Australian Times weekly newspaper | 21 August 2012

21 - 27 August 2012 – Issue: 426

SHOUT ABOUT IT!

FilmFest Australia is coming to London

AFL LONDON PREMIERS

All the Aussie Rules Grand Final action

ENTERTAINMENT P6

SPORT P12

SAVING SANTORINI

Helping a European gem find its feet TRAVEL P7

WAR ON WHISTLE BLOWERS MUST END: JULIAN ASSANGE n

WikiLeaks founder and Australian in exile - Julian Assange - has appeared in London to ask US President Barack Obama to make his country “do the right thing” and “end its war on whistleblowers”.

Julian Assange has acknowledged his Australian family and supporters during his first public appearance in several months. “[I am grateful] to the people of the United States, United Kingdom, Sweden and Australia who have supported me in strength, even when their governments have not,” spoke Mr Assange from the balcony of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London on Sunday. “And to those wiser heads in government who are still fighting for justice. Your day will come.”

The WikiLeaks founder, who has been making headlines around the globe this month, emerged into pubic view on ‘his’ Ecuadorian London balcony dressed in a shirt and tie. He spoke for almost five minutes, in a speech that may yet have important repercussions for the entire world.

“It was fabulous,” Christine Assange said of her son’s speech.

“He looks so well, he sounds well, he puts many so-called leaders to shame.

“He’s written and read a brilliant speech ... which has inspired millions.”

Ms Assange watched her son live on television at her Brisbane home.

Outside the London embassy hundreds of media, WikiLeaks supporters and general bystanders came to hear the silver-haired 41-year-old Australian secret-leaker, who has not been seen in public since March.

“To my family and my children who have been denied their father, forgive ...continued on p3

Tony Abbott is the first federal opposition leader in 26 years to be thrown out of the lower chamber of parliament, since his mentor John Howard.

Mr Abbott’s historic suspension came on Monday, as the coalition pursued Labor on whether it could afford to pay for multi-billion dollar promises on health, defence and education.

Shadow treasurer Joe Hockey kicked off a feisty question time by asking Prime Minister Julia Gillard how she was going to find the money to pay for an overhaul of school funding, a national disability insurance scheme, offshore detention of asylum seekers and new submarines.

Ms Gillard, who earlier told an independent schools forum all schools would be better off under the government’s reforms, said funding forecasts would be revealed in the mid-year budget review.

She recommitted the government to a 2012/13 budget surplus, saying Labor would work with the states to find extra money for schools.

But the prime minister accused Mr Abbott - who had told the same forum he believed the current schools funding model was working - of attacking public schools. ...continued on p3

AUSTRALIA’S ASSANGE: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on the balcony of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London on Sunday, his first public appearance in several months.

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Abbott expelled as parliament gets feisty

6/08/12 5:08 PM Minimum size 25mm

2 | News

21 - 27 August 2012

Melbourne’s number one (again) - but is that a fair reflection?

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n So Melbourne was again voted the world’s most livable city beating Vienna, Adelaide, Sydney and Perth to the post. But does anyone really care about such nonsense? The title is a suspicious one and should be taken with an enormous pinch of salt. the hard word > NATHAN MOTTON

It seems Melbourne is handed this gong every other week. The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) found the capital of Victoria to be the world’s most livable city. It’s Global Livability Survey compares 140 cities across the globe and Melbourne has come out running for the second consecutive year.

According to the survey, Adelaide is more ‘livable’ than Sydney and Perth, while Brisbane came in at number 20. More on the absurdity of this in a moment.

The EIU said: “Australian cities continue to thrive in terms of livability - not only do they benefit from the natural advantages of low population density but they have continued to improve with some high profile infrastructure investments.”

It assesses the concept of livability by comparing the best and worst of living conditions. What started as a test of whether HR departments needed to hand out hardship allowances to expats, is now, well, nothing more than a bragging right.

But the crucial point is that it was never intended to measure a permanent resident’s thoughts on the

Your Say

On: Australian Olympic Team look to Rio after London languish

Maybe team up with the Kiwis’ 6 golds. Team Great Australasia would be 5th.

Scott

On:Australians could be told to earn £31K or leave the UK

Look, Damien Green, like all scumbag Tories, is public-school toff, and a drongo of the first rank. He also doesn’t have a clue.

When UK’s current Olympics euphoria wears off, we’ll see more clearly what a total mess the UK economy is in. I reckon we’ll see a majority of Aussies doing the sensible thing, and pissing off back home. And I’ll probably be one of them.

Mick

On: Aussies fall short of Olympic top five

Team GB won the golds Australia was angling to win for two reasons: 1. The Olympics were held in London 2. Team GB has enjoyed shedloads of National Lottery funding. Unfortunately, this has now left the UK Government in an untenable situation where

Visit: AustralianTimes.co.uk/move-to-australia In association with

?

What’s your view

subject.

Having lived in Melbourne for many years it is undoubtedly a superb city. Sporting events like Formula 1, the Australian Open and the AFL Grand Final are, among others, major drawcards for visitors and for Melburnians alike. The coffee culture is enormous, the bar scene is brilliant, the shopping is plentiful, and the weather, while temperamental, is fine.

But like any major city it has its own set of problems. Public transport, as any Melburnian will cry from the rooftops, is an absolute disgrace. Various government’s over many years have been obsessed with investing into the city’s roads while ignoring the thing they should have focussed on a long time ago.

Melbourne’s CBD is an incredibly rough and unsafe place to be late on a Saturday night, and rent prices are astronomical.

As the city can’t spread south, the ongoing expansion of the suburbs continues to expose Melbourne’s lack of foresight and planning.

The Hard Word has friends who reside in, according to the EIU, the world’s most livable cities, but many of them would give their left arm to live in cities which they believe are far more desirable, the likes of New York, Paris, San Francisco and wait for it...

London.

Yes the English capital did mention in the survey, way, way down at number 55. Having lived in London for two years and spent time in each of the aforementioned, it amazes this scribe that these heaving metropolises don’t feature higher up the list. At least ahead of Brisbane...? But they never do.

As an EIU spokesman told a British national last week: “In a way London is a victim of its own success... the availability of good housing limits London. The transport infrastructure is slightly overburdened. Healthcare doesn’t score as well as it could.

London has suffered from terrorism and crime.” The spokesman also admits that Australian and Canadian cities score highly because of their low population densities.

So it it more that just the world’s biggest (and best) cities are considered less desirable to temporary expats because they’re just so bloody big?

Of course all of these cities have their own set of issues, yet they are not hindered by their enormous populations, rather that’s what makes them.

Perhaps beauty really is in the eye of the beholder.

they have to commit more funding to school sports as the country heads into a recession. Nice one. To expect Australia to rank in the top 5 with the smallest (and inexperienced) team in twenty years, is incredibly narrow minded. Also, if the Olympics are purely about medals, why televise the competition? Why not just have an updated medal table every day? This is the first Olympics where I have heard a silver medalist apologise for not coming first. This is appalling.

