PLAY magazine Issue #1 by Play Canberra

ONE GAME AT A TIME

ALAN TONGUE

RETIREMENT AND LIFE AFTER FOOTBALL

NRL GRAND FINAL PREVIEW

RUGBY UNION WORLD CUP

AFL GRAND FINAL PREVIEW

SOCCEROOS ARE COMING TO CANBERRA!

W-LEAGUE CANBERRA UNITED SIGNINGS

MOTOR SPORT FORMULA 1

FITNESS ISSUE # 1

SEP 2011 CFL PUBLISHING ISSN: 1839-3756

GET FIGHTING FIT FOR SUMMER

WOMEN IN SPORT SAM STOSUR

2011

NRL GRAND FINAL SEA EAGLES V WARRIORS SUNDAY THE 2ND OCTOBER KICK OFF 5:20PM - ANZ STADIUM

ONE GAME AT A TIME II

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Issue #1 – September 2011

CONTENTS FEATURE

ALAN TONGUE

RETIREMENT AND LIFE AFTER FOOTBALL

02 NRL - Grand Final

26 Hockey

06 Rugby Union

28 Roller Derby

08 Cricket

30 Cycling

08 Top 5

33 Tennis

10 AFL - Grand Final

33 Surfing

14 One Minute With

34 Golf

14 On The List

36 Motor Sport

15 Your Shout

39 Fighting

16 Soccer

40 Fitness

18 Socceroos in Canberra

41 Handball

24 Social Events

42 Nutrition and Health

26 Women in Sport

44 Weird Sport

Canberra Raiders Cup season wrap up

Kookaburras

World Cup

What is it?

ACT Cricket

Road Racing | Scott 24 hour race

Code Switchers

Pan Pacific Open

NEAFL season wrap up

Slater pips Wright

Emma McFerran - FMX rider

PGA | LPGA

Victor Purcell-Starr

Formula 1 | V8 Supercars | Moto GP

Letters to the editor

Mayweather’s controversial KO

Champions League | EPL | A-League

Get fit for summer

W-league announce signings

Starting from scratch

Samantha Stosur

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www.playcanberra.com.au Issue #1 – September 2011

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NRL

GRAND FINAL

Australia halfback Johnathan Thurston hailed Cherry-Evans as his eventual successor in the green and gold, while Johnson’s effort to set-up the matchclinching try against Melbourne only added fuel to the comparisons with countryman Benji Marshall. “You watch the last try, it’s not hard to work out why,” Warriors coach Ivan Cleary said of the comparisons. “He’s probably the only guy in the comp other than Benji that can do that play, but he’s obviously got a long way to go to get to Benji and he knows that.”

◊ BY STEVE JANCETIC

Given the composed nature of his performance against the Storm, it’s staggering to think it was just Johnson’s 15th game of NRL football. Image: Daly Cherry-Evans

The NRL infancy of grand final halfbacks Shaun Johnson and Daly Cherry-Evans is borne out in the fact they’ll become the first pair of No.7 rookies in more than 60 years to battle it out in a premiership decider. They’ve been earmarked for greatness, but not since Des Bryan and Bruce Hopkins went head to head for Balmain and Canterbury in 1947 have two first-year playmakers led their team into the decider. Warriors 21-year-old Johnson and Manly 22-year-old Cherry Evans are set to play pivotal roles in determining the result at ANZ Stadium next Sunday. Despite the presence of more experienced men around them, Johnson and Cherry-Evans took it upon themselves to help overcome preliminary final foes, and it took little time for the plaudits to start rolling in.

Only five halfbacks in the history of the game have played fewer games and got their side to a grand final, with St George’s Eric Laurence in 1942 and South Sydney’s Ray Mason in 1951 both playing just three top grade games before running out for the big one. Johnson may well have played more had it not been a for a back injury cruelling his pre-season, but it was ultimately an injury to journeyman halfback Brett Seymour which gave him his shot at the Warriors No.7 jumper. “I just didn’t think he was ready, simple as that,” Cleary says of the delayed debut. “I always banked on him playing a few games this

year, but he was injured during the pre-season ... he basically couldn’t do anything for two months. “I think that in a way probably fuelled his fire a little bit, sitting around not being able to do anything. “He played the first few games for the Vulcans in the NSW Cup and he was obviously too good for that. “He got an opportunity when Buster Seymour got injured, played a few games, learned a fair bit in that, Buster came back in and he got injured again so Shauny came back in and he’s really just got better and better. “Every time he’s taken a little dip, he’s learned from that and he’s come back better again.” While frustrated by his early-season setback, Johnson said he was happy to finally get a crack. “I thought it might keep me out for the whole year,” Johnson said. “I was pretty much prepping myself for next preseason. It slowly started to turn and I worked hard to get to where I needed to be.” And what of the comparisons - is he another coming of Marshall, or is he more of an Andrew Johns or Stacey Jones? “None of them,” he said. “They are obviously all great players in their own right. I’d like to create my own path. “Hopefully I’ll pick out a little bit from each of their games and add it to mine.” Not only is taking on Manly in a grand final a first, but so too is taking on Manly full stop. “It is going to be a big challenge but I have got 12 other players on the field around me who are going to help me out,” he said of his duel with Cherry-Evans who has played 26 games. “You can’t really say it is one player against one player. “It is us against them.” - AAP

NRL GRAND FINAL SWEETER THIS TIME: HOHAIA ◊ BY ROBERT LOWE

For Lance Hohaia, making a NRL grand final tastes sweeter the second time around. The Warriors utility is the sole survivor from the club’s only previous appearance in a premiership decider in 2002, when they lost to Sydney Roosters 30-8. Then, Hohaia was a 19-year-old in his rookie season and starry-eyed at the hype surrounding the season’s biggest match.

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On Sunday, when he runs out against Manly at ANZ Stadium in Sydney, the 28-Test Kiwi will be one of the old hands, his 184 appearances making him the longest serving player in the Warriors’ present squad. “I’m over the moon that I’ve got another chance to play the grand final,” he said. “I guess I’m going to appreciate it a little bit more this time because it’s taken 10 years for it to come around again.” Hohaia, 28, says the difficulty and the rarity of making the season finale will be something he will impress on his younger teammates during the build-up. “People can go through their entire careers without playing in one, so just look forward to it, enjoy it as much as you can.” As he did against the Roosters nine years ago, Hohaia is likely to come off the bench against the Sea Eagles.

He started his career in the halves, but his versatility means he has been used in various positions in the backline, as well as at hooker. He began this season in his incumbent Test position of fullback, but was among a group of players dropped after the Warriors’ 0-3 start. Injuries meant he was used again at the back before Kevin Locke made the No.1 jersey his own with some stellar performances after being given his chance. Locke’s rise has meant Hohaia has been operating as dummy-half cover, as he did against Melbourne on Saturday night. He believes the Warriors’ greater desire was the key to their epic preliminary final victory over the Storm, whom they kept scoreless during a dominant second half.

“They’re a great side, they’re the minor premiers, but I think we definitely wanted it more than them,” he said. “It showed in our defensive attitude and the way we backed our ability to score tries.” Hohaia will be in the British Super League next year with St Helens, where he will get to play in his preferred role of halfback. His impending departure has meant the past three weeks has been a rollercoaster ride as he wondered when his last Warriors match would be. Now that he knows, he’s rapt with the symmetry of his Warriors career starting and ending with a grand final. “I came in on one and it’s nice to finish on one,” he said. “Hopefully we can turn the result around this time.” - AAP

Issue #1 – September 2011

◊ BY IAN MCCULLOUGH

BOMB Y L N A M S E U S IS LYON VEI THREAT TO VATU

Melbourne at AAMI Park on Saturday, and said the unpredictability of Ivan Cleary’s talented side makes them a force to be reckoned with.

Manly captain Jamie Lyon is warning Warriors winger Manu Vatuvei to expect a barrage of bombs to come his way in Sunday’s NRL grand final.

“They have players out there who can score a try at any time,” he said.

Vatuvei, affectionately known at `The “(Feliti) Mateo has been great, there’s Beast’, can be devastating in attack, but Krisnan Inu, The Beast out has struggled under the there on the wing, so they are “That is good for the high ball, as he showed going to test us defensively.” crowd, they love to against Brisbane in the watch that kind of Lyon will have the unenviable opening round of the stuff.” task of trying to stop Vatuvei finals, when he endured a wreaking havoc on the wing, torrid evening at Suncorp and although he knows he will be in for a Stadium. difficult evening at ANZ Stadium, he is not Manly halves Daly Cherry-Evans and worried about the prospect of facing the Kieran Foran both possess excellent New Zealand international. kicking games, and Lyon believes the Kiwi “I’ll just jump in and hold on, he is that big winger will come under fire from the Sea and strong,” he said. Eagles. “With the kickers we’ve got, we’ll kick up a high ball. Cherry-Evans has put some great bombs up recently that are really hard to defend, and Kieran Foran has a great kicking game as well,” Lyon said on Monday.

“You need a couple of players to stop him, he is big, powerful and strong, but I have played against him a couple of times and know what to expect.

“We won’t do anything different to what we normally do, it has worked well for us this season.”

“That is good for the crowd, they love to watch that kind of stuff.” - AAP

“But we’ve got Tony Williams as well and he is pretty hard to stop too.

Lyon admits he was surprised but not shocked to see the Warriors beat

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LOCAL FOCUS

Canberra Raiders Cup

WEST BELCONNEN WARRIORS SEASON WRAP It was a tough start to the year after losing 13 players from the 1st grade squad to NRL, NYC, QLD Cup, Group 9 and other Canberra Raiders cup clubs. The talk around town was that the Warriors were certainties for the wooden spoon this year, never the less coach Adam Peters was adamant that if the commitment was there from the players the coaching staff would provide a game plan to be more than competitive in the 2011 Canberra Raiders Cup competition. Peters recruited who he could and surrounded himself with a competitive playing roster. After the first five rounds we found ourselves sitting in 2nd place on the ladder and there was a good feeling within the club that we could actually be more than competitive. We might just have a chance at taking out the whole thing.

West Belconnen Warriors RLFC Contact Information Tom Pearce e | tepearcey@hotmail.com p | 0404 391 097

At this point of the season some of our best performers were rewarded with selection in the Canberra representative team to take on the team from Newcastle (Naseri Naseri, Levi Freeman, Adrian Grayson, and Matthew Turner). Not a bad effort for the team to get four in the rep team when everyone was tipping us for the spoon. More good news was soon to follow as Naseri Naseri was awarded a position in the NSW Country Team. Just before the mid-way point of the season, things went downhill for us going down to Yass in a performance that left us with some injuries. Injuries had a snowballing effect on the club that would see

19 players between 1st and Reserve grade being sidelined and out for most of the season. After losing the next 9 games in a row the wooden spoon was most certainly beckoning as we were due to play 1st place Scholars in the final game of the competition round. Our boys dug deep and produced the football and dedication shown in the 1st five rounds to upset the Scholars and finish the season on a high. The coaching staff were left wondering were this form had been through the mid-way part of the season. Next year will also be a rebuilding exercise with coach Adam Peters retiring from his 7 year reign at the helm. However the Warriors will be a force to be reckoned with in 2012 with nearly all current 1st graders committed to return for the 2012 competition. Special thanks goes out to all sponsors that make the club viable, especially the valuable and un-dying commitment of our major sponsor, Michael Braddon, Peter Blackshaw Real Estate Gungahlin.

Want to contribute or get some exposure for your sport or club? Want to get your opinion out there? Contact us at www.playcanberra.com.au or email editor@playcanberra.com.au

BEN DONOHOE RUN AND WALK FOR FUN

ONE GAME AT A TIME

Come along and join this amazing community event: Ben Donohoe Run and Walk for Fun proudly supported by McDonald’s® 6th of November 2011 at 9:30 John Knight Memorial Park For more information or to register call Hawker College on (02) 6205 7771 or visit the website on www.hawkerc. act.edu.au/runandwalkforfun Enquiries: info@bensrunandwalkforfun.com

On Sunday, the 6th of November 2011, the Hawker College Sports Administration Class and the Donohoe Family will be hosting the seventh annual Ben Donohoe Run and Walk for Fun, proudly supported by McDonald’s®. This event has now raised over $220,000 for the ACT Eden Monaro Cancer Support Group and Make-A-Wish Australia®. These charities provide much needed financial and emotional support to local families living with cancer and other life threatening illnesses in the Canberra region. The money raised also brings joy and hope to seriously ill children by making their wishes come true. 4

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This event is particularly special because it is organised by local school students from Hawker College who are working hard to make a difference within the community. Ben was diagnosed with a brain tumour on the 10th of June 2005. Despite an operation to remove the tumour and Ben’s determination to live, the tumour became too aggressive and Ben passed away on the 2nd August 2005, less than 8 weeks after being diagnosed. This event is in memory of Ben and all families touched by a similar tragedy. Ben was a very active boy who loved playing cricket and soccer. In fact,

Ben not only played every imaginable sport that there was to play, but was a naturally gifted sportsman. His kindness for others was an inspiration to all his friends and family. Ben loved his family and when he became sick his mother Robyn would often ask him if there was anything she could get for him and he would simply say, “just a cuddle”. This event is strongly supported by local businesses, families and individuals. The 2010 male winners included Gemunca Woyecha, Julian Dent and Stuart Doyle and the female winners were Kerry Saxby-Junar, Sarah Lonsdale and Isabelle Scott.

Registration Enquiries: admin@bensrunandwalkforfun.com Emily McJannett and Kate Gorell. Hawker College Sports Administration students. This event has shown the Hawker College Sports Administration Students the joy and pride that comes from helping others without expecting anything in return. “It inspires us to follow our dream and make the most of our opportunities. It has changed us as people, for the better.” Thank you Ben for helping us to “Make A Difference.”

Issue #1 – September 2011

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RUGBY

WORLD CUP

MINNOWS HAVE THEIR OWN AGENDA. Second tier rugby nations have defended their role in lop-sided Rugby World Cup results, saying they have their own agenda outside the Webb Ellis Cup. Results such as South Africa’s 87-0 demolition of Namibia, New Zealand’s 83-7 victory over Japan and Australia’s 67-5 hiding of the United States do not necessarily reflect their respective strengths, the underlings say. Instead, they have their own quest for prestige which involves building towards matches against countries of similar strength and not expending their best against obviously superior teams. Japan came to New Zealand with the intention of being rated the most improved side and coach John Kirwan made no excuses for using all 30 players in his squad in their first two games against France and the All Blacks.

As far as he was concerned they were trial matches so every member of the Japanese squad had “a huge opportunity to play themselves into what is our big Test match, which is Tonga.” The United States’ goals were realistic - to beat Russia, which would be only their third win from six World Cups and hopeful of adding Italy’s scalp to automatically qualify for the next World Cup.

“It wasn’t about (overall) wins and losses but it was about competing and getting better as a team,” said captain Todd Clever whose US Eagles had a tough schedule of completing all four games within 16 days. With only four days between playing Australia and Italy, US coach Eddie O’Sullivan rested 13 senior players from the match against the Wallabies giving them a 12-day break to freshen up before playing Italy.

