Around the Grounds Summer 2015 Edition by Kaitlyn Davies

FORTRESS ALLIANZ Waratahs bring rugby home

ADAM GOODES ‘We can go one better’

‘MINI’ THE MENTOR New era begins at the Roosters

SUMMER 2015 EDITION

AroUnd thE GroUnds / SuMMer 2015

Contents 4 6

from the Ceo

8 10 12 16

PreCINCt VISIoN moVeS CLoSer

ALLIANZ UPGrADe: New superscreens and free Wi-Fi

rooSterS PreVIeW: Anthony Minichiello ANZAC CUP: A look back at the life of Ted Larkin herItAGe roUND: Dragons v Rabbitohs – 50 years since 1965 decider SWANS PreVIeW: Adam Goodes

20 24 28

WArAtAhS PreVIeW: Michael Cheika SYDNeY fC: Ready for finals

CALENDAR

momeNtS of ChArItY: Jane McGrath, Curran Foundation and Cure MND

40 42

SYDNeY SIXerS: Brett Lee’s near-perfect finish PhIL hUGheS: A reflection on the touching SCG memorial

BrADmAN hoNoUreeS: Sachin Tendulkar and Steve Waugh

47 49

SCG XI: Padding up for UK tour

50 52

BoLLYWooD ChrIStmAS PArtY

55 58

GYm’S GLoBAL ChALLeNGe: Running to beat child obesity

JACk mArSh hIStorY LeCtUre: Why Victor Trumper was a genius meDIA hALL of fAme: News legends honoured IAN CrAIG oBItUArY

WINter eVeNtS: All the important dates for the 2015 seasons

ATG is available in iPad or Android tablet editions, with additional video and online content and many other useful digital features.

Search for ‘Around the Grounds’ in the Apple Newsstand or Google Play. Editor: Gary Spink DEsiGn: News Custom Content Associate Editor: Fiona Bollen designers: Craig Loughlin-Smith, Joanna Levadetes

31 32

oNe DIreCtIoN CoNCert

memBer eVeNtS: Off-field at the SCG Test

INterNAtIoNAL CrICket: Steve Smith’s dominant summer

PhotoGrAPhy: Steve Christo, Ian Collis, Getty Images, Caron Lefever, Hamilton Lund, NewsPix, Gary Spink CovEr Photo: Brett Costello/ NewsPix (Beale); Brendon Thorne/ Getty Images (stadium) PrintinG: CMMA

vEnUE sErviCEs offiCE 1300 724737 or venueservices@scgt.nsw.gov.au Gold & PlAtinUM MEMbErshiP sAlEs 1800 88 55 55 or sales@scgt.nsw.gov.au PostAl AddrEss GPO Box 150, Sydney NSW 2001 onlinE www.sydneycricketground.com.au

32 AllianzStadium.sydney SydneyCricketGround.SCG

@ourSCG @AllianzStadium

SCGTrustTV

Around the Grounds / Summer 2015

From the CEO W

elcome to 2015 and welcome to the new look Around The Grounds. We’ve chosen the first issue of the year to give your Member magazine a facelift in terms of its design and content. We’ve called on some of the best writers in Australian sport and also some of the biggest names from our sports partners. Ian Heads, one of the inaugural members of our Media Hall of Honour, recalls covering the 1965 rugby league grand final between St George and South Sydney and the record crowd of 78,056. Back then, the prolific author and sportswriter remembers, the working press occupied the back two rows of the Members Pavilion, closest to the MA Noble Stand. When the games finished, a mad dash to the phones in the room behind ensued, given there were always more reporters than phones. Historian and author Geoff Armstrong delves into the story of Ted Larkin, a Wallaby, a parliamentarian and rugby league’s first fulltime official. Larkin is a true Australian hero, having enlisted in World War I because: “I cannot engage in the work of recruiting and urge others to enlist unless I do so myself”. He died on the first day of landings at Anzac Cove. The NSW Waratahs and Sydney Roosters have started their 2015 premiership campaigns; the Sydney Swans are preparing to do the same; while Sydney FC look to the A-League finals series. Roosters legend Anthony Minichiello previews the NRL season, while Sydney Swans superstar Adam Goodes does likewise for the AFL. The months ahead will also be a time when we celebrate the 10th year of Sydney FC and the A-League itself. By the time you read this, the $20 million technology upgrade of Allianz Stadium will be complete. A-League, NRL and Super Rugby fans will have the benefit of free Wi-Fi, a 1,200-screen IPTV network and Allianz Stadium’s new high definition superscreens. The investment, as well as some key upgrades to food and beverage outlets, is about improving your match-day experience at Allianz Stadium. Crucially, there have been some innovations in the broader precinct that will make game day an even more enjoyable experience. The Albert ‘Tibby’ Cotter pedestrian and cycle bridge (pictured, below right) was operationally ready for use in late February. I’d encourage those of you who walk to the grounds from Surry

Hills and beyond to try out the new route up Devonshire St. You can arrange a new spot for meeting friends once you arrive at the SCG. “See you at the Alan Davidson Gates” will enter common usage now that we have the wonderful ironwork gates next to the main Members’ entrance. These are a fitting tribute to the great former Test bowler who continued to serve sport and this ground as an SCG Trustee and Cricket NSW President. The trial of a contra-flow on Moore Park Road following events has proved a huge success for Members who drive to matches. The dedicated Eastern Distributor lane, the third from the left on Driver Ave, has resulted in the car parks clearing twice as fast since it began operation late last year. It was wonderful to see so many Members at the SCG during the summer. We had a New Year’s Test match full of highlights and three One-Day Internationals. We recognised a large number of new 50 and 70-year Members on Day Three and our Country Members reception on Day Two was, as always, very well attended even accounting for the schedule change of dates. The Trust unveiled a plaque dedicated to the late Phillip Hughes on the Members Pavilion in the lead-up to the New Year’s Test, a lasting tribute to a young man whose loss caused so much grief in the sporting world. The SCG played host to Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara a few short weeks apart before the international season proper began. Both men announced themselves to the sporting world here in Sydney and both hold the fondest of memories of the SCG and its Members. As he was inducted with Steve Waugh as a Bradman Honouree here last October, he told us: “The SCG is my favourite ground. I have always maintained that. It brings back all the memories.” The closing months of 2014 capped off a strong year for the Trust, with the negotiations finalised for the Sydney Swans to play all regular season and finals matches at the SCG from 2017. Then, the opening months of the New Year saw the Trust execute another important contract with one of our sports partners. The NSW Waratahs, like the Swans, will play all regular season and finals matches at Allianz Stadium from 2016. Both announcements represent the best kind of good news for our Members, securing content at our grounds for many years ahead – in the Swans’ case for three decades and in the Waratahs’, until 2031. The future couldn’t be brighter for our grounds and the broader sporting precinct. Jamie Barkley Chief Executive Officer

â&#x20AC;&#x153;By the time you read this, the $20 million technology upgrade of Allianz Stadium will be complete.â&#x20AC;?

Around the Grounds / Summer 2015

Coming to a superscreen near you Allianz Stadium goes digital for the 2015 season, with some huge improvements for fans.

llianz Stadium has just been fitted with the largest video screens ever seen at a rugby league, union or football match in Australia. The new screens are part of a massive digital upgrade for the ground that also includes free high-speed Wi-Fi for patrons and an incredible 1,200-screen IPTV network, which keeps you in contact with all the action whenever you leave your seat. All these new facilities will be ready for you when you next attend an NRL, NSW Waratahs or Sydney FC game at Allianz Stadium. The $20 million upgrade brings the ground in line with the similar facilities offered in the SCG’s new Members’ stands, placing both among the most technologically advanced sports stadia in the world. Here’s why: n The two superscreens, placed at each end of the ground, are 27 metres wide and 10 metres high – some five times the size of the screens they have replaced. Everyone has the best view. n Like the free Wi-Fi in the new SCG stands, the system at Allianz Stadium operates independently from the usual telecommunication provider networks. This bypasses the

download speed issues common in sports stadia when thousands of people want to use data at the same time. Speeds on the new Allianz Stadium Wi-Fi can be up to 10 times faster than a standard ADSL 2+ home connection. n The 1,200 IPTV screens can add to the event atmosphere by ‘branding’ the venue in home colours, or be used for spectator competitions, sports trivia and statistics or special offers and event information, plus fans can always be in touch with the live action around the ground. Trust Chief Executive Jamie Barkley described the improvements as a huge win for fans. “The giant superscreens are bigger than the video boards at Wembley and Twickenham and, with the high density Wi-Fi and 1200-screen IPTV network, Allianz Stadium will be Australia’s most technologically advanced live sport venue,” he said. “Our end goal here is to give Sydney’s sports fans an unmatched experience right now. “By the time the NRL season starts, you’ll be able to order food and drink from your seat, keep up with the action on an IPTV screen anywhere in the venue and experience the biggest video boards of any rectangular stadium in Australia.”