Athletes with any media exposure need to reinforce the message sport is about getting involved and keeping fit.

Competition keeps you motivated and elite athletes show the average Joe the outer bounds of what can be humanly achieved in any sport. To apologise for not getting a place invokes the wrong ethos – if you do not come first, it is not worth doing. Unfortunately, this a negative side effect of mixing business with sport, where investment needs to show a return.

On a more positive note, I was at the stadium and ran every emotional step of the 5000m with Mottram, Birmingham and McNeill. It is fantastic to watch an event and see someone from Australia perform in it, even if they did not win.

Return? I don’t care.

Claire Adams

have to say that it was very game of her to make the bet in the first place – there was no way that Australia were ever going to get anywhere near Great Britain when it came to gold medals.

PJ

On: Australia’s Kate Lundy to row Eton Olympic course after GB goldrush

AustralianTimes.co.uk/voices

On: Oarsome K4some kayak gold lifts Australia at London 2012

We had tickets to Eton Dorney, general admission section and it was brilliant to see the Aussies get a Gold Medal in a race! I wasn’t expecting anything and went completely mental in my section after I heard Australia had won the gold! It was a privilege to have been there…

CA

On: Damien Hooper reprimanded for Olympic Aboriginal flag stunt

No political statements - what about Mexico City 1968? The Aussie athelete who stood with the US guys doing the Black Power salute was ostricised for the rest of his life by the Australian sporting authorities.

The US athletes were pall bearers at his funeral.

Julia

Fortunately for her, it’s not a two mile course – it’s only two kilometres. I

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Tony Abbott makes history after parliament expulsion Continued from p1...

The highly emotive schools funding debate tends to divide down public and private lines, with the public sector arguing high-fee schools are unjustly being funded at its expense.

“If anything, the injustice is the other way,” Mr Abbott told the school chiefs.

Ms Gillard said this showed “every public school in this country is on the opposition hit-list”.

With five minutes to go before the end of question time, Mr Abbott interjected and was asked by Deputy Speaker Anna Burke to withdraw his remarks without qualification.

Mr Abbott said: “I withdraw but it’s still an untrue statement.”

“You could not help yourself,” Ms Burke said before telling the opposition leader to leave the chamber for an hour.

Mr Abbott’s initial remarks were inaudible in the public galleries.

But he still made history.

The last opposition leader to be ejected from the House of Representatives was Mr Howard in 1986.

Since 1914, only six opposition leaders have been told to leave the chamber and all bar one were conservatives.

Later, Mr Abbott returned to the house and made a personal explanation, saying he did not intend to cut funding from public schools in government.

“I said no such thing, I intend no such thing, I would do no such thing,” he said.

Mr Abbott had earlier on Monday told reporters the federal government was over-promising on health and education and would not be able to deliver.

“This is a desperate government that will make any promise that it think it needs to, to get itself through the day,” he said. - AAP AustralianTimes.co.uk/win

Julian Assange speech inspired millions: mother

Continued from p1... me. We will be reunited soon,” Mr Assange told a captive audience.

On Thursday Ecuador’s government granted Mr Assange diplomatic asylum.

The decision came 57 days after the WikiLeaks chief sought protection from the south American nation, and checked in to its UK embassy.

British courts have ruled that Mr Assange must be extradited to Sweden to face sexual assault allegations.

British police even moved in to raid the Ecuadorian embassy and arrest the ‘Australian fugitive’, an attempt Mr Assange said would have contravened the Vienna Convention.

“On Wednesday night, after a threat was sent to this embassy and the police descended on this building, you came out in the middle of the night to watch over it and you brought the world’s eyes with you,” Mr Assange told his supporters from the balcony.

“Inside this embassy, after dark, I could hear teams of police swarming up into the building through its internal fire escape. But I knew there would be witnesses. And that is because of you.

“If the UK did not throw away the Vienna conventions the other night, it is because the world was watching.

And the world was watching because you were watching.

“So, the next time somebody tells you that it is pointless to defend those rights that we hold dear, remind them of your vigil in the dark before the Embassy of Ecuador. Remind them how, in the morning, the sun came up on a different world and a courageous

Latin America nation took a stand for justice.”

Mr Assange and his supporters fear extradition to Sweden would be the first step in a move towards the United States, where he is under investigation for the operations of WikiLeaks.

He appealed to the US to “renounce its witch-hunt against WikiLeaks” in his speech.

“I ask President Obama to do the right thing,” he said. “The United States must dissolve its FBI investigation “The United States must vow that it will not seek to prosecute … our staff or our supporters. The US must pledge before the world that it will not pursue journalists for shining a light on the secret crimes of the powerful.

“There must be no more foolish talk about prosecution of media organisations, be they WikiLeaks or The New York Times.

“The US administration’s war on whistleblowers must end.”

Despite his strong words, the British government has vowed to extradite Mr Assange in accordance with court rulings and if he steps foot outside the embassy, he faces immediate arrest.

Scores of police formed a barrier around the embassy on Sunday while the self-proclaimed ‘freedom fighter’ spoke and there are fears that he will never make it to Ecuador to receive his asylum status without being arrested

by British authorities first. - With AAP Should Julian Assange be arrested and extradited? Tell us your thoughts now at AustralianTimes.co.uk/news

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4 | Voices

21 - 27 August 2012

Crispy grilled lemongrass 3 Australian things I can’t live without… and chilli lamb cutlets n

Sometimes it can be tough living so far n The hot summery weather has inspired our resident Aussie away from home and family, but for MELISSA chef in London to marry a couple of his favourite foods and create SHORTAL who has lived in London for quite some years now, she has become acclimatised a salivating dish to die for. to being away from Australia. There are however, some Australian bits and pieces that she just can’t chris’s kitchen live without and because of their fabulousness > CHRIS ARK she felt the need to share them with you. can get a great coffee here. My The cracking weather of late has Lucas Papaw Ointment you favourites are Lantana on Charlotte

Chilli lamb cutlets and grilled lemongrass

quelled the appetite but left me craving two of my favourite ingredients. My fave go to food, the sweet lemony/ limeyness of Thai lemongrass, always raises its head when the sun comes out.

Found in most Thai dishes, lemongrass adds freshness and citrus notes to dishes and gives us a sense of coolness when combined with chillies and ginger. Buying lemongrass is pretty easy these days with major supermarkets holding a few bunches in the fresh herb section. Lemongrass looks like firm grass stalk-like sticks, light green on the upper stalks and a soft yellow on the base root area. Grab a few bunches and choose one with a distinctive and fresh citrusy aroma.

The flavours of crispy grilled lamb cutlets are never too far from my all time favourite foods. These tiny cutlets with their juicy tails of the all-important fat marry beautifully with lemongrass. In this weeks recipe we throw in a few fiery chillies and shavings of fresh ginger. I like to look for lamb cutlets that are thinly sliced for this recipe. This not only reduces the cooking time, but also allows us to cook the cutlets to a crisp crackling on the surface. Ask your butcher to slice them thinly to avoid any nasty accidents in the kitchen.