“Our main goal was to get a win over Russia and we did that,” said Clever who did not play against Australia. “If we get two wins it means we automatically qualify for the next World Cup and that would be huge for the country. “We will be able to focus not on qualification but on actually having a proper preparation for the next World Cup.” - AAP

BARNES IMPRESSES IN WALLABIES ◊ BY DARREN WALTON

Chuffed just to be part of the Rugby World Cup, revitalised playmaker Berrick Barnes said he’ll happily line up at fullback if that’s where the injury-hit Wallabies require him in their hour of need. Everyone from taxi drivers to the man on the street and expert analysts in New Zealand believe coach Robbie Deans must install Barnes at fiveeighth after his dazzling display in Australia’s 67-5 romp of the USA.

at flyhalf for the business end of the tournament. “Quade’s the premier 10, he deserved that spot and he’ll most likely be the incumbent there, so I don’t see any reason why you’d want to change,” Barnes told AAP. “I only filled in out of necessity. So I’ve got to do a bit more work and learn all the play-calling and to be honest Quadey was running the show out there anyway. “It’s exciting just to be part of the World Cup again. It was a big buzz.”

Having overcome the worrying bout of footballer’s migraine that threatened his very participation in the tournament, Barnes immediately brought shape, creativity and sorelyneeded goal kicking accuracy to the Wallabies cause once introduced in the 38th minute at Wellington’s Cake Tin.

The one-time Wallabies’ vice-captain admitted he thought he may never return to the Test arena, let alone so soon after his stop-start Super Rugby campaign for the NSW Waratahs ended prematurely in May.

But the humble hero insists Quade Cooper remains Australia’s chief playmaker and must be retained

“The World Cup was the last thing on my mind so I’m pretty rapt to be here, to get a start (at the event).

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“At the end of Super Rugby, I had some serious doubts,” he said.

“I’d got to the stage where I wasn’t of the ability to keep playing. I’d lost all confidence and to be honest I was having issues off the field even getting around. “But now I’m fine. I’m comfortable that what I’m doing is working and I’ll stick to that.” The specialist midfielder spent large chunks of his five games for Sydney University in his recent comeback via club rugby at No.15 and would readily fill in there for the Wallabies if need be. With Rob Horne (cheekbone) seemingly out of the World Cup and Pat McCabe (shoulder) and Anthony Faingaa (concussion) both most unlikely to be available to tackle Russia in Australia’s Pool C closer next Saturday, Barnes is expected to be picked at inside centre. But his flexibility gives coach Deans options. “I’ve enjoyed playing fullback in club rugby, which has been handy as well,

and I’d love to look at that coming back into Super Rugby next year,” Barnes said. “I want to keep my versatility as something that can help a side and at the moment we’re having to patch a lot of cuts and bruises here and there and you’ve got to put guys in different positions. “Last night we had Radike (Samo) on the wing, Tatafu (Polota-Nau) at No.8. “So I’ll play anywhere.” - AAP

Due to the Rugby World Cup coverage local rugby wrap ups will feature in the coming issues. www.playcanberra.com.au ONE GAME AT A TIME

Issue #1 – September 2011

was back in action during the team’s 67-3, 10-try, rout of Romania in Dunedin on Saturday that left the side top of Pool B and on the cusp of quarter-final qualification. “Our off-the-field antics are going downwards. Quiet ones from now on,” said Tindall after Saturday’s match. “It was a relief to get back on the field. It was nice to just go out and play and get down to business.

TO TONE S E IS M O R P L L A TIND LD CUP R O W E H T T A N IT DOW ◊ BY JULIAN GUYER

Mike Tindall has insisted he’s done with raucous nights out on the town at the Rugby World Cup as England get set for the key phase of the tournament. Tindall found himself at the centre of an unwanted media storm after he and a group of England team-mates enjoyed a boozy evening out in Queenstown a fortnight ago, where an unidentified woman was seen kissing the top of the Gloucester centre’s head.

Those images led to a huge furore as only a few months ago Tindall married Zara Phillips, granddaughter of Britain and New Zealand’s Queen Elizabeth. Tindall, who led England in their 13-9 World Cup opener against Argentina in the absence of now fit-again captain Lewis Moody, was omitted from the side that started in the 41-10 win over Georgia. However, England manager Martin Johnson insisted that was purely a matter of squad rotation and Tindall

“Even though no-one believes it we put it to bed on the Tuesday of two weeks ago. We’ve just got to get on and play rugby.” England’s final pool match is against Scotland in Auckland next weekend, the latest edition of rugby’s oldest international fixture. The match could well determine the Pool B winners, who would then likely face France rather than New Zealand, who beat ‘Les Bleus’ 37-17 on Saturday, in the quarter-finals. “We’ve got a massive game against Scotland and then we’ll see what everything throws at us and go from there,” said 2003 World Cup-winner Tindall. “Potentially we’ve got three games and we’ve got a final and that’s what we’ve got to focus on,” added the 32-year-old midfielder.

Phillips was in the crowd at Dunedin’s indoor Otago Stadium on Saturday to watch her husband play his part in the defeat of Romania. But Tindall, a veteran of 74 Tests, said it was competing for a starting place against inside centre rival Shontayne Hape, rather than the presence of his wife and the accompanying media circus, that created pressure. “I always have something to prove to myself. I don’t care what you (the press) think,” Tindall said. “Hape did a really good job last week. There is always pressure around.” England’s victory on Saturday was made all the more pleasant by the sight of Mark Cueto marking his first start of the tournament with a hat-trick in a match where fellow wing Chris Ashton also scored three tries. Cueto had been sidelined with a back injury suffered in England’s final warm-up match against Ireland in Dublin last month. “A World Cup hat-trick rates high among what I’ve done in my career,” said Cueto, who had a try disallowed in England’s 2007 World Cup final defeat by South Africa. - AAP

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ACT & QUEANBEYAN CRICKET

CODE SWITCHERS There are many sports-people who have converted from one football code to another or even changed from one sport to another at a professional or representative level. Here is PLAY’s top 5 code switchers. Some were successful, some not so much and others have returned to their primary

Mark Gasnier

In July, 2008 Gasnier reported that he would switch to rugby union at the end of the season to link up with French club Stade Français, only to return to Rugby League and the Dragons in 2010. Rugby league missed ya Gaz!

◊ CHRIS DOYLE

With temperatures on the rise ACT & Queanbeyan Premier Grade Cricket Clubs have been busy preparing for another season of tightly fought competition.

in last season’s one and two day competitions have a nice youthful look to their First grade squad and will be looking to Finals participation again across all competitions.

The season will comprise three distinct competitions, the John Gallop One Day Competition, the Two Day Competition and the Konica Minolta Regional Twenty20 Competition.

A full pre season review on all eight Grade clubs will be featured in the next edition of PLAY.

Matches will begin on Saturday the 8th October with Round one of the John Gallop One Day competition and the First round of the Womens Premier League. Round two of the John Gallop competition is scheduled for Sunday 9th October. One day cricket takes centre stage for the first month of the season with a designated Twenty20 weekend being played in the first week of November. Teams from Albury, Newcastle, Leeton, Wagga and the composite ACT Under 19 team will continue their participation in the Konica Minolta Regional Twenty20 competition along with the eight premier grade clubs. Queanbeyan District, as last season’s premiers in both the one and two day competitions and runners up in the Konica Minolta Cup, will deservedly go into the new season as the team to beat. This remains a well balanced side containing mercurial wicket taker and run scorer Mark Higgs and last season’s leading run scorer in Aaron Ayre. Tuggeranong as defending Konica Minolta champions and runners up 8

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The Affinity Electrical Women’s Premier League (WPL) competes for the Lynne O’Meara Premiership Cup and is ACT’s premier women’s cricket Competition.

Brad Green

Karmichael Hunt

The four teams contesting this seasons competition are Bluestar Print, Lord’s Taverners, Jetset Travel and new this year, Power Education. The Affinity Electrical WPL is played on Saturdays with a T20 competition and a 50 over competition which mirrors the Women’s National Cricket League (WNCL) and provides excellent preparation and match practice for the ACT Meteors and Emerging Meteors Youth representative players. Competing in the Affinity Electrical WPL are WNCL 2010-11 Player of the Year and leading WNCL run scorer Kris Britt, Young Taverners players of the Year Pip Taylor, Zoe Cooke who was also selected in the Australian U18 Talent squad and Charlotte Anneveld, second highest WNCL wicket taker. Taverners will be looking to defend their title and take out their third successive Affinity Electrical WPL crown in season 2011-12.

A natural sportsman, Green played Soccer as a teenager and he was scouted by Manchester United. At age 15, after spending a month at Old Trafford, Green trained with Walsall, was offered a contract, but turned it down. Surprisingly, Green only began playing Aussie Rules in his mid teens. Green decided to focus on Aussie Rules and was subsequently drafted to Melbourne in the 1999 AFL Draft. On 29 July 2009, Hunt left a successful career at the Brisbane Broncos to sign a deal to switch codes and play Aussie Rules football for the newly formed Gold Coast Football Club, which joined the AFL in the 2011 season. The deal, reputed to be worth over $3 million is subsidised by the AFL and includes a substantial component of AFL development and promotional responsibility.

Anthony “The Man” Mundine Anthony Mundine left rugby league half way through the 2000 season, after being inspired to go into boxing, when a friend, showed him a video of Muhammad Ali. Mundine felt that he could compete comfortably in the world of boxing. In 2005 Mundine was reported to be making a comeback to the NRL, but this did not eventuate.

Michael Jordan

On October 6, 1993, Jordan announced his retirement from Basketball, citing a loss of desire to play the game. In 1994, Jordan played for the Birmingham Barons, a Double-A minor baseball team affiliate of the Chicago White Sox batting .202 with three home runs, 51 runs batted in and 30 stolen bases. He then returned to the NBA, good move MJ.

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AFL

GRAND FINAL

AFL COACHES KNOW GRAND FINAL PAIN ◊ BY SAM LIENERT

Combine physical pain, mental anguish and the prospect of a lifelong dream being ripped away and you have a player under a fitness cloud in AFL grand final week. It is something Geelong’s Steve Johnson, nursing an injured knee, and Collingwood’s Darren Jolly and Ben Reid, dealing with upper leg muscle injuries, are facing this week. Their respective coaches will empathise all too keenly.

Steve Johnson in action for the Cats

JOHNSON HAS GOOD NEWS AHEAD OF AFL FINAL ◊ BY ROGER VAUGHAN

Geelong star Steve Johnson has received a massive piece of good news as he tries to prove his fitness for the AFL grand final. Scans on Sunday ruled out structural damage to his left knee, meaning he is certainly in contention to make the side for Saturday’s clash against Collingwood. The key words in Geelong’s media release were that his knee was “clinically stable”. “The results have been analysed by the club’s medical staff and show that the knee is clinically stable,” the Cats’ statement read. “It is swollen and Steve will be utilising a hyperbaric chamber to aid in his recovery.” Johnson wrenched his knee when West Coast midfielder Andrew Embley tackled him in Saturday’s preliminary final. The 2007 Norm Smith medallist was in agony as he was stretchered from the field, but was walking without crutches soon after. Cats fans greeted Johnson with rousing applause as he gingerly walked around the boundary to the interchange bench later in the match. Four-time premiership coach Leigh Matthews said earlier on Sunday that if Johnson’s knee did not have serious damage, the Cats player was a big chance to play. 10

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He pointed to Brisbane captain Michael Voss in the 2003 grand final and Lions key forward Jonathan Brown a year later. Matthews said they went into the grand finals with knee injuries, but painkillers meant they were able to play. “As long as you’re structurally okay, if there’s just some discomfort, sometimes they can just deaden the knee joint so you don’t feel any discomfort,” Matthews told Channel Seven’s Game Day. “But it has to be structurally sound at least to do that.” While Johnson starred in the 2007 grand final, he went into the same game two years later suffering from soreness and only had nine disposals as Geelong narrowly beat St Kilda. Captain Nick Maxwell (ribs) and teammates Darren Jolly and Ben Reid, who have upper leg injuries, are the main injury concerns for Collingwood at the start of grand final week.

As a player, Collingwood coach Malthouse was subjected to one of the most brutal and punishing examinations by then-Richmond coach Francis Bourke in 1982 and deemed unfit for that season’s premiership decider. Scott, too, has felt the heartache of being denied the biggest stage when close enough to smell it. Stripped and ready, to the extent of having been injected with painkillers to ease the agony of an injured groin on the day of Brisbane’s 2003 flag, Scott was told shortly before game time he would miss out. The Lions did take a punt that day on another injured player, midfielder Nigel Lappin, now one of Scott’s assistants with the Cats. Perhaps the knee Johnson badly wrenched in Saturday’s preliminary final will be put to the test at Skilled Stadium late this week, most likely with the ground closed to media and spectators. Lappin faced a more public test of his readiness to play with broken ribs, in front of thousands of spectators at Albert Oval on grand final eve in 2003.

Lions emergency Aaron Shattock, who might have had mixed feelings given his status as a potential beneficiary if Lappin missed out, was given the job of laying a series of crunching tackles on the Brisbane star. Lappin survived the test and, wearing a specially-designed protective vest, played a valuable role in his club’s third straight flag. Malthouse was not so fortunate in 1982 when he faced possibly the most severe fitness test ever, having injured a shoulder 12 days earlier. Tigers legend Bourke repeatedly crashed into Malthouse and wrestled him to the Punt Road Oval turf, determined that if the shoulder was suspect, it would be uncovered then, not in the grand final. While Malthouse repeatedly bounced up and seemed set to pass the test, one last blow from Bourke inflicted enough damage for the coach to rule him out. Leigh Matthews took the same tack as Collingwood coach in 1990, ruling out Alan Richardson, who broke his collarbone less than a fortnight earlier. Richardson appeared to have survived his test in front of about 10,000 fans at Victoria Park. But as he and Matthews were walking off, without warning, the coach grounded Richardson with a huge bump, the Magpie pulling himself to his feet clutching his collarbone and with his grand final dream shattered. Bourke and Matthews both later explained their rationale was that if a player was to break down, better it happen on the training track than in the grand final. The Cats and Magpies will ponder that theory this week. - AAP

Maxwell suffered a knock late in Friday night’s epic preliminary final win over Hawthorn, but should play. Reid went into the match with his upper leg heavily strapped after missing the qualifying final through injury. The All-Australian key defender clearly was not at his fittest against Hawthorn. Jolly had to come off late in the match and was hobbling by the end of the game. - AAP

Issue #1 – September 2011

TIGERS NAME 21 YEAR OLD AS NEW HEAD COACH. competition in season 2012, the Club will experience an exciting period over the off season with a number of quality recruits expected to follow Klemke’s appointment at the Tigers Club. Although a youngster his resume outlines a quality football background which includes Captaining the Murray Bushrangers to a Premiership in the highly regarded Under 18 Grade TAC Cup competition and subsequently being rookie listed to Essendon. He then moved to South Adelaide in the SANFL for a short period of time but returned to the Albury region due to family health issues. After playing just ten games with the strong North Albury Club in the Ovens and Murray League he finished a creditable third in its best and fairest in 2010. ◊ WWW.TIGERSCLUB.COM.AU

A recent back page article in the Albury Border Mail indicated the movement of Culcairn Football Club Coach Kade Klemke to Canberra to further his coaching career in the NEAFL competition. The article mentioned he was in negotiations with three NEAFL Clubs being Ainslie, Belconnen and Queanbeyan.

