Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2016 i Inside Sport

The way in which Esposito’s success was so well-received cast a different light on the funding debate. IN THE course of reporting for the magazine this month, I encountered a former board member of Britain’s gymnastics association who had recently moved to Australia for work. He was understandably chuffed about Team GB’s success at the Rio Olympics, and our conversation took a predictable turn toward how the Brits had made over their sport system to golden effect. He emphasised one point: the British had been merciless in how they targeted their sports funding. If the sport had no chance at the Olympic podium, it was cut to zero. No thought of its potential or social utility – it was money in, medals out. Australia, through the much-cited Winning Edge strategy,…

More professional clubs are the absolute key. How are we going? That’s a question often asked of the A-League, and, given the competition’s short history (plus the game’s troubled past in Australia), it’s an understandable one. Football fans down under can be a twitchy bunch, but we know they have passion. This aside, do the other key metrics stack up as we tick past the ten-year milestone of the domestic league and into its second decade? Crucially, the A-League has established a firm base, one which means professional club football is here to stay. The A-League has delivered commercial returns, crowds and television deals vital to keeping a competition afloat in those difficult early years. It hasn’t always been easy, and some haven’t been able to stay the distance (Gold…

“Dick Johnson and I and the whole team had worked so hard during this drama-filled race and it looked like it was going to get snatched away.” ONE OF THE TRUE legends of Australian touring car/Supercars racing, likable Tasmanian John Bowe claimed two Bathurst 1000s with good mate and fellow doyen Dick Johnson, the first in 1989. But it’s their second crown, in 1994, which Bowe particularly holds close. That day, he not only won his second Great Race, but for 15 white-knuckle laps, he tussled one-on-one with a young up and comer to the finish. That rookie was Craig Lowndes ... “Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, I’m still very much active in motor racing; I still race a lot. I’ve had lots of good…

Apart from being a showcase of the world’s top tennis talent, the 2016 BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global will also be a ten-day festival of entertainment, lifestyle and business. Situated within the grounds of the impressive new multimillion-dollar Singapore Sports Hub, the Racquet Club is the official hospitality program of the WTA Finals Singapore. Whether you’re looking to entertain your most influential guests or are simply a die-hard tennis fan, the Racquet Club promises to elevate your experience at the WTA Finals. Meanwhile, the Fan Zone at OCBC Square will be a hive of activity, with plenty for the kids to do ... and even the odd chance of a player meet and greet. Why not head outdoors and explore Singapore like a tennis star by…

“They kicked five of the first six. We were shocked.” David Parkin won three premierships as coach at Carlton (1981, 1982 and 1995) and one with Hawthorn (1978). But there was one flag that eluded him, a fact that still hurts to this day. In 1993, Parkin’s Blues were expected to beat an Essendon side dubbed “the Baby Bombers” because of its crop of young players. But thanks to Essendon assistant coach Neale Daniher, the Bombers had unlocked the key to Carlton’s dominance ... Watching from his vantage point in the MCG coach’s box, David Parkin was dumbfounded. Throughout the 1993 season, Carlton’s centre-square set-up had been the key factor in them accumulating 13 wins, the same as Essendon (the two teams had also played a draw), their opponent in…

It’s time the AFL condensed the trade and draft into a gigantic one-night extravaganza. It’s become one of the most exciting times of the year. So intrigued by how their club can improve its list, it’s no surprise punters love the trade and draft period. Everyone can watch, hope and wish for a certain player who’ll finally take their team to that elusive premiership. For two weeks at least, everyone becomes a list-management expert. But what if there was a way we could make it even better? It’s time the AFL took a leaf out of the NBA’s and the NFL’s books and condensed the game's annual trade and draft period into a gigantic, one-night extravaganza. American sports have set the benchmark in this department for years. With a live…

MOUNT PANORAMA CONSTRUCTED 1938CIRCUIT LENGTH 6.213kmDIRECTION Anti-clockwiseLOWEST TO HIGHEST POINT 174mCONROD STRAIGHT 1.91kmMOUNTAIN STRAIGHT 1.11kmAVERAGE SPEED 178kmTOP SPEED 300km/h RACE NAME 1963-1965 Armstrong 500 1966-1967 Gallaher 500 1968-1980 Hardie Ferodo 500/1000 1981-1987 James Hardie 1000 1988-1995 Tooheys 1000 1996 AMP Bathurst 1000 1997 Primus 1000 Classic 1998 FAI 1000 Classic 1999-2000 FAI 1000 2001 V8 Supercar 1000 2002-2004 Bob Jane T-Marts 1000 2005- Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 MOST POLES Peter Brock 6 Mark Skaife 5 Allan Moffat 4 MOST WINS: DRIVERS Peter Brock 9 Jim Richards 7 Larry Perkins, Mark Skaife, Craig Lowndes 6 Allan Moffat, Greg Murphy, Jamie Whincup, Steven Richards 4 Dick Johnson, Garth Tander 3 MOST WINS: MANUFACTURERS Holden 29 Ford 19 Nissan 2 Jaguar, Morris, BMW, Volvo 1 RACE LAP RECORD Jamie Whincup, Triple Eight Race…

“When I reflect back to the team we had of Horan, Little, Eales, Gregan, Larkham – we were all working.” Matt Burke was a stalwart figure during a golden age for the Wallabies, a period in the late 1990s and early 2000s when Australian rugby collected a World Cup and won an epic series against the British Lions. He was also on the field – kicked the winning points, he’ll remind you – the last time Australia held the Bledisloe Cup back in 2002 (yes, kids, it’s true). Burke was also a part of the generation that witnessed the sport’s transition to open professionalism, yet he retained an old-school attitude toward rugby as a broadening experience. He has gathered his recollections into a new book, Kicking It Around The Globe.…