We are also going to make a marinade, which is rubbed over the cutlets and rested to allow the flavours to marry with the lamb. In this method we use a mortar to pound the ingredients together. A mortar is well worth investing. They can be found in most Asian food import shops or online. Once you get started making your own marinades you won’t stop!

So lets get cracking on this week’s recipe. Happy cooking and enjoy!

What you need:

• 2 good quality lamb cutlets • 2 cloves garlic, chopped • 2 stems lemongrass, peeled, sliced into fine rounds • 3cm piece fresh ginger, chopped • 1 teaspoon sea salt • 3 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves • 3 tablespoons chopped mint • 60ml extra virgin olive oil • Plus extra freshly ground pepper • Lemon wedges, to serve

What to do:

• Remove the cutlets from the refrigerator one hour before cooking.

• To marinade: put the garlic, lemongrass, ginger and sea salt in a

mortar and pound into a rough paste with the pestle. Add the herbs and pound for a further minute, then stir in the extra virgin olive oil and mix together well.

• Mix the cutlets with the marinade and leave for at least one hour to infuse.

• Preheat the grill plate on the BBQ or grill on the stove.

• When hot, put the cutlets on the hottest part. Cook for about two to three minutes on each side until they develop a crisp skin.

• Give a good grind of fresh pepper, place a lemon wedge on each plate and serve to your mates ASAP.

This little multi-purpose gem has been a long standing obsession of mine, mainly because it makes the BEST lip balm ever. It’s a natural remedy made in Queensland from 100% papaya and its uses are endless (seriously, this is what the packaging says: burns, chafing, cuts, cracked skin, splinters, wounds, rashes, insect bites and nappy rash). I really couldn’t overstate its brilliance here if I tried. I pretty much have a tube of papaw on hand at all times- handbag, bedside table, work desk, bathroom cabinet- and I wouldn’t go on holiday without it. It’s readily available in all chemists and supermarkets in Australia but you will have to go online to get it in the UK. Get yourself a tube asap - you know what they say, if it’s good enough for Miranda Kerr…

Flat whites

Melbourne coffee is the best.

There, I’ve said it - it’s a fact.

The cafe culture in Melbourne is world class, and I love going to cute cafes when I’m at home and reading a magazine over a flat white which is a small, strong and smooth white coffee.

Happily, the flat white phenomenon has recently spread to London and there are now a few places where

AustralianTimes.co.uk/voices

> lexxy luther

Back in Australia when I was picturing myself in London, in my imaginings I was always excellently dressed. I would skip down Portobello Road wearing printed leggings, a vintage man-sized button up shirt and Manolo Blahniks, with some tribal jewelry I just ‘picked up for a song’ on a ‘buying trip’ to Morocco. People would shoot me admiring glances, mentally noting my casual yet stylish thrown together look, and roving Vogue reporters would stop me to photograph me for their ‘scene on the street’ section.

So convinced was I, about my transformation, I essentially threw out/gave away my entire Australian wardrobe and turned up (to seven degree weather) with little more than a pant suit for interviews (two sizes too small – I guess I also imagined I would be thin in London) and a determination

to buy the entire contents of Topshop (of course only so I could pair High Street basics with designer pieces).

What I didn’t count on was that one doesn’t suddenly develop a sense of style when your passport is stamped by a reluctant Customs Official (“No, I am not an illegitimate arrival from the Caucus States smuggling a balloon of heroin up my bum and two impoverished children in my overcoat pockets, thank you very much! I am legit. Ancestry Visa. Right there, lady. I even have a couch to sleep on. Suck it!”). Years of living in Canberra (a fashion wasteland) and a predilection for Cotton On basics (plain white singlet with plain blue shorts and thongs anyone?) means it is going to be a long road to Sartorialist glory, if I reach the holy grail at all.

Realisation number 1: I am never going to pull off a white lace miniskirt.

Doesn’t matter how hard I try to team it with a sheered paneled peach vest and some chunky gold chain.

Basically shopping has proved to be much the same experience as in Australia.

An exercise in indulging in deep insecurities and eventual capitulation towards the plain t-shirt and 20 pound jeans rack. Vogue is a long way off.

AustralianTimes.co.uk/voices

Swimmers

Whenever I take a trip home to Australia I’m usually on the lookout for some new swimmers (or swimming costume/bathers to nonAussies). Australia has some brilliant swimwear brands- I think the best, but I am probably biased. I think Aussie swimmers are generally better quality and the patterns and designs are a little bit more exciting. My favourite brands are Seafolly and Tigerlily. I also picked up a great one-piece at Country Road last time I was home. Swimmers from these places are probably slightly more pricey than in the UK, but if you look after them properly (never put them in the washing machine, people - only rinse under cold water!) they’ll last for ages.

I hope this has made you want to visit Australia, or at least enjoy the finer points of home! Writing it has made me a little bit homesick!

AustralianTimes.co.uk/voices

Rugby League’s lighting up Wembley

London fashionista I am not lost in london

Place and Flat White on Berwick St - both of them are Australian so you can have a little taste of the cafe culture from Down Under right in the heart of London.

2012 CARNEGIE CHALLENGE CUP FINAL

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Saturday 25th August, Wembley Stadium.

Tickets start at £21

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Voices | 5

AustralianTimes.co.uk

Sampling Camden’s eclectic nightlife

n

One of London’s more famous and alternative suburbs – Camden – gets the going over by our resident adventurer, who enjoyed a fun filled night out on the Camden tiles and got to tick off #81 of her London Top 100.

bron in

the don BRONWYN SPENCER

At home in Brissie, if you wanted a night out on the town you would hit either ‘The City’ or ‘The Valley’ and nevermind which you chose, you knew you had a huge number of pubs, clubs and bars in one central location.

There are pockets of these strips in London, which means there is never a shortage of places to explore. As a south west Londoner who dreads hours in the early morning on endless night busses, I hadn’t yet spent much time up north in Camden so I was looking forward to checking out ‘The Scene’.

Most of my experience of going out in Camden was that of Koko. The club is located closer to Mornington Crescent Tube Station and is the perfect place to go see a DJ gig or a club night. For a friend’s birthday recently, we decided to go to ‘Guilty Pleasures’ - which is basically a night full of trashy pop music and power ballads. With a summer theme we rocked up in hula skirts and spent the night singing and dancing to all the good ol’ favourites - including ‘Mmmbop’ by Hanson.

It was probably the complete opposite of the punk or rock scene that Camden is famous for and unfortunately I am yet to have the opportunity to visit one of the live music venues on offer.

