1876 SCG Members Edition No.6

M E M BE R S E DI T ION S U M M E R 2023/24

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A night to remember: Life Member inductee Ken Arthurson and SCG chief executive Kerrie Mather at the event

{ FROM THE CEO }

On a perfect early summer evening in December, the Sydney Cricket Ground welcomed its 12 newest life members They grace a special wraparound cover of this edition of 1876, photographed by Phil Hillyard and Gregg Porteous, two people who have chronicled our grounds for the past 25 years and counting.

The 2023 inductees join the likes of Marlene Mathews, Ron Coote, Michael Cleary and Don Bradman in one of the most exclusive clubs in world sport, with a membership

of just 45. The new life members are Graham Arnold, Ken Arthurson, David Campese, Belinda Clark, Richard Colless, Glenn McGrath, Michael O’Loughlin, Nick Politis, Cheryl Salisbury, Basil Sellers, Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh.

Each of the inductees spoke about their connection to the ground and many recalled first impressions that were almost universally common to our broader membership. The little boy or girl watching cricket, rugby league, Australian rules, rugby union or football from over the fence. In most, it sparks a lifelong dedication to sport. In some, it sparks something even more special — the drive to one day earn the right to take to the field and represent your club or country.

The 12 inductees covered all of the sports that call the precinct home and, as well as recognising superstars who get the turnstiles ticking, four remarkable off-field contributors were among their ranks — a reminder

that to achieve excellence on the field, much needs to go right off it before, during and after.

Politis, Colless and Arthurson are three of the finest administrators in any Australian sport or club. Each has built clubs into dynasties and strengthened their sports beyond measure. And then there is Sellers, described by our chairman David Gallop quite correctly as the most generous person in Australian sport.

Special doesn’t do the occasion justice and while it may have been 15 years since the most recent group induction, it won’t be anywhere as long next time around.

I hope you enjoy 1876 and I look forward to seeing you at the grounds during the summer ahead.

Kind regards Kerrie K E R R I E M AT H E R Chief Executive Officer Sydney Cricket Ground and Venues NSW 1876

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INDEX

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48 58 Group general manager communications, heritage and community, Venues NSW Phillip Heads

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Publisher Elizabeth Meryment Art director Trevor Timms Subeditor Alistair Jones Contributors Neil Breen Matt Cleary Amy Davoren-Rose Andy Harper Phil Hillyard Jordan Laing Peter Lalor Hamilton Lund Iain Payten Gregg Porteous Cover and back page images Phil Hillyard 1876 is produced on Gadigal country. We pay our respects to elders past and present.

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12 | Brothers in arms Warner and Khawaja’s enduring SCG bond

16 | The SCG & me Nathan Lyon’s return to the special Sydney turf

20 | Calypso magic Iain Payten’s Top 5 Windies-in-Sydney moments

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22 | The most wonderful time of the year Country members’ annual pilgrimage

28 | Thanks & goodbye Farewelling the great Lance Franklin

34 | The afterglow Andy Harper on where to now for women’s football

46 | The interview Allianz Stadium interior designer Brooke Lloyd

48 | H ealthy balance Perfect your yoga poses

58 | Light fantastic 2024 is Paris’s year

60 | For life A night to remember

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Welcome, legends They are the cream of Australian sport and now they are also life members of the SCG. At a special function held on December 6 in front of the Members and Ladies pavilions, 12 new inductees were honoured, taking the ranks to 45.

The new life members are Graham Arnold (football), Ken Arthurson (rugby league), David Campese (rugby union), Belinda Clark (cricket), Richard Colless (Australian rules), Glenn McGrath (cricket), Michael O’Loughlin (Australian rules), Nick Politis (rugby league), Cheryl Salisbury (football), Basil Sellers

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(philanthropy), Mark Taylor (cricket) and Steve Waugh (cricket).

All 12 inductees attended the event and were presented with their life membership badges by existing life members: sprint legend Marlene Mathews, rugby league great Ron Coote and triple international – rugby, rugby league and athletics – Michael Cleary. The event was attended by NSW Minister for Sport Steve Kamper, Venues NSW chairman David Gallop and chief executive officer Kerrie Mather.

Matildas hero Salisbury and present Socceroos coach Arnold are the first football life members,

while long-serving Sydney Swans chairman Colless and premiership winner O’Loughlin are the first from the Swans to be honoured.

Three of Australia’s greatest cricket captains in Clark, Taylor and Waugh were recognised for feats on the field and significant ongoing contributions off it. Fast bowler McGrath was honoured as much for the McGrath Foundation’s partnership with Sydney’s New Year’s Test, which continues to help families all around Australia, as he was for his career on the field.

Sellers, Australian sport’s most generous man, was recognised for

his support of sport and the arts, particularly cricket, the Sydney Swans and the sculpture project that carries his name in the SCG precinct.

Campese, the most exciting rugby union player of his era, now joins fellow Wallabies all-time greats Trevor Allan, Ken Catchpole, Sir Nicholas Shehadie and Col Windon.

Two of rugby league’s most influential administrators were elevated to life membership — Arthurson for his leadership of the game as the long-time chairman of the Australian Rugby League and NSW Rugby League, and Roosters chairman Politis,

who has been a part of that club since 1976 and its chairman for three decades and counting.

“When I look at these names, we are talking about the best of the best,” Kamper says. “The players and athletes who captured our imaginations. The champions that forged a new path. The stalwarts that built clubs and codes into the powerhouses they are today. As well as those whose generosity and philanthropy has given so much to our wider community.”

The 2023 group induction is the third, following those in 2000 and in 2008. Alongside Mathews,

Coote and Cleary, the new inductees join a distinguished list of life members whose names include Allan, Catchpole, Windon and Shehadie, as well as Patrick Hill, Sir Roden Cutler, Arthur Morris, Betty Cuthbert, Marjorie Jackson Nelson, Richie Benaud, Sir Donald Bradman, Bill Brown, Alan Davidson, Neil Harvey, Keith Miller, Norman O’Neill, Bob Simpson, Doug Walters, Reg Gasnier, Keith Holman, Arthur Beetson, Bob Fulton, Noel Kelly, Graeme Langlands, Bob McCarthy, Norm Provan, John Raper, Arthur Summons, Rodney Cavalier and Anthony Shepherd.

SCG Life Members old and new: from left, Marlene Mathews, Michael Cleary, Ken Arthurson, David Campese, Michael O’Loughlin, Mark Taylor, Belinda Clark, Steve Waugh, Glenn McGrath, Cheryl Salisbury, Nick Politis, Graham Arnold, Basil Sellers, Richard Colless, Rodney Cavalier, Ron Coote Pictures: Gregg Porteous, Phil Hillyard

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Steve Smith spices up the Sydney smash It will be an exciting summer for short-game cricket fans, with Steve Smith confirming he will play in the Big Bash League for the Sydney Sixers. Smith is expected to don the magenta for the game on January 12 at the Sydney Cricket Ground against the Sydney Thunder.

