Happy Australia Day

Happy Australia Day!  

Australia Day is the official national day of Australia. 

Celebrated annually on 26 January, it marks the anniversary of the 1788 arrival of the First Fleet of British ships at Port Jackson, New South Wales, and the raising of the Flag of Great Britain at Sydney Cove by Governor Arthur Phillip.


Khe Sanh:  

I left my heart to the sappers round Khe Sanh
And the soul was sold with my cigarettes to the black market man
I've had the Vietnam cold turkey
From the ocean to the Silver City
And it's only other vets could understand
About the long forgotten dockside guarantees
How there were no V-day heroes in nineteen seventhy-three
How we sailed into Sydney Harbor
Saw an old friend but I couldn't kiss her
She was lined, and I was home to the lucky land
And she was like so many more from that time on
Their lives were all so empty, till they found their chosen one
And their legs were often open
But their minds were always closed
And their hearts were held in fast suburban chains
And the legal pads were yellow, hours long, pay packets lean
And the telex writers clattered where the gunships once had been
Car parks make me jumpy
And I never stopped the dreams
Or the growing need for speed and Novocaine
So I worked across the country from end to end
Tried to find a place to settle down, where my mixed up life could mend
Held a job on an oil-rig
Flying choppers when I could
Oh but the nightlife nearly drove me round the bend
And I've traveled round the world from year to year
And each one found me aimless, one more year the worse for wear
And I've been back to South East Asia
But the answer sure ain't there
But I'm drifting north, to check things out again, yes I am
Well the last plane out of Sydney's almost gone
And only seven flying hours, and I'll be landing in Hong Kong
There ain't nothing like the kisses
From a jaded Chinese princess
I'm gonna hit some Hong Kong mattress all night long
Well the last plane out of Sydney's almost gone
You know the last plane out of Sydney's almost gone
And it's really got me worried
I'm goin' nowhere and I'm in a hurry
And the last plane out of Sydney's almost gone
Well the last plane out of Sydney's almost gone
You know the last plane out of Sydney's almost gone
And it's really got me worried
I'm goin' nowhere and I'm in a hurry

You know the last plane out of Sydney's almost gone

Ruggers

Cooper Cronk

Damian de Allende

Denny Solomona

Justin Clynes

Matt Bartholomew

Rob Thwaites

Danny Care

Saturday Sport: Rugby Sevens and Aussie Rules!

In the United States, in San Francisco, the World Cup of Rugby Sevens is being contested this weekend.  The governing agency prefers to call this the Rugby World Cup Sevens, not sure why.  It is the premier stand-alone international rugby sevens competition outside the Olympic Gamesand is contested every four years. It is organised by World Rugby, the sport's governing body.  This is the first competition held since Rugby Sevens was integrated into Olympic Sports at the 2016 Rio games.  It was last held in 2013, and henceforth will be held every four years, two years after and before the Summer Olympics.  New Zealand and Fiji have both won two of the titles, leading the several nations who have won one each.  

The competition began  Friday at AT&T Park, and consists of 24 men’s teams and 16 women’s teams vying for a world championship in the wide-open, high-octane, seven-player version of the sport. It is expected to draw about 100,000 fans. NBC Sports Network will televise the event, one of the biggest gatherings for rugby sevens.  The tournament comes at a crucial moment for rugby in America, where the sport’s advocates have been promising a rugby boom for a generation. Next year will see the (normal) Rugby World Cup contested.  A total of 84 matches are played in the three days, 52 men's and 32 women's.  More tomorrow. 

In Australia, in Aussie Rules Football, the inimitable Sydney Swans, fresh from a dramatic last-gasp win over North Melbourne, host the  Gold Coast Broncos on Saturday as they bid to extend an incredible record of making the finals in 14 of the past 15 seasons.  The current standings indicate that the Suns represent Sydney's best chance to bank a percentage-boosting win before September.  1.7 percentage points separate 3rd place Collingwood from fifth-place Port Adelaide, with the Swans sandwiched in the middle. The season's Swans, while protecting their incredible legacy,  sometimes have a problem with consistency.  

Standout phenom Tom Papley returns to the Swans, after missing two games because of injury, and although young, adds some experience to the lineup.  Most of the lineup is younger, and he enjoys teaching them, along with a few of the longtime Swans.  "It's good for the club that the young boys are going really well," Papley said.  Saturday will be the first game that Suns mentor Stuart Dew coaches against Sydney, the club where he honed his craft as John Longmire's right-hand man.

