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JOSH KENNEDY AND WEST COAST LOOM LARGE IN THE AFL FINALS

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Introducing the adidas ‘Team Mode’ collection, featuring the classic red/black/white Predator colour. Available in selected stores and online now at rebel, the home of football. the home of football follow us @rebelfootball on instagram EDITOR'S LETTER

TM ’S SPORTING MAGAZINE SINCE 1991

E HAVE a trope we resort There’s something different to on our BEST LINE IN THE to the nature of the modern MAG THIS MONTH: W podcast Dead In Goal, the officiating crisis, though. Where EDITOR Jeff Centenera “robot ref”. We’re talking more we would once whinge about a jcentenera@insidesport .com.au than a bunker, a VAR, TIO, DRS or decision, we now make general whatever three letters you care “To be able to indictments of the sport itself. ART DIRECTOR Allan Bender to string together. A genuine, String a few bad calls together, [email protected] non-human, rule-enforcer that jump into these and it’s a failure of leadership on wouldn’t make mistakes, feel any the part of the administration. ASSISTANT EDITOR pressure, just apply the rulebook chairs, wheel And it’s here we get to another James Smith [email protected] like running an operating system. around and contemporary mode of thinking And we guess that robot ref would that reframes old-fashioned CONTRIBUTING WRITERS call offside on every single play- whistle-blower hate – the idea of smash into Matt Cleary, Travis Cranley, Robert Drane, the-ball, so league fans would still sport as “product”. Brooke Longfield, Andrew Marmont have a reason to complain. other people is If every league or code is just There is nothing so tedious in another widget, it’s easy to think GROUP EDITOR Kevin Airs sporting discussions as bitching pretty of officiating as quality control. [email protected] about the officiating. Ref-blaming exciting.” Too many errant whistles, and proceeds from the assumption you’re bound for product recall, Inside Sport on the web that our sports should be called –Australian Steelers and the customers will switch to www.insidesport.com.au perfectly, when the reality is wheelchair rugby some other brand. The natural each game is an exercise in player Andrew next step is tweak the offering: EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES: [email protected], (02) 9901 6100 randomness, and we can only hope Edmondson, p.73 change an interpretation here, the difficult decisions don’t occur trial a new rule there. at critical moments. The beauty of But it’s in these discussions of ADVERTISING sport is in the showcase of human endeavour; captain’s challenges or starting positions that it officiating, too, is a very human act, for all the becomes apparent that sport is less like a product, Adam Jackson Head of Sport fallibility it entails. and shouldn't be treated like such – our sports are Tel: (02) 9901 6109 Mob: 0431 212 504 [email protected] There’s an awful talking point that circulates institutions. They come with a deep inheritance, with every officiating controversy in modern times and have to be tended to for the future. Keeping Ryan Coombs Advertising Sales Manager – the players and coaches have become so much that in mind, any change to them should be Tel: (02) 9901 6379 Mob: 0449 671 738 better these days, so why not the refs? It ignores deliberate. At least until the infallible robots come [email protected] that, one, there’s no basis of comparison with refs along to tell us what to do. QLD: Damian Martin Ad Manager of the past; and two, the game might be much Mob: 0417 168 663 harder to call than back then. But trying to argue E CAN only hope the calls go the way of [email protected] these controversies in good faith is rather beside your footy team as we head towards the the point – the coach who complains is only ever a W decisive point of the season in our various coach who has lost. Perhaps we need a league rule: codes. In the AFL, we have a plus-sized theme Executive Chairman David Gardiner only the winning coach gets to criticise the refs. this month, with the as our Commercial Director Bruce Duncan cover subject. As Travis Cranley Managing Director Hamish Bayliss writes, the Eagles have a line-up Production & Digital Services Jonathan Bishop full of big bodies, an approach Production Manager Peter Ryman that runs contrary to the league’s Circulation Director Carole Jones prevailing style. Can it succeed this September? SUBSCRIPTIONS Also on that front, Bob Drane turns his attention to , www.mymagazines.com.au Collingwood’s athletic big man Toll free 1300 361 146 or +61 2 9901 6111 who has dazzled in picking up the Locked Bag 3355, St Leonards NSW 1590 sport in the few years since he arrived from the United States. We have another, more Level6,BuildingA,207PacificHighway, conventional code-hopper in St Leonards NSW 2065 , a rugby league Locked Bag 5555 St Leonards NSW 1590 star now lining up in union, and for the Wallabies. And we have a Inside Sport is published by nextmedia Pty Ltd ACN: 128 805 970, Level 6, Building A, 207 Pacific Highway, St Leonards NSW 2065 © 2017. bloke content in his familiar spot All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced, in whole – South ’s John Sutton, or in part, without the prior permission of the publisher. Printed by Bluestar WEB Sydney, distributed in Australia and NZ by Gordon & Gotch. ISSN who just became the first 1037-1648. The publisher will not accept responsibility or any liability for Rabbitoh to play 300 games in the correctness of information or opinions expressed in the publication. All material submitted is at the owner’s risk and, while every care will be taken the famed club’s long history. nextmedia does not accept liability for loss or damage. To round the edition off: if you’re a regular reader of the Privacy Policy magazine, we’re guessing that We value the integrity of your personal information. If you provide personal information through your participation in any competitions, you like to read about sport. So surveys or offers featured in this issue of Inside Sport, this will be used we’re once again presenting our to provide the products or services that you have requested and to improve the content of our magazines. Your details may be provided to book review special – whatever third parties who assist us in this purpose. In the event of organisations providing prizes or offers to our readers, we may pass your details on to game you follow, there’s a good them. From time to time, we may use the information you provide us to read to be found in there. inform you of other products, services and events our company has to offer. We may also give your information to other organisations which may Jeff Centenera use it to inform you about their products, services and events, unless you Editor tell us not to do so. You are welcome to access the information that we hold about you by getting in touch with our privacy officer, who can be contacted at nextmedia, Locked Bag 5555, St Leonards, NSW 1590 6 INSIDE SPORT | SEPTEMBER 2018 WILL YOUR TEAM MAKE IT?

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SEPTEMBER 2018 44 BullyBall TheAFLhasbeenoverrunby,well,running.Thebig bodies of West Coast will seek to halt that trend. BY TRAVIS CRANLEY

52 Texas Stranger AmericanMasonCoxisthelatestimporttopickup Aussie rules, but he’s different to converts of the past. BY ROBERT DRANE

60 ManontheEdge He’sthefirstRabbitohtoplay300games.Howdid JohnSutondoit?Inhisown,laid-backway. BY MATT CLEARY

66 WithaCause From Fiji to league to the Wallabies’ wing, Marika Koroibete plays with a purpose. BY ANDREW MARMONT

74 BestNewSportsBooks Check out our guide to these quality reads.

80 Excerpt:Overlander A cycling writer gets on the bike for an epic of a ride. BY RUPERT GUINNESS

6 EDITOR’S LETTER 28 QUARTER TIME 58 ANATOMY OF A CHAMP 10 THE BREAKDOWN 30 10 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW 72 1 ON 1: ANDREW EDMONDSON 12 20 THINGS YOU MISSED 32 PUNTER’S CHANCE 88 HOW TO ... 14 FREEZE FRAME 35 PUB DEBATE 90 BUY BETTER 22 INSIDE NRL 36 FOURTHINGSYOUMUSTNOTMISS 92 EAT HEALTHIER 24 INSIDE AFL 38 HOT SHOT #1 94 HOT SHOT #2 26 INSIDE RUGBY 40 IN HINDSIGHT 98 IF I COULD CHANGE ONE THING

8 INSIDE SPORT | SEPTEMBER 2018 ‘Bob led our club to glory.’ ‘There is only one Bob Murphy.’ Martin Flanagan ‘We are indebted to him for making us believe in the game again.’ Gerard Whateley

OUT NOW nerobooks.com THE BREAKDOWN Leaving it a bit late PENRITH GRABS FOUR TRIES IN SEVEN MINUTES AT BROOKVALE OVAL TO SCORE THE LATEST-EVER 18-POINT COMEBACK WIN IN THE GAME’S NRL ERA.

Manly looks to have the game iced at 24-6 with just 21 minutes remaining at er Sea-Eagles centre Brian Kelly chases a Tom Trbojevic kick into the Panthers’ in-goal. Kelly acrobatically grounds the ball a blade of grass inside the dead ball line.

But Penrith has other ideas. Following tries to winger Josh Mansour (67th min), backrower Isaah Yeo (70th) and a dashing eff ort by centre Waqa Blake (pictured above), the Panthers somehow claw their way back to 24-22 with seven minutes remaining.

Running a Jimmy Maloney bomb back, Manly’s Tommy T drops it in front of his posts. The Panthers’ Nathan Cleary scoops it up, scores and converts his own try ... Getty Images Getty

... and Penrith holds on for a miraculous 28-24 win. The rest of the league world’s heart breaks for Manly ... almost. photos by

10 INSIDE SPORT | SEPTEMBER 2018

things you might’ve missed

Cristiano Ronaldo The world’s 6 let Spain and Real 1 fastest man heads Madrid because of ... to Gosford. To tax rates, according to play football. It could the chief of La Liga. On be a good novel, but his way to his new club in apparently Usain Bolt Italy, Ronaldo set led his really will try to make case with the Spanish it with the Central authorities, paying $22m Coast Mariners. This in back taxes. is probably not what the A-League had hoped would be American John drawing atention 7 Cynn wins the as it enters its 14th World Series season. But tell us of Poker main event, you’re not a litle the second-largest intrigued ... in history, with 7,874 players. Cynn took home a Liz Cambage drops US$8.8m first prize; 3 53 points to break Alex Lynskey the WNBA’s scoring became the first Francesco Molinari is Italy’s first record. It was a big Aussie to make the 8 major golf champ, claiming the statement from the final table since Joe Open Championship at Carnoustie. 203cm-tall Aussie, who Hachem won it in Don’t know if that makes up for the returned to the comp 2005, pocketing Azzurri missing the World Cup, but it’s for the fi rst time in US$1.5m. something ... fi ve years: “I’ve had big numbers in China, I’ve had big numbers in Australia, Meanwhile, English golfer Eddie Pepperell plays the fi nal round of the and I’ve heard a lot of 9 Open hung over. “I won’t lie. I had too much to drink last night. Whether Somewhere out there, John Isner is people say I could never I shot 69 or 73 today, it wouldn’t have been heartbreaking. But as it 2 probably playing tennis. Already have big numbers here in happens, I shot 67. So, you know, it’s a funny game.” the owner of the longest match in the WNBA. So I guess this history, his 70-68 fi t h-set epic in 2010 game is for y’all.” against Nicolas Mahut, the American Team Sky rider Gianni Moscon is disqualified from the Tour de played the longest Grand Slam semi Joseph Deng, a 10 France for punching French rider Elie Gesbert. And that’s not against Kevin Anderson at Wimbledon 4 former refugee from nearly the weirdest thing that occured in this year’s Tour de over six and a half hours. At er the 26-24 the Sudan, breaks France, which included the peloton geting inadvertently sprayed with deciding set, there was never a bet er the Australian 800m tear gas, and Chris Froome geting tackled by a gendarme – who case to be made for the All England to record at a Diamond mistook him for a fan riding the course – ater a stage. change its mind on tie-breakers. Said League meet in Monaco. Tim Henman: “When we had the fi rst It’s even more impressive Isner match, we didn’t think we would when you consider the see that again ... I think it will be on the record was 50 years old, agenda for Wimbledon to discuss.” set by Ralph Doubell at the ’68 Olympics.

Trent 5 Bridge is let off the list of venues for the Ashes next year, and Aussie batsmen are fi ne with that. We all remember what happened in the fi rst dig that Weirdest of all: a Welshman in the yellow jersey. Geraint Thomas last time there 11 picks up where Froome and Bradley Wiggins let off , becoming – 60 runs, 94 Sky’s third Briton to win le Tour. A support rider for much of his minutes, too career, Thomas is regarded as one of the nice guys of the peloton. much Stuart “Like most Welshmen, he likes to have a pint and start singing,” says Broad. Sky boss Dave Brailsford.

12 INSIDE SPORT | SEPTEMBER 2018 Swimmer Ryan Lochte, he of the fake robbery story at the 2014 Rio 12 Olympics, is handed a 14-month doping ban for using an IV ... the evidence of which he had produced himself, when he posted a picture on Instagram.

Baseball’s San Diego Padres offer an intriguing ticket deal to 17fans: a five-win pass. You read that right – fans get to see five wins, which, considering the Padres had won less than half their games, could amount to a few tickets. But unintended conse- quences abound: it’s actually an incentive for San Diego fans to hope their team continued to lose. In other Olympic news, the 2020 Games’ mascots are 13 unveiled. And they’re what you’d expect from the Japanese. Miraitowa and Someity were the winning choice of a poll of 16,000 Japanese elementary schools. Frankly, we’re still disappointed that Tokyo didn’t go with Mario, as they teased with Shinzo Abe at the closing ceremony in Rio.

During a brutal period for rugby league referees, Ricky Stuart 14 complains that the NRL is the only sport in the world that changes rules interpretations midway through a season. Not to be outdone, the AFL floats the idea of trialling its own new rules relating to starting positions in dead-rubber, home-and-away matches.

An Aussie skipper becomes the first woman to lead a boat to 18 victory in the Clipper Round the World YachtRace. Wendy Tuck (far right) and Sanya Serenity Coast were first in the fleet of 12, which had raced over the last 11 months. For good measure, the second-place boat, Visit Seatle, also had a female skipper, England’s Nikki Henderson.

The Qatar World Cup bid 19 team reportedly used a black-ops unit to discredit the Australian and US bids for 2022. The report in an English newspaper said that the Qataris had looked at organising protests Imran Khan was poised to become the next Prime Minister at rugby matches, as well as paying 15 of Pakistan. PM and national cricket captain ... the dream a professor to write a report about of John Howard! Commentators noted it had been a real the high costs of staging major transformation for Imran, who had remade his image of international events, in an atempt to undermine playboy to pious populist. He couldn’t quite shake his past however, the FIFA requirement that each bid noting on election night: “I am a sportsman who has a training of 21 have strong domestic backing. years in the cricket grounds. I do not declare victory till the last ball.”

One PE teacher in Cardiff is responsible for producing Gareth Bale, A 64-year-old Bulgarian man sets a new world record for swimming ... 20 Sam Warburton and Geraint Thomas. Steve Williams, of Whitchurch 16 while his hands and feet are tied behind his back. Yane Petkov swam High, taught the Real Madrid star, British Lions captain and now the 3.4km, while also encased in a red sack. Sport? Probably not, but Tour de France winner. Forget all the fancy, high-performance structure – can’t impressive nonetheless. we just convince him to move here?

INSIDE SPORT | SEPTEMBER 2018 13 Freeze Frame

▶ X marks this spot: Tom Schaar gets in a practice run for the skateboard big air event at the X Games in Minnesota. Coming soon: Sydney!

14 INSIDE SPORT | SEPTEMBER 2018 Getty Images Getty

photo by INSIDE SPORT | SEPTEMBER 2018 15 ◀ In the blur of action that is the NRL, is the calm centre. The Storm star had his team looking repeat-worthy heading into the season’s stretch run.

▶ Christchurch forward Kieran Coll had to break out a litle crane style in the lineout against New Brighton. The two teams met in the semis of NZ’s Hawkins Metro Premier Trophy comp.

▲ The Roosters’ Jared Waerea-Hargreaves braces to ▶ The Lions’ Stefan Martin and Carlton’s run into a bunch of Manly tacklers ... if the Sea Eagle Mathew Kreuzer were still grabbing at a defenders don’t each other first. result for their clubs, who again find themselves looking to next year.

16 INSIDE SPORT | SEPTEMBER 2018 Getty Images Getty photos by

▼ It’s trademark Majak Daw, as the Kangaroos’ tall pulled this hanger against Collingwood. Somewhere on the field, even the Pies’ Jeremy Howe was envious ...

INSIDE SPORT | SEPTEMBER 2018 17 Getty Images Getty

photos by

▲ Cop a spray I: Mexican boxer Jaime Munguia caught a right from ▼ Cop a spray II: Renee Taylor stirs up the playing surface at the Lee Englishman Liam Smith. Munguia got the beter of the fight, winning Valley Centre in London, as the Hockeyroos were held to a scoreless the junior middleweight bout in Vegas via unanimous decision. draw in their World Cup pool match.

18 INSIDE SPORT | SEPTEMBER 2018 ▲ Even with his helmet on, you can tell the face that Sebastian Vetel is making. The German champ was in the lead with 15 laps to go when he crashed out at Hockenheim.

◀ When Novak Djokovic is at his best, there is no ball he can’t recover. The Djoker had to send a lot of them back in his epic semi- final win over Rafa Nadal.

INSIDE SPORT | SEPTEMBER 2018 19 ▲ Forget Russia, bring on the Women’s World Cup. The Matildas built up the ▼ A familiar sight, with many eyes: all atention was once again drawn to excitement for next year, puting three past Brazil at the Tournament of Nations. Tiger Woods, whose run at the Open convinced many he will win again.

▲ I’m out – but not in a bad way? Joe Root gave cricket its equivalent of the mic drop when he brought up his century offthelastballintheHeadingleyODIagainstIndia.

20 INSIDE SPORT | SEPTEMBER 2018 Getty Images Getty photos by

▲ “Iwonderwhatthescoreis...”Boston’sAndrewBenintendiisperfectly ▼ NascarXfinitySeriesdriverAustinCindricrolledhis#60caratDaytona.He informed on the state of the game, and is focused enough to snag this fly. didwalkaway,latersaying:“WhenIknewIwasgoingover,youjustacceptit.”

INSIDE SPORT | SEPTEMBER 2018 21 INSIDE NRL

That September feeling BY ’S BEN IKIN

e in no doubt whatsoever that finals And then there’s the Storm this year. themselves on the competition in the last month, football is the reason we all play. When club They’ve kind of snuck up on us, haven’t they? Melbourne and the , and I’ve got squads come together in late October/early I don’t know why I ever doubted they’d be no doubt that their energy levels have lited B November the previous year, the goal that front and centre at this time of year; making because they can see what’s coming. drives us is to be still alive come September. It’s and winning finals is just what they do. Their By the time you get to Cameron Smith's or the ultimate carrot. relentless pursuit of excellence is phenomenal. ’s age as a player, there has to be a Remembering back as a player, there was a They have a coach and a core group of players bit of sameness about what you’re doing in the period post-Origin, let’s say two to four matches, who have done just about everything in the sport, home-and-away rounds. The enormous amount of where you’d slowly disconnect from interstate yet they remain as enthusiastic as ever about discipline it must take to not compromise their football and rediscover your club mojo. Almost winning the big games. When you think about the preparation through that long and grinding period out of nowhere, the weather starts to get a litle Cowboys maybe suffering some sort of hangover in the middle of the season is phenomenal. warmer and finals football becomes the focus this season because they fought so hard to get But we know why they do it: the burning desire again. It’s like a fresh start, and there’s certainly an into last year’s grand final, can I remind you that to play and win the biggest games on the biggest uplit in enthusiasm. The intensity in games rises the Storm actually won the thing? stage. It becomes all-consuming, and here we because players are super-keen to chase the I look at the two teams who have stamped go again. September dream. While playing finals is not necessarily a topic you’re talking “I’ve got no doubt that the Storm and Roosters’ energy levels about as a group all season long, it’s definitely something that have lifted because they can see what’s coming.” every player feels. If a top-four or top-eight finish is a possibility for your side, you just know; it’s not like you’re siting around doing the math. It’s just a subconscious thought. “We’re in the mix for the finals, which means we’re in the mix for the big one." And everyone wants to win the big one. I’m prety sure there are coaches who would approach the last quarter of the regular season with a finals theme, but only as a trigger to play their best football immediately. Focus too far into the future and you run the risk of losing power in the present, which is the surest way to miss your target. Balance is the key. The excitement of finals can have amazing effects on a squad. I’ve seen teams who appear to be flat late in the campaign start to get a sense that something special still might be possible. Think Cowboys in 2017. Having batled their way to eighth position, the freshness of a “new season” gave North Queensland a kick all the way to a grand final.