“I’m an original, [I was] a part of the first squad and really enjoyed my time playing last year for the five games and the finals that I played,” Smith says. “So I’m keen to get out there again. It’s great to be back in the Sixers shirt. I’ve got some really fond memories playing for the Sixers.”

The Sixers will be at home at the SCG during December and January, with games also on December 22 (against Adelaide Strikers) and Boxing Day (against Melbourne Stars). Smith will be unavailable for these fixtures due to Test duties but will return once the series against Pakistan concludes.

Smith was a star of the T20 format last year, smashing an extraordinary 346 runs in five innings, including back-to-back centuries.

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Change at the top 170, not out When NSW take on Victoria in the Sheffield Shield from February 16, it will mark 170 years since the first recorded match at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

In 1854, the Garrison Cricket Club hosted the Royal Victoria Club “on the ground at the back of the Victoria Barracks”. The Garrison team won by a single run, bowling out the Royal Victoria Club for just 16 runs in their second innings.

Just two years prior, Colonel Henry Bloomfield had secured 20 acres of land for the 11th North Devonshire Regiment to establish a cricket ground and gardens. The SCG was first called the Garrison Ground, then the Military and Civil Ground, before being known as the Association Ground when the first Trustees were appointed in 1876.

It wasn’t until 1894 that Sydney Cricket Ground was in regular use.

Full flight: Above, Steve Smith in action against Sydney Thunder in January 2023; above right, David Gallop; left, the Sydney Cricket Ground photographed on February 3, 1892 Pictures: Phil Hillyard; National Library of Australia

David Gallop, a well-known and respected sports administrator, has joined Venues NSW as chairman.

Gallop took over the role in August from former NSW Premier Morris Iemma, who stepped down because of personal health reasons.

Mr Gallop is a past CEO of the National Rugby League, Football Federation Australia, and currently serves as a director of several

organisations, including Cricket NSW. Mr Gallop first visited the SCG as a 10-year-old to watch Test cricket, and was in the crowd when Newtown beat St George 1-0 in 1973, a scoreline that has never been repeated.

Gallop has been a regular attendee throughout his life. He has held membership since he first qualified as a junior member.

Top knock remembered Greg Chappell’s Test cricket career ended how it began – with a century.

It was 40 years ago this summer – January 2, 1984 – that Chappell played his final Test for Australia in the New Year’s Test at the SCG against Pakistan. By innings’ end, everyone was left wondering why the second brother from the famed cricketing family was retiring after his effortless, typically Chappellesque knock of 182.

Chappell’s career began 13 years earlier with a century on debut at

the WACA ground in Perth. It was befitting such a magnificent player that his career was bookended with Test hundreds.

In a curious twist, Chappell’s 182 in 1984 was the second time he had made the identical score at the SCG, having previously notched up 182 not out in the 1976 Test against the West Indies.

In an emotional SCG swan song, Chappell finished his international career on the same day as great mates Rod Marsh and Dennis Lillee.

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{ N R L H A L L O F FA M E }

For the love of the game AN ESTEEMED SPORTS WRITER AND THE SAVIOUR OF SOUTHS ARE HONOURED

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ne of journalist Ian Heads’s formative memories dates back 73 years, to a game played at none other than the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Heads was then just a lad, and his memory is of the famous 1950 rugby league Ashes Test contested in driving rain on Australian sport’s most famous ground.

“That single drowned day changed the direction of my life,” Heads recalled in recent years, writing in this magazine. “[It lead] me down a path on which I became a faithful follower of the game of rugby league with its mix of rawness and skills – and of my local side, the Tricolours … and eventually into the newspaper world and the sportswriting caper where I remain, now and then, to this day.”

Heads was one of two legends this year inducted into the National Rugby League Hall of Fame for their outstanding contributions to the game.

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In July, he joined player great, and South Sydney’s fiercest stalwart, George Piggins, in receiving the recognition at a ceremony at the SCG. Piggins was honoured not only for his stellar playing career at the Rabbitohs but also as a coach and an administrator of the game.

Piggins played 112 games for Souths, after debuting for the club in 1967. He won a premiership in 1971, and later coached the team to three finals series between 1986 and 1990.

He was the club’s chairman from 1990 to 2003.

For many, he is best known as “the man who saved South Sydney”. Indeed, his unrelenting and ultimately victorious campaign during 2000-2001 to earn Souths a glorious recall to the NRL after being dumped from the competition during the Super League peace settlement with the establishment has earned him a special place in the hearts of many Sydneysiders.

“There’s no one else in the world

Respect and stamina: NRL Hall of Fame inductee Ian Heads, above, and George Piggins, inset Pictures: NRL

who could have done what he did to save the great club of South Sydney,” says his nephew, former NRL star Braith Anasta.

Heads, meanwhile, has had a distinguished career writing about the game, having worked for The Daily Telegraph, The Sunday Telegraph, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Sun-Herald and Rugby League Week. He has also written more than 50 books and biographies.

“The words I most associate with Ian are integrity, decency and respect,” says league historian David Middleton.

The event at the SCG was attended by Piggins, with his wife Nolene, while Heads was represented by his wife Joy and son Phillip.

As The Sydney Morning Herald’s Adrian Proszenko noted of the inductees: “When George Piggins was involved in some of the most pivotal moments in rugby league history, Ian Heads ensured they were appropriately chronicled.”

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is calling...

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Brothers in arms WANT TO WIN A TEST AT THE SCG? SELECT A COUPLE OF LOCAL LADS WITH A POINT TO PROVE WORDS: PETER LALOR

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t what point in its life cycle is the present team, the holder of the ICC World Test Championship? It has been a relatively stable ensemble for some time now, the odd coming and going, but essentially the same personnel. Mostly sides evolve, though sometimes it feels as if a line has been drawn between one era and another. That one leaf falls and soon the others follow.

Certainly that was the case when Glenn McGrath draped an arm over Shane Warne’s shoulder as the pair made their way back to the Australian dressing room at the Sydney Cricket Ground for the last time back in January 2007. Justin Langer had slipped out a side exit, Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden would be gone

soon and so too that magic time that had seen these giants roam the earth.

There’s some of that at hand this summer. There was a sense, when head selector George Bailey announced that the squad for the Pakistan series was essentially the same group that had won the ICC World Test Championship, that this would not be the situation for much longer.

David Warner gave fair warning that it was his aim to retire from Test cricket, just like the trio 17 years before, after the Sydney Test. Warner is one of the locals. He was born up the hill at the old women’s hospital on Glenmore Road, Paddington, his first family home was in the area around the SCG. Teammate Usman Khawaja was one of his neighbours.

Khawaja in action at the SCG in 2022; and, inset, Khawaja and Warner have been friends since childhood Pictures: Phil Hillyard AAP

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“I don’t remember it, but the first house we lived in was in Poate Road behind the Sydney showgrounds,” Warner says. “I’m not sure where Usman lived at that point, but we were literally on the nearest residential road to the SCG. Something must have got into my blood.

“Dad had grown up in Glebe and mum was from the Paddington area. They met when mum was 18 or 19 and they got married when they were young. I suppose, at least in terms of geography, me marrying a Maroubra girl [Warner’s wife Candice] was similar.”