Instead I decided the best way to tick off #81 on my London Top 100 List and ‘Sample the Camden Scene’ would be to participate in the Camden Pub Crawl. For a £12 entry ticket you get to visit five pubs or clubs in the area with a shot at each and entry fees included. It was a bit of a bargain considering what you get and left all the hassle of working out where to go

to someone else.

Starting in a low key pub not far from the station the group of eight of us had our first shot and a few other drinks while we chatted to other people on the pub crawl. There were plenty of backpackers and tourists as well as London locals all there for the same reason - get a bit silly and check out a few different places.

From there it was onto Belushi’s, which are always fun and full of cheap drinks, backpackers and great music.

Unfortunately between the next two we got caught in a torrential downpour so when we arrived at Proud we were very soggy and very cold. Only way to fix that was to grab a drink and have a bit of a dance. This was the first nightclub that we had visited and it didn’t disappoint in venue. There were plenty of nooks and crannies to sit and hang out as well as a big dance floor. Unluckily - the music playing was less than average (in my humble opinion) but that’s the best thing about pub crawls - you are only there for an hour!

We went on to another pub not far from Proud that played music only from movie soundtracks. This place was great not only for the cheesy music taste but because they had a few pool tables and booths where you could sit and rest before moving on to the last club. By this stage we had had too many of the inclusive Sambuca shots (plus the drinks in-between) so the rest of the night is pretty hazy and I couldn’t tell you where we ended up. I can tell you it was a great night and definitely a fun way to sample the nightlife in Camden.

AustralianTimes.co.uk/voices

From the runway to the railway, the Tube is where it’s at n “The world is our home; the Tube is our hallway to the rooms; so strut baby strut!” tube talk > Sandra Tahmasby

This week I caught the tube with Sam Tautua - a professional Aussie/ Samoan model.

All the way from Sydney he now calls London home and just like all of us - he is working on marking his stamp on our home away from home.

Sam, 35, has been modelling for two years and has already accomplished some pretty cool things! He was also the face of Australian Tourism and was featured in a poster that was up in various Tube stations around London.

This was definitely the winner for me because clearly he is Tube worthy!

While many people may have thought that the Olympics was the biggest show that London put on this year - for you non-fashionistas out there - it was, in fact, London Fashion week!

Sam, who is very grateful and feels blessed to be an international runway model, told me that modelling definitely has a different set of exciting challenges.

“When you start modelling at mid-age - and being the first Aussie/Samoan to hit London runways – (it) is just a blessing.

I believe if you can dream it and grow yourself into the person people want to do business with, you can do anything!”

I asked Sam if, just like me, he takes in all the different fashion that the Tube has to offer us on a daily basis and he agrees that every day is different and you can see everything and anything.

In fact he believes the Tube is a great stage for self-expression. One of the most wackiest bits of fashion he once saw on the Tube was a girl with an apple and banana pinned and wrapped

to her head, sporting a Gucci hand bag.

I gathered Sam would have a different mindset when looking at all the wonderful and sometimes kooky creatures that we commute with, when he told me other people’s ideas inspire him and he enjoys seeing people from all walks of life from around the world and their interpretation of fashion.

Ok, confession... more so for me – the Tube also teaches us what NOT to wear!

I was surprised to hear that the Tube was an easy way of Sam getting to his various photo shoots and auditions.

“I strut wherever I walk. I have travelled extensively around the world and I have to say the London Tube is the best thing going. So easy to navigate and get around. I always turn up for my shoots and castings well before time.”

Question Time with Tube man Sam

So Sam, weirdest things you have heard on the Tube?

A cute little old lady rapping what I

think could be a church song.

The Tube is like...?

A hot runway maze!

When I am on the Tube I like to?

Check out what everyone looks like, is wearing, doing, listening to, meditate, breathe and listen to Dr John Demartini on my audio - seriously!

One thing you would improve about the London underground?

More spotlights! And maybe red carpets everywhere? Just for those who might want to strut to the office and back? Imagine that, great start and ending to ones day!

Well, we might not have got the most medals in the Olympics but hold onto your hats Aussies – because we are taking over, one runway (and Tube platform) at a time!

AustralianTimes.co.uk/voices

A big thank you to Team Australia

By Sepi Roshan It’s over. The summer Olympics is done and dusted. My Games Maker uniform is washed, folded away and sitting in storage. The atmosphere was jubilant, encouraging and supportive.

We clapped and cheered until the last person crossed over the finish line. I felt a sense of solidarity with athletes, volunteers and spectators.

So I was surprised with some of the comments leaking out of Australia: comments that have been less than supportive. Reports are that the official Olympic broadcaster, Channel Nine, asked silver medallists if they found their results “disappointing”. And a Channel Seven journalist confirmed that the media’s criticism is merely a representation of what the athletes,

officials and Australian public believe.

I couldn’t help but cringe. What happened to the Australia I knew? The “just have a go” and “good on ya mate” attitude? Are we only easy going when things go our way? Are we really in it, together?

Australia is a proud nation. We are proud of our sporting achievements and proud of our reputation in the world as being open, humorous and laid back people. We are part of a team that loves to win. Like most teams, whether they be nations, large organisations or families, when everything is going great guns, there is little to complain about. The event or project runs smoothly, we all agree on what needs to happen and are comfortable with the way forward.

When a team is accustomed to

winning, expectations are invariably high. But sometimes the pressure, the effort made by other teams, and external factors are not taken into account. Instead, it is all too easy to blame, make excuses and deny accountability. This fosters resentment and disengagement. The cracks begin to show. When a team is functional and supportive - it is in times of adversity that it shines. The team understands that it is a time for reflection – to develop awareness, focus and execute new ways of doing. Members step in to take the reins or provide the support that will maximise results or minimise the loss. In these instances, persistence, patience and praise, is gold. And in the good times, great teams reap the rewards and share the glory.

It’s easy from the armchair or the outside to judge and criticise. It’s more helpful to support those who go out there and give it their all. Those who put in the hours of training and commitment. Those who are willing to take on the challenge for the team and aim to bring home the glory for us all.

On my last day volunteering for the London 2012 Olympics, I saw a bunch of young Aussie athletes, out to have some fun after having done their best to bring home gold. They were all proudly wearing their Official Green and Gold Olympic uniforms. They were proud to be part of the team. And I was proud of them for it.

AustralianTimes.co.uk/voices

6 | Entertainment

What we’re following #Assange

@matthewchampion Apparently several taxi firms have fallen for the *hilarious* gag of picking up Julian Assange from Ecuador’s embassy @sarabartley Roman Polanski, a convicted child rapist gets to make movies in asylum & win awards while there’s an international manhunt/raid forAssange. @maxkeiser #PussyRiot and Assange starting new band, ‘The (Asylum) Seekers’ @TheBeerWidow I have no feelings one way or the other on Assange but find the deafening silence from the Aus Govt over the last year to be criminal. @stacyherbert “Ecuador is a shining light, other govts should follow” #assange #mother Check out what we’re following today on AustralianTimes.co.uk and follow us on Twitter @AustralianTimes

What’s On Heath Franklin’s Chopper: 20 - 24 August Southbank Centre Mick Thomas & Squeezbox Wally 23 August @ The Borderline Renny Field 23 Aug @ The Bedford, Balham Darren Hayes 24 September @ IndigO2, Temper Trap 4 October @ Hammersmith Apollo Tame Impala 30 October @ O2 Academy, Brixton Julia Stone 5 Nov @ Scala, Kings Cross Gotye 12 November @ Hammersmith Apollo The Cat Empire 10 December @ O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire Pam Ann 28-29 March @ Hammersmith Apollo

For full details...