FOX LEAGUE has every finals game before the Grand Getty Images Getty Final LIVE, ad-break free during play and in HD. photo by

22 INSIDE SPORT | SEPTEMBER 2018 NATE SAUNDERS

DANIEL RICCIARDO IN PURSUIT OF GREATNESS

NEW BOOK OUT NOW INSIDE AFL

Under finals pressure, bring your own BY FOX FOOTY’S BEN DIXON

ack in 2008, the question was whether off half the shark: “We’ve only half-killed him.” but you’re not quite there. And all of a sudden you anyone could beat a Geelong side that was It was interesting how Clarkson animated for us have to come down because it’s inclement weather. reigning premiers and had lost only once all the need to create pressure. But that’s what finals I think the nature of finals footy has changed – Bseason. The Hawthorn side, which I had footy is all about – the game actually changes what you have now is that so many sides have retired from the year before, would meet the Cats come September. It becomes a more contested their system, and it’s whether their system will in the grand final. game, not as open and free-flowing and fast. It’s stand up when the time comes. That’s what You would think we put a lot of detail into about who’s going to maintain their pressure. we saw last year with Richmond, as no one could studying Geelong. But all coach Alastair Clarkson The old wisdom in football was that you need really compete with their system. The Tigers did was draw a shark up on the whiteboard to have experience in finals to win them. That prety much didn’t have the finals experience, or and said: “Geelong are a shark. How do you kill Hawthorn side in ’08 was able to win the GF, not didn’t go deep enough in finals for it to be a factor. a shark? You push it backwards, the gills fill up having reached a preliminary final in the previous The Bulldogs were similar the previous year. I think and you kill it.” year. I remember when the Hawks did make the what you’ve got to come up with is something He said they were such an aggressive team when prelim in ’01 against Essendon and we missed by that’s sustainable, and if you're consistently you come forward, and if you defended them hard nine points, we thought “the next year’s gonna be sticking to it through the year, then it’s likely in their face, we’d beat them. That was literally the our year, we might go one step further” – and we to hold up in September. only background to Geelong, and other than that, it ended up going five steps backward. It’s almost The other factor that’s changed is that young was play our way. At half-time of the GF, he rubbed like the ecstasy of geting to the top of the mountain, footballers these days play at a much more consistent level, across the board. A team always looks to rely on its top- Footy changes come September. It becomes a more contested game, not end talent, but even the players as free-flowing and fast. It’s about who’s going to maintain their pressure. outside of that can be counted on to produce. Those next-bracket players play such a pivotal role in finals – if they rise to the occasion, they can draw the atention off the big guns. Again, that’s another reason why having gone through finals before is less of a requirement. When your system allows every player to play to an above-average level, you’re almost unbeatable collectively. When you look at Richmond, the contribution across the board is so even: the superstars are doing heaps, and the rest isn’t let to too few, it’s just so level. I think the reigning premiers are clearly the ones to beat again this season, you can put them in the last Saturday for the year. My big smokey is GWS – I think the Giants will play off for their first granny. And they’re probably the only team I think that can beat Richmond. They had such a terrible start to the year win-loss, and then they started to get players back. Their form stacks up, their contested game and pressure is through the roof. And we know those two elements are finals footy, hands down.

Every qualifying, elimination, semi and preliminary final LIVE in HD with no ad-breaks during play on FOX FOOTY (channel 504 on Foxtel)

24 INSIDE SPORT | SEPTEMBER 2018

INSIDE RUGBY

Good reason for the Wallabies to believe BY ’ GEORGE GREGAN

he Wallabies wouldn’t be pleased to lose Tom Banks has been introduced into the winning the big moments. They have that ability to the Ireland series 2-1, but it was great they Wallabies’ squad and how he has performed in absorb pressure and apply it like no other team in played the no.2 team in the world ahead of Super Rugby. He’s got incredible speed. That’s one the world – and consistently. They’re always Tthe Rugby Championship. thing you can’t coach. I wouldn’t necessarily start looking to improve. That’s what’s great about As disappointing as that result was, there were him, but I’d fi nd a way to have him in the squad. playing an All Blacks team. some real positives in blooding some players. Michael Hooper was always going to get As a spectator, you want to see your national Taniela Tupou was outstanding in that series, bet er with experience as a captain and working team beginning to learn and eventually winning coming off the bench in the front row. He’s only a with players and coaches, and trusting his these types of matches, but it doesn’t happen young man and is only going to get bet er, but he gut – something he does really well. He overnight. This Wallabies group has had enough looks like the sort of player who is going to make understands what he can do with the players, of having the same sort of conversation each that step up on the bigger stages. and they back it. And the fact he makes those year. I would love them to have a winning season That all bodes well for the Rugby Championship decisions is good. Indecision is poor leadership, – like they had before the World Cup. You’ve got – but it’s another step again when you play the All and he’s not indecisive. Argentina, who are a really dangerous team Blacks in the fi rst two Test matches. That’s the I’m always looking forward to the Rugby with wonderful international players. South challenge for Michael Cheika and his team – they’ll Championship. It’s four great nations. New Africa, meanwhile, played very well in that be looking to put some pressure on them and Zealand has always been a very good team at England series. They’ll be tough as well. somehow fi nd a way to get a win in the fi rst Test here in Sydney. Since Will Genia’s been back Since Will Genia's been back, he's been one of the best halfbacks in the in the country, he’s been one of the best halb acks in the game. game ... When the Wallabies have had success, it's when he's run. He’s world-class. The All Blacks – most teams – don’t particularly like a running halb ack, and Genia threatens those edge-of-the-ruck defenders with his running and passing game. What that does is keep them honest and also creates space for Bernard Foley at second receiver, or Kurtley Beale and others, and off the back of that, you’ve got more space for someone like Izzy Folau. When the Wallabies have had success it’s when he’s played and has run, and really threatened that area. I remember Warren Gatland asking with the Lions in 2013: “How do we stop Genia running?” He’s really important to that Wallaby team. He and Bernard play really well together. I liked the set-up of our back three in the Ireland series. Dane Haylet -Pet y is super-consistent. He doesn’t have the out-and-out speed like a Marika Koroibete, but provides a big right boot, which helps in terms of playing fi eld position. And I think he’s got bet er and bet er over the years. I like how Every match of the 2018 Rugby Championship Getty Images Getty live, ad-break free and in high definition on photo by

26 INSIDE SPORT | SEPTEMBER 2018 Engineered for birdies. QUARTER TIME

Thatescalatedquickly AUSTRALIA AND THE PHILIPPINES DIDN’T HAVE MUCH TO TALK ABOUT WHEN IT CAME TO THEIR SHARED SPORTING HISTORY. THEN A CERTAIN BASKETBALL GAME BROKE OUT …

ast February, off to the side of the national early adopter in basketball, had fi nished third in tournament’s best (yes, it was an actual award). sporting consciousness, the Philippines came the 1954 Worlds, but was already aware of its The atmosphere in Melbourne rivalled any to be L to Melbourne to play Australia in a qualifi er for limitations on the global stage. They proposed a found on the basketball planet, and was proof of basketball’s World Cup. It was a weeknight, and separate division with a height limit for players. what this new World Cup concept, with its FIFA- with footy still in preseason, the famed city of One country that gave its support was Australia, style qualifying rounds, could be. Sit ing next to the sport didn’t quite have its characteristic hum. A bit plainly not foreseeing a future where it would have head of the Filipino federation, I suggested that he of fi ller from international hoops, with nary an a 208cm-tall Ben Simmons at guard. Other than forward footage of the game to FIBA with a trail of NBA player in sight, didn’t possess much allure. that, it was a twain that never met. exclamation marks. The overmatched Filipinos Your correspondent was in at endance, and The game between the Boomers and the were surprisingly competitive for a half, the wasn’t expecting much. I was there because Filipino Philippines’ Gilas was at Margaret Court Arena, Boomers won handily, and in outline, you could see basketball is the misfi t toy in my collection of with the seats still warm from the tennis Open. And a future sporting exchange where there had been sporting passions. I graduated from high school in damned if this minor fi xture hadn’t fi lled all of the none before. Manila, and thanks to my father – who played at the seats. It’s not a big building, but out of the 7000 it Five months later, the two nations met in the college level back in the Philippines in the day – had holds, the number of Aussie supporters wouldn’t return match, and the good vibes of that previous a link to the bosses of the professional league, the have stretched into four fi gures. In a road game, game turned to red mist. Basketball rarely merits Philippine Basketball Association, there. I watched the Filipinos had a home crowd. front-page news in this country, but the incident a lot of what is the shortest elite basketball The commentary team from Fox Sports was – as in “international incident” – was hard to ignore. competition, height-wise, in the world. ut erly charmed. Basketball fans in Australia are It was the worst outbreak of basketball violence Australia and the Philippines don’t have much of rarely so animated in their support, but then, since Ron Artest barrelled into the crowd in a shared history in basketball. The best story the nobody does basketball fandom quite like the Detroit in 2004. While a couple of Australian two can drum up dates back to the 1950s and ’60s, Filipinos. At the 2014 FIBA World Championships, players were culpable in the breakdown of order when the game was in its antiquity in much of the the forerunner event to next year’s World Cup, the – sadly, the defi ning memory of Thon Maker in a world beyond the United States. The Philippines, an Philippines’ fans were recognised as the Boomers uniform will be the way he bounded

28 INSIDE SPORT | SEPTEMBER 2018 around the chaos like a praying mantis – a large part of the team showed admirable restraint. And it didn’t even begin to compare to the Philippine team, whose bench players commit ed the ultimate sin of entering the court and turning an altercation into a melee. Worse yet, a few Filipino non-players, including an assistant coach, were in the thick of the fracas. One guy threw a chair at Boomer Nathan Sobey. It was destined to become a meme in a vacuum, so it did. Since when did Aussie basketball become a candidate for bring back the biff ? The Filipinos had some weird story about feeling “disrespected” because the Aussies tore some stickers (stickers?) off the practice court. The Boomers returned home to face questions about whether uring the Melbourne game, their sport had been given a metaphorical black having noted the PBA-like atmosphere, I tackle-football codes to play eye, when more reasonably they should’ve been D tweeted out that surely a fi stfi ght would in the Philippines, and so all the rough asked about their literal black eyes. There were follow. It reads terribly in retrospect. boys could be found on the hardwood. claims of racist taunts, entirely unsubstantiated. Back when I was living in Manila, the league’s star It remains the dark side of the Philippines’ The entire episode was so fl at-out surreal, you at raction was a man named Robert “Sonny” incredible hoops passion. While it was tolerable could’ve made up a bunch of stuff , like how one Jaworski. The best way to think of him is as the when it was limited to a bunch of small islands, it team took a selfi e on the fl oor at er the fi ghting Philippines’ equivalent of . Jaworski’s had the potential for disaster when it connected to (the Filipinos shockingly did do that, in an act that playing career lasted a credibility straining 31 years the wider world. And that’s what the Boomers had was straight-up juvenile). – he was 52 when he retired, and the misfortune of running smack into. his son was one of his team- In the at ermath of the debacle in Bulacan, I mates (dad was also the coach, talked with an offi cial of the Philippine federation. which helped). His team, named The feeling in the organisation was supreme at er a brand of gin, was the embarrassment. He hoped that the incident could working-class darling of the be the catalyst for a change in the basketball league. Jaworski was so popular, culture, but there was not a lot of optimism about he was elected to the Senate that – the Gilas’ benefactor, the Frank Lowy of at er he quit basketball. Filipino basketball so to speak, was defi ant in He was also the emblem for defending the players’ actions. the aggro factor in Filipino To witness my formerly parochial concern basketball. In a 1971 game, become a full-blown national talking point was Jaworski let the bench to fascinating, if it wasn’t so distressing. At er FIBA’s assault a referee, beating him sanctions leaned a lit le too the lenient, everyone in front of the crowd. He was started to dissect international basketball’s meant to be suspended for life, disciplinary procedures like it was a weeknight at but he was back playing a year the tribunal. There were calls to bar the Philippines later. His PBA team would later from competing wholesale, and the Gilas come to assume his combative themselves opted out of one of its major events, persona – every game they this month’s Asian Games. Andrew Bogut, with played, and in particular when his bent for conspiracy, noted that FIBA was coach Jaworski would step on motivated by the money the Philippines was the fl oor, the crowd would bringing in as a co-host of the second World Cup, crackle in anticipation of a in 2023. fight (one of his star players, The staging of that event is also being called Rudy Distrito, later into question. Shane Heal, on the commentary Basketball Australia CEO Anthony Moore had serious served fi ve years in a team for both games, asked whether our NBA questions to answer when the Boomers landed back Nevada prison for players would turn up in the Philippines for the ’23 home. above An actual game was played that night, too. manslaughter). In his World Cup, perhaps eliding the question whether superb book on any NBA player would turn up anywhere, if his shoe basketball in the company didn’t pay him to. But the Philippines had Philippines, Pacifi c Rims, become yet another of those third-world locales American journalist Rafe – cricket in Bangladesh, a whole range of places Bartholomew noted how for the Socceroos – that our sportspeople dare the various leagues and not to tread. comps made violence a My own private hope is that this does become selling point, like ice the moment that Philippine basketball changes its hockey with its goons. ways, and the best way for that to happen is for the The thug element in rest of the basketball world to keep it engaged. Filipino basketball There will be more than a lit le tension when the reached down the levels. I Boomers and Gilas meet again, but it shouldn’t be remember one of my high avoided. If nothing else, Aussie and Filipinos fans school games ending with now have something to talk about, other than an opposing player chasing whether Manny Pacquiao and Jeff Horn should a ref with a policeman’s fi ght again. There’s an exchange. Great sporting baton. I always chalked it up rivalries have started with a lot less. to the fact that we had no – Jeff Centenera

INSIDE SPORT | SEPTEMBER 2018 29 things you need to know RotaryHenleyonTodd

Not to be confused with the Beer Can Regat a was a bigger crisis at hand: a beer shortage! If the main regat a event doesn’t err ... (held roughly around the same time in Darwin Emergency supplies had to be brought up from fl oat your boat, as previously mentioned 1 and featuring actual boats made out of ... you the William Creek Hotel by rail. 5 there’s a heap of other pursuits to got it), the Henley on Todd Regat a is staged every satisfy your competitive urge across the year on the third Saturday in August on the dry, The only dry-river regat a in the world – day. There’s a budgie smuggler race, a lit le sandy bed of the Todd River in Alice Springs. The are you really that shocked that no other nipper contest involving kids competing only rule is your vessel must resemble a boat and 3 country stages one of these things? – the in blow-up fl oaties, an eights category, encircle your four crew members. Everything else “Henley” part of the Australian festival’s name is single-person kayak, a yacht race, sand- is let up to the imagination. in tribute to the Henley Royal Regat a, a real boat shovelling, sand-ski racing and a lolly scramble event held on Henley-on-Thames in England. Our for the kids. We also like the sound of the popular The event was fi rst proposed by Reg Smith, Henley is the only regat a in the world that’s “boogie board” event, where four people drag a a Victorian-born meteorologist. At a local cancelled due to wet weather, which happened fellow competitor across the “waves” around a 2 Rotary meeting in 1962, he suggested back in 1993 due to fl ooding. The races are held on slalom course. holding a waterless “regat a” as a way of raising hot sand, with competitors running up to a steel money for charity. Thus, the inaugural event was drum. At er they round it, they sprint back home Probably the most held that year in December. When the big day to the fi nish line. colourful and arrived, the Todd was fl owing to its banks, 6 stunning stranding food supplies on one side. But there There’s a heap of other Australian-esque images of the tomfoolery that takes place as part of the Rotary Henley 4 regat a’s festivities besides people on Todd Regat a pretending to race boats in what are ultimately each year arise from running races. The Henley, which at racts thousands of people each year from as near and far as you dare to imagine, kicks off with a vibrant parade along Todd Mall in downtown Alice Springs, featuring all crat and competitors. Rotary Henley on Todd Regatta photos courtesy

30 INSIDE SPORT | SEPTEMBER 2018 part in the “BYO Boat” races – THEN you’ll need to The Henley on Todd has certainly come a design and supply your own boat. Most BYO long way since that inaugural event, when vessels are constructed using electrical conduit 10 all the food became landlocked on one or plumping pipe as the frame. The boat should be side of the river. These days there are many as light and practical as possible and must have stalls located onsite, which will supply you with no sharp edges in case your crew takes a tumble. everything you need: food, refreshments, that the epic and spectacular Bat le of the Boats Henley on Todd souvenir hoodie you never (main image below). Here, three four-wheel- The three Rotary Clubs in Alice Springs run realised you needed ... If you’re heading to the drive vehicles are decked-out to look like the Henley on Todd Regat a each year. They festival anytime soon, just remember, avoid the bat leships. Water cannons are deployed by 8 are Alice Springs, Stuart-Alice Springs and front row – you will get wet ... sort of. crew members and other stuff is hurled and shot the Alice Springs-Mbantua organisations. Their – James Smith at rival boats, such as fl our bombs. At er their now world-famous annual event is the major victory last year, the Vikings proudly declared that fundraiser for the clubs. Impressively, in its they still had water to spare at the end of the 56-year history, over $1.7 million has been 15-minute fi ght, which they used to wash their donated to worthy charities and projects. team down. Yet another highlight on the competition Before you get to thinking this all schedule is the Surf Rescue event. Here, sounds like a father-son billy-cart 9 the competitor plunges a long-handled 7 derby-type event, where only gardening shovel into the thick river bed to propel handymen and their off -spring get to themselves along a train track of sorts towards a compete, another thing worth knowing damsel in distress. Following the “rescue”, both about this ever-giving event is that all saver and the saved are reeled back by the other vessels and equipment is supplied for two members of the team. If anything, these competitors ... unless you wish to take aquatic events are bloody clever, considering the absence of, you know, water and all that.

ORT | SEPTEMBER 2018 31 PUNTER’S CHANCE

NFL ODDS

HIS will be the fi rst NFL season in which bet ing is legal across the United States, so New England Patriots Americans can now look forward to their football games being slathered with bookie ads. $7 TChats about gambling sure beats having arguments about what players should do during the national anthem, and that issue is not going away. But whatever the pigskin discourse, Philadelphia Eagles one thing doesn’t change with the world’s richest sports league – the money keeps rolling in, $10 with NFL revenue having swollen beyond $19b, or roughly what the Premier League and NBA Green Bay Packers make combined. $10 Pittsburgh Steelers $13 New England Patriots $7 Los Angeles Rams $13 Yep, them again. Last season wasn’t the happiest of campaigns for the NFL’s most dependable Minnesota Vikings contender, even as the Pats seemed to be $13 marching to a championship repeat. The ongoing New Orleans Saints tension between coach Bill Belichick and $17 quarterback Tom Brady had a karmic cost, and it Atlanta Falcons ultimately sunk New England in the Super Bowl. $17 There are question marks entering this season: Los Angeles Chargers Rob Gronkowski’s contract, Julian Edelman’s $21 drug-related suspension, a gap at let tackle. And yet, this team remains the league’s rare, sure bet, Dallas Cowboys $21 as long as Belichick draws up the game plan and Brady pulls the trigger, even as he turns 41 years Jacksonville Jaguars old. Count on the Patriots to unearth a key $21 contributor, silence the doubters at er a weird loss, Houston Texans and be right in the frame come playoff time again. $26 San Francisco 49ers $26 Philadelphia Eagles $10 Philly, never the most optimistic of sports towns, had surely writ en off last year when its franchise quarterback, Carson Wentz (right), was lost to injury with less than a month let in the season. Then a funny thing happened: the long-suff ering HoustonTexans $26 Eagles and their fans went on a joyride, with A four-win team last year, the Texans are the bet ors’ backup QB Nick Foles doing the driving, and consensus riser in 2018. The reasoning isn’t complex: ditched its status as one of the handful of historic they eff ectively add Deshaun Watson and JJ Wat clubs without a Super Bowl win. The question at (below in blue), as both return from season-ending hand: having waited more than a half-century to injuries. Watson, in particular, was enjoying one of win another NFL title, could Philadelphia win the best rookie years ever seen from a quarterback – consecutively? Wentz is a reason to believe, as Houston won three of his six starts, posted more than the 25-year-old North Dakotan might just be the 30 points in each game, then had only one other league’s next great passer. And as the Pats learned, victory at er his ACL tear. The Texans will also be the Eagles’ defense can really bring the pressure, hoping for their defence to bounce back, which went with Fletcher Cox leading an outstanding D-line. from the top-rated unit in the league to 24th last year. Get ing a future Hall-of-Famer in Wat back can only help, while free agent signing Tyrann Mathieu gives them a big-play element in the secondary. Los Angeles Rams $13 Los Angeles Chargers $21 Only a few years ago, LA had absolutely no live NFL football. Now it has two teams. The Rams, in particular, made the all-in push in free agency, adding veteran Aqib Talib, Ndamukong Suh and Brandin Cooks to the star-laden core of QB Jared Goff , back Todd Gurley (let ) and defensive lineman Aaron Donald. Wunderkind coach Sean McVay, 32, might be the most highly regarded talent of all, and he has plenty to work with. The Rams’ fellow re-locators across town have no shortage of material either, as the former San Diego outfi t still trots out Philip Rivers under centre, along with young blue-chippers such as receiver Keenan Getty Images Getty Allen and pass rushers Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram. If Kansas City isn’t quite up to speed with Patrick Mahomes taking over, the Chargers

will have an edge in their division race. photos by

32 INSIDE SPORT | SEPTEMBER 2018

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after 1 beer after 2 beers after 3 beers after 4 beers

REASONED ARGUMENTS DIVERSIONARY TANGENTS RAISED VOICES IMPROBABLEHYPOTHETICALS

IF CROWDS MATTER TO YOU TV IS ON TOP IT’S T00 DANGEROUS OUT THERE WHAT’S THE POINT OF ALL THIS? “Ha! Great turnout at the Olympic “The true indication of the status “You reckon your crowd numbers “I went to an AFL game once. I got Stadium, mate. Look at the TV up of a sport, especially in Australia, is are among the best in the world, up to walk out because I thought the there behind the bar. There would how many people are watching it on but geez, I’ve seen those reports game was over and my Aussie rules only be about 72,000 spare seats at television. The crowd at the ground is on the TV news recently: there mate says, ‘Where are you going? It’s the rugby tonight. Unless it’s ‘dress only a fraction of the amount of are brawls breaking out almost only half-time.’ Games of AFL go for up like an empty seat round”’ in which people enjoying the sport at any one on a weekly basis in VFL. What’s too long. That’s why rugby league is case it looks like a sell-out! Even the time. League is our main code; AFL going on? Isn’t our game, the watched by more people on TV. It fi ts netball gets more people to its will never have the ratings that State feral, bogan sport of rugby league, into a bet er TV viewer package/ games than the NRL. Our real footy of Origin gets. League has three of supposed to be the one with no experience thingy.” shits all over your game. No one the top four most-watched shows cultural values?” really cares about rugby.” in Australia each year.” FOOTY’S THE WINNER ARE FANS ALLOWED AT THE RUGBY? “Listen to yourself: bloody Sydney THE NRL COMEBACK ONLY PART OF THE PICTURE “Yes, I’ll admit, we’ve had a few wanker. You reckon WE’RE the “Yeah, RUGBY is struggling – you “Granted, State of Origin is a major brawls in the crowd of late. But you tossers down here? You either like don’t even know which version of the drawcard; we’ll never have anything know what the most vital ingredient your footy or you don’t. Who cares game you’re trying to slag off , do to rival that in our footy interest- of a crowd brawl is? A crowd! I’ve how long it goes for on TV? Actually, you? It sounds like you’re hating on wise – even I watch that and I hardly switched channels on a weekend and I wouldn’t know about any of that the Wallabies’ game. I’m sure you even follow kiss and catch. But it’s fl ashed across the rugby, and there’s because I’m always at the game. Just mean NRL. Not surprising; you’re a only part of the overall interest. Our no one at the NRL! Do they even let like a lot of footy fans down here. pret y isolated lot down here, hey? AFL doesn’t look very good on TV. fans through the gate? Does anyone Rush back home now, your favourite You’re the only people in the world You can’t see the whole game.” even know the matches are on?” TV sport is on soon, isn’t it?” who play VFL. No one else does. At least league is played in the north of England, too. And in New Zealand.”

