Opinion
Move over Socceroos: Matildas’ mighty deeds are a real game-changer
Peter FitzSimons
Columnist and authorI’ll say it again. The significance of the Matildas’ triumph over Canada this week – beating the Olympic champions – goes far beyond the fact it put them through to the round of 16 match against Denmark on Monday evening in Sydney.
For my money, and I suspect yours, it leapfrogs them in the nation’s consciousness well over and above the Socceroos. And, right now, they feel very close to being something like Australia’s team.
If they can beat Denmark to make the quarter-finals, at least, that position will be consolidated. The game has changed and this decade will continue to see the rise of women’s team sports in this country – most particularly when they win in serious global competitions. Watch this space – it is, with the zeitgeist, ever more female. And continued success by the Matildas will make the NRL and AFL look positively provincial by comparison.
Why am I not mentioning the Wallabies? Well, why do you think? But I continue to live in hope. (And on that subject, don’t forget the second Bledisloe Test is on at 12.35pm on Saturday.)
Time for Mary to take sides again
So, Princess Mary, who ya going for on Monday evening?
The Matildas from the land of your birth, or the Danish team from the land you will one day be, I guess, a co-reigner of?
Here at TFF we refer you to our remarks when the Socceroos played Denmark in the last men’s World Cup, for it still applies.
“I fancy the Tasmanian-born Princess Mary somewhere in a fine drawing room of Amalienborg Palace, surrounded by the Danish Royal Family, and various courtiers in the familiar manner – bar the fact that the usual pack of corgis underfoot, in this case, are a couple of Great Danes.
“Our Mary just manages to hold it together – trying to look as grim as them – right up to the end when she must momentarily excuse herself. Two minutes later, from somewhere in the bowels of the palace, a strange cry drifts back to the drawing room.
“‘Aussie! Aussie! Aussie!’”
Exactly.
Oi! Oi! Oi!
A slit much to take
Ummm.
It’s about the All Blacks. At the climax of their magnificent haka last week, they did what appeared to be a throat-slitting gesture – which was singularly jarring. We all love the haka, we all look forward to the match about to begin, and now you appear to be saying you are going to slit our throats?
When this first arose nigh on two decades ago, when the All Blacks unveiled their Kapa o Pango haka, there was an outcry, and your columnist was one who politely protested.
The All Blacks’ throat-slitting gesture during the haka has caused a stir.Credit: Getty
But after the outcry, the All Blacks changed the gesture and rather than moving the hands across the throat, started drawing their right hands from the left hip to the right shoulder.
Problem solved.
In the last two matches, however, they’ve taken it back to the throat.
I tweeted about it last week: “Magnificent haka, as ever, by All Blacks – with a qualification. In my view, the throat-slitting gesture at the end, before a rugby match, goes too far. Fire at will, see if I care. But @wallabies captain placing boomerang, later accepted by All Blacks captain, great!”
The tweet drew a lot of comment in NZ, happily, most of it positive.
“I deeply respect Maori and Pasifika culture,” I told the New Zealand Herald. “And I also would claim to be the loudest voice in Australia saying that the haka should be treated with respect.
“When I played, I didn’t like Campo going down the other end of the field ... for me it was an honour to face the haka. I was honoured to face it six times.”
The issue is complicated by the fact that, as noted by the Maori who composed it, Derek Lardelli, the gesture is not throat-slitting at all, but “drawing vital energy into the heart and lungs”.
But . . .
But why go back to what looks like throat-slitting to 99.9 per cent of us, when the problem has previously been solved?
Culturally insensitive on my part? I hope not, and just honest opinion. And at least the last time it arose I remember being heartened to have the great Maori and rugby player Buck Shelford – the All Blacks captain who re-energised the whole thing from the mid-80s on – in my corner, which I thought was a good start.
I respectfully submit that the current All Blacks should think again. You blokes are New Zealand’s greatest ambassadors, about to strut the global stage at the World Cup, and will no doubt be magnificent. I respectfully submit you do yourself, NZ and rugby a disservice by insisting on a gesture so easily misinterpreted as throat slitting. And by all means tell me to stay in my lane. But ask Buck.
High price of greatness
The news last Sunday evening on 60 Minutes that Wally Lewis is suffering the beginning of dementia – likely from the head knocks suffered during his glittering rugby league career – is more than sobering. Wally Lewis! The KING. Edging towards dementia? Say it ain’t so, Shoeless Joe.
But here’s the thing.
Lewis, as you know, is one of 13 Immortals – one of the very best to have played the game. And the roll-call of head issues among them is grim and getting grimmer.
