PLAY Canberra Issue 25 July 2013

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contents4. Government - economic impact of anzac test5. roWinG - canberra girls grammar hatrick6. GWs -kevin sheedy reflects on canberra8. BrumBies - plaY spends game day with jake white11. John i dent - Vikings turn 40!!12. socials - out in canberra13.acteWaGl - july events calendar 15. hocKey - anna flanagan 16.state of the Play - afl: buddy worth the giant bucks17. runninG - michael milton world record attempt19. state of the Play - union: brumbies home final21. neafl - more milestones!! 22. nrl - bad and mean green machine24. sPortenary - handball and events24. sPortenary - club of the month26. BasKetBall - australia V new Zealand 28. cyclinG - tour de france and giro rosa 30. crossWord - plaY’s sport crossword31. exercise - fitness with steve

contriButinG Writers & collaBorators: antony perry brett mckay shaun ebert adam phelan brendan parnell russ gibbs

contacteditorial nathan minerds - [email protected] 0452 220 100adVertising ad guys - [email protected] 0452 220 100

disclaimerplaY canberra is a monthly magazine distributed to over 500 locations in canberra on the first thursday of the month. the opinions, view and comments expressed in plaY do not necessarily reflect those of the editor or publisher. plaY canberra is not responsible for the information submitted in the ads by the advertisers.

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josh matic todd davey joshua mercer lyndall parker chris cairns jessica munoz

cover: GWs leadership Group tom scully, Phil davis and callan Ward.

July: the month of the walking deadThe Tour De France, Wimbledon, The Ashes and the regular round of sports look set to send Canberra’s productivity levels to an all time low. As sport lovers suffer from self-inflicted sleep deprivation this month I think it’s important to paraphase the great Bob Hawke “Any boss who sacks anyone for not mentally turning up to work this month is a bum!”

underdoG taG suits aussies Better anyWaycan anyone remember the dominate australian cricket teams of the 90’s and early 2000’s? their continued victories became almost mundane. well that’s not a problem anymore and the aussie’s enter this series as underdogs.

if there’s one thing australians love - it’s an underdog, making this series one not to be missed. with the recent coaching and selection changes behind us, cricket fans around the world will be watching and hoping for a return of that famous aussie fighting spirit. lets hope the fighting spirit makes it out of the pubs and onto the field!

canBerra’s tour contendercanberra’s michael rogers (pictured above) will be lining up for his ninth tour de france this month and following his key role in sky’s victory for bradley wiggins in 2012, he has the potential for a repeat performance with alberto contador at saxo–tinkoff.

rogers, 33, has returned to form in recent months, finishing runner-up to tejay van garderen (bmc) at the tour of california and then sixth overall at the critérium du dauphiné.

“personally, a victory by alberto in the 2013 tour de france would be a huge thrill ” rogers said. “when you see how much passion and belief alberto has

day in and day out in what he is doing, it’s impossible to not feel emotional. like all great leaders he brings the best out of his team and i can’t wait to get things going.”

Patty mills resiGns With sPurscanberra’s patty mills capped off a memorable june by resigning with the san antonio spurs for the 2013-14 nba season.

the spurs’ came within seconds of taking out the 2012-13 nba finals in game 6 (of the 7 game series) only to lose that game in overtime. they subsequently lost game 7 to lebron james’ miami heat.

mills has made no secret of his desire to stay with the spurs. “i absolutely love this place, everyone here knows that. i love my teammates”.

in 74 games with the spurs, mills has averaged an impressive 6.2 points, 1.4 assists and 1.1 rebounds in 12.4 minutes.

mills has developed a strong cult following among nba fans because of his energy on the bench in particular his towel waving after big plays. as a true sign of his character, patty began thinking of ways for it to benefit others. so he started selling towels to raise money for charities in the san antonio area.

nathan minerds.

PhotoGraPhers: ben coughlan ben southall: www.bensouthall.com.au nudgepix photography: www.nudgepix.com.au fiona brammall

Nathan Minerds

image: gettY


DFO Shop T102 I 337 Canberra Ave Fyshwick 2609 0403734739 I www.facebook.com/capzcanberra

a near sell-out crowd of 25,628 witnessed australia’s 32-12 test win over new Zealand at canberra stadium on april 19.

the evaluation report, which was jointly commissioned by the act government and the national rugby league, found that the event’s total direct expenditure into the act economy was $1,803,950, including an organisational spend of $288,500, an overnight visitation spend of $1,211,729 and a day visitation spend of $303,721. canberra attracted 1,534 day-trippers and 2,622 overnight visitors due to the match.

act minister for tourism and events, andrew barr, said the match, which was televised on channel 9 and fox sports and viewed by 1.65 million people globally including in malaysia, new Zealand, singapore and the usa, created great exposure for canberra.

“this historic match joins events such as the cricket australia one day international, australian women’s open golf and last week’s british and irish lions clash as examples of the act government’s commitment to sport,” minister barr said.

“these are fantastic results and have demonstrated canberra’s ability to host a world-class sporting event, while showcasing the capital in its centenary year.

“this report also demonstrates the economic impact of bringing big sporting events to the capital.”

nrl general manager of marketing and commercial, mr paul kind said: “the whole experience with the delivery of the test in canberra was outstanding. the test match was played in front of a capacity crowd and i believe that when you look at the success of the whole event, canberra has certainly presented strong credentials to host more international rugby league in the future.”

“the nrl worked in partnership with the act government to deliver the game as a major event in the centenary celebrations and the combination of community and corporate events throughout the week showcased canberra and provided opportunities for the local community to get involved.

a survey of 1,148 match attendees and act community members found 88% of match attendees indicated a willingness to attend another test match if held at canberra stadium, while 76% said they would encourage non-canberrans to travel to the act to attend a match in future. 89% indicated they would return and 94% would recommend canberra to their friends and family.

the survey participants gave the event a 7.5 out of 10 satisfaction rating, with 86% of match attendees saying the match represented value for money.

first test match provides positive impact for canberracanberra’s first australia v new Zealand test match attracted more than 4,000 visitors and contributed $1.8 million to the act economy, according to an independent evaluation report.

“canberra has certainly presented strong credentials

to host more international rugby league in the future”

- Paul Kind.

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hat-trick for canberra girls grammarafter a week of trials, three cggs Year 12 girls have been selected to represent australia in the australian junior rowing team to compete at the world junior rowing championships which will be held in trakai, lithuania from 7–11 august.“these selections come on top of a really successful season for us.” proud coach and head of rowing for cggs dafydd gwynn-jones told plaY recently.

“we got outstanding results at the national championships. one of our crew, the under 17 Quad,

is the national champions, we also got a gold medal, a silver medal and a bronze medal in other events. so that was an indication that these girls should perhaps go on and be considered for national selection and they went for a week of trialing where

they were ultimately selected in the national junior team”.

the performances of the three girls, bonnie andrews, stephanie miniter and brittany staniforth have helped pushed the school onto the national stage.

“when you get national results and national representations your schools gets noticed and gets on the radar which is great for a school here in canberra” dafydd explains.

this will be the first time competing overseas for the girls and while they have competed in the Youth olympics they expect a different standard in lithuania.

“it will be tough” says bonnie “they are world class teams and they compete a lot against each other, so we are not too sure how we will measure up.”

all the girls have long term ambitions in the sport, “next season we will try for the under 23 team” brittany told plaY. but they still have a long time in the sport ahead as stephanie explained, it is a sport that you can be competing at the highest level well into your thirties.

the girls certainly have the commitment required as dafydd explained “it takes many years and hard work to get to the level these girls are at, they have been rowing with us for six years and put in hundreds and hundreds of hours each year, and this is the pinnacle, to be selected in the national team”.

image: ben coughlan


i can’t begin to tell you how much i have enjoyed my time in canberra since joining the giants. to me it has blossomed into one of the most beautiful cities in australia. it is also an intellectual city and a place australians should be proud of.

there is no finer example of this than the war memorial which i visited with a well-known canberra identity james hird when we were here for the nab cup earlier this year. what an incredible monument to the people who have given their lives for this country.

from there you get a breathtaking view of canberra in all its beauty. parliament house (both old and new) where some of the most important decisions in the history of this country have been taken.

then there is lake burley griffin, the high court and the national gallery. these are just some of the

highlights of canberra, our bush capital. then there are the people and culture. it never fails to please.

and then there is sport. i couldn’t be happier that the giants are here because the nation’s capital deserves a genuine afl club presence and that’s what it now has. for too long we were happy to pay it only lip service with clubs coming and going.

in the meantime the raiders and the brumbies swooped. of course there is room for all of us and i think at heart this is an afl city. we just have to tap into it and prove our bona fides. and hopefully we are doing that.

the giants are especially thrilled to be part of canberra’s centenary. this year we played the first ever afl matches under lights at star track oval and this is a venue that all people in canberra should be proud of.

unfortunately the results haven’t gone our way so far this year. it’s been a tough challenge for our young side especially with the loss of players like chad cornes, dean brogan, jon patton, phil davis and dom tyson to long term injuries.

while we have faced a challenging few months on the field, the club and its supporters can feel proud of a number of achievements this year. they include:

n 12,624 members – a 20 per cent increase on 2012 and an outstanding effort for a second year club including more than 3000 here in canberra.

n our highest ever attendance in canberra against st kilda in round three of 11,092.

n a naming rights agreement for star track oval as we continue to build a strong base in canberra which recently hosted the afl hall of fame for the first time.

n the re-signing a number of key players to long term contracts including jon patton, dom tyson, will hoskin-elliott, curtly hampton, sam frost, aidan corr, andrew phillips and liam sumner.

n the debut of a number of young players including number one draft pick and nab afl rising star nominee lachie whitfield and lachie plowman.

n the elevation to senior football of the first player from the slater & gordon giants academy, Zac williams, another product of the riverina.

kevin sheedy reflects on the giants place in canberrai can’t begin to tell you how much i have enjoyed my time in canberra since joining the giants. to me it has blossomed into one of the most beautiful cities in australia. it is also an intellectual city and a place australians should be proud of. by kevin sheedy

image: gettY


while we are disappointed not to have brought up our first win yet, we have also seen some very encouraging signs such as our recent effort against ladder leader geelong at Škoda stadium and the emergence of exciting young forward jeremy cameron.

we have been able to continue to fast track the development of a number of players including local act player josh bruce, who has been able to play consistent senior football this year.

our coaching staff, led by myself and senior assistant coach leon cameron, are working hard on the development of our playing list as well as a smooth transition to leon when he takes over next year.

after two drafts, we are assessing what our playing needs are for next year and we will be active in the trade period at the end of the season as we continue to build what we think will be a very competitive team to ensure long term, sustainable success.

off the field we continue to attract strong corporate support as we grow our revenue base and forge new partnerships. we are particularly proud of the work we are doing in the community through the lend lease giant community footprint which is building our connection with the people of western sydney as well as regional nsw and the act.

after a much needed bye, we are looking forward to the prime minister’s cup against the western bulldogs at star track oval this saturday. it will also be the

cbus building australia match to pay tribute to all the working men and women who have helped build this country and we hope this will become an iconic game for our club.

canberra is a critical part of this. we have a made a 10 year commitment to play afl here but hopefully we will be here for many, many years to come.

after all, this is a city that has produced some great players. alex jesaulenko and james hird are two of the biggest names in the game. who is the better player? having played against one and coached the other, it’s hard to split them.

and the names go on - micky conlan, brett allison, aaron hamill, justin blumfield and craig bolton to name just a few. and what about those players who came here after their Vfl/afl careers like kevin

‘cowboy’ neale and did so much to help develop the game in canberra.

last year was a big one for the giants. who can forget our first win against the gold coast suns. it is now part of the history of our club but also the afl.

i get just as much pleasure from our australia post afl community camps and watching our young players meet the people of canberra whether they be young kids at school or the sick and elderly in hospital.

make no mistake - this is a great city. when i was here earlier this year i went to see the giants, the brumbies and the black opal all in one weekend. what other place can you do that? and enjoy some of the great tourist attractions of this country at the same time.

i know this is a proud city and we can count on you to come out this weekend and cheer us on. i’m sure plenty of bulldogs fans will also come up from melbourne and make a weekend of it in the national capital.

after all, this is a city that has produced some great players.

alex Jesaulenko and James hird are two of the biggest names in

the game. Who is the better player? having played against one and coached the other, it’s

hard to split them.

