© ATOM 2012 A STUDY GUIDE BY MARGUERITE O’HARA
http://www.metromagazine.com.au
ISBN: 978-1-74295-187-4 http://www.theeducationshop.com.au Program TheMakers
John Clarke: Bruce Permezel: Andrea Denholm: Lavinia Riachi: Laura Waters: Writer1 and Director,2 camera Producer3 Producer4 Executive5 producer presenter and editor Andrea Denholm began Lavinia Riachi wasn’t very Laura Waters has been John Clarke has been Bruce Permezel played producing and writing for good at sport. She was producing television for working in television since croquet and was Victorian television thirteen years routinely the second-last the past twenty years, 1973. He has also been Champion – fourth division. ago. She was a producer person to be picked for creating a reputation involved in films, theatre, He decided to change of all three series of any sports team. So, in for producing innovative radio and print. He works careers and has worked SeaChange and co-writer her early twenties, Riachi projects with new talent regularly with Bryan in television for some of several episodes. turned her back on her and new ideas. Waters Dawe on ABC Television years. His output ranges She also produced and dream of becoming an has held senior production and his other projects from natural history co-wrote Tripping Over Olympian and joined the roles in the US, UK and have included The Games (Chris Humfrey’s Wild and was a producer of workforce of another Australia. In Australia she (a 1998 mockumentary Life), adventure travel CrashBurn, After the international mecca: the has worked as a senior series about the lead- (Peking to Paris, Pirate Deluge and Worst Best BBC. producer on many hours up preparations for the Patrol), lifestyle (Bill’s Friends. Since joining This was clearly a of documentary television, 2000 Sydney Olympics), Holiday), comedy (The Princess Pictures, she better calling and with ran the 7.30 Report’s Crackerjack, Death in Games, Hessie’s Shed), has produced the comedy over twenty-five years Melbourne bureau and Brunswick, the Murray current affairs (Attitude), series Outland and this experience in television worked with some of Whelan movies and documentary (The Problem documentary series, film production, Riachi Australia’s best loved everything with the name with Men) to observational Sporting Nation. She has worked with a variety comedians, including Gina Fred Dagg in it. series (Choir of Hard supports two AFL teams, of British, American, Riley and Jane Turner Knocks, Jail Birds). set the Under 12s fifty- Australian and European on series three and the metres breaststroke broadcasters and telemovie of Kath & Kim. record at her secondary production companies, In 2003, Waters founded school and spends a lot on a wide range of Princess Pictures, where of time watching her sons productions: from reality she has produced all three play sport. and observational to of Chris Lilley’s series – We docudramas and archive- Can Be Heroes, Summer based documentaries. Heights High and Angry In 2001, Riachi moved from Boys. Princess Pictures has London to Australia with also produced: The Sounds her family and has been of Aus, an entertaining working as a freelancer in documentary on the both Sydney and Melbourne Australian accent with John ever since on a variety of Clarke; Stuff, a subversive independent documentaries documentary series about for Screen Australia, the our belongings, authored ABC and SBS. In 2011, by Wendy Harmer; Peter Riachi received an AFI Helliar’s romantic comedy award nomination for the feature I Love You Too; documentary A Thousand John Safran’s comedy Encores: the Ballets Russes series about cross-cultural in Australia. love Race Relations; The Ball, a documentary KEY CREW profiling special-needs students preparing for Writer, presenter & co-producer: John Clarke their debutante ball; and
Outland, a comedy series SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2012 Director: Bruce Permezel about a group of gay science fiction fans. Producers: Andrea Denholm and Lavinia Riachi Laura won many awards as Executive producer: Laura Waters a hurdler in high school.
Editor: Ian Carmichael
Original music: Julian Langdon Sporting Nation is a Princess Pictures production in association with Screen Australia, developed and produced in association with ABC and Film Victoria. There are three one-hour episodes. 2 Episode One
In Australia, in order to be a properly accredited member of society, with human rights and so on, you’ve got to either play sport or watch sport. John Clarke
Australia is a sporting nation. Sport is officially everywhere. It even helps us describe matters other than sport. We speak of being on the home straight, dropping the baton, getting down the wicket to the bowling, raising the bar, CONTRIBUTORS TO EPISODE 1 having a game plan and taking it one week at a time. Athletes In this three-part series, John Clarke – arguably - DAWN FRASER, Olympic swimmer, AO MBE Australia’s greatest natural athlete – looks at how Australia came to take its sport so - HERB ELLIOTT, Olympic athlete, AC MBE seriously and what it means to be a sporting - MARGARET COURT, nation. The series celebrates our sporting Tennis champion, AO MBE achievements (and asks what the word ‘our’ - MARJORIE JACKSON, Olympic athlete, AC means, since most of us didn’t do it). It also CVO MBE examines the sporting passion of spectators - MURRAY ROSE, Olympic swimmer, AM and looks at how sport has shaped us as a - NICOLE LIVINGSTONE, Olympic swimmer, nation. OAM - RAELENE BOYLE, Olympic athlete, AM MBE John speaks to athletes, coaches, - RALPH DOUBELL, Olympic athlete commentators and Prime Ministers about sport - SHANE GOULD, Olympic swimmer, MBE and they confirm what we suspected: that if so many people are interested in sport, it’s Politicians, journalists and academics certainly not just about sport. He also meets SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2012 legendary sporting heroes and he asks them how and why they achieved such prodigious - BOB HAWKE, Prime Minister 1983–1991 deeds. And listen carefully, for the answers are - MALCOLM FRASER, not what you’d think. Prime Minister 1975–1983 - GIDEON HAIGH, Journalist Whatever you think of sport, this series should - HUGH MACKAY, Social Researcher interest you. And if you love sport, you won’t - JOY DAMOUSI, Professor of History be able to wipe the smile off your face. 3 ‘2012 – a very good year for sport’
The ‘draft-shaping document’ on Health and Physical Education for the new National Curriculum was published in March, 2012.1 The introduction to this document states:
Health & Physical Education addresses how fac- tors such as gender, sexuality, culture, ethnicity, socio-economic status, environments and geo- graphical locations influence the health, well-being and physical activity patterns of individuals, groups and communities. In turn, it provides opportunities for students to develop the skills, self-efficacy and dispositions to advocate for their own and others wellbeing, thereby making a positive contribution to the future for all.
