Roar Guru
Joined October 2012
75.1k
Views
45
Published
119
Comments
I work in the Recreation space of Local Government. Love all sports, particularly Rugby Union. Particularly interested on how sport can better society at both grassroots and elite level.
Published
Comments
I'll start by indulging in some nostalgia, and explain how I fell in love with Southampton. It all began in the 1990s on the…
As the world watches on in horror at the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the world's biggest sports organisations need to start taking a hard…
I’ve always been a bit unsure about David Warner. Sometimes I loved his tough, attacking cricket, particularly through that golden 2014-15 period. Since those…
Carlton bashing resumed this week with new of the departure of CEO Cain Liddle, meaning this season has seen the departure of a president,…
Next year will mark the tenth year of AFL Media, an organisation who seem to perennially swing between being an independent body creating and…
Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein has been pushing the AFL to set a timeline for the introduction of a Tasmanian team. The problem that Gutwein…
Fox Footy ran a story titled “Heritier Lumumba listed his nickname as ‘chimp’ in AFL Record” – a clickbait article which looked as if…
We will remember 2017 for the rise of Sam Kerr and the Matildas, the launch of AFLW and the widespread acknowledgement of Ellyse Perry…
There has been a stench coming out of ARU headquarters for a while, and like a jerk that farts in a freefalling elevator, they…
The AFL Commission got it wrong when in re-awarding the 2012 Brownlow Medal. Everything the medal stands for was lost in 2012. It need…
It is time Tennis Australia put its hand up and realised that its player development model isn't working. Our players are technically brilliant, but…
After his failure against Pakistan, the curse of the number three batsmen is set to add Alex Doolan to its list of victims. Andrew…
Cricket, football tennis are some of Australia's favourite sports. They are now also some of our most tarnished. It is time we realised that…
I am going to come clean. I used to be homophobic. Not in a hatred sense, but in the colloquial manner, where you don't…
The sporting public seems content with Australia's three defeats at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. While a couple of honourable defeats might be enough…
Here are the top five most important and intriguing group stage matches that this writer is looking forward to at the 2014 FIFA World…
New Liverpool striker Rickie Lambert is in Brazil with the English World Cup squad, yet how he got there is different to any of…
'Interactive' is a word commonly flung around by sports organisations, but the reality is that our codes either don't understand the potential of social…
If there's one delivery I look forward to more than any other, from year to year, it's the first of the Boxing Day Test…
Lucas Neill will not last forever. He is 35 years old and should be thinking about golf and a midlife crisis, not continuing to…
Just out of curiosity, what is Carlton’s highest ever power ranking? These heights are making me giddy.
2019 AFL Power Rankings: Round 22
Hey Brad, id be hesitant to compare populations to participation across times as the population has aged and demographic changes. Whilst I agree the sport is expensive, id also point out that there is less physical activity in school curriculam, and general play has declined due to perceptions of safety, risk, and urban design. I think you also need to consider the changing nature of sport, for example the continued rise of extreme sports. I personally also think we have been hurt by moving away from the centralised AIS model, and perhaps the rest of the world catching up with us.
Mortgage stress: The poison killing Australian sport
Nice article. Totally agree we won’t know how this will go for a long time.
I think the other consideration is how the trade looks in the context of building a squad, given that no teams should be able to afford a heap of high quality players.
In the past, we have had number 1 picks and not much else, I’d be quite happy to see some mid quality players that aren’t going to bust the salary cap if means we have some depth.
I think the other part is the risk/reward factor- Given that alot of early chatter about this years draft is that there isn’t much out of the top 2 picks, and Carlton rated Stocker higher then he went, the decision makes sense… if they gte off the bottom.
Carlton has a good chance of winning the Stocker trade
Sorry IAP but this isn’t an accent thing, it’s a choice. It’s about showing a bit of respect. I have met Japanese people who struggle with my name, but they don’t just change it out of laziness! It’s about the message we are sending. Couple of good thought pieces you could look at?
https://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/video/1263469123556/lucy-and-fozz-s-emotional-explanation-importance-correct-pronunciation?playlist=latest-videos-twg
https://www.theage.com.au/lifestyle/life-and-relationships/having-your-migrant-name-mispronounced-is-neither-fun-nor-a-joke-20190512-p51mj7.html
Just say his name right, BT
Great article. Les Murray managed to nail foreign surnames whilst commentating in a second language, and if AFL is a multicultural sport, surely we can pronounce someones name as they want, no matter where it is from? It’s the sort of archaic casual racisism Australia struggles with. These old blokes running the joint want us to think we are multicultural, but won’t make the actual effort to be inclusive (as opposed to just not being EXclusive).
Maybe BT could make his point on the Footy Show, where it belongs?
Just say his name right, BT
Sorry Michael, but I think you’ll find that European soccer has a mid season transfer window- obviously not as big as the one before the season but still exists.
I actually don’t have a problem with it- tactics, form, and injuries over a season can create a demand, and if someone is just sitting in VFL, why not give them a chance?
The mid-season draft is the AFL's worst idea yet
Great list.
I think I liked Black Cavier better because she was a bit before Winx (maybe a bit too much of once in a lifetime hype in too short a time?) and she is such a beast of a horse- big and powerful, a really exciting horse to watch wind up and bulldoze over. Winx is probably the better horse, but I don’t think she ever really captured the broader public imagination like the Cav did.
The 20 greatest Australian racehorses of the past 20 years
This one seems closer to an Grandpa Simpson rant. “I’m an old man. I hate everything but Matlock!”
Cricket Australia should ban all trick shots
Sorry but Ali Dia surely has to take the cake- pretended to be George Weah’s cousin, trialled for one day at Southampton, and turned out to be a fraud who disappeared…
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/nov/22/ali-dia-story-20-years-on-southampton-souness
The five worst EPL signings you've probably forgotten
I guess AdelaideDocker Simpson doesn’t really work though, does it?