Giants vs Western BulldoGs the Prime ministers cuP

saturday 6 July 1:45Pm startracK oval manuKa

ticKets: ticKeteK.com.au/Giants

image: gettY


in the heat of battle, with the british & irish lions looking to finish fast over the top of the brumbies, white remains calm up in the coaches’ box. save for the odd exclamation for his team to “play, play, plaY!” the discussion between white and his assistant coach, laurie fisher, is measured and cool.

and that’s obviously the difference between the fan and the head coach.

none of the screaming at the play that happens in the seats below, or at the televisions at home. rather, just rational thinking about how to maintain the upper hand, and clarity in moving his human chess pieces around the 25,000-seat board. it’s engrossing to watch from close quarters.

for the brumbies’ tour match against the lions last

month, plaY canberra was granted a world exclusive. for the first time in his professional coaching career, a resume that includes junior and senior rugby world cups and tri-nations titles, jake white allowed a writer or journalist to shadow him on match day.

to have witnessed what i witnessed on the day before, and on the night of the brumbies’ historic 14-12 victory over the tourists, was both enlightening and exhilarating, and will almost certainly remain a highlight of my sports writing career. You just don’t get opportunities like this every day, and it was an absolute privilege, both as a writer and as a rugby fan, to be the first person in the world to write this story.

monday: the caPtain’s runanyone who’s been to a captain’s run will know that the session is really just there as one last opportunity

for the captain to see that everyone in the side is comfortable in their patterns and positions, and to see that everyone is ready for the game the following day. the sessions are rarely run at full pace, rather an opportunity to nail down running angles, restart formations, and set-piece plays on the eve of the match.

but the captain’s run before the lions game was different. there were a lot of british journalists and commentators in attendance, and there was nervous tension in the air within the brumbies. jake white would tell the press conference and tV crews that he was excited to be taking on the lions for the first time in his career, and there was a different level of eagerness within the players. an opportunity many of them will never get again was just 24 hours away.

match day: Pre-Gamethe realisation that i was going into uncharted territory was confirmed when i met the brumbies in the gold room, deep within the bowels of the australian institute of sport. my bright red media accreditation is trumped by the blue all areas pass team manager tony thorpe hands me, with the magic words “permits changeroom access” emblazoned across it. i’m officially part of team entourage.

the gold room is eerily quiet. it’s around three hours to kick off, and the players are getting their ‘game faces’ on. guys come and go to get strapping and stretching needs attended to in the boxing hall downstairs, while the rest remain among an impressive array of

the inner sanctum: play Joins Jake white in the brumbies’ coaches boxthe first thing that strikes you is the calmness. for the average brumbies fan watching from their canberra stadium seats, or from the couch at home, game time is rarely the time for calm rationality and clarity of comment and observation. by brett mckay

image: gettY


headphones, smartphones, and tablet devices. some guys listen to music, others read, while some watch videos or movies. all are stretched out on bean bags, and some will nap.

white tells me outside that this is that same sort of preparation that he used to do with the springboks, and that england, and the bulls, all do something similar. thorpe confirms the crusaders used to do similar during his eight years with them, though not quite to the same degree of fastidiousness as the brumbies.

the team breaks into backs and forwards units for a quick meeting, in which fisher reiterates to the forwards of the importance of taking their already relentless breakdown game up a notch further against their international opposition. larkham tells the backs to maintain their intensity for 80 minutes, and to make “good decisions in contact.” flyhalf matt toomua lists off the plays they’ll use, and the likely order.

the squad comes together for white’s final address before they make their way through the dark from the ais to canberra stadium. his message highlights the parallels between the two sides, despite the 550+ test cap difference. “tonight i can really help you, boys” white says. “i’ve coached at international level, and these guys are no different to you.”

“all these guys have been in your shoes, boys,” white says. despite the fact they are currently british & irish lions, they all started somewhere throughout england, ireland, scotland and wales as professional club players. whether they played for great clubs like munster, or saracens, or cardiff, they are all ‘just’ professional club players like the brumbies are now. these lions are not superhuman.

larkham plays a video clip, a pre-recorded message from all the guys in the wallabies squad missing the game. there’s a genuine passion in their words, particularly from regular captain, ben mowen, from whom you sense a real disappointment that he can’t

lead the team out, even though he’s set to make his wallabies debut only four days later. the emotion level in the room is right up.

white leaves his side with two key messages. “all i want to see tonight is no-one standing back,” is the first message, urging his team to not hold back, and give the lions everything. it’s a neat follow-up to larkham and fisher’s earlier messages about 80-minute intensity. the final message, a quote by winston churchill, has been on the whiteboard in the gold room the whole time they’ve been in there.

“history will be kind to me for i intend to write it.”

it won’t be the last time i hear white talking about making history on this night.

the Warm-uPthe whole warm-up process, which is only around ten to fifteen minutes, is meticulously planned and timed down to the minute, with one of the trainers telling the team the time count.

the players go through their own thing to start with; kickers kick from hand and from the tee, hookers practice lineout throwing. outside backs go through some run-throughs, while the young props set some two-on-one scrum engagements.

the team breaks into forwards and backs, with the laurie fisher overseeing the set pieces, and stephen larkham and the backs running some quick plays as well as practising their offloads into contact. all the while, jake white is back up on halfway, watching the british & irish lions go through their own drills. he pays particular attention to their breakdown and set piece work.

fisher gets right into the forwards while they go through their pick-and-drive, really firing them up. there’s an intensity involved as they focus on accelerating through the contact, with cleanout runners following.

the team comes together for some final defensive work as a XV, and on their attacking plays. the talk and intensity lifts again, this is essentially the last hit-out before kickoff. a short, sharp session and the team go back into the dressing room. it’s game time.

KicK-offwhereas on the canberra stadium concourse the build-up is a gradual dialling up of the volume to a fever-pitch as the teams run on, up in the coaches box it’s almost the exact opposite. initially, it’s a bit of a mad dash upstairs from the changeroom as the players walk out up to the box in time for kick-off. once up in the box, fisher settles into his spot at the window, next to performance analyst warwick harrington and his array of laptops and screens.

white takes up a seat in the back row, and checks larkham and thorpe can hear him at ground level over the radios, as well as the trainers on both sides of the ground.

the opening exchanges are very quick, and in no time at all tevita kuridrani crosses in the corner for the brumbies to get out to a 5-0 lead. there’s more noise made about ian prior missing the conversion, than of the try itself, though white and fisher are both really impressed with jesse mogg’s decision-making in throwing the long pass that made the try. little did we know it would be the last try of the night.

the half goes on with the brumbies maintaining the upper hand, and most of the play has been down in the lions half. early concerns arise about the scrums, and white asks fisher about swapping the props, where young ruan smith would switch to loosehead, and wallaby squad member scott sio to go into the tight. fisher acknowledges the concern, but suggests waiting to talk to the props at halftime.

the lions elect to take a shot at goal from a penalty, which has white nodding, saying “respect, respect,” a nod to the dominance his team has had in the first half. a brumbies penalty shortly after, with a lion not releasing the ball in a colby fainga’a tackle has him shouting proudly, “that’s how the picture should look!”

another brumbies penalty nearing halftime has white straight onto the radio to larkham, who was already on the field. “tell jesse to have a crack, if he can,” white says. mogg steps up to take the shot from 55m, but he pushes it left. prior has another shot soon after which he also misses, meaning the brumbies have left eight points on the ground in the first half; points that white would dearly have liked.

the lions’ scrum still has white thinking about his props, while fisher sends a message for the backrowers to stay bound to the scrum for longer than they are. mogg adds three more points to take an 8-0 lead, but lions flyhalf stuart hogg gets three points back right on half time, and after white has already started making his way down to the sheds.

the mood at halftime is still one of calmness, and though they’d have like to be leading 16-3, they’re happy enough with 8-3. fisher reiterates the set-piece

image: gettY


message in the break, while white tells rod kafer on fox sports that he’s really happy with the effort against an international side.

in the only conversation we have during the game, on the way back up to the coaches box, white tells me he’s very happy with where they’re placed. “tonight we make history,” he tells me, with a knowing look.

second halfon the resumption, lions captain rory best’s lineout throwing troubles continue, but the lions are straight back in brumbies territory. the lions aren’t making any great advances though, and the brumbies win another relieving penalty. though there’s much cheering in the stands, the coaches’ box remains calm.

with the brumbies in attacking territory, white starts talking about holding onto the ball, and playing more in the lions half. it’s consistent with how the brumbies have played all year. a penalty against lions flanker dan lydiate draws a composed “knock it over, take the points” and mogg pushes the score out to 11-3.

ian prior drops another midfield bomb, which is becoming a concern, but after the lions are ruled offside at the kick, white comes to life with “play, play, play” as the advantage is called. a toomua kick out on the full gets boos from the crowd, but just a “pup, pup, pup” up in the box. white’s poise is astounding to me, while i’m scribbling notes and struggling to stay silent.

the lions’ high bombs are becoming an issue, with white telling larkham, “bernie, get the message out there that someone just needs to get under those kicks and make a call. we can’t be letting it bounce.” it all happens in a break in play while a fainga’a tackle on hogg is checked that it doesn’t involve a lift. “it’s just a good, solid tackle,” fisher says, following up with “good decision, jerome” on the all clear.

mogg stretches the lead out to 14-3 with another penalty goal, but white is contemplation mode for most of it, with his head in his hands and only looking up to the see the ball go through the posts. he’s happy

with how things are going, happy the plan is being followed, but his bench options are an evident worry. his experience within the team ends abruptly with those that started the match.

hooker josh mann-rea and flanker jordon smiler are injected into the game either side of the hour mark.

white knows the lions will finish strongly, though, especially as they start making wholesale use of their bench, most of whom will be the reserves for the first test in brisbane only a few days later. flyhalf owen farrell, a noted goal-kicker, is one of them and he adds three more penalties over the next fifteen minutes to get the score back to 14-12.

the last eight minutes of official time are tense.

even as the crowd noise grows, though, and even as fisher starts getting more animated in his demeanour and his commentary, white still works his bench options. positional shuffling happens quickly via thorpe and larkham down at ground level.

with the lions deep in attack, white surprises me by starting to mention the intercept being on. “intercept, intercept,” he says, sensing a long pass will be thrown. with a penalty to the brumbies, there’s an ironic urgency in telling the messengers to tell the players to slow the game down. mogg kicks for touch while white is telling the sideline to “slow things down thorpey, just take our time.” with only minutes left, and history to be made, burning time is like gold.

a lions scrum just inside the brumbies half has fisher getting excited. “big scrum here boys,” he says. a reset only takes up more time. on the reset the brumbies come out with the ball and play is back in the lions half. the lions lineout throw is again askew, and the brumbies get a scrum feed on the lions 22.

white has already decided there won’t be any more changes, meaning that despite being concerned about his props all night, they’ve remained in their starting positions, and will play out the 80 minutes.