The proposed curriculum emphasises the need for intercultural understandings between the many di- verse groups and cultural backgrounds that make up the broad spectrum of Australian society. Curriculum Relevance This series raises many questions about how our The history of sport is a fascinating area to look at perceptions of being a ‘Sporting Nation’ have de- as an aspect of Australian history and identity. This veloped, and perhaps most importantly, explores three-part series would be enjoyed by second- that idea within an historical and cultural context, ary and tertiary students of History, SOSE/HSIE, demonstrating that sporting prowess is dependent Cultural Studies, Health and Physical Education, on numerous social and cultural factors, on chang- English and Media Studies. Written and presented ing times and attitudes, as well as on technology, by John Clarke – well-known for his somewhat economics and science. From the years following irreverent take on all things sporting and politi- the end of World War Two, Australians demon- cal – the programs take us on a tour through time, strated excellence in many sports at an interna- exploring the Who, When, Where, What and How tional level, especially in relation to our relatively of all things sporting in Australia. small population and geographic isolation. In the twenty-first century, pre-eminence in many sports The proposed National Curriculum offers this is no longer taken for granted or guaranteed. Many rationale for the study of History: nations see their identity and pride measured in their sporting success. The study of history is based on evidence derived from remains of the past. It is interpretative by This series will appeal to many students, both nature, promotes debate and encourages thinking those who play and those who watch sport. It’s about human values, including present and future not just a story of stars or of success in sports challenges. The process of historical inquiry de- as something to which many young Australians velops transferable skills, such as the ability to ask aspire, but rather a way of looking at ourselves, our relevant questions; critically analyse and interpret values and identity through the prism of sport. The SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2012 sources; consider context; respect and explain interviews with past and present sporting figures different perspectives; develop and substantiate are especially revealing and their responses are interpretations, and communicate effectively. often quite surprising.
4 Our Ancient Greece
This is the pure amateur talent episode, in which we run around in the backyard through the sprin- klers, hit a ball with our cousins and end up win- ning at Wimbledon and the Olympics.
Post-war prosperity in Australia was accompanied 1500-metre race he ever competed in, finishing by a golden age of international sporting achieve- with a world-record victory in the 1500 metres at ment. Journalist Gideon Haigh and former Prime the 1960 Rome Olympics. Minister Bob Hawke tell us about the genesis of this era in Australian sport. Marjorie Jackson from After the triumphs of Herb Elliott and others at the Lithgow travelled to Helsinki to compete in the Rome Olympics, Australia cemented an interna- 1952 Olympic Games and set a new standard for tional reputation and generated a national mythol- Australian athletes. ogy based on geography and sport.
The Melbourne Olympics in 1956 was the big bang But our confidence was accompanied by compla- in the relationship between sport and Australian cency. Australian sports administration at the time culture and identity. Legends were created left, was based on the theory that our sporting talent right and centre, including Dawn Fraser and the late was God-given and all you had to do was turn Murray Rose, who recall what it was like to be there. up. It was this thinking that ended Dawn Fraser’s career after winning gold at the Tokyo Olympics. Away from the Olympics, in the sports Australians were good at, they completely dominated – in golf, With the Vietnam War at its height, race riots across in squash, in formula one car racing and in tennis. America and the world becoming a more danger- Margaret Court won sixty-two grand slam titles. ous place, Ralph Doubell withstood the challenges that beset the Mexico Olympics in 1968 and Shane This was the classical age in Australian sport, char- Gould describes the triumphs amidst a terrorist acterised by pure natural talent, supreme physical attack at the Munich Olympics in 1972. In the next SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2012 fitness and mental toughness. Its apotheosis is few years it was clear that the age of innocence was Herb Elliott – a boy from Perth who came to the dead and Australian sport was in trouble. 1956 Melbourne Olympics as a kid and decided to become a world-class runner. He got a coach, At the 1976 Olympics, Australia didn’t win a single Percy Cerutty, and they trained in the sandhills event. (We will now all stand and sing Hymn 649, at Portsea. Herb Elliott won every mile and every ‘What Do We Do Now, Oh Lord’.)
5 • What qualities should a sportsperson dem- onstrate to be considered a role model and a sporting legend?
Student Activity Responding to Episode 1
Student Activity a) Watching and listening to the athletes featured Pre-viewing questions in this episode b) Responding to sets of questions about the rise and rise of a Sporting Nation • Do (or did) your parents play sport? • Do you regularly play a sport or belong to a The golden age of success in sport started after sports team? World War Two had ended. There were many stars • Do you regularly watch sport, either live or on and medal winners for Australia in the following television? Olympic Games, and we see and hear from them in • How would you define the difference between a this episode. There is both contemporary archival professional and an amateur sportsperson? material and recent interviews some forty-plus • What is your understanding of the term ‘grass- years later. Choose three of the thirteen athletes roots’ sports? featured in this episode and make notes on their • Do you think students today are generally as personal and athletic qualities. After watching this physically active as earlier generations? episode, compare your impressions and decide • Are adults as physically active as they were in what characteristics these athletes share. earlier generations? • Take a straw poll in your class group to find out: (a) Use Table 1 to enter information from this epi- a) The most played sport sode about different athletes and their achieve- b) The most watched sport ments. The names of the athletes are highlighted c) The most admired Australian sportsperson in the sets of questions that follow this exercise. d) Your most memorable sporting moment (b) Responding to sets of questions about the rise • In which sport or sports played in Australia do and rise of a Sporting Nation
you think we are right up there internationally? SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2012 How do you account for this pre-eminence? 1. Pre-title sequences • How is Australian interest in sport reflected in • Identify some of the sports shown in the news stories on television, in newspapers and opening scenes of this episode magazines and online? • John Clarke suggests that Australian’s • Why do you think July 2012 is a particularly ‘obsession with sport’ might be: good time to televise a three-hour series about 1. ‘A positive reflection of the Australian sport in Australia? lifestyle’ 6 Australian
AthletesTABLE 1 – EPISODE ONE NAME Sport Place of birth and dates Key achievements Attitude to fame Most interesting when most active anecdote
Don Bradman
Marjorie Jackson
Dawn Fraser
Herb Elliott
Murray Rose SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2012 Peter Thomson
7 TABLE 1 – EPISODE ONE
NAME Sport Place of birth and dates Key achievements Attitude to fame Most interesting when most active anecdote
Heather McKay
Jack Brabham
Rod Laver
Margaret Court
Lionel Rose
Ralph Doubell SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2012 Shane Gould