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His decision to Coach the Culcairn Club this year came from a desire to have a career in Coaching from which he has taken that Club to a minor premiership losing just one game during the Hume League home and away series. His appointment at the Tigers Club furthers his ambitions as the NEAFL competition grows into a second tier AFL standard competition.

Throughout the process of appointing a new coach for season 2012, Tigers Vice President Michael Kennedy indicated that care taker Coach Tigers Vice At age 21 he takes on the all Adrian Pavese has been Chairman and important task of further former Brisbane rebuilding the Tigers NEAFL side kept up to speed with proceedings. Pavese Bears player had also expressed Michael Kennedy an interest in taking on the role in 2012. has today confirmed the appointment of Kade Klemke as the Tigers Director of Kennedy expressed his admiration for the way Pavese had assisted in the Coaching for season 2012. process saying “Pav’s desire for the His appointment may come as a Tigers Club to succeed in the NEAFL surprise to some but is welcome news competition far outweighed his own to the Tigers football fraternity whose ambitions of taking over the senior youth policy takes a brand new look. grade job. He will be one of the youngest ever to He has assisted in gaining Kade Klemke Coach the Club in its long history. Kade to the Club in a most professional will be a player coach, being a mid manner and is to be applauded in the fielder come forward line player. manner in which he has conducted At age 21 he takes on the all important himself”. task of further rebuilding the Tigers Klemke is expected to move to the area NEAFL side which won just four games later in the year. In the meantime he has in the inaugural season of the new more important matters to contend with, Eastern Conference competition. that being marriage in November. With a further two teams from the AFL Sydney to be added to the Issue #1 – September 2011

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LOCAL FOCUS

NEAFL Season Wrap

With the first ever NEAFL Season finally completed, it is as good a time as any to take a look at how the season unfolded.

late in the season as they managed to record only 4 wins for the year, placing them 6th.

Regular Season:

Sydney Swans Reserves: There is not a lot that can be said about the Swans. They had a great regular season, dominating all year and dropping just 2 games.

Ainslie: Ainslie were the standout Canberra based team, finishing the season with just four loses, placing them second. Belconnen: Belconnen had a tough season, as their young squad were pushed hard by the older and more experienced teams. They won just two games and finished 7th. Eastlake: The Demons had a slow start to the season winning just one game from their first seven. After this however it was a different story, Eastlake lifted winning 6 of their remaining 10 to place 4th and make the finals. GWS GIANTS: The GIANTS showed how talented their young list is as they went on to finish third with just five loses for the season. Queanbeyan: The Tigers had huge personnel loses over the off-season and this showed

Tuggeranong: The Hawks had a tough season as they were hit by a large number of injuries in the run into finals. This saw them miss out on the four by a couple of matches. Finals: GWS GIANTS: The GIANTS struggled during the finals as their extremely long season finally started to catch up with their young bodies. They were the first team bundled out of finals by a determined Eastlake. Eastlake: Following their win against the GIANTS the Demons took on Ainslie, who had lost their first final to the Swans. This did not go to plan for Eastlake, as Ainslie showed they meant business and dominated the game. This eliminated Eastlake from the finals race.

Eastern Conference Grand Final: Sydney Swans Reserves v Ainslie: Although losing their first final to the Swans, Ainslie were always confident that they were going to be able to match it with the competition powerhouse. In what could be considered the upset of the season, Ainslie pressured, tackled and harassed the Swans all day and in the end ran out comfortable 42 point winners to lift the premiership cup for the second year straight.

NEAFL Grand Final: The new competition structure meant that after winning their respective conferences Ainslie and NT Thunder would have the opportunity to play off for the first ever NEAFL Championship. Ainslie travelled to Alice Springs to take on the highly fancied NT Thunder, but unfortunately returned home empty handed after a gallant 22 point loss to the star studded Thunder side.

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Issue #1 – September 2011

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ONE MINUTE WITH... EMMA MCFERRAN Freestyle Motorcross rider and the first female rider to join the Crusty Demons on tour. Impressive huh?! 1. If you ruled the world for one day what would you ban? Speed limits would be good. Haha, wouldn’t be the safest thing but I’m sure I’d have a bit of fun. 2. If you could be any sitcom Actor/Actress who would you be? It’s not a sitcom but I’d have to say one of the Thrillbillies cast such as Travis Pastrana or Jolene Van Vugt. They’re always doing crazy stunts, having a heap of fun and going to cool places. Can’t beat that for a job. 3. Which super power would you like to have and why? Invincible/Bullet Proof so I can never get hurt! This way I’d be able to ride and try new tricks and never get hurt. I would never be stuck on the couch, injured again. 4. Who is your sporting nemesis? I don’t really have one, but I could say my brother Matt, he’s always going to be a whole lot better then me at FMX but one day I’d love to turn that around and show him up.

ON THE LIST

The Rabbitohs Michael Croker and AFL bad boy Barry Hall. Damn it!! Two guys you probably wouldn’t want to debate about their poor choice of body adornment at the local after a few sherrys.

R’S

RANT

5. What is your ‘go to’ hangover/sick movie? I’d say The Nugget or The Hangover, definitely love to watch something that gives me have a good laugh and feel a bit better.

If you need me, I’ll be at the club...

VICTORIOUS QLD

VIC

Something that’s been troubling old Victor lately is this trend of football players getting their own name tattooed on themselves. The Bronco’s Corey Parker, the Crusader’s Sonny Bill Williams and Melbourne Demon’s Jared Rivers are among the culprits. But why?? Is it vanity? Is it so they don’t forget their names? Is it because they wanted a tattoo but couldn’t decide what? Or is it maybe a tribute to their dads who were actually decent players? (eh hem see the picture). But it got me thinking, which players would be sensible to avoid getting their name tattooed on to their bodies. The “bottoms” should probably think twice, AFL’s Archie Longbottom and Steele Sidebottom along with V8 14

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As much as I don’t like to praise I can not avoid this one. What a great year for Queensland! They started off on beating the blues in a “fisty cuff-less” State of Origin decider, seeing Queensland seal a 6th straight origin series.

Supercar driver Mark Winterbottom. Former EPL player Dean Windass would be wise to avoid it and I doubt Johnny Raper would have done his popularity with the ladies any favours had he chosen to go under the gun. The only thing more disturbing than this fad is the incredibly rare male ‘tramp stamp’ (on the lower reaches of the back), seen on only two players in my research:

The origin win was closely followed by the Super Rugby grand final that saw the Reds set the state on fire when they went home with the chocolates, downing the Crusaders 18-13 at a sold out Suncorp Stadium. Albeit the Crusaders played a better game, the Reds were able to turn their attack into points through some quick passing and clever runs. It was a stirring win for the Reds who had not made the finals since 2001. They pulled themselves from being

cellar dwellers to premiers in a matter of years, and I say good on ya boys! Then in September Queenslander Sam Stosur won the US Open, making her the first Australian woman to win a grand slam in 31 years! In one of the most stunning upsets in US Open history, Sam Stosur shocked 13-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams, 6-2, 6-3, to take home the trophy. That’s no easy feat, Sam... You’re a champion! Good on ya love! Unfortunately the Broncos couldn’t make it a fairy tale ending for their courageous captain Darren Lockyer going down to Manly in the preliminary final, one game short of the grand final. Darren Lockyer will return to Queensland a hero nonetheless, he played over 20 minutes of his last game with a shattered cheek bone and kicked the winning field goal to seal a victory over St George Illawarra, 13 -12, in goldenpoint extra-time. Locky your a champion either way, Good luck mate.

Starr

Victor Purcel -

Issue #1 – September 2011

YOUR SHOUT LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Hi PLAY I was forwarded your web address. Great to see a local sport magazine!! I think its something we have always needed. Cant wait to pick up the first issue and hopefully I’ll be in it soon. Any chances of having a centre poster of local sports people. Chris, Deakin. PLAY: Hey Chris, thanks for the support. Yes we here at PLAY think a local sporting magazine is long over due. Well, if your playing sport in the region, chances are you’ll get in at some stage. We love the idea of a centre poster, we’ll see if we can fit one in – who knows maybe one day it’ll be you on the poster.

Fit n’ Fat What to wear? Yeah, I am over 50, over weight but I am also fit. I go to the gym regularly and do cardio and lift weights. I am not talking sissy weights here! However, I have a problem finding any gym gear from the major sports retailers that comes anywhere near fitting. All I want to find is a not-to-short, nottoo-tight pair of shorts and a similar t-shirt that skims over the big bits. I don’t want to look like “mutton dressed as lamb” shoved into lycra pants and tight tops. So come on sportswear retailers please start stocking sizes bigger than a 16 and you will help to encourage more bigger girls like me to venture out to the gym and GET FIT Lycra - blah PLAY: You bring up a very good point lycra-blah, there are a lot of people out there who are big and fit!

You dont have to look too hard in the professional scene to see that, George Rose of Manly pops into mind. I’m sure you would have many people who agree with you, hopefully the retailers are listening.

PLAY I just pulled the Canberra Raiders Memebership renewal pack for 2012, out of my letter box. Well, I have to confess that at the end of the 2011 season I was seriously considering not renewing my family membership. Some of this year’s games were entertaining more for their comic value than their football skill. However, here I sit thumbing through the Raiders membership guide for 2012 and I am getting excited. Maybe I am a sucker for punishment or an extreme optimist but, I am definitely feeling excited. I am pinning my hopes on our youthful playing roster. I am hopeful that in the off season we don’t sign any old, injured players and maintain our faith in the fabulous players we are developing here. So, after some post 2011 season doubts I will be once again join up for a family membership - I can’t wait for next season!!! Go Raiders PLAY: Hello Go Raiders. We at PLAY are also supporters of the Canberra Raiders and we understand that last season wasn’t the greatest in their history by any stretch of the imagination. But, like you, we will also be renewing our memberships and supporting the Green machine in 2012. We are pretty excited about next season too. See you there!

Have your shout and let us know what you think about any of our stories or if you just want to share your wisdom. email us at editor@playcanberra.com.au

Issue #1 – September 2011

ONE GAME AT A TIME

Keep an eye out next issue for a new column “Outlook” written each fortnight by New Zealand’s international cricket legend Chris Cairns. Chris now resides in Canberra and has a passion for sport at all levels. In between games with North Canberra - Gungahlin Eagles and his role as Executive Project Marketer at Colliers International, Chris will be providing readers of PLAY with his own opinions on sports' hot topics. A column not to be missed!! www.playcanberra.com.au

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ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE

TITLE RACE NOT OVER INSISTS WENGER Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger refused to concede defeat in the Premier League title race but admitted he was “worried” by Manchester United’s blistering start to the season. Wenger is currently battling the most challenging period of his 15-year stint at Arsenal, with the Gunners languishing fourth from bottom after taking just four points from five games. The Londoners are now a massive 11 points behind leaders Manchester United, who have a 100 per cent record after five matches, which included a crushing 8-2 win over Arsenal last month. Wenger insists however it is too early for any side to be written off despite United’s ominous form. “Of course I am worried. It is absolutely not realistic not to be worried when you have a team like Manchester United in front of you,” the Frenchman said ahead of Saturday’s Premier League game with Bolton.

“The only thing we can do is focus on our performances, win our games and hope they will drop some points at some stage. “However, at the moment I am more concerned by us than them. If they do a perfect season, they do a perfect season. Until now, only one team did that - Arsenal,” added Wenger, referring to Arsenal’s unbeaten 2003/2004 campaign. Wenger’s immediate priority is trying to restore confidence to his team, which suffered another blow to morale last week when they were beaten 4-3 at Blackburn despite leading twice and dominating possession. “What is important for us is to give absolutely everything to do it (win the title), but at the moment it is too early to speak about that,” he said.

Wenger also maintains Arsenal’s start to the season was complicated by having to face Italian league leaders Udinese in a play-off to reach the Champions League group phase. “I still believe we paid a very heavy price for the Udinese (Champions League play-off) game, where we didn’t get any credit at all. Today, they are (joint) top of the (Italian) league,” he said. “We had to give absolutely everything (in the Champions League game) against Dortmund and in the second half at Blackburn you could see that. “Our start of the season was disturbed by the transfers (of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri) and by the fact that we had to qualify for the Champions League. We lost a lot of energy in these games.” - AFP

“Let’s come back to a better distance with the top teams before we speak about that. If the team gets momentum, we can be very strong.”

BARCELONA APPROVES QATAR SHIRT SPONSORSHIP DEAL The club signed the five-and-a-half year deal, touted as the largest shirt sponsorship deal in football history, in December but the decision to collect money for the first time in its history to display a logo on its jerseys did not go down well. Barcelona’s legendary former Dutch coach Johan Cruyff has blasted the endorsement deal as “vulgar” and thousands of club fans signed a petition to demand that the agreement be revoked. But club members unanimously accepted the shirt sponsorship deal at a general assembly late on Saturday, with 697 votes in favour of keeping the deal, 76 against and 36 abstentions, the club said on its Internet site.

Barcelona has approved a contested shirt sponsorship deal with the non-profit Qatar Foundation worth 171 million euros at a general assembly by a wide margin.

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The Qatar Foundation, founded in 1995, has set up projects focusing on education, scientific research and community development, mainly in the Middle East. It is run by the wife of Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani

who seized power from his father in a bloodless coup in 1995 and in 2003 declared his son Tamim heir apparent.

million euros last season -- their first in seven years -- and they have debts of 442 million euros.

Part of the opposition to the shirt sponsorship deal stems from the lack of democracy in Qatar, which has no organised opposition groups and where parliamentary elections have repeatedly been postponed.

Before the vote Barcelona’s economic vice-president, Javier Faus, told the members that the club’s board felt it had no choice but to accept the shirt sponsorship because “it has a substantial economic impact”.

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola, who played for Qatar’s Al Ahly between 2003 and 2005 and who was one of the ambassadors for the nation’s successful 2022 World Cup bid, had defended the Gulf state on Wednesday, calling it “the most open Muslim country”.

But he stressed that the deal will end when the current board’s mandate comes to an end and the club could decide whether to continue wearing the Qatar Foundation name or switch to another after the third year.

“Qatar is opening up to the Western world and I know the efforts that the Foundation is putting in to do some really good things. I think that we often don’t understand the Muslim world - nor they us,” he added. Despite its success on the field, Barcelona is struggling financially. The Catalan side posted a loss of 79.6

“We wanted to solve financial questions but didn’t want the agreement to be irreversible,” he said. - AFP

Have your shout email us at editor@playcanberra.com.au ONE GAME AT A TIME

Issue #1 – September 2011

over the next few days to look at any outstanding issues. Buckley also expressed optimism about reaching a resolution over a new ownership structure for A-League champions Brisbane Roar.