When the Warner family moved down Anzac Parade to Matraville, they made the most of the new surrounds.

“Our backyard was narrow, but about 15 metres long and my older brother Steve was good enough to play me if none of the other kids were around,” Warner says.

“Unfortunately I was always the one bowling because he was an opening batter and I could never get him out ... If I did get him out he would knock me over pretty quickly in the early days and I reckon those tough lessons he taught me were part of the reason my batting improved.

“Later, when Usman and I started playing in teams together and making rep teams, I remember him coming in the car with my family to the games. We are obviously different people but we loved batting and cricket and talking about the game. In Usman I found a bit of a fellow traveller. There’s a few around who might share the drive you have as a kid but over the years they move on. Usman never did. He was always there and if he is there when my Test playing days come to an end this summer that will be pretty special.”

Khawaja is the same age as Warner and has not signalled an exit point and why would he? He thought he’d been retired when dropped in 2019 and every match he has played since returning to the side for the Ashes Test at the SCG in 2022 has been a bonus for him and us. As we all remember, he made two centuries in that match at his old “home ground” and has made another five since, including in Pakistan, India and more recently England.

Last summer, back here at the ground where he made his debut, he notched up his fourth Sydney century when rain interrupted his innings against South Africa but not his concentration. Only Ricky Ponting has more Test hundreds at this ground.

“I grew up just up the road,” Usman said that day. “My family is here watching and obviously my new family with Rachael and my two kids are here. It’s just a very nice feeling. I’ve got friends in the crowd, it’s where I grew up. So it’s always an honour to score runs here.”

Khawaja has spoken about his live-wire friend, how they would play “classic catches” against the wall while their brothers played a game. “Davey”, he recalls, was throwing himself around, diving in front of everyone, while Usman hung back and cleaned up the scraps.

Without being disrespectful to Khawaja, because he has hung on to a few screamers in recent years, not much has changed. Warner is, as he ever was, a live wire on the field. The player who wants the ball.

During last year’s Ashes in the UK the pair would sit at

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the front of the bus and could be seen cackling at in-jokes that perhaps date back to the old days.

“He knows I have a lot of care and a lot of love for him, so if I do say anything to him, if I’m serious about it, he knows it’s coming from a good place,” Khawaja says.

“Davey, I’ve found, is one of the most loyal people you’ll ever meet.”

Both are fathers now and moving into another phase of their lives, but as Warner revealed in a recent social media post, they are still brothers of a kind.

“Childhood brothers, now fathers and I could not be any more proud of Usman Khawaja’s comeback,” Warner says. “Grew up playing the game we love together and against, but now back in the same team living our dreams together as fathers. This is what dreams are made of, sharing it with your family and closest friends.”

When the cricket world turned its back on Warner in the wake of the sandpaper scandal, Khawaja was one of the few who stood up for him in public and in the dressing room.

Warner has played 11 Tests at the SCG and averages 50 at his home ground while just 43 across his career.

He scored centuries here in 2015 against India, in 2016 against the West Indies, in 2017 against Pakistan and then was back with another against the Kiwis in 2020.

It is hard to forget that 2017 century, Warner racing out of the blocks with a pair of boundaries in the first over and reaching 100 from 78 balls in the first session. The feat has only been achieved five times in cricket.

Khawaja, too, has profited from playing in what was also his “backyard”. His Test career began here in the 2010-2011 Ashes series, flourished with a magnificent 171 in the 2017-2018 Ashes and then on that emotional return to the side and the SCG when he scored centuries in each innings of the next Ashes contest.

Khawaja clearly has a thing about playing England at this ground but his 195 not out last summer against South Africa suggests it is not exclusive. He averages an extraordinary 130.8 at his home ground, considerably more than the still respectable 47.2 at other venues.

Australian cricket is better when the Test team is populated by cricketers local to the SCG. Other states, Victoria in particular, have suggested that anyone who plays for

NSW has been given an easy path to the national side. But the cold hard facts of the matter are that Australia wins more matches when it has more Blue Baggers in the side.

Crickonomics: The Anatomy of Modern Cricket, by sport management professor Stefan Szymanksi and journalist Tim Wigmore, crunches the numbers on the make-up of the successful Australian sides and finds that if you want to have the best chance of winning, you need to have a Warner, a Khawaja, a Smith, a Starc, a Cummins and a Hazlewood — or at least have that many cricketers from NSW in the team.

“On average, the Australian men’s Test team contains 4.4 players born in NSW. When the side contained four or fewer NSW players, the probability of winning was 43 per cent, the probability of a draw was 27 per cent and the probability of defeat was 30 per cent,” the authors write.

“But when the team contained five or more NSW players, the probability of winning was 51 per cent, the probability of a draw was 25 per cent and the probability of defeat was only 24 per cent.”

It all adds up.

Running hot: from left, Warner and Khawaja in action at the SCG; and the players with members of their families Pictures: Phil Hillyard

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The

SCG &me FOR SPIN STAR NATHAN LYON, THERE’S NOTHING LIKE PLAYING ON THAT SPECIAL SYDNEY TURF

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hen I was a kid growing up in Young, I became fascinated, obsessed even, with the Sydney Cricket Ground. It was a four-hour drive from where we lived and my brother Brendan and I were lucky because Mum and Dad would spoil us and take us to a one-dayer every summer. I’d sit in the Bill O’Reilly stand and would look at the ground and be amazed by the gleaming look of the pitch and the green turf all around. I’d think to myself all the time — and I mean all of the time — that it would be incredible to play there.

As it turned out, my start to international cricket happened quite quickly and I hadn’t played much first-class cricket before I was playing for Australia. I made my Test debut in Sri Lanka in August 2011, and five months later I was playing my ninth Test at the SCG in January 2012, against India.

Amazingly, it was the first time I had played on the ground.

It’s kind of unbelievable that my first game on the ground that I spent my childhood dreaming about playing on was a Test against India. Here I was bowling to Sachin Tendulkar when a few years earlier I had been sitting up in the stand in awe of the place.

Mum and Dad and my aunties and uncles and Grandma all came.

I’ve now played 12 Tests at the SCG and, over the years, that’s what has 1876

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been so special for me — to have them there. I’ve played all over the world but there’s nothing like playing in front of all your family.

Over those years, there’s been a lot of runs in SCG Tests. For us bowlers, getting a “five-for” has been hard. There’s been plenty of hundreds and not many five-fors.

In my time, I know Ben Hilfenhaus got one (2012) and Ryan Harris, too (2014). It always drove me to get a five-for on the ground and see my name go up on the honour board, alongside Shane Warne and all the famous names.

I had tried, and then it all happened in 2020. In the first innings against New Zealand, I got a five-for and then did it again in the second innings for 10 in the match. Believe me, I want to get my name on the board a few more times. I’m not done by a long way.

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Of all the moments I’ve had at the ground, my favourite was in 2013. Mike Hussey was the custodian of leading the team song, Under the Southern Cross I Stand, after a Test win. He was playing his last Test that day and, as is tradition, the custodian has to choose a new custodian to pass the honour to. He chose me, and I’ll never forget the feeling I had.