8 • Outline Marjorie Jackson’s achievements at ‘Legends the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. How does she reflect on her achievements were 2. ‘The genius of its people’; today? What did her father say to her about her created left, 3. ‘A limitation – an escape’. natural gifts and becoming famous? How does While these comments are slightly ‘tongue-in- this advice play into an Australian belief that right and cheek’, which of these three propositions do great athletes should never forget their origins? you think is closest to the truth? Is it as likely today that sporting stars will come centre’ • Which decades of the twentieth century from ‘humble backgrounds’ and refer to their does Clarke describe as ‘the golden age’ of ‘natural gifts’? The Melbourne Australian sport? • How does Dawn Fraser describe her early Olympics • How many of the athletes featured in the se- swimming training experiences? quence of stills on screen do you recognise? 3. ‘Legends were created left, right and cen- 2. The golden age of sport – early days and tre’ – the Melbourne Olympics home-grown heroes • Why were the 1956 Melbourne Olympics such a • What is sports enthusiast and journalist Gideon central event for Australians? Haigh’s view of how sport has come to figure • What are some of Herb Elliott’s strongest so largely in Australia? memories of the 1956 Olympics? • What are some of the claims made about Don • In which sport was Australia dominant at these Bradman by ex-Prime Minister Bob Hawke Olympics? Has this dominance continued into and by Gideon Haigh? When was Bradman at the twenty-first century? the peak of his game and fame? What kind of • How does Olympic swimmer Nicole Livingstone records are there of his accomplishments? How account for the admiration young Australians was his behaviour and demeanour believed to had for swim stars such as Murray Rose at the represent the ideal Australian? Melbourne Olympics? • How does Bob Hawke believe that the end of • How did the arrival of black and white television
World War Two in 1945 affected various regions in Australia in 1956 enhance the intoxicating SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2012 – especially Europe – in terms of their capacity effect of the Games for many Australians? to successfully compete in sports at an interna- • The Olympic Ideal is the premise that individu- tional level? How did new-world countries such als, not countries, compete against each other as America and Australia, who were relatively in sport and through these competitions held free of the economic and social destruction every four years for both summer and winter caused by the war, benefit? Olympics, there will be peaceful competition
9 without the burden of politics, religion, or rac- 5. Golden boys and girls and the tarnishing ism. However, this has not always been the of the Olympics case. We told ghost stories and ate Mars bars which What was the international conflict between were taboo but also very luxurious in those European countries that was reflected in a days, and had pillow fights …Shane Gould sporting contest at the Melbourne Olympics? talking about her post-race evening at Munich Did other old enmities between countries end in 1972 in conflict or were athletes able to live up to the • What were some of the less traditional sports Olympic ideal? and other activities that post-war baby boom- • How did Harry Gallagher (coach of the ers looked to in their teens? List some of the Australian swim team) fool the Russians with factors that led to their interest in things other the ‘go-fast’ pill he gave his swimmers? than committed sporting involvement. • How did political action prior to the 1968 4. Why was it so? Mexico Olympics demonstrate the impos- Supreme physical fitness, mental toughness, sibility of keeping local politics out of the and self-belief Olympics? How did worldwide television • In which other areas of sport – such as golf coverage allow protesting citizens against and squash – did Australians achieve interna- oppressive national regimes get their message tional success in this era from the 1950s to the out all over the world? 1970s? • Explain two of the local challenges for athletes • What doe Bob Hawke suggest about the im- such as Ralph Doubell in Mexico. portance of an excellent diet and ideal temper- • ‘Just go out there, run the first lap, flat out. ate climate in relation to our sporting prowess Then gradually increase your speed.’ (Ralph at this time? Doubell talking about breaking the world • John Clarke suggests that other key factors ‘Just go out record over 800 metres.) How do both Doubell in our sporting success included a stable there, run and Elliott exemplify a laconic Australian economy, an eight-hour working day, school attitude in the way they talk about their sports programs and an outdoor active lifestyle, the first achievements? especially for young people. From what we see • What happened at the Munich Olympics in this program, what other factors might have lap, flat that clearly demonstrated that international been crucial to Australia’s sporting success? tensions between countries had come to the Which aspects of our lifestyle and culture have out. Then Olympics? changed most dramatically over the past fifty • How did the Olympic officials respond to the years? gradually terrorist attack at Munich? • ‘Coaching and mental toughness’ are men- increase • What did the almost superhuman physical tioned as key factors in nurturing talent and development of some of the East Germans interest in excellence. What needs to precede your speed.’ suggest that their country was prepared to do and accompany these factors? to win medals? • Name two of the coaches who were instrumen- Ralph Doubell • How did terrorism and the clear use of per- tal in setting up programs designed to train formance enhancing drugs affect some of the minds and bodies? Australian athletes? • How does Herb Elliott explain how he devel- • ‘Like the athletes before her, she got on with oped his mental powers during training for other things’. (John Clarke talking about competition? Shane Gould.) What does this episode show • Explain some of the key factors in Margaret about a different time and different expecta- Court’s approach to her tennis. tions in the interviews with these Australian • How did Elliott’s acknowledged lack of resolve athletes from the 1940s to the 1970s? to continue competing threaten to derail his The Montreal Olympics in 1976 were unsuc- 1960 Olympics campaign? How did his disci- cessful for Australia and for Montreal. Drug plined training schedule help him to overcome allegations and boycotts by many African the negative voices in his head on the track at countries and Taiwan tarnished the image of the 1960 Rome Olympics? the Olympic Games further. • What happened during the 1960/61 Test cricket In the next episode of Sporting Nation we tour in Australia that was so extraordinary, learn how Australians responded to their fail-
given that the White Australia Policy was still ure to win gold at Montreal in Canada in 1976. SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2012 alive in Australia and Indigenous Australians were not officially classified as Australians? What happens next? • What was remarkable about Dawn Fraser’s • Before watching Episode 2 of this program, feats at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics? share your impressions of: • How does she explain what happened in Tokyo a) the athletes featured in Episode 1 and in relation to the notorious ‘flag incident’? b) The style and tone of the program • Speculate on what Australian officials, in both 10 sport and government, might have done to get References and Resources the show back on the road. • How does mass media coverage ensure that The official website of the Olympic movement for the great majority of Australians, sport is http://www.olympic.org interwoven into the fabric of our lives? The official website of the Australian Institute of Sport Student Activity http://www.ausport.gov.au/ais/ The Sport Australia Hall of Fame http://www.sahof.org.au ‘Getting on with other things’ A Timeline of the Olympic Games from Ancient Greece to 2012 Select one of the athletes featured in this first epi- http://www.infoplease.com/spot/ sode of Sporting Nation and compile a biographical olympicstimeline.html portrait of them. You could present your findings to An interactive timeline you can use to explore your class or group in a style that best suits your different Olympics approach to collating and presenting information in http://www.xtimeline.com/timeline/ an entertaining way. History-of-the-Olympic-Games Timeline of the modern Olympics • Use a number of available information sources, http://olympics.sporting99.com/ including material covered in this program, olympics-history.html online materials, books and pictures and any An Australian Government website looking at knowledge you may have about the athlete. Australian sporting greats • Research the athlete’s sporting achievements http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/ and any records they may have set during their australian-story/sporting-greats career. A guide to Australian sporting history • Outline their background, upbringing and sport- http://www.websterworld.com/websterworld/ ing development websport/index.html • Where are they now? Find out as much as you The Games, Bruce Permezel, 1998 and 2000, ABC can about their life and activities after their Television active sporting career finished, e.g. Marjorie The Games was an Australian mockumen- Jackson, gold medallist at the 1952 Helsinki tary television series about the 2000 Summer Olympics, known as the ‘Lithgow Flash’, Olympics in Sydney. The series was originally served as Governor of South Australia from broadcast on the ABC and had two seasons of 2001–2007. thirteen episodes each – the first in 1998 and the second in 2000. Permezel, the director of When you have completed your account, respond Sporting Nation, was also responsible for The to the following questions: Games. The Games starred satirists John Clarke and 1. How important was family and childhood expe- Bryan Dawe along with Australian comedian riences in shaping this athlete’s career? Gina Riley and actor Nicholas Bell. It was 2. Does this athlete illustrate the theory of suc- written by John Clarke and Ross Stevenson. ceeding against the odds or of being a suc- The series centred on the Sydney Organising cessful underdog? What particular challenges Committee for the Olympic Games (SOCOG) did this person need to overcome to achieve and satirised corruption and cronyism in the success? Olympic movement, bureaucratic ineptness in 3. What (if any) responsibilities come with being the New South Wales public service, and un- a successful sportsperson? Should they be ethical behaviour within politics and the media. expected to be good role models? An unusual feature of the show was that the 4. What criteria would you use to measure the characters shared the same name as the actors success of someone’s life? who played them, to enhance the illusion of a 5. How does society today reward successful documentary on the Sydney Games. athletes? http://www.abc.net.au/tv/thegames/ 6. What are the major influences and motivations Australian Biography, Film Australia. that lead some individuals to continue to work, One of these half-hour documentaries from
(not just in sport) at overcoming challenges Series 9 (2003) explores the life and achieve- SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2012 throughout their life? ments of Marjorie Jackson. 7. Choose five words that you feel best describe the individual athlete whose life you have chosen to write about., e.g. tough, determined, outgoing, shy, proud, humble, egocentric, etc. 8. Explain why you selected this person to research. 11 Episode Two Television had become a very big business indeed … and sport had everything. It had heroes, it had stories, kids loved it, advertisers loved it – it was on every week and at the end of every contest you got a result John Clarke
Over three one-hour episodes, John Clarke – arguably Australia’s greatest natural athlete – looks at how Australia came to take its sport so seriously and what it means to be a sporting nation. After World War Two, Australia had one of the great golden runs in the history of sport, largely in swimming, tennis, cricket, running and golf. This reflected well on the nation and its healthy lifestyle. We thought it would last forever. CONTRIBUTORS TO EPISODE 2 But it didn’t. Failure at the 1976 Montreal Athletes and coaches Olympics forced a rebuild and while we attempted an international comeback, -- JOHN BERTRAND, Champion yachtsman, AM televised domestic sport became big -- KATHY WATT, Olympic cyclist business. -- KIEREN PERKINS, Olympic swimmer, OAM -- MARK ELLA, Rugby Union player Was there light at the end of the tunnel in -- NICOLE LIVINGSTONE, Olympic swimmer, international sport, and where would it come OAM from? As the Sydney Olympics approached, -- RAELENE BOYLE, Olympic athlete, AM MBE we hoped for great things. We were a sporting -- RECHELLE HAWKES, Olympic hockey player, nation. OAM -- RIC CHARLESWORTH, Olympic athlete and Curriculum Relevance coach, AM -- ROBERT DIPIERDOMENICO, AFL player -- ROY MASTERS, Rugby League coach The guidelines for students and teachers appear -- DON TALBOT, Olympic swimming coach and on page 4 of this study guide. Information about first head of the AIS the program makers is listed on page 2. While there are three episodes in Sporting Nation, the Politicians, journalists, academics social and political context of the information and and broadcasters interviews make it important that students watch SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2012 these programs in sequence from Episode 1 to -- BOB HAWKE, Prime Minister 1983–1991 Episodes 2 and 3 to understand the developing -- GIDEON HAIGH, Journalist narrative of our sporting history. -- HUGH MACKAY, Social Researcher -- JOY DAMOUSI, Professor of History -- LES MURRAY, Sports broadcaster
12 The Dark Ages The failure and regrouping episode
- We falter in the face of ruthless professionalism. - Local sport thrives on television. - Migrants in sport make manifest the new Australia. - We build an institute of sport and refine the art of the underdog.
By the mid-1970s, Australia’s capacity to produce regular swarms of amateur talent, although un- diminished, was achieving less in a more profes- As team sport expanded and needed more play- sional and competitive global sports environment. ers, the visibility of Indigenous Australians in sport At the 1976 Montreal Olympics, Australia won no also increased dramatically. This happened in AFL, events of any kind. Members of that Olympic team NRL, netball and rugby union. Mark Ella tells us Ric Charlesworth, John Bertrand and Raelene how a kid from La Perouse became the Wallabies Boyle recollect that dark time. captain.
The Fraser government established an expensive In 1983 Australia won the America’s Cup with John state-funded institute. If we wanted national pres- Bertrand at the helm. It was such a significant tige from sport, we were going to have to pay for it. moment for Australia that the Prime Minister, Bob We supplied the AIS with equipment, people and Hawke, encouraged the entire country to get on ideas, and we fed it with young sporting talent un- the turps. der the leadership of swimming coach Don Talbot. The rebuild of our Olympic performance was In the meantime, the pattern of domestic sport was gradual and hit its straps in the 1990s. In Barcelona changing. Television had discovered live cricket in 1992, Kieren Perkins won the 1500 metres free- and then live football, and it was on for young and style and obliterated the world record, and Kathy old. Gideon Haigh describes how television rede- Watt became the prow of the good ship Australian signed the way we looked at sport. Hugh Mackay women’s cycling. highlights the irresistible appeal of domestic sport; it’s exciting, it’s a distraction, it’s on every week – At the Atlanta Olympics in 1996, the Australian and Australia never loses. women’s hockey team, coached by Ric Charlesworth, exemplified the comeback in For migrant kids like Robert DiPierdomenico, play- Australian team sport and Kieren Perkins delivered ing footy was how you got accepted. Others, like one of the great underdog performances of all time. SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2012 Les Murray, wanted to play soccer – the game they In lane 8 and the slowest qualifier, he was ahead at brought from Europe. Joy Damousi, Bob Hawke, the first turn. A quarter of an hour later the nation Hugh Mackay and Roy Masters explain how migra- was standing up with both its arms in the air. tion transformed the nation and was more easily accepted when kids with funny names helped our We were ready for Sydney. Bring it on. teams win at the football.