Food from your phone to you Among the benefits of such a high-tech system is that it has allowed the Trust to launch a new Allianz Stadium app that offers mobile ordering of food and drinks. Fans can place and pay for their orders from their phone, and collect it a few minutes later from ‘express queues’ at certain food stores and bars. users will have shorter waiting times because they won’t be queuing while orders are prepared and payments are taken.

277m2

Massive size of new superscreens

home W ard d in

10 times r downlo ad ste fa

s than eed st sp a

1200

plasma IPTV screens

million invested in the upgrade

1.6

million pixel definition of new superscreens

Around the Grounds / Summer 2015

Future AlliAnz StA PlAnS move CloSer

dium

An injection of government funding could be a game-changer for our precinct vision, which aims to place us as the benchmark.

rust plans to redevelop Allianz Stadium received a boost in November with the NSW Government allocating at least $600 million for sports infrastructure as part of its Rebuilding NSW strategy. The strategy outlines government investment plans for the $20 billion expected to be raised by the proposed partial privatisation of state electricity assets, the socalled ‘poles and wires’. While no money has yet been specifically allocated, the government strategy tasks the Trust with “finalising upgrade plans for Allianz Stadium”. Trust Chairman Tony Shepherd welcomed the NSW Government’s decision to invest in Sydney’s premier sporting precinct. “The NSW Government and the Sydney Cricket and Sports Ground Trust are committed to delivering one of the world’s best rectangular stadiums – something that Sydney, NSW and Australia can be proud of,” Mr Shepherd said. “Sydney is undoubtedly one of the world’s great cities and Moore Park is

one of the world’s great sporting precincts. “The precinct is on the doorstep of the CBD and will be easier to get to than ever before with the Albert ‘Tibby’ Cotter Bridge and the planned light rail extension. “But in terms of stadium infrastructure, NSW has slipped behind the other states and the rest of the world. Our vision for the future of Allianz Stadium is a game-changer and will set a new benchmark for our sports and their fans. There is an unprecedented spirit of cooperation between the NRL, FFA and ARU and, with the Trust, we are looking forward to working with the NSW Government to deliver a world-class rectangular stadium that will transform our city.” Allianz Stadium was opened as a Bicentennial project in 1988, forever changing the face of Sydney’s sporting landscape. It was specifically designed to bring spectators close to the on-field action and its $68 million construction was fully funded by the SCG Trust. It has been maintained since with no government funding.

New partnership brings UTS to Moore Park The Trust has partnered with University of Technology Sydney (UTS) to create a fully embedded teaching and research facility at Moore Park, Australia’s leading sports and entertainment precinct. UTS will transition its sector leading sports science and management courses to the SCG and Allianz Stadium precinct from 2016, further strengthening Moore Park’s position as the nation’s premier sporting hub. The partnership is the first of its kind in Australia, similar to arrangements at leading European stadiums in Madrid (Bernabeu) and London

(Wembley). The partnership is further strengthened by the University’s Elite Athlete’s Scholarship program, which includes such talent as Pat Cummins, Alyssa Healy and Harry Conway. Crucially, it will mean the next generation of sports scientists and administrators are in close proximity to the elite sports already based at Moore Park. UTS will also move its cutting edge research in sport and related activities to the precinct. Plus, the Trust’s sports partners – the NRL, NSWRL, AFL NSW, Sydney Swans, Sydney Roosters, Cricket NSW, NSW Blues and Breakers,

Sydney FC, Waratahs and Sydney Sixers – will have access to tertiary education for their players and junior development squads. UTS offers Australia’s leading sports education degrees, making Moore Park the ideal location for an enriched learning experience. The labs will initially be in the Victor Trumper Stand, with several other learning spaces around the precinct. Ultimately, UTS’s facilities will be based in the redeveloped Sports Central, which will provide a world class cricket centre of excellence, Member facilities, a child care centre, a 50m pool, tennis courts, a restaurant and cafe.

Around the Grounds / Summer 2015

Anthony Minichiello Sydney roosters preview

anuary this year was vastly different to the last 15 of my football career. For one thing, I could relax a little bit, knowing I wouldn’t have to push my body to its limits to get in shape for the long NRL season. While my former team-mates were slogging it out on road runs and sand dunes, I was spending quality time with my family. The itch to return to the paddock hasn’t hit me yet, I’m really enjoying this time and not having to find the mental focus to get in shape. I know the boys have been training really hard and it’s a weight off my mind that I don’t have to push my body to the limits anymore. I still enjoy training a lot, but it’s nice to have another focus in my life now. To keep me occupied, I’ve taken on a role with the Roosters that will eventually allow me to learn more about the commercial side of the club. At the moment I’ve taken on a bit of mentoring with the younger guys coming through at the club and some fullback coaching alongside head coach Trent Robinson. I think over the last few years the coaching and mentoring side of things became more natural to me and I’m really enjoying working with Roger TuivasaSheck (right) and some other young kids who were training in the full-time squad over the pre-season. At the moment it involves some video analysis on what other fullbacks are doing, but it means I can also catch up

with the guys one-on-one and have a chat about their life. We’re looking at a new era for the club and it’s exciting. We’ve got great juniors coming through the ranks, but Roger has been training the house down as the new fullback. He’s a smart kid who is a really fast learner and we all know what he’s capable of in attack when he gets going. His skill, footwork and his ability to break tackles is so exciting. But we’ve been working hard on his defensive play and helping him to defend the line like it’s his second-nature. I know I can’t wait to watch him tear it up in the No.1. jersey. As for the new group of leaders at the Roosters, the core players are now in their mid-20s, which is the age I believe you start to come into your own as a footballer. You really get more of a mature head out of the guys and you’re probably at your physical peak as well, so guys like Mitchell Pearce, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Jake Friend will really step it up this year on the back of a great preseason. They’re definitely leaders at the Roosters and they’re getting better every year. The ability to lead is something that comes with experience and the more you develop as a senior player within the group, the more you work on the leadership side of your game. I know these guys have been working at it for a while and I’m confident the team is in safe hands.

Mini protégé: Young fullback roger tuivasa-Sheck.

Show Your Tri-Colours the roosters have a special ‘Supporter Membership’ for gold and platinum Members who don’t need to pay for access to the club’s home games. You can make a statement about your loyalty to the red, white and blue jersey with this package for just $59.95. Benefits include: n 2015 Sydney roosters Membership Kit (cap, lanyard, pennant, fixture magnet and sticker) n opportunity to pre-purchase State of origin, nrL finals and grand final tickets n invitation to ‘Members only’ events n opportunity to purchase tickets to the Club Forum (with buffet dinner and drinks) Call 1300 EASTS1 (1300 327 871) or visit www.roosters.com.au for full details.

Don’t Miss v Allianz Stadium Monday 23 March (7pm kick-off) it’s a massive first home game of the season with the roosters taking on the team that beat them in a one-point thriller here in last year’s qualifying final.

v Allianz Stadium 31 July-3 August (TBC) our roosters go into battle against the 2014 grand finalists in what could be an early preview of the September action.

v Allianz Stadium 3-6 September (TBC) the traditional rivalries don’t get any bigger than this. it’s the minor premiers v the premiers in the final round of the season. And don’t miss the Anzac Day clash with the Dragons. See page 12-15 for full details.

Around thE Grounds / Summer 2015

LEST WE FORGET THIS ANZAC LEGEND As the Dragons and roosters prepare for battle in this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s special centennial Anzac Cup, sports historian and author Geoff Armstrong recalls how football, national service and Gallipoli were intertwined in the life and death of Sergeant Ted Larkin.

Edward Larkin (back right) with the 1912 Management Committee.