We always chant it in the dressing room but, a year later, we won at the SCG to beat England 5-0 in the Ashes. I asked Michael Clarke if we could do it right then and there out on the ground and he said, “Go for it”. So we did. It was lifetimememory stuff. Don’t worry, we did it again later in the dressing room at about midnight. I love those times, when it is just us and we belt it out.

The New Year’s Test to me is tradition and you don’t mess with

Hallowed be thy name: clockwise from above, Lyon in action at the SCG against the West Indies in 2016; at the SCG ahead of the 2023/2024 summer; with David Warner at a Sydney training session Previous page: In action against England in the Ashes series at the SCG, 2002 Pictures: Phil Hillyard

tradition. I hear the talk and see the stories that maybe the Tests will move around during the summer and the New Year’s Test could be at a different ground. I’d hate for that to happen. You can’t move the Boxing Day Test from the Melbourne Cricket Ground, and you can’t move the New Year’s Test from the SCG. The game is built on traditions like those.

And I am hoping to be around for many more of them.

I am never putting a number on it, or a date on when I’ll give it away. Why would you want it to end? Not when you can play on the ground you stared at — and dreamed about playing on — from the stands as a kid. The ground my parents took my brother and I to. The ground my parents then watched me play Test cricket on.

I love the place.

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T H E SW E AT BA N D G A M E ( 19 9 3 )

Dean Jones was a swashbuckler prepared to take on most challenges.

But even his teammates were questioning his sanity when he asked the umpires to order Curtly Ambrose to remove the white sweatbands from his bowling arm at the Sydney Cricket Ground in January 1993 in a World Series Cup final. The fearsome West Indies pace bowler was miffed and proceeded to try and pummel Jones, who already had a broken thumb. Even batting partner Mark Taylor said, “What are you doing?”.

Ambrose finished with 5-32 as the West Indies won the first final, and later won the series, too.

M A S T E RB L A S T E R- C L A S S ( 19 8 9 )

CALYPSO MAGIC THE WEST INDIES HAVE HAD SOME LEGENDARY PERFORMANCES AT THE SCG. IAIN PAYTEN LISTS HIS TOP 5

With no helmet, some chewing gum and that famous swagger, Viv Richards made the SCG one of his favourite grounds, averaging almost 50 in one-dayers at the venue. He scored 103 not out in Sydney in 1985, but arguably his most memorable knock was a 40-ball 60 in the third final at the SCG in 1989. In an era where 50-overs cricket still saw slow scoring compared with today’s T20 fireworks, Richards went off as the West Indies chased a rain-revised target of 111 in 18 overs. He hit six fours and three sixes, and the visitors cruised to yet another Tri-Series win.

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ALLAN B O R D E R’S H E ROIC STA N D ( 19 8 5 )

Picture a summer’s day in the mid-1980s at the SCG with Australia taking on the dominant West Indies and the hill cheering on Allan Border as he defiantly held off Joel Garner, Michael Holding and Malcolm Marshall. So it was in the first final of the 1984-1985 World Series Cup when the West Indies’ fearsome pace trio stormed in and scared the life out of everyone. But not Border.

The captain came in at 2-7, scoring an unbeaten 127 from 140 balls – a career-high – and helped Australia post a defendable 247 to win the opening final. Alas, the Calypso Kings went on to win the series 2-1.

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M I C H A E L B E VA N ’ S L A S T - B A L L F O U R ( 19 9 6 )

Every now and then a batting or bowling performance is so memorable it gets embedded in the national pysche. One such moment was Michael Bevan hitting a four on the last ball to secure a win for Australia in a day-night game on New Year’s Day, 1996. Bevan came to the crease with Australia in strife at 4-32, chasing the West Indies’ rain-affected total of 179.

The stylish left-hander confirmed his reputation as a clutch 50-over finisher by steadily piling on the runs and keeping the tail-enders by his side. Roger Harper seemed to get the West Indies to a winning spot in the last over, leaving the home side needing a four off the final ball. But Bevan (78 not out) hit straight back over his head for a famous boundary and victory.

LET THERE BE L I G H T ( 19 7 8 )

The first day-night cricket played in Australia was at the SCG in 1978, when Australia faced the West Indies in a World Series Cricket (WSC) 50-overs clash. Under the glare of six brand-new light towers and with WSC players still wearing whites, Australia prevailed courtesy of a strong knock by Ian Chappell.

The crowd was listed as 44,377 but more than 50,000 were there, after WSC boss Kerry Packer famously ordered the SCG gates be thrown open. The match turned the tide in cricket’s civil war, too. The success of the game helped swing popular support behind the WSC rebels, and within a year, peace had been struck with the Australian Cricket Board.

Australia vs the West Indies One-Day International, Sydney Cricket Ground, Sunday, February 4, 2024

S M O O T H A S Smooth as JORDAN SILK IS SET TO THRILL FANS IN FOUR BBL GAMES AT THE SCG THIS SUMMER WORDS: IAIN PAYTEN

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hen a Big Bash League rival is playing at the Sydney Cricket Ground and a ball is thumped high into the night sky, Sydney Sixers’ fans instinctively hold their breath. And when they see Jordan Silk gliding across the outfield to the landing spot, they exhale again. And maybe even head to the bar.

They don’t even need to see Silk take the catch – that’s a given. Such is the brilliance of Silk in the field, the 31-year-old has not only been one of the Sixers’ most consistent performers during the past decade, he’s become a cult hero as well.

Silk made his debut in 2013 and has been a mainstay in the Sixers’ magenta for the past 11 seasons. And Sydney fans have lost count of all the magical moments the former Penrith junior has displayed in the SCG outfield, helping Sydney stay a perennial powerhouse of the BBL. Whether he’s taking spectacular running catches, diving catches, whipping in a run out or flying like Superman to bat a certain six into the field of play, Silk’s spectacular athleticism has earned fan favourite status.

Crowds gather just to watch the middle-order batsman do his fielding drills in the pre-game warm-ups.

“We are constantly practising difficult catches, catches on the run, catches into the sun and lights, things like that,” Silk says of the Sixers’ preparation.

“Knowing I have done the work and I have caught the hardest ball possible in a warm-up or at training fills me with so much confidence that when I step on to the field and a ball goes up, I feel I am at a stage where I am extremely comfortable and less nervous than what I would have been earlier in my career.

Safe pair of hands: Jordan Silk in action at the SCG Picture: Phil Hillyard

“Our team in general has been known to be a very strong fielding outfit. It’s easy to buy into that when everyone is really committed to making us the best fielding team possible. I would like to think I have played a small part in driving some of those standards,” he says.

Silk is not only a fielder, of course. In recent seasons he’s been an ultra-reliable late-innings batsmen too, and the right-hander was second on the Sixers’ averages list last season, behind Steve Smith.

