Category: Sporting

Football Is Not a Political Weapon.

Julie Bishops Dialek type of attire when announcing Wold Cup 2018 could be used as a political weapon got my attention.

Right in the middle of the outrage of sport being the pinnacle of Australian culture and the priceless values our organisations and personnel representing our nation she says Australia could withdraw if her government felt it was politically beneficial to show support to USA and England.

As a foreign minister I would have thought her knowledge would tell her England would never relinquish a World Cup opportunity and as the USA failed to qualify it sees political advantage in destroying a event that will give the world a chance to make up our own minds about about Russia and its people. Obviously it’s beyond her comprehension that this game goes beyond her bubble and millions of Australians and billions around the world young and old wait 4 years for this event and the fate of the game in Australia factors on our performance as some funding is allocated according to our results.

So Julie I would be pretty confident if the Turnbull government or any other political movement choose to use the Wold Cup a a political weapon we the sporting public will respond accordingly at the ballot box and will quickly learn what own goal is all about.

Southern Stars now carry Australia’s Cricket Benchmark.

In sure every sportsperson in Australia has made its decision on the Australian Men’s Cricket team disgrace but with the tv and sponsorship deals in under way I am very concerned about those repercussions .

The men’s team behaviour has been overlooked and even sanctioned by the Cricket hierarchy and the media for years for the sake of the glory of winning and rewarding them with massive pay increases while our Women’s team has held our nations reputation at the highest level and treated as second class.

When the hammer falls and funds distributed the women’s game share should be considerably increased to a point equal to present men’s and all shortfalls should come from the men’s allocation.

The women’s benchmarks are what we expect in behaviour, dedication, skill, and ethics throughout its inception and if performance based salaries and performance are a factor no one can dispute the Southern Stars should be the Nations cultural cricket benchmark for the game.

Nepotism and Old Boys Clubs Dominate Aussie Sport.

The appointment of Graham Arnold was the clear indicator that nepotism rules in Australian sport.

Out of the 4 codes of Football only Rugby appointed a female as CEO while the others are circulating the boys club CEO badge appointments between them..

Why is it we think our way is the best way and deny our athletes and country experience from international professionals?

Are we scared they might do it better or is it these possible imports have more experience than the administration of the sports and they feel challenged, or are we as a nation so paranoid about our secret culture that only we are blessed with..

Yes we have national pride in our veins but that pride does not equal professional knowledge.

No code or sport in Australia can compare themselves with management structures as we see in European Football and granted we do not have the crowds or sponsors equaling that income generated but surely that expertise is something we must capture if we are to keep up with world benchmarks.

Australian sport must stop believing its own press.

We are performing in Womens Football (Matilda’s), 7’s Rugby men and women because international exposure creates totally different mindsets than domestic competitions. The other codes have stagnated playing the same teams year in year out, no promotions or relegation keeping the status quo.

It’s a core responsibility to any Management structure to put the Business ahead of self preservation and that takes character and sporting management is no different, so let’s not insulate our athletes or potential CEO’s from ideas that may not sit well with the Old Boys/Old Girls Clubs.

Shipyard/Yungabar Culture needed Australia Day and Beyond. 

As a starry eyed 15 year old apprentice in the 60’s I learnt how important it was to get on with migrants so we could get the job done.Evens Deakin shipyard was a stones throw from Yungabar hostel, the gateway for the future of thousands worldwide who’s first job was at the Yard as tradesmen, iron workers, dockers all thrown together and supported by the trade unions to ensure they weren’t ripped off.

That culture has stayed with me to this day, accepting and learning from people from all walks, religions, culture, which later was called multiculturalism. 

Today however politicians see gain in divide for self preservation. The media take the easy way report the spiel and not question the motive which in time adds up to toxic battle lines being drawn by extreme groups making their own properganda made easy by social media platforms.

Sadly now the media has now been segregated into factions of right and left so where do the people go to get the unbiased balanced truth to make up our own minds? It should be our ABC but politics again is blackmailing that, in the name of “efficiency” by cutting funding to areas that compete with outlets that support the government. 