...and more Aussie gigs go to: AustralianTimes.co.uk/entertainment

21 - 27 August 2012

FilmFest Australia to light up London screens in September Get excited London Aussies because there is a hot new Australian film fest coming to town! FilmFest Australia has just announced an exciting programme of cinematic treats fresh out of Oz to be screened in London next month. Screening at the Clapham Picturehouse and the Hackney Picturehouse from 14 to 23 September 2012 - this brand new Aussie film festival will feature blockbuster movies from Down Under as well as some sure to be indie classics.

With a new name and a new home after 17 years at the Barbican as the London Australian Film Festival, 2012 marks the beginning of an exciting new era for FilmFest Australia (FFA). But despite the new look organisation - their mission remains the same: to showcase all that contemporary Aussie cinema has to offer, from the hottest new talent to the cherished big stars bringing drama, humour and thrills from all corners of Oz to London screens.

FFA 2012 will open with the European premiere of Not Suitable for Children, starring Ryan Kwanten (True Blood, Home & Away) who goes on a mission to procreate when he finds out his chances of fatherhood are about to expire.

“Funny, cool, a little bit dark but ultimately touching, this is a slice of young, vibrant Sydney at its laidback best,” a FFA spokesperson told Australian Times.

As well as Hollywood heartthrob Kwanten, some of Australia’s

most exportable directing talent will feature at the FFA in London this year. Fred Schepisi (Roxanne, Six Degrees of Separation) will direct Geoffrey Rush, Judy Davis and Charlotte Rampling in the UK premiere of dysfunctional family drama The Eye of the Storm while the man behind Priscilla, Stephan Elliott, leads a riotous yet distinctly masculine stag-do comedy A Few Best Men. Rob Sitch (The Castle, The Dish) brings one man’s slick, no-strings Melbourne high life into question in comedy Any Questions for Ben?, in a UK premiere starring Josh Lawson, Rachael Taylor (Red Dog) and Daniel Henshall (Snowtown).

And would you know it - FFA first-timer, former Boyzone star, and Irish crooner - Ronan Keating - stars in Goddess, a film the critics are saying will be one of the FFA’s most tuneful and kitsch offerings.

Stepping away from the light and fun titles, FFA are looking to revisit the dark side of Down Under with the UK premiere of Swerve, an outback set chase thriller which kicks off with a bang and keeps the twists and thrills coming. And audiences will be treated to Sam Neill, Willem Dafoe and Frances O’Connor’s stunning performances in The Hunter.

There’s a host of other films on offer too. For all screening and ticket information, head to FilmfestAustralia.org.uk Australian Times is a proud partner of FilmFest Australia

AustralianTimes.co.uk/entertainment

Aussie stars are Going for Gold! at the Fringe

Australian High Commission to host industry spotlight event at Edinburgh Fringe Festival

n

The London 2012 Olympics are over and Australian efforts have surged north as Aussie performing artists try their luck in Scotland!

There are more than 90 Australian produced shows at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the largest national talent pool from outside the UK. And on 22 August, the Australian High Commission from London will host a spotlight event featuring highlights from some of the finest Australian acts at the Fringe.

Crossing genres, and including both established legends and emerging talent, the event promises to be a whistle-stop tour of Aussie talent at the Fringe.

The amazing Aussie line-up includes Virginia Gay and her “spell-binding” cabaret, exposé, and guerrilla standup comedy. Brisbane-based Casus is making the trip (he’s apparently already making a huge buzz at the Fringe) with a show described by The Guardian as “a delicious dream you don’t want to wake up from”. Beatboxing wunderkind Tom Thum will create whole worlds of sound, while Tom Flanagan is bringing his slapstick show that’s been described as ‘elegant buffoonery at its finest, climaxing in a surprisingly heart-stopping piece of acrobatics’. Rounding out the Aussie entourage are the “ethereal” Australian Voices who have been

hailed as one of the most innovative vocal ensembles in the world!

Plus, more acts are to be announced very soon and as a special bonus, the audience will also enjoy a unique collaboration with the 2012 Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, featuring the Australian Defence Force TriServices Band and highland dancing sensations, the OzScot Dancers.

Created by the Australian High Commission, Going for Gold will take place from 2-3pm, at the Assembly’s Salon Elegance Spiegeltent on Wednesday, 22 August.

To purchase tickets, head to: E d i n b u rg h f e s t i v a l . l i s t . c o . u k / event/261697-australia-going-for-gold/ AustralianTimes.co.uk/fringe

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travel

Travel | 7

AustralianTimes.co.uk

tting This week we’re pu

Santorini on the map

n

Expat Australian OLIVIA HAMBRETT has had a long and intense love affair with the little Greek island of Santorini. They have shared good times and even better times, but now she wants the world to know about the beauty of this hidden European gem.

If I could have five minutes of face time with the Santorini tourism powers that be, I would ask them but one thing.

It would be, and this is as eloquently as I can put it: ‘why don’t you give the white houses on the cliffs a break and show the world your history and your industry?’ And they would probably look at me and say: ‘because, Olivia, it has worked just fine thus far.’ And they would, of course, be quite right. White houses, black beaches and the sun setting behind a volcano (or indeed sinking into absolutely nothing) has been the island’s bread and butter for the past 30 years.

And that’s all very well. It draws the crowds, it prints the postcards.

But I have been thinking. Given the importance of tourism right now, for Greece’s economy, and given this season has been a touch quieter than years past, perhaps it is time to think about mixing things up a bit – and I am coming at this with a few years of serious field work under my belt. I have a couple of ideas, dear Santorini, and I think they could work. Here’s what I think we should do:

Acclaim Akrotiri

Tell the world more about Akrotiri.

About the Minoans living there 3000 years ago, about what they achieved, how they lived. Your reconstruction of the excavation site has been so beautifully done. Charge people more than 5€ for the privilege of walking through history. We pay 5€ for a Starbucks coffee and a hell of a lot

more to see fairly shitty art and theatre and film. So we’ll pay more to see one of the world’s most significant ancient Minoan sites. Just spread the word, generate the buzz, educate the masses.

Your little island is an extraordinarily important, bite-size piece of human history. I know you know that, so let’s tell everyone else. And let’s charge them 15€ and the profits can go towards cleaning Perissa up, the rubbish is getting a bit silly.