“Quickly get to the scrum, bernie,” fisher is saying down the radio. “all that matters is this scrum. we can get the hit and get a penalty here, all that matters is the hit.” on the ground, stand-in captain peter kimlin, who’s had another stormer of a game at no.8 in mowen’s absence, and having earned a wallaby call-up himself, is telling the forwards the same thing.

white heads downstairs, and just says “good luck” to fisher as he walks out. the scrum packs. “go ruan!” fisher is now yelling. “go ruan, push through!” he urges his young prop. the brumbies come up with the ball again, and start working pick-and-drive ball into the middle of the field. fisher is screaming advice to no-one in particular, that they don’t need to be so fast with the next hit-up. “You’ve got ten seconds,” he says, a reminder of the five seconds available to clear the ball either side of the referee’s ‘use it’ call.

with ten seconds left the brumbies have the scrum put-in. “one scrum, that’s all we need,” fisher says to larkham on the field. the siren sounds before the scrum sets. “go ruan!” fisher urges one last time. the ball comes out, kimlin dives on it, and young lock etienne oostheizen thumps the ball into the touch.

the crowd erupts, though they’re not making anywhere near as much noise as fisher is in the box. the players have already run onto the field, and the sideline staff has mobbed white. the noise in the stadium is like nothing i’ve heard in the last eight or nine years, though one that is hopefully repeated come super rugby finals time.

the aftermathdown on ground level, the players are doing a lap of honour while the lions are coming off looking rather dejected. their coach warren gatland looks as forlorn in the post-match interviews as white is absolutely beaming. for the brumbies as an organisation, a career highlight has just been made.

i get to white in amongst it all, and while i tell him he has indeed made history, he tells me i’ve just had the ultimate experience as a writer and a rugby fan. of course, he’s right, and i’ll remain forever thankful for saying ’yes’ to my pitch in the first place.

soon after, the whole organisation is in the change rooms, savouring the moment. a team official from the lions congratulates the side on their win, and invites them into the lions’ room when they’re ready for a beer and a chat, and to swap jerseys, which the players are all looking forward to doing.

then i get to witness something i’d only ever previously heard through walls while waiting for press conferences. the brumbies song is belted out, comfortably better than it has been all year.

and with that, i offer my congrats and sincere thanks to white, fisher, larkham, and kimlin, and leave them to enjoy what were long celebrations. it was a thrill to both be part of, and be able to bring to life the story of, an historic night.

image: gettY


tuggeranong vikings turn 40!!over the hill? hardly!! the 40th year of the tuggeranong Vikings looks on track to continue the success this club and its supporters have become accustom to over the last few decades.what better way to celebrate than taking on the old foe and the return of the very popular red & white ball.

rugby club manager nico andrade told plaY “our 40th celebrations culminate on the weekend of the 27th july where we play royals at Viking park for the wal scollen shield. the weekend will also play host to the return of the red & white ball, a gala function that used to be the marquee event in the Vikings rugby season back in the day.

“with many old boys coming down to canberra for the event, and many rugby devoted canberrans having an association with Vikings over the years, not to mention the domestic & international players

ENTERTAINMENT: DARREN CARR – Comedian/Ventriloquist

BIG BOSS GROOVE – Big Band, Big Sound & Big Groove! They will shake us into the early hours of Sunday!

PAY VIA PHONE BY CALLING THE AUDITORIUM TICKETING OFFICE, MONDAY – FRIDAY, 10AM TO 6PM – 02 6121 2131AT RECEPTION OF THE ERINDALE VIKINGS CLUB – CAN PAY BY CREDIT CARD, CASH OR EFTPOS. PREFER TABLES OF 10 SO THAT WE CAN SEAT YOU

AMONGST FRIENDS BUT HAPPY FOR INDIVIDUAL/PARTNER BOOKINGS AS WELL. PLEASE PROVIDE ALL NAMES OF THOSE PEOPLE INCLUDED IN YOUR PAYMENT.

Geoff Adam (President) and the Committee of TVRUFC cordially invites you to join them in Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of our Rugby Club.

WHOWe would love to see those who have had an involvement in the club’s glorious days including Players (current and former), Support Staff, Supporters, Old Boys, Administrators and Sponsors

including the respective partners of all the above.

DATESaturday 27 July 2013

TIME6.45pm

for 7.15pm

WHEREThe Auditorium, Vikings Erindale,

Ricardo St Wanniassa

DRESSGentleman Black Tie, Ladies – After 5

COST$120

per person

SATURDAY JULY 27

RED & WHITEBALL 2013

RSVPFull payment required by Friday 29 June 2013

There will also be a less formal function on Friday 26 July, from 5.30pm – Please keep this evening free as well – Details to follow.

A limited edition 40th Anniversary Bespoke

Silk Woven Club Tie is available for $30.00.

Please include payment with your booking.

that have represented our club (christian lealiifano, colby faingaa, ben mowen, Zack

holmes, scott sio, radike samo & joe roff to name a few) it will be great way to celebrate the club in this landmark year.”

keep an eye out in the next issue of plaY for the full article on the history of the club. in the meantime mark the 27th of july down in your diary and head down to Viking park to watch the game.

the added stakes of the 40th year celebration will add fuel to the fire of this already

fierce rivalry. You can bet royals would love nothing more than to win this game and spoil the party!!


above: Woden valley rams sportmans lunch at the tradies Woden

Below: Brumbies v British & irish lions reunion dinner

at new Parliment house

images: ben coughlan

matt jones, glenn huckstepp, wayne huckstepp and mark copley

rob docker and mike whitney

nryden rich, polly prakash and rachael orrpeter cox, darrel mcdonald, mike Zissler and paul eltonbrysson leeson and alison percival

ben darwin, elizabeth darwin, joe roff and owen finegan

simon chester and matt sutherland

phil rocks, maxine webber, kim gibbins and reid ballingall

rob fitzgerald, geoff riordan, lawrence pratchett and steve gnieldavid lamb, rohan stewart and martin kelly

martin beaver, jo chapman and theo hofstee

matt stuart and grant stecum


ACTEWAGL JULY EVENTS CALENDARWeek 1: 1-7 JULY

Saturday 6/7

NPL :: Cooma V Belconnen United 3.00pm Nijong

NEAFL :: UWS Giants V Tuggeranong 9.35am Star Track Oval

CRC :: Tugg Bushrangers V Goulburn Workers 3.00pm Greneway CRC :: Belconnen United V Gungahlin Bulls 3.00pm Northbourne CRC :: West Belconnen V QBN Roos 3.00pm Raiders Belconnen CRC :: QBN Blues V Woden Valley Rams 3.00pm Seiffert Oval

Sunday 7/7

NEAFL :: Ainslie V Sydney Uni 11.45am Ainslie Oval NEAFL :: Belconnen V Hills Eagles 11.45am Kippax Oval

NPL :: Tugg United V Woden Valley 3.00pm Kambah NPL :: Canberra Olympic V Canberra City 3.00pm O’Connor NPL :: Monaro V AIS 3.00pm Riverside

WPL :: ANU WFC V Woden Valley 2.00pm ANU willows WPL :: Canberra FC V Tuggeranong United 2.00pm Deakin WPL :: Canberra Olympic V Monaro Panthers 2.00pm Kaleen WPL :: Belconnen United V Weston Molonglo 2.00pm McKellar

Week 2: 8-14 JULY

Saturday 13/7

NEAFL :: Eastlake V Hills Eagles 2.00pm Football Park

JOHN I DENT :: Easts V QBN Whites 3.05pm Griffith Oval JOHN I DENT :: Wests V Royals 3.15pm Jamison Oval JOHN I DENT :: Vikings V Gungahlin 3.05pm Viking Park

NPL :: Tuggeranong United V Canberra City 3.00pm Kambah

CRC :: Belconnen United V Tugg Bushrangers 3.00pm Northbourne CRC :: Woden Valley Rams V West Belconnen 3.00pm Phillip Oval CRC :: Gungahlin Bulls V QBN Blues 3.00pm Raiders Belconnen CRC :: Goulburn Workers V QBN Roos 3.00pm Workers Arena

NRL :: RAIDERS V PANTHERS 7.00PM CANBERRA STADIUM

Sunday 14/7

NPL :: Cooma V Canberra Olympic 3.00pm Nijong Oval NPL :: Monaro V Canberra FC 3.00pm Riverside NPL :: Woden Valley V Belconnen United 3.00pm Woden

NEAFL :: Queanbeyan V Belconnen 2.00pm Dairy Farmers

Week 3: 15-21 JULY

Saturday 20/7

NEAFL :: Eastlake V Belconnen 11.45am Ainslie Oval NEAFL :: Ainslie V Tuggeranong Hawks 2.15pm Ainslie Oval

JOHN I DENT :: Vikings V Uni-Norths 3.05pm Viking Park JOHN I DENT :: Gungahlin V Easts 3.05pm Nicholls Oval JOHN I DENT :: QBN Whites V Wests 3.05pm Campese Field

NPL :: Monaro V Canberra City 3.00pm Riverside

Sunday 21/7

NPL :: Canberra FC V Cooma 3.00pm Deakin Oval NPL :: Tuggeranong United V Belconnen United 3.00pm Kambah NPL :: Woden Valley V AIS 3.00pm Woden

ACTEWAGL AThLETE oN ThE RiSENick Cotric - Rugby League.