ACTIVE SERVICE: Edward Larkin (far left) with other members of parliament in Egypt during WWI.

toured Australia. Troublemakers were ruthlessly shown the door. Within two years of his appointment, Larkin’s league was the biggest game in town. He wasn’t finished. He negotiated deals with all the major grounds in Sydney, including the SCG, built competitions across country NSW and started a Catholic schools competition in Sydney that became a bedrock for future development. The Australian Worker described Larkin as “a keen student of social problems and seldom without a socialist book or pamphlet in his pocket”. At the 1913 election, he claimed Willoughby for the Labor Party after a brilliant campaign. Never before had the conservatives lost a metropolitan seat on the north side of the harbour. It was, the new MP told a crowd at Crows Nest, his life’s ambition to be elected to parliament. “There was a scene of the wildest enthusiasm,” the Sydney Morning Herald reported. “Men and women embraced the victorious

PHOTO: Australian War Memorial (Active Service Image H19448)

a prematurely grey, 5ft 11 (180cm), 13-stone (83kg) hooker and captain of Newtown — in the side to take on the touring New Zealanders at the SCG on the coming Saturday. Two weeks later, Larkin played for Australia on the same turf in what would prove to be his only Test: a 22-3 loss to the All Blacks. The newlyweds settled at Milsons Point, which meant — because of the residential rules then in place — Larkin had to play for North Sydney. He joined the police force, a career move that led to his retirement from football at the end of the 1904 season. He was 24. Larkin became the NSWRL’s first salaried official in June 1909. The league was in turmoil amid allegations of substantial debt and corruption, but Larkin and his new cohorts found a wealthy benefactor in the entrepreneurial James Joynton Smith. Some of the Wallabies’ finest were lured to the new code and Great Britain

dward Rennix Larkin achieved much in his short life. He was born, the son of a miner, at Lambton, near Newcastle, on 3 January, 1880. He earned a scholarship to Sydney’s St Joseph’s College. He was briefly a railway worker, joined the staff of the *Yearbook of Australia* and became a policeman. He was a keen debater, swimmer, boxer and an international footballer. He was the first full-time secretary of the NSW Rugby League and member of state parliament. He died a hero’s death at Gallipoli on 25 April, 1915. At 18, ‘Ted’ Larkin was a halfback who played rugby for Newtown Juniors with the great cricketer Victor Trumper. His relationship with the Sydney Cricket Ground went back to at least 1899, when he was in the Sydney XV that lost the first-grade final to Wallaroo. Four years later, on the night before his wedding to May Yates, the NSW selectors named Larkin —now

Around the Grounds / Summer 2015

remembering edward Larkin

candidate and carried him shoulder high to a waiting car. Here a torchlight procession was formed and some brass instruments played See the Conquering Hero Comes ...” In August, however, as soon it was announced Australia was at war, Larkin made plans to enlist. He was the father of two sons, aged six and two, but couldn’t be dissuaded. “I cannot engage in the work of recruiting and urge others to enlist unless I do so myself,” he said. Given his political status, he could have sought rank. Instead, he entered the army as a private. He was immediately promoted to sergeant. Larkin was part of the 1st Battalion, which was not among the first to land at Gallipoli but was quickly in the fray. He didn’t survive long; cut down by machine-gun fire as he led his men over Plateau 400 to an area that would become known as ‘Lone Pine’. Official records refer to his “conspicuous gallantry”. Private Harold Cavill recorded what he’d heard of Larkin’s demise:

The Trust will be commemorating the life and sacrifice of Ted Larkin as part of the special pre-match ceremony planned for this year’s Anzac Cup. We’ll announce specific details closer to game day, but it will be a special part of wider commemorations to honour the service and sacrifice of our armed forces (past and present). Last year’s pre-match celebrations ranged from the spectacular (with red Berets parachuting into Allianz Stadium with the cup) to the moving (about 40,000 people standing in silence for the Last Post). The SCG Trust is also looking to update its records of members who were killed in action during World War I, World War II or other deployments. If you have a relative who was an SCG member and paid the ultimate sacrifice, we would like to hear from you. Please email Caron Lefever at media@scgt.nsw.gov.au.

“Wounded and dying he lay, yet when the stretcher-bearers came to carry him in, he waved them on, saying, ‘There’s plenty worse than me out there’. Later, they found him — dead.” In The Referee, JC Davis rued the fact that Larkin’s “life’s work had only just begun”. The NSW Labor leader, William Holman, wondered whether his fallen comrade might have been future premier or prime minister. In November 1915, a plaque was unveiled at Parliament House in Sydney, but sadly they inscribed the wrong date of death – Ted Larkin was not killed “in the month of May”. After that, mostly because he was one of far too many, he was hardly remembered. The centenary of his death offers the chance to correct this travesty. Lest we forget.

don’t Miss v Allianz stadium saturday 25 April (4pm kick-off) These teams are always inspired by the special Anzac atmosphere. Members can use Club cards for the Anzac Cup. With a huge crowd expected, why not reserve your seats online via the Memberlink service for $13.

Around the Grounds / Summer 2015

Photos: Courtesy of Ian Collis (main, Gasnier far right)

Fifty years ago this September, the South Sydney versus St George SCG grand final produced record crowd scenes never seen before, or since, in rugby league. esteemed sports writer Ian Heads, recalls being at the ground as a young cadet journalist.

he signs were there from the afternoon before. A straggle of fans became a stream trickling down Driver Avenue and across the Moore Park grasslands, eventually forming a rough queue at the old gates. It was Friday, September 17, 1965 and if great sporting grounds have a beating heart, the Sydney Cricket Ground’s ticker would surely have skipped that day. Ahead lay the most extraordinary, dangerous and overwhelming 24 hours in the ground’s long history. As a wet-behind-the-ears cadet journalist with The Daily Telegraph, I was there outside the gates for an hour or so that pre-grand final afternoon – the day before the South Sydney

young bulls (`Pride of the League’) tackled the old bulls (an apparently invincible St George) shooting for their 10th straight premiership. For rugby league it was the perfect storm – the two glamour sides of long seasons matched in ultimate conflict, jousting for the title ‘Champions of the League’. On that Friday afternoon 50 years ago, the arrival of the approaching tempest was still some hours away. My task was to assess the scene, interview a few of the fans in their red-and-white and cardinal-and-myrtle livery who were bedding down for the long wait – then hurry back to Central station, take a train uptown and report in

to sporting editor Gerry Pynt. Chances are I knocked out a few pars to go with one of the photos taken by a Telegraph snapper. Memory evades me on that. By late morning on Saturday I was back at the SCG, neatly attired in a tie and suit. We press-hounds of the time always dressed that way for matches at ‘headquarters’. It was a tradition never spoken of, we just did it; a unanimous nod, I suspect, to the grandeur of the place and its traditions. By my arrival time Saturday, the group of Friday’s early birds had swelled to the size of a great army that overflowed across Driver Avenue and flooded the entrances. In that era of first-in, best-dressed,

the deal was, simply, that you got there early and took your chance in the dash for seats. And if you couldn’t get in that day, you scaled the fence or tried another way. As offsider to a grand old rugby league writer George Crawford, I was one of the fortunate few. In my buttonhole was hooked a small cardboard press pass. Because of it, I could sidestep the gathered throng and slip through a private turnstile, bound for the Members Pavilion. There, up the stairs on the top deck, northern end, the representatives of the fourth estate traditionally commanded the back two rows, jammed in like sardines on the big days.

The grandest day the SCG has ever seen

Around the Grounds / Summer 2015

It was from there, while phoning through swags of running copy for the first edition of the Sunday Telegraph, I watched what were arguably the most extraordinary scenes ever experienced in Australian rugby league. Arriving at the ground at roughly the same time as me were two teenagers, keen junior league players who had taken an early train from Wollongong. Fighting their way in they found a few inches of space in front of the Sheridan Stand at the southern end. But realising before long they were not going to be able to see over the masses in front, they edged across to the Brewongle Stand on the western side. There they picked up a whisper that there was a chance of getting on to the roof of the stand to enjoy ‘the best view in the joint’. So Bob (later to be known as ‘Bozo’) Fulton and Peter (later, ‘Zorba’) Peters gave it a go, managing to dodge and push their way up to the back of the

Brewongle. An exit through a service door revealed the sight of a ladder. Up they went into the ‘Gods’, finding places on the slippery, pitched surface of the stand, perching like pigeons with an ever-growing throng on the very apex of the roof. Somewhere there exists a photo snapped from the field which shows the blond haired Fulton and the darker complexioned Peters together on their perch. Amazingly, the pair would play together in a winning grand final at the SCG eight years later. Author Larry Writer conveys the drama of the day beautifully in his book Never Before, Never Again. Like Fulton and Peters in their first sortie, Writer was positioned in front of the Sheridan Stand after a 10am arrival. Fortuitously he snared a wooden fruit crate on which he stood until around 5pm. Knowing that a trip to the toilets would mean losing his prize spot, he went without a drink for the seven hours.

