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Joined January 2014
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I love the history & the future sport of my sports. Most of my thoughts are based on what happened before. I've got most of the Jack Dyer books if not all, AFL Cricket and horse racing. I played Australian Rules and for a fair bit of my teenage and adult life and was a very good player at the lowest level. High point being at Coorparoo and trained under Carl Ditterich. (and we got on). I do have regrets that I never played senior QAFL football as an adult due to being a shiftworker and could not train. Highly regarded by my team mates I found out at later birthday parties. Played warehouse cricketer for a few years as an opener and my shot was a push into covers. Terrible in the field and couldn't bowl. Played A grade Tuesday night Tennis and my high point was being beaten by Rugby League great Brian Neibling. I met Leigh Matthews at a book signing last year and when we started talking we held up the queue. I said "Leigh , there's a lot of people behind me now" Cool . Horse Racing is my favourite sport. Love it. I'm a very small punter. Tend to have doubles and trebles so with multiple horses in each leg I'm unlikely to talk through my pocket. Love Group 1 racing yet my favourite jockey is Christian Reith and has been since his apprenticeship. He has 2 Group 1 wins. Don't think the size of the bet indicates anything about knowledge of the sport. I'm a big believer in that you can compare eras. If you were good enough in 1950 you will be good enough win 2020 with the advancements in everything. Jim Cassidy was riding Group1 winners 2 eras ago and Dustin Fletcher was taking grabs 2 eras ago. Phar Lap , Carbine , Makybe Diva & Peter Pan usually are the top four in most assessments of the Melbourne Cup winners. My twitter handle is MJSteel86 and most of my comments on that are more of an off the wall nature. I discovered THE ROAR through twitter and think it's a great asset to sports writing, especially as I've been very critical of trashy newspaper sports articles.
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We had some great racing on Derby Day – and some great wins for punters, with $6.00 plus favourite Ace High winning the big…
Liverpool Football Club have the legendary 'You'll Never Walk Alone', The Boston Red Sox have 'Sweet Caroline' and Port Adelaide have 'Never Tear Us…
Every now and then there's a conversation about the best team of the year, the decade or the century. This piece, however, is not…
When picking a sportsman for a team, performance is the key. A player performs at a level that stands out and eventually he finds…
Why do most umpires start their international career past the age of 40? I am 54 and have had poor eyesight for ten years,…
I'm not the type to raise my voice and make a noise in the TAB when the horses I back are running. If I…
At the grand old age of 28, Rough Habit passed way. He was humanely euthanised after going blind and having severe feet problems. Rough…
The annual Brownlow Medal presentation is not just an award night for the best and fairest player of the season, but a celebration of…
George Moore (119), Roy Higgins (108), Jim Cassidy (102) and Damien Oliver (101) are the four great jockeys to reach the 100 Group 1…
Every year I have a discussion or argument with myself about two of Australia's greatest races. They are the Cox Plate and the Australian…
In 1993 Malcolm Blight offered the full forward spot to 32-year-old Gary Ablett in a move to prolong his career and the rest is…
John Coleman has been honoured again by being inducted into the AFL's 200 CLUB. He played 98 games and coached 91 for Essendon so…
Donald Bradman, the prolific young talent of his era, made his Test debut at number six. So did other prolific young talents like Neil…
Cross Counter was born/foaled on May 4 2015 # years 6 months.
Melbourne Cup review: The vitality of youth dominates again
We all know it’s a tragedy when this happens , but these once a year “Rain on your parade” articles are also a bit disgusting. Maybe have some impact if they were written mid July. I think boxing is a less humane sport.
The Cliffsofmoher dies after shocking injury during Melbourne Cup 2018
Who cares about a whitewash. They cheated.
Time for Cricket Australia to end the Smith, Warner and Bancroft bans
If bringing back cheats to save the sport is the answer, then cricket may as well be dead. It’s also nice to know we give out proper penalties to our cheats and not a pat on the back.
Time for Cricket Australia to end the Smith, Warner and Bancroft bans
The Everest. In Her Time at $16.00 this year didn’t get a run when $5.50 last year.
Sydney Stakes. Two roughies (well rough prices to be fair to the horses) Music Magnate and Egyptian Symbol both at 33/1. There’s only about 6 winning chances in this race. The 2nd favourite won a midweek last week.
The Caulfield Stakes. Humidor is $7.50. Didn’t realise he had a leg amputated since he last ran.
Caulfield Guineas day: Group 1 previews and tips
I watched a different game yesterday. I watched a with great skills, beautiful passing and long kicking, many magnificent marks but tree unforgettable marks in the dying minutes. I saw a game where the umpiring was of a very high standard ( except for the Maynard decision). I watched two teams for which I have no emotional commitment. I was enthralled from the first minute until the last seconds. I watched West Coast Eagles v Collingwood.