14 year old Nick Cotric was selected in the Australian Merit team following a strong performance at the recent Australian Schools under-15’s Rugby League Championships. On the back of his strong kicking game Nick from St Mary Mackillop College was selected on the wing. Nick plays his local football for the Valley Dragons and is a key member of the Canberra Raiders Harold Matthews Cup team.

THE ActewAGL Athlete on the Rise recognises and rewards the achievements of our rising sporting talent. The award caters for athletes at all levels of competition. It is not only results that count, but good sportsmanship as well.Do you know someone that qualifies as an ActewAGL Athlete on the Rise? Send all nominations to [email protected]

Supporting a future for our kidsActewAGL in partnership with Mix106.3 and Southern Cross Ten are proud to support Give Me 5 For Kids in their efforts to raise much needed funds for the children’s ward at the Canberra Hospital.

To find out more information on Give Me 5 for Kids or to donate, visit actewagl.com.au/giveme5

ActewAGL Retail ABN 46 221 314 841.

SEC0

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01

Week 3: 15-21 JULY continued

Sunday 21/7

WPL :: Canberra FC V Weston Molonglo 2.00pm ANU Willows WPL :: Belconnen United V ANU WFC 2.00pm McKellar WPL :: Canberra Olympic V Tuggeranong United 2.00pm O’Connor WPL :: Monaro Panthers V Woden Valley 2.00pm Riverside

CRC :: QBN Roos V Woden Valley Rams 3.00pm Freebody Oval CRC :: Gungahlin Bulls V West Belconnen 3.00pm Raiders Belco CRC :: QBN Blues V Tugg Bushrangers 3.00pm Seiffert Oval CRC :: Goulburn Workers V Belconnen United 3.00pm Workers

Week 4: 22-28 JULY

Saturday 27/7

NEAFL :: Belconnen V Ainslie 2.00pm Kippax Oval

NPL :: Canberra City V Tuggeranong United 3.00pm Hawker

JOHN I DENT :: Vikings V Royals 3.05pm Viking Park JOHN I DENT :: Easts V Wests 3.05pm Griffith Oval JOHN I DENT :: Gungahlin V Uni-Norths 3.05pm Nicholls Oval

CRC :: QBN Roos V QBN Blues 3.00pm Freebody Oval CRC :: Tugg Bushrangers V Gungahlin Bulls 3.00pm Greenway CRC :: Woden Valley Rams V Goulburn Workers 3.00pm Phillip CRC :: West Belconnen V Belconnen United 3.00pm Raiders Belco

Sunday 28/7

NPL :: Belconnen Utd V Woden Valley 3.00pm McKellar NPL :: Canberra Olympic V Cooma 3.00pm O’Connor NPL :: Monaro V Canberra FC 3.00pm Riverside

WPL :: ANU WFC V Canberra FC 2.00pm ANU Willows WPL :: Weston Molonglo V Canberra Olympic 2.00pm ANU Willows 2 WPL :: Tuggeranong United V Monaro Panthers 2.00pm Kambah WPL :: Woden Valley V Belconnen United 2.00pm Woden


HELPING YOUNG MEN ACHIEVE THEIR POTENTIAL FOR OVER TEN YEARS

FREE COUNSELLING AND MENTORING FOR YOUNG MEN AGED 12-25

TO GET HELP OR TO GET INVOLVED WWW.MENSLINK.ORG.AU

PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY:

in order to succeed in elite sport you first need to fail a few timesandrew dawson, high performance director at cricket act, believes that natural talent is not enough to succeed in elite sport, or in fact in life. he talks to plaY magazine about the need for sportspeople to develop resilience, self-control and optimism. and, he says, you only get those from learning to overcome failure.

in andrew’s office overlooking the pitch at manuka oval, there is a quote from calvin coolidge posted on the wall: “nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. talent will not – nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent.” it describes perfectly andrew’s approach to developing players in the meteors and comets.

andrew believes that failure – and learning to overcome it – is a critical part of any elite sportsperson’s development. in fact, he attributes the ability to overcome hardship as one of the key elements in successful players – a reason he gives as to why many of the best male sportspeople in australia come from

country and regional backgrounds. as he puts it, “in the country they have had to grow up asap.”

“confidence is really important to elite sportspeople. sometimes it’s the only thing that separates two good teams or two good players. but you can’t get confidence without testing yourself. without knowing that you can overcome obstacles, it’s difficult to remain confident in the face of new challenges. and that knowledge only comes from first-hand experience of setbacks.” andrew says that people need to know that they can recover from a failure or a setback. it’s that knowledge or confidence that can make all the difference to a successful person, whether they’re an athlete or not.

the other thing andrew rates highly is a holistic approach to player development, trying to ensure they build the necessary character traits that separate great players from average players. this means they need to have high standards in all aspects of their lives – not just on the pitch. he believes unless players – and especially developing young players – have those high standards, it’s hard for them to develop the pride and self-respect they need to consistently succeed at an elite level. “if players continually get let off by their coaches, their parents, their teachers or their employers, their standards drop. if standards drop away from the field, it doesn’t take too long before standards can drop on the field as well.”

andrew started discussing the subject of resilience and failure with local charity menslink back in 2011 after a particularly challenging year for act cricket. one of menslink’s key objectives is to help build resilience and confidence among young men in the community and a link with cricket act only seemed natural. both organisations believe young men (and women) need to be able to take risks in a safe and supportive environment in order to develop their confidence, strength and resilience. if they either don’t have that supportive environment or if they’re not encouraged to take risks at all then things can go pear-shaped fairly quickly in their lives.

menslink works with young men right across the community. like cricket act, they try and encourage the young men in their programs to build on their strengths, developing resilience and pride in who they are along the way. menslink ceo martin fisk says that a lot of young guys can be caught between high expectations of others (parents, teachers and even peers) and low self-esteem. “we try and encourage them to look at their own strengths and develop their own expectations and goals. over time, they can work through the obstacles and challenges life throws their way.”

andrew is very supportive of the role menslink plays in helping young men in the community, especially those who might not have positive or strong guidance in their lives. he also appreciates the advice menslink provides him and the cricket act coaches in helping develop resilience among young players. it’s a good relationship that works for both the cricketers and also for menslink.

more information about menslink for volunteers, young men and their families is available from

www.menslink.org.au

image: fiona brammall


What a difference...

ZOO

480

97

Dickson 2 Badham St Woden Launceston St/Furzer Stthetradies.com.auFor the information of members and their invited guests.

Our legendary schnitzels aren’t for the fainthearted. They’re massive and come with a huge range of toppings. So what are you waiting for? Get down to The Tradies and see if you can get through it. Or, are you chicken?

I want a place that has the

biggest schnitty in town.

I knowa place.

anna flanagan named world young player of the yearcanberra’s anna flanagan has been named hockey’s world Young player of the Year. the hockeyroos defender becomes the third australian woman to win the award, following in the footsteps of current teammate casey eastham, who won in 2009, and angie skirving, the inaugural winner of the Young player award in 2001.

flanagan, who is currently with the hockeyroos squad playing in the investec world league said: “i am very honoured to be named world Young player of the Year. i want to thank my coaches adam commens and jason duff for their support and the ongoing challenges to which they ask me to rise. i would not be here without my teammates who help and inspire me, and i am so grateful that i get to play this amazing game with them whilst representing my country.”

the 21-year-old penalty corner specialist is fast becoming one of the rising stars of world hockey.

the fih world Young player of the Year is awarded to the best international player aged 21 or younger. flanagan wins the award on the back of her performances in 2012, which included scoring twice at the olympic games where she helped the hockeyroos to fifth place, two places higher than their world ranking of the time.

after debuting early in 2010, flanagan earned selection to the hockeyroos squad for the 2010 commonwealth games and went on to win gold in delhi. since then she has gone from strength to strength becoming a hockeyroos regular and competing at the olympic games, champions trophy, champions challenge and oceania cup.

flanagan was voted ahead of erica coppey (belgium), cheon eun bi (korea), florencia habif (argentina) and stacey michelsen (new Zealand).

image: gettY


buddy’s bang worth the giant buckswhy gws need buddy – in more ways than one

in australian sport there are few names that command the dollar value of lance ‘buddy’ franklin both on and off the field.

the hawthorn superstar has a sporting cV that just about every afl player covets; he owns a fashion label and is close to the only sports star in this country that can find himself on the front and back page of just about every publication australia-wide on any given day.

with a premiership, two coleman medals and four all-australians to his name at the age of 26, franklin has already achieved it all as a hawk.

which is why gws should be confident buddy will succumb to the almighty dollar and make the harbor city his home.

the opportunity to be the highest paid player in the history of the game has already proven to weigh heavily on the forward’s mind, with the brilliant hawk’s

production down on usually unparalleled output, but at top flight he is arguably the best player in the game, and instantly propels the giants into finals reckoning.

for a price-tag touted at being well over one million dollars per season the giants know what they will be getting from franklin on the field, but it is the allure of buddy that must be leaving the gws marketing team salivating.

the afl have a vested interest in a prospective move too, with franklin’s earning ability potentially entering the realms of two million dollars per season with an ambassadorial contract similar to that of gold coast rugby league convert karmichael hunt.

in the already congested sporting market in sydney, the giants need to stand out from the pack - franklin is the ace card gws so desperately crave.

just like tony lockett did for the swans in mid 90s, lance franklin has the ability to generate interest from the moment he steps out in an orange guernsey.

the giants will be banking on that interest translating into higher attendances, with the afl’s newest franchise sitting last in average attendance in 2013, almost 2,000 patrons shy of their closest competitor.

furthermore, given buddy’s standing in not only afl circles, but also australian sport in general as the personification of a sporting celebrity, the gws has themselves the ‘complete package’.

the added scrutiny of having arguably australia’s most recognisable sports star is not something that the giants do not shy away from either, with gws ceo david matthews stating that to survive in the sydney sport market, clubs need the drawing power of a big name.

“sydney fc have alessandro del piero, the waratahs have israel folau, the roosters have sonny bill williams, the rabittohs have greg inglis and the swans have adam goodes.”

“people in sydney respond to the celebrity factor.”

with a hefty price tag comes heavy expectations, but franklin has never been one to shy away from the spotlight in his career.

this will not be an attention seeking venture like the ill-fated israel folau conversion. if gws pull this off the money they spend luring lance will be well spent.

it will be one of the greatest recruiting coups of afl/Vfl history, and will go down as the moment the giants finally arrived.

he may draw the ire and become the pariah of the hawthorn faithful, but if a second afl team is to succeed in nsw, buddy is their messiah.

STATE OF THE PLAYAFLwith Todd Davey @ToddJDavey

image: gettY


six-time paralympian strives for guinness world recordsix-time paralympian michael milton has competed on the world’s largest sporting stage but admits his world record attempt at this year’s gold coast airport marathon could be his toughest challenge to date.

the australian paralympic skier, cyclist and paratriathlete will run the 42.195km course on sunday 7 july using a world-first custom-made pair of carbon fibre crutches with the aim of beating the guinness world record time for a marathon on crutches.

the record stands at six hours, 42 minutes and 47 seconds.