And while we’re on the topic of ancient ruins, why the hell are you hiding that old Spartan city up there on that big rock? Why is the road to get there so treacherously curvy, so as to almost deter all but the most determined (Spartan?) of visitors? Why isn’t more of a deal made about the fact on top of that dirty great rock is a Spartan city? One that was then inhabited by the Romans, some several hundred years after the Spartans. Sure, there are signs. And pamphlets. And people do make it up there to Ancient Thera and stand, hundreds of metres above sea level, looking at an amphitheatre used thousands of years ago. But that isn’t enough. Such an incredible snapshot of human history (noting a theme here?) needs to become synonymous with the name of your island. People need to say ‘Minoan ruins!’ and ‘a Spartan city’ in a game of word association, when Santorini comes up. These things are special. And for goodness sake, up the ticket price from 2€.

Praise Pyrgos

And please, make more of a deal of Pyrgos. Oia is beautiful, of course, and Fira is where the action is. And I know the tourists want the beaches – it’s the only sunshine some of those Northern Europeans see the entire year, I get that they want to see it, splayed beneath it.

But Pyrgos is the real deal. And so is

8 | Travel

21 - 27 August 2012

Emporio. Not enough people know about its castle and although I quite like that, and I love the handwritten sign guiding the wayward few who want to find it, if we’re in the business of overhauling your marketing plan, then Emporio needs to feature.

Let’s talk about your wine. Why do so many restaurants and bars serve the vile cheap stuff, when your wine is your second biggest industry? I know, I know, because it’s cheap. But your good wine isn’t that expensive. Would it kill places to feature at least a few 10€ bottles of Santorini white on their wine lists? Could the beautiful, cultivated, long-standing relationship between traditional Santorinian food and wine get more of a look-in at the multitude of tavernas populating the island?

Wine, glorious wine

And maybe wine tours could get the air time volcano tours do. The volcano

is pretty amazing, but, at its core, an enormous, hot pile of rocks that make you feel vaguely uneasy as you scramble to the top. A wine tour, however, involves cheese and meats and chocolate and quenching thirst and learning truly fascinating facts about ancient and modern Santorini and an industry the island’s inhabitants have perfected over thousands of years. So why not push the wine tours a bit more? I went on one and it was fantastic. I knew your wine shrubs grow small and close to the ground to survive the meltemi winds but I didn’t know the trunk of the shrub has actually been coaxed to grow into a spiral like basket, that protects up to 5kg of grapes, as they grow! And I didn’t know there is a progressive, award winning vineyard that produces a rose that smells like a big basket of fruit. Nor did I know there was a vineyard so close to the ocean, the salty breeze can permeate the wine.

And quite apart from all of that, being ferried around in an air-conditioned van,

from winery to winery, trying the best the island has to offer, was one hell of a splendid way to spend an afternoon.

Being better

I love you Santorini. You have given me a lot, over the years, and our relationship is a pretty solid one. That’s why I feel confident enough to be able to put this on the table – you can do better. You need to do better. You are better. Change the world’s focus.

Pry the people away from the sweaty crowds in Fira, from the over-priced cafes in Oia and cheap beach breaks that feature ‘full English breakfasts!’ to woo the full English tourists and show them where you have come from and what you can do. Because God knows an ancient Spartan settlement beats fried eggs and beans any day.

That’s it for now. I’ll let you know if anything else springs to mind.

And Tourism Australia, you’re next.

AustralianTimes.co.uk/travel

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Jobs & Money | 9

AustralianTimes.co.uk

Dollar Review

Treasury announcement weakens Australian Dollar The Australian Dollar weakened on Friday due to the National Treasury giving the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) permission to cut the interest rate. The Aussie opened the week on 1.4838 to the British Pound and closed 1.504 to the Pound on Friday.

The Treasury announced a change in monetary policy direction as a way to relieve pressure on the economy, due to currency gains over the last while. The last two RBA meetings have left the rates unchanged at 3.5 percent. “While the Australian dollar is now well above its post- float average, it appears to be at a level consistent with what might be expected, given the changes in its fundamental determinants,” said the Australian Treasury on Friday.

Nervousness in the market prevails this week as the European leaders prepare to meet and discuss the region’s ongoing debt crisis. Investor appetite for riskier assets such as the Aussie has heightened as the European Central Bank looks at trying to cap bond yields in the Eurozone.

The US Fed will release minutes of last Wednesday’s committee meeting where

it refrained to add any measures boost the US economy. The Fed has pledged to keep its rate near zero until late 2014 in attempts to promote growth. “A failure to ease conditions by the Fed in September would knock the Aussie lower.” said Mike Jones, a currency strategist in Wellington at Bank of New Zealand Tuesday will see the RBA meet to

discuss the expected rate cut that the Australian Treasury previously declared.

GBP / AUD: 1.5003 EUR / AUD : 1.1793 USD / AUD : 0.9551 NZD/ AUD : 0.7734 Exchange rates as of 09:58, 20 August 2012

Composed by Elizabeth Britz of 1st Contact :: Note: The above exchange rates are based on “interbank” rates. If you want to transfer money to or from Australia then please register/login on our website, or call us on 0808 141 2335 for a live dealing rate. Make use of a Rate Notifier to send you alert when the Australian exchange rate reaches levels you are looking for.

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10 | Sport

21 - 27 August 2012

Lions take the spoils in thrilling final Continued from p12... playing one man down only seemed to stir something within the Lions’ engine room as Stevenson – who failed to make the Demons pay with his shot 30m shot for goal after the 50 – found something extra, along with Luke Hamilton, Benny Poole, Dean Roberts, Jake Spiteri and Quentin Keeble.

Mark Hawkins was again solid in the ruck as he battled against Demons’ hard man Rhys McNay. The Lions added three goals to zip in Shergold’s absence but everyone knew the Demons would not bow down lightly.

Brescacin pegged one back against the flow to keep the Demons 20 points in arrears heading into the final term with the breeze and an extra player.

The Lions didn’t score a goal in the last term. The Demons through coach Jarryd Browne, who managed to slip Lions’ Morgs Clement’s tight tag for a moment, goaled from outside 50 to get the Dees going. Then Jeremy Coombe followed suit, as did Brescacin to make it three in succession.

To say the Demons had opportunities to win the game would be a gross understatement; however it would also under value the Lions’ courage and gut-wrenching spirit to resist the countless attacks and pressure their defence was put under in the dying stages.

The Demons got within a point with six minutes to go but could not conjure another, even to take it to extra time, as the Lions held on for that entire period.

A talking point that will no doubt feature in post-match musings for some time to come is whether Coombe’s attempt to mark in the dying minutes in the forward pocket should have been rewarded.

Equally, the Lions camp might have debated the Shergold send-off if the result had gone the other way.

What’s done is done and the Lions, with their seventh win in a row, have struck gold and cashed in on their redhot form to be the 2012 AFL London

Premiers – their first flag in a decade.