Best and worst names of the 2018 AFL draft: A serious investigation
I think we have to be careful comparing Lyon to other wrist spinners- a finger spinner will often have the role of holding down and end and drying up runs, where a wrist spinner is often more aggressive in search of wickets.
In saying that, maybe the same plateau with Benaud and Grimmett, but not as good as Warne.
Where does Nathan Lyon rank among the pantheon of Australian spinners?
I’m sorry, I love the Roar, but this article is noting more then a swipe at Melbourne from an anonymous expert. Victorian Rugby is growing at Grassroots level, we have a fast growing population and a Government who sees rugby as key in being an international sports capital.
Both teams had merits and neither should have gone.I have written before here that teams are paying for the lack of strategic direction from the ARU (http://www.theroar.com.au/2017/05/19/force-rebels-paying-price-hapless-aru/).
Neither team should have gone.
Forced out! The ARU swings the axe and gets it wrong
Thanks for the feedback and conversation Roarers.
I see the point made (particularly by TWAS and Geoff Parkes) that all the states are to blame, and on this I stand by my article. If the ARU had a strong, genuine commitment to their strategic goals, the state bodies would be compelled to follow. However, this lack of direction has led to states following their own separate paths, just like any team without a leader. I think the Force and Rebels have done the best they could with what they had, and laid some serious groundwork for the future. I think complaints about the performance of NSW and QLD unions relates to the ARU and not being an inspiring leader with a clear path as much as anything.
I also now question whether the ARU fought for 5 teams in SANZAAR- surely they could have argued that with the NRC, the quantity and quality of Super Rugby Players is expected to increase over the next 5-10 years, and by chopping a team now you will actually be losing a good team in the future.
Anyway, as an update, I’m glad the Melbourne Rebels and Victorian Government stuck their heels in overnight.
Force and Rebels are paying the price for hapless ARU
Thanks for the comment Tennis Dad. Your comments have really broadened the scope of the piece, and it seems maybe TA need to look at the culture of both elite and sub-elite tennis. From what your saying, I would assume that the bullies and aggressive coaches and players at your level become the erratic seniors. It is a really sad state of play. The worst part is, as players and coaches watch the likes of Kyrgios and Tomic react under pressure, they will take that on board as the ‘norm’. I would love to see things like drug information, self awareness, and media management classes rolled out to juniors early- even if they don’t make the elite, the worst case is kids gain some new skills for life…
Tennis Australia is as much to blame as Kyrgios
I think Bailey has been saved from scrutiny by The Big Show’s almost slapstick comedy batting lately. If Maxwell was in any type of form, Bailey would be getting a lot more attention.
If Clarke is fit, drop Bailey for the Cricket World Cup
Still a fail? yeah, I’m a Saints supporter…
Club Grades: 2014 EPL Summer Transfer Window
Great article, Good to see Sarah put some perspective on the argument.
Lazza is right about restraint of trade as well. The salary cap limits an individuals earning potential, so a club is actually holding them back financially if they don’t let them move somewhere to earn more income. Remember when Sonny Bill first went to Union? The Bulldogs and NRL where threatening to take him to court, but if they had, ever salary cap in Australia would have been destroyed by the end of the day.
Free Agency: whose game is it anyway?
Ha! yeah I remember the 64 sleepover parties playing goldeneye…..
I did a post on sport games ages ago, http://www.theroar.com.au/2012/11/10/best-of-virtual-sports/
Gamers or athletes? FIFA15 as an eSport
I kinda see what your trying to get at, but no. Yeah there is skill in gaming, but the skill is making avatars do what you cannot. I know you said there that car drivers and darts players don’t use their bodies as much, but I bet you couldn’t use your body to beat them, only on video games, where the skill is greatly diminished.
Also I would argue NASCAR and other car drivers have high levels of endurance to be able to concentrate at high speed for extended periods of time. Dart players also have a great capacity to lower the pulse rate and focus on their physical actions in highly energetic environments.
Gamers or athletes? FIFA15 as an eSport
Do you know what Don, that is another symptom of the culture, you get so suspicious of everything. You could be right, especially in T20 when a bad bowling spell can lose the game. I was thinking the other day of a certain former AFL footballer who kicked 99 goals in a season then was found to owe debts to bookies after he retired…
We are still naïve about match fixing
Fair call simoc, I should have differentiated the terms between spot-fixing and match fixing, I had them under the same umbrella and should have stated that. The example I used with golf was spot fixing as well.
I still stand by my view that it is a bigger problem then we realise though. As I stated, it will not necessarily be the elite sportspeople, but those middling sportspeople who have not much to loose and a lot to gain. I would strongly argue that horse racing is dirty everywhere- does the name Damien Oliver ring a bell?
Of course form can be a factor as well, but you simply can’t use that as the blanket excuse. And it might be harder to fix matches in team sports, but if the profits there, why not. Michel Platini states here (http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/21135626) that match fixing is the biggest threat to world football.
Why is it any different for own our own sports?
We are still naïve about match fixing
I don’t think you can call Southampton a fail just yet. Osvaldo was already a flop last year and not at the club. They got more than Lallana was probably worth from Liverpool, and good prices for Shaw and Chambers. They replacement what they lost position wise, added a better goalkeeper, bought in some real eridivisie talent in Tadic (who is equally as good as lallana) and Pelle, as well as nabbing Belgian international defender Alderwield. I think they have done alright.
Club Grades: 2014 EPL Summer Transfer Window
na, not a list without the great… Matt Le Tissier!
The top ten EPL strikers of all time