they competed admirably.
In 2005, we also got a new toy – the A-League.
The swimmers were running amok. We had Kieran Perkins, Susie O’Neill, Ian Thorpe, Grant Hackett, Petria Thomas, and anyone else that didn’t need floaties to swim winning medals.
We had ‘our’ Cathy Freeman lighting up the Olympic torch and track at the 2000 Sydney games.
Perth boy Luc Longley was starting centre in the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls domination of the NBA.
If you still doubt just how good we were, look at Steven Bradbury. He won the 1000m speed skating gold at the Winter Olympics just by being thereabouts.
So what’s changed? Where did these better times go? Don’t we just turn up and win just because we wear green and gold?
The answer is obviously no, but I’m not quite sure many professional athletes realise this.
The recent swimming sagas (not just the latest with the men’s relay team, also Stephanie Rice’s homophobic tweet, Kenrick Monk’s little white lie and Nick D’Arcy belting Simon Cowley), the Shane Watson and India ordeal, Quade Cooper and the toxic environment, Quade cooper in general, all reek of arrogance and a sense of entitlement.
It is even in the way the players behave on-field and go about their business. In the way cricketers tend to throw their wickets, or the rugby players expect miracle passes to pay off, or how the Socceroos turned up half asleep against Oman on Tuesday.
Most of the sports, when hitting this golden age, had come off a tough era.
Cricket had been torn apart by the rebel tours and a mediocre 1980s, and had only Allan ‘Captain Grumpy’ Border and Bob Simpson to thank for holding the ship together.
The Wallabies exited the 1995 World Cup at the quarter finals – as defending champions. Football had not had a golden age since Johnny Warren was around.
The 1980s were relatively lean pickings for our Olympians.
During these times, however, Australian sport seemed to be being infected with the underdog mentality. The urge to battle, no matter the odds. The ability to keep fighting and never give up became a national trait.
It was in wider society too – unemployment in Australia topped 11% in 1992. Times were tough, but so were Australians, and it seems we got going.
When the sporting talent did come, the sportspeople were not just skilled, they were mentally tough. They could battle. However, the spoilt brathlete today, seems to think they can turn up and win.
Well, newsflash boys and girls, you can’t. Things aren’t going to go your way.
It’s time for some humility, and realisation that you’re not the best in the world, and you’re going to have to train, and play darn hard to get there.
And no, tweeting is not training.
Matt Simpson
Roar Guru
Les B I think it is know shown that you may be either a genious, oracle, or jedi.
colvin
Guest
Matt You should be handling your hangovers in your late 20's better than when you were in your teens. All it takes is practice. By the time you reach your 30's as you build up your tolerance you should find hangovers no big deal at all. But just like any rugby player if you fall off your regular practice you will quickly lose your way. Therefore it follows that saying you are not handling hangovers in your late 20's just indicates to us a lack of regular consumption. Not good enough. Can you imagine a SR goal kicker succeeding with any goal kicks without dailly practice.
Les B
Guest
We need Boof !
Timmuh
Roar Guru
"brathlete" ... I have a new word for Shane Watson, Dave Warner and their ilk.
AdamS
Roar Guru
Australian teams aren't allowed to have larrikins anymore and mongrel has been classified as a prohibited substance. Instead of mongrel, players now have to have "some Milo" in them, and anyone who has aspirations to larrikinism is quickly stuffed into a white suit and taught to say things like "finger licken good". The combination of the takeover of national sport by cooperate sponsors and the rabid search by our press for any sporting molehills to turn into mountains of PC shame has effectively destroyed any cultural vestiges of the Aussie sporting ethos.
Mr Toad
Guest
And the luckless Phil Hughes sits out another rousing partnership.
Mango Jack
Guest
Warner (mischevious grin): "So how's about a quick switch hit, luv?" Cowan (sighs): "Honestly, David, is this all you think about? To continue your analogy, you need to patiently build an innings in order to achieve true satisfaction" Lights out.
Mr Toad
Guest
If it helps them to coordinate their quick singles I say it's a good thing.
Mango Jack
Guest
The Swans introduced their "no dickheads" policy a few years ago, and it seems to be working for them. Very few off-field indiscretions and a premiership suggest they are doing the right things internally. I reckon the Wallabies and national cricket team need to do the same. There may be some short term pain as we let go some of the precious superstars who currently flounce around our grounds, but the long term payback would be a winning team culture.
Mango Jack
Guest
James, that key with the little dot on it is a full stop. Use it, please, so we can all read your posts :)
nachos supreme
Guest
ba hhah hah classic imagery :)
Johnno
Guest
I've lost faith in the old guard of Australian cricket too, coz so many of the argus review recommendations, like captain being a selector the old guard recommended. And selectors, Inver's and Rod Marsh, are not new breed there old Breed. Inver's last test was in 1972 40 years ago. He retired from 1st class cricket in 1985. Rod Marsh is old guard and a current selector. And by the way don't think Dennis Lillee is the man or a rebel either. He and Inver's are very good mates to along with rod marsh, all WA boys in the triangle. And the out of dat channel 9 commentary team. Greg Chappell in coaching, seems to botch things up where ever he goes. This old guard are not doing anything right. They seem out of date. We need cutting edge modern coaches like Andy Flower, and Gary Kirsten.
Red Kev
Guest
Just imagine them in bed together - Cowan with his glasses on reading Proust, Warner with his tongue out the side of his mouth, forehead fixed in concentration, struggling with his Phantom comic...
James
Guest
our male triathletes get hammered by British brothers but then everyone does, mark webber drives with red bull so has by far the best car he is skilled yes but no more than hamilton and the like and he is not as good as vettel and australia really should be not just winning but completely dominating surfing, we are the only nation in the world which has a sizable population and is completely surrounded by warm good surfing waters. and hockey australia is probably the best but nowhere near as dominant as used to be. australia did well in the 90s and 00s because got insanely lucky with, at least in cricket, half a dozen once in a generation players coming along at the same time and at least a few truly truly great players coming along too. plus money, we are a first world nation that has always had money to spend that most other nations dont have earmarked for sports but more for food or guns.
Mr Toad
Guest
Are you proposing that Warner and Cowan should have a bromance? I've barely recovered from the Langer/Hayden reciprocal man crush and you put this image in my head!
dcnz
Guest
what about the mens hockey team, the triathletes, Mark Webber, our surfers, and many other individual athletes.....they seem to be going very well!
sheek
Roar Guru
I reckon I was luckier than you. When I first entered sport our cricket team was competent, but got belted in successive series in SA in 1966/67 & 70. The Wallabies were sadly rubbish for most of 1967-74. And the Kangaroos lost an Ashes series for the last time in 1970 also. So when both the cricketers & Wallabies picked their game up in the mid-70s, I was appreciative, having gone through the lean times. Those fans coming into sport when Australia have dominated only have one way to go - Down! Lean times teach us humility & not to take anything for granted.
Jason stokes
Guest
It may come down to money. Australia invested alot in sport in the late 80s, including setting up the institute of sport. This all culminated with the Sydney Olympics ... Those years around there were most successful. Funding dropped since. Lets compare England ; they invest in sport in the naughties and huge success in their host of the Olympics, and now they seem to be winning everything . Even their cricketers won in India and a pom won the Tour de France.
brother mouzone
Guest
ha ha ,well said