13 Student Activity Responding to Episode 2 a) Watching and listening to the athletes featured in this episode b) Responding to sets of questions about the decline and resurrection of a Sporting Nation
After the 1976 Montreal Olympics where Australia failed to win a gold medal, it was time for a rethink and regroup – a new approach to regaining our place in the international sporting arena. In this episode we see and hear from a number of athletes and coaches who led the way forward to the new millennium and Sydney 2000. There is both con- temporary archival material and recent interviews some thirty years later. Choose three of the eleven athletes and/or coaches featured in this episode (some of whom also appeared in Episode 1) and make notes on their personal and athletic quali- ties. After watching this episode, compare your impressions and decide what characteristics these athletes share. the 200 metres semi-final epitomise the ‘nearly there’ events at Montreal for Australia? (a) Use Table 2 to enter information from this • Who defeated the Australian men’s hockey episode about different individuals and their team in the 1976 Olympic final? achievements. Most of these names are high- • To which countries does the description lighted in the sets of questions that follow this ‘Eastern Bloc’ refer at this time? exercise. • How does yachtsman John Bertrand’s descrip- (b) Responding to sets of questions about the tion of some of the East German preparations decline and resurrection of a Sporting Nation for the Olympics highlight how the demands ‘People and preparation for international sport were 1. Pre-title sequences changing in many ways? didn’t • Identify some of the sports shown in the open- • What does Ric Charlesworth say that adds to ing scenes of this episode this sense of the differences in how Eastern realise how • How does John Clarke account for Australia Bloc countries in particular were preparing for winning no gold medals at the Montreal competition? hard it is Olympics in 1976? • What is Clarke’s answer to the rhetorical ques- to win, and • How does he suggest Australians got their ‘fix tion he poses? ‘What did we want from sport of a national identity’ during this lean period for – healthy children and fun on the weekends, or particularly Australia in international sporting competitions? continuous international sporting success’? • What is the big advantage in watching domes- • What is the AIS an acronym for? with very tic sport? • Ric Charlesworth outlines the four key princi- • Clarke suggests that some of the crucial factors ples behind the Federal Government funding little in turning this situation around included for the AIS. 1. Spending money 1. Resources for facilities support 2. Planning and time and 2. Support for athletes backup.’ 3. Character 3. Coaches • What was the overriding imperative that made it 4. Regular international competition Ric Charlesworth crucial to turn this situation around? In which sports do you think each of these four principles would be most important for interna- 2. World class amateurs tional success? ‘People didn’t realise how hard it is to win, and • What guidelines did Don Talbot, the first particularly with very little support backup.’ Director of the AIS, adapt to put his coaching SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2012 – Ric Charlesworth program into practice? • In which swimming event have Australians had • What had been happening in other nations most international success? preparing for the Montreal Olympics that made • How does the so-called ‘underdog’ notion the task of bringing home the gold to Australia continue to appeal to people today? Give some very difficult? recent examples of this phenomenon in sport. • How did Raelene Boyle’s alleged misstep in 14 Australian
AthletesTABLE 2 – EPISODE TWO NAME Sport Place of birth and Key achievements Attitude to fame Most interesting dates when most anecdote active
Kathy Watt
John Bertrand
Kieren Perkins
Nicole Livingstone
Mark
Ella SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2012
15 TABLE 2 – EPISODE TWO
NAME Sport Place of birth and Key achievements Attitude to fame Most interesting dates when most anecdote active
Don Talbot
Rechelle Hawkes
Ric Charlesworth
Robert DiPierdomenico
Raelene Boyle
Roy SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2012 Masters
16 3. Marketing sport – ‘bread and circuses’ ‘Come on gentlemen, we’re all whores. What’s your price?’ – Kerry Packer
• What did media mogul Kerry Packer, father of James Packer, see as an opportunity to make (now AFL) respond to the problem of clubs money from sport? failing financially and in competition? What did ‘Come on • What was Packer’s main commercial activity they do (and are still doing) to broaden the ap- that he decided to use to leverage the pos- peal of AFL and increase revenue? gentlemen, sibilities of increasing the revenue for sporting • Explain the intimate connection between we’re all codes and individuals? broadcasting revenue and advertising. • Which sport did he decide was best suited to whores. this proposal? 5. ‘New Australians’ • When his offer to pay for broadcast rights is ‘Post-war migration policy was built around What’s your initially rejected by the Australian Cricket Board, the need for skilled and unskilled labour … and what did Packer decide to do? improving the economic potential … but you price?’ • Did Packer popularise cricket or just take astute inevitably get people who are going to excel in Kerry Packer advantage of broadcasting an already popular other parts of society and sport is one of them.’ game? – Joy Damousi, Professor of History • What was the appeal of his proposal to players? • How did the children of the mostly European • Who was the audience for World Series Cricket migrants who came to Australia at the end of on television? World War Two – the children of people some • What effect did this media coverage have on Australians referred to as Poms, Wogs and attendances at matches? Dagos and others as ‘New Australians’ – broad- en the appeal of sport to groups who might 4. Tribalism otherwise not have been interested in sports ‘Come on Aussie, come on …’, ‘Go Cats’, ‘Aussie, such as AFL Football? aussie, aussie, oi, oi, oi’ • How did Alex Jesalenko’s flying mark in the AFL grand final of 1970 epitomise the arrival of the • What does identifying with a team do for non-British ‘New Australian’ sports stars? people’s sense of themselves? • What is Robert DiPierdomenico able to add to • What is the central human need that is partly this chapter of changing names and new audi- met through tribalism? ences? How is his family’s pride in his achieve- • What is the pre-match tribal ritual that is fa- ments most clearly illustrated in his stories? mously performed before a match by one of our • Was this change occurring in other sporting nearest neighbours and sporting rivals? codes such as NRL and Union football? • What does Hugh Mackay suggest is curious • How did the ethnic backgrounds of many
