Rob's Blog

Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif, Pakistan’s premier fast bowlers, were found recently to have the muscle building steroid Nandrolone in their system after a random drug test by the Pakistan Cricket Board. Cricket is not just a gentleman’s game anymore – it is serious business. No sport at the elite level is immune to drug controversy. This is not the first instance of drug taking in cricket, though it is probably the biggest and worst. There have been several cases of marijuana use being highlighted, though the biggest previous story concerned Shane Warne, one of the greatest players of all time, who was suspended for a year after ‘his mum gave him a diuretic’ so that he could look good in front of the cameras. Let’s hope that if proven guilty that these Pakistani’s get the punishment they deserve. We don’t want the beautiful game of cricket being tainted with drugs like many other sports.

Related Pages: cricket, Shane Warne profile, doping in sports

Australian sprinter Peter Norman recently passed away. His silver medal in the 200m at the Mexico Olympics in 1968 is still the best performance by an Australian male sprinter. Norman ran 20.06 seconds, which is still an Australian record. Despite his great performances, he is not a well known sportsman in Australia. However, many people have seen a photo of him receiving his Olympic medal, as he was part of one of the classic Olympic Games controversies. Norman came second behind American Tommie Smith, and in front of John Carlos also from the USA. Smith and Carlos were African Americans, and made their black power salute, raising their fists with black gloves on. All three athletes wore human rights badges, with Norman showing his support for their cause.

Related Pages: Mexico 1968, Summer Olympic Games, Australia at the Olympics

My wife is expecting a baby in April next year, and one thought in my mind is whether to get he or she onto the waiting list for the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is an exclusive club - the waiting list is so long that it may take 20 years before you are offered a place. To get onto the waiting list, it currently costs a non-refundable $55. A lot can happen in 20 years. Once they offer you membership, if you don’t take it up you may forfeit your place. By then you may not even be interested in sport. If you do take up the offer of membership, it is going to cost you a small fortune to join and stay a member. The current entrance fee is $660.00 (which you pay in installments as you move through the various membership and age categories), and being a full member also cost $504 annually. If you are not at a stage to regularly go to matches or events at the ground, it is quite a bit to pay. In twenty years time, MCC membership will probably be very well sought after. My child can always so no, I see the $55 fee as a good price to pay to just give them the chance of membership.

Related Pages: Cricket, Aussie Rules, MCG

Tonight a friendly match between Australia and Paraguay was played in Brisbane. My nephew Dan played Australia against Paraguay on the FIFA Soccer PC game just before kick-off, the result 1-0 to Australia. The actual game was a similar tight affair. The skilful Paraguays played tight football and defended well, with Australia having more attacking opportunities. These ‘friendly’ games never seem to be that friendly – there was lots of tension out there. The South Americans rolled around in pain after every tackle, as expected, and it was good to see the Aussie did not follow their example. It does not need to be done. Australia scored both goals in the game, though unfortunately the second one in the final minutes was into our own goal, the final result 1-1. From the euphoria of the first goal to take the lead, to the own goal robbing us of victory in the last minutes, soccer can be frustrating and disappointing, but I guess that is why we keep coming back.

Related Pages: Football

It is interesting to compare the popularity of the different football codes between the Australian states - historically SA, VIC and WA are AFL states, NSW and QLD rugby states. AFL appears to be recently making headway into the northern states, and starting with the kids is the way to go. One thing I believe that makes Aussie Rules a popular sport with kids, and gives it an advantage, is the ability to have a social kick to kick. In comparison, throwing a rugby ball to each other does not have the same excitement. The highly physical nature of the rugby codes also does not lead themselves to school yard play. With the issues of liability and the concern about injuries, we may see a gradual change to AFL. Soccer may beat them all, but that is another story.

Related Pages: AFL, Rugby League, Rugby Union, Soccer

I have just finished reading a book, ‘Beyond the Wave’ by Trisha Broadbridge. It was one of those books that when you start you just can’t put it down. It wasn’t because it was well written or anything – I was just curious to read a first hand account about a major disaster. The sporting link made it more interesting. The book is about the events leading up to and following the Tsunami disaster on Boxing Day 2004, in which Trisha’s husband Troy, and AFL player, was killed. The message I got from this story is that cannot take anything for granted. No matter how big and strong you are, the human body is still pretty fragile. We have to make the most of every day. In the words of one sporting company, “Just do it!”

Related Pages: AFL