A-LEAGUE

“But having said that a single owner model can work if there’s good “I’m pretty confident, in “It’s not one size governance structures, if there’s fact I’m very confident, over fits all.” good management structures time Brisbane will have and there’s good management an outstanding ownership practices. group,” Buckley said in relation to discussions with potential owners over “It’s not one size fits all.” the past He said the immediate priority was few months. consolidating the financial status of

League will prospe

Buckley predicts A◊ BY ADRIAN WARREN

($A158 million). “I feel very proud to have created this football club from scratch and I have poured all of my heart and energy into it but I have come to the conclusion that it is time to hand the licence back to FFA,” Serepisos said earlier on Friday.

Football Federation Australia boss Ben Buckley expects the A-League to prosper this season after a potential financial firestorm was extinguished with a change of ownership for Wellington Phoenix. The FFA announced on Friday the Phoenix licence had been granted to a Wellington-based consortium headed by investment banker Rob Morrison. It had been relinquished by property tycoon Terry Serepisos, who reportedly has debts of more than $NZ200 million

“There’s an obvious benefit in having a broader range of shareholders rather than just relying on one individual, we’ve seen that model work effectively in a number of different clubs,” Buckley said.

The 2011-12 competition has been reduced to ten clubs after North Queensland fell over at the end of last season. Asked about reports of unpaid wages for Phoenix staff, Buckley said the FFA would sit down with club officials

He stressed all domestic and international competitions had clubs that at times had financial issues.

the 10 A-League teams and they could talk about new clubs after the current season.

“The A-League is not immune to that, we see that in the NRL, we see that in the AFL, we see that in international football,” Buckley said.

Buckley hailed the “massive contribution”’ made to the A-League and New Zealand football of Serepisos, who in 2007 took control of the NZ Knights, moved the franchise from Auckland to Wellington and adopted the Phoenix brand. - AAP

“No one is immune to the global economic conditions and I’m pretty confident that now that we’ve got this out of the way that the A-League will prosper for the next season ahead.” Buckley felt private ownership of an A-League club by an individual could still work despite what had happened in Wellington.

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QANTAS SOCCEROOS HEAD TO CANBERRA STADIUM round of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers by their neighbouring nation Singapore 4-6 on aggregate over the two legs of the tie. The match will be the seventh meeting between the Qantas Socceroos and Malaysia with the six previous matches between the two countries played at venues in Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore and Indonesia. The last time these two teams met was in 1992 when Malaysia defeated Australia 1-0 in Jakarta.

◊ CAPITAL FOOTBALL

Canberra Stadium and Football Federation Australia (FFA) announced that the Qantas Socceroos will host Malaysia in an international friendly match in Canberra on Friday 7 October 2011 (8pm kick-off). This will be the first time that the Qantas Socceroos have played Malaysia in Australia and the match will be used as a crucial build-up to the Qantas Socceroos’ 2014 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifier against Oman in Sydney four days later. Malaysia, currently ranked 146th in the world, were knocked out of the second

regions and that’s good news for our local restaurants, bars, clubs, hotels and other local businesses that will benefit from the increased visitation,” Mr Guthrie said. FFA CEO Ben Buckley said the Malaysia match would be held on a FIFA match date meaning the strongest possible Qantas Socceroos squad would be available for selection. “This is an exciting opportunity for the people of Canberra to see the Qantas Socceroos in action,” Mr Buckley said.

Canberra Stadium General Manager Neale Guthrie said the match against “This match coincides with the NSW Malaysia would be the highlight of & ACT School holidays calendar and Canberra Stadium’s sporting calendar in with the end of the grassroots football 2011 and an opportunity for Canberra to season, it is a perfect way for fans to demonstrate its continuing and growing connect with their Qantas Socceroos support for the heroes,” concluded international game. “This is an exciting opportunity Buckley.

for the people of Canberra to see

Mr Guthrie the Qantas Socceroos in action,” Chief Executive of said along with Capital Football, providing worldHeather Reid, said she was pleased class sporting entertainment, the match to see international football return to would have a substantial impact on the Canberra and said local football fans local economy. would relish the chance to see their “A significant share of the crowd will come from Sydney and our surrounding

The Qantas Socceroos, fielding a team made up largely of Hyundai A-League players, last played at Canberra Stadium in March 2009 losing to Kuwait in a 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification match in front of a crowd of more than 20,000. The Qantas Socceroos will then play Oman at ANZ Stadium on Tuesday 11 October 2011 (Kick-Off 7.30pm). It will be the Qantas Socceroos third match of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Asian qualifiers. The Qantas Socceroos are currently top Group D with wins over Thailand and Saudi Arabia. Tickets for both matches went on-sale to the Football Family members from 11am (AEST) Monday 12 September until midnight on Tuesday. They went on sale to the general public on Thursday 15 September. Tickets available from Ticketek www.ticketek.com.au or call 132 849. Match tickets will not be available from the Capital Football offices.

Socceroos heroes up close at Canberra Stadium.

UNITED SIGN KIWI INTERNATIONAL AND JITKA KLIMKOVA NAMED CANBERRA UNITED HEAD COACH ◊ BY RUSS GIBBS AND THOMAS CASTLETON

Germany. Following her debut against China in Guangzhou she made further appearances against the Cook Islands, Tahiti, Netherlands and Mexico in a five year span. Primarily added to the squad as a stand-by to Matildas international Lydia Williams, Clansey will provide excellent cover from the bench. “We are pleased to welcome Aroon to the Canberra United squad,” CEO Heather Reid said. “It’s vital to have another goalkeeper who is able to step into the breach when necessary and in Aroon we have acquired a top-notch replacement goalkeeper.”

Aroon Clansey

Canberra United is pleased to announce the signing of New Zealand international goalkeeper Aroon Clansey for season four of the Westfield W-League. Aroon arrives from New Zealand club side Three Kings United having represented her country on five occasions. Clansey made her international debut in 2006 and has largely served as a backup in the national squad travelling with the team to the 2011 FIFA World Cup in 18

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Heather Reid also announce that Jitka Klimkova has been appointed as Head Coach for the coming season. The former Czech Republic international player holds a UEFA Professional license and has coached at high levels within the Czech Republic national league and internationally at youth levels. Klimkova played for the Czech national team from 1998 through to her retirement in 2003 when she started her coaching career. Since then Klimkova

has been the Head Coach for the Czech U19 National side and Head Coach for Czech women’s First division side 1.FC Slovack for five seasons during which time her side did not drop below third place. On making the announcement, Reid said “Canberra United is once again at the forefront of the W-League by securing the services of the first international coach. Jitka Klimkova is sure to provide a major boost for individual players, the Canberra United team and the Westfield W-League. Her UEFA coaching qualifications and experience in leading national level teams, along with her pedigree as a former national player will provide a different approach to coaching and it’s expected she’ll inspire a great deal of competition for places in the final 20 player roster.” Klimkova said she was delighted to meet Reid at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Germany recently and was very enthusiastic about coming to Canberra to be head coach of one of the W-League’s leading clubs.

Jitka Klimkova talking to her Canberra United Players

“I am very excited about the opportunity that I will have with Canberra United and I have every intention of taking the team to the final. I am ready to lead this team and show it can be the best in the W-League come finals time,” Klimkova said. For the latest football news from around the Capital tune in to our friends at farpostfootball every sunday 3-5pm on community radio 2xx 98.3 FM. Issue #1 – September 2011

ALAN TONGUE As Raiders Captain Alan Tongue hangs up his boots on a stellar career, PLAY wanted to know a little more about the man known as “the nicest guy in league” and for the record the man is a champion on and off the field!

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Issue #1 – September 2011

After 11 years of NRL what will you miss the most? I will miss the team atmosphere and the mateship you get from football. I will miss the boys playing practical jokes on each other and then getting out there and ripping in, working hard then coming off and having a laugh and relaxing with your mates. I’m a bit of a bloke when it comes to things like that. I went to an all boys school too and the camaraderie you develop between guys will definitely be something that I will miss. I will also miss training. I’ve always loved training, I know I can do that myself but whether I will be as motivated, we will see. In 12 months time I think there will be other different things that I will miss. I don’t think I will miss those pregame nerves or waking up on a Monday morning with all the bumps and bruises but you never know, a lot of people say that they do miss it. Do you have any plans for the future with sport to help bridge that gap? I do. I have a few opportunities on the horizon, one of the exciting things is with the NRL. I will be working with ‘One Community’ and being an ambassador for the game. I have been fortunate to work with the local media here too. I did commentary on some games last year when I was injured, I did it for 4-5 weeks and I got a real buzz. There was the build up to the game, the excitement and getting involved. I think that will be a nice buffering zone to help me get over not playing. I have always expressed to the club that I want to be around and I have done a lot of work with the group we have at the moment. I want to be a part of that in the future. I can see this club being pretty successful. So do you see yourself in a Geoff Toovey or Allan Langer role on the field, as a trainer? Not too sure, I’ve been pretty busy over the last few weeks with the media and different commitments and I wanted to make sure that I finished the season fully focused on footy and I didn’t want to sway away from that. I think its important how you finish, it should be in the right manner and I did that and I didn’t want to fade out. That was one of the reasons I decided to retire, I had a year left to run on my contract and I pulled up early because I was starting to think that a few of the injuries that I had were starting to affect my performance. I was letting down my teammates and that didn’t sit well with me and I wasn’t going to be selfish and hang around one year too long. I wanted to finish on my own terms, playing well and making sure I wasn’t missing training. If I held on for an extra year that might not have been the case. Is your wife looking forward to having you around the house a little more? Well with the opportunities that I’m getting I think that next year will be busier than we expect. I must admit my wife, my kids, my mum and dad, the whole family, have really loved the whole footy journey. We can’t complain about it at all. It does take up a lot of your weekends, there is a lot of travel but we have loved it. My kids love coming to the footy as much as I do and watching the games. My wife and I have adapted, we have been together for a long time now and she has adjusted well to being a footballer’s wife and we have made the most of it. Issue #1 – September 2011

You’re known as a clean player are there any Michael Ennis moves or Jason Stevens style wedgies in the closet you want to get off your chest? No no no, when I was younger I was super aggressive and full of rage but it never spilled over into anything too serious. I’ve been no saint, I will put that forward, a lot of people sort of make out that I am but I’m just like everybody. With your kids, are you going to encourage them to be However, I know my limits and I have been able to learn in sport and be hands on? from my mistakes and make sure that they haven’t Yeah I cant wait! I’ve tried to get my kids involved in happened again on or off the field. anything they want to at the moment, but they haven’t What has helped me maintain being a clean player really jumped at netball or anything like that so we are was growing up in the country, it taught me never to just waiting to see what happens there. take anything for granted. Out in the bush you have to I had always envisaged myself as the netball coach travel so far to games you really make the most of your or the soccer coach or the hockey coach or whatever opportunities. it is. My mum and dad were great like that when I was When I came here I felt really lucky. I’m not the growing up and its exactly what I want to be like with greatest, most skilful player, I’m only small but I’m not my kids. I will be involved in local sport here in the going to make any excuses. I came here to work hard ACT with my kids for sure. and I didn’t want to let anything on or off the field take my position away from me. I didn’t want anything to You have been in Canberra for 13 years now does it deprive me of my dream of playing first grade and feel like home? nothing was going to stand in my way, I was and still It is starting to become home. I grew up just outside am very focused on my career. Tamworth and I don’t think I will be able to call Rugby League is an aggressive game, but it’s about Canberra ‘home home’ because there are some fond controlling your emotions. One of the guys who stands memories of growing up on the property which I think in my mind is Darren a lot of country kids can The supporters have been awesome. out Lockyer, the amount of things relate to, its where mum Every time I run out the supporters that he does but he just and dad are so it will always be home. cheer for me and I don’t know how I seems to be so cool, calm and collected under any situation. Canberra has been a great could ever thank them. At the end of the day we do fit for me. When I first play a gladiators’ sport which came down here it felt right is bash and barge but it comes down to controlling your and it felt like this was the right place to get the best emotions, sticking to the game plan and trying to break out of my football. another team down. I liked the relaxed atmosphere of Canberra, its easy to get around and it’s not too bustling a city for me and The Raiders have a great young squad, do you think that pretty much swayed my decision. that next season, with limited injuries, there will be a We’ve really enjoyed it, we have a great group of friends return to finals football? away from footy as well and I’m excited to get to know Yeah definately. That was the hard part of giving it away them better. a year early. I was so excited about it this year and next with all the young players coming through and the older Yourself and Dave Furner lead by example as a guys who we have at the club at the moment. They are players and it’s a great quality in a coach, do you have developing into really good leaders and you do need any desire to coach? that balance. I do love that side of footy, I must admit. I love the You only have to look at a team like Melbourne. They tactical side, I like the challenge of breaking teams have a handful of young guys but the majority of their down and improving on your weaknesses. team are older players. It’s important to have those more I’ve had plenty of weaknesses in my career so I have experienced heads to help drive home your club culture. had to think about my game a lot. I’ve changed my I think we are starting to get that balance and those position a few times so I have had to adapt to being young kids who are coming through now are starting able to handle a couple of different positions as well as to lose that ‘brand new’ tag. They are about to hit their coming off the bench. peek age where they are going to play their best footy. I think I have learned a lot from the game and its I think this season was one of the most important in something I would like to pass on. One thing about the clubs history as we can learn a lot from it. coaching though is that it’s very demanding. It’s very You need to go through tough times to grow. I can’t say demanding on your family and I give all the praise to its fortunate but I have been through this before and the coaches and what they have to go though, its a I know that you can bounce back, a lot of the young huge sacrifice to make. guys haven’t experienced that yet. You can learn a lot In the short term I’m not committed to making that kind about yourself, your footy, your teammates and your of decision, that may change down the track but I don’t weaknesses and you can improve. want to go into something half hearted. My heart is with If we have a good preseason and if the team are all fit my family and I want to make sure that the lifestyle and healthy we can expect big things from the club. I have for the next few years is focused on them. I’ve never known what it’s like to have weekends to yourself, having two days off in a row! With footy you usually only have one day off a week. It will be great to have those couple days of quality time with my family. My kids are 5, 3 and 4 months old so they are at a pretty cool little stage and I’m looking forward to being a big part of that.

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The Raiders are primed to explode back into finals footy next year. Be a part of it! Memberships for season 2012 go on sale 4th October 2011. Go to www.raiders.com.au to get your membership and support the Green Machine in 2012!

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Anyone you would like to thank? Oh this could take a while… over the last few weeks I have been thanking a lot of people but it does come down to those early days in the country. I have to thank my coaches who drove me to matches and my family for dropping me off at training. When you don’t live close to the playing fields it takes a lot of family support. The Raiders have been great to me. Its one of those situations where the more you put into it the more you get out, I have lived by that philosophy and I have been so grateful to all of the people who have helped me. All the sponsors because without their dollars and cents I wouldn’t have been able to pursue my dream. The doctors who have patched me up and the physios who have kept me going, the teammates who have kept me motivated and the coaches who have kept me honest. The supporters have been awesome. Every time I run out the supporters cheer for me and I don’t know how I could ever thank them. Last but not at all least my wife and my kids. Their support probably doesn’t get recognised enough, but its a big part of my motivation and it’s just been great to have their support the whole way through.

Play Trivia ◊ Who dismissed Brian Lara at a charity cricket match in 1994? ◊ Which city was the southernmost to host the Winter Olympics? ◊ Who designed the South Sydney Rabbitohs media suits? ◊ Which Australian swimmer won 3 olympic gold medals, in 1964? ◊ W hen did Sir Edmund Hillary first reach the summit of Mount Everest?