Thirty years later he would write: By 12.30 with no room left in the stands, on the hill or anywhere at ground level, thousands had climbed onto the roofs of the grandstands, all around the ground. There they clung to the structure, and each other, for dear life. Fulton still marvels today that no tragedy unfolded that afternoon as he recalls the mix of the steep pitch of the roofs and the worse-for-wear state of some who scrambled up, with many entering the fray from the Showground side where the annual Motor Show was on. Jammed in among a crowd that was almost certainly closer to 100,000 than the ‘official’ record tally of 78,056 eventually announced, the police were simply overwhelmed and, to ease the pressure, around 1pm closed the gates and allowed thousands to sit on the ground itself, around the outer ring of the oval. Like everyone else, players from the two teams struggled to fight their way through the throng outside to make it to the field in time. Souths rising

Relive SCG History The NRL Heritage Round in July has the Dragons host the Rabbitohs at the SCG in a game commemorating the legendary 1965 grand final. Modern-day health and safety regulations will prevent any threat to the SCG crowd record set that day (not to mention life and limb) but we still expect a major turnout and a fantastic Saturday night atmosphere. This is one of two Dragons’ home games in our precinct this season, as well as their presence in the Anzac Cup. The reigning premiers are also here for another home match (see below) before returning to take on their traditional rivals, the Sydney Roosters, in the final round.

forward star Bob McCarthy was among them, having left his car far short of the SCG, then sidestepping his way through teeming hordes. Esme Clay, wife of Saints’ five-eighth destroyer Brian Clay remembers her husband carrying their young son Gregory on his shoulders all the way across Moore Park. This grand final of 50 years ago – Bernie Purcell’s brash young Rabbitoh challengers (average age 22) against Norm Provan’s peerless Saints (average age 27) befitted the occasion. If short on attacking fireworks it was never less than gripping throughout, with St George looking almost always just in control, but never quite able to give Souths the slip. The forward battles were brutal, the intensity huge. At the end St George kept Souths at bay 12-8, two tries to nil, sending captain coach Provan on his way magnificently. Big ‘Sticks’ had played in all 10 winning grand finals. This was the toughest of them, he said later. In the Sunday Telegraph the next day, George Crawford named Provan as the ‘kingpin’

of the victory. I certainly didn’t take issue with old George, but was more inclined to agree with Peter Muszkat (Sunday Mirror) and Tom Goodman (Sun-Herald) who plumped for the Saints’ thunderous frontrow man, Kevin ‘Kandos’ Ryan, as the man of the match. Wrote Muszkat: “Ryan gave one of the greatest all-round displays of constructive vigour seen from a forward in years”. High on the Brewongle roof the two youngsters from Wollongong gazed down in awe at the pandemonium on the field at full-time as thousands invaded the ground. So thick was the surge there could be no lap of honour for the conquering heroes. But a flame was lit that afternoon anyway. “We’ll do a lap of the SCG one day,” Bob Fulton declared to Peter Peters. Eight seasons later after the most brutal of all modern grand finals, Manly v Cronulla won 10-7 by the Sea Eagles, Fulton turned to his now-Manly team-mate Peters and pointed high to the old grandstand. “I told you we’d be here one day, doing this,” he said.

Don’t Miss v Allianz Stadium Monday 22 June (7pm kick-off) Two months after the Anzac Cup, these clubs resume battle with a Dragons’ home game at NSW’s favourite rugby league ground.

v SCG Saturday 18 July (7.30pm kick-off) A modern-day classic that’s a fitting tribute to one of the biggest games in the history of these clubs and the SCG.

v Allianz Stadium 27-31 August (TBC) NSW v Queensland rivalry comes to Moore Park, with the Broncos out to prove a point against the NRL premiers.

Around the Grounds / Summer 2015

ADAM GOODES Sydney Swans preview

We know we’re better The Sydney Swans endured a devastating, record-breaking loss in the 2014 AFL Grand Final, but veteran Adam Goodes explains how the team has faced their demons from that match and they’re ready now to turn around the result and go one better this season. thing that we did, which is completely different to 2006 when we lost to West Coast by a point, was that we sat down together on the Tuesday and we watched the replay. It was really hard, but very beneficial. I knew we played poorly but to see it for what it was opened my eyes to how bad we were and how none of us could hold our heads high. After the 2006 loss, we never really spoke about it or looked at any vision of the grand final and that probably lingered on a little bit into the 2007 season. To have had that conversation, to look at the man in the mirror and realise how poorly we performed, it gave us a little bit of closure but it also gave us the motivation to know that we are much better. It’s not just about being better on grand final day, but being better in all facets of our football.

e don’t want to be the club that comes out and states the obvious - that we need to improve, that we will be better in 2015. We want to be judged on our actions and how we react as a team to the disappointment of losing the 2014 grand final. As it sits now, we’re judged quite fairly on our performance in that game, which for some of us was the biggest of our careers. This year is about changing that perception and the only way for us to do that is by getting results. We know that each and every one of us can improve, from myself who has been with the Swans for 17 years, to Isaac Heeney who only started at the club a few months ago. It started three days after the grand final when we forced each other to recognise what we did wrong and what we need to do to fix it. The best

ArouND THe GrouNDS / Summer 2015

SwanS Call SCG Home Sydney Swans Chairman Andrew Pridham explains why they decided to make the SCG their only home ground in the future.

ate last year the Sydney Swans and the SCG Trust struck a new longterm partnership that will see the club play all of our home matches and finals at the ground from the start of 2017, for at least the next 30 years. The Swans have rich history at the SCG. The club began playing home matches at the ground in 1980, before relocating permanently from South Melbourne in 1982. For so many memorable Swans matches and moments, the SCG has been the backdrop. From Plugger’s record-breaking 1300th goal, to Nick Davis’s extraordinary performance in 2005 to keep our premiership dream alive. The decision to partner solely with the SCG from 2017 was made with our fans firmly in mind. The feedback we received told us that the SCG was hugely popular among our members and fans. Having a single home ground for our club is important to us and gives us the opportunity to better work with the SCG on delivering the best possible fan experience. The long-term nature of the agreement also best enables us to plan for the future growth in the club’s requirements for training and administration facilities. We look forward to a big 2015 season and many more memorable moments at the SCG over the next 30 years and beyond.

Continued from page 21 We’ve been really focused on that all pre-season. Like most teams we’re working on our fitness and strength but also our game plans. As a result, there’s no doubt the intensity lifted this pre-season. Sweating alongside your team-mates and getting through the challenges while you’re out there doing the hard yards really does set you up for a positive season. But my great hope for the younger guys in our squad is that they get a second chance to play in an AFL grand final and experience the emotions that come with the opposite result. I hope that last year’s effort won’t be the only opportunity for them to show Australia what they can do. There’s going to be a lot of challenges this year and that’s what we expect. The AFL season is a marathon and we’ve just got to make sure our fans get right behind us at home at the SCG and we’ve got to live up to those expectations. Right now we’re doing everything that we can to make that happen.

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Miss v SCG Saturday 18 April (4.30pm start) The Swansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; first SCG game is the Sydney derby against their crosstown the Giants rivals for local bragging rights.

v SCG Friday 26 June (7.50pm start) The Tigers were an emerging force in the run to finals last year, and will be out to test the SCG fortress.

v SCG Friday 14 August (7.50pm start) This will be huge. The Magpies come to the SCG for the first time in 15 years in what is shaping as a Friday night blockbuster. Members can use Club cards for all Swans games this season. With three huge Friday night matches against traditional AFL powerhouses (the two above and the Carlton clash on 29 May), why not make it a special evening and come early for dinner in the Noble Dining Room. All bookings include free reserved seats for the game (normally $13).

Around the Grounds / Summer 2015

Cheika’s Tahs on the rise Coach Michael Cheika is confident the Waratahs can rise above premiership pressure to defend their Super Rugby title. check came in round one when the Waratahs were upset by the Western Force, while their grand final counterparts, the Crusaders, were beaten by Melbourne Rebels. Waratahs centre Rob Horne believes there is added incentive for the other Australian teams to target NSW this season. “Every Australian team loves playing derbies because of the rivalry and intensity, but we have also got the Australian coach, so every player will want to play well in front of him,” Horne admitted. “So that’s another aspect to it. But … of course, I guess everyone is going to try and knock us off.” In pre-seasons gone by, the Waratahs have spent the summer trying to hose down expectations of a breakthrough title. But this year, the men in blue are dealing with a new challenge – the threat of complacency after finally lifting the silverware. But Cheika isn’t worried. He insists his side cannot afford to be over-confident and

ow does a team back-up the perfect breakthrough season? That’s the burning question facing the NSW Waratahs, who will go from hunters to the hunted this season as they attempt to defend their maiden Super Rugby crown. From the outside, reproducing their record-breaking season will be extremely difficult, but coach Michael Cheika has called for calm. “It’s just a fresh start and we’ll get stuck into it and we’ll see how we go,” Cheika said frankly about replicating last year’s dominant season, during which the Waratahs were undefeated in all seven matches at Allianz Stadium. “I don’t see it as being that complicated around dealing with those mental demons. I think it’s just here is the game and let’s go and play.” Cheika’s reasoning has merit, but the simple fact is the Waratahs will face extra scrutiny this season. The reality

Around the Grounds / Summer 2015

Continued from page 24 must start without mental baggage. “You either have a big head because you won, or you haven’t,” Cheika said. “I feel like we still have so much to prove, to show that I can actually do this job really well and improve on a dayto-day basis, to make us better this season compared to last season. “To change totally the way you are playing, we probably needed a couple of years … to do it over a whole season consistently. Last year we had several games off where we didn’t perform and that’s something we need to address.” Star back Israel Folau is expected to be even better in his third season of professional rugby, which is sure to boost the Waratahs’ chances of back-to-back championships. They’ll also be aided by the re-signing of playmaker Kurtley Beale, while halfback and captain Nick Phipps has also penned a twoyear extension. The club has a new CEO too, as Greg Harris took the helm in early March. Harris was previously CEO of the Rugby Union Players’ Association, where he was a passionate advocate for improvement in rugby administration and growth. He has held a diverse range of sports leadership roles, including being Western Force CEO and Chairman of Selectors for the Sydney Swans.