THE SMUG SOCCER FAN “Did someone mention the world game? You’re both being too cute. I’m sure each of your widdle sports is huge in Russia, Brazil and Argentina. ‘Scuse me, barman, can you crank the music up and drown out these two complete dribblers?”

“Games of AFL go for too long. That’s why rugby league is watched by more people on TV.” Getty Images Getty photo by

INSIDE SPORT | SEPTEMBER 2018 35 things you must not miss

Last serve Test prep

It’s back to New York for the fi nal Slam of the The nuffi es will, no doubt, lap up an England-India tennis year. This US Open (Aug 27-Sep 10) will be Test series. But why not the more casual cricket the fi rst to have all four of Federer, Nadal, Djokovic fans among us, too? It will be a great look at our and Murray in the draw since 2015, which probably next Test opponent, as Virat Kohli (below) and his means someone like John Isner is going to sneak in team head here this summer. And here’s the thing and win it. On the women’s side, it appears set up – the Indians regard their own rivalry with the for Serena Williams to cap her comeback, although English as a big deal. It might not be the Ashes, but Flushing Meadows has been the site of some weird then, we don’t have quite the history with the results for her ever since her last US title in 2014. Empire and the Raj, either. So drop into the series Whatever happens for these venerable champions, midstream, with the third Test (from Aug 18) in they’ll have to do it with haste – new this year Trent Bridge and the fourth (from Aug 30) in is a 25-second serve clock, because tennis is Southampton. Hopefully the series will be live just too slow, no? Players will get a warning on when it arrives at a familiar last stop at The Oval the fi rst violation, docked a point on the second (from Sep 7). Yep, that’s fi ve Tests in total, which is and a game at er the third. Grand plans how you know it’s serious.

Things didn’t quite line up for the Vuelta a Espana (Aug 25-Sep 16) – had defending Vuelta champ Chris Froome (above) claimed another victory in last month’s Tour de France, he was set to try and sweep all three Grand Tours in a single year, a feat that’s never been accomplished in cycling history. Instead, Spain’s big bike race will present an opportunity for several other high-profi le riders, following the crazy events of le Tour. Aussie Richie Porte and Vincenzo Nibali were looking for a ride around the Iberian peninsula, hoping to make up for their early exits in France. The Vuelta will present its now typical test – like last year, there will be nine summit fi nishes along the route, and the second week will be particularly gruelling in the mountains of Asturias. School spirit

The American college football season begins this month, and week one delivers an old-school, traditional-powers grudge match. Michigan vs Notre Dame (Sep 2) is a rivalry that dates back to 1887, with mutual excellence sustaining it – Michigan has won the most games in college history, Notre Dame had the most championships until recently. But it’s more than that: the two schools bear genuine animus, stemming from the anti-Catholic sentiment of Michigan coach Fielding Yost at the turn of the century. Yost convinced other schools in the Midwest not to play Notre Dame; instead the Fighting Irish went all over the country to play, becoming the fi rst national football power. If Getty Images Getty for no other reason, watch this game for the two universities’ fi ght songs, which are truly the

best in all of college football. photos by

36 INSIDE SPORT | SEPTEMBER 2018 Australia’s only dedicated female sports website

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If the Tour de France wasn’t gruelling enough physically for the riders, the great race turned positively chaotic this year. Dutch cyclist Steven Kruijswijk could only hope the fans didn’t Philippe Lopez / AFP / Getty Images

get too close during the 12th stage up the famed Alpe d’Huez. photo by

38 INSIDE SPORT | SEPTEMBER 2018 INSIDE SPORT | SEPTEMBER 2018 39 IN HINDSIGHT

The AFL Drat has become a bit of a coage industry, with a lot of aention devoted SamMitchell to evaluating young footballers and their ROM A KID who was writ en off as an adept at fi nding the football and perfectly potential. Would you AFL prospect, unchosen in the 2000 comfortable on either foot. say your career is the F drat , Sam Mitchell now stands as the With such football nous, it was no surprise counter-argument? high example that star footballers aren’t just that Mitchell would move into coaching – Before my time the sum of their physical git s. Mitchell was even departing Hawthorn to play his fi nal was probably when a cornerstone of Hawthorn’s dynasty over season with West Coast and set up his everyone wanted the last decade, a four-time premiership new role. Mitchell recently published his footballers who'd played player, the winning captain in ’08, a autobiography Relentless. As the title footy since litle kids. 329-gamer and, at er some revision, the indicates, it’s the story of a highly driven Around that time, it was 2012 Brownlow medallist. As his coach individual. But it’s also about how he learned the athlete – the Anthony at the Hawks Alastair Clarkson noted, to harness that intensity along the journey, Koutoufides-type of Mitchell was one of the game’s great brains, as we discovered in our chat. person. I wasn’t that. And so that created its own challenges. And I think since that time, more players, particularly in the last five or six years, are geting drated a litle bit later, even if it’s only 19 or 20 years old. That is happening more frequently than it was back then. And so that’s been a benefit to the league and for players; just because you haven't fully developed by 18 or 19 doesn’t mean the dream’s over.

I get the sense that going undrated in 2000 is what made you – you were always motivated, but maybe your early career pans out the way it does because you were passed over. Like most players who end up on AFL lists, they usually are the best players at their local clubs. And then they go to the interleague, and they’re still one of the best players. They play in representative teams, and they’re top-end. I was like that, like everyone else in those programs. Geting the kick in the teeth from not geting drated and not fielding any interest from AFL clubs was a reminder for me, which I needed fairly regularly when I was in my teens: so you’re actually not that good and the world doesn’t revolve around you ... In the under-18s program, I didn’t have a clue. I didn’t grow up in an athletic family or anything, so I didn’t have a clue about professionalism and all those things ... If I had got invited to drat camp – the camp hadn’t been going for that long and it wasn’t as professional as it is now – of the midfield group, I would have been running right down the back of the end of the time trials. But I was very good at finding the footy.

Youget drated by Hawthorn ater a year at Box Hill, but the Hawks of the early ’00s are not like the club we know now. The Line in the Sand Game against Essendon stands out during that period – was that really significant to the club, or just memorable? Yeah,I’d hurt myself early in the piece and was in the change rooms. One of the physios from the time, still to this day, holds it against me that he missed the biggest fight in the game because he was healing my ankle. Not too long before that, I think there was an article about us being mummy's boys, and all that Getty Images sort of thing. The book goes into a bit of detail about that era and how it was in the middle of a photos by

40 INSIDE SPORT | SEPTEMBER 2018 "Thefirstopportunitywehad,really,towinaflag,we did it. And that's not normally the case ... you had to have a couple of prelims first before you're ready." change of culture, a changing of the guard of the football department. And I think that was close to From Box Hill to Hawthorn [above left], Peter Schwab’s last year. There were rumblings Mitchell always found of change that was coming, and that became the his way to the ball. platform for the success of the future decade.

Alastair Clarkson comes in soon at er that, and your portrait of him in the book is vivid. How would you say he’s changed over time? I’m not sure how much he’s changed himself. He was a very young man who perhaps had a lot to prove – I think he was in his mid-30s when he got the head coaching job originally. I’m not sure what he would say now, but he’s been so successful that now he just does things with just as much passion, but he doesn’t probably have the need to prove himself. His passion for the game from what I’ve seen from afar over the last couple years doesn’t seem to have changed. He still continues to evolve and try to develop the game and he is just as passionate now about the game as he was in 2004.

The 2008 fl ag is a breakthrough, when you beat a historically good Geelong side. But in retrospect, was it something that happened ahead of schedule? That’s probably been documented fairly consistently, that when Clarko brought his plan, he didn’t know how long it would take. The fi rst opportunity we had, really, to win a fl ag, we did it. And that’s not normally the case. It has happened a couple of times in more recent history, with the Bulldogs and Richmond the last couple of years. But prior to that, it usually was, you had to have a couple of prelims fi rst before you’re ready to win one. And we sort of got there, and it was our fi rst real crack. It was the fi rst time we had been right up top of the ladder for the majority of the season, and then we won straight away. So that was great learning for the football club at the time, because perhaps if we had that time again, we would have done things diff erently. Hopefully, the success of later years was based off the failings of the 2009 and ’10 seasons.

I thought the most interesting material was `

INSIDE SPORT | SEPTEMBER 2018 41 IN HINDSIGHT

the 2011 season – you were experiencing really work; when I was at home, I was at home. And in And I never really had that trouble. I’d love to tough times off the fi eld with health scares in general, they didn’t muddy the waters of each tell you I worked really hard to be like that. But your family, but no one could tell with how other too ot en. I probably found that a bit more of a natural state well you were playing on the fi eld. Was that a I realise now that I’m a coach, that perhaps was and that’s just how I was: when I drive my car, I compartmentalistation thing, fi nding a refuge quite a blessing that I didn’t appreciate when drive my car, I’m not really doing anything else in footy? I was playing. Because so many players, they can’t other than that one thing. It’s probably something I didn’t appreciate switch off from the game when they get home. And as a player until at er I retired. One of my then if they’ve got things going on at home, they In a story in this magazine a few years ago, Luke strengths perhaps as a player was my ability to can’t switch off from home when they’re at work. Hodge talked about how you helped him through compartmentalise – when I was at work, I was at his transition to the captaincy. That kind of situation ot en has the potential to tear a team apart – how did you manage it? "So many players, they can't switch off from the game when they get home. And if they've got things going on at home, they can't switch off when they're at work. I never had that trouble."

Leading a winning combination with Luke Hodge in 2013. below Paraded off after his 300th.

42 INSIDE SPORT | SEPTEMBER 2018 inside story, how that came about and half- A belated Brownlow, organising your own when you which he and had to plan. know you’re going to win, it’s a strange process that you wouldn’t expect to ever have to describe.

Associated as you were with Hawthorn, the move in your last year came as a surprise. How are you fi nding the move to the sidelines at West Coast? I’m really enjoying the coaching so far, loving the job. I’m still fascinated by the game. I love what I do, and the great opportunity to work with players and try to get the best out of them. I’ve really enjoyed that process. But I’m still learning a lot, that’s a steep learning curve, as any new occupation is. So I’m in that process at the moment and taking the same at itude I had during my playing career into my coaching career. I think Hawthorn is in a pret y good place with some young talent and hopefully I’ve been able to have some positive impact on West Coast. It’s been a win-win environment for everyone involved. I’ve never had anyone criticise me from Hawthorn, call me a traitor or anything like that. It was quite a mutual decision to move on. I’ve been back to I tried to really capture that relationship. There Certainly – winning a Brownlow Medal, it was a Hawthorn a couple of times. We had our ’08 reunion was a lot of talk about how Hodgey and I worked unique experience going through that. It’s not the earlier this year it was great to see everyone and together, and we were very diff erent personalities, typical Brownlow night, so it’s quite a different really enjoy spending time back at Hawthorn. I very diff erent players. And we played and were process. Going through how that actually always felt like I was still welcome. motivated by perhaps diff erent things. But the one happened, for the footy fanatic that loves the – Jeff Centenera thing that we wanted was team success, and being able to achieve that, we thought that openness and development of each other would help in that way. Still in the game, but When I was the captain, I loved taking pride in on the sidelines, at helping him out with areas that he needed to work West Coast. on, and vice versa. And our ability to create a one- plus-one-equals-three-type of culture among our leadership group was really strong ... Yeah, we had a really strong leadership group: Jordan Lewis, Jarryd Roughead, Josh Gibson. Earlier than that, there was Shane Crawford. Those kinds of guys were really important for the way we went about our work and really held each other to such high standards. We took a lot of pride in our performance and our leadership. When I look back now, it was quite a blessing to be to be surrounded by such strong leaders.

For all the joy you had in grand fi nals, it’s curious that the thing you hold onto was Marty Ma ner in the 2012 GF. Is that your perfectionism talking, or a case of failure being more sticky than success? Yeah, I think both of those things. I’m not sure why. It’s not like I wish it was that way. But I do fi nd myself on a fairly regular basis thinking of Marty Mat ner in the middle of the ground, stepping around me. I’m not sure why that is, it just seemed like an opportunity missed, to perhaps win one more. That’s what you play the game for, to win and have success on that fi nal day. When you make errors on the big day, then you tend to remember them fairly vividly.

A question about the Brownlow: you seemed on track to become the player with the most career votes without winning one. Then it comes to

Getty Images Getty you in unusual circumstances, when Jobe Watson is stripped. How have you processed the experience of the Brownlow, considering it’s not

photos by the conventional one a winner has?

INSIDE SPORT | SEPTEMBER 2018 43 44 INSIDE SPORT |SEPTEMBER 2018 BULLY BALL Does size matter? Or, at least, does it still matter when you want to win an AFL premiership? With recent champions relying on small ball, fast ball and whatever- the-hell-the-Doggies-were-doing-in-2016 ball, way out west the soaring Eagles have another plan for this September: let’s go big. By TRAVIS CRANLEY

INSIDE SPORT | SEPTEMBER 2018 45 n the cheap seats at ’s swanky (That’s five-foot-ten to six-foot-two for of recklessness with ball movement and new Optus Stadium, up where the air old-schoolers). The scales tell a similar tale, furious with their tackling and defensive is thin and the staircase is steep and with most players captured within a weight pressure. Reigning premiers Richmond, you’re 10-1 to trip over your neighbour’s range of 78kg to 90kg. Our national game, with Martin as its brilliant battering beer holder as you squeeze your way so demanding of giant-sized displays of ram, has mastered the transition break into your fortnightly crow’s nest, courage and effort, is a sport mostly played and spread. Turnovers are lethal when Ione finds the time between squinting, by athletes who could only exist as wingers less skilled teams cough up the ball to the re-focusing and asking aloud whether that and point guards in other elite pursuits. Tigers. Lacking tall targets other than the blurry dot on the distant green footy field There are, of course, aberrations on livewire , Richmond relies on is a player, umpire, seagull or goalpost to either end of this size spectrum, extending an onslaught by quality shorter forwards contemplate life’s most puzzling questions. from the peaks of Fremantle’s Aaron whenever the ball falls inside their forward Like this one, for instance: why hasn’t the Sandilands and Collingwood’s Mason Cox 50. Like the Golden State Warriors in the AFL gone big? (read about him in our story on p.52), who NBA, they are the kings of the AFL’s own Other sports and other codes seem on each stretch to 211cm, to a select crew of version of pace and space. an endless pursuit of size, the front office smaller men, such as ’ The best sequences of footy played mantra of so many professional clubs being 2016 premiership hero , at at present resemble an anarchic track to excel is to XL. Yet in an age of high-tech 168cm. But in recent times, it has been meet, the ball relayed like a sprinter’s training, statistical zealotry and advanced the mid-sized power players who have baton, as players race from defence to metrics, when every Aussie rules footy dominated, with the likes of Brownlow attack in waves of desperate movement. expert this side of Belter Brogan packs an Medal winners , Patrick In between these explosions of action are iPad next to the boots in their kit bag, the Dangerfield and Gary Ablett proving the the stymied scrums and scrimmages, the

AFL remains mostly an everyman’s game archetypal heroes of this era. 20-strong piles of players around the ball, Getty Images

in terms of physical size. For rather than become super-sized, the pack mentality that so maddens the The bulk of players on AFL team lists the AFL went super-charged. Elite live spectator yet provides the pleasing

hit heights of between 178cm and 188cm teams are fleet of foot, fast to the point visual of plenty of sweaty bodies bouncing photos by

46 INSIDE SPORT |SEPTEMBER 2018 around on a TV screen. (The AFL, after of game-winning significance. momentarily sounded like another David, all, now almost demands analysis as not Tactically, there appears so few Attenborough, narrating a Planet Earth only a winter league but also a broadcast regressions from the norm in the AFL. documentary. Evolution, he was telling us, production.) Ten-person coaching panels don’t seem was happening, we just had to know what The problem for most teams is these capable of coming up with a workable we were looking for. thrilling attacking forays can only function plan-B to this modern maelstrom of Age ultimately wearied Hawthorn’s when you have a critical mass of adept motion, nor find an antidote to the great dynasty and injury and internal ball-handlers capable of maintaining nomadic following of the ball by the 36 unrest have ruined the Bulldogs’ chances maximum effort for four, fatiguing players on the field. of repeating their unforgettable run quarters. Simply, what’s the good of a That’s not to say that strategic changes to the 2016 flag. This year, however, chain reaction if the links can’t handpass, and advances don’t occur. On ABC Radio, Richmond has avoided any triumph- kick, receive under pressure or maintain four-time premiership coach David Parkin induced competitive hangover, spending their run? So the lesser teams of the AFL observed that the three most recent much of the season being the league’s most mimic the stronger teams, and so many premiership teams: the Hawthorn dynasty formidable force. After a 37-year wait of their offensive flurries end in failure of 2013-2015, the Western Bulldogs between premierships, coach Damien with a ball spilled, or turned over, or a in 2016 and Richmond last year, each Hardwick and his players have maintained tackle leading to the next unwanted maul. succeeded by playing a different style of the focus, fitness and aggression to “Skill breakdown” is the unreported stat winning football. The professorial Parkin deservedly be the side to beat entering this month of finals. The odds are against a rival being capable of beating Richmond The best sequences of footy played at present at their own breakneck game. resemble an anarchic track meet, the ball relayed But what if rather than a leg race, there was a team capable of making this finals like a sprinter’s baton, as players race from series an arms race? What if size did defence to attack in waves of desperate movement. matter, and all this Richmond-esque `

left When the ball's in the air, these big Eagles have an edge. above With a pair of Coleman Medals to his name, Josh Kennedy gets the high fives, while Jack Darling [right] just goes high. below Forwards coach Jaymie Graham has plenty to work with.