“this really could be the hardest physical challenge so far. running on crutches for around six hours will be super tough,” michael said.

the multi-gold medallist, who lost his left leg to cancer at the age of nine, is feeling nervous ahead of the gruelling challenge but knows he has the support of his family waiting at the finish line.

“my preparation so far has not been great. that’s weighing on my mind as 42.195 kilometres is the great unknown for me,” michael said.

“i just don’t know how deep i will have to dig. i am prepared to put my all into it on the day though.

“i hope i can finish and, when i do, it will feel great to accomplish a major goal, and even better to share it with my young family.”

the 40-year-old canberran is regarded as one of australia’s most successful winter athletes having represented australia at five paralympic games as a skier and one as a cyclist winning a total of 11 medals.

he holds the australian speed skiing record at 213.65km per hour, has climbed mt kilimanjaro, walked kokoda twice and has most recently represented australia at the world triathlon championships.

but it is the glory of finishing a marathon that michael wants the most having had it on his ‘bucket list’ for some time.

“after skiing and cycling i got into triathlon and so i returned to some running. i then developed some

very special running crutches and started to think a marathon may be possible,” michael said.

“i’ve been building up to it distance-wise but when i completed my first half marathon a couple of months ago, i decided it was time to have a crack at the longer distance.”

street table tennis venues opens in mitchell

the first thing you notice as you walk into smash table tennis is the cool surrounds. owner duynam explains the idea behind smash.

“originally i managed the table tennis club in kingston for a couple of years and i saw that gungahlin needed more sporting venues. so i thought where is the best place for it? and since mitchell is in between belconnen, dickson and gungahlin i thought it was an ideal location.

“i like going out to lounge bars and hanging out with friends and having a laugh and combining that with sport, whether it’s ice hockey, baseball or basketball.

“it’s a relaxed place where you can hang out with your friends. after 5pm we have a bYo licence. we have

music, table tennis, foosball, pool and chess, so a good mixture of games that you pay for and some free stuff.”

speaking of free, if you think you’ve got the skills to “beat the boss” you get to play that session for free.

“Yes we have beat the boss: if you feel like coming in and playing for free you can have a dig and give me a shot and if you win a quick game you play for free. so far about 5 people have come in and had a go, they were close but no-one has beat me yet. but that’s my income, i’ve got to make sure i win!” said dynam with a laugh.

standard rates are very cheap, it’s $5 per person whether it’s an adult or child and they can play all day until close. there’s free bat hire (just bring in some i.d and a $10

deposit) and membership is $1.75 a week for children or $3 a week for an adult to play unlimited.

it’s a great place for a night out with friends and as dynam said “it’s cheaper than a night playing poker.”

to find out more about daily competitions (many with prize money) private functions, birthday parties and team building for work places, head to www.smashtabletennis.com.au or drop around to unit 3/4 pelle street, mitchell.

2 for 1 for Play readers!! Bring this page in to smash and get 2 for 1 casual visit.

total cost of $5 for two Players!!


movement magic in actionwhat are you doing while you read this? are you working hard at your desk and just taking a quick break? are you drinking a coffee and relaxing after a hard day at work? wherever you are, it is likely you are seated and have been for some time.

but have you really thought of your chair as the silent killer that it is. they come in different shapes, sizes and colours. some entice us, like the couch at the end of the day. some are official, such as our office chair, keeping us upright in an ergonomic way. but have no doubts, loving your comfort chair too much could be bad for your health.

in workplaces and homes across australia, this lurking killer is encouraging us to move less often. but are our kids being stalked too by their lovable chair?

the physical activity foundation set out to see. through hosting their moVe it challenges in local primary schools, students are encouraged to jump up from their chair more often and get moving.

sue marriage, ceo said ‘in the move it challenge, students are decked out with a funky wrist worn device called a moVband™ to wear which measures their daily steps, stores the total kilometres travelled and also tells the time’.

she continued ‘they are set a target of 225 kilometres to reach in 14 days and get rewarded at milestones with coloured bands to wear on their moVband™. these reward bands show teachers instantly which students are on the move and which still need encouragement’

the move it challenge has seen some amazing results already. students from the first 7 schools participating achieved a travelling distance of 78,000

kilometres. this was twice around the equator – well and truly blitzing the daily targets set down originally in similar usa and uk programs. with more challenges being hosted, these results are consistently shown and the feature of the program now is showing schools at the end where exactly they have travelled on a world map.

‘the program is often described as magic by teachers as it breaks down the inhibitions of students who are not so keen on structured sporting activity. a few days in and they are all running around in recess trying to add steps to their totals. our student feedback shows they want to spend more time with their moVband™ or do the program again next term. with teachers also kitted up, it becomes a good fun program for everyone involved’ adds caren hugginson, program manager at the foundation.

the big question remains though. do our kids love their chairs too much?

with move it challenges now taking hold in canberra schools, we could respond that even if they love their chairs too much, they certainly appear willing to learn to love movement more with the help of moVband™.

move it challenges are hosted in 3 school terms each year and are best suited for students in year 3 and above. all materials are provided including full training with the moVband™. bookings are essential as the program is booked out quickly with return requests from some schools.

for more information contact caren hugginson on 6162 2823 or email [email protected]

the pierre de coubertin awards, named after the founder of the modern olympic games, are administered and promoted annually by the actoc as part of the australian olympic committee’s education program. the awards recognise secondary school students for their participation in and completion of both sporting and cultural pursuits. nominations are made and awards presented based on active participation in school physical education programs and the preparation of a piece of work, literary or artistic, depicting the students’ appreciation of the olympic games and its values.

since the inception of the awards, nominations have been open to all secondary schools in the act, with

each asked to select one student from years 10, 11 or 12. this year, however, the awards were presented not only to students from the act’s secondary schools but also to those from schools in goulburn, the snowy mountains and albury. congratulations to:

nicholas del rio, gabrielle kalthofen, sarah whitfield, daniel duranti, liam barber, catherine pratt, kahu kapea, natasha joyce, jack walters, rowan Vergano, john ashleigh, matilda coates, bryce anderson, reilly shaw, jessica howard, emily brown, maddy whittall, erinn walters, matilda tosic, scott lancaster, sarah carter, jacob randell, jarrett anthoney, bonnie andrews, jarrod twaddell, will o’neill, osman fofanah, aiden lees, jayme gray and jack taylor.

pierre de coubertin awards


super rugby: how the brumbies can play a final in canberrathe three-test series between the wallabies and british & irish lions is still taking up all the column inches, but behind the scenes - in new Zealand and south africa, specifically - super rugby will play out two full rounds while australia looks in another direction entirely.

and that could be a dangerous thing for the australian teams in contention, the Queensland reds and our own brumbies. fortunately, jake white is alert to these sorts of things that go on under the radar, and he’ll be all over the results over the ditch, and from the republic.

as at the end of round 17, when the australian teams played while new Zealand and south africa commenced their june test window, the top six looked this way:

brumbies 59 points; chiefs (nZ) 59; bulls (nZ) 54, as the respective conference leaders, and followed in the wildcard spot by the reds (aus) 54; cheetahs (sa) 46, and crusaders (nZ) 46.

the waratahs were seventh on 44 points and the blues (nZ) eighth, on 43 points, but both teams are out of contention, despite what blues coach sir john kirwan might have said during the recess.

it looks great, but you have to remember the new Zealand and south african teams have two games up their sleeves, and the brumbies and reds’ table positions will be affected by those results. the brumbies can’t fall any lower than third, but the reds could easily drop to sixth.

i spoke with white recently for espnscrum.com, about the super rugby finals, and during that chat he outlined that his dream scenario would see the brumbies hosting the crusaders in the final on saturday, august 3 in a

packed-to-the-rafters, standing-room-only canberra stadium.

it’s a very romantic notion, one that evokes memories of the heartbreaking one-point loss to the crusaders at home in 2000, and of course, the magnificent joe roff-inspired 47-38 win in front of a canberra stadium ground record in 2004.

the crusaders also beat the brumbies 31-13 in christchurch to claim the 2002 title.

so what has to happen for jake white’s plan to come to fruition?

well, there’s numerous ways it can happen, and all of them involve either the gods of other results shining on canberra, and/or the some major upsets in the remaining rounds to keep the brumbies in top spot. here’s the summary:

1. brumbies finish 3rd: this is probably the most likely

but also the one that’s going to require the most finger crossing. the brumbies in 3rd would host (and win) a first-week elimination final against the team finishing 6th. that was the crusaders on the resumption, but i think they’ll finish 4th, and instead the reds will finish 6th. crusaders would host (and beat) the cheetahs in the other elimination final.

the brumbies would then face the mere detail of travelling to south africa, and beating the bulls in pretoria, while the crusaders just catch the ferry to the north island and beat the chiefs in hamilton. with the top-ranked team hosting the final, this would give us a brumbies-crusaders final in canberra.

2. brumbies finish 2nd: this is a scenario i give some chance of happening. if the bulls lose their last two tough derbies against the sharks and stormers - and they’ve just lost two key backrowers for the season - and the brumbies beat the force, the brumbies would stay in 2nd spot and host a semi. crusaders beat the chiefs in the other semi, and again, that gives us ...

3. brumbies finish 1st: it’s not impossible, as billy birmingham impersonating richie benaud used to like saying, but it’s pretty close to it. the chiefs and bulls would both have to drop two games on the run home, and the brumbies beat the force in perth in the final round. that would give the brumbies a week off and a home semi-final, which obviously they’d need to win. the crusaders would then have to beat the chiefs in the other semi, and that also means ...

so he’s nothing if not a thinker, our brumbies head coach. let’s hope his crystal-ball work pays off one way or the other.

as an aside, brumbies member have up until 11.59pm on tuesday, 9th july to secure their own seat plus up to four additional tickets to whichever home playoff match the brumbies end up with. all questions should be directed to the brumbies rugby membership department on 1300 733 899 or email the guys at [email protected].

STATE OF THE PLAY

RUGBY UNION

with Brett McKay @BMcSport

image: gettY


canberra touch side crowned international championson the weekend of 8 and 9 june, a canberra touch football side, the bobcats, competed at the asian championships and international club challenge in kuala lumpur, malaysia.

the bobcats were awarded the title of international club champions after going through the tournament undefeated in both the men’s and mixed divisions.

the asian championships and international club challenge features teams from across asia with the bobcats playing games against teams from malaysia, china, japan and singapore throughout the tournament.

the highlight for the team was the opportunity to run a clinic for the local children from the area following the conclusion of the tournament. the bobcats were treated like celebrities and were asked to sign autographs and pose for photos with the 100 children who took part in a range of drills and games.