Another strong season from Silk will be essential in the shortened 2023-2024 season, which has been trimmed down in length by Cricket Australia to fit into the summer holidays. The BBL has returned to a 44-game season (down from 56 during the past five years) and with Sydney playing only four home games at the SCG, the Sixers know they will have to make the most of their traditional fortress.

“We know when we are on top, the crowd is definitely a 12th man for us,” Silk says. “It has given us an edge over the years and that may be a factor in getting some big crowds this year, the limited number of home games this season. In the past we have started a little slow so we will have to get that right from the start of the season and make sure we are good to go from game one.”

A powerful motivator for Silk is the painful memory of crashing out of the finals at home last season. After the Sixers played impressively to finish second on the ladder, they lost a first final in Perth against the Scorchers and then had to beat the Brisbane Heat at the SCG to progress to the final. But after winning their previous 10 games at home – and 22 of 25 SCG games during the past five years – the Sixers ended their season with a rare loss.

“It was a super disappointing night — one of our poorer performances that I have been a part of with the Sixers. I just remember the feeling afterwards was, ‘How did we let that opportunity slip?’,” says Silk.

“That’s the thing about the BBL. You almost get a full year to reflect on it and think about where it went wrong, and push on to hopefully a bigger season ahead.”

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It’s the most wonderful time of the year FOR MANY COUNTRY MEMBERS, THE JANUARY PILGRIMAGE TO THE SCG IS A RITUAL THAT UNITES GENERATIONS OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS IN CHERISHED TRADITION WORDS: MATT CLEARY

N

orman Bull was in the top deck of the Members Pavilion with his father when Don Bradman strode out to bat in his last match at the Sydney Cricket Ground on February 26, 1949. The game was a testimonial for WA ‘Bert’ Oldfield and AF ‘Alan’ Kippax. The talk of the time was that the NSW Cricket Association wouldn’t grant Bradman a testimonial game because he’d gone to play for South Australia. Plus, he’d already had one in Melbourne.

Six-year-old Bull didn’t care about any of that. He’d driven eight hours with his father from their farm in Narrandera in the Riverina region of NSW. He had never seen so many people. It was a wonder. He can’t remember how many runs the Don scored that day, but he has never forgotten being there.

Although he has witnessed the batting of Bradman, Neil Harvey, Gary Sobers and Viv Richards, Bull says the best thing he has seen at the SCG, “without a doubt”, was when Steve Waugh brought up a 100 on the last ball of the day, January 3, 2003 — a feat that equalled Bradman’s record of 29 Test centuries.

“I was in the Noble stand, bottom deck, with some friends,” Bull recalls. “There was a pretty big crowd. And when he came through and hit that boundary, honestly, everyone jumped up in the air and the grandstand nearly went up with them.”

Bull hasn’t made it to the cricket every year. Sometimes he has had something else on. But mostly he’s there each January, even with floods and fires to navigate. “But we’ve usually worked around them,” he says with a grin.

“It’s pretty important to get there, you know.”

Bull is 80 and still working with his sons and grandsons on their wheat and sheep property at Narrandera. He quips that he’s working harder than all of them. He’s “90 per cent sure” he’ll be down again for the Pakistan Test in January, his 21st Test match in a row.

“I love the batting. I think it takes the most skill in sport. More so than footballers, in my opinion. And it’s an occasion when you meet a lot of people. I look forward to that 1876

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and sharing the event with them. I’ve been bringing a mate every year as one of my guests but unfortunately he died a few months ago, so I’m going to have to find another mate.”

Shouldn’t be too hard, though? “No, I’ll be right,” he says. “I’ll be right.”

Bull watches cricket from the MA Noble Don Bradman Dally Messenger Stand, but for Swans games he prefers the same top deck of the Members Pavilion where he first watched Bradman. He was also there the night Lance Franklin kicked his 1000th goal.

“You feel like you’re on top of the ground from there,” Bull says. “A lot of [members] have switched to the Noble stand where the facilities are better for the cricket. But for the football, you’re not sitting there for days on end.

The Members stand, for two hours, it’s a great spot.”

O

n the night before each Test match at the SCG, the SCG Trust hosts a drinks and nibbles function for its country members. In 40 years as a member, Andrew McDonald of Trangie, an hour west of Dubbo, had never been. But in January, his 21-year-old son Angus said to his dad, “Let’s go”. The drinks were at the gleaming new Allianz Stadium that many had never seen. And thus it drew upwards of 500 people, the biggest crowd in the event’s history.

Welcoming the country members was the then Venues NSW chairman Tony Shepherd, who thanked everyone for coming and said the Sydney Cricket and Sports Grounds loved its country members because they tended to have a wicked sense of humour.

“He told this story about three guys from Trangie who used to drink in a bar in the Members,” McDonald says. “One day, one of these blokes brought in a framed photo of himself and his two mates and he nailed it up on the wall in between all the old photos of historical happenings. And the photo stayed up there for the five days of the Test.”

The trio returned a year later and were delighted to find the photo was still up. For another five days they took photos of themselves in front of the photo, posing with beers. Another 12 months passed. The trio ascended the stairs to the bar. And there, still, was the photo of three mates from Trangie, sharing space with black-and-whites of legends such as Keith Miller, Richie Benaud and Neil Harvey.

“So, Tony Shepherd was telling this story about this bloke from Trangie, Angus McDonald, when my son pointed at my head and yelled out to Tony and this crowd of 500 people: ‘That’s his dad. That’s my grandad’,” McDonald said. “The three in the photo were my father, Angus, George Mack and Anthony Croudace, farmers and graziers from Trangie. It came down eventually.”

The first Test match McDonald saw was in 1976 when

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Clockwise from top: Neil Harvey, Alan Davidson and Richie Benaud in 1963 walking onto the SCG; Shane Warne in full flight at the SCG in 2017; the country members snapshot that hung on the wall for days, with Angus McDonald, at right

Greg Chappell scored 182. He was there eight years later for Chappell’s last Test when, again, he scored 182.

Jeff Thomson took a diving catch like Glenn McGrath’s in Adelaide to get Deryck Murray out and “brought the house down”.

McDonald became an SCG member in his 20s and saw Chappell score a double century against India in 1981. Sitting next to McDonald that day by chance was Chappell’s wife, Judith, who was quietly amused when Doug Walters received a bigger standing ovation from the crowd while walking off for 67 than Chappell received when he scored 204. “He was popular in Sydney, Dougie,” McDonald says.

The SCG was popular with the McDonalds, too. Andrew’s wife Yvette became a member and so did all three kids, Anthea, Holly and Angus (whose middle name is Bradman).

The whole family was at Waugh’s final Test in 2004.

McDonald’s greatest memory, as it is for many, is also Waugh’s last-ball 100 against England in 2003. “I took a mate out that day, it was his first ever day watching Test cricket and he hasn’t been back since,” McDonald says.

And McDonald was there in 1998 when Shane Warne bowled Jacques Kallis to claim his 300th wicket. He has a framed photo of the scene with the Members Pavilion clock nudging 7pm under dark skies.