Don’t Miss v Allianz Stadium, Sunday 22 March (4pm kick-off) It’s Sunday afternoon rugby with a replay of the 2014 semi-final that launched the Tahs towards the trophy.

Fortress Allianz – rugby’s back home

he NSW Waratahs will play all home games at Allianz Stadium from 2016 onwards, after confirming a new 15-year agreement with the SCG Trust in January. The new partnership between the NSW Rugby Union, the NSW Waratahs and the Trust covers all their regular-season home games and finals. It also means the reigning Super Rugby champs and the NSWRU will continue to have their headquarters at Moore Park in Australia’s leading sport and entertainment precinct. NSWRU Chairman Nick Farr-Jones described the deal as “a landmark partnership” and a “positive outcome for everyone who follows rugby union” in the state. “The commercial arrangements will ensure the future of our sport at a grassroots level is sound and will enable rugby to further deepen its well-established links throughout NSW,” Mr Farr-Jones said. “NSW Rugby and the NSW Waratahs have a long history of playing at Moore Park; Allianz Stadium is undoubtedly our spiritual home. An element of the new partnership is that the Waratahs will be closely involved in the redevelopment plans for the venue and the masterplan for transforming the wider precinct. “The future of this precinct is extremely exciting and we are looking forward to being part of it for many years to come. The 2014 Super

Rugby title win was long-awaited and much-celebrated, this new agreement will be just as important in building a solid and successful future,” Mr Farr-Jones said. Trust Chairman Tony Shepherd congratulated Mr Farr-Jones, his board and the NSW Waratahs for bringing rugby home. “Rugby union has been played on Trust lands since its earliest days as a recognised sport in this country,” Mr Shepherd said. “From the SCG, to the Sydney Sports Ground and now to Allianz Stadium it remains a hugely important and popular part of our history. “This landmark partnership secures rugby’s future as Australia’s number one sport and entertainment precinct.” The agreement follows last year’s announcement that the Sydney Swans would play all their matches and AFL finals series fixtures at the SCG for the next 30 years. Waratahs crowds at Allianz Stadium increased more than 20 per cent during 2014 as the ground became a ‘fortress’ that was the foundation for their successful Super Rugby campaign. They host last year’s semi-final replay against the Brumbies on Sunday, 22 March which will mark the first use of Allianz Stadium’s high definition superscreens, free Wi-Fi and 1200-screen IPTV network during a Super Rugby match (see story on page 6).

Allianz Stadium, Saturday 16 May (7.30pm kick-off) South Africa’s best come to Allianz Stadium to challenge the champions in what could be a huge test for the finals action starting the following month.

v Allianz Stadium, Saturday 13 June (7.30pm kick-off) Some classic interstate rivalry for the final round of the season.

Join the Champions

CG Members can save up to 25 per cent on tickets by becoming a Waratahs member this season. Be there live to soak up all the Allianz Stadium atmosphere as our champions go all out to keep the Super Rugby trophy in NSW. You will also enjoy other benefits such as pre-sale access to finals and Wallabies matches, and merchandise discounts. Gold and Platinum Members, who already have access to home games, can take advantage of these benefits too with the Waratahs’ Supporter Membership pack for just $50. Go to waratahs.com.au/2015 to check out your options.

Around the Grounds / Summer 2015

fter several stormy seasons, this could finally be the year the sky turns blue for Sydney FC. For the first time in years, the Sky Blues have emerged as the only NSW side likely to make the finals. With Newcastle’s financial turmoil, Western Sydney’s dream run over and the Central Coast’s major dip in form, all eyes are on Sydney FC. While just scraping into the finals last season, Sydney have sat comfortably in the top six this campaign. Coach Graham Arnold is one of several new additions who has helped transform the club and the man who led the Mariners to championship glory is aiming just as high at Sydney, hoping to deliver silverware for the first time since 2010. Sydney’s promising campaign had been threatened when they lost a spate of players to season-ending injuries during a horror month and had a string of poor mid-season results. But the Asian Cup break came at the perfect time, allowing Arnold the chance to recruit Senegalese pair Mickael Tavares and Jacques Faty and Australian midfielder Robert Stambolziev. Faty and Tavares both impressed on debut as the Sky Blues rebounded from their slump with a 5-1 thumping over the Mariners in Round 15. They backed that up with a 3-1 victory over frontrunners Perth Glory and now Arnold is eyeing nothing less than a top-four finish come April, which would secure a coveted home final.

The sky ’s Th 28

A new home for football The artist’s impression above could be the new dream home for Sydney FC at Allianz Stadium. The club is continuing talks with the SCG Trust to create a Centre of Excellence in the precinct that would bring together their administrative headquarters with their A-League, W-League and Youth League operations, alongside training fields and a new junior academy. It’s part of the Trust’s master plan to create a world-class sports and entertainment precinct around the SCG and Allianz Stadium. Sydney FC chairman Scott Barlow endorsed the vision, saying the

club’s long-term plan was to have all operations centrally located at Moore Park next to their home ground. “Culturally, logistically, it’s better to have everything together. You could look out the window and see your under-14s training, the first team training, branded Sydney FC merchandise available, our trophies in a cabinet,” Barlow said. “Allianz has been our home ground from day one and we see that continuing. “The proposed master plan for the precinct will make it one of the best sporting complexes in NSW or potentially the country.”

“We did have a good start to the season, every team goes through a bit of a dip. Hopefully we’ve had ours,” he said. “We’ve recruited well and I expect a better second half of the season. “Top four is definitely possible.” Marquee man Marc Janko has spearheaded Sydney’s dangerous attack this season, topping the side’s goal-scoring while the likes of Alex Brosque, Shane Smeltz and Bernie Ibini have also impressed. And a tightening of their once-leaky defence has them among the least goals conceded in the league. Gloveman Vedran Janjetovic says the strong backline has been a factor in Sydney’s ascension but admits they have been boosted by the Wanderers’ collapse. A red and black shadow has hovered over the city recently, as cross-town rivals the Wanderers dominated. But the table has literally turned on the two-time grand finalists, who sit in foreign territory at the bottom of the ladder. “We see the Wanderers at the bottom and we have a bit of a laugh,” Janjetovic conceded. “We don’t wish bad on anyone but it’s sort of nice to see them down there.” With everything seemingly going Sydney’s way, the sky’s the limit. “We always felt this could be our year. With Arnie coming in and a few new players, a new style, we’re fitter and stronger,” he said. “If we can stay in that top six, once you get to the finals it’s anyone’s to take.”

he limiT

Don’t Miss v Allianz Stadium Friday 20 March (7.40pm kick-off) The sky blues take on Melbourne City in a classic interstate rivalry clash. Melbourne City have had an inconsistent season with their highprofile international recruits not translating to results on the field, but that matters little as the battle for finals positions hots up.

v Allianz Stadium Saturday 4 April (7.30 pm kick-off) Get behind the team for the last home game of the regular season. These teams last met in the Boxing Day game here when Adelaide United showed their class to come away with a 3-0 victory.

Around the Grounds / Summer 2015

Sydney football’s decade of change

n the few short months ahead, Sydney FC will welcome their two millionth fan through the gates at Allianz Stadium. It’s been a remarkable decade of success for the Sky Blues since the A-League was founded by Football Federation Australia in 2004. Under chairman Scott Barlow and chief executive Tony Pignata, Sydney FC have evolved into consistently the biggest drawing of the Trust’s sporting partners. In the opening weeks of the 2014/15 season, the Sydney FC-Western Sydney Wanderers derby attracted a near-capacity crowd of 41,213. Sydney FC have also brought the biggest names in the world game to Australia – from Premier League superstar Dwight Yorke to World Cup winners, like German Pierre Littbarski and Italy’s Alessandro Del Piero.