“the opportunity to play against international teams and to experience a different culture while doing so was really amazing and a great opportunity, especially being able to give back to the kids in the clinic was great fun” said jacinta williams

the bobcats side comprised of erin brighenti, cass fisher, kath finn, jacinta williams, donna fraser, haylene gee, cameron stanley, graham white, geoff perrin, luke cochrane, ben wright, trung le, graham cassells, and luke cookson.

next years asian championships and international club challenge is rumoured to be held in thailand with the bobcats already set for a return and a number of other canberra sides and players expressing an interest in competing at the event.

local girls to take on germany’s best

woden Valley soccer club (wVsc) girls’ under 15 years team iis currently on tour in germany. this trip has been made possible through support garnered from canberra businesses and dedicated fundraising by players and parents.

this is a trip of a lifetime for these young players and offers them the opportunity to be young australian

ambassadors for the game. they have been planning and training for the tour for over two years.

this outstanding team has achieved remarkable results in both their local and regional competitions. notable recent achievements include: winners – kanga cup – u/14 girls (july 2012) winners – Young tournament (august 2012)

winners – cowra tournament (september 2012)

whilst in germany the team will train and then compete in major regional Youth football tournaments. german football clubs organise numerous Youth tournaments in the northern hemisphere spring, which cater for a wide variety of age groups and abilities. each tournament is graded appropriately to offer the best standard of competition for participating teams. a confirmed highlight includes a match against the junior bayern munich girls’ team – arguably the strongest club in the world right now.

the girls will then engage in a number of matches with several regional teams from germany, switzerland and austria. they will encounter extremely strong competition against girls their own age which will further enhance and hone their soccer skills. furthermore, the team has received 15 invitations from suitable clubs eager to host them, which has been included in the trip itinerary.

the team is most grateful to local major sponsors knight frank, nj constructions, nexans olex and jersey’s megastore for their support. in addition, they are thankful to the following supporting sponsors: lopilato landscaping, modern plaster and sportsman’s warehouse.


we all know what great supporters of local sport the tradies group are.

now you have the chance to show your support for your favourite local team with the tradies releasing branded membership cards. the cards contain all the logo’s of the teams currently sponsored by the tradies and there are plenty to choose from.

so, on your next visit to the the tradies check out the membership cards.

they available now at the dickson tradies

tradies branded membership cardsand will be available at woden tradies soon. drop in anytime to replace your existing card for just $1, or join or renew to get your new card for free!

pick your allegiance: belconnen united scholars, canberra cavalry, canberra united, cricket act, gungahlin eagles rugby union club, neafl eastern conference, north canberra gungahlin cricket club, the tradies canberra capitals, or the tradies rams - the choice is yours!

neafl milestonesthe neafl is maturing as a football competition, and so are a few of its most successful players, with playmakers from the Queanbeyan tigers and belconnen magpies all enjoying milestone games in the past month. by chris Young

ryan QuadeQueanbeyan captain and afl canberra stalwart ryan Quade (pictured) notched up his 200th first grade game in round 14 against sydney university.

Quade was able to overcome a blood clot in his leg which threatened to stall his playing career, but was able to take to the field after missing two weeks.

while his 200th was a fourteen point loss to the boys from sydney uni, the tigers captain has enjoyed a great deal of other success in his time at the top.

he won a first grade premiership with the sydney swans reserves while playing on their rookie list in 2005, before making the move to Queanbeyan.

numerous club accolades followed, including the tony wynd medal for Queanbeyan’s best and fairest in 2011, before captaining his side through their incredible premiership year in 2012.

the 200-gamer said that the quality of the league was improving year-by-year.

“it’s a tight competition; i think any team can beat you on the day so you have to be switched on.”

neil irWinthe tigers celebrated another milestone recently, with big ruckman and defender neil irwin celebrating 150 games at the highest level in canberra.

a premiership player in 2012 alongside the aforementioned ryan Quade, irwin has become famous in Queanbeyan in recent years for his long running battles with the swans’ forward jesse white, a battle irwin won in the grand final last year.

loyalty to the tigers is in the blood for irwin, whose uncle robert anderson played 229 matches for the tigers during his time at the club.

in a trevor barker-esque display of love for the tigers, irwin has never sought payment from the tigers for his services on the field, as well as naming his construction business ‘tigermade constructions.’.

should he continue to play on in 2014, he’ll reach 200 games and join his captain as a league life member.

fortunately for ‘neilo’, his 150th was a whopping success, with the tigers enjoying a comfortable win over tuggeranong in round 13, with irwin able to bob up for a goal in the dying stages of the game.

John lovebelconnen magpies vice-captain john love has celebrated a couple of milestones in the last couple of months, welcoming a newborn son into his family and playing his 100th game for belconnen in round 15.

the magpies were convincing winners over tuggeranong, with love able to snare two goals in his milestone match.

it’d been a long, hard road to 100 games for love, after being recruited from ovens and murray league club , the albury tigers in 2003.

he played his first game for the magpies in 2004, but has endured an injury plagued run to 100 games.

while there have certainly been some injury-induced lows, love has had his fair share of footballing highs.

he was a member of belconnen’s premiership side in 2009, rating the come-from-behind win as won of the best in his career.

the increasing professionalization of the league and increasing demands on his time from his young family led love to reflect on why he enjoys getting out on the park so much.

“i keep playing for the mateship, the people i’ve met and played with along the way,” love said.

his team-mate and friend james bennett also celebrated his 100th game recently, and the pair look increasingly likely to add many more games together in coming years.

“that’s what keeps me playing football, and it has been for the last ten years at the club.”


raiders busy before signing deadlineJordan raPanathe canberra raiders have confirmed the signing of former gold coast titan jordan rapana for the rest of the 2013 and 2014 seasons.

rapana has been playing for the Queanbeyan blues in the ttm canberra raiders cup, but will join the raiders nrl squad from today.

making his debut for the gold coast titans in 2008 rapana left the nrl at the end of

2009 to take up a two year mission for the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints in england and wales.

he then had a brief stint with the western force in super rugby in 2012 before arriving in canberra in a bid to make the brumbies squad, but decided on a return to rugby league through the raiders instead.

rapana said he’s very thrilled about his return to rugby league and is looking forward to the challenges which lie ahead.

“i’m very excited, i’ve missed rugby league and i can’t wait to get back into it,” rapana said. “i feel like it’s my first day at school meeting all the new boys and hopefully i can get stuck in and play some nsw cup as soon as possible and set some goals to play some nrl.”

laGi setuthe canberra raiders have announced the signing of melbourne storm forward lagi setu, on a two year contract commencing in 2014.

raiders ceo don furner said the club was excited about having setu join the raiders and he would accommodate one of the vacant positions on the clubs roster.

“lagi is a fine young player and will be a perfect replacement for joel thompson,” furner said. “we actually tried to sign him four years ago, but he returned back to brisbane and then headed off on his two year mormon mission. we are very happy to have secured him the second time around.”

Bill tuPou (Pictured)further blostering the outside back stocks the raiders have signed new Zealand warrior bill tupou on a deal to the end of 2015. a prolific toyota cup try scorer 23 year old tupou scored 37 tries in 51 appearances.

in 2010 he was picked for the junior kiwis and in 2011 he was called into the new Zealand kiwis squad for the four nations tournament. don furner was pleased to make the announcement.

“bill is a proven nrl talent and we’re very happy to have him join the club for the remainder of this season and the next two.”

the bad and mean green machineworking with canberra raiders lock shaun fensom, robbo’s harley davidson decided to build a fatboy that not only turns heads but could be raffled off at the end of the nrl year with the proceeds going to a worthy cause.

with that in mind robbo’s customisation king peter roberts set about putting the fatboy together not only to stand out from the crowd but to also show what can be acheived on a smaller budget.

with robbo’s staff member bonita goodworth helping on the design; bonita, shaun and peter have created a truly unmistakable bad and mean green machine. features include the handpainted marble green paint

which sets off the chrome work including the mini apes. the bike was also lowered and a solo seat helps creat that mean stance.

the bike was topped off with a wimmer aircleaner and contrasting black exhaust. the breif of low, loud and rideable has been achieved with everyone who sees it stopping for a second look.

whether you’re a raiders fan or not there’s no question that this fatboy is a real head turner.

shaun will be riding the custom-made machine until the end of the season before it is raffled off to raise money for the terry campese foundation.

robbo’s bdm john williamson told plaY that “robbo’s harley-davidson is very proud of creating this unique 2013 custom softail fatboy for shaun.”

“this fatboy is unmistakeable with custom green marble paint the backdrop for the famous raiders logo. add to that the player’s autographs, chrome mini ape handlebars and meaner lower ride height with lowering kit and solo seat creating a one off look.

“the chrome and bright green combination means that shaun won’t go unnoticed when enjoying the open road.

“if you would love to own this one off harley-davidson fatboy we will be raffling it off to one lucky winner at the end of the nrl season.”

the raiders fatboy will be on display at all home games this season and raffle tickets available at

the games and from raiders hQ.

for more information on the team and bikes at robbo’s harley davidson head to www.robbosmotorcycles.com.au

image: gettY


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or are you an empLoyer Looking for ouTsTanding sTaff?

Contracting & Recruitment

p: (02) 6163 1955 e: [email protected] www.oakton.com.au

nrl salary cap reviewa meeting of the club salary cap committee, which includes four nrl clubs, last week reaffirmed that the current cap system warrants an extensive review but unanimously agreed that it was not appropriate to change the present rules this season, given that all clubs have finalised their squads on the basis of the current rules.

the national rugby league is developing terms for a complete review of the nrl salary cap for 2014 and beyond.

“the salary cap and its enforcement have been an integral part of the game’s success since the formation of the nrl,” nrl chief operating officer, mr jim doyle, said today.

“the fact that it has been in place for so long and the fact that it is so important underlines the value of a proper review to ensure it meets the needs of the future.

“You can’t simply change the rules mid-season but we do intend to give ian schubert greater support by establishing a panel of appropriately qualified people to assist him in determining any applications under the current system.

“what has been completely unfair is the extent to which people have focussed on the salary cap auditor rather than the rules.

“the salary cap auditor’s job is to apply the same rules that the clubs commit to before each season.

“ian schubert plays a valuable role in what can be at times difficult circumstances but, again, he can only apply the rules as they are laid down.

