Well it’s anoher Tuesday, it’s pissing down in Perth, and it’s hard to believe that it’s been 20 years to the day since Gary Moorcroft took the Mark of the Millennium on Brad Johnson, right before he kicked his 6th goal of the opening half on that Friday night in 2001, and it would turn out during a post-season MRI scan that Moorcroft payed a heavy price for immortality, as he fractured his hip on landing:

If you’re wondering why Bruce McAvaney mentions Chris Tarrant, barely 3 weeks earlier, Tazza did this:

Even that wasn’t good enough to win the car.

Another major event that happened in Australia earlier that day…. South Sydney were reinstated to the NRL, one of many distressing world events in 2001

Not many people would even be aware of this fact, but while Andrew Denton among many high profile names helped lead the reinstatement bid for Souths, current Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese was a board member of the Rabbits during the period where they were originally booted out to when they were readmitted.

Albo also helped make sure former Prime Minister John Howard wasn’t recommended for a senior position in the NRL back in 2009, although I imagine that was more down to the fact that Johnny is a St George supporter rather than a difference between Liberal and Labor, and let’s face it, the Dragons didn’t need any help from the league office when it came to screwing themselves over.

After the recent disgraces involving several Old Aquinians, I’m delighted to see the 2011-13 PSA Champion Aquinas College Cross Country dynasty is proudly holding it’s own, years after going our separate ways

I write because I was delighted to see the one and only Ben O’Connor going one better than his Giro d’Italia stage win last year to produce an enormous win in Stage 9 of the Tour de France through the French Alps, helping restore Australian-French relations that were almost severed after Daniel Ricciardo’s mixed stint at Renault during 2019 & 2020.

BOC could’ve run that entire stage, and I still wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d won.

For many years prior, the major success story out of that team was our champion runner Jonas Aranda, who competed in NCAA Ivy League athletics for Harvard for many years after leaving AC, Paulo Velho wound up becoming school captain in 2013, I think at least 1/5th of the team ended up studying law, 2012 captain Tim ‘The Toolman’ Walker is currently doing great damage to his back carrying The Sports Daily on TAB Radio from 6am-9am from Monday to Friday on your dial, and we thank him for it because Digby needs to start getting his arse into gear.

And then you have me, who contributed as much to that team as Homer Simpson did to the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant softball team, but has gone on to become a 2-time Manning Jack Attack winning team captain, an occurrence so shocking that even Steven Bradbury couldn’t believe it.

Perhaps it’s fitting after BOC’s triumph that Australia and France are playing a rugby test match tomorrow for the first time since 2016

It also marks the return to the good old days of midweek Test matches, and if you ask me, the Australian border authorities have made a solid swap when it comes to international sporting teams.

We’ve pissed off the Australian cricket team to the Caribbean to waste a few weeks playing the West Indies to gain absolutely nothing except a few thousand frequent flyer points, and on the flip side, we’ve imported Les Bleus, who can have their citizenship fast tracked, as they stand a better chance against the All Blacks than our current merry band of private schoolers wearing green and gold.

Jamie Kah will bring up her landmark 100th Melbourne winner for the season on Wednesday at Sandown

Don’t know what time, but it’ll happen, as Sir Joh would say…

Victoria canning both the Australian F1 and MotoGP Grands Prix in the Spring

Just for a laugh, and for the sake of irony, I’d like to see Formula One Management/Liberty Media crack the shits with the Victorian Government and start secretly negotiating with the South Australian Government to get the Grand Prix back to Adelaide once the current contract expires in 2025, right as the Vics have spent six figures remodeling Lakeside Drive.

It’d be the ultimate form of revenge from the Croweaters after 28 years of waiting…. Which means it’ll be nothing more than one of my sick fantasies.

Further to it, the way our pathetic leaders are currently trucking along, FOM can schedule the next Australian F1 Grand Prix in March 2022, and the chances are either the Victoain or Federal Government will end up cancelling it again because the vaccine rollout will be 400 years behind schedule and they’ll be utterly shit scared of frightening the horses, so to speak, despite the fact that well over half the F1 paddock have been fully vaccinated.

Can’t call yourselves the Sporting Capital of the Known Galaxy if you haven’t got any sporting events.

Late night thoughts on the Hawthorn coaching succession plan, speaking as a Hawthorn member

1. The Hawks are probably going to get at least 3 coaches sacked as clubs try and get the services of Alastair Clarkson for 2023.

2. If it’s anything like the last time Hawthorn had a former club champion coach the club, which was Peter Schwab between 2000 to late in 2004, we’re going to slide further down shit creek without a canoe, because that horrific 2004 season was the precursor to how Clarkson’s tenure began, as Hawthorn finished 4-18 and dodged the wooden spoon on percentage thanks to knocking off Richmond in Round 21 to give the spoon to the Tigers instead.

3. It’s nice to see that many decades after he’s left politics, Jeff Kennett is still playing a part in the removal of viable assets.

The St George Paul Vaughan Farewell Party is the off field story of 2021, simply because of the many ways the players tried dodging the cops

De Belin hiding under the bed after he told St George he was walking his dog a midnight on a Saturday, several players hiding in cupboards, hiding under the rugs, doing a runner from the cops while forgetting their customised car was out the front….

When the fuzz actually arrived at Vaughany’s house, was it like in The Life of Brian when the Romans search the building for the People’s Front of Judea?

I believe one of Jack’s replies to the club was also something along these lines:

If there’s an omen for Ajla Tomlajnovic and Ash Barty, it has to be this

The last all-Australian Quarter Final in the Ladies’ Singles at Wimbledon was way back in 1980, when Evonne Goolagong Cawley played Wendy Turnbull and won 6-3, 6-2.

That year, Evonne won the second of her two Wimbledon titles.

Who is Ash Barty honouring this year with the design of her playing uniform?

EVONNE GOOLAGONG.

Finally, it appears that Israel Folau used suing the QRL as a ruse so he could get a release from Catalans under the premise of being homesick…. just so he could sign for the Japanese Top League

Two years after having his contract terminated by Rugby Australia, Israel Folau is back in the 15-person game.

The sacked Wallabies star has joined NTT Communications in the Japanese Top League, having signed a contract on Friday.

He will join the Japanese club in September and link up with sacked Waratahs coach Rob Penney, who has been announced as the Director of Rugby at the club. Former Wallaby Liam Gill is another Australian at the Japanese team.

His contract is understood to be worth less than half of what he was earning at Rugby Australia, where he was on more than $1 million per season.

Folau is under no uncertain terms in his contract that he will not post religious messages on his social media accounts.

He has not published on Instagram a religious post since August 1, 2019.

Folau had been in conversations with multiple Japanese clubs for months.

Wow, who’d have thought it, manipulating multiple groups of people for personal gain.

I’d say that’s not very Christian of Izzy…. but who am I kidding, I ticked off at least 4 boxes of Izzy’s “Hell Awaits You” checklist.

Yes, in case you were wondering, I am an Idolater.

I worship Billy Idol.