The stunning signing of living legend Del Piero changed the Sydney sporting scene in a way many thought football never could. All of sudden, the biggest star in town was not playing NRL, AFL or Super Rugby. It was a diminutive Italian maestro who is ranked alongside the very best to have ever played the world game. In season 2014/15 under head coach Graham Arnold, Sydney FC have cemented their place as one of the league’s top teams. The atmosphere generated by Sydney FC’s supporters, including the diehards of The Cove, has made them a favourite among Trust Members. The noise and energy generated at a Sydney Derby or the clash against traditional rivals Melbourne Victory has changed the face of sport in our city forever.

MARCh - SepteMBeR 2015

Sunday Sydney FC v Brisbane Roar Rd 22, 5pm Allianz Stadium

Wednesday ICC World Cup Quarter-Final 2.30pm SCG

Friday Sydney FC v Melbourne City Rd 23, 7.40pm Allianz Stadium

23 26

Sunday NSW Waratahs v ACt Brumbies Rd 6, 4pm Allianz Stadium

Be there for the unveiling of the two new superscreens and the launch of the stadium’s digital upgrade (see page 6).

Monday Sydney Roosters v penrith panthers Rd 3, 7pm Allianz Stadium

there are two pools for the ICC World Cup. (Pool A) Australia, new Zealand, England, sri lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and scotland; (Pool B) India, south Africa, Pakistan, West Indies, Zimbabwe, Ireland and UAE. the top four progress to the quarter-finals. the sCG hosts the winners of 2nd in Pool A versus 3rd in Pool B; and 4th in Pool A versus 1st in Pool B.

A sunday afternoon treat. Rugby fans can relive the excitement of the 2014 semi-final that launched the ’tahs on their way to super Rugby glory.

25 Saturday Sydney Roosters v St George Illawarra Dragons 4pm Rd 8 (Anzac Day clash) Allianz Stadium

08 16 29

Saturday Sydney Swans v Western Bulldogs Rd 5, 2.10pm SCG

Friday Sydney Roosters v Wests tigers Rd 9, 7.35pm Allianz Stadium

Saturday NSW Waratahs v Sharks Rd 14, 7.30pm Allianz Stadium

Sunday Sydney Roosters v Warriors Rd 19, 2pm Allianz Stadium

31–03 (tBC) Sydney Roosters v CanterburyBankstown Bulldogs Rd 21 Allianz Stadium

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Saturday St George Illawarra Dragons v South Sydney Rabbitohs Rd 19, 7.30pm SCG

Friday Sydney Swans v Carlton Blues Rd 9, 7.50pm SCG When these two met here in Round 19 last year, the swans were emphatic in victory romping away in the second half to win by 71 points. It was their last win in a run of 12 consecutive victories, which had begun back in Round 5.

the first Anzac day Rugby league game was played in 1927 between Glebe and Western suburbs. st George and Eastern suburbs clashed on Anzac day in 1959, 1961, 1978, 1979 and every year from 2002 – the dragons lead the Roosters eight wins to five since that time.

thursday ICC World Cup – Semi-Final 2.30pm SCG

01 Saturday Sydney Swans v Adelaide Crows Rd 18, 4.35pm SCG

13–17 (tBC) Sydney Roosters v parramatta eels Rd 23 Allianz Stadium

14 Friday Sydney Swans v Collingwood Magpies Rd 20, 7.50pm SCG A huge match-up as the Magpies come to the sCG for the first time in 15 years. It will be a Friday night blockbuster.

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Monday St George Illawarra Dragons v Sydney Roosters Rd 15, 7pm Allianz Stadium

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rights over their cross-town rivals in their first sCG game of the season.

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11 18 11 18 11 11 11 11 18 11 18 11 18 18 18 18 11 18

(tBC)

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clubs to have taken out the past two premierships and this match is sure to be another classic.

(tBC)

the nRl’s greatest rivalry adds another Sydney Roosters v South chapter to its long story. this year the Sydney Rabbitohs Rd out 26 their regular neighbours round

Friday Sydney Swans v Richmond tigers Rd 13, 7.50pm SCG

thursday Sydney Swans v port Adelaide Rd 14, 7.20pm SCG

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04 04 Rd 23

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Friday the swans finish

X Factor to Wow Factor T

hey might appeal to a slightly younger demographic than the average Member, but few events at Allianz Stadium have generated a more passionate response from fans than the One Direction concerts in February. Nearly 60,000 screamed their appreciation across the two nights, testing their vocals almost as much as the five British and Irish lads who have risen from third place on the UK’s X Factor to become the world’s biggest selling band. Clearly they were keen to kick off their world tour with maximum impact, using spectacular lighting and fireworks that highlighted just how good this venue is for big music events. “With a stage and giant screen almost as wide as Allianz Stadium it’s an overwhelming spectacle before a single chord is struck,” as News.com.au put it. “This is our very first show so we thought we would come down here to see you because Australia is the best place on the planet,” said Harry Styles, working the local crowd. Fellow band member Niall Horan went one better in the flattery stakes by wearing Tim Cahill’s Asian Cup shirt on the Allianz Stadium stage for the Sunday gig. The Socceroo star lent it to him after accepting Horan’s Twitter invitation to attend the concert with his children. “Unbelievable to see @NiallOfficial come out in my Asian Cup top #Cahill4,” Cahill tweeted from backstage after the concert. “Appreciate the tribute tonight,” he added, proving that the band’s appeal isn’t limited to teenagers and twenty-somethings.

Around the Grounds / Summer 2015

Smith’S SenSational Summer Our massive international cricket season continues, but ATG looks back at the wealth of success it has already brought and the coming-of-age of a new Test champion.

teve Smith could hardly have achieved more this summer stepping into the captaincy breach after injury to Michael Clarke, winning back the Border Gavaskar Trophy and guiding the Australians to number one on the world ODI rankings after victory in the tri-series. He averaged 128 with the bat during the Tests and 75 in the ODIs. Oh, and his average was 83 in the earlier series win over South Africa that kick-started the biggest summer of cricket ever seen at the SCG. Members witnessed his incredible run of form first-hand when he was our leading run-maker in both innings of the SCG Test, hitting a century in the first and following that up with a blazing 71 off 70 balls as Australia pushed for victory in the second. That SCG century was his fourth of the series (one in each Test), equalling a record held jointly by Sir Don Bradman and Jacques Kallis. Smith was named man of the match and series and paused for reflection as he did an SCG lap of honour with the trophy. “I’ve enjoyed every minute,” Smith said of his career-best form and captaining in the absence of Clarke. “A lot of the senior players have been helping me out. The boys have done everything I’ve asked of them.” It capped an incredible year for the 25-year-old, which was recognised as he scooped the pool for Australian cricket’s highest awards. Just after the Test, he became the youngest winner since Clarke of the Allan Border Medal and picked up the Australian Test and ODI player of the year awards at the same ceremony.

As he accepted the personal accolades, Smith was quick to thank his team-mates. In particular, he singled out the response of his batsmen to his request that they lift their games ahead of the SCG Test. “One thing really stood out to me before Sydney,” Smith said. “I wanted the top six to all stand up. For all of the top six to get past 50 for the first time in Test history was absolutely remarkable.” Cricket is indeed a team effort and the Australians had plenty of other positive news to celebrate from the past summer as they geared up for the World Cup and look ahead to the looming Ashes battle in England. David Warner continued to show how he has matured from a T20 specialist to one of the world’s most dangerous opening batsmen across all forms of the game, averaging 53 and 54 in the summer Tests and ODIs respectively. He saved some of his best for his home SCG, scoring his highest ODI tally for the summer here with 127 off 116 balls in the tri-series opener against England, to follow his century in the January Test 10 days earlier. Mitchell Starc blitzed the English and the Indians in the ODIs, to be the top wicket-taker in the series with 12 for 196. Nathan Lyon, perhaps unexpectedly, became our most dangerous bowler in the Tests, taking 23 wickets across the four matches. When you add Mitchell Johnson and Ryan Harris to that list, and the spectacular Test debut of Josh Hazlewood (including a five-wicket haul in his first innings), the depth of our bowling attack looks impressive. Who can wait for the Ashes?

“That SCG century was his fourth of the series, equalling a record held by Sir Don Bradman.”

Around the Grounds / Summer 2015

View From t

embers didn’t have to rely solely on the on-field action for entertainment at the January Test, as there was plenty going on around our special precinct. Former Test players Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri, David Gilbert and Steve Waugh got us into the spirit of the match before a ball was bowled at the Members’ Breakfast on day one.

