Lacking Support

There are many who will read this who remember the days before airlines had personal televisions in the back of every seat. When a screen would appear in the bulkhead, and you had to find a good angle to be able to see it. There was no choice of film, you had to accept what was shown.

Thirty or so years ago one film that was frequently shown on flights into or in Australia – maybe it was to warn visitors – was the 1966 film based on the novel of the same name by John O’Grady, “They’re a Weird Mob.”

The film and the book are about an Italian immigrant arriving in Australia and having to cope with the slang and a new culture. In addition he has to cope with some racism, and trying to understand the values the average Australian aspires, to as well as the daily social rituals of that era.

Australia is a nation built on immigration. In 2023 the Australian Bureau of Statistics revealed that of Australia’s 26.6 million population, 18.5 million were born in Australia and 8.2 million were born overseas. In 2023 alone the number of Australian’s born overseas grew by 494,000. What these figures do not show is how many of those born in Australia are born to immigrant families.

Back in 1996 second generation Australians made up 20% of the population. The largest number of second generation Australians at that time were those with one or both parents born in the United Kingdom. Which makes sense, as many were the children of the ‘ten pound poms,’ young families who were invited to migrate from the United Kingdom for ten pounds. This was a scheme to grow Australia’s population that started in 1945 and ended in 1982.

It is fair to say that Australia’s climate is conducive to outdoor activities. This may well be why Australians new and old love their sport.

It was only 30 years ago that shops closed at midday on a Saturday so people could play sport, and they certainly did not open on a Sunday!

Australia it is fair to say has for decades punched above its weight in terms of its population when it comes to sport on the World stage. Something its citizens have taken great pride in. After the second World War the nation and its politicians loved nothing more than putting their colonial masters, England, in their place through sport.

Australians have tended to always play hard. Some have been accused of being sore losers over the years. Rather than accepting they have been beaten by a better opponent they blame all and sundry.

Despite this, the country as a whole tends to take great pride in its athletes and sporting teams and wholeheartedly supports them.

However, in recent times there appears to have been a shift. In the past few months this writer has noticed more Australians saying that they want the national team to lose than ever before. This would be classed “un-Australian” by many, a betrayal by others, and has created anger in some.

It would appear that there is no longer that blind loyalty to the national representatives,

There are many migrants who are grateful to Australia for opening its doors to them and giving them a chance at a new life. Many of these throw their support behind their new home country.

There are others who find it hard to abandon the nation where they grew up, where their generic roots come from, and that too is understandable.

Many of these immigrants born overseas spent their childhood, teenage years, or even adulthood in another country. Their children, the second generation may have lived in Australia since birth. Many will have gone to school and grown up with other Australian children. However, at home they may still experience a different cultural system that is tied to their parents home. This can include eating different foods, speaking a different language or living their life under a
different set of social values and cultural expectations. For them national identity can be confusing.

So it comes as no surprise that when it comes to sport there is first and foremost a loyalty to the country of their heritage rather than to the country where they live.

What has been interesting to note is that many of those who have said that they want Australia to lose are in fact long term Australians, not recent immigrants or their children.

For example in a country that loves its cricket, and has taken great pleasure in its hard-nosed approach on the field, and when the time arises crushing their opposition, it was surprising how many did not want Australia to succeed at the recent T20 World Cup in the West Indies.

When quizzed as to why individuals felt this way there were a range of responses. There were some who openly admitted that they still had not managed to forgive the team for the sandpaper incident in South Africa. They felt that this had damaged Australian cricket, and would take a long time to get over. Others were adamant that they could not support the team as long as those involved in that incident were still representing their country. They felt that despite how good they are as players David Warner and Steve Smith should not have been selected for their country again. Some even added that the bowlers that were part of that tour must have known what was going on, and so were also part of the disgrace that was brought to the country.

Australia has often been accused of being arrogant when it comes to sport. The Australians will tell you it is a self confidence, a swagger that you need to compete at the highest level.

So it is interesting to hear Australians say that they dislike some of their national teams because ‘they are arrogant.’ What they probably mean is that some of these teams have a lack of humility.

Australia hates tall poppies and has historically had a habit of hauling its sports stars and teams down if they start to get above themselves. These are very different times. The media in the past would set the moral compass, but regrettably this area of society has lost its own moral compass and has sold its soul to the highest bidder.

Facts are irrelevant today. Frequently so too is the headline, which has nothing to do with the story and is just clickbait. Even the ‘story’ is frequently a series of quotes that irrelevant uninformed people have posted on ‘X’.