Coach Adam Littlechild spoke after the match of how the club picked itself up off the floor after big defeats at the hands of West London and Wandsworth at the beginning of the year.

“We looked at Wandsworth and how you guys played and knew we had a long way to go,” he said.

“But we tried to model ourselves on you because we knew you were the benchmark.

“Today we know we’ve beaten the best and it’s very satisfying.”

Conference: Shepherd’s Bush 11.11 (77) defeated Regent’s Park 12.3 (75)

Someone once said ‘the team that scores the most goals by the end of the game wins’. They obviously were not acquainted with the great game of Aussie Rules too well because, as you can see from the score above, the victors were not the most prolific scorers of goals.

When the teams headed to their quarter-time huddles with the scoreboard showing Raiders leading 4.1 to nothing, it looked as though a one-sided affair might be on the cards.

But what seemed like a benign breeze in the morning was becoming more swirly and increasingly advantageous.

The Lions wasted no time using this and soon clicked into gear, booting five goals to the Raiders’ one in a dominant second quarter to be back on even terms at the main break.

The Raiders headed into the third term knowing they must make use of the breeze but the scoreboard by the end of the term – 9.11(65) to 5.3(33) – suggested they had not made full use of their opportunities, although three goals in the last two minutes certainly helped their cause.

The door was ajar for the Lions but had they left too much work to do?

In an intense final stanza, the Lions struck with four goals to get within eight points. They were up and about and with their Premiership teammates warming up nearby, they threatened to overrun the Raiders who had led all day.

Trent Dunlop’s goal stemmed the bleeding and extended the Raiders’ lead to 14 but, in a goal spree, the Lions got two more, through Rob Reynolds and Gilligan, to get within

two.

But the Raiders weren’t done.

Not by a long way. Jake McGuane, whose size and strong hands proved a challenge for the Lions’ defence all day, scored at a vital time to stretch the margin back to eight points.

The Lions scored the last goal, through Dave Strugnall, but it would be their last for the season and, while it gave them one more goal than their opposition, the 11 behinds the Raiders scored previously was enough to yield an historic eleventh flag for the side in 12 years. 11 goals and 11 behinds in the match to score a record 11th flag.

AFL London stalwart and Raiders coach Craig Marshall played his last game to become the most successful Raider in the club’s history, having been involved in six premierships as player and coach.

He praised the work behind the scenes by Dan Prigmore, Nathan Costley and president Luke Fenney after the match.

run out 25-point winners.

It is the club’s first flag since joining AFL London in 2007 after the dissolution of the regional league.

Coach Travis White could not praise his charges enough after the game.

“This flag has been building for the last three years really,” he said.

“We’ve enjoyed good nights on the training track this year and had a good first final and finished it off today.

“We only run about a third Aussies and the rest are made up by GBs and euros.

“The foundation of the club, the guy who has kept the club running, is Adam Bennett.

“He’s just been a rock for us. He’s the one who’s held the club together.

“Hopefully this will help put our name out there. It’s hard for us to

recruit given we’re outside of London so hopefully now we’ll get a bit more recognition and it can be the start of something.”

Did you watch the AFL London Grand Finals? Tell us your thoughts at

AustralianTimes.co.uk/sport

Social: Reading 8.9 (57) to Balham 3.4 (22)

Reading turned it on in the middle two quarters, booting five goals to one, to

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Sport | 11

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THE

RUBDOWN Wallabies must overcome Kiwi rugby

Taking AFL for granted can be a costly mistake

By Will Denton They say the AFL season is a touch too long. And judging by the performances of a few sides this week, it seems ‘they’ might be onto something. As we strap in for the penultimate round of regular footy, several observations are blindingly obvious.

Firstly, a few teams decided that clinching a top 2 spot isn’t really that important. I’m looking at you Adelaide and Collingwood. Got a wee bit carried away did we?

Thought you would just rock up, have a bit of a kick to kick and look forward to a massage from that hot physio after the siren? Yep, both the Pies and Crows had handy leads, supreme confidence and two home finals within sniffing distance.

Unfortunately when you take the foot of the pedal and leave the hard stuff to your mate in any circumstance (tandem bike riding included) you will inevitably come unstuck.

It must be said though, the Kangaroo side that totally dismantled Collingwood after quarter time, were hungrier and more selfless than Buckley’s mob, and are now well on the way to having a big impact in September. Collingwood now faces the prospect of a marathon flight to Perth and a West Coast team -

that if they can stop the attempted manslaughter of their own teammates - might actually be able to field a decent squad. Luckily there were no witnesses viewing the match versus Port, so no charges have been laid.

Adelaide will have to front up against the might of Melbourne, fresh after an official AFL win over the Giants.

Apparently the AFL is investigating this ‘just to be sure’. Sydney look like they don’t want the season to end at all, as they simply toyed with the Dogs before casually going on to score their biggest score in five years. The win sees them perched firmly atop the ladder and looking like making it all the way to the big dance. Freo have snuck into the 8 this week after punishing Richmond for using the most pathetic war cry to rev themselves up before the do or die clash -‘YOLO’. I know most groovy kids are into social media in a big way but seriously, leave it out. I had more respect for you, Richmond. Nek Minnit…

Lastly, have to mention the Blues total annihilation of their best mates, Essendon. It was more than embarrassing for the Bombers as they meekly surrendered not only the match, but also the 2012 season. Ouch.

hoodoo to avoid Bledisloe heartache Continued from p12...

controversially walked out on the NRL’s Canterbury Bulldogs back in 2008.

Williams threw a forward pass in the opening minute which led to Australia taking a 3-0 lead from a subsequent scrum penalty, however the devastating No.12 made amends 12 minutes later when he ran a brilliant decoy for man-ofthe-match Dagg’s opener.

Beale failed to get to ground when he ran the ball midfield 40 metres out from his own line and then he made a meal of a cover-defending attempt on Dagg after Williams

and Carter had mesmerised the Wallabies inside men.

It only got worse for Beale - who made the most basic of errors eight minutes from halftime when he dropped a simple pass as he looked to clear the ball off his own line with no pressure on him whatsoever.

The out of sorts Melbourne Rebels No.15 was then left grasping at thin air again when Jane crossed from the scrum.

Dropped five-eighth Quade Cooper is sure to come under consideration for the rest of the Rugby Championship after Barnes struggled to get the Australian attack going in front of 76,877 fans.

Deans said the Wallabies would need to make a marked improvement after making “unacceptable” errors.

“It has to be, we have to be better.

That wouldn’t be too hard I don’t think,” said Deans.

“We spent too long in our own half, and then tried to play too much rugby at that end as well and you can’t do that against these blokes.”

Think your support is what’s missing from the Wallabies winning formula?

Don’t miss their UK match against Wales at Cardiff on 1 December.

