A DIFFERENT CHRISTMAS
It wasn’t the Christmas I was looking forward to with the usual large family gathering and a packed mass at St Christopher’s. Instead, I spent the festive season and new year weekend in St Vincent’s Hospital in Melbourne. A routine surgery and “overnight” stay turned into a six-week sojourn. I was lucky to have many visits from family members and former students. A former Hawthorn and Carlton coach, VFL and AFL legend David Parkin came a couple of times, and it was great to have his stories of his playing and coaching times and thoughts on the modern game. I first met David when I was in a long queue beside him at the MCG for a Test match in the mid-70s. Over the years, he often visited Assumption College (ACK) for training sessions or celebration occasions. David speaks very highly of the Salter family of Kilmore, especially Eric (dec) and Jeanette, both avid Carlton people. David gave me his highly interesting book The Last Quarter, which is not only about football, but about life and the sunshine and shadows of existence. David’s many friends include Stephen Gough, a Blues man who was CEO of the Melbourne Cricket Club prior to the incumbent Stuart Fox.
THE CRICKET SUMMER
It was an unusual “Ashes” series. Huge crowds at every sold-out venue, but Cricket Australia had to refund many millions of dollars to disappointed patrons due to the Perth and MCG Tests only going for two days. At the “G” more than 90,000 people had booked in for Days 3 and 4, only to be bitterly disappointed. Those two Tests were more like T20s on steroids. The final Test, in Sydney, went deep into the fifth day and was a traditional, really enjoyable encounter. Australia, of course, dominated the series and dismantled the “Bazball” approach of the England side. The Poms are back in Melbourne in March next year for a one-off Test to celebrate 150 years of Australia vs England. Sadly, it will be a pink ball day night Test and thousands of fans voiced their anger. In big-time sport today it’s the money and TV rights which take precedence. Those who run football, cricket, tennis, etc in the modern era know the price of everything and the value of nothing.
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Another highly successful Australian Open has come and gone. Great crowds and enormous profits. But does it really do much for Aussie tennis. When the population of this country was only nine million (a third of today), great players were produced e.g. Rod Laver, Lew Hoad, Frank Sedgman, and many more, down to Pat Cash, Pat Rafter, Lleyton Hewitt and so on. Where are their counterparts today? And figures published recently suggest there are only half the number of tennis courts across the nation today compared to the 1950s.
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RISING STAR OLLIE PEAKE
Australian cricket desperately needs a genuine star to emerge – a batsman who can dominate like Ponting, Clarke, Greg Chappell or Smith. There may be a worthy successor on the way. Geelong’s 19-year-old Ollie Peake may be the one. Respected critics are excited about Peake who only recently reeled off a masterly 100 against England in the under-19 World Cup. For the first time in history the cupboard is pretty bare of really good bats in this country. The first six in Bradman’s Invincibles in England in 1948 were Morris, Barnes, Hessett, Bradman, Harvey, Miller. Only Smith today might get a place in that line-up. Those guys didn’t have an army of coaches – they coached themselves – and could play the ball that swung or spun.
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LOOKING THE GOODS
Nice to get back to watch some cricket at ACK last weekend. Assumption 1st XI looking the goods versus Peninsula. A sun-drenched afternoon and a timeless scene of white clad figures on the emerald turf. The pitch has hardly changed in 67 years since it replaced the decades old matting on clay pitch of pre-AGSV days. Neale Daniher and Simon O’Donnell always said the best time to bat on the Main Oval was in the afternoon.
