Simoc,

I agree. I’d like to see at least an exhibition match under a one-serve rule. You’re right in that, given we’ve got a best of three format already, the minor tinkering involved in Fast4 doesn’t change the game enough to really be anything like T20 cricket.

Maybe one serve plus “powerpoint” with receiver’s choice at deuce would require players to actually alter their approach to the game. And that would give tennis a slightly different, faster version of the game.

Fussball ist unser leben. I haven’t given up on Saba yet either! There’s plenty to like about his skill.

Haven’t seen a heap of Montano, but, to be fair, there are other problems at the Jets that are restricting his ability to impress.

You’re absolutely right about the thousands of potential football gems out there who’ve fallen through the cracks for one reason or another. Thomas Broich is probably the classic example. The top leagues are so ruthless and political that not making it, doesn’t mean you don’t have what it takes.

Eek, meant Netherlands. Happy now?

And why I would speak Brissie Roar supporters code when I’m a WSW fan I don’t know.

Cameron, you got it.

In fairness, at the time we thought it was a wonder goal. And then against Spain Timmy gave us the “You think that’s a wonder goal? This is a wonder goal!” 😉

Fussball. you need to read what I wrote more carefully. I didn’t offer the ACL as any kind of excuse for the first two A-League performances which I conceded were bad. So you’ve wasted your time adding up days in between fixtures etc.

But I did also mention there’s been a massive turnover of players — and two who made their debut last weekend weren’t even available for the first two rounds – Rukavystya and Adeleke. They also had Castelen and Saba, who are going to be influential players being involved for the first time in the A-League in those two games. Saba got sent off against Sydney. Matthew Spiranovic, a key defender all year only played his first full match in round 3.

As it turns out the two teams they lost to in those first two rounds have been the form teams of the early part of the season, so although the performances were not good, they had plenty of excuses that had nothing to do with the ACL.

Yes, I’m a fan of the Wanderers but I’m not ignoring the first two rounds. I’m just saying the 2014-15 lineup hasn’t had time to gel as yet.

You’re right. It was the pretty good goal, not the wonder goal, which was all over the news yesterday just after I filed this piece. Oh well, even keyboard warriors need a free kick every now and then 😉

C’mon Kurt, I remember lots of media comment about how tough it was for the Mariners jumping on a plane straight after winning the title and having to deal with an Asian Champions League tie.

The Wanderers are going to have to cram in catch up A-League fixtures over the next month with two Wed night fixtures scheduled in the next four weeks. They are near bottom of the A-League table right now, so let’s not pretend this isn’t costing them.

What you’re complaining about is the football equivalent of #firstworldproblems.

Don’t sweat it AZ_RBB, let’s look at it as quality rather than quantity.

And when an AFL sides wins an Asian Championship we’ll give them due credit 😉

Leonardo, it might be par for the course with players to impress in the A-League and then get lured overseas, but, apart from Graham Arnold, I’m not sure we’ve had many Australian managers do well and then get better offers from OS.

Much as I’d like Popa to stick around for a bit longer, it’d be a new and encouraging sign of the progress of Australian football if he parlayed success in the A-League into a more prestigious gig overseas.

And, I like to think that experience could then come back eventually to help Australian football — experience overseas could fit him out quite nicely to be a future Socceroos coach.

Cameron, Popa is a talented coach who, as a player, took up the challenge of playing in England, Japan and Qatar.

I can’t imagine why, as a coach, he would turn down similar challenges.I don’t claim to know him well, but he doesn’t strike me as the “safety first” type.

And even if he didn’t succeed overseas (I think he would, but you have to accept its a fickle business with many variables) why would that stop him from being re-hired in the A-League. Graham Arnold had a rough time in the J-League but came back to probably a bigger gig in Australia than he had before he left.

Seriously soulwalker if the Wanderers lose Sunday morning, anyone who calls them “chokers” needs a reality check. And needs to get a grip on what “choking” means.

A “choker” is a player or a team who appears to have a contest wrapped up and then blows it.

The Wanderers have been underdogs in the two grand finals they’ve lost in their two years of existence. They have a 1-0 lead going into the second leg of this continental final, which puts them in a good position it’s not like they’ve got one hand on the trophy.

This bullshit of any loser being a “choker” has been annoying me for sometime across all sports.

Thanks Danny, only a few weeks of HensFC to go for this season. But looks like I’m going to have a terrific panel for the grand final edition (day before the gf)

Albo, I’m not tipping to avoid the obvious. I’m tipping to avoid the losers. Weird concept, but y’know, could work.

BIrdy, I’m on Grandstand in Brisbane on Sat 12-1pm and Sunday’s 12-2 or, sometimes 12-3pm.

Why are you discussing whether you like watching women’s sport or whether can compete with men? You’ve missed the point of my column altogether.

I’m NOT saying people should be watching more women’s sport. It’s about ownership of sport, hence the heading “Whose Sport is it Anyway?”

I’m saying it’s in the interest of all sports to make women feel included. And that encouraging women to play any given sport is of long term benefit to that sport. Sport needs women to boost their playing numbers, gate takings and TV ratings. So the more ways women can be included, the more viable a sport is.

The 50% of the population who aren’t blokes are, for all sorts of reasons. crucial to sports in a highly competitive market.

Winston, I don’t write a lot about female sports, that’s the point I was making in this article.

I actually don’t even write that much these days. I’m a radio broadcaster, and chiefly I’m involved in covering men’s sports. I work within a framework of a whatever program I’m asked to present.

When I’m hosting NRL coverage on ABC Grandstand, then I’m talking rugby league topics. When I’m doing sports updates on TV or radio I’m covering scores and details of the major sports stories of the day. When I host HensFC I’m interested in exploring what women involved in sport as journalists, administrators or competitors think about what’s happening in sport.