“I don’t have the luxury of always enjoying that elite team training environment.” You’ve been in solid form after a shaky start to 2016. What was the main factor in your recovery results-wise? “It’s all about taking the opportunity you get in that snapshot … that half-an-hour heat. Snapper this year, for example, where I finished 13th, proved you can do all your homework and prep, but sometimes that rhythm isn’t there for you. One of my biggest strengths is I always give myself a shot to either come back in that heat or to produce a really strategic, smart performance when it’s required.” What major changes in elite women’s surfing you since your debut in 2009? “There’s been a full generational shift in women’s surfing. We went from the…

“MOVING TO MIDDLEWEIGHT, I FELT SO NATURAL AND FLUENT AND FULL OF ENERGY.” Mixed martial arts enthusiasts have touted Robert Whittaker as potentially Australia’s first UFC champion. The former electrician for the railway and hapkido practitioner emerged from the UFC’s reality TV pathway, The Ultimate Fighter, at the end of 2012, defeating his Brit counterpart in the Australia-versus-England contest taglined The Smashes. Fighting at welterweight, Whittaker won his Las Vegas debut in UFC 160, but proceeded to lose his next two fights in the US. After a unanimous decision victory over Mike Rhodes in Auckland, Whittaker made the decision to move up in weight class, from the 77kg welter to 84kg middleweight. Since moving up, the Sydney-based Whittaker has been invigorated, reeling off four straight wins, including fight-of-the-night and performance-of-the-night…

If it's about the game and all it offers, then the pulse is strong and the future bright. I know I’ll be accused of desperation in the face of Australian rugby’s post-Bledisloe pestilence. My colleagues are already calling me rugby’s Pollyanna, but I make no apologies. I won’t be adding my voice to the conga line of baseball bat-carrying naysayers stretching out the door and down the street at the Australian Rugby Union’s headquarters in Sydney. But there are many stakeholders above my pay grade, with more advanced degrees, working at solving the problems. It’ll take time – although with some luck, not too much time. Meanwhile, Pollyanna’s going to celebrate what is great about the Australian game, of which there is much right now. The good stuff is real…

With the start of the new A-League season just around the corner, you’d be brave to place a “sure thing” wager on any of the teams for the 2016-17 Golden Toilet Seat. This new campaign, though, certainly has a Hollywood blockbuster feel to it. There’s the villain we all love to hate, Besart Berisha, the grumpy old man always looking for an apology – Graham Arnold – and in the Sydney Derby we have a rivalry to captivate the audience. Then of course there’s the main star, who may even attract the attention of the non-believers, Tim Cahill. So cue the lights, camera ... it’s action time! – Anthony Difederico SEARCHING FOR GLORY Not hard to see why Perth Glory is among the clubs short-priced for top honours, especially with…

“You can get to a course and actually look at it and think: this is a seriously gnarly chicane.” You recently launched “Chumpy’s Boarding House”. What’s that all about? “Snowboarding was really young when I got started. Way back then, the snowboard culture was something that just sort’ve formed and evolved as the sport did. But especially in the last five years here in Australia, the numbers have grown rapidly. Coaching programs are accessible to new people coming through. I’m really passionate about keeping this side of the sport alive, that tight-knit, supportive snowboard community. This is where Chumpy’s Boarding House really came together. We selected eight riders who were at that top level of the junior side of the sport. It just so happened it was a 50/50 mix…

The best players on the planet are about to enter the final stretch in the race to capture the ultimate prize in women’s tennis. The Road To Singapore is a 55-stop journey across 33 countries, where players vie for a spot to compete at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. At every tournament over the season, singles players and doubles teams play for points to be among the top eight at the WTA’s crown-jewel event. Followers of the sport's biggest megastars will be excited to know that two certain starters for the WTA Finals Singapore will be world number-one Serena Williams and number-two Angelique Kerber. The Women's Tennis Association announced last month that the pair had secured the first two singles qualifications for this year’s WTA…

“I FEEL LIKE THIS PROJECT HAS THE CAPACITY TO CREATE A POSITIVE IMPACT.” By the time you read this, ultra-marathon runner Samantha Gash will be a month into a 3,800km journey across India ... No, she’s not driving, she’s running. For 77 days she’ll be putting one foot in front of the other raising funds and awareness for World Vision. Setting off on August 22 from Jaisalmer, “The Golden City” in the state of Rajasthan, Gash is currently eastbound – give or take a brief deviation north and south here and there – on her way to Shillong, her final destination. The first woman and youngest person ever to complete the Four Deserts Grand Slam in one calendar year (in 2010), Gash’s return to India after numerous visits represents the…

If you’re searching for a reason to follow a particular NFL team (because this season you’re going to get into it, until the BBL starts of course, right?) then ordering this book should be your first tactic. This absolutely superb piece of American sportswriting tells the story of how the Pittsburgh Steelers dominated the game across the 1970s despite the city collapsing around them. The massive decline of the Pittsburgh steel industry saw up to 150,000 people lose their jobs, placing immense importance on the Steelers as a source of pride and hope in such catastrophic times. As Millman and Coyne THE ONES WHO HIT THE HARDEST BY CHAD MILLMAN AND SHAWN COYNE (2010) wonderfully articulate, the Steelers’ main rivals through the era actually made getting passionate about – and…