5. 1953

You’re a one club man, which is fairly rare today, but secretly was there ever another clubs jumper you would like to have pulled on for just one game? I think I have admired the style of play of other clubs over the years. You look at how skilful the Wests Tigers are and you’d imagine what it would be like in a skill session with them, or a preseason with the amount of ball movement they have, it would be pretty exciting to be a part of that. I was on a scholarship with the Broncos and I was in that system for a few years. It was pretty amazing the culture that they have at their club. It would have been nice to see what the insides of a club like the Broncos would have been like.

But at the end of the day I think that I have been so lucky and blessed to have been at this great club for my whole career and I’m happy with the decision to stay.

ANSWERS: 1. Zoe Goss 2. Nagano, 1998 3. Giorgio Armani 4. Dawn Fraser

Over your first grade career are there any games that really stick out in your memory? There is a handful of games actually. My debut match, you always remember your debut. It was against the Broncos in Brisbane on a Friday night. Playing with some of the greats of the club, Dave Furner, Laurie Daley, Brett Mullins, Kenny Nagas all those guys, it was a memorable night. Captaining the Raiders for the first time in 2007 was a real big honour for me. I appreciated the players who came before me as captain and to have that honour along side my name is something I know I will cherish forever. My 200th game was something very special as well, we had a good win that night. I tore my calf at the end of that game but it was a great night, the build up was awesome. Even though I haven’t had much time to reflect on it, my last home game here stands out. The fans have been great to me and they came out to send me off, even though we lost the game, it was the atmosphere. Having all my family here for it was something special and it will be a game I will hold close to my heart.

Issue #1 – September 2011

Artists Impression // Minimum EER 5

Boardwalk, Waterfront Living // 1 bedroom from $410,000 // 2 bedroom from $485,000 // 3 bedroom from $795,000

Issue #1 – September 2011

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2011 SHIMANO MT BIKE GRAND PRIX SERIES @ Mount Stromlo Forrest Park Saturday the 24th, September

BRINDABELTERS V BLACK N’ BLUEBELLS CANBERRA ROLLER DERBY @ Southern Cross Stadium, Tuggereanong Saturday the 24th, September 24

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Issue #1 – September 2011

UPCOMING EVENTS CCC Criterium Series Warm Up Race 1 - Cycling

2011 Kookaburra Cup - Cricket 05/10/2011 to 07/10/2011 The Kookaburra Cup is an annual Twenty20 junior cricket carnival targeting boys and girls aged 10 - 16 years of age held during the October school holidays. The event attracts teams from schools and cricket clubs from the ACT and interstate each year with over 50 teams participating. It’s the perfect pre season hit out for any young cricketer and involves the ever popular Twenty20 smash and bash format played over three days in the ACT. Location

Wednesday, October 05, 2011 - 5:30:00 PM Stromlo Forest Park, ACT Race one of the two race warm up events starts this Wednesday night October 5. These events are designed to give riders a warm up into the upcoming crit series. There will be 3 races during the evening. All races will cost $2.00 to cover SFP booking fee, will not form part of the Summer Criterium Series and will be self seeded events where the riders choose what race they will go in. These two events also provide the crit admin staff and riders alike with the opportunity to get their CA license in order, their permanent race number and the database up to date. The schedule of events will be: 5:30pm- easy race for 25min 5:55pm- medium race for 35min

Venue various venues across Canberra www.cricketact.com.au Address Manuka Oval, Canberra Avenue, Canberra ACT 2600 Contact Details

6:30pm- hard race for 45min

Telephone +61 02 6239 6002 Fax +61 02 6295 7135 Email bmoore@cricketact.com Website www.cricketact.com.au

All riders should turn up early to ensure they have time to register for the event. All riders should bring their current race license and their permanent race number if they have one.

Price Information Child $90.00 - Cost of entry for the 2011 Kookaburra Cup is $90 per player. This cost covers ground hire, umpiring, match equipment and give aways

Please note that these races do no form part of the Summer Criterium Series for point score and the format of events will not be consistent with this series. There will be a schedule for the summer series available in hard copy format by Wednesday 5 October. Normal series racing will begin on Wednesday 20th October with racing across all grades ( junior, apprendiz, MD, MC, MB, MA, WB, WA)

Tell us about your upcoming event via editor@playcanberra.com.au

We hope to see all of you at the first warm up race.

Please email us up to 2 weeks prior to your event.

GOT A SOCIAL EVENT? PLAY is keen to cover the SOCIAL SIDE OF SPORT. Let us know the details 2 weeks in advance Email us at editor@playcanberra.com.au

ONE GAME AT A TIME www.playcanberra.com.au Issue #1 – September 2011

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WOMEN IN

SPORT

SUR SAMANTHA STO ving she could join Samantha Stosur never stopped belie ts with a Grand Slam the ranks of Australian tennis grea ct it to be so easy expe ’t didn she singles title, but even her generation. against the most dominant player of

◊ BY REBECCA BRYAN -AFP

Stosur displayed power and poise as she swept aside 13-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams, shrugging off an angry outburst from the American in the second set to put her name alongside such legends as Margaret Court and Evonne Goolagong. “I didn’t think that I’d be able to do it in 6-2, 6-3, that’s for sure,” Stosur said. Even after she’d surged through the first set, winning the last 12 points, Stosur thought she’d have a long afternoon ahead. “After that first set I kind of sat down and I could feel my heart pounding out of my chest, and I thought, ‘OK, I’m up a set now. I’ve got a chance to win one out of the next two and I’ve got a chance.’” In the end, however, she completely out-played Williams, breaking her three times in the second set and surrendering her serve just once. Most impressively, she kept her composure as Williams lost hers. Incensed by the chair umpire’s decision to dock her a point when she called out “c’mon” mid-rally, after a forehand she thought was a winner.

US Open and 2006 French Open, and she owns two mixed doubles major crowns. A bout with debilitating Lyme Disease in 2007 made her even more determined to pursue a singles breakthrough. “The whole time I’ve been playing I wanted to be a good singles player and get the most out of myself on the singles court,” Stosur said.

Through it all, Stosur said, “I just tried to keep playing each game, each point, and stick to my game plan, stick to my guns, and not leave anything to chance.”

“I had that great success in doubles and that was fantastic, but once I got sick and got over that illness, then I didn’t want to leave anything to chance.”

It’s the same formula she’s used throughout a career that has had its ups and downs.

Stosur’s hard work paid off with a trip to the Roland Garros final last year.

Her US Open triumph was just the third singles title of a career in which she long seemed destined to shine only in doubles. Her 23 women’s doubles titles include two Grand Slam victories, at the 2005

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While she fell to Francesca Schiavone, she said her run there, which included a quarter-final victory over Williams, had stood her in good stead when her chance came again. “I think I was able to draw on a lot of that experience from the French Open,” she said.

Now that she’s brought a women’s Grand Slam title to Australia for the first time since Goolagong won Wimbledon in 1980, Stosur is hoping the victory will be a springboard to more success. “I’d like to be able to continue this,” she said. “Hopefully this is a new beginning for me as a player.” Ranked number seven in the world, Sam faces a stiff challenge in Japan with seven of the world’s top 10 players, including the top four, in the draw for the $2.05 million tournament in Tokyo. “This week is a new week. You win a week before and there are no guarantees for the next week,” Stosur said. “So I have to get back on the practice court and keep training hard and being fully prepared for the first round,” she said. Denmark’s world number one Caroline Wozniacki, who lost to Venus Williams in the US Open semi-finals, will be aiming to defend the title she won last year, which helped her reach the top ranking.

Crowd favourite Maria Sharapova, who won the title two years ago and was also champion in 2005, returns as the number two seed after a fine season that has seen her achieve her highest ranking since she returned from shoulder surgery in 2009. The tournament also features world numbers three and four Victoria Azarenka of Belarus and Russia’s Vera Zvonareva as well as Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic. It comes just over six months after Japan was hit by an earthquake and tsunami that devastated large areas of the northeast, leaving almost 20,000 dead or missing and sparking the worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl. “I think this year is special for everybody. I think everyone had doubts about the tournament happening when the terrible disaster happened,” she said.

Issue #1 – September 2011

HOCKEY

KOOKABURRAS RECEIVE WAKE-UP CALL

Find out what’s on in your neighbourhood The My Community Connect website helps community groups and organisations promote their events to the public. To find out what’s happening in your region simply go to the website’s calendar and plug in your location details. You can then click on an event of interest for information about when, where and what’s on! www.mycommunityconnect.com.au

Would you like to connect more easily with your local community? ◊ BY JUSTIN CHADWICK

Australia’s men’s hockey coach Ric Charlesworth believes the Kookaburras’ recent struggles in Europe will prove to be a good wake-up call heading into the 2012 London Olympics. Amid a raft of injuries to key players, the Kookaburras performed below expectations in the Four-Nations tournament in Germany and the FiveNations Challenge in France. The reigning Champions Trophy, World Cup and Commonwealth Games champions lost games to Spain, the Netherlands and Argentina across the two tournaments, and were also held to a 4-4 draw by lowly Korea. Fiji’s withdrawal from next month’s Oceania Cup-Olympic qualifier has gifted both Australia and New Zealand automatic qualification for the London Games. But Charlesworth said his team had plenty to work on over the next 10 months if they were to achieve their target of Olympic gold. “I certainly don’t make any excuses for the fact we had some difficult games in Europe,” Charlesworth said on Thursday. “It’s a wake-up call for our group that if we let our standards drop, we are vulnerable. “It tells you the other teams are improving and we’ve got a lot of work to do. “Having a good record in the past or being ranked highly or having the world

Issue #1 – September 2011

record doesn’t mean anything when it comes to these competitions (like the Olympics). “Looking at the top 10 countries, almost every one of them has beaten us over the last couple of years, so they’re all capable.” Charlesworth expects to have most of his big guns back by October. Four-times world player of the year Jamie Dwyer has already returned following more than four months out with a knee injury, while star striker Des Abbott, Graeme Begbie and Luke Doerner are also edging closer to full fitness. But defender Mark Knowles and midfielder Rob Hammond are almost certain to miss the October 5-9 Oceania Cup tournament against New Zealand in Hobart after succumbing to injury. “Hammond trod on someone’s foot and twisted his ankle and damaged ligaments, so he’ll be out for three or four weeks,” Charlesworth said. “Knowles has got an adductor strain, so he’s unlikely. “We had a bout a dozen players out injured at one stage. There’s about eight now.”

If you’re a not-for-profit organisation, sports group or if you’re holding a charity fundraising event with 100 per cent of the profits being donated, you can submit your event to My Community Connect. Simply visit the website, select your state, region and station before submitting your event. They will receive notification of your event for approval. In addition to the online advertising My Community Connect also offers the opportunity to advertise your events on Radio and TV. All of their advertisements direct visitors to the My Community Connect website, adding online exposure to your event. My Community Connect requires a minimum of two weeks notice for any radio announcements and three weeks notice for any event to be aired on Southern Cross Ten Television. You can submit your events as far in advance as you like, and it is easy to add, edit and manage your events if you sign up for a free account through their website. More information Phone: 1300 883 464 Email: connect@sca.com.au You can also join them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter.

Charlesworth said the heavy injury toll combined with players’ commitments in Europe over the past few months had allowed him to build a greater depth in the squad.

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ROLLER DERBY

◊ IMAGE: THEA VAN VEEN

men have been up of Canberran women and For the past 3 years a gro a lot of fun playing ing s, hitting the floor and hav training, learning the rule tive gear and tec pro full uires roller skates, a full contact sport that req of the tion ula pop e larg a the cheek. While re are a lot a tongue placed firmly in the sport, enough of this fast paced Canberran public can’t get ” by? ndering “what IS roller der of people who are still wo

◊ BY LEE “PEACHY KEEN” DEWAR

Modern roller derby is a full contact sport played predominately by women on quad roller skates. The original game dates back to as early as the 1930’s where a variation of today’s game was Canberra Roller Derby League (CRDL) played on a banked track. It was a was the first league to be formed in the professional sport that lasted until the ACT in 2008. Dr Hell, Bullseye Bettie, 1980’s. The natural athleticism of the Roulette Rouge and myself were drawn sport was lost in the late 80’s and 90’s when televised coverage relied too much together by a common enthusiasm to try something new not only as a fun on gimicks. activity for ourselves, but as a new Roller derby was revived in the US in alternative spectator sport for the two forms. The original banked track Canberra public. with new rules and a new attitude, plus By October 2009 the CRDL held their a flat track version which kick started a first public bout in front phenomenon making roller of a sellout crowd at the “sport for people who derby one of the fastest don’t love sport” Tuggeranong Basketball growing sports in the world Centre. today. The league has grown vastly in the Players skate around the track in a past 3 years from its first intake of counter-clockwise direction. The game 26 skaters wobbling around on 8 wheels (or “bout”) consists of a series of plays to 100 members, 4 home teams and a (“jams”) lasting for two minutes each. During a jam each team fields 5 players, representative team that are competing in a nation wide competition. including a Jammer (identified with a star on her helmet), 1 Pivot and Of all their achievements, one of 3 Blockers. the highlights would be hosting their first interstate game at the The Pivot and Blockers make up the Australian Institute of Sport, where Pack, which the Jammers have to pass the representative team, the Vice through to score 1 point per opposition City Rollers played the Sydney City player. The aim is for the team to assist Assassins in front of a 4000+ crowd. their Jammer through the oppositions pack while using the shoulder, hip and So while attendance numbers for booty to block the opposition’s Jammer. traditional sports have their ebbs and flows, why do roller derby events Unlike old school roller derby and continue to be successful? imagery seen in recent films there is no elbows, forearms or tripping allowed, no People who come to their first game are skating out of bounds or cutting around greeted by players skating around the other players. track in a variation of colourful outfits

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including, but not limited to; fishnet stockings, short shorts or skirts, frilly underwear as outerwear, tight tops and thigh high stripey socks. While the eccentric outfits aren’t compulsory, it is a fun way for the skaters to poke fun at the serious nature of sports, or to reflect their attitude of not taking it too seriously, which draws a crowd attracted to this alternative sport. The team names also reflect the humour of the sport with the Surly Griffins, the Black n’ Blue Belles, the Red Bellied Black Hearts and the Brindabelters being a fun twist on Canberran icons and emblems. Once “bout ready” each player gives themselves a name which acts as an alter ego on the track, with fans cheering for players such as Bambi Von Smash’er, Short Stop, Rainbow Spite and The DutchAss. People who aren’t normally into traditional sports are drawn to playing and watching roller derby, making it a “sport for people who don’t love sport”. The amateur status of the sport gives it an “I-could-do-that” appeal; with many people signing up to beginner courses called “Fresh Meat” after seeing a game. Roller derby is by no means a ‘professional sport’, meaning the ‘athletes’ are easy to relate to. They are our mothers, wives, girlfriends, sisters and co workers. They make coffee, write policies, drive buses and do our tax

during the day. Then at night, lace up a pair of skates and smash it up on the track. While the skaters train hard to play bouts every month or so in a season, it is really the strong support from the fans and the community that keeps the league alive. Without a strong crowd of at least 1000 or more showing up to support the game, the sport simply would not function. Most leagues in Australia and overseas are not-for-profit leagues run voluntarily by the skaters. There is a lot more work than just showing up to training twice a week. Running a league is like a full time job heaped up on top of the normal responsibilities of everyday life. But the pay off has given these women the opportunity to skate their hearts out in front of family, friends and perfect strangers to take this new amateur sport from a parking lot, to a basketball stadium and most recently the AIS. Intakes for new skaters for CRDL has recently capped, encouraging a new group of women to start up a new league called Varsity Roller Derby, supported by the Australian National University Sports Union. So given that the support for roller derby in Canberra has been so strong, it would be safe to say that roller derby in the capital is here to stay. Want to get involved or find out more go to www.canberrarollerderbyleague.com Issue #1 – September 2011

CYCLING

CANBERRA’S CHLOE HOSKING ON TRACK FOR 2012!! women’s road team since Oenone Wood and Sara Carrigan retired after the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Australia’s women’s head coach Martin Barras said Hosking’s performance showed the road team was heading in the right direction before the London Games.