INSIDE SPORT | SEPTEMBER 2018 47 4 8 I another surprise premiership contender. premiership surprise another Collingwood, 17 to loss round their during ACL atorn to NicNaitanui ball wrecking ofruckman/ loss cruel the after – even ranks following their in and defence in attack, in tall govery can They match. can squad finals noother that ball ofbully style agame.” during smaller any don’tget players big true: ofcourse, is, oldline The ground. over the all contests win can and competitive really whoare players team, your in bodies strong big, have to helps always “It Graham. Jaymie coach, forwards’ Eagles the says best,” outtheir brings that offootball astyle play to sense makes prize? greatest sport’s your at run aSeptember make to big go to bottle and bodies you’vegotthe and ground? the around positions key at athletes imposing planting by neutralised, least or at stopped, be could madness run-and-gun The Eagles have the potential to play a play to potential the have Eagles The itonly so and ofquality gottalls “We’ve Eagles, West Coast you’re the if What SE PTE MBE R 201 8 other finals team. Entering August, the the August, Entering team. finals other forevery problems match-up immediate whopresent players tall ofpowerful, spine imposing an start can Eagles the is mean (196cm). Schofield Will and (195cm) including talls other by complemented is which tandem aclass provide ability, marking and kick penetrating forhis known bull a187cm Hurn, Shannon captain He and attacks. intercepting at amaster and mark contested best league’s the as many by regarded is (at 196cm) Jeremy McGovern 2018. in improvers big list’s of the one Redden, Jack and 2017 All-Australian, Yeo, a Elliot midfielders 190cm muscular are them with Running support. in Vardy Nathan 200cm with ruckman, choice first- the is Lycett Scott 203cm Naitanui, talismanic ofthe loss the After winner. Medal Coleman atwo-time Kennedy, Josh 196cm and Darling Jack 191cm season: this punch one-two big best the What all these names and numbers numbers and names these all What All-Australian two-time defence, In boasting line aforward oversees Graham overhead. far far overhead. mid-size crew crew mid-size right Jeremy right Jeremy again. b lost to injury [right] was was [right] McGovern, shows how shows how the Eagles' right there [left] was was [left] Deep size: Elliot YeoElliot when Nic is strong Naitanui going to ground. e low low substitute for ability. Every team team Every forability. substitute no remains “There hesays. ground,” the on is ball whenthe impact an have to able be also but nowyoumust air the do itin game. modern the in influential remain to set skill their adapt to had have players tall said 2008, 2005- from backman a195cm as Eagles some smarts. game himself got goneand has Goliath plays. decisive make and ground the down up and hard work structures, but menwhomaintain out, trotted being thugs ormindless lugs big aren’t These efficiency. skill and roles team to commitment acombined is bigs Coast AFL. the in Eagles the than team nobetter be may there air the in is ball whenthe see: can eye strained the even what supports data The hit-outs. in Gawn, Max contender Medal Brownlow and ruckman by led Melbourne, to only second were and marks, contested and marks in leaders statistical the were Eagles “Bigs have always been expected to to expected been always have “Bigs forthe 37games whoplayed Graham, West ofthe physicality sheer the Beyond

photos by Getty Images whenever the ball goes forward. “We’ve got talls of quality and so it only makes “Kennedy and Darling, they’re both sense to play a style of football that brings out very competitive. The ability is obvious. They work hard to get to every contest their best,” says Eagles forwards coach Jaymie they can, and compete to get themselves Graham. “The old line is, of course, true: big opportunities or to make opportunities for their team-mates,” Graham says. players don’t get any smaller during a game.” “They play an important role in winning and halving contests. When they’re not has talls on their list, but what we have that from players, both large and small, to stick winning the ball, they’re getting the ball is special is a group of talls who are very, to their designated roles. to ground and that brings smaller players very talented.” “You have to find a style of play that like [Mark] LeCras, [Jamie] Cripps, [Willie] At the start of the season, many experts complements your list. Richmond have Rioli and [Liam] Ryan into the game.” tipped the Eagles would fail to make the top done it and it won them a premiership, Graham recognises time plays a factor eight for the first time since 2014. Popular and that’s what the Western Bulldogs did in developing talls. Having patience in a thinking had the team lacking leadership the year before. You can’t all be copy-cats,” bigger-framed athlete as he gains the skills and depth, with list losses including the he says. and the endurance required of the modern retirement of Brownlow medallists Matt The Eagles’ potent forward line remains player is one factor which may explain Priddis and Sam Mitchell. Instead, after Graham’s pet talking topic. He credits the why other clubs have baulked at daring being trounced by Sydney in round one, selflessness of Kennedy and the emergence to be different with their structures and the Eagles went on a nine-game winning of Darling as a consistent marking threat, lists. It also doesn’t help when heartless streak, including a 47-point victory over combined with the pair’s exceptional fans ride young talls relentlessly, adding Richmond, to set up their season. work rates, as major factors in his forward unnecessary pressure and scrutiny. The Graham praises coach Adam Simpson unit’s 2018 success. With Darling, aged 26, Eagles are reaping the rewards of their for developing a system that plays to the enjoying his best year as an AFL player, the perseverance and planning, much like Eagles’ strengths while also getting buy-in Eagles have two legitimate leading targets ’s Collingwood now `

SEPTEEMBER 2018 have a potent forward weapon in Cox, an a teenager and had an impact in his first Also, unlike their former home ground American basketball recruit once viewed year. The thing with him is, expectations at Subiaco Oval, the dimensions of Optus primarily as a curious novelty. were immediately so high. But he’s been Stadium are more aligned to the field of “When Josh Kennedy came across doing it every year, kicking about 40 goals play at the . from Carlton, he wasn’t the player he and applying pressure. Now he’s had a real That’s a significant asset to a team that has is today,” Graham says, noting that the break-out season and proven just what type had trouble winning big games away from All-Australian spearhead was part of of player he can be.” home in recent seasons. the 2007 deal that sent star Chris Judd There is one other oversized factor, “The players love Optus Stadium,” east. “At the other end of the field, Jeremy hinted about at the top of this article, Graham says. “You’ve got more than 55,000 McGovern didn’t look like he would develop favouring the Eagles in this finals fans supporting you at every game. It’s a into such a brilliant player when he arrived campaign. Perth’s Optus Stadium, opened massive experience and it has helped to at the club.” McGovern was the 44th pick in in time for the 2018 AFL season, may prove maintain that real sense of a home ground the 2011 rookie draft. to be the team’s 19th man this month. The advantage for us after we left Subiaco.” Graham continues: “With Darling, I’d 60,000-seat, $1.6 billion megastructure Should the Eagles finish in the top two say he has copped an unfair amount of has immediately provided an intimidating on the ladder at the end of round 23, they criticism. He came into the AFL system as environment for opposition teams. could win their way to the grand final, to be played at the MCG on September 29, without leaving Perth. They were losing There is one other oversized factor favouring grand-finalistsin2015,withthemost recent of their three premierships coming the Eagles in this finals campaign: Perth’s Optus in 2006. If they get hot and stay hot, there is no reason not to believe a fourth flag is Stadium … unlike their former home ground at Getty Images

Subiaco Oval, the dimensions of Optus Stadium within their grasp. Bigtalk?Yep.Bigambitions?Yep.Big ■

are more aligned to the field of play at the MCG. players? Count on them. photos by

50 INSIDE SPORT |SEPTEMBER 2018 TALL ORDERS PHIL DAVIS GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY The 197cm Davis rocks both muscles and a 5 bigs to watch this September man-bun, and goes about his business of shutting down key forwards with quiet and ruthless JEREMY McGOVERN WEST COAST EAGLES efficiency. A captain since the club’s debut in McGovern’s significance to the Eagles was 2012, Davis presents as a natural leader in the highlighted when he signed a five-year contract backline. In a team of stars and ball-handlers, his extension with the team in July, with the agreed primary task is to do the physical work required terms reportedly earning him more than to keep the opposition’s spearhead neutralised. $1 million per year. The lofty price tag was won a premiership in his first year with the Tigers Aged 28, Davis still has plenty of good footy required because the 196cm McGovern would in 2017. He was recruited after two seasons with left to play. GWS have been beaten preliminary have been the hottest of free agents in the Sydney, in which he played just 12 games. His finalists in both of the last two seasons. Despite off-season. An All-Australian defender in 2016 readiness to do the bulk of the team’s rucking a shaky start to the season, Davis and company and 2017, McGovern’s elite marking ability comes duties alone allows coach to will like their chances of getting an extra week’s to the fore in contested play. The 26-year-old is play an extra fast, skilled midfielder on the park. action this year. also a leading intercept marker, a mobile player with a match-winning mix of brain and brawn. JESSE HOGAN MELBOURNE COLLINGWOOD Much like at Richmond, his presence At his best, the 195cm Hogan has the ability to Mason Cox stands taller, but 203cm Brodie – and prescience – changes the way opponents be a decisive match-winner up forward for the Grundy (pictured above, right) is the big motor have to deliver the ball inside their own 50. Demons, forming a formidable tall tandem with that so often drives the Magpies. The 24-year- 194cm Tom McDonald. However, too often for old has been a revelation in the ruck in 2018, TOBY NANKERVIS RICHMOND some, Hogan can drift out of games and prove averaging more than 37 hit-outs and 20 disposals. The 199cm Nankervis (pictured above, left) ineffectual. Hogan is still just 23 years old, and Importantly, his aerial game is matched by a may be Richmond’s most underrated asset. The has dealt with several personal setbacks in willingness to apply defensive pressure and only recognised ruckman in the team’s best 22, recent years. He combines natural strength with aggressive tackling. He covers territory well and Nankervis deserves much credit for emerging as marking power, and has the capacity to kick a bag his effectiveness in the ruck has benefitted the a mobile, hard-working follower with the ability of goals when he’s on. If he gets hot and stays hot Pies’ best ball-handlers such as captain Scott to take a strong overhead mark. Nankervis, 2 for September, look out. Pendlebury and Steele Sidebottom.

It's not only the big boys that get West Coast's fans [right] excited: they can look ahead to their big, new home at Optus Stadium [below and left] giving them an edge in the finals.

INSIDE SPORT | SEPTEMBER 2018 51 From the Lone Star State to the MCG, Mason Cox’s path was singular enough. But it’s not just the freak physical abilities of the Collingwood big man that make him stand out from the rest. Instead, it’s a mind that’s geared toward putting things together. By ROBERT DRANE

e’s tall. A fool would think at other games, though they ultimately wonderment. He saw the upside. So did Hthat’s all. failed to tame the unicorn of Aussie rules. coaches. The maxim applies everywhere: Mason Cox is unprecedented. He Neither was he a son of migrants, brought the tall ones don’t get shorter as a contest was, self-admittedly, not “elite”; no Stynes up playing the game, like Jesaulenko, wears on. Often at combat’s crossroads or Kennelly. They’d at least competed at the Daicos, Houli, Daw. He was the issue of two stands a towering man, a spindle in top level of something before they arrived, engineers from Dallas, Texas. fortune’s machinery. even if it was a native game ferociously He was seemingly no potential elite At Oklahoma State University, he took up sustained by provincial followers, barely athlete, either. He had a certain repertoire, basketball as recreation. The head coach known to the rest of the world. At least if only the sport existed to showcase it – noticed him – or rather, his height – and in that way, was like not that sport attracted him. He loved Cox enlisted as a walk-on. In six minutes Australian rules. And even then they made study. But therein lies a secret: the brain against Texas, he swatted the best college rookie mistakes. Jim Stynes, the Irish of an engineer. dunker, got two steals and two points in a folk-tale, made the most infamous error in He won’t die wondering. He’s no stranger game he’d barely played, then gassed out. AFL/VFL history. Sometimes Mason Cox to being a stranger, but serendipity seems “Engineering was the path I was going to threatens to surpass it as his shiny, smooth to tail him as he wanders down various take”, he says. new abilities transform into just enough holes – rabbit holes, loopholes, wormholes The AFL Draft Combine rolled into bristly rope when met with an unfamiliar – from one happening to the next, powered town and the path changed. They were challenge. Then he’s irresistible to those by a certain disposition: conscientious, met with incredulity by Oklahoma State’s who want to fashion the noose. unassuming, buoyant, dogged. media manager. “You sure it’s Cox you’re But no adventurer was ever paralysed Unquestioning as Nehemiah, he’s accepted looking for? We’ve plenty of others!” His for fear of ridicule. He’s certainly not. each opening and gone in. soccer background intrigued them – a sport Awkward, dorky, gawky, gormless – he’s This was no Yao Ming, selectively bred, utterly dissimilar to Australian rules, but heard it all. AFL prigs, prudes and pedants patiently reared and purpose-trained. He not as dissimilar as basketball or American label him little for fear that he might dare grew suddenly tall at 16, taking semester football. He was part of the championship- to grow. break at around 5’10” and returning six winning Edward S. Marcus High School He’s no Folau or Hunt. They excelled inches closer to the clouds, to everyone’s team. They reasoned he might have some ` All that combine testing was right: Collingwood's Mason Cox can indeed fly to the football like few other big men.

INSIDE SPORT | SEPTEMBER 2018 53 tricks. The promise of a free trip lured him to LA, and the combine. That went well. He came to Australia to explore this curious new territory (he’s been exploring it ceaselessly ever since), his brother with him posing as his agent. AFL clubs were interested. Another wormhole was about to take him somewhere he’d never contemplated. Then a loophole kept him there. It was a recruiting coup. Wealthy Collingwood could pay him handsomely as an international category-B rookie, outside the salary cap. Cox only joined the official list in 2018, so they’ve managed four years of careful development, minus cap pressure. That’s gone much better than expected. So well, in fact, that Cox was one of two audacious calls at the end of 2017: Collingwood stuck with coach Nathan Buckley and Buckley stuck with Cox. Buckley, enduring extraordinary personnel problems like some The work continues, but Cox kind of protracted penance, had every excuse shows great improvement with his kicking [above] or to write the man off. It wouldn’t have been when the ball is on the deck considered rash. He hasn’t just tolerated Cox. [far right] – all of which leads to the sharing of happy He’s kept him like a secret. moments with coach Nathan Cox sensed the coach’s quiet dismay in Buckley [right]. 2014 when his first handball went metres over Buckley’s head. Around that time, Craig McCrae was drilling him one-on-one. Cox took a mark at training. “There was no one in front of me, so I just took off. I ran about 50m toward goal and everyone just stopped and started laughing. I said, ‘What’s going on?’ They said, ‘You know you have to bounce the ball.’ Craig said, ‘We haven’t got to that yet, guys.’” Yep, Cox had nothing, so forgive him if those lapses seem egregious.

t’s easy to depict Cox as an exemplar of the Icliched Big Thinker who just doesn’t know any better, yet. Pollyanna, Walter Mitty, Sancho Panza. The dreamer, forever a schemer. But he’s an engineer. It’s an engineer’s habit to act upon an idea. It’s easy to believe he has one enormous trick, like a fiddler crab. He says: “If I wasn’t tall, I wouldn’t be doing this.” But even a fiddler crab wields his singular implement with subtlety. Cox concludes, rightly and realistically, that, being taller than anyone else, today or in history, he’s capable of the unprecedented. He’s woven intricacies into his game and his rapid progress at least matches Stynes’ at the same stage. It’s impossible to overstate it. To better understand it, let’s look at his world the way he might – with the eyes of an engineer. “Mechanical engineering takes five years of study and I put it in the back pocket to try something I’ve never heard of,” he says. “It was a bit of a risk.” He’d just landed a prime job at Exxon Mobil when he informed them he was going to Australia to play a game he couldn’t even begin to explain. But in order to understand a situation, one needs to go to the “real place”, where the work is done. In the engineering world, this is known as “Genchi Genbutsu”, or “go and see”. Turns out Melbourne, and AFL application of his strengths impresses. He make the game spectacular: the aerialists. football, are real places. He wonders if he takes full advantage of his high aspect ratio Frequent flyers like Jeremy Howe understands them. “How did I get here?” he (long, narrow wing). have many moving parts and a range of often thinks when he looks up at training During the 2018 Queen’s Birthday concomitant skills. An even taller man and scans the skyline of a city he’d never match against Melbourne, something with a high game has the big-man benefits heard of until 2014. He knew only of Sydney about that asset clicked. Certainly, like large hands, absolute strength and before he arrived, and that “every animal Collingwood clicked when it came to reach, and can repeat his effort with fewer kills you, and if you come at all, you come tactically supplying him at altitude. He variables. Cox’s best games (remember, for the beaches and remember, every kicked five goals but, more importantly, he’s only in the 30s) have been marked by animal kills you”. he was the Neale Daniher Trophy winner marking repetition. Mind you, he can fly. Acting first, then working it out, is what for best-on-ground, in his 31st game. That Height doesn’t automatically build on its he does. “Wherever you are is where you’re possibility was deemed so remote, you own advantages. His is enhanced by other supposed to be.” could get enticing pre-game odds of 100/1 attributes. The all-seeing, omnipresent Like a self-powered dynamic system, of it happening. talent-spotter Kevin Sheehan was driven by its own kinetic energy, renewable He imposed his frame intelligently, ran singularly captivated by this non-athlete at energy, or a combination of both, Cox to the right places, drew the ball, dropped the draft combine: “He ran three seconds has plenty of his own fuel. Height is flat for the 20m sprint, and 11.5 minutes for inexhaustible. Cognitive ability is the 3k time trial.” Agile big men are gold. endlessly renewable. Apart from physical He also offered up the second-highest left- advantages, Cox’s sporting IQ enables him footed jump recorded. The tallest man ever to sum up and adapt. Endowed with “active to pull on an AFL boot is relatively quick, structure”, he’s able to alter himself in has an elite leap, and possibly the longest response to environmental changes. He wingspan ever recorded. We’re beginning has an engineer’s aptitude for dealing with to see why recruiting him was a no-brainer counterbalance – idiosyncrasy he calls it – if, just if, he happened to be a fast thinker – in opposing players and game dynamics. and learner … Genetics and environment, including into the slot and, most importantly, Bingo! This was a group with an average family, have also endowed him with the finished with precise kicking. With height of 201cm, notable for keenness and kinetic energy of high motivation. his pragmatic engineer’s partiality to smarts. “His skill overhead impressed, and Cox’s elongated levers endow him with repetition of technique, he can dispense his hands. He’s mobile, agile and a good “actual strength”, as distinct from “pound- good advice about overcoming the legion decision-maker… the absolute standout.” for-pound” strength, or strength-to- of psychological demons that accompany Cox set other personal bests in that weight. Sheer size gives those levers force goalkicking. Reliability comes from Melbourne match with 16 disposals and amplification, or what you would call perfect replication. He’s not averse to eight marks. On this Yank spindle, the “actual mechanical advantage”. dozens of weekly hours of it. “Kicking’s the ‘Pies’ season had just pivoted, and the Before he even began, he had a record. hardest part, but getting the ball to drop chant “USA, USA” went up, probably for He was officially the AFL’s tallest player right and stuff comes with repetition. the first time ever at the MCG. It was like ever, by half a centimetre over Aaron It’s mechanics.” peak Hulkamania. Sandilands. But he plays at a higher He applies repetition to marking as Four years earlier, he was a blank altitude. Marking high is an ability even well, but here, he’s able to build on natural canvas. Soon, he was beginning to great goalkickers don’t necessarily possess, resources. If efficiency is the ability understand the game’s “mechanics” – his let alone tall players. Cloke, McKenna or to avoid waste and minimise effort to word. Now for quality assurance. Mason even Hudson were no great exponents. produce a desired result, a tall player Cox has demonstrated an uncommon Royce Hart was notable for being tall, and with an overhead game will always have ability to detect malfunctions and adjust a high mark. So was Simon Madden. Cox’s the efficiency advantage over those who accordingly. Apart from the occasional ` unaddressed howler, he tends to only make them once. He naturally shoots for a state of zero-defects. Super-critical of his own performance, he seeks feedback and either pulls himself up by his own bootstraps, or is carefully nurtured. To bring Cox to his current level, Collingwood has alternated VFL and seniors stints, subjecting him to conditions in excess of his normal service parameters to uncover faults and potential modes of failure in a short amount of time – that is, to “accelerated life testing”. In 2015, he was immediately tried in ruck and forward roles in the VFL. With no experience he was rucking against seniors the calibre of Daw and Currie. His continuous improvement has been obvious. Certain faults were never repeated. Result: goals came more rapidly in 2016. So did hit-outs. In the 2016 game, he marked and goaled with his first touch and kick in AFL football, in front of disbelieving family who’d flown out, and disbelieving team-mates. He ran in to goal holding the ball like it was an echidna he’d just figured out how to pick up, and needed to drop quickly with some kind of technique he’d just been shown. But the kick was straight. Brodie Grundy and Darcy Moore were delightedly disbelieving after the victory: “There’s no way that just happened.” It wasn’t just that goal. He ran to contests, his 110kg frame skittling packs. He used big-man agility to get ten touches. He was working it out before our eyes. Intelligence informed his movement as he considered goaling on one occasion, then made a last-moment decision to pass to a team-mate, who goaled. Almost everything he did had maximum effect: a palm to Treloar set up a Fasolo goal. In general play, and in the ruck, his tapping was already From US college basketball [above] to nuanced. He was able to drop it like a stone at crossover curiosity, his feet, allowing crumbers to get in tight, float Cox took his lumps at VFL level and looks it like a feather or volley it, bullet-like, to an set to soar [right]. outside runner. In his fourth senior game against Geelong, he sealed the match with a kick on the run. He’d drift in the odd game and nothing would work, but Collingwood can afford patience. Against Hawthorn, he dropped two uncontested marks in slippery conditions, looking gauche, then laid a high elbow on Daniel Howe that earned him a week off. Hard analysts surmised his honeymoon was over. Robert Walls was frank: “Cox is not going to make it in the AFL”. He’d been “in the system” long enough. “Once the ball hits the deck, he’s out of the contest.” Cox processed it, shrugging, “you can’t really teach experience.” Besides, his captain, Scott Pendlebury, expressed only confidence: “It was just exciting how much he actually got his hands on the ball.” When caustic pens came out, Collingwood had the luxury of sending Cox back to the VFL nursery. Not that he’s averse to stress testing: “I’m not a project player. I’m here for a long time to do something quite amazing and unique.” Judging from his performance under pressure so far, he’s set for a long operating life. He demonstrates uncommon ability to absorb more large, dangerous mammals than through injury this year at Collingwood. or avoid damage and adapt to disruptive the Cenozoic era – good and bad for Cox. Cox has capitalised and proved events – that is, resilience, and handles Grundy, too, fills that dual role of ruckman/ unexpectedly versatile. potentially emotional situations with pure forward. They’ll either be mutually Some say Cox and Grundy will cancel common sense. After that round-one game, complementary or negate one-another in one-another out, but there’s a lot to be he was asked, “Have you been reading future structures. Cox will need to improve said for two rucks, and each has a spread how people have been bagging you?” Cox every aspect of his game, all the time, to of skills to give the Magpies functional laughed: “Do you really think I’m dumb stay in calculations. redundancy – the duplication of critical enough to go on social media right now?” They combine well currently. Late last skills for reliability, backup or fail-safe. His game productivity increased sharply. season, Buckley boldly began Cox as ruck Along with Reid, they can play ruckman Those extended limbs were getting him against Melbourne’s formidable Max or pinch-hitting forward, or forward and to, and figuring in, more contests, where Gawn, allowing Grundy a drifting forward pinch-hitting ruck. That’s a luxury. he could use his size, test his limits. He’s role. It worked. The previous week, Cox had Now, Cox’s football abilities are as noticeably confident in traffic now, reading come back for his eighth game that season blended as his accent. He sounds more the dynamic, knowing the team-mate Aussie, and his game has a decided twang delivering. And they know him. to it. In 2018, another wormhole took him Later, against the Crows, again in greasy from merely irrepressible to irreplaceable, conditions, he performed well, and was passenger to messenger. The desperation to philosophical. “You get a bit of return for subdue him, and the difficulty of the task, all the different trials.” By May, he was have not gone unnoticed. He’s respected not able to cheerily handle a $2000 fine for just as a trier but as a danger, a leader in a front-on contact with Jason Johannisen club that believes in him. Still, he’s happy to with a cheeky tweet: “Is that Aussie dollars “do a job”. or USD? #AskingForAFriend.” Stynes, Is he more of a game-changer than people too, had that newcomer’s audacity. May it think? If he succeeds as he threatens never leave him. Nor his humble gratitude: to, will he change the sport itself? If he does a no-apologies greet-the-fans lap this inexperienced Brobdingnagian after games while his team wait to sing the thrives, clubs will be scouring the Sudan, theme song. after Grundy was suspended, and proved Netherlands, certain Chinese provinces equal to an excellent tap ruck, Paddy Ryder. and, of course, the well-fed United States. o far, Mason Cox has made design He kept his spot when Grundy returned, But Cox’s other qualities are another Schoice easier for Collingwood. The was considered good enough to start as matter. In 2016, the second draft combine “design problem” relates to the first ruckman next game, and in round 22 targeted tall, elite athletes, mainly Ben Reid (down back or up front?), Darcy played his best to date, with 43 hit-outs, basketball centres and power forwards. Moore (ditto) and Brodie Grundy (ruck eight tackles and two goals. No one came away with a Cox. and forward) dilemmas. But the solution Right now, Cox is helping in the The current trend will be to follow the creates problems of its own. Will the team interoperation of team systems. leader: Richmond won a premiership structure tolerate two tall forwards? Collingwood is a finals contender, yet fielding two 200cm-tall players all year. The tribology of it is interesting. That they’re at the injury tipping-point again. But AFL’s pendulum swings quickly. is, the friction, lubrication or wear of the When players like Elliott, de Goey and We’re not talking height; we’re talking interacting parts. Fasolo returned impressively, the forward surpassing height. Internal competition for places in any structure became a puzzle. Cox was in Enshadowed by soaring beasts on line-up is natural friction. At the moment, competition with Reid as well. Then more opposing sides, teams will take the battle to his good mate and tutor Grundy is the injuries hit and quandaries were averted. the skies, to ever-higher altitudes. Mason best ruckman in a competition featuring Well over 160 games have been missed Cox will, indeed, have done a job. ■ 58 ANATOMY OF A CHAMP INSIDE SPORT SPORT INSIDE 4 HEAD His father was a football coach, and mum was a high-level handball player, so Mbappe benefited from great genes. But as with so many other prodigies, he displays an uncom- mon maturity for his age, and he has a passion for the |

SEPTEMBER 2018 Kylian game that won’t allow him to be led astray. Many have remarked, and particularly in the atermath of France’s World Cup victory, about Mbappe’s intelligence. Thierry Henry picked up on it: “Yes,he’s quick, but he’s thinking and Mbappe that is the sign of a kid who can go a long way in the game.”