Through his father’s connection to former Delhi batter Venkat “Sandy” Sundaram, McDonald played with the Cricketers Club of NSW, whose home ground was SCG No.2 (since encompassed by Sydney Football Stadium). One day the pair put on an impressive 108-run partnership (of which McDonald made 17) with the tall Chappell-esque Sundaram blasting away from one end while McDonald stood at the non-striker’s and watched the wood-chopping at the nearby Royal Easter Show.

Today, McDonald’s kids are regulars at Swans and Big Bash League games and love taking their friends out. The magic is still there for their dad, too. “It still takes your breath away every time you walk into it,” he says. “It’s a privilege to be a part of it. For country people, we don’t get the opportunity to do that very often. I think that’s why we make a trip of it. You’ve got to make the most of it.”

D

avid Johnston has two distinct and very fine memories of the SCG, which unlike most members took place inside the boundary ropes.

In 1967, aged 12, Johnston came down from Maitland, along with a bunch of NSW country kids, when invited to stay at the SCG for a week-long cricket clinic. And by stay at the SCG, that’s what they meant.

“We slept in the Members stand on fold-out canvas army beds,” Johnston says. “We showered in the players’ dressing rooms. We were coached by some of the great players of the time – Brian Taber and Peter Philpott, who became a beloved mentor.”

At the end of the week Johnston, along with a kid from Albury called Steve Rixon, was chosen to play in the Country versus City match that would take place – to Johnston’s unmitigated joy – on the centre wicket of the SCG. And there he scored 127 not out. “And I thought,” Johnston says, “this is all right.”

Johnston’s dad, a cricket tragic, had built a pitch in the family backyard using the same Bulli soil that made the centre-wicket at the SCG. He’d roll it every day. And Johnston and his mates played on it endlessly. Johnston would become good enough to play 14 first-class games for NSW. He once scored 81 against Queensland at the SCG but his other greatest memory was when he faced up to a legend.

“I played against the great Dennis Lillee in a Sheffield Shield match,” Johnston says. “He was beautiful to watch. Rhythm, pace, an athlete. He was a presence on the field – open shirt, gold chains. He was magnificent.”

Did he get Johnston out? “Of course he did. Twice! The second time was LBW. He did that big appeal, the two fingers up, half squatted down. Rod Marsh came up to me afterwards and said, ‘Bad luck mate, wasn’t out’.”

Johnston lives today in the Newcastle beach suburb of Merewether, not far from his friend and former captain, Rick McCosker. Johnston was 12th man in a match when McCosker, opening the innings for NSW, scored two unbeaten centuries and was on the field for every ball of the four-day match.

“Afterwards, I offered to drive him home for the three-hour trip back to Newcastle. I figured he’d be a bit

Previous page: clockwise from main, Steve Waugh’s famous last-ball century in 2003; Steve Gay, at far right, on his annual pilgrimage to the ground with his mates from the Dubbo Kangaroos; Andrew McDonald and family featured in Dubbo’s The Examiner for attending Waugh’s last Test Pictures: Phil Hillyard, News Ltd

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tired. But he wanted to drive home, too,” he says. “Tough man, Rick.”

M

egan Raadsma’s friends and family rarely need to ring or text one another about where to catch up during the Sydney Test match each year, so long have they enjoyed it. “We all sit in different spots during the game,” Raadsma says. “But we know where we’re going to meet up at lunch, at tea, before the match, afterwards. Same spots, different year.”

Raadsma’s people come from everywhere – across Sydney, Cowra, Mollymook. She comes down each year from Black Head, north of Forster-Tuncurry on the NSW mid-north coast. The Sydney Test is where they all meet up, often for the one time each year.

“It’s just been the most fantastic place to catch up,” she says. “We all just know that we’ll meet up for a drink at some point. It’s always a perfect get together for cousins, aunties, friends. I used to live and work on an agricultural research station in Trangie and all those guys I worked with will come down and they’ll know where we’ll be.”

Aside from the social aspect, Raadsma loves the cricket. She also counts Waugh’s last-ball century and Matthew Hayden’s 300 against Zimbabwe as highlights.

“Another time, Dean Jones was on the boundary and I got him to sign some little bats for my children,” she says.

“He was fielding at the time so didn’t have long to chat, but he was very accommodating.”

Raadsma laughs with self-deprecation at why she likes being a member.

“It’s almost a snobby thing, ‘Oh yes, we’re members, you know’ [laughs]. But seriously, there’s a lovely ethos or something about the place. I love taking new friends.

It’s just a nice, well-mannered atmosphere.”

W

hen Steve Gay, 41, travels from Dubbo to Sydney for the Test match each year, he feels like the town comes to the big smoke with him. On the plane he’ll see people he knows. In the pub he’ll see people he knows. In the queue for a beer at the Long Bar, he’ll meet an old mate from Dubbo.

Gay is a creature of habit. If it’s not broken, don’t fix it. Every year he travels with the same group of mates (teammates from Dubbo Roos), stays in the same motel in Bondi Junction and drinks in the same Lord Nelson Hotel. They eat at the same Chinese restaurant in Neutral Bay. To mix it up, they might go to the races at Randwick.

In the early ’90s, Gay would travel down to Sydney for the one-dayers with his mum and dad. They would sit high in the Clive Churchill Brewongle Stand. He had always wanted to join the Members. And so when the opportunity came up, Gay grabbed it.

“The history of it has always appealed,” Gay says.

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Family affair: Megan Raadsma (in black hat) with relatives and friends at the Pink Test

“There’s something about it.

We always get there for Jane McGrath Day. Some guys in our party have family members affected by breast cancer.

We get right into that. It’s a must-do.”

Along with the always poignant Jane McGrath days, there was one particularly emotional moment when David Warner paid tribute to his friend and teammate Phil Hughes, after whacking a century before lunch against Pakistan.

Today, Gay takes his three girls to Sydney Swans games at the SCG. “The kids love it,” he says. “One of them took up AusKick at home because of it. Hopefully they’ll join us at the cricket one day.”

P

eter Gesling was on the fence at third man, just in front of the old SCG hill and the mighty old scoreboard, where he was having a chat with giant West Indian paceman Joel Garner. It was Gesling’s first cricket match at the ground and he was there with mates from Sydney University, and 50,000 other people, for the first game played under the lights at the SCG – World Series Cricket Australia vs the West Indies, November 28, 1978.

Even with the bubbling noise of so many spectators – the crowd topped 50,000 after Kerry Packer ordered the gates opened to allow the long queues of people in – Gesling and his mates found Garner great company.

“We had a great time with him,” Gesling says. “We had just finished university and it was time to celebrate.

Big Joel was on the boundary and willing to talk. Great fella. I’ve always found that when you’re respectful of players they’re willing to have a conversation.”

Gesling returned to his home town of Wellington in the NSW Central West and applied for SCG membership. And he never stopped coming for the Tests. And the one-dayers. And the rugby union. When the Sydney Swans came to town in 1982, Gesling became a foundation member.

He saw Warne’s first Test (in 1992) and his last (in 2007) when Australia beat England, and Warne, McGrath and Justin Langer were given a heartfelt send-off.