Youngster Chloe Hosking has emerged as a medal contender for next year’s London Olympics following her highlyencouraging debut performance at the world titles. The 20-year-old finished sixth in the 140km road race in Copenhagen to boost the nation’s hopes for a podium finish in the women’s Olympic road race in July. Hosking’s performance signalled the end of the rebuilding process for the

“When you look at where our team has been, that is our best result for the last few years,” he said. “I am not going to go and get overly excited with a sixth place. “The fact is it comes from a young girl and it is a step in the right direction especially heading into the Olympics.” Hosking, a bronze medallist at last year’s Delhi Commonwealth Games, was thrilled with her performance after being well looked after by her teammates during the 10 loops of the 14km course in

the Danish capital. The ACT rider has the chance to become the leader of the Australian women’s road team for the next decade and her ride in Denmark showed she belonged in the big time. “It is definitely a confidence booster,” she said. “This is probably my best result. “It does make me think that maybe in a few years’ time when I have got more experience at these bigger events, that I could get a medal in these bigger events and maybe bring home gold medals for Australia one day.” Hosking has blossomed under the guidance of German mentor Ina Teutenberg at HTC-Highroad team. The team is set to fold at the end of the year and Hosking has not yet announced her professional team for 2012. “My main goal is the Olympics next year and it is all about getting the exposure and managing it at these bigger events,” she said.

Barras thought Hosking and her Australian teammates could come into medal calculations in London. “It is a claim that we can possibly make sometime next year,” he said “Although the time trials here did not reflect that, we are starting to position ourselves but there is still a lot of ground to cover.” Hosking found it hard to find space in the uphill sprint finish in Rudersdal before eventually charging to a top-ten finish behind winner Giorgia Bronzini. It was the Italian’s second straight world title and the result left Dutchwoman Marianne Vos, who collected silver for the fifth straight year in the event, shattered. On a sprinter-friendly course on Saturday, Canada’s Clara Hughes livened up the race with an audacious break on the third last lap. However she was reeled in on the final lap before Bronzini led home Vos and Teutenberg. - AAP

GOSS SECOND AS CAVENDISH POWERS TO VICTORY “And with the best eight riders in the race, we achieved that. It’s incredible. It’s the work of Great Britain, and I’m bringing it (jersey) back.” On a mainly flat 14 km circuit that was not conducive to attacking, the first salvos came early, an eight-man breakaway forming and going on to build a maximum lead of nearly 10 minutes on the main bunch. They were reeled in well before the finish and, in the final laps, a flurry of attacks was soon brought to heel by a miserly and determined peloton which hit a record average speed of 45km/h for the race.

◊ BY JUSTIN DAVIS

Mark Cavendish became Britain’s first world road race champion since the late Tom Simpson in 1965 when he dominated a bunch sprint to win the men’s elite race at the road world championships here Sunday. Australian Matthew Goss finished second to take the silver with German Andre Greipel winning the bronze after 260 km of racing. “We knew it was the best chance we had since San Sebastian in 1965 to bring the rainbow jersey back to Britain,” said Cavendish.

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Britain, helped by Germany, had taken a firm grip early on to boost their chances of a bunch sprint for Cavendish and their work paid off handsomely. After putting the Isle of Man sprinter in prime position on the 500-metre uphill finish, he found a gap inside the final 200 and powered up the inside of the barriers to beat Goss by half a wheel.

-- except for one major detail. “I don’t like being the bridesmaid! I would much rather be wearing that jersey there,” said the Australian, pointing at the rainbow stripes being worn by Cavendish, his teammate at HTC-Highroad. Goss, however, was quick to pay tribute to both Britain and Australia. “When he went, I kind of jumped on the wheel. I knew it was still a long way to the finish line and I had in the back of my mind I could get back if everything went well, but in the end I ran out of metres. “You can’t dwell, his (British) team rode really strongly and you can’t take that away from them. And the team did everything for me. Big hats off to those guys, I wasn’t far away from finishing off the job.”

“When I kick I know whether I’m going to win or not,” added Cavendish.

Reigning world champion Thor Hushovd of Norway was one of several top names who got stuck behind following a crash on the sixth lap. With the pace up front unrelenting, his group never recovered their deficit.

Goss, who like Cavendish had to tweak his preparations after dropping out of the Tour of Spain with a virus, said his race could not have worked out better

Before then, world number one Philippe Gilbert, who is not considered a true sprinter like Cavendish and Goss, had tried to toughen the race for the

sprinters by Belgian teammates on the attack. But the pace being set meant he was given little opportunity to launch any trademark attacks. In the finale he sprinted, but could only finish 17th. “We tried to make the race as hard as possible but the British and the German teams controlled it pretty tightly,” said Gilbert. “It was impossible to stay out in front without being chased down. It just proves what I said before the race, I wasn’t a favourite on this kind of course.” It was a sentiment that Goss confirmed: “It’s really difficult to ride away on this circuit when the bunch is going that fast.” After his key lead-out man Tony Martin and three other Germany teammates were caught behind, Greipel admitted he had to change tack. “We were helping Britain in the chase up until the crash, but we had to change our plans after that,” said the German, who won his maiden Tour de France stage in July. “It’s just a pity Tony got stuck behind. We had brought the best German team I could have for this race.” - AFP Issue #1 – September 2011

MOUNTAIN

BIKES

SCOTT 24 HOUR MOUNTAIN BIKE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Lactate burns through your legs, your hearts pumping battery acid to lungs that are frantically sucking down aching gasps of cold air. Everything is a dark blur punctuated with the harsh blaze of some radical lights. The night air bites through race gloves leaving your fingers numb and cold. You are pumping turns and trying to keep the momentum up. And then it happens. Gradually. moment by moment, so slow it’s almost imperceptible the dark gives way to the dawn. For those glorious minutes the trail emerges from the dark, the deep blue sky breaks apart with dawns rosy blush. For me there’s always a deep breath, a moment of stillness and calm with the dawn. And that’s why we come back… CORC (Canberra Off-Road Cyclists) hosts Australia’s largest, oldest and biggest twenty-four hour mountain bike race ‘The Scott’ at Stromlo Forest Park , It will be run and won on 8-9th October 2011. This year’s course sees the return of the butterfly course featuring two different challenging and thrilling loops of Stromlo Forest Park, home of the 2009 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships. From the lung-burning ascent up to the summit and plunging dive down the legendary Skyline and Luge of the Red Lap to the edge of your confidence speed of ‘Breakout’ and ‘Homerun’ on the Blue Lap. Both laps will offer big thrills.

Issue #1 – September 2011

This year at the Scott you can rub shoulders with the likes of 24 Hour World Champions Jason English and Jess Douglas, Olympian Daniel McConnell, along with local mountain bike legends Dylan Cooper, Andy Blair, Shaun Lewis and Bec and Ben Henderson. Not feeling quite in world championship form at the moment (fake an old sporting injury)? The great thing about the race and the course is, it’s a challenge and a thrill for riders of all levels. In true CORC style no one should ever have to walk, after all it’s a mountain bike race not a walking race! CORC would like to thank our sponsors Scott, Toyota, Gu, Shimano, Jetblack, Crank Bros, Schwalbe, Ground Effect, Swell, On the Go, DLAPiper and Performance Eyewear. They return once again to make this race possible. There is $80,000 in cash and prizes, and not just for the lucky buggers who get on the podium. Hundreds of riders will receive spot prizes during the race. 24 Hours on a bike not your thing? CORC hosts around 100 mountain bike races and events each year (including the ACT Schools Mountain Bike Champs, and women specific skills camps and rides). Along with miles of trackwork we are helping develop junior mountain bikers in the ACT and region. For more information head to www.corc.asn.au.

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Issue #1 – September 2011

TENNIS

WOZNIACKI SAYS IT’S TOUGH AT THE TOP “It’s very tough to be number one. But it’s even tougher to stay there because everyone wants to beat you,” she said, as the first round of the $2.05 million tournament got underway. Wozniacki, who lost to Venus Williams in the US Open semi-finals, won the Pan Pacific title last year, which helped her reach the top ranking on October 11, 2010. “It’s always nice to be back to a tournament where you are defending the title. It’s a special feeling. I am going to try to do my best to defend it.” She is among seven of the world’s top 10 players -- including the top four -- gunning for the trophy in the starstudded tournament. ◊ BY HIROSHI HIYAMA

Caroline Wozniacki admitted she found it tough trying to stay at the top after nearly a year as world number one, as she prepared to defend her Pan Pacific Open title.

Crowd favourite Maria Sharapova, who won the title two years ago and was also champion in 2005, returned as the number-two seed after a “rewarding” season that has seen her achieve her highest ranking since she returned from shoulder surgery in 2009.

SURFING

TOYOTA CUP Warriors Upset high flying Rabbitohs

SLATER PIPS WRIGHT IN SURF FINAL Kelly Slater sang Owen Wright’s praises after narrowly snatching the title from the rising Australian surfing star at Lower Trestles in California. It was the third consecutive meeting in a world tour event final for 10-times world

Issue #1 – September 2011

It is a sharp contrast from last year, when the Russian exited the Tokyo event in a first-round upset loss to Japanese veteran Kimiko Date Krumm. “I had a tremendous year, back in number-two in the world. So I am quite excited about the future as well,” said Sharapova, a Wimbledon finalist and semi-finalist at the French Open. Her early elimination in the US Open earlier this month was a disappointment, but “in terms of a bigger picture, I am a lot happier than last year”, she said. “I have been very healthy. My shoulders have been feeling really good. This time of the year, it’s so important to keep that going,” she said as the season nears its end.

Before the matches began, the organisers and players held a short ceremony to recognise the devastation wrought by the 9.0-magnitude quake and tsunami in March that left more than 20,000 dead or missing along Japan’s northeastern Pacific coast. The disasters triggered a series of meltdowns and explosions at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, the world’s worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl 25 years ago that scared some top athletes and musicians from visiting Japan. “There was definitely a lot of talk before the tournament, a lot of players having concerns whether it’s safe to come here,” Sharapova said.

The top two women will face a strong field of rivals, including Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova, US Open winner Samantha Stosur, world number three Victoria Azarenka and number four Vera Zvonareva.

“I know that a few actually didn’t come here because they were a little bit scared,” she said.

exchange to win 17.50 to 16.74 on Wednesday.

countrymen Mick Fanning and Julian Wilson on the final day to set up their third straight final clash.

But the start of the tournament and presence of the top players should serve as “a big statement” of support for Japan in the time of crisis, Sharapova said. - AFP

The win bolstered Slater’s championship lead with 44,950 points after seven “I’ve been enjoying the rivalry,” of the 11 events in his Wright said. quest for an 11th world “I’ve been enjoying the “We’ve had some great crown, but the 190cm-tall rivalry,” Wright said. heats and the last three Wright remains in strong finals have been great. pursuit on 39,900 with “I’m glad the sets came through at the countryman Joel Parkinson (35,400) end. It was a bit of a dud final but I’m third. glad that last exchange came though at “Owen (Wright) is tough and he’s been the end. It made it exciting.” - AAP surfing great,” said a relieved Slater after claiming his fifth Lower Trestles title. “There really are no weak points to his surfing and he’s going to be a standout in every spot. “A lot of the guys tried to get him this week and I got lucky in that last exchange.

2011 APS WORLD TOUR Mens

“I was taking the first wave of the set under his priority and once I got priority I wanted to wait.”

Quicksilver Pro France South West Coast, France October 4 - 13 2011

champion Slater, 39, and tour rookie Wright, who is 18 years younger.

After finishing seventh overall in his rookie season last year, Wright has continued to build momentum.

Rip Curl Pro Peniche, Portugal October 15 - 24 2011

And Slater avenged his defeat by Wright in New York in the tour’s richest-ever event earlier this month when he overtook the Australian in a last-minute

He was runner-up to Slater at Teahupoo in Tahiti last month before toppling him to pocket the $US300,000 first prize in New York and he dispatched

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Rip Curl Search Nov 1 - 11 2011 Billabong Pipe Masters Banzai Pipeline, Oahu Hawaii Dec 8 - 20 2011

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PGA ◊ BY DOUG FERGUSON

Aaron Baddeley wanted to make a good impression on Greg Norman with hopes of being picked for the President’s Cup. He wound up impressing a lot of people on Saturday in the Tour Championship. Baddeley holed out for eagle on the fourth hole, and then lit up the back nine of East Lake with four straight birdies on his way to a 6-under 64 that put him atop the leaderboard with Hunter Mahan. Baddeley, a winner at Riviera early in the year, grew up in Melbourne and desperately wants to be part of his first President’s Cup team at Royal Melbourne. He is among three Australians - Robert Allenby and John Senden are the others -under consideration for two of Norman’s picks. Baddeley spoke to Norman at the start of the week and knew the Shark would be watching. It didn’t make Baddeley nervous, it made him determined.

BADDELEY HOPES CURRENT FORM IMPRESSES THE SHARK

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“For me, it’s a motivator,” Baddeley said. “I want to play good. I want to be on that team, so I knew I had to play well this week. It’s time to bear down. I got some good work done on Tuesday and Wednesday, so I was ready for Thursday.”

