Beneath the Southern Cross I Stand

Beneath the Southern Cross I stand
Ball and Chain in me hand,
Thinking of my Native Land
Awe strucken failure


The last few years have seen an erosion of a proud sporting nation into sublime mediocrity.  For the past 30 years it's fair to say Australia has punched above it's weight on the international stage, exceeling not only in sports but in the direction that country set itself globally.  The mining boom, a manufacturing giant, and a huge amount spent in promoting it as a viable tourist destination on the world map.  But Australians have almost always lead from the front in the sporting codes.

Their pride and joy has been it's cricket team.  With unflagging support from an endearing public, that team has always been very competitive and largely sitting at the very top of the rankings, in all forms of the game, and that public support has been largely rewarded.  And their rugby team has also been near the top, never number one for long but up there still.

But let's not forget their athletes in the Olympic arena, and in other world class events (cycling, swimming etc).  All one has to do is remember that shame they felt at LA when New Zealand beat them on the medal table, the catalyst to a resurgent revival of sporting endeavour and the outcome.  The AIS (Australian Institute of Sport) was set up to lift performances and garner the rewards internationally, and that sporting body handles almost all sports, even top flight sports of cricket and Rugby.  And largely that direction took Aussie sport to the top flight internationally.  But what of the past four years?

Rugby is a prime example.  The Nick Farr-Jones era, the John Eales era, a time when Aussie won the Rugby World Cup twice and seemingly ruled the rugby world.  In the last 5 or 6 years Aussie rugby has largely been dwindling in competitiveness.  And it's not just rugby.  Their flagship sport, cricket, has seen them languishing (nay, going backwards) on the world stage and it's fair to say that implosion is gathering pace with the current allegations doing the rounds.

And then was the 2012 Olympic debacle.  Australia's worst Olympics since 1984.  So where is the problem?  Is Aussie sport finally losing it's invincibility or are there other factors at play, i.e. other countries are catching up?  All one has to do is look back over the last two years specifically to see Australia has rather large issues at play.  Dare one say it starts at the top?  The government has been unstable for a period of time now and is that loss of self belief permeating down through society and affecting the nation as a whole, and that nation loves it's sport?  Once arrogant, still arrogant, but losers to boot.

So what way forward for our dear neighbours?  How will they pick up the baton and run with it without further mishaps on the way?  The obvious solution lies with the way they prepare their sports men and women for the international stage.  Is their a lethargic cancer permeating the AIS and other bodies that help develop athletes?  Can they look inwardly first, then look at how others are doing preparation work without being too cynical?  Can they get themselves off the floor and succeed at the highest levels consistently again?  The answer I feel lies with the Australian people, especially the youth coming through and the senior people in positions that determine success.  Will it happen?  It did once and will do so again I feel, but not before a lot of pain is shed in the process.  The Aussie Sports Model was the envy of the sporting world, once, now even they aren't so sure.