He saw Chappell score a masterful 100 for Queensland along with a “couple of hundred other diehards” and was up with everyone else when Waugh clubbed a boundary for his ton on the last ball of the day in 2003.

Today, he’ll drive from Blueys Beach on the NSW mid-north coast and catch up with the usual suspects in the Ladies Pavilion. “I’ve enjoyed the experience and maintained it every year for that reason. We catch up with old friends every year. We make new friends, people you just have a chat with at the breaks,” he says.

“Recently, I’ve enjoyed the breakfasts around the Test match, the lunches with former players.” For the New Year’s Test he’ll bring along five of his 16 grandchildren – all of whom are on the membership waiting list.

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“People see the talent, everyone does, but when you’re in the inner sanctum, you see how much of a competitor he is and how ruthless he is. For me, that’s what stands out about Lance Franklin. I don’t think you ever fill the gap left by Lance Franklin.”

JOH N LONGM I R E, SY DN E Y SWA NS COACH

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THANKS& GOODBYE LANCE FRANKLIN LEAVES AN EXTRAORDINARY LEGACY WORDS: JORDAN LAING PICTURES: PHIL HILLYARD

F

or almost a decade, Sydney Swans forward Lance Franklin called the Sydney Cricket Ground home. Franklin, the best player of his generation, arrived in Sydney for the 2014 season having already accomplished what few achieve in an entire career. He went to another level in Sydney, his impact on the AFL in NSW unmatched.

Record crowds flocked to the SCG to catch his dazzling mix of athleticism, speed, power and skill. The Swans faithful cheered on every one of his 486 goals in red and white, with the chants of “Buddy” growing louder each year until reaching a crescendo on August 27, 2023 – his final lap on his beloved home ground in front of an emotional full house.

Here, following his retirement, former teammates and coaches reflect on his extraordinary career and its effect on the code.

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Lance Franklin has set a currentday watermark that I believe will be unsurpassed, and the game will miss his theatre and drawing power. I feel privileged to have shared some of his journey. I know his Hawks teammates feel exactly the same. His feats as a player are extraordinary, and this has run parallel to his emergence as a great husband, father and mate. He is selfless, humble, loyal and proud.

A L A STA I R CL A R K SON, NORT H M E L BOU R N E COACH, FOR M E R COACH AT H AW T HOR N

When he was a young bloke he was just such a mad trainer. He wanted to be good. He was a great athlete and he’s got great skills, but they’re not there by accident, he’s worked really hard to develop them. His capacity to kick goals for a man of his size, to be able to do it more like a rover at times, he practised that a lot. He’s not the great player he is by chance. I think he has an entertainer’s mindset.

When people go to the footy they go there to watch him. When we trained, he was always one of the last blokes off [the field] because he’d be out there doing dribble kicks and kicking them around the corner. All that stuff you’d see in a game, he practised that. It was his playground really, the field, and anywhere within 50 metres of goal.

CH R IS FAGA N, BR ISBA N E COACH, FOR M E R H AW T HOR N FOOT BA L L M A NAGE R

The sight of Buddy sprinting on goal, with at least two to three defenders in his wake, would bring a crowd to its feet in seconds and he had the champion’s ability to seize the moment and bend a match to his will. The game had never seen a big man be able to do what he could do as a forward, and he would dominate games over and over again, usually with a lethal left foot from outside 50 metres, or threading a major from the boundary, or sprinting towards goal with a couple of hapless defenders battling along behind him. He was the player that dragged people through the gates wherever he went and has been a hero for a generation of fans.

GI L LON MCL ACH L A N, FOR M E R A F L CEO

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What a journey it’s been, you’ve been one of the greatest players to ever play the game. I’m so happy that you played here [in Sydney and at the SCG], and what you mean to the game and certainly for Adam [Goodes] and I and all of our Aboriginal brothers and sisters around the country, we thank you and wish you all the best for the future.

M ICH A E L O’LOUGH L I N, SY DN E Y SWA NS H A L L OF FA M E M E M BE R

He’s our Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali, Cathy Freeman.

He’s [Jason] Dunstall, [Gary] Ablett [Sr] and [Peter] Daicos combined.

I think every player who’s played at the highest level is lucky to play with “someone” and for me I was really fortunate to play with Lance Franklin. He was the best player I’ve ever played with, the best player that I’ve ever seen up close.

JOR DA N L E W IS, FOR M E R H AW T HOR N T E A M M AT E A N D CLOSE F R I E N D

The 1000th goal at the SCG, that’s my favourite ever footy moment.

I was lucky enough to be right next to him. Everyone stormed the field and it’s something that will never happen again. To be able to play my first game with him and play in his last game is something I’ll cherish.

ISA AC H E E N E Y, SY DN E Y SWA NS FORWA R D

I feel really privileged to have seen the part of his journey that I did.

I think a lot of us will remember when he first turned up as this skinny kid — an amazing athlete and didn’t have a worry in the world and he could do fantastic things with a footy. You saw him go from that into the great man and family man and father and icon of the game that he’s become, and seeing how he grew into that and watching him do it to clubs. Clearly he’s a player of a generation, if not more. But on top of that, I just can’t help but tip my lid to what he’s been able to achieve off the field and how he’s grown into being a great man.

SA M M I TCH E L L, FOR M E R H AW T HOR N C A P TA I N A N D T E A M M AT E, CU R R E N T COACH

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THE STATS

LANCE FRANKLIN

Pick 5

“CONGRATULATIONS ON AN INCREDIBLE CAREER. NOW IS THE TIME YOU REALLY GET TO LIVE YOUR LIFE AND ENJOY THOSE LITTLE YAKARTIS, THOSE CHILDREN OF YOURS. GO AWAY FROM THE GAME KNOWING YOU GAVE IT ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING AND BE REALLY PROUD OF YOUR CAREER. WELL DONE MATE.”

Debuted for Hawthorn in 2005: Round 1 vs Sydney Swans

in the 2004 National Draft

182 172 580 486 GAMES

GAMES

GOALS

GOALS

Hawthorn 2005-13

Sydney 2014-23

A DA M G OODES, SY DN E Y SWA NS L EGE N D A N D FOR M E R T E A M M AT E

TWO-TIME PREMIERSHIP PLAYER

Sits among top 20 VFL/AFL players for games played, and thirdmost by an Indigenous player behind Shaun Burgoyne (407) and Adam Goodes (372)

(2008, ’13)

1066

FOUR-TIME RUNNER-UP (2012, ’14, ’16, ’22)

GOALS

Fourth most in VFL/AFL history behind Tony Lockett (1532), Gordon Coventry (1299) and Jason Dunstall (1254)

FOUR-TIME COLEMAN MEDALLIST (2008, ’11, ’14, ’17)

13-TIME CLUB LEADING GOAL KICKER (six times at Hawthorn 2007, ’08, ’09, ’10, ’11, ’12 and seven at Sydney 2014, ’15, ’16, ’17, ’18, ’21, ’22)

BEST & FAIREST (Hawthorn 2008)