The slogan “We will tell you what we think you need to know” is dangerous to democracy and has exasabated the racial debate not necessarily by unbiased journalists but slant required to appease owners. 

With Australia Day pending I hope we see a responsible media, that accepts their are differences of opinion, yet rises above ignorance and hate and does it bit to educate as we did as part of our normal days work with the New Australians from Yungabar. 

News Corps Moral Compass $$ Driven 

To many of us particularly those with kids in sport cringe when we see gambling and alcohol adverts during major sporting broadcasts. 

We have seen the clear evidence where betting has corrupted players, officials and entire codes so why are my alarm bells ringing when I read News Corp are signing off with a mega deal with a major world wide betting conglomerate when they have subsidiary companies running and influencing AFL and NRL codes.

These codes have been plagued with controversy with betting, drug and salary capping , match fixing issues in the past and this move will do nothing to cleaning up the reputations of these codes and officials who are trying desperately to put out fires and clean up their act. 

Yes business is business and News Corp sinking share in the marketplace in core news has to be supplemented in other ways but the marriage of sports that set influence on our kids values and link that to gambling is not socially nor morally acceptable

Time for The Soccerroos to hand in their Flop Dolls.

The World Cup in Russia is high on my agenda for 2018, however I am not liking what I am seeing in Australian football at present.The power struggle in the board rooms I believe impacted on Ange Postacoglious decision to leave the national job, which in turn will effect our preparations regardless who is appointed for the campaign in Russia. 

Secondarily I believe it’s now time our Soccerroos to create a Australian style of football that will make the other nations think twice when we run on the park.

Looking at the Aleague we are playing exactly like the European flop dolls and the commentary endorsing yellow cards for petty little knocks is not creating good roll models for our new talent. 

We screamed when Italy flopped and sent us home yet we are now doing exactly the same thing week in week out in the Aleague. We would do well to take a leaf from the Matilda’s book on “Manning Up” when we challenge in attack and defence. 

This idea of being so precious can remain with other codes as with true professionals 3 matches on 11 days is common place and fitness levels are expected to cope.

The positive perspective is all data on the Australian squad will be questionable with the new coach appointment and a change in style is a advantage but the spy’s will be at work once the appointment is confirmed. 

And thirdly to be totally realistic we will struggle if we play the same cards so our new coach must have a shock factor as did Hiddink and create the culture that brings a fear factor to the Soccerroos with skill, determination and passive aggression, not the bozo type but the type that lets the opposition know they are in for a match for 90 minutes. Mental strength and physical strength that will force the opposition to question their own abilities. 

I see some of that in some players in our Aleague today, a trait that was common in past years before we got soft but in really it boils down to the referees booking players for simulation and realising football is a contact sport. 

Women’s Sport fights for Equality. 

It’s quite clear women’s equality has still away to go in Australia be it in the workplace or the Sporting arena.The Channel 9 bean counters have decided the Australian Women’s Test is not commercially viable to broadcast on television so again women’s sport is treated as second class. 

This Australian Women’s team is outperforming its male counterparts in the green and gold on the world stage consistently, while our Australian Men’s team fall from a Icon  every Australian knew, to a team nobody knows what game their playing let alone a Test.

If Channel 9 can’t or won’t deliver coverage their contract to the game should be terminated or we have to ask why they were given the contract knowing selective coverage only was involved and was the Australian Cricket Board agreeable to that segregated coverage? 

The decision of selling broadcast rights should not include the games soul as we have seen other sports give up their soul and bend to rule changes to accommodate advertising which eventually overshadows the actual sporting spectacle. 

Try telling supporters in nations like Germany, England and other European countries they can’t watch their national teams play be it men or women in any sport that tv outlet would be broke within a week as advertisers would desert for their own survival as they have the broadband network competition and capacity available to free to air and pay. 

Let’s start by getting our Sporting Souls back and not talk about our NBN. 

Postecoglou’s White Ant Problem.