Most of that practice time was spent on putting. Baddeley is among the best in golf, though he felt something was missing. He worked on getting the club more balanced, paying particular attention to his right hand on the putter. He seems to have figured it out, making a 35-foot putt on No. 7, and a pair of 20-footers on the 14th and 15th. The rest of his game was sharp, too. From 176 yards in a fairway bunker on the 13th, he stuffed a 7-iron to inside 10 feet for yet another birdie. Throughout the day, the projections for who might win the FedEx Cup were like watching the stock market. As many as five players moved to the top, although nothing really matters until Sunday. Adam Scott remains hopeful, at least of the Tour Championship. He was in the lead until a 39 on the back nine, compounded by a three-putt double bogey on the 14th. He wound up with a 74 and was five shots behind. “Very disappointing,” Scott said. “Going to come tomorrow and have the round of my life, hopefully. - AP

Issue #1 – September 2011

LPGA

DAVIES SETS SOLHEIM CUP RECORD, BUT US FIGHT BACK

◊ BY ELSPETH BURNSIDE

Laura Davies set a new Solheim Cup points record, but the pendulum swung in the favour of the USA on Saturday after the second day fourballs at the Solheim Cup at Killeen Castle in Ireland. One point down overnight, and trailing 5-7 after the morning foursomes, the team seeking a fourth win in a row, and a ninth from the 12 contests, won the fourballs 3-1 to level the score at 8-all ahead of Sunday’s deciding singles. Before the change in momentum, Davies had claimed the top match by a comfortable 4 and 3 alongside Melissa Reid against Michelle Wie and Brittany Lang. The only player to compete in all 12 Solheims, 47-year-old Davies was relieved to reach the 24.5 points she needed to overtake Annika Sorenstam as the all-time most successful player. “It was a bit embarrassing not to have the most points when I’ve played in every match,” said Davies. “So it’s great to have made it. It’s cleared the pressure and now I can relax a bit more without that extra edge in the singles.” With four birdies in a row from the third, Davies’ all-English side was four up at the turn. Reid then made a huge contribution with a eight foot eagle putt at the long 12th. For the 24-year-old rookie - who had suffered two heartbreaking final green defeats on day one - it was a first Solheim point. The closest match featured Cristie Kerr and Morgan Pressel against world Issue #1 – September 2011

No.2, Suzann Pettersen, and the new European star, Caroline Hedwall. The USA were two up with four to play, but Hedwall made a winning birdie at the long 15th and Pettersen danced in delight by downing a 35-foot birdie at the short 16th. But Pressel was having none of it. She rammed home an eight foot birdie putt to win the 17th and they held on for the one hole victory. Paula Creamer, who is set to play in all five matches, retained her week’s unbeaten record with a 3 and 1 win over Maria Hjorth and Azahara Munoz in the final fourball alongside Brittany Lincicome. And rookie Stacy Lewis claimed her first point with Ryann O’Toole. Their 2 and 1 win over Sandra Gal and Christel Boeljon made it 2.5 points for O’Toole from three outings. “It feels great,” said O’Toole, a first year rookie on the LPGA Tour. “It’s nice to pay back the faith that Rosie Jones (the USA captain) showed in me.” The score was also 8-all at the same stage at Rich Harvest farms in Illinois two years ago and America went on to win 16-12. In the morning foursomes, it was the four Swedes - Caroline Hedwall and Sophie Gustafson in the top match and Anna Nordqvist and Maria Hjorth in number three - that provided the full points with Catriona Matthew and Munoz adding a half against Kerr and Creamer. - AFP

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FORMULA 1

VETTEL WINS BUT CHAMPAGNE ON ICE ◊ BY GORDON HOWARD

Sebastian Vettel demonstrated his vast supremacy on Sunday when he won the Singapore Grand Prix to move within a point of becoming the youngest double world champion in Formula One history. The 24-year-old German, the defending champion and runaway leader of this year’s one-man title race, drove from pole position to the chequered flag in flawless style in his Red Bull car. He won the floodlit 61-lap night race at the Marina Bay street circuit by a controlled 1.7 seconds. Briton Jenson Button finished second in his McLaren to keep the title race just about alive with five races remaining. Australian Mark Webber in the second Red Bull finished third. Vettel now requires a solitary point to claim his second title in succession and can only be beaten to the crown if Button wins all the remaining races while the German fails to score a further point. With the next race the Japanese Grand Prix October 7-9, there is every chance the peerless Vettel will seal his triumph -- and make history -- at the Suzuka circuit. “Obviously I am very pleased with the result and the car was great for me all the way through. I pulled away easily at the start and had a good gap, but the safety car was not in our plans,” said Vettel.

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“I was lucky again to have a good restart and I was soon back in the rhythm and I had a huge gap again, even with the traffic. “I was in control at the end and it is a great feeling to win this race -- I love the track here and it’s such a challenge. “As to the championship? Ah, well, I guess I have another chance at the next race.” Button revealed his frustrations with slower rivals on the Singapore circuit, which is notoriously hard to overtake on. “I can understand that’s it’s difficult to move over here and most people are fighting out there, but the backmarkers have got to respect that the cars that are lapping are lapping a for reason,” said the Briton, who became world champion in 2009. “I feel like I got everything out of the car, especially in the last part of the race, I was able to push on tyres to see what the car had. We weren’t quick enough to win today, but it’s something to build on.” Two-time world champion Spaniard Fernando Alonso, who needed to finish on the podium to keep his own challenge for the drivers’ title alive, came home fourth ahead of Briton Lewis Hamilton in the second McLaren. Hamilton produced a typically spectacular drive including five pit-

stops, a collision and a charge from 16th through the field. Another Briton, Paul Di Resta, came home sixth for Force India, his best result to date in his rookie season in Formula One, ahead of Germans Nico Rosberg in seventh for Mercedes and Adrian Sutil in the second Force India. Felipe Massa of Ferrari, who was the victim of a collision with Hamilton in the early stages of an incident-filled contest, came home ninth. Mexican Sergio Perez, whose collision with Michael Schumacher saw the German eliminated from the race, finished 10th. It was Vettel’s ninth win this season and the 19th of his career. His Singapore triumph in sweltering humidity was heralded by an explosion of dazzling fireworks over the brightly lit cityscape. Vettel won in a victorious time of one hour, 59 minutes and 6.757 seconds, a time that signalled the longest and most arduous race of the year.

He, Button and Webber stood still, drained and dripping with sweat on the podium at the end. Vettel, from his 11th pole position, pulled clear with apparent ease to take control early on, leaving the rest to scrap for places in a flurry of action into Turn One, Sheares Corner. He stretched his lead to 20 seconds by lap 30, when the race was red-flagged for the first time after Schumacher ran into the rear of Perez’s Sauber car and made an airborne collision with the barriers. This brought out the safety car and signalled a spate of pit-stops while Schumacher’s wrecked Mercedes was lifted clear. The 42-year-old German was unhurt. It gave Button a sniff at Vettel, and although he ran him close he never looked like denying the German the victory he deserved.- AFP

Issue #1 – September 2011

V8 SUPERCARS

LOWNDES, SKAIFE NOW BATHURST FAVOURITES Then Whincup was cruelled by having to wait for Lowndes to complete a pit stop done in a crowded pit lane, after wild geese crossing the track brought out a safety car. “No doubt Jamie had the car speed, but when we came into that pit stop they had to wait for us to get serviced and that put them behind the eight-ball in terms of track position,” Lowndes said. “It’s been a pretty smooth weekend for us as a team. “It’s going to be a hard battle Bathurst but to drive with Skaifey again, it’s really been fantastic.” The win also boosted Lowndes’ championship push at Whincup’s expense. Lowndes has cut Whincup’s series lead to 92 points. Ford’s Will Davison and Luke Youlden took third in Sunday’s race, with Holden’s Garth Tander fourth. Tander’s co-driver Nick Percat produced the drive of the day.

◊ BY GUY HAND

For the first time since he won his ninth Bathurst 1000, Peter Brock’s Mount Panorama benchmark is starting to look shaky. Craig Lowndes and Mark Skaife - now the strength in V8 Supercar endurance are zeroing in on the ultimate greatness after victory in the traditional lead-up race on Sunday. The Holden duo won the L&H 500 at Phillip Island for the second consecutive year - and last year used the triumph as a springboard to win Bathurst.

Skaife has won Bathurst six times and Lowndes five, and showed they are capable of moving one step closer to the late, great Brock’s remarkable record with near-faultless drives at Phillip Island.

Skaife’s driving abilities.

Three weeks out from Bathurst, their team and car are seemingly bulletproof - Lowndes and Skaife leading home a Team Vodafone 1-2.

Thompson was leading the 113-lap race but a damaged driver’s side door - from a tap earlier in the race by Skaife stopped him getting a quick exit from the car to hand over to Whincup.

Time - and in Skaife’s case - going parttime doesn’t seem to have dulled either 37-year-old Lowndes or 44-year-old

And luck is riding with them, with two slices of misfortune befalling secondplaced Jamie Whincup and co-driver Andrew Thompson on Sunday which helped the veterans no end.

The South Australian 23-year-old stalled his car on the grid, and was then forced to start from pit lane - last of the 28 cars. But Percat, who drives in the second-tier development series, kept his cool and powered his way up to fourth place before handing over to Tander. Tander grabbed the lead in a gripping swordfight with Lowndes at one stage, before fading tyres took their toll. - AAP

That gifted Lowndes and Skaife the race lead.

NO TEAM ORDERS FOR TEAM VODAFONE ◊ BY GUY HAND

Team Vodafone don’t expect to resort to team orders this season, believing their drivers Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes will fight out the V8 Supercar championship until the last race. Whincup and Lowndes have cleared out at the head of the V8 title chase after the weekend’s Team Vodafone 1-2 at Phillip Island. They are now both at least a round win clear of their rivals with five events remaining. Both would have to crash out of the Bathurst 1000 next month to let the only driver within sight of the duo - third-

Issue #1 – September 2011

placed Ford driver Shane Van Gisbergen - into a realistic title-winning position.

But Team Vodafone boss Roland Dane doesn’t see that happening.

Whincup, who leads Lowndes by 92 points, has been Team Vodafone’s only championship chaser over the past four years.

He believes not only will both his drivers chase the title to the wire, they’re smart enough to sort out the championship chase without bringing themselves and the team unstuck.

That meant the team was able to concentrate on him first and foremost with two championships the result. With Lowndes now in serious contention, it could mean a late-season decision for the team to favour one driver should one hold a significant advantage - and to stop the pair damaging each other’s title hopes.

“Both guys are capable of providing a fair and good game on track, and it’s up to the team to provide them with the equipment to do that,” Dane said. “That’s always been my plan, my aim and my intention over the years when we’ve had two guys that have driven for us.

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“We want to keep that up and ... if we are in a position of those two fighting for the championship at the end of the year, then they can have a proper go at doing it.” Buoying hopes of further tightening Team Vodafone’s championship grip at Bathurst is their emergence as V8 racing’s endurance specialists. Lowndes and co-driver Mark Skaife are warm favourites for back-to-back Bathursts after leading home Whincup and Andrew Thompson at the traditional Phillip Island lead-up. - AAP

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MOTO

Casey Stoner won his eighth race of the season in the Grand Prix of Aragon to extend his lead in the overall MotoGP standings. The Australian’s Honda teammate Dani Pedrosa was second at the Motorland circuit ahead of Yamaha’s reigning world champion Jorge Lorenzo. Lorenzo is now lying 44 points adrift of Stoner, the 2007 champion with Ducati, in the 2011 title race with four legs of the season remaining. After adding another 25 points to his haul with only 100 points left, the title is Stoner’s to lose. “We’re pretty much back to our best.” “It felt good all weekend. The bike has been fantastic and the only problem was the wind - it was changing direction and speed every lap so that was a challenge but I just had to bring it home. “It was my race to lose today and I did the job.” Lorenzo said: “It was impossible to win today so third is not too bad. Casey was just too fast.”

STONER WINS GRAND PRIX OF ARAGON The race could not have gone more smoothly for the 25-year-old Stoner, who led at the end of the first lap and surged clear to comfortably beat Pedrosa. Behind Lorenzo in fourth was Honda’s Marco Simoncelli with American Yamaha rider Ben Spies fifth. Italian Andrea Dovizioso, lying third in the title race, failed to make it past the opening lap as he crashed out while Italian legend Valentino Rossi came in a disappointing 10th of the 13 finishers.

Stoner’s 31st MotoGP career victory placed him joint fifth on the all-time list. Spanish riders may have missed out on the main race but they cleaned up in the lower divisions, with Marc Marquez winning the Moto2 race and Nicolas Terol prevailing in the 125cc. Suter rider Marquez beat home Italian duo Andrea Iannone (Suter) and Simone Corsi (FTR). This was last season’s 125cc world champion’s seventh success since moving up a division this season and it

put him within six points of Germany’s Stefan Bradl in the overall Moto2 standings. Terol saw off France’s Johann Zarco on a Derbi and his compatriot and fellow Aprilia rider Maverick Vinales in third to take the 125 honours. This was Terol’s third consecutive win and the eighth of the season and it extended his lead over Zarco in the overall standings to 36 points. - AAP

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Issue #1 – September 2011

FIGHTING

MAYWEATHER’S CONTROVERSIAL KO MUDDLES PICTURE Manny Pacquiao. But now it is anyone’s guess who Mayweather -- the boxer USA fans love to hate -- will fight next. The unbeaten Mayweather promised to give fellow American Ortiz a rematch in a lively post-fight interview with HBO’s Larry Merchant after Saturday’s controversial fight at the MGM Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

Floyd Mayweather came off a 16-month layoff to knock out Victor Ortiz and take the WBC belt in a highly eventful world title fight that raised more questions than answers. Some boxing observers felt the 34-yearold Mayweather might be treating Ortiz as preparation for Filipino champion

“He did something dirty but we are not here to complain about what he did dirty or I did dirty. If he wants a rematch, I will give him one,” Mayweather said. Ortiz responded that he would like nothing better than another crack at getting his title back. But Mayweather appeared to back off giving Ortiz a rematch in his post-fight news

MMA

RAMPAGE S E T A IN M O D S E JON JACKSON ◊ BY PAT GRAHAM

The bad blood ended with Jon Jones planting a peck on the cheek of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson after the fight. That was after Jones punished him so bad that Jackson needed stitches to close a wound above his right eye. It’s simply the way respect is earned in the octagon. Issue #1 – September 2011

Jones defended his light heavyweight title by putting Jackson in a choke hold and forcing the veteran to tap out Saturday night at UFC 135. The 24-year Jones relied on his quickness and long reach to get inside on Jackson and inflict damage. In the fourth round, Jones put a bleeding Jackson in a rear naked choke hold and

conference.

match-ups in recent boxing history.

“Eventually, he was going to get knocked out anyway,” Mayweather said. “Things happen in this sport. It’s protect yourself at all times.”

But Mayweather seems more concerned with carrying on the running verbal battle with Pacquiao than stepping into the ring.

Ortiz feels Mayweather blind-sided him with a sucker punch in the fourth round, ruled legal by the referee, while he was trying to apologize for a head butt moments earlier.

“All Pacquiao is doing is fighting my leftovers. That boy doesn’t want to fight,” Mayweather said. “Doesn’t matter. Whoever you put in front of me, they can’t beat me.”

“I was looking at Joe (referee Cortez) and he said ‘break’ or something and I’m like, huh?” Ortiz said. Before he could raise his hands, Mayweather steamed in and knocked him out.

Previous negotiations between the two broke down over drug testing rules.

Earlier in the fourth round Mayweather appeared to deliberately elbow Ortiz during an exchange near the ropes, as the fight, which had been fairly even, descended into dirty tricks.

“When I beat that little dude (Pacquiao), they’re going to say he was too small or too old. They never appreciate me.”

While Ortiz rues what might have been, the Mayweather camp is looking forward. There’s still a chance he and Pacquiao -- regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter around -- will go toe-to-toe next May in what would be one of the biggest

“To say a guy goes from 105 pounds to this, and it’s all natural... come on, man,” Mayweather said.

