THE NATION STOPS
Soon it will be Melbourne Cup Day again- the race that stops a nation. It also has worldwide prominence. The famous race began way back in 1861 with Archer the winner. International horses have been a key part of the Flemington show piece for many years now. Four thousand people watched the first cup (below) the record is now 124,000 set in 2003.
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HISTORIC CONTEST
The picture below shows an England cricket team arriving at the Café De Paris in Melbourne in 1862. They played a series of games in Victoria and NSW. The first official test was played at the MCG in 1877 when 45,000 spectators watched the play. The Aussie’s won by 45 runs and a century later defeated the “Old Enemy” by the same margin before a total crowd of 275,000. The fight for the Ashes resumes in November and the historic contest attracts a massive worldwide audience. All five test venues look like being sellouts for the first three days at least. Australia very hard to beat at home, will start favourites but England’s attacking bats and express pace duo, Wood and Archer gives them a great chance.
A STAR IN THREE
A young relative, Tegan Matthews, 20, has to date starred in three sports- basketball, football and cricket. Pictured with her dad at Keilor Football Clubs awards night, Tegan won the club’s leading goalkicker trophy and Best and Fairest runner-up. Playing cricket for Maribyrnong last Saturday she scored a match winning half century. When she was very young, I used to bowl to Tegan in her backyard and even then, I felt she should play cricket. Many basketball trophies are also on the shelves at her Keilor home. Tegan is studying law at university.
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VARIA
Nice to catch up with former student Peter Rose the other day. Son of Kilmore residents Mr and Mrs Norman Rose, Peter was a popular figure at ACK and enjoyed his footy playing for the 3rd XVIII.
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The function at the MCG on November 29 is attracting former students from near and far. As far as Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, and Darwin there are prominent ACK names booked in, also from London and New York. The presence of Neale Daniher and his teammates of 1977-8 will be a highlight but also will be the attendance of principals and students from rival colleges. College “legends” from before my time are booked in as well as fine families from Kilmore, Wallan, Broadford, Seymour, Lancefield etc. Shane Crawford, Bill Brownless and Simon O’Donnell are likely to feature on the night- but as not only sports stars, but ex ACK boys and girls who excel in fields of law, medicine, agriculture, commerce and industry. Another great Australian Simon Costa (OAM) and his committee have worked hard to ensure a “full house”, and they are full of praise for ACK’s Kate Boulton who is in charge of alumni.
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TONY’S JOURNEY
Now a media superstar and fine young man, Tony Armstrong has battled racism all his 36 years. He was a boarder at ACK in 2005-7 and made a fine contribution to college life as a student and member of the First XVIII and First XI. He was very devoted to his mum who had raised him by herself in a small Riverina town. Tony’s father had moved on shortly after his birth. Tony was good enough to have played some games for the Magpies. His wide knowledge of sport proved very useful in his early days at the ABC. Despite his undoubted talent and love of life- the going has not been easy.
The horrifying racial abuse Tony Armstrong endures daily – online and in person – drove him to tackle racism in a new show. End Game, which seeks genuine solutions in a powerful, raw three-part series.
There isn’t a day that passes without Tony Armstrong experiencing direct, personal and revolting racial abuse.
Not a single day.
A few years ago, the former AFL star went for a run when a couple of kids, aged no more than 15 he reckons, shouted “run faster – the cops are chasing you”. He can’t react though – or then he’s the “angry black guy”.
Online, it’s getting worse. It’s constant, it’s vile, and it’s not if, but when, he says.
And it’s not just him that suffers – his partner Rona Glynn-McDonald is in the firing line just for being with him.
It makes him emotional. All of it. And it’s made the TV personality and dual Logie-winner put measures in place to protect himself mentally as much as he can. He’s careful where he goes in public. He vets people he spends time with. Trust is earned and respect a given.
But outside the safety of his own little world, the big wide world is anything but. And enough is enough. Racism in sport -and racism in any form -has to stop, even in a country like ours, which he says suffers “racism fatigue”. But he won’t be silenced by the bullies, and so passionate is the proud Gamilaroi man that his new show, End Game, tackles just that.
He has travelled abroad and discussed the issue with some legends of sport including the great West Indian fast bowler Michael Holding, who said the vile abuse hurled at him and team-mates from crowds around the world, and in particular Australia often made “days in the sun” unbearable.