Professional footballer for Occupation ParisSt-Germainand France Bondy, in the north-eastern Origin suburbsofParis,France Born December 20, 1998 Height 178cm Weight 73kg 2018 World Cup winner and Best Young Player award winner at the tournament, onlyteenotherthanPeleto scoreinaWorldCupfinal; $280mtransferin2017was Status second-most expensive in football history; youngest player to score ten goals intheUEFAChampions League; two-time Ligue 1 champion.

photo by Getty Images 1 LEGS Acclaimed before the World Cup as football’s best young talent, Mbappe let Russia having made a convincing case he’s the game’s next great player. The standout at ribute is his raw speed – wheth- er counter-at acking into an open stretch of fi eld or accelerating over a short space, Mbappe is the proverbial video-game character with the turbo buton down. His pace absolutely unnerved Argentina in the World Cup quarter-final, with his run to win an early penalty one of the 3 highlights of the tournament. FRAME In broad outline, Mbappe inspires quick comparison to another fast goal-scoring Frenchman, Thierry Henry. It’s worth noting, though, that the teenager is still somewhat underdeveloped physically – he can sometimes look like he’s all arms 2 and legs – and it’s a scary thought how good he’ll be once he fills out. FEET At present, Mbappe exhibits Mbappe is a right-footer who good strength for his slight build, prefers playing wide on the let, able to hold off defenders in the cuting in and onto his natural side. contest. A low centre of gravity With his dribbling ability, close also helps in that area, as he plays control and footwork, he excels at with excellent balance. taking on defenders directly, and befiting a kid who idolised Cristiano Ronaldo, he has a deep bag of tricks. Mbappe’s coach at INSIDE SPORT SPORT INSIDE the renowned French training centre Clairefontaine said while he may not have had the touch of other players, he noted he was an excellent passer with both feet. | SEPTEMBER 2018 2018 SEPTEMBER 59

MAN ON

60 INSIDE SPORT | SEPTEMBER 2018 THE EDGE

John Sutton has quietly been there for Souths over the seasons, one off, eyeing a gap . For the first Rabbitoh to notch up 300 games, it’s not too complicated – whatever happens in his career, he just plays.

By MATT CLEARY

OHN SUTTON is in rare form. Not sitting here with Inside Sport in a Jcoffee shop in Maroubra as his little girl Pippi plucks choc-chips out of a cookie, no. Talking to journos with the tape running, our Sutto’s never been that flash with it. As one mate says: Sutto doesn’t like talkin’ about Sutto. Rather, the first 300-game Bunny man is in hot form where it matters – out upon the footy field. Outside of the surf or being with his family, or hangin’ down the pub with his pals, heapin’ shit on each other, the footy field is where Sutto becomes. On the other side of the paint, he’s an actor, a player in the theatre of glorious tub-thumping physicality that is 80 minutes of rugby league. Fast fact: Sutton is playing better than he ever has. Better than when he was fringe Origin in ’08. Better than when he captained the club to the premiership in ’14. He’s running hard, tight angles. He’s carrying the ball in two hands, off-loading little passes. He’s simplified his game and is playing to his strengths. He’s demonstrably fitter than he’s ever been. He’s broken records in the gym. At the ripe age of 33, John Sutton is prime. And his footy club, famous South Sydney Rabbitohs, is rolling into the finals just as their notable predecessors did in ’14, in ’89, in ’68-‘70. The Burgii are punching ragged holes in opposition D-lines. Hooker Damien Cook has been darting and sniping, frightening lumbering pigs like a chippy blue heeler. We’ll get to our Cookie. As we surely will Angus Crichton. What `

INSIDE SPORT | SEPTEMBER 2018 61 a beauty, Angus Crichton. Runs like a centre Micronesia, Melanesia and Polynesia. and bops about like a free-running lock, That a little island near Fiji would one day all-action, rock-n-roll, a fit bloody belter. spawn a six-foot-three “rugby” player and Nick Politis has made off with a hot one waterman would probably not surprise there. Stick it in your Book of Feuds, Rusty. anthropologists. For now, though, let’s look at the left edge After Elena’s family went to Fiji to find of the middle of the park as our Sutto does work – there’s not much to do on Rotuma, his thing late on a Saturday afternoon at you can drive around it in a day – Sutton’s ANZ against the Dogs. Hands of a five- dad, John, went to Fiji on holiday. Fell in eighth, step of a centre, the brute nark and love. Brought his future bride back to La rat-cunning of a gnarly second-row, he’s Perouse, the tough little ’burb on the end ripping off the lost art of hole-running. of Bunnerong Road where Captain Cook Beaver Menzies used to do it: hit holes off first set foot. And, lo, did the couple begat Cliffy. Sutton’s always done it. It looks an a footballer, John, and a netballer, Joanne, aggressive line. But he’s running at space, a one-time Sydney Swift and Adelaide at “soft” shoulders, looking to split ’em Thunderbird who married Port Adelaide at the advantage line. Twice he frees footy player and Fijian, Alipate Carlile, and an arm to set a team-mate free. The lives there with two kids. Bunnies’ left wing, Robert Jennings, nails And so! Our Sutto grew up supporting a hat-trick. It’s no coincidence Jennings the Rabbitohs – it was just what you did leads the NRL’s try-scoring list. Souths’ down that way. But he wasn’t a “mad” fan left edge is humming. as Bunny-mad fans can be. He didn’t have a Our man makes 20 passes, behind only favourite player. He just liked playin’. And hooker and halves. He makes 25 tackles. He surfin’. And hangin’ out with his mates. plays 80 minutes. He barks at the halves. Sutton’s surfie mates, like Sutto, are He mightn’t have the “C” next to his name “Bra Boys”. Tabloid media would have it any more, and we’ll talk of that. But Sutton that they’re a “gang”, even “notorious”. The is clearly a Rabbitohs commander-in-chief. lads themselves will tell you they’re a loose And he clearly leaves it all out there for the mob of pals who grew up surfing together red-and-green. and like hanging out. Truth’s in the middle Doesn’t mean he wouldn’t prefer to be out there somewhere, leaning more to the surfin’ than talkin’ to you about it, however. locals’ version. There’s boys who have done time. And there’s been drugs and punch-ups, and KENSO AND THE ‘BRA dumb young bloke stuff. They have a “I’ve been comin down the beach since I “reputation” for brawls in pubs. But these was a little bloke, started surfin’ when I was aren’t the Crips of LA or face-tattooed gangs 12,” says John Sutton in a coffee shop not of South Auckland. a hundred metres from his spiritual home, Much notoriety comes from a It ain't all "glory glory", but Maroubra Beach. “I was always down the documentary narrated by Souths owner Sutto puts his hand up for the tough stuff every time. beach, surfin’, hangin’ with me mates. Really and famous actor, Russell Crowe, featuring enjoyed it. Loved it, actually. Been a great big-wave guy Koby Abberton and the place to grow up.” Cronulla race riots of ’05, and a bloke Mates will tell you Sutton is a very good dancing on top of a bus. Talk about the riot surfer. Another life, who knows, maybe he and Sutton says: “It had nothin’ to do with could’ve made a go of it professionally. He me and the boys.” was good at it. Good at everythin’. All he True – though Abberton relayed the did was surf and play footy. He ran out for tres sexy quotes to the newspaper: “The La Perouse in the under-5s then spent ten reason why it’s not happening at Maroubra years at Kensington United – “Kenso” – is because of the Bra Boys. Girls go to and won ten-straight grand finals, up to Cronulla, Bondi, everywhere else in the under-16s. Sydney and get harassed, but they come to Sutton’s mum, Elena, is from Rotuma, Maroubra and nothing happens to them. a little island near Fiji at the junction of “I read all this stuff about kids getting

EVERY FIRSTGRADER WILL TELL YOU THERE WERE A DOZEN OTHER BLOKES IN THEIR AGE GROUP AS GOOD OR BETTER. BUT SUTTON, FOR ALL HIS LAIDBACK SURFIE VIBE, WORKED IT OUT EARLY: PUT IN, GET OUT. “THE OLD MAN HAVING A CRACK AT ME WAS A KICK UP THE ARSE.”

62 INSIDE SPORT | SEPTEMBER 2018 harassed because they want to have a surf and I say ‘are you kidding?’ The beach should be for Aussie kids. But if you want to go to beaches and act tough in groups, you better be able to back it up. “If these fellas come out to Maroubra and start something, they know it’s going to be on, so they stay away.” And so they came, in cars, to smash the windows of other cars, and get some cockamamie form of “revenge” for the drunken idiocy that was Cronulla. It was all a big dose of stupid. Our Sutto was at home. Oblivious. “Mum and dad were up the road, they rang me, ‘Where are ya?’ They said there were these blokes coming down Maroubra Road, smashing up cars. I had a mate who lived on Maroubra Road. They thought I was there. “There wasn’t many lads down here [in Maroubra]. There were a few boys in the pub. You watch that Bra Boys doco, you see ‘Frog’ [friend Jamie Gore] bleeding. But mate, I stayed home. I was just … yeah.” Good decision. Sutton made a poor decision aged 17 not to front for a job his old man had lined up for him at Mitre-10. But it would prove the making of him. “I’d had a big weekend on the drink and didn’t turn up to the job on the Monday morning. I laid in bed all day. Dad came home, asked if I’d been to that job. And he got really angry. Pissed off. And he’s not a bloke that gets angry. And I thought, shit, I have to start doing something with my life!” And then and there, thought you’d be a pro footy player? “That’s where I thought I should give footy a crack and really have a go at it. That was a turning point: to make something out of football.” To believe it was possible points to an inner confidence in John Sutton. Lot of talented kids fall by the wayside through motivation, lack of belief, or combination of those and myriad other reasons. Every first-grader will tell you there were a dozen other blokes in their age group as good or better. But Sutton, for all his laidback surfie vibe, worked it out early: put in, get out. “The old man having a crack at me was a kick up the arse. And from there I probably got a bit disciplined.” Sutton ran out in first grade for South Sydney at Suncorp Stadium in round 17 of 2004. Arthur Kitinas was coach following the sacking of Paul Langmack. Roosters recruit Bryan Fletcher was captain, doing his best. “It was tough times in 2004,” says Fletcher. “I’d come from a leadership group at the Chooks: Fittler, Fitzgibbon, Ricketson. And to Souths, and they’re all kids. And you’re trying to instil a culture of success. But they’d never known it.” Fletcher knew Sutton could play. They `

INSIDE SPORT | SEPTEMBER 2018 63 played him in the centres. He scored a try on debut, played the last ten games. “He was very relaxed, cruising along. We knew he had ability. But whether he was going to apply himself as much as he needed to was debatable. “He was 19. In those days, he liked a good time, as you do. It’s well-documented where he comes from. When I was his age, I was very similar. You don’t know if footy’s the be-all-and-end-all. You get paid to play on a Saturday – bonus! “But I don’t reckon Sutto would’ve thought that he was going to make a full- time living out of it.” The idea would grew on him. He got used to the pace of first grade. By his second year he realised he could make a career of it. He worked out that yes, it was hard, but if he put in the work he could cope, and compete. The same smart, skilled footy he’d played in juniors and reserve grade transferred into the NRL. He played 19 games in 2005, all but one at five-eighth. He was away. Outside looking in, it’s not something you necessarily glean from the play of Sutton. But talk to Fletcher or any of the Souths guys, from Shane Richardson to Anthony Seibold, they’ll tell you: Sutto knows footy. “On the field, he’d tell me he’d be running into a hole,” says Fletcher. “He could envision a couple of plays ahead where one would open up. Watch players now, they don’t run at holes. But he’s always had that. “You want to be critical – sometimes he was too quiet. But then he was 19, 20. He’s a different Johnny Sutton now.”

FLAGSTAFF “After being asked to leave, [John Sutton] slammed his fist on the bar and said something to the effect of ‘f--- this’, and began telling bar staff to come outside with him,’’ wrote officer Zach Ohs in a Flagstaff Police Department report of an incident at Monsoon’s bar, November 30, 2014.. “While John was yelling, bouncers came inside and asked him to leave. At this time, another male, identified via his Australian driver’s license as Luke Burgess, grabbed [bouncer Patrick Scruggs, 21] and threw him to the ground, causing his forehead to bleed.” John Sutton doesn’t think often about this incident, and likes talking about it less. But he does own it. It’s part of his story. “It was a stupid, idiot decision to go to some place when we were told to go home,” says Sutton. “Got myself into a bit of trouble there and it was definitely the low point of my career. And straight after the high of the grand final, to end up in jail … it’s something I definitely regret. “I hardly ever think about it. But when I do, I can’t believe I did that. You’re hungover, in jail, thinking, what the fuck?

64 INSIDE SPORT | SEPTEMBER 2018 “IT WAS DEFINITELY THE LOW POINT OF MY CAREER. AND STRAIGHT AFTER THE HIGH OF THE GRAND FINAL, TO END UP IN JAIL … IT’S SOMETHING I DEFINITELY REGRET.”

And today, I’ve definitely moved on. But Sutton is a voice around training. A leader. when I do think about it, I’ll think, what was With Greg Inglis and Sam Burgess, they I doing?” set expectations at Souths. “I’m a big one Learn a lesson? “Oh mate, yeah: when the on empowering our leaders,” says Seibold. coach says don’t go out, listen to the coach!” “Those three set the standards and get And so Sutton fronted the NRL and the across what we’re trying to do. integrity unit, and the NRL and Souths kept “What I like about Sutto is, and it’s it under wraps. But for some reason four what you want in your leaders, if he sees months later, detail of the dust-up found its something, he’ll say something – positive or way to Australian media along with the mug constructive. He’s very strong with that.” shots, the celebrity slut-shaming vehicle Just as talking to media never came of our time. And Sutton, who thought he’d naturally to Sutton, being a leader was a done all required, went through it all again. slow-burner. But he grew to love it. “I felt bad for my family who had to see my “I had to grow up in that respect,” says mug shot and all that. People askin’ ‘why is Sutton. “I didn’t see myself like that. I was he captain?’ I was a big letdown to the fans, one of the lads, kickin’ around. But it grew my family. That was the most disappointing, on me, leadership. And I’m a leader still how many people I let down.” today. I’m the oldest. And I do like the young Stupid question: How’d it feel? kids looking up to me. And I do like setting “Yeah – I didn’t like it. I didn’t like it at all. the right examples. I don’t like media at all.” Then he smiles, “Growing up around here, captain of the remembering your profession. “Not to say club – I loved it. To win a comp as captain, I don’t like it. But I’m just not one to do too it was ridiculous, best moment of my footy many interviews, stuff like that. Always career. Awesome to lift that trophy. Just been that way.” really good times.” Sutton says he’s happy to play his role without the “c” next to his name. He’s PLAYER playing footy a week at a time. He’ll go League nerds watch John Sutton play. around again next year, if they’ll have Because he is a player. A league player. him, and they surely will. He won’t rule Something’s going to happen. There’s out England but says if he can play in the Sutton and fellow leader Sam players that’ll make yards, hit the line, go NRL, he’ll play in the NRL. He sees himself Burgess, steering the Bunnies' ship right in 2018. above right to ground, play the ball, repeat. War-horses retiring here. He'd like to do more of this trophy- and battering rams. And there’s a place After footy, he’d like to coach. Not head lifting caper ... top left Those tough times seem eons ago. for those people. But you pay money to coach. Not for a while, anyway. But he’s got see the players. knowledge. “I think I could offer the footy Sutton plays with No.12 on his back (the club something,” he offers in a rare moment position called “second-row” when such a pumping his own tyres. Then he smiles: term described the job description), but he’s “Plus, I don’t really know much else!” a “left edge” man. A hole-runner. A danger Surely there’s more to this 33-year-old man. Smart. Quick enough. Tough. Left- man, the first ever to play 300 games for foot step. Little pass. Good little kicking a club that’s been around since 1908 that game. Play long enough you get an intricate they named after rabbit-slaughtering meat understanding of space and time. You salesmen. And so you hit him with: why do become a player. you like footy? “Some of the plays John pulls off as a And Sutton flashes a smile again, the one coach make you smile,” wrote South Sydney the locals know and love. coach Anthony Seibold on the internet. “Mate, I dunno! I guess I love being Ask him to describe one of the plays around the boys. You’re hanging out with and he won’t. Commercial-in-confidence, your best mates every day, playing the game one assumes. you’ve always loved for a team you grew up “What I will say is he’s got a good supporting. understanding of football,” says Seibold. “As “Another premiership is always back of the coach you come up with game strategy. the mind, the buzz of that. Waited a long What you like about Sutto is he’s got some time, 10, 11 years to get there. I don’t have 10 really subtle variations that he likes to put years left. And I want to do that again. on the end. And the little variations he does “But mate, there’s not much more to me. at training transfer into game day.” I just like playin’.” ■

INSIDE SPORT | SEPTEMBER 2018 65 66 INSIDE SPORT | SEPTEMBER 2018 CAUSEWITH A

Close to giving the game away during the Rebels’ dark Super Rugby days, Fijian-born former NRL star Marika Koroibete has rapidly developed into a first-choice winger for the Wallabies. By ANDREW MARMONT

arika Koroibete is a quiet man with the Parramatta Eels and Melbourne upon first meeting; he seems Storm. With Koroibete, it’s flat out or get out. almost embarrassed to be doing Not convinced? Try watching him sprint for an interview. It’s taken five months 30m before dead-stopping an unsuspecting M to get a sit-down with him via the Argentinian player in last year’s Rugby Melbourne Rebels because he’s too shy. But we Championship. “He melts into the ground,” one get there. This is all ironic because there’s commentator joked. It would be frightening if it nothing silent about his football. Koroibete wasn’t funny. runs like he’s getting chased by a greyhound; Koroibete isn’t tall like his fellow Fijian-born but he’s much more than swerving pace and Wallaby Tevita Kuridrani. Marika’s physique is fast-twitch muscle fibre. The Fijian hits like packed in close like a paved path. His Rebels a freight train, too. polo shirt can barely contain his biceps. It’s Poor Conor Murray never saw it coming. almost as if he’s squeezed every bit of muscle The little Ireland no.9 was too busy watching into his 180cm, 93kg frame. There are taller the ball as it came down to Earth from Bernard and larger players in world rugby, but few have Foley’s kick in the first Test this year. He barely the sheer pace – or win as many individual had time to look up when oomph – Koroibete battles – as he does. hit him in the guts with a perfectly timed Now in his second year with the Rebels, tackle, driving the scrum-half low into the the Fijian has a royal chance to hold down a ground. It was schoolkid-versus-professional permanent wing spot for the Wallabies. The wrestler stuff. Rugby Championship just looked a little Of course, league types will remember his brighter. It’s been a long road to get to this concrete-hard collisions throughout his time point. But our man is used to long journeys. `

INSIDE SPORT | SEPTEMBER 2018 67 clockwise ... Burning blokes with speed; taking on the Sharks in the 2016 NRL Grand Final; thriv- ing after tough times with the Rebels; the Wests Tigers signed him first.

FOOTY IN FIJI parents weren’t happy about where all this game for fun. My dad saw my name in the was heading. After all, they had spent the newspaper, in the under-18s Fiji rugby Koroibete grew up in the small village of Naraiyawa in Fiji, roug north-west of Suva. He w eight kilometres to schoo run back home. His paren family farm and grew cro cassava. Sport, particular was a way to keep warm, water in his village. It was under the baking these same Fijian fields w first dreamt of donning W “We pretended to be one players back in the day,” K shares with Inside Sport. dream back home is to pl for me, it was playing for was more special.” He went to high school, he played rugby league an quickly impressing in bo his first trial for the Fiji u rugby team, he got picked toured with the national 18s rugby league team. Th was coming true, but Kor

SEPTE The Fijian has a royal chance to hold down a permanent wing spot for the Wallabies. against the SG Ball teams, with Koroibete crowned man-of-the-match in two. After the first game, three NRL clubs asked about his services. By the end of the trip, the 17-year- old had six clubs chasing him, inviting him to dinner and to tour their offices. “I was just shocked; I feel like I was dreaming,” he says. “I went back home to see my dad. Six clubs are chasing my signature. I chose Wests Tigers because they gave me the best contract. The Fiji Rugby League helped organise it and looked after me for the first three years.”