AustralianTimes.co.uk/sport

AustralianTimes.co.uk/sport

Tumeke of Acton reign supreme in London

By Phillip Browne The weather gods were smiling on the London Tag Rugby community last Saturday with London producing a superb sunny 30 degree day with little wind for the 2012 London Tag Rugby Championships; the biggest event on the London Tag Rugby calendar!

28 teams descended on the East London Rugby club in West Ham to battle it out for the coveted title of who will be the best Tag Rugby team in London. Amongst the 28 teams were special guests, Bircroft Panthers & Panther Bears from Dublin as well as the Cyborg Sharpshooters from Reading.

However this year’s event belonged to Acton champions, Tumeke, as they opened their campaign with a strong 12-1 victory over Gladstone Park’s, Jerome Brecard’s No Stars Who Love Maree! They were up against Finsbury Park’s, Boom! in the second round and managed to secure a tight 6-5 win. The third round saw them put out another strong showing with an 18-2 victory over Wandsworth’s, Astroburn.

With only two teams going through the pool stages undefeated (Bircroft

Panthers & Tumeke), Acton’s premier team now had to face the much fancied Southfield Sharks in the semi finals.

Tumeke sealed an 8-2 triumph which was a lot closer than the score indicated and earned a place in the final against the Irish powerhouses, Bircroft Panthers.

In a nail biter of a final, Tumeke scored first and were never behind on the scoreboard but the Bircroft Panthers were always in it until the final whistle.

The final score ended up 4-3 to Tumeke who secured the 2012 London Tag Rugby Championship trophy!

In the Men’s division, Garlic Towers reigned supreme with a 4-2 defeat over Finsbury Park’s The Hardy Boyz in the final, whilst in the Mixed Social division the Panther Bears of Dublin were too strong for Reading’s Cyborg Sharpshooters with a 10-0 victory in the final.

To register for a Try Tag Rugby competition or event, go to www. trytagrugby.com or email info@ trytagrugby.com for more details.

AustralianTimes.co.uk/sport

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TUMEKE - CHAMPS OF LONDON New London Tag champions crowned P11

LIONS ROAR IN EPIC AFL LONDON GRAND FINAL n

Grand day for AFL in London as Lions, Raiders and Roos prevail in three thrilling grand finals involving five different Aussie Rules clubs.

By Lee Crossley THE AFL London season reached an epic climax at Motspur Park on Saturday with the Lions and Raiders winning the Premiership and Conference flags by a combined margin of just three points.

North London led Wandsworth all day in the Premiership division but it looked like the Demons, aided by the breeze, would run away with it in the last term before the Lions dug deep and held on for a one-point victory and a 2012 AFL London Grand Final win - 8.8 (56) to 8.7 (55).

The win marks a decade since the Lions’ last flag in 2002 and several members of that side were on hand to witness the thrilling result.

For Wandsworth, it was more heartbreak – the awesome season in which they dropped just one match went up in flames by the slightest of margins, consigning them to runners-up for the second year in a row.

Former Northern Bullant Luke Stevenson won the medal for best on ground with his dominant performance in the Lions’ midfield where he controlled the game’s tempo at crucial stages.

Brendan ‘Irish’ McGeever, Lions’ fullback, won best rest-of-world player, while Wandsworth halfback Simon Stewart won the prize for best from the losing side for his sweeping role across halfback.

In the Conference game, Shepherd’s Bush Raiders led by 32 points at three quarter-time before Regent’s Park came hard at them with the breeze.

Impressively, the Raiders resisted the Lions’ surge, and scored enough themselves to win 11.11 (77) to12.3 (75), the side’s eleventh flag in 12 years.

Raiders skipper Evan Scicluna was best on ground with several goals from the midfield while Levi Fernandez was adjudged best from the Lions.

Earlier, the Reading Roos won their first AFL London flag by beating Balham Hawks in the Social match, 8.9 (57) to 3.4 (22).

Sam Stranks, who plays in Oxford Uni’s AFL team part of the year, took

Image by Dewi Lewis

North London Lions are AFL London Premiers for 2012 best afield honours for his role in the Roos’ midfield, while onballer Greg Horgan was best for the Hawks.

Premiership: North London 8.8 (56) defeated Wandsworth 8.7 (55)

No one could have written a better script than what unfolded in the Premiership match.

The first half was tense, yes, but played as though both sides were holding something back, waiting for the other to stumble so the advantage could be seized (or perhaps the 31-degree heat was simply taking its toll).

The Lions took a two-point lead

into quarter-time after 42-year-old Kiwi Brian Chisholm set them alight with a brilliant running goal in the opening term. Chisholm’s brilliant four-quarter effort put him in the running for the best ROW on the day, only to be eclipsed by McGeever, who nullified Demons danger forward Mark Brescacin for three quarters.

The second term was scrappy with neither side again able to break free and establish a sizeable lead. The Lions got one goal, while holding Wandsworth to a meagre behind but all knew the third term would provide some fireworks.

As the sun refused to relent, players took their places in what was make or break. The tension was palpable – on

the sidelines and in the middle. Every contest mattered.

Just several minutes into the third term, the Demons were granted the opportunity they had been waiting for. When Lions onballer Luke Stevenson was knocked to the ground late by Demons ROW Eoin Ó Murchú, umpire Luke Shaw rushed to pay a 50-metre penalty almost immediately. However Lions skipper Courtney Shergold got involved, flooring the Irishman, which resulted in the North London captain being sin-binned for 25 minutes of playing time.

That should have been the moment that allowed the Demons back in, but ...continued on p10

All Blacks overpower Wallabies in Sydney

The Wallabies must win at their Eden Park graveyard on Saturday if they’re to keep alive hopes of stopping a 10-year Bledisloe Cup dynasty for New Zealand after falling 27-19 in the Rugby Championship opener at ANZ Stadium on Saturday night.

A string of attacking and defensive errors from fullback Kurtley Beale directly led to All Blacks flyers Israel Dagg and Corey Jane crossing for first-half tries and, despite having their opportunities and drawing the second half 9-9, the Wallabies weren’t able to bridge the gap.

The All Blacks were rusty at times and the Wallabies refused to give up.

But they were punished for an opening 40 minutes littered with mistakes as New Zealand took a giant stride towards holding onto the Bledisloe Cup which has been in their possession since 2003.

Dan Carter rubbed salt into the wounds after the siren, booting a penalty kick to rob Australia of a crucial bonus point in the first game of the inaugural fournation Rugby Championship.

Robbie Deans’s men must now break a 26-year hoodoo against the All Blacks at Auckland’s Eden Park and win the third Test in Brisbane on 20 October if they’re to pull off a miracle recovery against the World Cup champions.

Veteran forward Nathan Sharpe gave the Wallabies hope in the shadows of halftime when he crashed over to be 18-10 behind and three Berrick Barnes penalties in the second half, including one with five minutes remaining, kept the match within reach.

New Zealand’s Sonny Bill Williams had a mixed night in his much-anticipated return to ANZ Stadium after he ...continued on p11