A close grand final does not a classic make
The headline suggests that someone has said “The smaller NRL crowds confirms that AFL is the superior game”. The article however doesn’t say : Who said it? When did they said it? and most importantly where was it said? It sounds like a pub conversation.
The smaller NRL crowds confirm the AFL is the superior code? Rubbish!
Your name is a well known alias. Hence the silly comment
Five talking points from the AFL semi-finals
Will this Friday night’s preliminary final between Richmond and Collinwood attract a bigger crowd than the Grand Final.
Five talking points from the AFL semi-finals
Adam, You’ve gone to a lot of trouble to come up with one $2.10 winner at a Sunday meeting.
Behind the barriers: Five bets for Sunday, 16 September
I think you’ve made some good points.
At least Australian fans have a sense of unity from this cricket saga
I read a review of this book on the Roar last week and I’m sure the author found it disappointing that Brad Hogg wrote a book about his personal battles and marriage issues. I’m having no luck finding the article.
Why has cricket's most important story been shelved?
I can’t understand the timing. The Roos are about to embark on a finals campaign. Most of us wouldn’t predict them going past the first round but how was this announcement going to help them. It’s now more likely that they will be annihilated. There are more appropriate ways of ending the careers of long serving players.
Harvey too emotional to speak about axing
Of course Tubby Taylor rarely gets a mention although he was an opener and falls into that category of never dropped from the side.
As we know, openers are usually the first to go. I realize he had a lean period of no centuries but during that period he often did his job and that was to bat for 2 sessions or more, hence he was never dropped.
Who are the 'greats' of modern Test cricket?
It’s pointless putting Border on this list. His test career started in 1978 and finished in 1994. Which is 21 years ago. I guess the issue is where does the 20 years start because Steve Waugh was at est cricketer for 10 years before 1995
Who are the 'greats' of modern Test cricket?
I think you’ve nailed it. One of the things with greats is once established in a team they don’t get dropped for performance reasons. There is always an exception to the rule and that was one Australian fast bowler 35 years ago.
Who are the 'greats' of modern Test cricket?
I was also going to say that because Hadlee was a basically a lone gunman for New Zealand he probably has bowled the greatest
over ever . He most likely had to, however his most famous over maybe the over in which Mike Whitney survived 6 balls to draw a test match. And what a draw it was.
Did Mitchell Johnson bowl Test cricket's greatest ever over?
It was a great over no doubt , but in the late 70’s early 80’s there were many great fast bowlers and and overs.
Australia had Lillee Thomson and Hogg.
England Willis and Botham
West Indies Roberts Holding Croft Garner Marshall and Ambrose
Pakistan Imran Waqar Wasim
India Dev
NZ Hadlee
All of these bowlers bowled great overs’
Anyone who had the displeasure of sitting up watching the the Ashes in England in 1980 will never forget Botham destroying us with I recall a final spell in which he took 5 for 1 in about 20 deliveries and in the same series when Australia were cruising to victory at 1 for 56 chasing 130 Bob Willis chipped in for 8 for 43. Their must have been 1 great over in that lot.
The most memorable and greatest over from an Aussie point of view was by Dennis Lillee in the final over of the first day in the 81/82 Boxing Day Test. Kim Hughes had just hit the best ever 100 by an Australian in a test match in Australia. Not out 100 out of all out 198. (That’s what most say) My memory is the Lillee over went for over 10 minutes. Alderman had opener Bacchus out earlier.
If I’m wrong forgive me but I think he dismissed Des Haynes early in the over. Out came night watchman Colin Croft and he got him straight away so out came Viv Richards. Viv faced one or two balls and on the last ball of the day Dennis clean bowled Viv
West Indies 4 for 10,
We won that test and it was the West indies first defeat in 15 test matches.
Did Mitchell Johnson bowl Test cricket's greatest ever over?
Just to confirm. II think they, Channel 9 did not only a team of the century but something like a post WSC team, since that was when 9 got the cricket rights.
Not a great, but Mitchell Johnson was very, very good
Nothing like watching a fast bowler start up the chain saw for tail enders.
Mitchell Johnson is gone but will never be forgotten
The record books do Thommo no justice. After he took the ACB to court during WSC he believes and the facts are there that he was the scapegoat of the ACB-WSC. Whilst destroying teams at Shield level he was rarely given a go after the reformation. Sadly he got a few chances when aged 34-36. IFor the record in 20 Tests Lillee and Thommo were only ever in one losing test.’ It was against New Zealand in NZ around 1083=84
Not a great, but Mitchell Johnson was very, very good
15 years ago when the Channel 9 commentary picked their teams of the century, it was almost unanimous amongst that very respected group that the bowlers were Lillee, McGrath Thomson and Warne. I can’t see why anything in the last 15 years would change that group.
Not a great, but Mitchell Johnson was very, very good
That Everest / Golden Slipper comparison came out of left field as usual. They’re all great races and as I say “Comparisons are such a boring waste of time”.
Melbourne Cup review: The vitality of youth dominates again