A LEAGUE DREAM

“Marika … Mariiiiiiiiiiika!” Koroibete’s Rebel team-mates walk through the lobby where we’re speaking. One pipes up and calls his name in a loud voice, knowing that talking to a journalist with a tape recorder isn’t his happy place. But he shrugs it off and tries to keep focused. Aussie humour is unique at the best of times … going from a quiet farm life to the concrete metropolis of Sydney must have been as foreign as going to Mars. “I didn’t know much about a big city. Bush and mangroves, that’s all I know. I hardly go to the city [in Fiji] – probably three or four times, once every two months with my dad to buy some crops and vegetables. “It’s a big challenge for me. The first couple of months is pretty hard. The club is supportive and did as much as they could, so I could be who I am, get the best outcome for me from training, especially on the field. I made some good friends. I still remember the first day in Australia … It’s a good memory. Every hardship you go through, it’s a good experience.” Tim Sheens was the coach. Grizzly, old-school, honest. It took a while, but the young Fijian settled into a rhythm. He was finally given a chance to play in the NRL side in 2013. In just his second game he carved himself into the Tigers’ record books, dotting down four times. “I remember every single try,” he smiles. “We got pumped in the first half. All of a sudden, I scored four tries, which is a record with Wests Tigers. It is something I will remember all my life and will tell my kids. Hard work, be patient, and it will pay off.” After representing Fiji at the 2013 Rugby League World Cup in England and France, Koroibete returned home because his `

SEPTEMBER 2018 There were no ice baths to deal with back in Fiji. right images Proud Wallaby. below far right Well done, Dad!

Australian visa had to get re-issued. It was The expletive catches the listener by two months before anything was settled. surprise because he is so softly-spoken. But When he returned, he was relegated to the Despite the Rebels’ there is no malice in it. He says it in jest. Tigers’ NSW Cup side because the first- Beneath the humble demeanour, there’s a grade team was playing so well. dismal showing, cheeky side to him. Meanwhile, down in Melbourne, the Teaming up with Slater and classy outsid Storm’s backs were going down at a our man received a backs Sisa Waqa and , concerning rate: , Justin Koroibete became one of Melbourne’s O’Neill and Matt Duffie all injured. Enter call-up to the Wallabies attacking lynchpins. Under Bellamy’s Storm coach Craig Bellamy and champion mentorship, the winger learnt about fullback . They took Koroibete for the June Tests leadership and consistency by watching out for a meal. established stars and “They said at lunch, ‘We’ve been watching against Fiji, Scotland Cooper Cronk go about their business. you play in reserve grade and have been While Koroibete was running circles impressed at how you play. It suits you to and Italy. around opposition defenders in the NRL, come to the Storm. We’ve got Billy Slater Michael Cheika was watching with here – you could work well together with interest. He liked Koroibete’s speed and the back three.’ certainly does everything flat-out, which I ability on a footy field. The time was right “I heard a lot about – like as well. You have to pull him back, more to make a play for him. So in May 2016, how good they are, how they train so hard. so than get the whip out.” Koroibete told his Storm team-mates he w Everyone’s saying, ‘They train so Koroibete confirms this. In Marika’s moving next door to the Melbourne Rebels hard, you’ll get smashed.’ But if some of three-year stint playing with the Storm, and Australian rugby. these boys can do it, I can as well.” Bellamy – nicknamed “Bellyache” due So Koroibete joined the Storm mid-2014 to his verbal tirades – hardly had to REBEL YELL after 16 games with the Tigers. And just like reprimand his young charge. This alone he did wearing Wests colours, he racked up said a lot about Koroibete. “He hardly The Rebels were horrendous in 2017. The another four-try haul in his second game for sprayed me; that’s what I find a bit funny,” he won one game out of 15. There were calls fo his new club. remembers. “I think just one trial game, a the club to get kicked out. In a string of bad “We knew he had ability,” Bellamy told the practice game against the Bulldogs, he swore years, it proved their annus horribilis. Storm website at the time. “The thing that at me or something. It was something I Koroibete seriously contemplated a switch has pleased us most is how he has adapted to didn’t do – catch the ball. He’s an angry c---. back to rugby league. “It was a big change our styles and what we want him to do. He He makes you pumped up as well.” coming from rugby league to rugby union,”

SEPTEMBER 2018 he says. “I wasn’t expecting to come from everything. He finally announced himself that [the Storm] to not winning a game. You on rugby’s world stage. By year’s end, he’d WALLABY have to start from somewhere.” played eight Tests, from to London Despite the Rebels’ dismal showing, our to Japan. WING CONTENDERS man received a call-up to the Wallabies for Before that, Cheika brought him over the June Tests against Fiji, Scotland and on the spring tour in 2016 before he Name: Marika Koroibete Italy. But he didn’t play a game. Forced to linked up with the Rebels. The Wallabies Super Rugby team: Rebels train and work hard instead, do the drills, coach wanted to bring him into the Height: 1.81m flog himself in the weights room, it made Wallabies environment and mix with the Weight: 93kg him angry. “Even though I am quiet in likes of Michael Hooper, Tevita Kuridrani Tests: 11 (5 tries) training, I am very competitive,” he says. “I and Bernard Foley. He saw Koroibete’s Likely to get first crack after being a constant want to win all the time. I want to be the best potential early. on the European tour last year. in my position. That’s my main mentality. If Koroibete had a mixed series against someone bashes me, I’ll bash them back. It’s Ireland. A yellow card in the second Test Name: Dane Haylett-Petty (pictured) just the way it is.” – for a dumping tackle on Irish fullback Super Rugby team: Rebels Suddenly, a host of NRL clubs smelled Rob Kearney – was costly in the 26-21 Height: 1.91m an opportunity to sign him again. And he loss. But he scored a try in the last Test to Weight: 100kg knew it, too. “It was getting to me – give Australia some hope. And that’s what Tests: 20 (10 tries) working hard at Wallabies training – and I he brings. Steady operator and comfortable under the didn’t get picked. It got on my nerve. A few high ball. Started in all three Tests against clubs were chasing me then. I told my LIFE AFTER FOOTY Ireland this year. The incumbent Wallabies manager, ‘Think twice, it’s not good for my left winger and new signing for the Rebels He’s a young man, but Marika Koroibete is name, not good for rugby – be patient.’ I had in 2018. to be patient and believe in myself, keep already planning for his future. Family working hard.” is at the core of everything he’s done in his The fans gave it to him on social media, professional sporting career. And now, he too. He created a public Facebook account has a young family of his own to think about. but quickly deleted it after scores of He met his now-wife, Emma, in 2013. “She’s keyboard warriors told him how bad he was been encouraging me, and has been through travelling. And even in public, random fans a whole lot,” he says. would offer their opinion on why he and the “In 2015, we had a little boy. It makes me Rebels were in such bad form. more mature, gives me a responsibility to But redemption wouldn’t take long. Two man up and work extra hard. You want your weeks later, Koroibete started for the son to see Dad as hardworking.” Wallabies against Argentina. He ran with Once rugby finishes, it will be back to Fiji purpose, like it was his last game for them. for the Koroibetes. But in the meantime, the Flattening blokes. Burning blokes Wallabies winger only has one thing on his idd b tt t l

Reece Hodge Rugby team: Rebels 1.91m : 94kg 7 (6 tries) es’ Mr Fix It. Can play winger, centre or k. Cheika might opt to use him on the Handy goal-kicker, too.

Henry Speight Rugby team: Brumbies 1.86m : 97kg 9 (4 tries) determined to reclaim his wing spot ot featuring in the June Tests against A late run of Super Rugby form puts he frame.

Sefanaia Naivalu Rugby team: Rebels 1.86m : 101kg 7 (4 tries) ong performer for the Rebels in 2018, five tries and averaging 10m per carry. ect him to come into contention with bustling running style and physicality.

NSIDE SPORT | SEPTEMBER 2018 71 72 INSIDE SPORT | SEPTEMBER 2018 photo courtesy WE Buchan ANDREWEDMONDSON N I OE FISIIGTENX EEAINO PLAYERS. OF GENERATION NEXT THE INSPIRING AND HISHOPESOF h te n.Ti a pdu h pr,result- sport, the up the otherend.Thishassped at score to ball from thetimeyou inboundthe chair rugby? wheel- of some oftheotherbasicfeatures are What end. zonesat either with “try” court, time, which isaregulation basketball one any at field the on players Four h a h hiswr,yucnthtsomeone hit can’t The way thechairs work, you that. around ously there’s afew rules involved Obvi- want. you court run-upandsmash anyone full- a take much full-contact; you can pretty it’s essentially whistle goes…Apartfrom that, that as soon as but into someonebyaccident, run might you after thewhistle.Obviously anyone with not allowed tomake direct contact do? can’t sion: isthere anything you colli- the What are therulessurrounding role. defence. Anall-rounder-type on play to score, to carry theballifneedbe,to is role My middle. I’m pretty muchrightinthe two-pointer, a function tobeableplay. As little very have who our game –itallows people of beauty the big hits, thattypeofstu. That’s make fast, really you’re physically abletopush function: of lot range, say a3.5, you’ve gota higher the in fast, thattypeofthing.Ifyou’re – you’re notabletopushas end, you’ve gotlessfunction 3.5. Ifyou’re onthelower .5 withthemaximumbeing the lowest classification is on thecourtatany onetime: to have eightpointsintotal rugby you’re onlyallowed any With disabledsport. a classification, similarto pointer. Eachplayer isgiven and what are your duties? What positiondo you play people ispretty exciting. around andsmashintoother jump intothesechairs, wheel contact side.To beableto most peopleenjoy, isthefull- that part the it, the mostexciting partabout think I but sports, bination ofalotdierent com- a is game to cross thatlinetoscore. Our got you’ve forward. Scoring islike atouchdown; and back pass similar tobasketball. You can backcourt; your have 12secondstogetoutof you well, As ing inreally high-intensitygames. hr’ htcok o ae4 seconds 40 There’s ashotclock;you have ieaysopg npa naysot you’re sport, any in Like any stoppageinplay I’m what’s called ahigh- H 8YA-L HECARRGYSA AK BU THE ABOUT TALKS STAR RUGBY WHEELCHAIR THE 28-YEAR-OLD UGRATTA STEASI TEESNTOA TEAM, NATIONAL STEELERS AUSSIE THE IS JUGGERNAUT THAT N NOE WITH... ONE ON ONE jumpintothese chairs,wheel “Tobeableto otherpeople aroundand smashinto exciting.” ispretty epecngtinvolved. more get can that people so can we as exposure and much play as to get us for opportunity great a such It’s is … who member family a have or bad, something that is too ther mind, your of back the In it’samazing. country, my for play now, world, do the I around travel what do I think to achieved, I’ve at what now back look To do. could was I one something that or game this maybe that know to experience awesome an just was It sports. of types dierent these me showed and took out who me people some met I then And right. getting about was It sport. playing my was from mind thing furthest the accident, my had I After things. awesome doing were who people great many so were way. there the hospital, along to did Going I people the meet didn’t I if accident? horrific an of side other the o-ones ehv uswohv been have who guys have we low-pointers; experienced very some and really mid-pointers some good got also we’ve but team, our on ers play- high-functioning dominant, really world’s the of two have to enough world; fortunate the we’re in players best the of some have We years? the over right so gotten has Steelers, the team, national Aussie the which sport this about it is What people. at fists or elbows swinging around going be can’t you chair chair; be to to has contact the Obviously out. spill can player a because behind from hard really bouey olntb lyn hssport this playing be wouldn’t I Absolutely. en biul tsat ihteathletes. the with starts it obviously mean, I r omn epewoaegigthrough going are who people many so are e INSIDE SPORT SPORT INSIDE slf n potnt on opportunity and life is there if discover and on move to looking there out Aussies of thousands to are blokes you inspiring how imagine you Can in. involved be to us of all for opportunity great a such just It’s Allianz. like sponsors and committee, Paralympic Australian the obviously from field: the o support great much so have we Then ready. we’re time game come – hard us train hard, us push they us; in believe really who sta coaching great have we then But Games. Athens the since playing | SEPTEMBER 2018 2018 SEPTEMBER ae Smith James – 73

GUIDE

TO THE

BOOKS

Heroes, mph and tragedy ... It’s all happening in our selection of the latest and best in long-form sports literature. By JEFF CENTENERA & JAMES SMITH LEATHER SOUL sportswriting with a distinctive voice. A HALF-BACK FLANKER’S RHYTHM & BLUES That voice, as the reader will learn, is itself the BY BOB MURPHY, NERO, $39.99 product of an offbeat mind. Flanagan identifies it Martin Flanagan, the foremost of all scribes as the ample dose of Irish in Murphy: lyrical, folksy, writing about Australian rules, noted that Bob an independent thinker. There’s a temptation to Murphy would write a book like no other footballer. view Bob as the patron saint of AFL hipsters – no The Bulldog stalwart hinted at it for years with kidding, he literally has a dad who was a priest, and his newspaper columns, revealing a sense of mum was a nun, and that’s not just a line from a perspective that few other players have, and Springsteen deep cut. But within Murphy’s words fewer still could put into words. Murphy was you can sense the push and pull of tight-laced that rarity – a sportsman who could straddle professional athlete, who played 17 years in the the practitioner/observer divide and produce AFL, and the gypsy spirit who almost ruined his knee rehab once by jumping into a too-shallow pool in Santorini. One chapter in the book is devoted to an extended exegesis of the Footy Record player profile, and how to fill out its standard queries: favourite song, film, dream dinner guests, etc. To most AFL players, it’s a perfunctory duty of listing down the likes of Coldplay and Shawshank. But in Murphy’s hands, it becomes an art – and as he writes, he was once able to land his dream dinner trio after a rock-musician mate read the profile and put it together. “I wondered if this had ever happened before?” he says. “Had an AFL player ever walked in ... to find Nelson Mandela, Robbie Williams and Pamela Anderson thumbing through the menu?” Leather Soul could just be a wander with, and through, the mind of Murph. And it would be enough. But it was his footballing fate that the last few seasons of his career delivered a narrative structure made for cinema – Murphy’s experience of the Bulldogs ending their 62-year premiership wait, with him cruelly on the sideline for it, was a set of emotions complex enough for a poet to sort through. Thankfully, we had a sportsman like Bob Murphy to explain for us. Good for: The sports fan who relishes the written word, and footy romantics everywhere.

RELENTLESS FOOTBALLISTICS BY SAM MITCHELL WITH GLENN MCFARLANE, MACMILLAN, $39.99 HOW THE DATA ANALYTICS REVOLUTION IS UNCOVERING FOOTY’S HIDDEN TRUTHS Sam Mitchell is a footy archetype – the unfancied prospect who, by dint BY JAMES COVENTRY, ABC BOOKS, $34.99 of intelligence and application, In the subtitle to this book, author James Coventry notes his debt to “a became one of the greats of his team of footy’s sharpest thinkers”. It’s well-acknowledged – Coventry’s first generation. He was central to the book, Time And Space, was an impressive history of Aussie rules tactics, era’s best team at Hawthorn, a and Footballistics progresses into the AFL’s efforts at figuring out this winner of four premierships. But as chaotic-looking game with data. Working with the likes of Tony Corke, his coach at the Hawks, Alastair Robert Younger, Sean Lawson, Clarkson, noted in the foreword, Cody Atkinson and others in the Mitchell struggled with having not burgeoning online community of played to his best in his first few footy analysts, Footballistics grand finals, even when his team won. achieves for Aussie rules what It was a mark of the player’s Soccernomics or the Historical intensity, hinted at in the title of the Baseball Abstracts did for their book. Forever the teenager passed sports. Do contested over in the draft, Mitchell resolved possessions or inside-50s that he had to go beyond hard work to correlate strongly with winning succeed. His career journey speaks matches? Do fair-headed to how elaborate the footballer’s craft players poll better for the has become, in considerations of Brownlow Medal? Was leadership and management. Mitchell Collingwood’s Machine the best also offers a fascinating insight into one particular season, in 2011, where his team in history? You might tremendous form masked terrible misfortune with the health of his loved ones, disagree, but this book has and even prompted thoughts of leaving Hawthorn. It’s a reminder of how so much the numbers to back it up. more happens in the game than what’s seen on the field. Good for: Contrarian footy Good for: An inside view of recent AFL history, and the management types will fans will love it, as will sporty like it, too. economists. THE FOOTBALL SOLUTION HOW RICHMOND’S PREMIERSHIP CAN SAVE AUSTRALIA BY GEORGE MEGALOGENIS, PENGUIN, $32.99 Richmond’s drought-breaking premiership last year was bound to engender some overexcited responses from its long-frustrated supporters. Count Tigers fan George Megalogenis’s among them – not only did his club win the flag, but TRIES, LIES AND MEAT PIES: they’ve shown how to run the country! THE SAM THAIDAY STORY But as one of the nation’s most astute BY SAM THAIDAY, EBURY PRESS, $34.99 commentators, a big-picture thinker with an eye for how large-scale trends manifest in smaller We have all laughed along with Sam Thaiday and culture. Rarely do we ever find out what that details, Megalogenis teases out a pretty over the years. At his cheesy grins to the means, but in a deep study of a man like this one, convincing argument. The short version of his viewers while lurking mischievously in the you get the full explanation. A favourite take thesis: the nation’s leading footy clubs have background of a team-mate’s on-camera, post- from the book of this reviewer’s dates back to become first-rate organisations, in tune with the match interview. His deadpan dad-joke lines 2009 when Thaiday decided to return to Horn significant changes going on in Australia’s social usually do the job of reminding us that this is, at and Thursday Islands during the off-season. fabric. In this regard, they’re way ahead of the the end of the day, just a game played by muscle The Torres Strait Cup was about to start, nation’s major political parties, who paradoxically men chasing around an and he harboured cheeky have found themselves afflicted by the object filled with air, and ambitions of lining up traditional curse of bad footy teams – narrow that we should all be for his beloved Magun parochialism and a short-term obsession with having fun with it. Warriors. How cheeky? the scoreboard. “Our leaders have fallen for the Walk upright upon this Well, he’d packed his old football trap of mistaking tribal identity for earth long enough, though, boots ... strength,” he writes. “Like the football coaches of and you’ll gradually realise Anyway, that dream old, leaders are reduced to the equivalent of that most of the funny came crashing down yelling at voters to respect their authority.” people on your television after word had quickly The Football Solution goes into Richmond’s sets, on the sporting field travelled across the resurgence, territory well-covered in the past and even those part of waters, through the year in numerous pieces as well as Konrad your own inner circle can airwaves, before arriving Marshall’s Yellow & Black. But this book also prove to be, in life’s at Broncos HQ. Sam sketches out the social role that footy – not only backstage, very serious wasn’t insured, so he Aussie rules in the south, but rugby league in the beings. In this tradition, wouldn’t be playing. He north – has served in Australia over time. It has Thaiday’s and Colley’s was shattered, but still an incisive examination of the Adam Goodes efforts here have ran the water with controversy and the still-complicated produced a very deep, passion for his Warriors. relationship the AFL has with race, and why insightful picture of the There’s an important the NRL doesn’t have same issues. There’s a man behind the beard, line attached to this challenge to the codes for how to stay relevant the Broncos jersey anecdote which says a lot to future waves of new Australians, a story that and the circus-clown about Sam’s fibre: “All the the author relates through the experience of his rent-a-quotes. fellas I’ve played football own Greek migrant family. Megalogenis also On the doorstep of his with are family to me.” shares some interesting tales from the hill, 300th NRL appearance, all for the Pick up this book and we promise you will having run the parliamentary tipping comp, about Broncos, in Tries, Lies And Meat Pies you’ll meet the real Sam Thaiday. our politicians and their footy passions. Expect meet the real Thaiday; so many autobiographies Good for: fans, enjoyers of the argument for this book to sound more promise the same, but not all deliver on it. old-school larrikinism and disciples of deep convincing should Richmond win the flag again. It’s quite common to hear how Aboriginal and sports autobiographies of substance. Good for: Those who believe sport and politics Torres Strait Islanders are proud of their people – James Smith should mix. SONS OF GUNS The family stories of this book have a lot to tell INSPIRING TRUE STORIES FROM GREAT FOOTBALLING in the realm of nature and nurture. Through the FAMILIES careers of some very familiar names: Mitchell, BY MATT WATSON, PENGUIN/MICHAEL JOSEPH, $34.99 Shaw, Hawkins, Cornes, Fletcher, among others, a Footy is ever less sentimental nowadays, but curious theme emerges – many footballer dads are one bit of romance that has held is when a son, or at pains to encourage their sons in the sport, highly grandson, shows up at the old man’s club. It’s been aware of the odds against any boy making it to the part of the VFL’s and then the AFL’s fabric – the AFL. At the same time, the experience of growing father-son rule, even if equity at the draft has seen up in a household so close to the game makes it its conditions change over the years. Footy loves real and achievable in a way that it does not for its genealogies. families with no such ties. It’s a phenomenon that will soon be tested in a new manner – with the AFLW, the father-daughter and perhaps eventually mother-child rule could come into play. Good for: Footy fans with a long memory.