The event is always a great opportunity for social catch-ups, as is the Village Green with its market umbrellas and summer garden party atmosphere. The Test legends were followed by a panel session with three of the sport’s leading journalists - former News Corp chief cricket writer Malcolm Conn, and Chris Barrett and

Malcolm Knox of the Sydney Morning Herald. The breakfast marked the first use of the Noble Dining Room for the annual event, which was hosted by ABC TV’s Stephanie Brantz. Fifty lucky Members and their guests joined Tom Parker out in the middle for an early, day two pitch inspection at the Curator’s Breakfast and there was

he members

a good mix of humour and expert insight at the popular Stumps Sessions post mortems at the end of each day. The SCG Museum’s latest exhibition, India in Australia: A Great Rivalry, attracted a lot of interest, as did their special guest lectures from visiting curators, cricket authors and former Test players. The museum also ran guided tours of the

precinct’s sports sculptures, calling on the expertise of Henry Mulholland who has been involved as artistic adviser on each one of the 11 subjects in the Basil Sellers Sports Sculptures Project. Something different this year was the Madame Tussaud’s wax figures of Sachin Tendulkar and Glenn McGrath, which were set up in the Noble atrium.

They made for the ultimate cricket ‘selfie’. The Country Members Reception, held in the Indoor Centre, was booked out, as was the morning tea for 50/70 Year Members. Our youngest Members were catered for as well, with the Kids’ Cricket Clinics, and there was plenty of interest from all ages in the Spartan bat and ball making

displays and cricket book signings. The SCG XI had their private gazebo overlooking the practice nets, alongside some new bars and food outlets for others with a keen interest in the warm-ups. Visit the Trust’s YouTube channel at www.youtube. com/sCGtrusttV to relive some highlights from the Test Members events.

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Around the Grounds / Summer 2015

50 Year Members

The New Inductees Congratulations to all who were inducted as 50/70 Year Members at this year’s Test. We hope you enjoy the special privileges that come with joining this elite group for many Tests to come.

70 Year Members Mr John ELDERSHAW Mr John FLITCROFT Mr John GILMORE Mr Anthony HERFORD Mr Robert LLOYD Mr Brian ODGERS Mr Anthony POPE Dr Robert REID

Mr Brian ROBINSON Mr Owen SPERLING Dr Robert TALBOT Dr Harold THOMPSON AM Mr Kenneth UPTON Mr Geoffrey WHITE Mr Bruce WILLIAMSON Mr Bruce WORSLEY

Mr Robert ALEXANDER Mr Alan ANDERSON Mr Michael BAUME Mr Peter BAVIN Mr John BOWEN Mr Craig BROWN Mrs Pauline BURNET Mr Anthony BURT Mr Frank BURTON Mr Philip CARROLL Mr Robert CARTWRIGHT Mr Malcolm CHAMBERS Mr Gordon CLUBB Mr Roy COHEN Mr Gregory COLE-CLARK Mr Anthony CORDATO Mr David CORDINGLEY Mr Brian CORLESS Mr Mark DARLING Mr Neil DAVIDSON Mr Peter DAVIES Mr Ronald DEAN Mr Michael DOWD Mr Maxwell EINFELD Mr Jonathan ERBY Mr Stephen FACER Mr Allan FARRAR Mr Donald FELTON Mr Bruce FOAT

Mr Ian FRASER Mr Barry FROST Mr John FULLER Mr Richard GAZZARD Mr Derek HALL Mr Graeme HEARL Dr Richard HENRY Mr Gary HIGGS Mr Thomas HODGSON Mr John HOPKINS Mr Peter HOWARTH Mr John HUTTON Mr Frederick KEHOE Dr Anthony KELLY Mr Michael KELLY Mr Thomas KENNEDY Mr Peter LANDAHL Mr Peter LEAHY Mr Michael MACKELLAR Mr Kevin MALONEY Mr Steve MASSELOS Mr Brian McKELLEHER Mr Murray MINGAY Mr John MOORE Mr David MORGAN Mr Kerry MORRISON Mr Raymond MOSLEY Dr Richard MULHEARN Mr Timothy OLIVER

Mr Thomas O’MEALLY Mr Robert ORR Dr Colin PATE OAM Mr Christopher PAUL Mr James PEARCE Mr Robert PORTUS Mr William POULTON Mr John PRICE Mr Ian RIDDELL Mr Charles ROBINSON Mr Garth ROWE Mr Michael ROWLES Mr Geoffrey RUNDLE Mr Patrick RUNDLE Mr Philip RYAN Mr Charles SHIRLEY Mr James SIMPSON Mr Graeme SMALL Mr Christopher STEPHEN Mr Geoffrey TALBOT Mr John TANCRED Mr Phillip THOMPSON Mr Shane TORPY Mr Thomas WALSH Mr Richard WARREN Dr Richard WEST Mr Geoffrey WOOLF Mr Brian WRIGHT

I want you to know what’s really going on at every football club Andrew Webster Chief Sports Writer

Our passion for the truth means you always know what’s really going on. Subscribe to independent, quality journalism at smh.com.au/subscribe

Around the Grounds / Summer 2015

MOMENTS OF CHARITY

anuary’s Test against India may have been a draw on the field, but it produced a major win for the McGrath Foundation. The seventh Jane McGrath Day at the SCG, and the numerous memorabilia auctions and other fundraising activities that sprang from it, raised $380,000 for cricket’s popular breast cancer charity. Everybody was a winner when judged by the spirit and atmosphere of the day – sometimes funny, often moving, always uplifting. Members embraced the event by contributing to a swathe of pink clothing, hair and some very creative outfits. And, of course, some generous donations. The sell-out Jane McGrath High Tea was a stylish and entertaining affair and another major success. Apart from raising money, the day’s activities

raise awareness of breast cancer and the value of the support McGrath Breast Care Nurses offer women and families battling the disease. Women who have experienced cancer – and the support offered by the McGrath Foundation – are given the opportunity to share their stories to offer hope and education to others. With 101 breast care nurses funded across every state and territory of Australia, families experiencing breast cancer can be supported free of charge. Glenn and Jane McGrath created the charity after she was diagnosed with cancer in 2002. Jane lost her cancer battle in 2008 but her legacy is an organisation that has helped more than 30,000 families. The Trust, with the support of Cricket Australia, also marked a

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new partnership with the charity arm of St Vincent’s Hospital during the summer. Curran Foundation volunteers took to the SCG during the Australia Day ODI between Australia and India. Even though the match was abandoned because of rain, fans who braved the weather proved generous. All money raised supports the hospital’s intensive care unit. The SCG was also the scene for all-rounder Shane Watson to announce his Cricket World Cup partnership with the Cure for MND foundation. Watson vowed to donate $200 for every boundary and $300 for each six and wicket he notched during Australia’s World Cup campaign. For more details visit: mcgrathfoundation.com.au supportstvincents.com.au curemnd.org.au

Around the Grounds / Summer 2015

SixerS Scorched BingA’S BeST The last member of Australia’s golden era farewelled the game this summer and many of finest moments were played out on the SCG’s hallowed turf.

A stAr Is Born 2 January 2000 Few bowlers could lay claim to being on a hat-trick twice in their first week of Test cricket, however Lee achieved exactly that in his maiden home test in 2000. Backing up from a brilliant debut at the Boxing Day Test – where Lee took seven wickets – his frightening speed rattled the Indians at the SCG. While VVS Laxman became his first scalp in Sydney, he went within an inch of entering test cricket history when a well guided yorker was dug out by Javagal Srinath to deny him a famous hat-trick.

VICtorY oF Another KInd 22 January 2004 While Lee was never regarded for his batting, he could strike a mean straight drive and India learnt that the hard way in early 2005. Having lost quick wickets in a rain-reduced match, Australia looked set for a second consecutive loss when tailenders Lee and Andy Bichel required 11 runs from the final over. enter Binga. The pair lowered the equation to seven needed from three before Lee launched a Lakshmipathy Balaji halfvolley high over the longoff rope to put Australia in a commanding position and ultimately win the game for the Aussies.

RISING STAR: Sean Abbott.

SLAMMING SIXES: Nic Maddinson.

SPECTACULAR CATCH: Jordan Silk.