Johnny Raper died last year after a long battle with dementia, while Graeme Langlands died from it, and Reg Gasnier at the very least struggled badly, mentally, by the end. Fellow Immortal Andrew Johns has had issues of his own – a series of seizures he believes were caused by concussions in league, though that is still not confirmed.
All up, the evidence grows that you can either devote the first decade and a bitty of your adult life to being a legend of rugby league, or you can be spared brain issues – but it is hard to do both, though hopefully modern protocols will go some way to helping protect the modern generation.
In the meantime, bravo Wally Lewis for sharing his situation, and then going even further. In Dr Rowena Mobbs’ program there are now no fewer than 40 elite and non-elite rugby league players seeking help. She is lending support to a charity, ConneCTErs Australia – on www.Connecters.org.au – to raise money for care and research in the field of those needing help for presumed CTE. Wally is now the official ambassador.
Stars bunk down for great cause
As discussed, the Chappell Foundation has done some great work in recent years raising money for youth homelessness – and one of their fundraising programs is the sixth annual Sports Stars Sleepout. It is on again this year at the Sydney Football Stadium next Sunday and will feature, among others, Louise Sauvage, Simon Taufel and Mark Gerrard sleeping on plastic and cardboard under the stars – ideally with your sponsorship.
Please donate at www.sportsstarssleepout.com and thank you.
What they said
Wally Lewis on ABC Radio Brisbane, on seeing the damage done to his brain by many concussions: “We had a look at the [brain scans], and I was expecting to see this just tiny little mark ... I had the first [scan] put up and the second one flashed up a couple of seconds later and it was enormously different. I just looked at it and could not believe the difference.”
Lewis on the reaction of the suddenly teary Dr Rowena Mobbs, while looking at the scans: “She just said, ‘I don’t think I’ve seen one like this’.”
Legendary Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon on hanging up the gloves aged 45: “That’s all folks. You gave me everything. I gave you everything. We did it together.”
Cate Campbell on the success of the Dolphins at the world swimming championships: “I mean Australia coming out on top of the world is one thing, but it is just so much sweeter beating America. The first night of competition, we did not have to hear [The] Star Spangled Banner ring out through the stadium. I cannot tell you how happy that made me. If I hear that song again it will be too soon. Bring on Paris. That’s all I have to say to the US. Stop being sore losers.” She has OOOMPH.
Moeen Ali done with the comebacks: “If Stokesy messages me again, I’m going to delete it. That’s me done. I really have enjoyed it, and it’s great to finish on it.”
A gracious English captain Ben Stokes on finishing the Ashes 2-2: “You can look back and say a few things went our way and a few things went Australia’s way. Hand on heart, I think 2-2 is a fair reflection of where the two teams are at in this moment.”
England’s Ben Stokes celebrates after taking a catch to dismiss Australia’s Pat Cummins.Credit: Reuters
Lance Franklin hanging up the boots: “What a journey. Thanks to everyone who has been on this crazy ride.”
Peter Bol after his positive drug test was officially ruled a false positive: “I have been exonerated. It was a false positive like I have said all along. The news from Sport Integrity Australia was a dream come true. I am glad that WADA has agreed to review the EPO testing processes to prevent future false positives. No one should ever experience what I have gone through this year.”
Stuart Broad hanging up the boots: “It’s been a wonderful ride, a huge privilege to wear the Nottinghamshire and the England badge as much as I have. And I’m loving cricket as much as I ever have. It’s been such a wonderful series to be a part of, and I’ve always wanted to finish at the top. And this series just feels like it’s been one of the most enjoyable and entertaining I’ve been a part of.”
Team of the week
Pat Cummins’ Australian cricket team. Retained the Ashes after a fabulous 2-2 series. So there!
Dolphins. Had a fantastic swimming world championships, and flogged the Yanks in net number of gold medals won – 13 to their seven. So double-there! Or nearly double . . .
Swans and Giants. Lock horns/wings tonight in a derby with high stakes. The Giants are looking for their eighth straight win while the Swans are trying to get into the eight.
Australia’s Hayley Raso celebrates after scoring Australia’s second goal against Canada.Credit: AP
Hayley Raso. Her two goals against Canada established the victorious foundation on which the Matildas nailed ’em.
Alexei Popyrin. The 23-year-old Sydneysider won the Croatia Open, his second ATP title.
Buddy Franklin. The Swans and AFL icon suddenly announced his retirement this week, effective immediately, after kicking 1066 goals and all that.
Diamonds. Through to the semi-finals of the Netball World Cup.
Stuart Broad. The last ball he faced in Test cricket he hit for six; last ball he bowled in Test cricket he took a wicket – bringing him to 604 overall.
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