In other Saturday action, North Melbourne takes on Collingwood, Essendon takes on the Fremantle Dockers, the Brisbane Lions take on Adelaide, and the Geelong Cats take on Melbourne at Kardinia Park, South Geelong, aka the GMHBA Stadium.  

Some of our bros may have trouble telling the difference between the Aussie Rules Boys and the international Rugby Bros.  

All have long balls, oblong, but the Rugby balls are made by Gilbert, the Aussie Rules balls by Sherrin.  

When they are not hugging each other, Aussie Rules players can be distinguished by their AFL patch on the right breast.  

Their kit is also usually more form fitting and lighter.   

We are thankful for that. 

Saturday Sport: Giro d'Italia and Aussie Rules

Today is the penultimate day of the Giro d'Italia.  The roughly 3000 km stage race, lasting three weeks is wrapping up.

 As you read in this space three weeks ago, this was to be the Giro of Peace, Il Giro della Pace.  The race started outside of Europe, the first of the three Grand Tours ever to do so, in Jerusalem, city of peace, to be exact.  The expectations of the organizers were that the race would end at the Vatican, but it could be a permitting issue kept them from doing so. Instead, the closing stage, Sunday, will pass by the Coliseum.  

Friday, a virtual unknown surged to the front.  Actually no.  Christopher Froome, who has assembled an impressive Palmares while touting the anti doping line, actually took first place in impressive style on Friday's Alpine mountain stage, which finished a few yards from France.  Tom Dumoulin, last year's overall winner, and notable for having "digestive problems" in last year's Giro ("you mean I run through Italy, and they don't even give me a pooper scooper?"), was leading the race until Friday.  

Chris Froome, most unfortunately, may not have his A and B samples in order, and is under great suspicion for having doped in a race last year.  Only in cycling would officials wait until after a race had been ridden before announcing a positive result, and vacating the title won by the cyclists.  It is to be hoped that Chris Froome is as pure as the driven snow, well, not that kind of snow, and will be made known to have won honestly.  

Today's stage is a 214 km (133 mile) ride from Susa in the Turin Province, through the Valle d'Aosta, to end at Cervinia.  There are three Category One climbs in the last 50 or so miles (80 or so km), so this should provide a challenge and also separate sheep from goats, or Froomes from Dumoulins.  Set your alarms, the stage starts early.  Sundays 115 km race through Rome, in 10 11.5 km laps, should challenge no one, and not change any standings.

In Aussie Rules Football, Saturday's match between the Brisbane Lions and the Sydney Swans should provide some interest.  Brisbane are perpetual losers with regard to the Swans, but last week broke the nine year losing streak against the Hawthorn Hawks, and will be the hosts at The Gabba.   

They may be able to harness that energy, but they are 17th on the ladder, whilst Sydney is at 5th, and beat Hawthorn themselves two weeks ago, and won last week against Fremantle.   

The Swans' Lance Franklin returns with this game, and when these two teams last met, the day was clearly his.  Any time you play the Swans, slowing down Franklin is a big ask, and this week that task will go to Harris Andrews. The young Lions fullback was exceptional against Hawk Jarryd Roughead last Sunday, but with Franklin's speed and ability to move up the ground, this week is a whole new proposition. 

Brisbane has been highly competitive in all but one match this season, and will have to be at its best to challenge the professional Swans, who have won their last 10 meetings.  Saturdays other matches include Richmond against St. Kilda, Geelong against Carlton, and the Giants against Essendon.  

Australia Day!

Tadhg Kennelly

Tommy Walsh

Adam Goodes

Pearce Hanley

Australians all let us rejoice
For we are young and free
We've golden soil and wealth for toil
Our home is girt by sea
Our land abounds in nature's gifts
Of beauty rich and rare
In history's page, let every stage
Advance Australia Fair
In joyful strains then let us sing
Advance Australia Fair

Beneath our radiant Southern Cross

We'll toil with hearts and hands
To make this Commonwealth of ours
renowned of all the lands
For those who've come across the seas
We've boundless plains to share
With courage let us all combine
To Advance Australia Fair
In joyful strains then let us sing
Advance Australia Fair