about the attempt to engender ‘nationalist soccer players tend to differ from that of other SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2012 fervour’ between supporters of opposing state football codes? teams, as happens in ‘State of Origin’ rugby • Who are the Socceroos and what kind of audi- league football games? ences do they attract? Check out the Under 19 • How else might the passions such clashes squad names at
8. ‘Sydeney’ – Juan Antonio Samaranch 1. Sponsorship, advertising and ‘Doing the right thing at the right time for the right marketing reason … and taking risks’ – Ric Charlesworth,
coach of the Australian Women’s Hockey team ‘Televised sport had become very big business.’ SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2012
• What were some of the individual underdog • Define each of these words – sponsorship, ad- performances in the 1990s Olympics that sug- vertising and marketing. What is the difference gested the sports results were getting back on between them, particularly when they are used track? in relation to sport? • How did the swimming team lead the way in • What do terms such as ‘partnerships’, ‘support’ this renaissance? and ‘promotions’ mean in relation to badging 18 and other forms of visible labelling in the con- 2. ‘More than a Game’ text of sport and business? – Show me the money • Give examples from a current commercial tel- evision program such as MasterChef Australia The fifty highest paid sportspeople in the world or The Block about the use of sponsorship and in 2011 earned an average of $28 million each, advertising on these programs, i.e. is Coles a according to Forbes magazine. There are no sponsor of MasterChef, an advertiser or both? Australians on this Top 50 list. Andrew Bogut • How would you classify the products and com- (Australian basketballer now playing in America) panies advertised in the commercial breaks? and Mark Webber (Formula 1 racing driver for Red E.g. What about the cars used to transport Bull) are said to have each earned $21 million–plus contestants and the tools used on The Block? in 2011. Many full-time professional sportspeo- • Make a list of products and/or company names ple today can expect to earn quite a lot of money that appear on players’ club jumpers and caps while they are still young enough, injury-free and or on grounds and fences of football clubs. marketable. Even scandals don’t seem to do too Why would ‘naming rights’ or ‘badging’ on much damage as Tiger Woods is still up the top of team clothes be so sought after by large com- ‘Sport’s Highest Earners’ lists. panies? What association is being made? • In 2005 the Transport Accident Commission ‘When we • From what sources do many professional (TAC) in Victoria withdrew their sponsorship of look to athletes now derive their income? the AFL Richmond Football Club after a player • Why is it almost impossible for successful was convicted of drink-driving. In 2008, a simi- bring on athletes today to compete as amateurs? lar incident at Collingwood resulted in another • What are some of the employment TAC withdrawal of sponsorship of that club. corporate opportunities open to sportspeople when their See
Sports Commission work closely with corporate by Allan Collins. SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2012 organisations to develop tailored partnership ATOM study guides have been produced for these programs and leveraging strategies that deliver programs. on business and marketing objectives. The sponsorship support of which companies and products do you think would fall outside this code? Check the ASC website to see who sponsors the athletes at
looking at Australian sporting greats The series centred on the Sydney SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2012
20 Episode Three Does what we see in sport actually reflect the nation, or is that a sustaining fantasy? John Clarke
In the final episode of this three-part series about Australia as a sporting nation, John CONTRIBUTORS TO EPISODE 3 Clarke looks beyond the myths and legends – although both are still alive and well – and Athletes and coaches -- RAELENE BOYLE, explores in what ways we can lay claim to -- JOHN BERTRAND, Olympic athlete, AM MBE being a sporting nation. There are plenty of champion yachtsman, AM -- RECHELLE HAWKES, sports stars who talk perceptively about their -- CATHERINE FREEMAN, Olympic hockey player, OAM feats, achievements and understandings Olympic athlete, OAM -- SHARELLE MCMAHON, about life and sport. Cathy Freeman stopped -- RIC CHARLESWORTH, Netball player the nation at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 in Olympic athlete and coach -- HARRY KEWELL, Soccer player -- CADEL EVANS, what has become a pivotal sporting moment. -- HERB ELLIOTT, Champion cyclist Since then we’ve had Cadel and other Olympic athlete, AC MBE -- ROY MASTERS, Journalist and champions but we now watch more sport -- MARK ELLA, Rugby Union player former rugby league coach than we play. Where are we? Has anyone got -- ELLIE COLE, a map? What’s this got to do with sport? And Politicians, journalists, Paralympian swimmer what is grassroots sporting participation, and academics and -- PAT RAFTER, Tennis Champion broadcasters why does it matter? -- SHANE GOULD, -- BOB HAWKE, Curriculum Relevance Olympic swimmer -- NICOLE LIVINGSTONE, Prime Minister 1983–1991 Olympic swimmer -- JOHN CARROLL, Sociologist The guidelines for students and teachers -- ELLYSE PERRY, National -- GIDEON HAIGH, Journalist appear on page 4 of the guide to Episode 1 of Cricket and Football Player -- HUGH MACKAY, Sporting Nation. Part 1 of the guide also includes Social Researcher -- MURRAY ROSE, SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2012 information about the program makers. While Olympic swimmer, AM -- JOY DAMOUSI, there are three episodes in Sporting Nation, the -- Professor of History social and political context of the information and interviews make it important that students watch these programs in sequence from Episode 1–3 to understand the developing narrative of our sporting history.
21 Australia still competes at the highest level, but The Enlightenment it’s more complicated; Cadel Evans is an Italian- and French-speaking Australian Swiss resident with Australia faces a new social and economic future an American employer. with sport as one of its industries. Sport is now everywhere. Media domination is complete. Sport Away from the professional and international arena, has changed. Sport remains the same. What’s the community sport – mainly football and netball – is point of it? the gathering place, the common ground and the social glue across a lot of rural Australia. Sub- The Sydney Olympics delivered heroes and unfor- cultural sports in the suburbs provide a sense of gettable moments. But there was one event that connection and community for people who don’t gathered up the Australian community as one and find it in traditional sport. Legions of mum and made them all feel good at the same time. If you’re dad volunteers prop up an industry in kids’ sport an Australian, you’ll be able to answer this question: that is more about keeping kids active and healthy where were you when Cathy Freeman ran in the 400 and away from screens than it is about producing metres final? John asks all of the people interviewed champions. for this series what it meant. And he asks Cathy.
