Roar Rookie
Joined June 2023
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Former sports historian who enjoys writing with a bit more flair. Have published one book, Not Playing the Game: Sport and Australia's Great War (2021). Almost finished the next one, The Football War: the VFA and VFLs Battle for Football Supremacy (2024). A Carlton fan despite my best intentions.
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A clash of kings is coming. Eddie McGuire has revealed the Australian Football League plans to expand its yearly fixture to mid-October, a time…
The historic value of backyard cricket is not just aligned with its connection to elite sport.
You might not know it, but a Men’s T20 World Cup is currently underway. Do not bother flicking on to Channel 7 or 9…
Is life in the Australian Football League only for the rich?
On Tuesday night, former Hawthorn great Jordan Lewis threw down a challenge to young Western Bulldog midfielder Bailey Smith. Having burst onto the scene…
With the eyes of the nation locked onto the Matildas' World Cup semi-final last Wednesday, a seemingly immaterial cricket story slipped quietly through the…
Nationhood is an illusionary concept. Nation-states, rather than being made up of homogenous populations, are divided internally by varying social groups, whose fault lines…
'Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone, prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone; silence the pianos and with muffled drum,…
Most of football’s greats are forgotten, the passage of time being the primary culprit. If most current fans have never seen Bob Pratt leap…
While several trivial incidents have penetrated the zeitgeist during this year’s Ashes series, perhaps the most important moment barely caused a ripple. On the…
Could the AFL’s monopoly over Australian rules football be overthrown? I know, it sounds absurd. The AFL is the dominant sporting competition in Australia.…
The Indian cricket team had just skittled England for 81 runs to complete a 10 wicket win at Modi Stadium in February 2021. Ravichandran…
By the age of forty my father had seen his beloved Carlton win eight VFL/AFL premierships. I am currently 33, and I have seen…
Whether watching from the press box at Edgbaston or their sitting in their loungerooms at home, Pat Cummins was sending the cricket world into…
There is. It’s the IPL. They now own cricket in South Africa, America and parts of the West Indies. Looking to expand in England and potentially elsewhere
'While India pay the rent, India call the shots': Has cricket's biggest superpower hijacked the T20 WC?
If you read the piece it’s not about contorting the World Cup to fix a result. It’s about contorting it to amplify exposure in India to make the most money it can.
'While India pay the rent, India call the shots': Has cricket's biggest superpower hijacked the T20 WC?
I think the piece is balanced. It is critical of previous Anglo-Australian uses and abuses of power, and understanding that Indian hegemony is a natural outcome of its off-field financial might. But it doesn’t condone any contorting of fixtures for sectional interests. Anyway its my 2 cents and that’s probably all its worth haha
'While India pay the rent, India call the shots': Has cricket's biggest superpower hijacked the T20 WC?
The ICC lives on the Indian dollar. It may be the ICC’s name, but it’s the BCCI’s show. As Vladimir Lenin said: “There is a Latin tag cui prodest? meaning “who stands to gain?” When it is not immediately apparent which political or social groups, forces or alignments advocate certain proposals, measures, etc., one should always ask: “Who stands to gain?””
'While India pay the rent, India call the shots': Has cricket's biggest superpower hijacked the T20 WC?
Thanks mate much appreciated.
'While India pay the rent, India call the shots': Has cricket's biggest superpower hijacked the T20 WC?
Thanks AR for the feedback and the correction. I agree the fanbase is diverse in a socio-economic sense. However the point of the article is that the running of the game, and those who play it, are increasingly leaning toward the top end of town. I am not sure this is necessarily a healthy thing, though i appreciate how and why it has occurred.
A rich man's sport? It's hard not to see that a class divide still exists at the top in modern-day AFL
Agreed. All about diversity of opinion and experience
A rich man's sport? It's hard not to see that a class divide still exists at the top in modern-day AFL
Once again, I did not write the lines “to me”. The roar has included that in their editing of the piece. I originally wrote that the term “good families” has historically and stereotypically been associated with the wealthy and privileged. The rest of the article makes the case quite clearly that classism in the AFL is a terrible thing.
A rich man's sport? It's hard not to see that a class divide still exists at the top in modern-day AFL
I want to be very clear I never wrote “to me”. The roar seems to have edited my piece to say this. I originally wrote the word “good families” has been applied to those identities listed historically.
A rich man's sport? It's hard not to see that a class divide still exists at the top in modern-day AFL
Great point. I think mature age recruits are one of the greatest sources of untapped talent in the land. I appreciate there is limited resources clubs have to mine this, but when a majority of players and administrators come from the private school sector you get a bit of group think that perhaps doesn’t even prompt them to look outside the APS.