THE JERSEY THE SECRETS BEHIND THE WORLD’S MOST SUCCESSFUL TEAM BY PETER BILLS, MACMILLAN, $39.99 After consecutive World Cups and a solid behaviours; with the All Blacks, it seemingly decade-plus of dominance, the All Blacks are emanates out the schools and the sheep farms, deserving of all the credit they get. These forensic, an integrated national effort to achieve rugby how-does-a-nation-of-4.8m-do-it examinations of greatness. Anyone who would attempt to copy the their success have proliferated. And you get the model would have to revamp their country first. sense that our understated neighbours across The Jersey takes a comprehensive tour through the Tasman wonder what all the fuss is about: this system, although that’s too cold a term to New Zealand and rugby, twas ever thus. describe it. In comprehending the significance The secret to the All Blacks’ success is not too of New Zealand’s XV, one notion becomes secret – if anything, it’s writ large across the unavoidable: they really do care about rugby nation. Teams and clubs talk about instilling a as a part of the nation’s life. culture through repeating slogans and modifying Good for: Frustrated Wallabies fans, maybe.

WALLABIES AT WAR Yes, there’s tragedy by the mile in Wallabies stopped for a while by a chapter Growden calls RUGBY HEROES WHO FOUGHT FOR AUSTRALIA At War; you’d be of a unique make not to have “The Sad Six”. Contained within the First World War ON THE BATTLEFIELD pre-steeled your expectations in that direction stanza, the section starts off by simply printing BY GREG GROWDEN, ABC BOOKS $29 99 b f i titl lik thi Y ’ll lik l b th f i H old George, Fred It is very easy to tell that G ce “Dos” Wallach, leading authority on Australia Tasker. In 1913 years, has thrown his back int historic triumph magnificent and important b team photograph, to not just Australian sports ung, so ambitious history, but to the overall sto mix it with the of our nation in general. ey did. Then the Divided into three parts: Th ions: within five First World War, Second Wor g taken, all six War and Vietnam War, Growd ok Thompson and Wallabies At War is meticulo four never researched. As you enter the stern Front. of rugby’s war heroes, you ca George, an Easts the hours of dedication the a ed in early 1915 spent in compiling it for his re being sent to Members of Australia’s nat selfless attitude union team have fought in vir s downfall in May major conflict this country ha at same year, in, including the Boer War, Bo en he was shot both World Wars, Korea, Viet through the body Afghanistan. Somehow, rugby while carrying a miss out on annual Anzac Day wounded soldier. coverage, that space usually He died the and rules when it comes to th llowing morning. mid-week day-time remembe rrowing detail, but without trying to get too poli ant to consume. Growden has laid some solid overs of rugby the importance of rugby’s pla ar history and efforts over the years. NON-SPORTS BOOKS FOR THE SPORTS FAN YES WE (STILL) CAN POLITICS IN THE AGE OF OBAMA, TWITTER AND TRUMP BY DAN PFEIFFER, HARDIE GRANT, $29.99 If you can’t get enough of the ongoing drama that is American presidency, this book is an entertaining insight from a top Obama White House staffer- turned-podcaster. The critique of the current state of politics is sharp, if not surprising; the stories that reveal the personal side of Barack Obama shine through. One thing that’s notable: Obama really was a big sports fan, and his fandom was an escape from the pressures of his office.

BREW A BATCH A BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO HOME-BREWED BEER BY CHRISTOPHER SIDWA, MURDOCH BOOKS, $39.99 We’ve all thought it. Sitting WINX: BIOGRAPHY OF A CHAMPION there on the balcony after BY TREVOR MARSHALLSEA, ABC BOOKS, $39.99 three or four servings of our A little-known (or remembered) fact, end of the meet. Trainer Chris Waller and favourite drop we’ve picked up especially amongst us non-racing-obsessed his leading staff ran their hands across the from Dan Murphy’s on the way humans who have climbed aboard the Winx humbled Oaks contestant. What came out of home from work: “I could bandwagon over the years: the Australian Hall Waller’s mouth has never been forgotten. make this stuff.” If you’re of Famer raced ten times before her historic “Boys,” he said. “She looks no good.” an action man, and this is a sequence of 25 consecutive stakes wins. We Was it time for the spelling paddock, after dream you’re likely to actually focus on this not to prove that no one, not even her latest five-run campaign, or was there still a chase, make sure you have a beautiful, popular horses, chance of her securing read through this book first is perfect ... but to Group 1 success in the ... please. Sidwa is the illustrate how going back big races coming up in co-founder of Sydney-based to the beginning is often Queensland? You all Batch Brewing. He knows what he’s doing, knows a powerful and insightful know what happens you won’t have the same beer-making weapons way of highlighting just next. Marshallsea uses as Tooheys at your disposal, so presents a well how far a story’s subject his clean, crisp but thought-out plan which will have you proudly has come. We ourselves fluent story-telling style sitting on the balcony thinking to yourself: “I made rely on such literary well in Winx, spelling this stuff.” devices on a monthly every one of her race basis here at Inside wins out, cleverly Sport, and we highlighting its place in congratulate Trevor the wider culture and KINGS OF THE ROAD Marshallsea on taking framework of the sport 50 CARS THAT DROVE AUSTRALIA us all the way back of kings. Trevor allows BY TOBY HAGON AND BRUCE NEWTON, to even before win outsiders to fully MACMILLAN, $49.99 number one of that appreciate the ride and Ladies and gentlemen, a historic sequence. Back the glories along the 50-1 of the machines that to before the crowds way, which is fantastic were on the road while you flocked to the major and generous because, were growing up, and while metro tracks in their these aren’t just race your parents were growing up. thousands to cheer on wins and unbeatable As mentioned in Inside Sport’s their new national icon. stats she’s collected. August issue, your first inkling Indeed, back in April Winx has been creating upon receiving this gem is to of 2015, Winx had been a Australian sporting look for the family car of your beaten favourite in the Australian Oaks history, dancing alongside famous names our childhood. And chances are, at Randwick to a horse who had boasted grandparents would have followed in the with Australia back then not $31,150 in career prizemoney to Winx’s almost dailies. Marshallsea handles the start well here; being the smorgasbord of half a million at the time. That runner’s strap yourselves in for a thrilling tale. vehicles it is today, that yes, your chariot is in name was Gust Of Wind. Devastatingly Good for: Aside from fans of the great one, here. Brilliant retro and modern artwork, as well appropriate, with the wind well and truly sports historians will love Winx, with its as sharp, striking images of the cars themselves, removed from camp Winx’s sails by the frequent references to champions of past eras. accompany brilliant commentary throughout. OVERLANDER ONE MAN’S EPIC RACE TO CROSS AUSTRALIA BY RUPERT GUINNESS, SIMON & SCHUSTER, $35 After a career of writing about cycling, Rupert Guinness decided to get on the bike for the inaugural Indian Pacific Wheel Race, a 5000km challenge from Fremantle to Sydney. Not only would it be a supreme test of endurance – for Guinness, it also invoked the spirit of the Overlanders, the 19th century riders who earned fame in their day for riding across a still untamed continent. Guinness comes to a whole new appreciation of the Overlanders, who achieved their feats with nothing but a tent and a billy can. Along such an epic journey, it’s fascinating how the small details come to dominate the rider’s experience: how to apply your chamois cream, the wildlife of the Nullarbor, how a hill is a nice change after so much flat road. But not even Guinness knew that he was headed into a much larger story – this IndiPac BEYOND THE BREAK would come to be remembered for its tragic end, BY DARREN LONGBOTTOM & TIM RUSHBY-SMITH, PENGUIN when British rider Mike Hall died in an accident YOU CANNOT BE RANDHOM HOUSE, $34.99 outside Canberra, and Guinness would be faced SERIOUS: THE On Saturday, May 20 back in 2008, Darren with a decision. GRAPHIC GUIDE TO Longbottom’s world changed forever. The son of surfing Good for: The MAMILs idly daydreaming about taking on a challenge like this. TENNIS pioneer and board-maker Rossco and some mates were BY MARK HODGKINSON, AURUM PRESS, $34.99 out surfing “random bombie waves” outside of a break Particularly recently, due to an ever- called Thunders at a remote location in the Mentawais, increasing reliance on statistics when 14 hours by boat from Sumatra in Indonesia. delivering narratives, infographics have There couldn’t possibly be a less-convenient place to exploded in popularity. Whether experience a horrific surfing accident ... Beyond The demonstrating the progress of a national Break is the tale of that freak accident, the terrifying election, the effects of increased taxes, or rescue effort that followed, and the long and painful indeed the winning ways or changing fortunes journey home for Darren. of your favourite sports squadron, these Longbottom and Rushby-Smith do a superb job here in picture-info graphs ... well, they just save as a delving deep into Darren’s thoughts and fears at physical lot of time we used to spend on actually and emotional flashpoints along the way. Perhaps the explaining things. most terrifying post-accident moment is when he wakes That classic query “do you need me to up in a Sinagpore hospital not knowing where he is. He’d draw you a diagram?” takes on a whole new never been to hospital before, other than to receive a meaning with the release of You Cannot Be few stiches. So his new environment is a bit of a shock to Serious. If you’ve ever had trouble wrapping the system: “I knew I’d broken my neck, but couldn’t they your brain around tennis, its origins, rules, just put it in plaster and send me home? Didn’t they just or even something trivial like, say, the whole have a fibreglass cast so I could still go under water, still point of it all, there’s an infographic in here surf?” Beyond The Break is the answer to those to help you out. harrowing, immediate questions, and plenty more you Good for: Tennis trivia buffs ... and lovers of may have about how one moment can change a young statistics. And fancy, clever artwork. family man’s life forever. Good for: Surfing disciples wanting to learn more about what happened to “Daz”.

PREFERRED LIES Organised as a series of essays, the authors range AND OTHER TRUE GOLF STORIES across a variety of terrain: great players present BY CHARLES HAPPELL AND MIKE CLAYTON, and past, tournaments and Clayton’s own HARDIE GRANT, $29.99 specialty, courses (two things he hates: trees and Golf has a rich story-telling tradition – what else are you carts). There are also welcome contributions going to do between shots? But the game also has a strict from other voices: Steve Williams chimes in on code of politesse, and these tendencies often conflict. Tell caddies, Rob Sitch on not thinking, and the late the tale, sure, but don’t offend anyone. Peter Thomson – himself a truth-teller over his It’s why the rare golf pro who shoots as straight with his esteemed golfing life – shares his thoughts on opinions as he does with his club is a valuable resource, and the wonder of the Old Course at St Andrews. Mike Clayton definitely falls into this category. As his Alongside the commentary, the reader will find collaborator Charles Happell notes in the book, Clayton’s some wonderful golf stories. For all his criticism, opinions don’t carry many shades of grey. From his time as a Clayton is an unabashed lover of the game’s tour player to his next act as a course designer, Clayton has lore – it galled him to find out, when he met a been a clear, consistent voice on issues such as the adverse talented young amateur at the Australian Open impact of ball and club technology, the need to preserve the a few years ago, that the kid had no idea who great courses, and the money lust that drives the tour. Bob Shearer was. He could have used this book. It’s slyly hinted at in the title, but the central principle of Good for: Conversation pieces at the Preferred Lies is a willingness to call golf on its bullshit. 19th hole. In 2017, one of Australia’s eminent cycling journalists hit the road in the inaugural Indian Pacific Wheel Race. His journey across the continent would invoke the spirit of the famed overlanders of the 19th century. But the author would come to know the brutal physicality, the harsh landscape and the danger that every rider faces. By RUPERT GUINNESS

he sound of heavy rain doesn’t Flinn – and, before arriving at their home disappoint me as it may have a few city of Melbourne, bridge some of the lead Tdays earlier. It wakes me – well, it Rhino has gained since leaving us at wakes all four of us in the room at Balladonia. I repeat my mantra that I’m Mundrabilla Roadhouse – in time for our set on reaching Sydney. I want to be scheduled 4am departure. The Cycling strong for the last 1000km through the Maven, Humungous Hugh, Nick Skarajew mountains and, after Canberra, the and I exchange our concerns about riding Southern Highlands and Royal National in the downpour. After yesterday’s ordeal, Park to Sydney. I’m happy to wait it out. Hugh repeats his own mantra: “Play the Among us, Nick seems the keenest to get long game”. The Cycling Maven is tossing ADAPTED FROM under way despite the foul weather. His tail up whether to go with Nick, or to stay. Nick OVERLANDER, PUBLISHED is up. He wants to chase Rhino – Ryan opts to make a break for it, despite the BY SIMON & SCHUSTER

80 8 JULY 2018 continuing rain. After changing into his kit either. When I do get up, I take a peep at the really dangerous in cycling. The sheer pain and checking his bike, he is gone, joining dot tracker. It’s been a tough and wet first aside, the risk of infection is very high, and Ben Cadby – the Mango Rider – who was week this far back in the field, and sure, the if it does set in and isn’t treated in time, it staying in a nearby room. Once Nick is leaders are doing an amazing job, racing as can be fatal. dressed and organised, and his packs are fast as they are with so little sleep. Reports Thinking of Tracking Jack’s situation loaded onto his bike, he is gone. The room is filter back of them sleeping in public toilets, reminds me of the need to check my own quiet and the Maven, Hugh and I wait out which does impress me as much as it shocks condition in the same area. I have a “hot the rain till dawn. me – I can think of other places I’d rather spot”, which make it almost painful to sit rough it in than a toilet block. But the on the saddle. And while it hasn’t developed ne of the downsides of sharing constant wet and wind from the front into a saddle sore, it is starting to get bigger. rooms is that you are hostage to coming in from the north-west has taken All I can do is ensure the sore – in fact my Oanyone else’s intent to head off. its toll on others, as well as me. entire groin area – stays as clean as Preparing to ride creates noise Only the night before, I heard about the possible, and that I keep applying the and eliminates any chance of anyone end of the race for another rider I had met chamois cream every day. getting the sleep they’re hoping for. In any earlier on the road. “Tracking Jack”, AKA And like other riders, I’ve got a check-list case, this morning my aches and pains Jack Heyward, was having a tough time of of other concerns. My right ankle is still make it hard for me to continue sleeping. the race. Like me, he had really suffered sore, but manageable, and both knees are in But lying in the warmth of my bed listening riding those last kilometres to Mundra- a constant state of change that ranges from to the rain fall is soothing. If I were alone, billa, and even lay down by the side of the numbness to pain. My feet are becoming I doubt I’d have gotten up and ridden in road, using the handlebars of his bike as a increasingly sore, especially the ball of this weather. pillow – clearly not knowing about the my right foot which frequently has the “Who would have thought that we’d find snakes. More worrying, he has a saddle sore sensation of burning, or no feeling Troy Bailey rain our biggest enemy in the bloody that is worsening with each pedal stroke. whatsoever after a rash of pins and needles. Nullarbor,” I say to no one in particular. This morning he shows us a photo of his But none of my ailments will stop me

photo by We three aren’t the only ones hesitating, open wound. It’s weeping, which can be from riding today, at least once the rain `

INSIDE SP IN ES SP RT | J J LY01881 2 8118 abates – which it finally does. The little “I don’t know,” she said, laughing. extra rest has given me some additional time to treat my aches and pains. After laugh too when I see the Rhino’s latest eating the first of two breakfasts – a cheese Facebook update. Like many others, sandwich, a chocolate bar and a can of Coke II’m interested to learn how he’s – at 6am – I have a second breakfast of eggs travelling. Is he “flying like an eagle”, and sausages after 8am when the road- as he told his Facebook followers after he house kitchen re-opens. The time spent bought a toy eagle? He named it “Eagzzz” over breakfast allows us to catch up on the but it soon became known as “Rheagle”, a race, especially on race leaders Kristof combination of rhino and eagle. Rhino had Allegaert, Mike Hall and Sarah Hammond, attached Rheagle to his handlebars before I who really are setting a cracking pace. bade him farewell at Balladonia, where he It’s fantastic to see the images on the ditched some of his load for lightness and IndiPac website of Kristof arriving in speed, including his bivvy bag, water downtown Adelaide at peak hour this bladder and two water bottles. Later he morning. He was welcomed by hundreds loses his fabled toy. of people – from Adelaide Mayor Martin Typically, today Rhino has a humorous Haese to blue and white collar workers. but interesting message to pass on to Kristof, interviewed by Jesse Carlsson, Mike Hall and Sarah Hammond have anyone with a dodgy knee like the one he who is following the leaders, was visibly also been greeted in Adelaide with true suffers from. That is: don’t put goanna oil moved by the welcome party. Kristof later Overlander respect – Mike a little later in on your knee – or any afflicted area – before recalls in his IndiPac diary how the Mayor the day and Sarah at 10pm. Sarah was you put on your cycling shorts lacquered even wanted to make him a citizen of his overwhelmed by the support but joked that inside with chamois cream to protect the city. Kristof was also taken aback by how the sight of dot trackers seemingly coming crutch from infection. Otherwise, as Rhino many people came out of their houses to from out of nowhere onto the bike path to says, the layer of goanna oil turns the watch him cycle past ... greet her was like being in a zombie film. chamois cream into something akin to the Fittingly, the spontaneous public Her remark triggered a huge laugh in the menthol rub Deep Heat in way you would welcome in Adelaide for Kristof was akin to crowd there to see her in the CBD, and then not wish upon your worst enemy. what the Overlanders experienced in the she ignited a cheer when she revealed she 1890s and early 1900s whenever they was way ahead of her daily schedule for or all the gains of the extended arrived at a major city. This was like kilometres ridden. spell at Mundrabilla, the downside history being remade, I felt; a throw back “Can you catch the boys up the road?” Fis that my body starts to stiffen up. in time. asked Jesse, while interviewing her. It takes some time for me to get my

82 INSIDE SPORT | SEPTEMBER 2018 “I STILL CAN’T HELP BUT APPRECIATE THE BEAUTY OF THE NULLARBOR PLAIN – ITS BARREN EXPANSE, THE UTTER SILENCE IN THE MORNINGS AFTER DAYBREAK, THE GLORIOUS SUNSETS. THESE ARE GOING TO BE MY LAST KILOMETRES OF CYCLING IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA AND I WANT TO TAKE IT ALL IN.”

far left Englishman Mike Hall, whose tragic accident would come to define the IndiPac. this pict re and below Front markers Sarah Hammond and Kristof Al- legaert set a far-off pace for the author [inset left].

rhythm back after the Cycling Maven, ahead of me are the Cycling Maven and tea. I assume the other two will probably Humungous Hugh and I finally get going at Humungous Hugh. I have no idea what has do the same, even though we’ve only been about 12.30pm. There is no secret to the become of Tracking Jack, and I wonder how riding for about two and a half hours. But solution: keep pedalling and the rhythm he has got on with his saddle sore. Nearing after stopping in front of the Llewin Way will return. When it does, however, I’m still the climb, what was a blue speck is clearly Whale, an imitation grey whale in the car feeling somewhat flat. My legs feel heavy, the Cycling Maven who has stopped park, and talking to a woman who has despite the welcome assistance of a little halfway up. I can hear him recording a live asked what we are doing, I realise they have tail wind. The previous day has taken a lot Facebook post. Clearly the hill has given ridden on to Border Village, just over the more out of me than I expected. him a new backdrop after endless days of West Australian– border. I quickly resolve that I’ll treat today reporting from flat desert plains. I learn later that, because of the relatively as a rest day of sorts. After the late Passing the Maven and now at the top, I steep climb out of the Roe Plains, Eucla is departure from Mundrabilla, I aim for an see Humungous Hugh, who has stopped to the only town in Western Australia that early finish and stop at the Border Village take some photos. I continue on, but turn has a direct view of the Great Australian roadhouse, 77.8km away, where race leader off to the Eucla Roadhouse. I want a cup of Bight. Sadly this doesn’t dawn on me at Kristof Allegaert arrived at midnight on the time. I’m tired from the accumulated day three. My plan is to have a big day of days in the saddle, happy about having riding tomorrow. got this far and overjoyed at being so close After 65km, I arrive at the Eucla to where I plan to rest up before a longer Roadhouse, which requires riding up a haul in the saddle the next day. With a little two-kilometre climb – the first of the over 13km to go, it was easy to miss the IndiPac since leaving the Perth Hills signs that would have steered me to the behind me on day one. Eucla is the fabulous sight. easternmost point of Western Australia But Eucla itself has an interesting and the ride is enjoyable. Though I would history. When the telegraph line opened never say I am a climber, getting to ride in 1877, the town was one of the most in a different gear, uphill and with a handy important telegraph stations on the line, tail wind after cycling on so much flat and was a vital conversion point when terrain and into cross and headwinds is South Australia and Victoria began to use a welcome novelty. The difference a American Morse code – otherwise known

Troy Bailey change makes! as the Victorian alphabet – while Western

I don’t really notice that the temperature Australia used the international Morse has risen to 33 degrees, which in desert code we are familiar with today. The old

photos by parlance isn’t that high. I’m alone, but Eucla telegraph station is now regarded `

INSIDE SPORT | SEPTEMBER 2018 83 “MY MIND WANDERS BACK TO THE TRIALS OF THE ORIGINAL OVERLANDERS. NO WAY COULD THEY HAVE ENJOYED THIS, I THINK … RECALLING IMAGES OF THEIR CAMPS WITH WILDERNESS ALL AROUND AND ONLY A TENT AND A BILLY ON THE BOIL THEIR COMFORT.”