Champions emerge, just as they always have. SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2012 Since the 1950s and 1960s, the great Australian Champions of the past like Pat Rafter and Cathy sports experience has shifted from playing sport to Freeman, and champions of the future like Ellie Cole. watching it. Television wants live sport and more live sport – with a very strong preference for male John asked some of the greatest athletes this na- team sport. But the healthy, egalitarian society we tion has ever produced how they achieved such think all this televised sport is reflecting is in trou- prodigious deeds and why sport is important. And ble. And sport is often funded by the problem. the answers are not what you’d think. 22 Student Activity Responding to Episode 3 a) Watching and listening to the athletes featured in this episode b) Responding to sets of questions about the changing face of sport in the twenty-first century
Indigenous Australian athlete Cathy Freeman became a national hero when she won the 400 me- tres track race at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. In this final episode we see and hear from a number of athletes and coaches who led the way into the new millennium heralded by the Sydney 2000 Olympics. There is contemporary archival footage of these athletes and more recently conducted reflective interviews. Choose three of the athletes featured in this episode (some of whom also appeared in Episodes 1 and 2) and make notes on their re- sponses to some of the broader issues about par- ticipation in sport explored in this episode. Select people you have not focussed on in either Episode 1 or 2. Compare notes after watching this episode and identify some of the common features in how different athletes respond to these questions. ‘There of understanding how you are perceived as a (a) Use Table 1 to enter information from this epi- wasn’t public figure and your own attempt to achieve sode about different individuals, their achieve- too much your sporting goals? ments, reflections on their career and views • What was Freeman’s central focus in her sport- about the place of sport in their life and in the hoo-ha ing endeavours? world today. Several of their names are high- • Do you think the public expectations and reac- lighted in the sets of questions that follow this going on tion to Freeman’s Olympic achievement would exercise. have been any different had she been a non- (b) Responding to sets of questions about with me. Indigenous Australian? Australia as a sporting nation in the twenty-first century. Everyone 2. Watchers or players else seemed ‘Televised sporting events are designed to provide 1. Most passionate? a superior experience to watching games live.’ ‘There wasn’t too much hoo-ha going on with me. to get – Gideon Haigh Everyone else seemed to get emotionally invested in it all.’ – Cathy Freeman emotional- • How has the massive coverage of sports on tel- evision turned many of us into spectators rather • How does an emotional and intense sense of ly invested than active participants in sport? identity with a sporting team, an individual or • How does the massive amount of money from even a horse (think Phar Lap or Black Caviar) in it all.’ advertisers funding television sports broad- make some people feel? Cathy Freeman casting contribute to the increasing problem of • Is a fanatical interest in sport a particularly ‘energy in (food)/no energy out (exercise)’ that Australian characteristic, or do people from is making Australians a nation of overweight other countries feel very passionate about their couch potatoes? sporting teams? What does Harry Kewell have • What effect has television coverage had on the to say about national passions? game of cricket – from five-day test matches • What is the nature of the intense pressure to one-dayers to twenty20 matches? What do
on Cathy Freeman to win the 400 metres in the attendance figures and television audiences SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2012 Sydney 2000? What are the components of this for different forms of cricket suggest about pressure? what many people want to see in a competitive • How does she describe (1) the pressure she game? was under and (2) how she managed the pro- • How does television attempt to enhance the cess (especially her emotions) before, during experience of being at the ground? and after the race? • How would you explain the main differences • How does Pat Rafter reflect on the business between watching a match live or on television? 23 Australian
AthletesTABLE 1 – EPISODE THREE NAME Sport Place of birth and Key achievements Reflections about the View about the dates when most role of sport in their intrinsic value of active life sporting participation
Cathy Freeman
Herb Elliott
Ellie Cole
Pat Rafter
Ellyse Perry SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2012
24 TABLE 1 – EPISODE THREE
NAME Sport Place of birth and Key achievements Reflections about the View about the dates when most role of sport in their intrinsic value of active life sporting participation
Mark Ella
Sharelle McMahon
Rechelle Hawkes
Cadel Evans
Harry Kewell SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2012
25 3. Sponsors/partners/advertisers? Obesity has more than doubled in Australia over the past twenty years. More than 17 million Australians are now classified as overweight or obese.
• Why do fast food companies want to align consumption of their products with sporting games? • What is the problem with promoting such an association through advertising during sports broadcasts? • Outline any problems you see in the promo- tion of sports betting and how this activity is promoted during live sports telecasts. • What are the televised images of people betting on live sport designed to suggest about these activities? • Who benefits from the millions of advertising dollars poured into the broadcasting of live sport? • Next time you sit down to enjoy a footy match on television, list all the different products that are advertised during the broadcast, either in ad breaks, on clothing, on the ground and the fences or anywhere else. • Should televised sport be funded by the promotion of two quite fundamental social ‘We expect problems – overconsumption of fast food and betting on anything that moves? sporting • If many people recognise there is a problem 5. Role models stars to here, what would you suggest should be done ‘We expect sporting stars to be role models … about it – controls, bans, re-education? examples to the young … not just in their sporting be role • What is the fundamental difference in wanting skills but that they should be intrinsically virtuous your team to win for pride in their achievement people.’ – Hugh Mackay models … or for money? • Are you aware of any apparent ‘conflicts of • What does Clarke suggest might be some of examples to interest’ uncovered by the management of the dangers in giving young sportspeople lots sporting clubs in relation to players betting on of money? the young match results? How can such activities poten- • Should individuals whose behaviour is con- … not just tially taint and undermine the credibility of the stantly scrutinised and commented on in the results of competitive sport? media, ostensibly because they can kick a in their football or bowl amazing balls in cricket, be 4. Having a drink with mates expected to behave perfectly all the time, both sporting ‘You can’t actually advertise alcohol on television on and off the field? until 8.30 at night except during live sport.’ • What does much-scrutinised soccer player skills but – John Carroll (professor of Sociology) Harry Kewell have to say about the level of media scrutiny? that they • How is drinking alcohol and watching live sport • Give some recent examples of the publicised should be shown to go hand in hand? ‘fall from grace’ of some Australian sports stars. • How do pubs, clubs and other sports venues What kind of pressure were they under to be intrinsically facilitate these twin activities? perfect and be seen to be perfect? • Can the now-powerful tide of commercialisa- • Is the level of media and public interest in sports virtuous tion in sport be turned back? Why would this players – and often their partners – fair? What is be very difficult to do? the often-quoted reason for sports stars being people.’