AgAin RETURNING THE URN 2-6 January 2007 Having felt the rare feeling of defeat on English soil some 16 months earlier, Lee joined elite company as he played a pivotal role in helping Australia complete an Ashes whitewash for just the second time in the game’s history. The then-30-yearold took six wickets in the match that also marked the end of Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne’s careers, elevating the New South Welshman’s to spearhead the Australian attack. He went on to fill the role admirably, taking 58 wickets at an average of 21.55 and claims the Allan Border Medal the following summer.

or Sherlock Holmes, it is Moriarty; for Dr Who, it is the Master; for the Sixers, their nemesis was again the Scorchers. The Perth outfit that kept them out of last year’s final – and had dramatically beaten them a fortnight earlier in the league’s first ‘super over’ – denied the Sixers a second Big Bash League title in January on the outcome of the final ball. In a potential fairytale finish for Brett Lee, he took the ball for the final over in the last game of his illustrious career. The Scorchers needed eight runs for victory and scored seven of them in the first three balls. Lee took wickets with the next two. The title came down to him ending his playing days with a miracle hat-trick or the Scorchers scoring anything off his remaining delivery. It was drama to the end as Sixers captain Moises Henriques fumbled a run-out opportunity and the Scorchers scrambled the required single. It was a cruel, but still fitting ending for Lee. And he has confirmed it is the end, ruling out a last fling in the Champions League, where both Big Bash finalists will represent Australia. Despite the lack of silverware, a spot in the lucrative elite competition of world T20 is a positive return for the 2014/15 season – as is the discovery and development of some key players. Fast bowling all-rounder Sean Abbott was named the Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year after making his Australian T20 and ODI debuts this summer. Nic Maddinson hit more sixes than any other player in the competition and Jordan Silk stamped his name as a key player for the future by finishing his second Sixers season with the team’s best batting average (54) and taking one of the greatest catches in Big Bash history.

DEMORALISING INDIA… AGAIN 24 February 2008 While the majority of Australia’s bowlers have dreaded the might of India for the past decade-and-ahalf, Lee’s average against the kings of the subcontinent is significantly lower than against most other Test-playing nations. His form also carried over to one-day cricket and it was against the Indians that the south coast junior claimed his only international five-wicket haul at the SCG. After knocking over Sachin Tendulkar in the first over, Lee’s other four wickets also included the dangerous Dhoni to close the match for Australia.

FOREVER A BLUE 19 March 2008 It’s fitting Lee finished his professional career representing the Sixers, but it was in 2008 that he achieved his highest domestic honour. In his first Pura Cup [Sheffield Shield] Final, Lee took five wickets, but it was with the bat he proved most valuable. With the match in its third innings and the Blues in a precarious position as Lee came to the crease, he and fellow bowler Beau Casson combined for a 176-run stand to assert New South Wales’ position. Lee was ultimately dismissed three runs short of what would have been his only first class ton, but New South Wales went on to win – Lee’s first title.

Around the Grounds / Summer 2015

Spirit of CriCket ShineS in hugheS tributeS Few events have rocked the cricket world as much as the loss of Phillip Hughes. ATG looks at how that was reflected at the SCG.

“

is spirit has touched it (the SCG) and it will forever be a sacred ground for me. I can feel his presence there and I can see how he has touched so many people around the world.” With those moving words at Phillip Hughes’ funeral, then-Australian captain Michael Clarke described the personal impact of the talented batsman’s death and captured how it had affected the nation and the global cricket community. Hughes never recovered after being struck on the head by a ball in a freak accident at the SCG last summer. It was one of cricket’s most solemn moments. The reaction, though, was one of the most uplifting – it united international cricket and the wider community in a public outpouring of grief and sympathy. People made personal tributes – placing bats outside their homes – the funeral was televised live, Test matches were rescheduled, players looked to the heavens or kissed turf as they celebrated milestones. The spirit of cricket, and how that is reflected in Australian society, was never more visible. Since the January Test, a bronze plaque bearing a bust of Hughes and a tribute to the ‘Boy from Macksville’ has greeted players as they enter and leave the home dressing room. On the day of the funeral, the Trust opened

the SCG gates to fans wishing to pay their last respects. Mourners were welcomed on to the field and into the stands to view the service on the video screen above the Dally Messenger Stand. More than 4,000 people gathered together at the ground and were greeted by a line of 63 bats (the number reflecting his final not out score) as they stepped on to the hallowed turf. Each bat was inscribed with a small vignette of Phillip’s life. The bats were engraved by Ultimo-based firm Juergens & Co, with the design work done by Surry Hills studio Pixeloco. These would reappear in tribute at the Test, mounted on the iron lacework on the Members Pavilion balcony. On the pitch where Phillip had faced his final ball was a memorial of photos, flowers, bats and messages, many of which had been left outside the SCG gates in preceding days. Mourners were greeted by representatives from White Lady Funerals and Simplicity Funerals and were encouraged to sign condolence books that have since been presented to the Hughes family. Clarke’s tribute provided a memorable moment. “I walked to the middle of the SCG on Thursday night, those same blades of grass beneath my feet where he and I and so many of his mates here today have built partnerships, taken chances and lived

out the dreams we paint in our heads as boys,” said Clarke. “I could see him swagger back to the other end, grin at the bowler and call me through for a run with such a booming voice a bloke in the car park would hear it. The heart of a man who lived his life for this wonderful game we play, and whose soul enriched not just our sport, but all of our lives. “Is this what indigenous Australians believe about a person’s spirit being connected with the land upon which they walk? If so, I know they are right about the SCG. His spirit has touched it and it will forever be a sacred ground for me. I can feel his presence there and I can see how he has touched so many people around the world.”

Moving reaction: Cricket and the community unite in response to the Hughes tragedy.

the record

Hughes scored 9,023 first-class runs at 46.51, including 26 centuries, from 114 matches. Four of those centuries were at the SCG, where he was a crowd favourite, including 116 in New South Wales’s victorious 2007-08 Sheffield Shield final. He became Australia’s 408th Test player during the 2008-09 tour of South Africa – a series in which he also became the youngest player to post centuries in both innings of a Test. He played three of his 26 Tests at the SCG, narrowly missing a century in the 2012-13 summer when dismissed for 87 against Sri Lanka. Hughes faced his last ball on 25 November 2014, playing for South Australia against NSW at the SCG.

Around the Grounds / Summer 2015

Tendulkar & Waugh Join Bradman greaTs The Bradman Foundation bestows its highest honour on two cricket legends with a shared passion for the SCG.

wo of the greatest batsmen of the modern era, Sachin Tendulkar and Steve Waugh, met again on the hallowed SCG turf last October when they were inducted as the 2014 Bradman Honourees. The prestigious awards are issued annually at the Bradman Foundation’s Gala Dinner to players who have made a significant contribution to international cricket, while reflecting Sir Donald Bradman’s values of courage, honour, integrity, humility and determination. Past recipients include Alan Davidson, Dennis Lillee and Mark Taylor. Nearly 600 Members and other guests joined Waugh and ‘the little master’ for drinks on the SCG field before the event in the Noble Dining Room. Tendulkar, once identified by Sir Donald Bradman early in his career as the batsman whose technique most closely resembled his own, was delighted to return to the SCG. “The SCG is my favourite ground. I have always maintained that. It brings back all the memories,” Tendulkar said. “It’s just the feel of the ground. Whenever I walked in I felt I could go on and on batting. I just enjoyed the atmosphere and the pavilion especially. It’s a fabulous pavilion with a lot of history. It is the heritage and the impact all the players have left on this ground.”

Tendulkar scored three centuries in five Tests at the ground at an average of 157. He hit an unbeaten 241 here in 2004, in what was also Steve Waugh’s final Test. “Performing against Australia always gave me a lot of satisfaction,” he said. Waugh, now an SCG Trustee, has won global praise in recent years for his community and charity work, particularly for children in India and Australia. He played 168 Tests, joining an elite handful of batsmen to score more than 10,000 runs. He captained Australia for 57 of those matches, with the team winning an incredible 41 under his leadership. Arguably his most remembered innings was the famous ‘last ball century’ against England that sent the SCG crowd into raptures in 2003 and equalled Bradman’s then-record of 29 Test tons. He relived the moment for guests ahead of the Bradman Dinner. “It was one of those balls where it just came off the bat perfectly, it didn’t feel like I hit it hard, and all of a sudden it was like someone turned the volume up,” he said. “It was an amazing experience.” The Gala Dinner raises money for the Bradman Foundation’s charitable youth programs including university scholarships, and camps and clinics for children with disabilities.

The next Bradman Foundation Gala Dinner will be held at the SCG on 28 October. members will be offered ticket discounts, so watch for updates in your weekly member e-newsletter for more details and an opportunity to secure your table early. If you are not already receiving the e-newsletters, you can be added to the mailing list by contacting membership Services on membership@scgt. nsw.gov.au or 1800 80 11 55.

Living Legends: Tendulkar and Waugh relive SCG memories with Members and guests.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The SCG is my favourite ground.â&#x20AC;? 45

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