A rich man's sport? It's hard not to see that a class divide still exists at the top in modern-day AFL
This is good gear! Good article
Forget about the 'captain's knock', bring on the 'captain's spell': Seven of the best bowling outings by Aussie Test skippers
The fact that it was an accident is bull and void because he was reckless in his conduct.
1) made a choice to leave the ground and lose control of his momentum.
2) chose to bump and hit brayshaw high and as a result concussed him.
Another point: not sure you can compare your broken wrist to a concussion. The latter has far more detrimental consequences on one’s life both now and in the long term. You may think Maynard missing out on finals is devastating, but in comparison to suffering from dementia or CTE it means nothing.
You may not like that your player is getting suspended, but if the AFL does not take concussion seriously they will find themselves liable for billion dollar lawsuits in the future.
Maynard incident reaction proves the AFL still doesn't get that accidents can happen
The several examples I listed in the final third of the piece
The relentless push for 'professionalism' is putting AFL players at risk
Thanks for this. Not sure I excused any player for breaking the law or being unfit. That’s a reasonable expectation of an elite athlete. I also clearly mentioned players must endure a level of public scrutiny if they accept their large pay cheques. Another reasonable expectation. What I was pointing out was the infractions clubs make on their employees rights who they believe are their property.
The relentless push for 'professionalism' is putting AFL players at risk
Concerning you found the Essendon drug saga, hawthorn racism saga and concussion class action hilarious…
The relentless push for 'professionalism' is putting AFL players at risk
Well, first of all at no point did I ever say getting paid their wages was a violation of their human rights, so we can put that to bed. Secondly, the occupations you listed are occupations that people knowingly accept as hazardous. AFL players likewise accept the hazards that come with their occupations, namely injury and public scrutiny. What they don’t and should not accept are undisclosed or illegal acts that occur during their time of employment, such as those listed in the article.
The relentless push for 'professionalism' is putting AFL players at risk
Hey Elvis. I am not sure if you read the article but it clearly states footballers have an obligation to meet their employers needs. However, no amount of money can compensate for a breach of your basic human rights and safety, which seems to occur regularly to AFL players. A mentality of ‘well we pay you X amount so you will do anything we say’ leads to these kinds of abuses. Footballers are entitled to personal lives and outside interests but most of all their personal safety and respect, just like anyone else.
The relentless push for 'professionalism' is putting AFL players at risk
I think cricket’s administrators definitely need to revisit the play book Dwayne, which has not been altered for some time.
The death of Test cricket, and the Australian summer, is nigh
haha I like that one Andrew. Test cricket does have a nasty knack for survival I’ll admit!
The death of Test cricket, and the Australian summer, is nigh
You can ignore reality, but you cannot ignore its consequences.
The death of Test cricket, and the Australian summer, is nigh
I think your key point Gordon is still rooted in the assumption that T20 skills are the same as those of the longer format. To assume that you can only improve your batting or bowling through extended “time in the middle” is based on the predication that you will be playing a longer format. As I mentioned, players who adapt faster, who can adjust their play from less time will thrive, while those who have better endurance but take longer to “get going” will fall away.
The death of Test cricket, and the Australian summer, is nigh
With respect, I am not sure I agree. T20 will likely replace redball cricket at all levels, and players will move up and down as they always have. Skills will change, some facets of the game will grow in importance and others decline in importance. Some players will rise who are better suited to the short format, others will struggle to adapt and fall away. But the game will endure as it always has. Only time will tell of course, and if Test cricket is still around in 50 years I will be a very happy man.
The death of Test cricket, and the Australian summer, is nigh
Oh there have been a few just as self-centred. The Australian cricket board for one and the MCC in England for another.
The death of Test cricket, and the Australian summer, is nigh
Thanks for this Georgie. I think they are important precedents for us to consider. And no doubt history and fate do not run an inevitable course. I guess from my interactions with Indian cricket fans and media is that the IPL is becoming the central focus of attention. It is in effect like domestic footballing competition. You support a city-based team over the course of a season, with an ultimate prize up for grabs once a year, which provides neat narratives for any loyal follower. It is also played in a timeslot that suits the Indian lifestyle. International Test cricket is still structured like it was played in the 1910s, a number a somewhat meaningless bilaterals played across five days at ungodly hours. I love this about the game, but it doesn’t bode well in the modern commercial landscape of professional sport, particularly for nations like South Africa, West Indies, Sri Lanka who don’t have things like the Ashes to keep them up until 2am. Australia ran cricket for a short while, and England before us. But we have to face facts we no longer can dictate terms. The money is in India, and therefore so is political control. And India loves the IPL.
The death of Test cricket, and the Australian summer, is nigh
Yes I have seen that recently and I think it epitomises that Australian cricketers come from all different backgrounds and experiences. Still wouldn’t mind a bit of a backyard to hit the ball around haha
A pitch out the back will cost you extra: Has the housing crisis killed the dream of backyard cricket?