“we will continue to work with clubs both in finalising the terms for the review and in applying the existing provisions of the cap.”

image: gettY

Issue #25 JULY 2013pLaYcanberra.com.aU24 issue #25 julY 2013plaYcanberra.com.au24

100 SPORTING EVENTS, 100 DAYS, 1 CENTENARY YEAR

SPORTENARYEvent Name POVERTY WAlk WITh ThE GIANTS ACADEmY

Organisation ThE GlObAl POVERTY WAlk

Date Saturday 6 July 2013

Time 1pm to 1.30pm

location Eastlake Football Club

Event Details www.canberra100.com.au/sportenary

Event Name SRI ChINmOY OFF-ROAD DuAlThON

Organisation Sri Chinmoy marathon Team

Date Sunday 7 July 2013

Time From 9am

location ACTEWAGl Substation. Frith Rd, Acton


Event Name uSA-CANADA SPORTS @ SkATE IN ThE CITY

Organisation CONTENTGROuP


Time 11.30am to 4pm

location Garema Place, Civic


Event Name hANDbAll -COmE AND TRY- SESSION

Organisation ACT handball

Date monday 22 July 2013

Time 7pm to 9pm

location Canberra Girls Grammar hall. melbourne Ave, Deakin


Event Name SnowSports ACT-s Ski de Femme

Organisation SnowSports ACT


Time 9am to 1pm

location Perisher Nordic Shelter


Event Name kICk uP YOuR hEElS: SWING INTO ThE SIxTIES

Organisation AuSSIES uNITED


Time 8pm to 11.30pm

location ANu bar


Event Name STREETWISE -lEARN TO SkATE-

Organisation StreetWise


Time 10am to 12pm

location Gungahlin Skatepark. Phyllis Ashton Cct, Gungahlin


Over 50 weeks of the Centenary year, there will be 100 community events showcasing a diversity of sport and recreation activities, facilities and local attractions throughout the ACT that get Canberrans off the bench and participating in Sportenary! Further information can be found at www.canberra100.com.au/sportenary

act handBallact handball was established in 1996 by a group of handball enthusiasts. the act handball is the governing body for handball in the national capital and is affiliated with the national governing body, the handball australia (ha).

handball is a fairly new sport in canberra, however, there is a growing demand in the region to provide more handball, especially in schools.

head along to canberra girls grammar sports hall and have a go at handball.

handballhandball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outfield players and a goalkeeper on each team) pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team. a standard match consists of two periods of 30 minutes, and the team which scores the most goals wins.

handball is one of the most participated sports in the world, played in 180 countries with over 20 million players worldwide in around 800,000 teams. indoor handball has been a regular sport at the olympic games since 1972, however handball first appeared at the olympic games, as an outdoor sport, in 1938 in berlin. other versions of the game include, beach handball, mini handball (for children) and street handball.

handBall ‘come and try’ session3 sessions:

monday 22 July 2013 7pm – 9pm thursday 25 July 6.30pm – 8.30pm

monday 29 July 2013 7pm – 9pmcanberra Girls Grammar sports hall

www.acthandball.org.au

Event Name ACT TOuCh @ bOOmANullA OVAl OPEN DAY

Organisation TOuCh FOOTbAll ACT


Time 11.30am to 1.30pm

location boomanulla Oval. Cnr Goyder & kyeema St, Narrabundah


Event Name TRY INDOOR ROCkClImbING

Organisation NORTh & SOuTh CANbERRA INDOOR ROCkClImbING-


Time 8pm to 9.30pm

location North: 38-40 Essington Street, mitchell ACT 2911 South: 26 Raws Crescent, hume ACT


image: acthandball.com.au

playcanberra.com.au 25Issue #25 JULY 2013 plaYcanberra.com.au 25issue #25 julY 2013

skate-turion - a battle 100 years in the making skate-turion: canberra’s biggest battle in 100 Years was canberra roller derby league’s (crdl) way of saying, “happy 100th birthday canberra”.

held over the june long weekend, skate-turion was canberra’s first hosting of a national roller derby tournament. the crdl invited leagues from across australia to participate in 3 levels of competition. the venue was filled with over 200 skaters from sydney, perth, adelaide, brisbane and canberra, plus enough referees and officials to officiate all of the 24 games that were played over 2 days.

the finals were open to the public and, as is always the case with the wildly popular canberra roller derby league, there was a strong vocal crowd of 1000 spectators to watch all the action.

not only did the league celebrate this special birthday, they also made sure our canberra based fans and interstate visitors did too!

crdl promoted the centenary in the lead up to tournament with media releases and newspaper and radio interviews. during the tournament itself they had special centenary themed merchandise and centenary signage throughout.

the canberra teams did the capital proud coming in 2nd in the a and b grade and winning the c grade.

by all accounts skate-turion was an absolute success, not just for the league, but for our city. while temperatures were chilly all weekend, the organizers received nothing but praise from the interstate visitors ensuring that the city of canberra (and her favourite roller derby league) will be forever warmly remembered.

::centenary cluB of the month::

canBerra roller derBy leaGue

‘centenary club of the month’ will be awarded to the sporting team, club or organisation who celebrates the centenary of canberra throughout their own networks in a fun and creative way. there will be one winner each month (february to november), with the winners having the opportunity to win the centenary club of the year.

simPle stePs to Be in the runninG:1. think up a creative way to celebrate the centenary - canberra’s birthday with your team, club or sporting organisation. such as; • Theme a match day with everything yellow! Yellow accessories - socks, shoe laces, hats, sweat bands, ribbons, sleeves, make yellow banners, yellow snacks and create centenary chants • Maybe incorporate a club fundraiser with a percentage going to the centenary’s official fundraising partner - dollars for dili (dollarsfordili.com.au) • Centenary themed bake-off for supporters attending junior sport (or young at heart sport participants) • 2013 Tally – 100 points, wickets, goals, club wins, or games. Make it a target across the year, tracking it along the way

2. then - ‘like’ our event page facebook.com/centenaryofcanberra and visit our event ‘centenary club of the month’3. at your celebration take lots of photos! the more photos the better and be creative.4. simply get a club member, coach or volunteer to click ‘going’ on the event page and upload your five best photos and videos to the event page facebook.com/centenaryofcanberra and tell us in a few sentences why you should win centenary club of the month. please also share on twitter twitter.com/centenaryofcanb and include #canberra100

What do you Win?the ten ‘centenary club of the month’ winners will each receive a grant of $500 to assist with the purchase of sporting equipment. plus an exclusive article in plaY magazine.the nine ‘centenary club of the month’ winners (feb-sept) will then go into the final to take home the ‘centenary club of the Year’ where there is over $2000 in sportsman’s warehouse vouchers up for grabs.’

for information on upcoming bouts and crdl events head to:

www.canberrarollerderbyleague.com


australia and new Zealand take to the hardwood in canberra this augustno matter what the sport or the setting, when australia and new Zealand meet on any field of play it invokes a passion on both sides that is in many ways difficult to explain.for the australian men and women’s basketball teams, the boomers and the opals, this rivalry has for a long time been nearly all one-way traffic.

however as canberra gets set to host the 2013 fiba oceania championships between the two rivals at the ais arena this august, there is the ever present burden of avoiding an upset and the wild and wonderful fallout that accompanies such historic occurrences.

the unthinkable has happened just twice in more than 40 years of men’s trans tasman basketball competition and has yet to even be contemplated in almost the same time span on the women’s side of things. Yet every series is inevitably filled with the magic that the two countries competitive rivalry naturally invokes.

the scenes of jubilation in 2001 when the tall blacks, as the new Zealand men’s team are known, first won the ramsay shield that represents supremacy between the two rivals were simply captivating. and as if to frank that historic result, the kiwis then proceeded to march through to the unthinkable heights of world

112 Wollongong Street Fyshwick ACT 2609P 02 6280 6925 F 02 6280 6820 www.electprinting.com.au

112 Wollongong Street Fyshwick ACT 2609P 02 6280 6925 F 02 6280 6820 www.electprinting.com.au

For all your print requirements.Books I Brochures I Stationary I Calendars I Posters

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“i’ve definitely put my hand up for the series, one of those games is in canberra and i’ve never had a

chance before to play for australia in front of my home crowd.”

- Patty mills

cup semi final play before having their fairytale ride extinguished in fourth place.

the opals have had a clean sweep of all thirteen oceania championships since 1974 with the new Zealand tall ferns, despite the recent quantum improvements internationally by their fierce geographic rivals.

new head coach of the opals brendan joyce has promised a culture shift in what has been for many years one of the nation’s highest performing female sporting programs. the first seeds were sown with a new generation of talent in a recent chinese tour without veteran lynchpins lauren jackson and penny taylor who are battling well-documented injuries.

in their place it’s likely to be olympic stars belinda snell, jenny screen, abby bishop and fellow returning canberra capital natalie hurst that headline the key qualifying game in canberra.

on the female side the aggregate winner of the two game series (game one is in auckland on the 14th august) gets the reward of the sole oceania berth at the 2014 fiba world championships in turkey.

for the men, the stakes are theoretically not so great with both countries already guaranteed spots at the 2014 world cup in spain, the oceania series winner getting a higher seeding at next year’s event.

but just try telling canberra’s favourite son patty mills that this game is anything but a must win.

armed with a new contract arrangement with the nba’s san antonio spurs after this year’s valiant championship quest, patty has every intention of being in a boomers uniform when game time rolls around at the ais arena.

“i’ve definitely put my hand up for the series,” mills said recently. “one of those games is in canberra and i’ve never had a chance before to play for australia in front of my home crowd.”

mills was joined at the spurs this year by boomers team-mate aron baynes and with golden state’s andrew bogut returning to form in the nba playoffs and spectacular young new Zealand big man steven adams having been snapped up in the recent nba draft process, things just keep getting better for the world’s second most popular team sport.

so highlight august 18th on your calendar for a special opportunity to see some of the basketball world’s best do battle in the nation’s capital as part of canberra’s centenary celebrations.

image: gettY


2013 fiBa oceania chamPionshiPs

sunday auGust 18 2.00pm tiP off

ais arena canBerra

australian oPals v tallferns

australian Boomers v tallBlacKsticKets are noW on sale for the hiGhly

anticiPated australian Boomers and Jayco

australian oPals douBle-header in canBerra

as Part of the 2013 fiBa oceania chamPionshiPs

a VarietY of ticket prices and packages are aVailable

for the double-header through ticketek.

adults starting from $45 and concession from $27.

familY packages starting from $119.

TICKETS FROM TICKETEK.COM.AU


the orica-greenedge tdf nineorica-greenedge has named its nine man tour de france squad. the line-up includes six riders who raced the australian outfit’s inaugural grand boucle alongside three riders making their tour de france debut.

“the team objective this year is to win a stage at the tour de france,” said sport director matt white. “that’s our main goal. we’re bringing a more diverse team this year to give us a few more options for intermediate stages and days in the medium mountains. the sprint stages remain a big focus, and we bring a dedicated sprint train to support matt goss on the flatter days.”

the nine riders who will head to corsica for the 100th grand départ are: stuart o’grady, matt goss, daryl impey, brett lancaster, svein tuft, simon gerrans, michael albasini, simon clarke and cameron meyer

“last year, we brought together a group of riders who hadn’t raced together much before the tour de france,” noted white. “this year, we have six who raced the tour together last year and five who recently worked together at the tour de suisse. this is a group of riders that have learned to work together seamlessly.”

the team will be captained by stuart o’grady, who has appeared in every tour de france since he made his debut in 1997. o’grady has supported three riders, andy schleck, fränk schleck and carlos sastre, to a total of six tour de france overall podium finishes, including sastre’s victory in 2008. with 16 tour de france starts, 14 finishes, two stage wins and nine days in yellow to his name, o’grady is the most experienced grand tour rider in the professional peloton. the south australian equals the record set by george hincapie for most tour de france starts when he lines up for his 17th tour de france this year.

