Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2019 i Inside Sport

It can be fun thinking of the different lenses we, as sports lovers and followers, analyse our favourite games through. If I’m not making any sense, jump on a social media platform whenever you next get the chance and have a look at the way the biggest stars of sport – in particular our various footy codes at this time of year – are analysed by the rank and file supporter. Quite often a player, say Cameron Smith, will become the topic of discussion. Now, rather than collectively celebrate such a long-term hero of the 13-man game, there will instantly be conflicting views on whether Smith deserves future Immortal status. After all, he’s “over-rated” and a “grub” who the referees let do whatever he likes. This is extremely interesting ...…

This Girl Is On Fire Ashleigh Barty shocked the world when she took out the French Open this year and despite her fourth-round exit at Wimbledon, every Australian tennis fan will be getting around the 23-year-old when she backs up for the US Open (August 26 – September 8) at New York’s Flushing Meadows. The last Aussie to win the US Open was Samantha Stosur, who toppled the great Serena Williams in 2011, and before that, Lleyton Hewitt back in 2001. With all the controversy surrounding Australian tennis’ bad boys, Barty finds herself ranked first in the world with a whole nation behind her for this Grand Slam. Williams will again go in as favourite to win the tournament, but you wouldn’t count out young Aussie battler Barty to take…

EVEN AT such an important event as a press conference called to announce a move not only to a new club, but to a new country and new hemisphere, there’s always time for a cheeky joke and smile for James Maloney. The rugby league world had only found out the previous day that Maloney’s highly anticipated move to a Super League club – at which he’s expected to finish his career – was finally a done deal, so rather than further fuel speculation surrounding the move, the club and Jimmy invited the media to head west to hear Maloney’s take on the boldest move of his long and illustrious career to date. Donning a Beanie for Brain Cancer, the 33-year-old and almost 250 NRL-gamer launched straight into larrikin mode on…

Exhibition games labor with a fundamental flaw – the results don’t matter. In the few years immediately following 1992, when the top NBA pros arrived in international hoops competition, any game involving Team USA had the feel of an exhibition, their victories being the most forgone of conclusions. But if the final score holds no drama, the power of the exhibition game is to, in the strictest sense, exhibit. Contemplate the proud history of the Australian men’s basketball team, and the most indelible memory emerges from a lead-up match in Utah, of all places, ahead of the ’96 Olympics. Shane Heal, from central casting in the role of little battler, went shirt-front to shirt-front with Charles Barkley, then the embodiment of ugly Americanism. “It’s pretty amazing, because I still have…

With women’s footy of all codes truly kicking goals in terms of participation and media exposure in recent times, it was hardly a surprise for rugby fans and devotees of women’s sport in general that the Wallaroos’ first hit-outs of 2019 attracted so much support from the stands and generated so much passion from the combatants themselves. With a two-Test series set down for Newcastle and North Sydney against the spirited Japanese on consecutive weekends, ahead of a gruelling follow-up series against New Zealand (likely being played as you’re reading this very magazine), the Wallaroos relished their recent first-up assignment against Japan. Nine international debutants and the fact the Wallaroos hadn’t played together in a very long time contributed to a slow-ish start for the home nation in Newcastle, but…

We are well and truly in for two weeks of thrilling basketball action, with the biggest event on the international calendar, the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019, to be contested across August 31–September 15. This will be the 18th edition of the world’s biggest basketball event, which this year will take place in China for the first time ever. The WC is also set to be the biggest edition of the International Basketball Federation’s (FIBA) flagship event, with a record 32 participating teams. Seven of those teams will also directly qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Eight cities in five provinces will host matches in the biggest FIBA World Cup yet. No fewer than 92 games will be played over the 16 days. The competition begins with a group…

“Voice Against Violence is designed around educating and raising awareness of the prevention of domestic violence. We work with the under 15s-20s age bracket of players because we really believe it’s an important age, where the young men are going into probably their first serious relationship. They’re also transitioning from a junior rugby league environment into the seniors. We believe addressing players at this age provides an important understanding of what you need to do on the field, but also the example you need to set off it. “We have some expert partners in Our Watch, White Ribbon Australia and Full Stop Foundation. There are some groups that we see as statistically being affected more than others, and so we set those as priorities for the program; junior football clubs,…

On his way to announcing himself as an overnight success, 24-year-old Tim Tszyu has gone the distance. Going to print, he boasts 14 fights – and wins – as a professional. He has flown around the globe countless times. Moscow, Russia every other year to visit his father Kostya’s side of the family. Manilla, the Philippines only a few months ago to share a sparring ring with Manny Pacquiao. He has fought indoors at the Sydney Cricket Ground, he has fought outdoors on the field at Adelaide Oval. He has travelled all this way, to the top of Australia’s welterweight division and to the precipice of a world title shot, to get to one place. “The big stage,” Tszyu tells Inside Sport. “Where the whole world is watching.” Sure, people…

It was a dirty day in June, 2019 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Under slate-grey skies, Essendon beat an underwhelming Carlton side by 41 points. That margin would typically be cause for celebration, but the game was another dire spectacle – endless packs, rushed and poor kicking, dropped marks and not many goals. Swathes of the 50,423 attendees had departed long before the death rites were administered to the Blues. A small group of Bomber supporters stood together afterwards, grim-faced and taciturn. “A win is a win,” muttered one. “No,” said another, “that was hell.” It had become an all-too familiar tale. By the end of the 2018 season, scoring rates had plummeted to levels unseen in half a century. The first two weeks of the ’18 finals series featured…

12 July, 1985. Festival Hall, Melbourne: Lester Ellis vs Barry Michael A homage to the age-old mantra of “opposites attract”. This bout pitted the supremely talented and fleet of foot 20-year-old Lester Ellis (pictured below, much later in 2002), against the hardworking veteran brawler from the docks, Barry Michael, 30. Ellis was an exceptionally promising fighter and already the IBF super-featherweight champion of the world in 1985, which forced Michael to adopt abstract weight-cutting techniques just to make the 59kg limit. Despite fears that Michael would fatigue late in the 15-round encounter, he proved the much stronger man on the night, pinning Ellis to the corners. 17 May, 2006. Aussie Stadium, Sydney: Anthony Mundine vs Danny Green I The go-to sporting hypothetical around office water-coolers for years, we barely knew…

THE 1500M freestyle will become an Olympic event for women in 2020 and Lani, at 17-years-old, is one of the top tips to lead the Dolphins in both the 800m and 1500m. The other is 18-year-old Ariarne Titmus. Pallister boasts mental strength above her years, making it easier to understand how she maintains such a powerful stroke over the brutal longer events. She has plied her trade in surf life saving competitions, bringing home boat loads of medals from last year’s Junior World Championships. She has now given that up to focus solely on a Olympics berth, hopefully at Tokyo 2020. Helping captain her ship is her mum and former Olympian Janelle Pallister, with guidance from a wonderful family friend by the name of Dawn Fraser. You may have heard…