Mayweather said Pacquiao “doesn’t want to fight me. Once he loses, it’s over. They’re tricking y’all saying they’ll fight me. Don’t be tricked. “I don’t need Pacquiao. Every time Floyd Mayweather goes out there he’s going to make $70 million, period.” - AFP

Jackson signaled he was done. It was the first time Jackson has tapped out in his UFC career.

And while Jackson maintained Jones was the future of the sport, Jackson said he was the present.

The fighters entered the bout in the midst of a squabble. It started when Jackson accused Jones of sending a spy into his camp to steal his secrets, a charge that Jones vehemently denied.

It didn’t take Jones long to end that notion. Jones opened up a cut above Jackson’s right eye with an elbow in the third round and it was pretty much all over from there.

From there, the acrimony only escalated, with Jones and Jackson exchanging barbs up until it was time to brawl.

With his win, Jones may just be bringing stability back to the division. The belt has switched hands a number of times since Jackson last won the crown in 2007.

Afterward, the feud was declared over, replaced by talk of respect. Jones even gave Jackson a quick hug and a peck. “I told Quinton that I admire him so much, that I respect him so much,” Jones said. “Told him, ‘You’re awesome. It’s such an honor to fight you.’” The feeling was mutual. “I thought he was all hype,” Jackson said. “But he’s the real deal.” The charismatic Jackson put in the work to get ready for this fight, giving up burgers and relocating to the Mile High City to train in the altitude. That’s how motivated he was to win back a title he once held.

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Down the road, Jones will face Rashad Evans, who was taking in the fight from the seats. Evans knows Jones quite well - and there’s no love lost between them. He was friends and training partners with Jones before a falling out led to some bitter feelings. The low-key Jones beat Mauricio “Shogun” Rua last March to become the youngest title holder in UFC history. But he was facing probably the hardest puncher around in Jackson. However, Jackson never had much of a chance to get inside. - AP

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FITNESS WITH BRANI ZEC

PUSH UP Assume a pushup position, with your hands slightly more than shoulder-width apart, feet together, and body in a straight line from head to ankles. Lower your chest until it’s an inch above the floor, and then push back up. That’s 1 rep.

Brani will take you through a great muscle building and toning workout so you can be fighting fit for summer.

KEY: Weight, reps and sets 8 reps = 1 set Try to do 3 sets per exercise Your weights should suit your fitness level. DO NOT start too heavy! Special thanks to Anytime Fitness in Dickson for hosting our workout!

Hold a dumbbell at arm’s length in front of your waist. Without rounding your lower back, bend at your hips and knees and swing the dumbbell between your legs. Keeping your arm straight, thrust your hips forward and swing the dumbbell to shoulder level as you rise to a standing position.

Improve your conditioning and give all your muscles a full on workout with current State Kick Boxing Champion (East Coast) Brani Zec. Brani has been involved in Martial Arts for 25 years and has learned a thing or two about getting fighting fit.

DUMBBELL SWING

Swing the weight back and forth. At the 30-second mark, switch arms.

ALTERNATING DUMBBELL OVERHEAD PRESS Hold a pair of dumbbells just above your shoulders, your arms bent. Set your feet at shoulder-width and bend your knees slightly. Press each dumbbell up, one at a time, until your arm is straight. As you lower one dumbbell, press the other one up, in an alternating fashion. That’s 1 rep.

Level 1/17 Woolley Street Dickson ACT 2602 (02) 6230 1333

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Issue #1 – September 2011

HANDBALL

tch for 2012.

Building a team from scra

not the only thing State-of-the-art venues are the London Olympics.

being built from scratch for

As well as gleaming facilities such as the 80,000-seat Olympic stadium and the elegant £95 million velodrome, Britain is constructing a team capable of competing in a sport which most Londoners have never heard of: handball. In its own way, assembling a British handball team has been every bit as daunting as the redevelopment of the Olympic Park site in London’s east end. When London was awarded the Olympics in 2005, Britain had no national handball team and only an estimated 1,000 amateurs played the sport out of a population of 62 million, compared to 400,000 registered players in France. The task of assembling a handball team capable of representing Britain at the 2012 games has required innovation. To fast-track the process, UK Sport launched a programme known as “Sporting Giants”, a scheme aimed at unearthing promising athletes who could then be channelled towards three sports -- rowing, volleyball, and handball. The basic criteria? Applicants needed to be tall, young, and have some sort of athletic background. Among the 4,000 hopefuls dreaming of becoming an Olympian was Louise Jukes, who caught the eye of authorities having already played hockey for England. Issue #1 – September 2011

“I saw the advert in the papers and on TV and I filled the form on the Internet,” Jukes told AFP. “I played hockey for England under-18s before. I’d never seen handball before and never played it before. But I really wanted to go to the Olympics and I wasn’t good enough to be in the hockey team. “I watched some clips on YouTube to see what it looked like and decided to give it a go. And then I loved it.” Bobby White, a goalkeeper for the men’s team, admitted the prospect of playing in the Olympics was a powerful attraction. “I heard about this on BBC News,” White told AFP. “The idea of going to the Olympic games attracted me to the team. I was invited to a trial and that was the first time I experienced handball. “I knew what it was but I didn’t know the rules. I just knew there were two goals and you had to throw the ball into them. Jukes was among around a dozen applicants eventually selected for the

handball program. Authorities widened the talent pool by scouring every corner of Europe in search of eligible players, in many cases those holding dual nationality.

training camp towards the end of 2008, and thereafter players fanned out across Europe to gain experience in handball bastions such as Germany, Norway, Greece and Egypt.

Typical of the talent search was Frenchman Gawain Vincent, who qualifies to represent Great Britain by virtue of his British mother.

Progress has been slow but steady. The men’s team were well beaten in qualifiers for recent European and World championships, but scored a notable first ever competitive victory with a win over Bulgaria in June 2010.

Vincent, a third division player in France, admitted that he could never have hoped to have participated in an Olympics until the call went out from Britain. “My coach told me Britain was looking for dual nationality players to play in the Olympics,” Vincent recalled. “At first I didn’t believe it. Then I went online and found a site with an email address. I thought ‘Why not?’.” Once the players had been assembled, the men’s and women’s squads were sent into a full-time training camp in Aarhus, Denmark, one of the spiritual strongholds of the sport, where they were subjected to twice-daily training. Budget cuts forced the closure of the

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White meanwhile is realistic about Britain’s chances in London. “Realistically, we are not going to beat France or Sweden,” he said. “But we are not afraid to play against them. What we want is not to be embarrassed. “If we lose by 15-20 goals to France but perform well, it is enough for us.” - AFP

If you’re interested in playing handball check out the Canberra Handball Club at www.canberrahandball.com.au

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NUTRITION AND HEALTH powder to your normal milk drink. Skim milk powder can also be added to other meals such as soup or cereal to further boost protein intake.

Fat Fat provides the main fuel source for long duration, low to moderate intensity exercise such as marathons. Even during high intensity exercise, where carbohydrate is the main fuel source, fat is needed to help access the stored carbohydrate (glycogen).

SPORTS NUTRITION Whether you’re a professional athlete or a weekend warrior, nutrition is fundamental to your athletic performance. The right diet will optimise your energy levels and help your body recover more effectively.

Energy - Fuelling your body You need to provide your body with enough energy (kilojoules) to meet the demands of training and enable proper recovery between exercise sessions. Training or competition generally increase daily energy requirements depending on duration, type and intensity of the activity. The three main nutrients from food that supply the body with energy are carbohydrate, fat and protein. These can be obtained by eating foods from the five food groups.

Carbohydrate The main fuel used during exercise is carbohydrate (in the form of glucose) which is stored in muscle as glycogen. As you exercise, your muscles use the stored glycogen. Muscle can usually store enough glycogen for about 60-90 minutes of high intensity exercise, and these stores need to be replaced between exercise sessions by eating foods high in carbohydrate. Inadequate carbohydrate intake can lead to muscle fatigue which can affect performance. Meals should be based on nutrient-rich carbohydrate foods such as cereals, 42

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breads, pasta, rice, fruits, vegetables and legumes. Milk and yogurt also provide carbohydrate in the form of the milk sugar, lactose. Foods high in refined sugar, such as lollies, soft drink, honey and jam, also contain carbohydrate. These foods can be a useful additional source of carbohydrate for athletes with very high energy requirements. However they are not a source of protein, vitamins or minerals and should not replace nutrient rich carbohydrate foods.

Protein Protein helps repair and rebuild muscle after exercise and can also be used during exercise as an energy source, particularly when carbohydrate reserves are very low. Protein needs of most athletes can be met by a well-balanced diet. You should consume a wide variety of high-quality protein foods such as chicken, turkey, beef, lamb, pork, fish, eggs, dairy foods, nuts and seeds. Some athletes, such as strength trained or endurance athletes often need more protein, with requirements of 1.2-1.6g per kilogram of body mass per day. Such intakes can generally be achieved by the overall increased food intake required to fuel training. Protein supplements and shakes can be very expensive and are not usually necessary. You can make a high-protein milk drink at home at a fraction of the cost by adding skim milk

You should include moderate amounts of ‘healthy’ fats into their daily diet, such as nuts, seeds, fish, reduced-fat dairy foods, lean meat and avocados. Foods high in ‘unhealthy’ fat and low in other nutrients such as biscuits, pastries, chips and deep fried foods should be limited. It is generally not advised to eat foods high in fat immediately before or during intense exercise as fat is slow to digest and can remain in the stomach for a long time.

Hydration Good hydration is one of the most important nutrition priorities for athletes. During exercise your body produces sweat to help cool it down. Athletes who train for long intervals or in hot conditions can lose large amounts of fluid through sweat, which can lead to dehydration. Even small amounts of fluid loss can significantly impair performance. It is essential that you drink fluid before, during and after exercise to replace fluid lost from sweating. Keep in mind that thirst is not a good indication of fluid loss. By the time you feel thirsty your body is already dehydrated.

What is the best drink for sport? For low intensity exercise lasting for a short duration, water is very good for rehydration. Water is cheap and convenient and sufficient for most recreational exercisers. For high intensity and endurance sports lasting longer than 60 minutes, a drink which contains carbohydrate and electrolytes, such as milk or a commercial sports drink, is generally more effective than water in enhancing performance. These drinks contain carbohydrate to help delay fatigue by providing glucose to the muscles, and electrolytes to replace sodium lost in sweat.

Dairy’s role in sports nutrition Dairy does more than build strong bones! Dairy is ideal for athletes and recreational exercisers, who want to build lean muscle, speed up recovery and rehydrate effectively.

Milk and rehydration There is increasing interest in the use of milk as a rehydration drink. Milk naturally contains water, carbohydrate and electrolytes. A recent study found that drinking milk after exercise may promote rehydration more effectively than water or sports drinks. The researchers said it was likely that the naturally high electrolyte content of milk helped restore the body’s fluid balance after exercise.

Milk speeds up recovery Dairy products such as milk and yogurt are useful foods for post-exercise recovery because they contain carbohydrate and protein. Studies have shown that chocolate milk may be as good, or better, than sports drinks at helping athletes recover from strenuous exercise.

Dairy helps build lean muscle mass Studies have shown that the protein from dairy food can help build and maintain muscle. Milk contains about 3.5% protein made up of casein (80%) and whey (20%). The whey protein has a high concentration of the branched chain amino acid – leucine. Leucine has been shown to specifically stimulate building of new muscle protein and dairy protein has been shown to directly stimulate muscle building. For further information on sports nutrition consult an Accredited Practising Dietitian or the Sports Dietitians Association. PLAY would like to acknowledge Nutition Australia as the original author of this resource. www.nutritionaustralia.org.

Want to share your nutrition tips? Contact us at www.playcanberra.com.au or email editor@playcanberra.com.au ONE GAME AT A TIME

Issue #1 – September 2011

2011

AFL GRAND FINAL COLLINGWOOD V GEELONG SATURDAY THE 1ST OCTOBER 2:30 PM MCG - MELBOURNE ONE GAME AT A TIME Issue #1 – September 2011

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WEIRD SPORT

, with the ver y popular common sports From each region of the world, along t ver y weird kinds of sports. there are also those really popular bu

YET ANOTHER SPORT CREATED IN A PUB!

◊ IMAGE: WWW.YURU.COM

MAN VS HORSE MARATHON History of the race The event originated in 1980 when Welsh pub owner Gordon Green overheard a discussion between two men in his pub. One man suggested that over a significant distance, across country, man was equal to any horse. Green decided that the challenge should be tested in full public view and organised the first event in 1981. In the first race, 15 horses and 50 runners competed over 22 miles through hilly and marshy terrain around the township of Llanwrtyd Wells. Glyn Jones riding the fastest steed in Llanwrtyd Wells won easily, but the race proved so popular that Green organised it again in the following year. In 1985 cyclists were allowed to compete too and that year, US ladies champion cyclist Jackie Phelan narrowly lost to the winning horse. In 1989, British cyclist Tim Gould beat the first horse home by three minutes, the first time a horse was beaten by a human in a race. Cyclists were banned from competing in 1992 due to damage to forrest tracks and men were back to competing on their own two feet.

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Both men and horses have to prepare for the Man vs Horse Marathon, and each have their advantages during the race. Humans are faster when climbing and passing through marshes and water, but horses have the upper hand on flat ground and they always win in “shoulder to shoulder” bumps, so contenders have to be very careful. On race day, runners start at 11 am while horses leave 15 minutes later to avoid clashes with runners. Fifteen minutes is deducted from the horses time at the end of the race. Believe it or not, men managed to beat the horse, twice even. The first was in 2004 when Huw Lobb, a marathon runner came first, and the second was in 2007. This year the Man vs Horse Marathon was again won by a horse ‘Shah’, ridden by a 21 year old geography student. She won a 1,050 pounds (1,700 dollars) cash prize and the respect of the whole community. The race now attracts a maximum entry of 50 horses, enabling it to lay claim to being “the world’s largest horse race”

Issue #1 – September 2011

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY 3 PACK OFFER. Book any size ad by Wednesday 5/10 for three issues and get all three issues half price!!* Full Page Ad 235 mm x 275 mm * pay per issue

WANT TO ADVERTISE? If you would like to advertise in PLAY please contact Nathan at nathan@playcanberra.com.au to make a booking and more information.

ONE GAME AT A TIME www.playcanberra.com.au Issue #1 – September 2011

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Standing by the love of your life Difficulty rating: 1/10 Mountain biking 5,000km on the BNT from Cooktown to Canberra in only 3 months Difficulty rating: 10/10 Living with an acquired brain injury Difficulty rating: 15/10 In May 2010, former Brumbies Coach, Andy Friend had his world crumble around him, when his wife Kerri suffered an acquired brain injury in a mountain bike accident. This forced Andy and their sons to face extraordinary challenges they never expected. Since the accident, Andy, Kerri and their boys continue to work tirelessly for her recovery. Now they face a new challenge, a challenge you can be a part of, as Andy attempts to conquer the Bicentennial National Trail.

Visit www.andyfriend.com.au to find out more. Difficulty rating: 0/10 Your support will help Andy Friend raise funds to assist people with acquired brain injury.

Proudly supported by Ideas & Directions www.ideasanddirections.com.au 46

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Issue #1 – September 2011