“stuey knows his way around the bunch, and he knows his way around the tour,” said white. “he’s experienced the yellow jersey, the green jersey, stage wins and everything in between. having the sort of leadership that comes from his knowledge is invaluable.”

matt goss is the team’s designated leader for the sprint stages. the tasmanian gave orica-greenedge its first

grand tour win last year at the giro d’italia. he came close to repeating the feat at the tour, where he sprinted to five stage podiums. lining up for his fourth tour de france start, goss is firmly focused on pulling off a stage win in the sprints.

“gossy will be our man on all the sprint stages,” said white. “he had some devastatingly close calls last year. we saw him win a tough stage at tirreno-adriatico in march, finish third in the first week of the giro d’italia last month and race a quite consistent tour de suisse as part of his build-up to the tour. the boys will look to deliver gossy to the top step on one of the many stages that are available to the sprinters.”

daryl impey made his tour de france debut with orica-greenedge last year. equally comfortable in the sprint train as he is seizing personal opportunities, the south african will play a pivotal role in supporting the team’s objectives.

brett lancaster, who recently sprinted to victory on the fourth stage of tour de slovénie, has shown repeated dedication to the sprint train during his career. lining up for his sixth tour de france, lancaster will work with impey and goss in the fast finishes.

“brett is coming off a very solid giro d’italia backed up by a win in slovenia,” said white. “he’s another crucial member of our sprint train, and he’s the most experienced guy we have in that role. he handles pressure well and provides a sense of calm to the train in what can be a very hectic final.”

svein tuft will ride his first tour de france with orica-greenedge. no stranger to grand tours, tuft has twice raced the giro d’italia and once raced the Vuelta a españa. the eight time canadian national time trial champion earned his spot on the team’s tour squad in large part due to his versatility.

beyond the sprint train, the team will look to a group of opportunists who will target key stages that suit their various strengths.

simon gerrans snagged four wins last year, including the tour down under overall and milan-sanremo. he has backed up last season’s success with three stage victories in the first six months of the 2013 season. gerrans is the first australian to win a stage at all three grand tours. he hopes to add a second tour de france victory is his ever-growing palmarès in his eighth start.

“gerro has been one of our most successful athletes since the team’s inception,” said white. “he has a knack for winning from a breakaway or a reduced bunch. i expect to see simon pick and choose stages throughout the tour where he sees an opportunity for himself to get into a break or make an elite selection.”

michael albasini is a solid all-rounder with a gritty style of racing that has netted him six wins in the last 18 months. most recently, albasini took a hometown win from a small group sprint at gp gippingen. a tour de france win has eluded albasini, who lines up for his fifth start eager to change that.

“albasini shares similar qualities to gerrans,” noted white. “two years ago, he won a stage at the Vuelta, but he’s yet to win a stage at the tour. he’s an opportunist with a good chance of winning out of a breakaway. he’s experienced, versatile and capable in a lot of different scenarios.”

simon clarke raced his first grand tour with orica-greenedge at the Vuelta a españa last year. most riders hope to survive their first grand tour. clarke thrived. he won the mountains classification and one stage, giving orica-greenedge its second grand tour stage victory.

“clarkey had a breakthrough year last year culminating in a wildly successful Vuelta,” explained white. “he deserves a ride at the tour de france after what he accomplished in spain. in addition to capitalizing on personal opportunities in the medium mountain stages, simon is a fantastic teammate who can do whatever sort of work we might need on days that are better suited to another rider on the team.”

cameron meyer rounds out the nine man squad. the western australian recently finished tenth in the tour de suisse overall after winning the stage one time trial and spending two days in yellow. meyer has four grand tour starts and two finishes to his name. this will be his first tour de france.

“cam comes to the tour off the back of a consistent last couple off months where he finished in the top ten overall at turkey, california and switzerland,” said white. “he’s been building steadily since his setback after an operation to treat a saddle sore early in the season.”

white believes the team’s nine riders provide the best possible opportunity to secure a stage victory during their three weeks in france.

“this sport is very result focused,” acknowledged white. “we’re judged on wins, and we have yet to tick the box of our first stage win at the tour de france.”

image: gettY


canberra rider part of orica-ais giro rosa assault orica-ais is bringing a team of opportunists, including canberra rider gracie elvin, to the giro rosa. of the eight riders named to the team for the only women’s grand tour, two will make their giro rosa debut.“the objective for the giro this year is completely different to last year,” said sport director dave mcpartland. “we’re taking a team full of opportunists, who will be chasing stage wins. the gc would be a bonus.”

the eight riders headed to the bari province for the giro rosa start are: amanda spratt, gracie elvin, jessie maclean, loes gunnewijk, melissa hoskins,tiffany cromwell, shara gillow and sungeun gu.

“i will be looking to give opportunities to the girls who so far haven’t had the chance to get results for themselves yet this year,” added mcpartland. “ obviously, i’ll coordinate that tightly. it’s not a matter of simply letting them loose to have a crack at it. we’ll look at each stage in detail to determine who is best suited to what. over the eight day tour, there will be plenty of chances for the whole team.”

although the team is not expecting to protect anyone in the gc, cromwell and gillow are two riders who could push themselves high into the overall rankings.

cromwell, who will be competing in her sixth giro, won stage five in last year’s edition in stunning fashion. thought to be a day for the sprinters, cromwell slipped off the front of the bunch early in the stage and soloed her way to victory. her heroic ride saw her become the virtual race leader in the second half of the stage, but at the finish the peloton had reduced her gap enough to keep her from pulling on the maglia rosa.

“the best sort of finish for tiff is to have her up the road and ahead of the overall contenders,” noted

mcpartland. “tiff can fly under the radar slightly which could help slot her into a gc spot.”

two years ago, gillow won the second stage of the giro after riding for 50 kilometres with two breakaway companions. on the final climb gillow attacked her breakaway accomplices. neither were able to follow. gillow’s gap at the finish was enough to put her in the maglia rosa.

“with the time trial coming in the final stage, gillow could have a chance of getting herself a good gc result,” mcpartland explained. “she’s not only won a stage of the giro before, but she’s also worn the leader’s jersey.”

the only two orica-ais riders to win a stage at the giro, cromwell and gillow will have to take risks in the first few stages to put themselves in a gc position worth defending in the latter half of the race.

“i’m not putting any eggs in the gc basket early,” explained mcpartland. “if tiff or shara have a good stage and end up high in the gc, we’ll support them all the way to the finish. we won’t extend full protection early and then see how they do in the hilltop finishes. i expect there to be minutes between riders on the two summit days. shara and tiff will have to look after themselves and take risks, and then we will re-evaluate what we do from there.”

hoskins starts her first giro alongside her more experienced teammates. the western australian is the team’s only pure sprinter.

“mel is our designated rider for the sprints,” said mcpartland. “obviously if the peloton is together at the finish, she’s it for us. she’ll get the full support of the team.”

aside from the flat and mountain stages, there are in between stages that are less predictable and will be open for riders whose strengths fall outside a clear specialty.

“spratty, jess, gracie and gu are our opportunists,” said mcpartland. “those four can all win from a break, not a big break that ends in a sprint but a small break with three to six riders. in particular, gracie and jess can win in this scenario. spratty is better suited to a stage that’s a bit more selective towards the finish whereas gu has a good kick. she could prove quickest from a decent size group in her giro debut.”

gunnewijk, riding her fifth giro, is the team captain. while welcome to pounce on personal opportunities, gunnewijk’s main objective is to provide important leadership on the road.

“loes gives the team the support they need to meet the team goals,” explained mcpartland. “like the others, she’ll have the option to seek out individual results, but she won’t have the pressure to do so. if she manages to get into a small break, i know that i can count on her getting a result every single time.”

aside from the leaving the giro with a stage victory, success will also be defined as giving riders usually considered domestiques a chance to chase personal glory.

“we want to win a stage, but we also want to see the girls on the team that usually work for their teammates’ results seize the chance to work for their own result,” said mcpartland. “i want everyone to leave the giro rosa with the sense that there was something in this race for them and that made the most of their opportunities.”

image: michael phelan


COERVER Coaching Master Class Series.Topic: The Hook Turn

Jason LancsarCOERVER® Coaching Asia Pacific DirectorJason Lancsar COERVER® Coaching Asia Pacific DirectorWe hope you enjoy our Coerver Coaching Play Magazine homework designed to improve your game but above all have fun while practicing. Coerver Coaching has been a global leader in 1v1, this month we look at the Hook Turn.

See next issue for more tips from Coerver Coaching or for further information please visit our website www.coerver.com.au

Step 1:Push the ball forward.

Step 2:Fake a cross, but instead.

Step 3:Use the inside of your kicking foot to hook the ball behind your standing leg.

Step 4:Turn.

• Make sure the fake cross is realistic. You want your opponent to be off balance, trying to block it.

• Try pulling the ball back with the toe part of your sole, to make the move lighter and quicker. • You should use this move along the wings and when your opponent is running at your side.

Step 5:Take the ball in the opposite direction with the outside of your opposite foot.

E M C T E

A L S O R A N D R I L L

I N P B I L

D A K A R C R O A T I A

S C S A C O

N O R W I C H C I T Y

B E K T

E L L Y S E P E R R Y

A A P N O G

S T A N L E Y S T A R C

T K R N A E

R E B E L M A T T H E W

R E P E N

play canberra crossword1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8

9 10

11 12

13 14 15 16

17 18 19

20 21 22

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24 25

across1 rugby playing nation (5)

4 former world champion snooker player peter ___ (5)

7 do well on the skateboard (5)

9 two-masted sailing boat (5)

10 punt (5)

11 the spiritual home of cricket (5)

12 home country of andriy shevchenko (7)

13 recent review of australian cricket (5)

15 nationality of roger federer (5)

17 georgian golf club (7)

18 ilie nastase’s nickname (5)

20 get on your bike (5)

22 retired uk boxer frank ___ (5)

23 top four tennis star plagued by injuries (5)

24 fine golf wear (5)

25 south african batsman dean ___ (5)

cros

swor

d #

19 s

olut

ions

“I’m tired of hearing about money, money, money, money, money. I just want to play the game,

drink Pepsi and wear Reebok.”

- Shaquille O’Neal

down1 afl team (2,5)

2 engine (5)

3 the urn (5)

4 retired gold-medal winning triple jumper, jonathan ___ (7)

5 knock, or shot (3)

6 see 16 down

8 recently retired indian bat (5,6)

14 ban from playing (7)

16 and 6 down careful west indies batsman of the 1960s? (7,5)

17 royal racecourse (5)

18 scg cricket stand (5)

19 moved the ball (5)

21 snooker stick (3)

20



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PLAY Canberra Issue 25 July 2013

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