Many of the young guns being employed in the media are merely fans who are in awe of the sporting stars they meet, they have forgotten that theirs is a job, a privileged one in which it is important to keep a distance and remain impartial as much as possible. At the turn of this century it would have been unthinkable for a member of the media to turn up to the press box in the colours of a team. It would not have been allowed by their editor, and many in charge would have had a quiet word and told them to change as it was not attire befitting of their profession. Now it is commonplace to see members of the media wearing the colours of the national team when they are at work. So with such an open display of support how willing are these individuals to stand up when required and say that something is unacceptable?

This lack of humility, which it must be rather than arrogance, has been levelled at the Australian Men’s cricket team and the Matildas, Australia’s women’s Football team who reached the World Cup semi finals in 2023.

The latter is a strange situation as when Alen Stajcic was coach the team reached their highest ever World Ranking, (Number 4), under Tom Sermanni they won the Asian Cup. In recent times they have won nothing, yet they are now in the limelight more than they have ever been. Is this down to marketing by Football Australia? Is it down to a media looking to promote women in sport, and climbing on board the publicity train?

At the Olympic Games the Matildas lost their opening game to Germany 0-3. On Sunday night in Paris they came back from 5-2 down to beat Zambia 6-5 in the dying minutes. Credit to the team for coming back and stealing a victory, but there should be some perspective here, but have we seen any from the media?

Zambia is one of the smaller nations in Africa. It is guaranteed that they would not have the infrastructure and financial support that the Australian Women’s national team has. They did not charter a plane to get to France for the Olympic Games. Zambia is currently ranked 64th in the world, Australia is ranked 12th. Australia was expected to beat Zambia, and without too much trouble. Credit should be given to the Africans for taking it to a team 52 places above them in the World Rankings and coming within a whisker of upsetting them.

Saying that, Zambia have some talented players such as Barbra Banda, and Racheal Kundananji, who have stood out in the NWSL in the USA. There are also other talented players within their squad and Zambia are a team on the rise. .

It is being hailed as a great comeback, but surely if you are to be regarded as a great team such comebacks occur when you fight back against the teams that are ranked above you, rather than those you are expected to beat?

When one looks at the way things are spun it is understandable that some sports fans feel that some of their heroes and teams are a little ahead of themselves.

What is often lost today is a sense of context, and that is because there is a disregard for history. Many believe that there was no top flight sport or great players before the internet. Few today have an understanding of their sport’s history, and who has gone before them. It was sad to hear a few years ago a player who is in their sport’s Hall of Fame telling a player he had to rush because there was a dinner celebrating these individuals. This modest individual was at the time the coach of that said player, and the player said “Oh, did you used to play?” They did not even know the individual coaching them had played, let alone what they had achieved in the game.

Many fans who are finding the current economy tough and so understandably do not like to see arrogance or sense of entitlement amongst those representing their country and by extension, them.. They want to watch sport as a form of escapism, just as going to the movies is. A time when they can dream of what might have been, marvel at those who have a talent beyond their dreams, and escape the tough grind of life.

When they hear the likes of James Johnson the CEO of Football Australia spruiking a potential $200million TV deal with Channel Ten, and talking about legacies from last year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup, they wonder when these benefits to the game are going to trickle down to them. When are the fees for their children, which are far from cheap and are preventing some from letting their children play, going to be reduced? That is the legacy that they are waiting on.

Yet possibly the biggest problem is that the connection that used to exist between Australian sports stars and the rest has slowly been eroded. Gone are the days when international cricketers played with their State teams let alone their club sides. Even in hockey, an essentially amateur sport, the powers that be have stopped the international players playing for club sides. It would appear that the centralised system is breaking that link with the public that was one of the strengths of Australian sport. This was something explored by author Richard Beard in ” Manly Pursuits” as he tried to explain why Australia was continuously so successful at sport. It was that tangible link between the players and where they came from that made others believe dreams were attainable. It was also a vital link that helped keep the athletes humble.

It would appear that the Elite sporting programs are now in fact promoting elitism. The one thing they never were in Australia.

Sadly now some of these elite athletes are pampered primadonnas. Some enjoying the spoils before achieving any success. Carefully managed social media accounts and marketing people at their clubs and national associations keeping their names front and centre. Yet what these actions have done is divorce the teams, players and individuals from reality. They have also built up resentment. They are often morally and emotionally no longer in touch with society, and importantly the fans and the communities that they represent. There is no link.

The umbilical cord has been cut. When it is cut the physical and emotional link is severed, and maybe that is why we are seeing so many Australians openly say that they do not want their national representatives to win?

Although it must be said that some have said that the reason they want them to lose is because it that may result in a much needed overhaul of the administration and current government funding model.

Australians may well still be a ‘weird mob,’ – a mob this writer belongs to – but most importantly they still possess a deep-rooted sense of fairplay, and will make it clear when they do not like what they are seeing. The problem is today few seem to be listening.