The uncertainty around Ange Postecoglou’s status with Socceroo campaign has been created by media speculation combined with a concerted effort to white ant his position by commentators who see themselves as lords based on their own self promotion.History of past coaches be it imported or in Ange’s case local the self appointed brains trust are fine when they see themselves in the inner circle of Australian football but when the coach moves to close the dressing room door the friendship sours as it has today. 

Postecoglou’s effort in bringing players worldwide home plus the restructuring the game locally has been outstanding and while the A league has seen marked improvement in his time the simple fact is we do not have the depth to compete at the worlds highest level “yet”. Our game is growing fast and our biggest hurdle is avoiding the nepotistic view and embrace overseas coaches and managers to expand our education across all levels.

We can’t compare or compete with the wealth of club sides like Bayern Munchen or Real Madrid but we can steal their ideas and thinking we have all the answers here doing it our way is ludicrous, so when the CEO Gallops statement of Australia first for coaching replacement when it becomes vacant is less than visionary for the games future. 

I am not advocating European takeover of Australian football but our football culture must reflect that of the top nations if we are to rise to that level. That means the media commentary has some growing up to do and leave the boys club culture of the older we get the better we were off our TV screens

Investment in Our Youth will Deliver. 

Ipswich has prided itself since inception on its Football prowess and has dealt with its opposition by delivering good hard but fair style of play. I know because I felt the fairness quite often playing against the likes of St. Helens, Coalstars, Blackstone, and Bushrats after the match and the next couple of days. 

With that said, and recent results from the Western Pride the game is in a very good place and with the plans to involve satellite clubs in coaching and managing programs can only take Ipswich Football to a level where a A League franchise is beyond a dream. 

This needs to happen sooner than later or some serious thought will need to happen as our Queensland representative in the A League has taken the dads army approach to its playing staff, a strategy designed for survival more than progression. 

In a game where careers depend on skill, dedication, and opportunity its vitally important to have a sound base and culture for developing our talent and retaining that talent here in Ipswich.

A specifically built Sporting Academy in Ipswich involving not only Football but multi sports should be a vision supported in a catchment from Ipswich west to Toowoomba and beyond giving young talent the benefit of leading edge knowledge and facilities to practice,refine and produce. 

This concept should be supported by all facets to government which would provide employment and associated business opportunities as well as providing a sporting hub. 

We have the talent but its spread, but unfortunately the scouts often look in the mainstream established facilities letting the undiscovered fade into broken dreams because of where they live.

Australian Rugby in self  inflicted Freefall 

I suppose I look at things a little different from the rest but my football career was based on performance. You performed you got payed, you didn’t you got the sack or on the transfer list.Apparently in Rugby Union that policy does not exist, especially in the coaching position.

You can send a nation into free fall down the rankings list and still hold your job, yet the previous coach was dismissed for micro managing a side and maintaining discipline while its world ranking stayed respectable.

Obviously the brains trust was in favour of the opposite, allowed the has beens in and we are all suffering the embarrassment. 

This is not a player issue, this is a cultural issue that needs to be irradicated if we want the Wallabies back on the world stage. 

Yes, as under Mackenzie the Fox Sports commentators should not be part of the selection process, and that in itself will make it hard for any one outside the “club” to get support especially if there is not a Australian coach selected. 

Like Western Australia Force if your not on the Eastern Seaboard below Queensland you are a parasite that has to be endured by the rugby blue bloods. 

Well the blue bloods have sent rugby to its knees, transformed the national anthem singing crowds to a karaoke night out with suits behind the desks in blue suits telling each other how good they were. Sickening stuff to the loyal fan who’s team has been hijacked by a mob that can’t even manage a shave let alone a professional unit fitting national status. 

The players deserve better, the supporters deserve better, so rugby should follow footballs code, advertise for a world class coach who can pick his own managment team and let him go for 3 years minimum. 

What to do with the karaoke team on Fox? Not much really, just appreciate the older they get the better they were and keep the old tunes replaying while they tell jokes and laugh at them themselves. 

  

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