as one of the loneliest sights on the Great Australian Bight. Nullarbor Plain. All that remains are As I roll in, I notice the giant Kangaroo broken down stone walls, which are often statue. The “Big Roo”, AKA “Rooey II”, is swamped by the shifting desert sands and in the quirky Australian tradition of the dunes they create. celebrating “big” things – a tacky but light- hearted attempt at attracting tourists. decide I might as well enjoy the rest “Rooey II” was triggered by the 1987 of today’s cycling and ride the last defense in Fremantle of Australia II’s 1983 Ikilometres to Border Village at an easy victory in the America’s Cup. It was pace. I still can’t help but appreciate the thought that the Cup would lure interest beauty of the Nullarbor Plain – its barren from the east coast of Australia, which expanse, the utter silence in the mornings would also lead to increased road traffic after daybreak, the glorious sunsets. These across the Nullarbor Plain. are going to be my last kilometres of cycling in Western Australia and I want to take it y priority now is to stop. I all in. Which I do, embracing the majestic ride by Rooey II, past desert landscape all around me, including Mreception to the bungalow- my first sighting of emus pacing just style apartments and where outside Eucla. the Cycling Maven and Humungous Hugh I think of how I will spend my hours in have parked their bikes. I’m hoping there is Border Village. Rest is crucial, but I should a spare bed, but it’s clear that many other use the daylight – especially now the sun apartments are free. It’s only 3.50pm, but I has pushed the rain clouds away – to give plan on making the most of my early finish my dirty and smelly clothes a good wash and getting up at midnight for what will be and my bike a thorough going over, too. At a big day of cycling to the Nullarbor the end of the first week, it’s also a chance Roadhouse. Seeing there is a third bed in to grant myself a bit of respite and think the shared cottage, I settle down. about week two. a-week schedule. It’s a Western Australian Time passes by very fast. I get through my Crossing the border into South Australia agricultural checking point where anyone usual routine, as well as washing my kit is a poignant moment for me, which I who is entering the state from South and hanging it out in the sun before the late celebrate by taking a selfie in front of the Australia must declare any fruit, afternoon desert chill takes over. Once it’s road sign that welcomes me to South vegetables, plants, seeds, soils, honey and all done, there’s time to enjoy a Coopers Australia. I turn around, look back at the animals in their possession. And it’s beer in the roadhouse where the Cycling horizon and farewell Western Australia. also a service centre for petrol, diesel, Maven and Humungous Hugh are already Then I roll slowly towards Border Village. accommodation and dining. There is also doing the same. Several televisions are The stop-off point is multipurpose and a desalination plant, and it’s also the screening live sports events. A travelling operates on a 24-hours-a-day, seven-days- gateway to the spectacular cliffs of the couple are enjoying a bottle of wine outside

84 INSIDE SPORT SEPTEMBER 2018 from right Scenes from the journey: the milestone of crossing the Nullarbor involved some tough times, but even hitting Tanunda, SA, was only halfway. inset below This letter, given to the author in Bruce Rock, WA, remains unopened to this day.

in the shade of the terrace. With each sip 408km away. The nurses instructed him Jack also pointed out to the nurses that of Coopers, I begin to forget about the on how to treat his wound after he showed several other IndiPac riders may be IndiPac. I could be anywhere in Australia them an image of it taken on his phone. He needing the same treatment. right now, I tell myself. I enjoy a second shows us the image again and I still wince. “Ain’t that the truth,” I weigh in. beer with my dinner, then buy a third. To say I’m impressed by his foresight to call A saddle sore isn’t yet my problem – My mind wanders back to the trials of the the nurses in Ceduna and treat it as per although I do have an extremely sore arse original Overlanders. No way could they their advice is an understatement. and I’m concerned that one point in have enjoyed this, I think, looking at the “I can’t believe you did that yourself,” I particular could develop into one. It’s now a cold stubby in my hand and recalling tell him, before taking another swig of my sharp and hot pain, and touching it makes images of their camps with wilderness all beer. I’m impressed not only by his courage it hurt more. But I know it’s not infected, so around and only a tent and a billy on the to go through with the self-treatment, but I remind myself to continue washing the boil their only comfort. also by how well the nurses instructed him. area well and regularly. Still, it’s good to And then the American rider Anders know that Tracking Jack has passed on the Petersen and Tracking Jack arrive at the message that others are suffering, so the bar. The fact that we’re all at the same nurses can be ready in two to three days’ roadhouse at the same time is as much time if needed. the circumstance of distance as much Before long, the accumulated fatigue of as ability. As the Cycling Maven quips, the last two days hits me – no doubt aided crossing the Nullarbor Plain with 200-or by the three beers I have now drunk. The so kilometres between roadhouses and the sudden shift prompts me to re-stock on security and relative comforts that they food and drinks, including those I’ll provide is a bit like a frog trying to cross a consume for one last snack after my dinner pond by hopping onto lily pads. before I go to sleep. I’m quite surprised to see Tracking Jack, Before turning in, I bring in my washing but it’s still not clear from what he says if and re-pack it, and then make sure every- he’ll continue or not. He talks of his wound, thing else is in order for an early departure the pain and the risk of infection. Common – my lights, Garmin, food and drinks. At sense says he shouldn’t continue, but who lights out, there’s still a bit of chit chat. am I to suggest that? That he is asking the “All set to go at midnight?” the Cycling question himself shows he understands Maven asks. the risks. “Yup,” replies Humungous Hugh. Besides, giving advice or intervening “No chance of rain stopping us this time,” in someone’s decision about whether to I say, jovially. continue or not could breach the race rules. But deep down, I know that as soon as I Rupert Guinness In any case, it’s clear that Tracking Jack tumble into sleep, I’ll be awake again, as if realised the severity of his situation and nothing has happened. phoned the nearest hospital at Ceduna, And I know that will suck. ■ photos by

INSIDE SPORT | SEPTEMBER 2018 85 IT’S ALL ABOUT THE SPORT!

Subscribe online anytime mymagazines.com.au 88 90 92 SHOOTANETBALL BUYBETTER EATHEALTHIER HOW TO A lot of pressure comes with the GA In the market for new gear? Just want Cheese: good for you, or not? or GS bib. The Lightning's Steph Wood to get rid of your old gear? We have Short answer – it is, but it helps to shows how she deals with it. the latest cool stuff in our guide. know which type, and how much. Getty Images Getty photo by

▲ This guy looks like he'll go okay: Cristiano Ronaldo exhibits a positive attitude as he goes in for testing with his new club, Juventus. The 33-year-old Ronaldo said earlier this year that he had a biological age, according to his physical markers, closer to 23. SHARP SHOOTER BE A NETBALL IHSEHWOOD STEPH WITH T timber defenders. game inordertooutsmartthosetall- every otherdepartmentofhershooting – sotheSunshineCoastlocalhastonail department covered attheLightning team-mate CaitlinBassetthasthat GAs around–herlankyshooting Wood iscertainlynotoneofthetallest Eats itfor breakfast. Loves it.At175cm, stage since2015,thrives onthepressure. starter onAustralia’s elitedomestic Coast Lightning,Steph Wood, aregular at least.Goalattackfor theSunshine there ... Well, for mostoftheplayers, week in,week out. seeming toboilatahighertemperature coaches andplayers alike; theintensity It mustbenerve-wracking hellout pressure-cooker environmentfor from dayone,hasproven a he still-new SuperNetballleague, Here, the26-year-old Aussie Diamond takes usthroughhow she preparesfor anight under thepost,while sharing themostimportant elements toperfecting that crucialshot.No pressure though,Steph... of doing my role and the pressure situation. pressure the and role my doing of pressure the Ilike court; netball the on anything like It’s is. situation the what and in I’m circle the in position what and Iam where matter no role as to a be goal able attack, to and shoot turn like the responsibility; my that’s job. my That’s I circle, the into Iget Once hand.” in ball the get to Iwant and ends attack the run to Iwant “Okay, really I situation, tight like taking that role on: a to getting it’s When it. on Ithrive stuff. and describe it as a pressure position, shooting goals a goal-scoring perspective, for us it’s all about about all it’s us for perspective, a goal-scoring From them. of front in hands massive having not and edge circle the on right they’re if circle the easier for them to be able to feed me a ball into much It’s edge”. “circle the to possible as close in. get can actually you shots many how surprising It’s had. I’ve sessions coaching afew in that done I’ve feel. youaway visual just that aspect, go that with taking By things. overthink can you effective; your shot is This right. is something I find quite shooting with your eyes closed until you feel that continue can you And shot. your of feel the get away you’re the visual just distractions; having to takes It shoot. and eyes my close post, the to turn I’lI sessions, tough those in frustrated really I get minutes to complete. These shooting sessions can take up to 45 take you 400. It just depends on how you’re doing. could it or card the finish to shots 200 you take could it arow, in five get to have you Because ... going you’re how day, the on depending but shots, of amount aminimum have you’ll take; to have we that shots of number aset have game. the into training your translate help can that things the They’re in. come can that mindset the That’s miss!” don’t god my “Oh like, you’re and shot fifth that to You get can situations. pressure in a really row; that’s good practice for those be all to have they –and in five get to needing circle, the of edge the on heels That’s shots. long five shoot to have you that be might One complete. to have we drills different are There work. our track to card ashooting given get We four. even do to required we’re around, comes duty Diamonds’ when but sessions, extra two to do Imight In-season, level. elite the at required accuracy and skill the maintain to need you work of volume the get don’t you otherwise well, as sessions court-work those of outside post the to go to need shooters but week, each those of three We have session. PRESSURE’S ON HOME DELIVERY EYES WIDESHUT TARGET PRACTICE I enjoy being a goal attack. People sometimes sometimes People attack. agoal being I enjoy I’m always wanting to bring our mid-courters as as mid-courters our bring to wanting always I’m when is, helpful quite Ifind things the of One won’t given we’re cards shooting the of A lot up. mixed are sessions shooting Lightning Our court-work every before shoot I always

profi le photo courtesy Sunshine Coast Lightning others Getty Images “SOMETIMES I’LL TURN TO THE POST, CLOSE MY EYES AND SHOOT. IT TAKES AWAY THE VISUAL DISTRACTIONS.” FATHER’S DAY GIFT GUIDE

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PAST GLORIES

Give dad the gift of getting the team back together and playing it, living it and loving it at the 11th Pan Pacific Masters Games, to be held 2–11 November 2018 on the beautiful Gold Coast. Up to 15,000 participants from 30 countries will enjoy 43 sports at some of the best sporting facilities on the planet, including five Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games venues, as well as a jam-packed nightly entertainment program at the Games Village. Your old man will compete in his age group, with no qualifying standards or times required to enter. The only criterion for entry is a minimum age for each sport, which for the majority is 30 years of age. Play it, Live it, Love it! Visit www. mastersgames.com.au to find out more. EAT BETTER

SPINACH, FETA AND HALOUMI TURKISH PIDE

Serves: 4 Time to make: 1 hr 5 mins (Hands-on time: 45 mins, PER SERVE Cooking time: 20 mins), plus standing 991kJ/237cal Cost per serve: $3.65 Protein: 15.8g Total fat: 5.3g 1 1/4 teaspoons dried yeast Sat fat: 2.6g 1/2 teaspoon caster sugar Carbs: 26.3g 1/2 cup bread flour Sugars: 2g pinch sea salt flakes (optional) Fibre: 9.7g Sodium: 652mg 1/2 cup wholemeal spelt flour Calcium: 367mg 2 x 250g packets frozen spinach, thawed Iron: 4.4mg 50g reduced-fat feta, crumbled 50g haloumi, coarsely grated 1/4 teaspoon dried chilli flakes 1 egg white • High fibre juice of 1/2 lemon, plus lemon wedges, to serve • Low fat 1/4 cup mint leaves, chopped • Low kJ • Vegetarian 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped 4 cups mixed salad leaves, to serve

1 Combine yeast a sugar in a jug with cup of warm wate Stand in a warm p until frothy. Place cup bread flour in bowl. Whisk in yea mixture. Cover and stand in a warm place for one hour Stir in salt, oil, spe flour and remainin bread flour. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Place in a bowl. Cover and stand in a warm place for one hour. 2 Place two baking trays in oven. Preheat oven to 220°C. Squeeze out excess liquid from spinach. Combine spinach, feta, haloumi, chilli and white in a bowl. 3 Divide dough in half. Roll each half into a 15cm x 30cm rectangle on a GLUTEN-FREE, DAIRY-FREE & VEGETARIAN RECIPES! AUSTRALIAN floured sheet of baking paper. Spread spinach and cheese filling across

healthyfoodguide com au SEPTEMBER the centre of each piece, leaving a 2cm border. Brush edges with water. 2018 $6 50 EAT WELL Fold over border and press to secure. Fold ends under to form a long oval tAGE WELL shape. Transfer pides, on baking paper, to baking trays. Spray with olive Recipes taken from Healthy What to eat right now! oil and bake for 20 minutes, or until lightly golden and cheese is melted. easy ways to 7strong bones 4 Combine lemon juice with mint and parsley in a small bowl. EXPERT ADVICE Food Guide magazine (rrp $5.60). Howtomake LIGHT & FASTING FLAKY quiche work for you 5 Cut pide into thick slices and top with herb mixture. Serve with salad p62 PLUS… September issue out now. ĕ High-fi bre cereals ĕ Top 10 buys for leaves and lemon wedges. meals in minutes ĕ Best raw treats 25+quickspring meals

Protein, carbs or both? Let your Accredited Practising Dietitian set the record straight. CHICKEN, PUMPKIN AND BEEF AND BROCCOLINI RICOTTA LASAGNE PASTA BAKE

PER SERVE Serves: 8 Serves: 4 PER SERVE Time to make: 2 hrs 15 mins (Hands-on time: 45 mins, Cooking 1,785kJ/427cal Time to make: 40 mins (Hands-on time: 15 time: 90 mins) Protein: 33.9g mins, Cooking time: 25 mins) 2,393kJ/572cal Protein: 44.9g Cost per serve: $4.80 Total fat: 16g Cost per serve: $4.35 Sat fat: 6.1g Total fat: 18.5g Carbs: 1.6g Sat fat: 6.7g 700g Kent pumpkin, peeled, thinly sliced Sugars: 14.5g Carbs: 48.3g 1 tablespoon olive oil Fibre: 10.3g 1 medium capsicum Sugars: 10.1g 1 large brown onion, finely chopped Sodium: 316mg 1 tablespoon olive oil Fibre: 13.7g 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped Calcium: 489mg 1 medium red onion, finely chopped Sodium: 364mg Iron: 7.3mg Calcium: 251mg 200g Swiss brown mushrooms, thinly sliced 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped Iron: 7mg 2 bunches English spinach, coarsely chopped 400g lean beef mince 500g reduced-fat smooth ricotta 600g vine-ripened tomatoes, coarsely 1 egg, lightly beaten •Goodfor chopped 2 tablespoons reduced-fat table spread diabetics 400g can no-added-salt chopped tomatoes • Good for 1/4 cup plain flour •Highcalcium 250g wholemeal penne diabetics 3 cups reduced-fat milk • High fibre 1 bunch broccolini, chopped • High calcium 8 dried wholemeal lasagne sheets, cooked as per packet •Highiron 1/3 cup grated parmesan, plus 2 tablespoons • High fibre instructions •Highprotein shaved parmesan • High iron 2 cups chopped, cooked skinless chicken breast •Lowsodium 100g mixed salad leaves • High protein 1/2 cup reduced-fat mozzarella 1 Lebanese cucumber, halved, sliced 1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1 Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly grease an eight-cup capacity baking dish. Then line a baking tray with baking paper. Place pumpkin on tray. Spray with olive oil. 1 Thinly slice half the capsicum. Set aside for salad. Finely chop Bake for 20 minutes, or until tender. remaining half. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over high heat. 2 Meanwhile, heat oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over high heat. Saute onion Saute onion, garlic and chopped capsicum, stirring, for 5 minutes, and garlic for five minutes. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring, for five–seven or until softened. minutes, or until golden. Remove from pan. 2 Add beef and 3 Heat remaining oil in same pan over high heat. Cook spinach, stirring, for two cook, stirring, fo minutes, or until just wilted. Transfer to a colander. When spinach is cool enough five minutes, or to handle, squeeze out excess liquid. Finely chop. Combine spinach, ricotta and until browned. A egg in a medium bowl. Season with cracked black pepper. all tomatoes and 4 Melt table spread in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Then add flour bring to the boil. and cook, stirring, for one min t Reduce heat to or until bubbling. Gradually st low and simmer milk. Bring to the boil. Reduce for ten minutes, heat and simmer, stirring, for or until sauce about five minutes, or until th thickens mixture thickens. Remove fro and tomatoes heat. Season with pepper. break down. 5 Spread 1/2 cup of white sauc 3 Meanwhile, over base of baking dish. Top cook pasta in with two pasta sheets, then boiling water pumpkin and half of the until al dente. chicken. Drizzle over ½ cup of Add broccolini white sauce and top with two for last minute pasta sheets. Evenly spread of cooking over ricotta mixture, top with time. Drain. two pasta sheets. Top with Stir pasta and mushroom mixture, broccolini remaining chicken and ½ cup into tomato of white sauce. Then finish sauce. with two pasta sheets and Lightly the remaining sauce, and grease scatter with mozzarella. an eight-cup 6 Bake, covered, for 40 capacity baking minutes. Uncover and bake Add pasta-broccolini mix. for 15–20 minutes, or until 4 Preheat grill. Sprinkle pasta bake with grated parmesan. Grill golden and pasta is tender. for five–ten minutes, or until cheese is golden. Leave to stand for ten 5 Meanwhile, combine salad ingredients with shaved parmesan minutes before serving. and vinegar. Serve pasta with salad.

What is an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD)? APDs are Learn more XQLYHUVLW\TXDOLȴHGQXWULWLRQSURIHVVLRQDOVZKRFDQJLYHDGYLFH LQDOODUHDVUHODWHGWRIRRGDQGQXWULWLRQ)RUDGYLFHDQGUHFLSHV daa.asn.au/smart-eating-for-you IURP$3'VVLJQXSWRRXU6PDUW(DWLQJ1HZVOHWWHU 94 INSIDE SPORT | SEPTEMBER 2018 HOT SHOT

The field for the women’s One Mile event at the Muller Anniversary Games in London left nothing in the tank, as Ian Kington / AFP / Getty Images the Netherlands’ Sifan Hassan (out of frame) won with the third- fastest time in history. photo by

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“Now, you’ve got the first receiver and second receiver even at junior level; they’re the only players who are really able to kick, and that’s when they get to a certain age. They’re the only ones who are able to pass, and oten only to a certain other players. “Back in our day we used to throw it out along the backline. It was really good, old-school football.” Calling an end to his career in 2004 while plying his trade for the , Campion had the privilege of witnessing great change in the 13-man code during his playing days, starting out in an era of bonus money for wins in the days prior to today’s professionalism, which was fast-tracked by the Super League war of the late 90s. This isn’t rent-a-quote stuff that Campion is giving – the game has changed dramatically, and he can see it. “Me and my mates do discuss this a fair bit amongst ourselves,” he says. “We’ve come to the conclusion that you’ll probably never see another or another Alfie Langer playing in the game anymore because those types of players ... there are no players coming through with that kind of atacking instinct of when to run and when to pass, or grubbering or chipping. It’s such a shame the likes of those players will never be seen again.” Known as one of the most brutal tacklers during his time, Campion is still hard at work in and around rugby league, but fewer people need fear for their life when the popular figure is around. “I’m helping out down at Tweed Heads rugby league down at Piggabeen, helping out the local A-grade side, which has really been fun,” Campion shares. “My boys play rugby on the Gold Coast with Bond University, so I’m always out watching them, and my daughter is a netballer; she’s 13 and KevinCampion prety good.” – James Smith

ne of the toughest and most determined players of his era, Kevin Campion knew his way around a stoush (Google his 2002 dance with former Brisbane Broncos team-mate and good Campion fears O friend for evidence of that). He could never be accused of shying away from we've seen the last of free play- pulling his sleeves up, standing high among his peers across the early 2000s in the workrate makers such as stakes, too. But the proud Sarina product also has a deep respect for the fancier, atacking side Alfie Langer. of the sport. In fact, if he could change one thing about the modern game, it would be to see a return of the ad-lib style of rugby league made famous in past eras.

Making his first grade debut at the old Chris stalwarts Dale Shearer, and Martin Cunningham Field for the Gold Coast Seagulls way Bella also played there as juniors), has seen enough back in the second round of the 1993 Winfield Cup, of the modern game to start missing the good ol’ Campion went on to be one of rugby league’s true days of when those other players on the field, the journeymen. Following his stint backs, were given free rein in on the Sunshine Strip came atack, as were the forwards. passionate and dedicated stints “When I started “It’s a lot more structured these with the St George Dragons, out in the under-7s, days than it was back when we Adelaide Rams, Brisbane Broncos, were playing the game growing and North we were allowed up,”the 241-gamer shares. Queensland Cowboys. Ask him if to chip and chase Campion says the conservative he still follows the footy these state of the modern game in the days, and he’ll tell you he mainly and regather, put atacking department can be only keeps watch of the teams he bombs up at such traced all the way to the very played for. Without sounding like start of a rugby league player’s we’re taking a crack, he must watch an early age.” life in footy. “I think it has a lot to a lot of footy ... do with the junior leagues, and “I still love it; I watch particular games,”Campion how the game is played at those levels these days,” tells Inside Sport. ”I’m liking South Sydney. I like the four-time Maroon says. Getty Images Getty their brand, their style of footy. I love the Burgess “When I started out in the under-7s, it was brothers, how big and strong they are. Their litle always on a full field, playing full 13-a-side; we halback Adam Reynolds, he’s a gem.” were allowed to chip and chase and regather, put

Campion, a Sarina lad (fellow Queensland bombs up at such an early age ... photos by

98 INSIDE SPORT | SEPTEMBER 2018 !

• Live nightly entertainment Over 40 sports • 13,000 participants World-class venues Enter the world’s biggest and best biennial masters games! ENTER NOW! mastersgames.com.au #PPMG18