What I was saying in this article is I don’t have a history of covering women’s sport but I’ve suggested that female participation in sport is linked to female interest in sport. Only as one factor though. What I’m proposing here is that there are many ways women can be made feel sport is not something that belongs to men.

But the main point I’m making is that sports, major and minor, elite and social are better off if they find some way to involve the half of the population who aren’t blokes.

Good point, I need subbing when I write late at night.

Johnno, you seem to have mistaken me for someone who’s been to a ladies only gym. Or a gym, full stop.

An interesting strand of the debate you raise there, midfielder.

Having former players as commentators has obvious value. But in some sports, especially on TV, this has now gone so far that the voices of former players dominate the agenda completely when it comes to reviewing and critiquing sport and the issues around it.

I’ve always thought some understanding of what it’s like to be a fan or even just an interested spectator would come in handy, given the coverage is meant to be for the fans, not the players. It’s all about balance.

And one thing that’s become clear to me over the years is that the highest profile players aren’t necessarily the ones who are most suited to being commentators. I usually find coaches more interesting because they need to both analyse and communicate.

Winston, my role isn’t to promote any sport. I’m not a marketing manager or a PR person, I’m a journalist.

My role is to broadcast sport and report sports stories and cover sporting events that are of interest to our audience.

Women who like to watch sport aren’t necessarily the ones who have played, or still play sport, but women who understand sport are far more likely to take an interest than women who don’t.

Playing sport is one way to get a good understanding of it. There are others, of course, as my story illustrates.

I don’t think men and women competing against each other is a realistic answer — although there are mixed competitions and a few sports where they can go head to head, like the ones you mention plus equestrian sports (including horse racing).

But integrating the sports more so that women, for instance, might play at the same venue on the same day as men is something worth exploring more. Already happens, of course, in sports like athletics, swimming, rowing, and tennis, to name a few.

At the elite level, this also gives spectators the chance to see the best women do their stuff as well.

This article isn’t about women’s sport being noticed, nordster. You’ve missed the point.

It’s about the many, many ways the message can be delivered and reinforced that sport isn’t primarily a male thing.

They include women being encouraged to play sport, to stay in sport when they reach their teens, about having more sports open to them, getting equal access to facilities, being represented at board level on sporting bodies, having roles in coaching, administration, commentary, reporting and — and this is the bit important to even the well-established sports — having women boost their tv ratings, buy tickets to their events, spend money on their merchandise and perhaps take their kids to watch and play that sport.

There are numbers and dollars to be had from engaging more with the female half of the population.

So this is not an article about “come on, why don’t you watch women’s sport ” it’s about sport continuing to present the message that it’s mainly something that guys play, watch, understand and control.

I saw Eric Simms play. He’s in the same category as Keith Barnes (who no-one’s even mentioned) great goalkicker who was solid at the back, but I think most people acknowledged they were really there for their goal kicking. If they ever turned a game it was with penalties and conversions.

Yes, that’s what I’m saying midfielder.

I saw all of those players in their prime. Artie was one of the best ball playing props I’ve ever seen and in terms of raw talent, right up there. But, let’s be honest, he didn’t produce what he was capable of a lot of the time because he had a fairly casual attitude to physical fitness.

Lewis was fantastic, but, the case I’m making here re Slater is that, IMHO, he is better in every facet of the game than any great fullback you can name (sure, some here don’t agree with me. I don’t expect them to. It’s deep into opinion territory as I acknowledge in the article.)

For me the problem with Lewis is there were facets of five-eighth play where I think other numbers 6’s were well ahead of him. Terry Lamb for support play, Brett Kenny for ability to break the defence with a moment of individual brilliance (apologies to Ned Zelic ;)) And that’s just off the top of my head … there would be other candidates, including Fulton who played a lot at five-eighth as well. And Laurie Daley and Darren Lockyer who I think were better in some areas of five-eighth play than Lewis.

As an on field general who could read the game, physically and mentally dominate opponents Lewis was as good as anyone I’ve ever seen but I don’t think he’s got all areas of five-eighth play covered in the same way as Slater has fullback play covered.

Thank you 70s Mo (great handle btw!) Of course in some ways it’s pointless making declarations about “greatest players ever” and such things, but I didn’t manufacture my point of view for the sake of stirring the pot. It’s what I actually believe.

And, after a few days of the low lights of rugby league dominating headlines I just wanted to talk about something that makes me love the game. So that’s what I did. Glad it’s prompted discussion about things to appreciate in league.

seajay, feel free to disagree with my opinion but to say I have short memory syndrome when I’ve recalled fullbacks back to Ken Thornett is a bit harsh.

I’ve been watching rugby league since the early sixties too, although I was only a small child at the time. Nevertheless I went with my Dad and his dad to the SCG every Saturday to watch match of the round for around 16 years and I’ve sat in on a lot of family conversations about who did what and how they compared to who.

Before writing this I had a talk to my Dad to find out whether he rated Churchill better than Slater and he said “no way”. He said Churchill was very similar to Les Johns and he wouldn’t put Johns in the same class as Slater.

He’s not one for rating an all-time greatest player, but he certainly didn’t scoff at my putting Slater up there. (trust me, my Dad quite enjoys disagreeing with me!) He is also of the opinion, like me, that if Slater played in Sydney every week like some of the greats you’ve mentioned, fans would be more in awe of him and less inclined to hate him.

Of course, comparing players from different eras is fraught and any time someone rates someone “the best player ever” it’s going to trigger debate and disagreement. I fully expect a lot of people to disagree with me. That’s OK. But no need to treat me as if I haven’t thought this through before writing it.