• Give some examples of advertising alcohol expected to accept this constant scrutiny? SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2012 in relation to a number of sporting activities Hugh Mackay shown in this program. Do any of them seem 6. The world stage particularly incongruous to you? • Where does Cadel Evans live, work and train? • Does the now well-accepted ban on advertising Who funds his cycling career and sponsors his of all tobacco products suggest that it might be rides? possible to place further controls on the adver- • How do Australians enjoy bathing in the reflect- tising of other products during sports telecasts? ed glory of home-grown athletes made good on 26 the international stage, of taking ownership of ‘At the 1) A national obsession with sport is not unique to the triumphs? Australia; • Name two other sportspeople who now live elite level, 2) We don’t have much women’s sport benefitting and work away from Australia in pursuit of their from television revenues; dream to be the best in the world. they’re all 3) The fact that we are watching sport rather than playing it suggests that we have forgotten 7. Grass roots fit, all have where the value is. ‘Perhaps it’s in country towns of Australia where the drive sport most genuinely reflects the character of a He then makes the following distinction in relation nation.’ – John Clarke to win, but to these points: ‘Cost is what you pay and value is what you get.’ • What do many people love about local commu- the ones nity sport? • How do some of the sportspeople interviewed, • What are some of the reasons people play in who win both directly and indirectly, address these local competitions? propositions? E.g. Rechelle Hawkes talks about • List some of the many different aspects of all have independent outdoor activities as central in her these competitions in which non-playing com- something childhood and interest in sport. munity members play a vital role? • Share the notes you have made in your chart • How do sports such as roller derby, netball, else.’ about how different athletes respond to Clarke’s cycling and fun runs attract people who may ‘What’s it all about?’ questions in relation to not otherwise play sports? John Clarke sport. • What do these local amateur sports offer peo- • What are some of the common responses ple apart from a chance to exercise, move and made by many of these athletes from different improve their fitness? eras and different disciplines? • Why do many people find the rules and pat- • Make a list of the key learning aspects of play- terns of many sports such a satisfying part of ing sport that Clarke’s subjects mention. What playing competitive sport? are the recurring themes? • How do Herb Elliott and others make connec- 8. Women’s sport tions between what happens in sport and how Coverage of women’s sport makes up 9 per cent this relates to the way you live your life? How of all sports coverage in Australian television news can participating in sport at any level ‘improve and current affairs, while male sport makes up 81 you as a human being’? per cent. Horse racing alone receives more air time • ‘You’re just doing it – being.’ ‘Flying in a rain- than all women’s sport combined in Australian tel- bow.’ ‘It’s contentment to me.’ evision news, making up the other 10 per cent.2 These are just some of the ways various athletes describe their experiences. Which of • At an international level, how do Australian the often very candid responses from different women’s teams perform? In which sports do people did you find most surprising? they consistently excel? • What part do imagination and visualisation play • How does netballer Sharelle McMahon de- in sporting success, according to several of scribe the importance of playing netball for these great athletes? many girls and women? • What are the ‘big sports’ for television broad- Further Activities casters and advertisers? What dictates the decision of which sports to broadcast? • Explain what you think Joy Damousi means ‘You need to just love to do it.’ – Murray Rose at 72 when she says that what is lacking in much media sport is ‘the stories – the historical Select one or more of the following five exercises understanding of the game’. How well can and use the questions as the basis for a discussion television tell these stories as opposed to print or to present a report to your class about the topic. journalism? • How well do the women athletes appearing in 1. Sporting Nation? Sporting Nation tell their stories? If moving is good for you – being active and playing sports either in a team or as an individual – how
9. Getting to the heart (and head) of the can we make sure kids grow up being active? SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2012 matter At the elite level, they’re all fit, all have the drive to • Make a list of some of the things you think ought win, but the ones who win all have something else. to be done to ensure that people have many op- – John Clarke portunities to play sport and remain active. • Discuss and decide: Clarke makes three claims about sport in Australia. a) Who should be responsible for developing They are: sports programs; 27 b) Whether further restrictions and sanctions ‘You need • How many of your own personal heroes or against the advertising of fast food, alcohol admired role models are sporting stars? and gambling should be implemented in to just love • If sport does matter, is the allocation of govern- relation to televised sports. ment funding to elite sports and to local sport- • Name any local, state and/or national sports to do it.’ ing clubs fair and equitable? programs you have been involved in that help • What do you think are the benefits to Australia Murray Rose at kids and parents develop sporting skills such as as a nation in being known on the world stage Auskick, and Little Athletics. seventy-two for our excellence in certain sporting pursuits? • Identify one initiative that you think would make • When does tribalism and fanatical support for the biggest difference to turning Australians into a national or local sporting team become ugly a nation of players rather than watchers. and sometimes dangerous? • Is it possible to exclude political and racial 2. The Olympics enmities from sporting contests? With only weeks to go before the London • If you were the Australian Federal Minister for Olympics, conduct a class poll to find out: Sport and Recreation, what would your priori- ties be for government spending in the next • Which sports most students are looking forward twelve months? to watching; • Describe the benefits to you of playing sport. • Whether these sports are those played by the Is there any carryover between the skills and students who selected them amongst their behaviours you learn through sports participa- favourites; tion and other areas of your life? • How many students are not planning on watch- ing Olympic broadcasts; 5. The Language of Sport • Predictions on how many medals Australian • Many sports have their own specialist terminol- athletes will win at these 2012 Olympics; ogy. Compile a list of terms, expressions and • What this aggregated data from your class acronyms about a sport with which you are group shows about the degree of interest in familiar, such as in AFL football where there are elite sporting competitions. stoppages, drop punts, handballs, speccies, turnovers and advantage paid. There are also 3. The Program expressions used by commentators and call- • What do you think was most interesting in this ers of matches that are often particular to that series about sport in Australia? sport, an insider language only understood by • Which of the athletes did you find most com- fans and players. Compile a list of such terms pelling to listen to? that often express judgements about the quality • Were you surprised at the ability of most of the of the player or the team’s performance. participants to vividly articulate their beliefs and • Compile a list of terms used by both the media emotions? and individuals to characterise people who are • Which of the experts and sporting tragics such seen to be very good at their sport, e.g. legend, as the politicians did you think was right on the hero, etc. Discuss the power of these words money and made a lot of sense? and what they suggest about an individual who • How would you describe the tone of this pro- is prominent in a particular sport. gram? Was it too serious, too silly, too cynical or too verbal as opposed to visual? Resources and References • How did the music contribute to the style and overall mood of the program, especially in the The website of the Cathy Freeman Foundation pre-title scenes? http://www.australiancharitiesfund.org.au/ • Were there any sports, sportspeople or great indigenous-people/449 sporting moments you would have chosen to An article about the problems faced by women’s include in the series? sport in Australia • Make a list of questions you would like to ask http://www.dsr.wa.gov.au/federal-minister one of the athletes about an aspect of their -speaks-out-about-womens-sport-coverage career and experiences playing sport. A history of women and sport in Australia • If the program makers decided to develop a http://www.ausport.gov.au/participating/ Series 2 of Sporting Nation, which areas do you women/about/history
think they should cover? SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2012 Endnotes 4. How and why does sport matter? 1 See