AFL GOAL OF THE YEAR (2010, 2013)

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(2008, ’10, ’11, ’12, ’14, ’16, ’17, ’18 (captain))

One of five players to have been named in eight AFL All-Australian teams, joining Gary Ablett Jr, Patrick Dangerfield, Robert Harvey and Mark Ricciuto

The most recent player to kick 100 goals in a season — 113 goals in 2008

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EIGHT-TIME ALL-AUSTRALIAN

74

Goals in VFL/AFL finals, third most behind Gordon Coventry (111) and Jason Dunstall (78)

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{ COMMENT }

THE BIGGER PICTURE

THE FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP SHOWED PLAYERS, ATHLETES AND COACHES WANT THE SAME THING: TO PLAY THE BEST, COMPETE WITH THE BEST AND BE THE BEST. SO WHERE TO NEXT ON THE WORLD STAGE FOR OUR MATILDAS? WORDS: ANDY HARPER

T

he FIFA Women’s World Cup had only just started. The pre-tournament anticipation was keen and the build-up identifiable, though not fevered. Certainly, most people had no inkling about what lay ahead; about how a women’s football tournament could so comprehensively kidnap a country’s imagination, let alone smash and set ratings records, particularly in the post linear-TV world where streaming and video-on-demand have shown themselves to be formidable disruptors.

By the time Allianz Stadium was to host the second match of Group H – Colombia vs Korea Republic – the Matildas had won their opening game against Ireland in front of a full house at the Olympic Stadium. The threepoint bounty was forced to share the bed with the anxious fallout of a performance that flattered to deceive.

So, after first hosting the France vs Jamaica game, the carnival returned to Allianz Stadium on Tuesday, July 25, an otherwise unremarkable match-up that became a day to be bookmarked, a signpost to the tsunami that lay in wait. Sydney’s reborn sporting temple was to be the site of seismic crucible sporting and cultural moments.

For this second Allianz game, the stadium’s new lighting would have cut the Sydney night air like a surgeon’s scalpel, bedazzling the 25,000-strong crowd with all the sophisticated intricacies that result when lasers and LED’s consummate their growing relationship.

Would have, except that the midday kick-off time for the Colombia vs Korea Republic match rendered light

Hot shots: Matildas’ stars Mary Fowler, Steph Catley and Caitlin Foord celebrate during their 2-0 victory over Denmark on August 7 Picture: Phil Hillyard

shows as redundant as, well, a light show at high noon on a brilliant Sydney winter’s day. What was this? Lunchtime, midweek, no school or other holidays and 25,000 fans? To watch two relatively unheralded teams in a round-robin group match? Something was clearly brewing, a zeitgeist perhaps. At this point, we still probably couldn’t predict.

What was known, and had been experienced by many, was the common touch of Australia’s national women’s football team and the fan base they had built. It was more than the sum of their impressive parts, where individual players were earning kudos for their exploits in European competitions.

The stories are legion of the time players spend post match with fans, signing stuff, encouraging young children, being available and, if I may employ the ubiquitous marketing vernacular, engaging and connecting.

Routinely, after home internationals, the players would dutifully circumnavigate each stadium, ensuring each (mainly young) fan, who had waited to say hi or shake hands, was accorded the respect of reciprocation. If it is an hour after full time but fans remaining waiting, still will the Matildas say thank you, and in person. It is, surely, at the epicentre of their popularity and has been developing for years.

Further, Australians, in their growing numbers, had generally arrived at a comfortable place where communing around football was something worth doing.

Not having to watch our national teams at ridiculous o’clock where viewer eyelids are held open by matchsticks – the common experience of Aussie football fans – shouldn’t be discounted from the calculus.

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The Sam Kerr phenomenon spearheaded the celebrity status of the Matildas, adding a sort of nitroglycerine to the context. Now, along with these foundations and the team’s burgeoning reputation as footballers, came the light shows. No wonder the whole thing went off like a Catherine wheel on the Fourth of July.

People will have their own recollections of the impact of the World Cup and of the Matildas; the exhilaration of the penalty shoot-out win over France, the agony of the end that came, and every day and minute in between.

Really, one would have to pinch oneself at the way this thing utterly enveloped Australia, like The Blob in the 1958 Steve McQueen film. However extra-terrestrial, though, this blob was sans villainy.

All other Allianz matches were 40,000-strong fullhouses. Colombia’s defeat of Korea Republic meant that their second game could ensure safe passage out of the group and into the knockout rounds, except that the opponent was Germany, which was, at this stage, still expected by many to win the whole competition. No, Colombia’s fate would be decided in their final group game against debutants Morocco.

It was the commonsense prediction. Germany would be a bridge too far; too powerful, too professional, too much historical success, just too good. Yet, it is in these moments, these crevices of possibility that exist in football, where it, and sport, verily soars. To my mind, this was the outstanding game of the tournament.

To my (disbelieving) eyes, this game produced the moment where, at least to a significant extent, women’s football further shattered a crumbling edifice. This game, to me, owns the moment of the World Cup where two previously divergent worlds had a chance to meet.

This moment was the goal scored by Colombia’s 18-yearold striker, Linda Caicedo.

The struggle between hegemon and disruptor is a tension that ever was and is certainly alive and well in the world of sport. Women have fought for many years, nay generations, for the right to even play football, much less be celebrated for it. Since then, however, through love of the game, they’ve built their own case against disinterest, apathy and snobbery (and, obviously, worse).

Machismo, or the perceived challenge thereto by women

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playing football, is an obvious fault line. May I say, on the advice of contacts from that part of the world, Latin American culture is, historically, saturated with it.

When Colombians watched, en masse, from their homes or cafés or bars, the football miracle that was taking flight in Sydney that night, the Caicedo goal provided the moment when the synapse between hegemon and disruptor was fused. Utterly brilliant and breathtaking. That fleeting moment where culture meets training meets talent meets event meets stage meets dream, and bang, history. Epoch-changing history.

There are no relativities upon which anyone can draw that can dilute the quality of the goal. Momentary, instantaneous, inspired, inculcated. No fan or pundit or resistance fighter can explain it away. Both these telling and unforgettable chapters played out at the new Allianz Stadium, in all its shining glory.

The tournament would end. Spain would win, deservedly so. The immediate fallout — of unacceptable behaviour from the head of Spanish football and coach of the winning team — has undeniably taken gloss off the achievement. Although, it should be said, the saga of Los Quince (the 15) — the reference to the 15 players who had boycotted the national team months earlier protesting the means and manner of coach Jorge Vilda — is a reflection of the depth of Spain’s football, a portent of football things

to come and a portal to the broader challenge to Australia.

The Matildas’ run would end, painfully. This was, by some margin, our best chance to win the world championship of football. Great team, home soil, necessary star factor. When again? The big football countries in Western Europe are opening to a world of fully professional football for women. The US is, via the power of its university sport network, already there.

How does Australia compete with that? Indeed, as general sports fans know, and Australian sports teams all tell the same story: the more international a sport or competition becomes, the greater the difficulty to compete. If in doubt, ask the Socceroos.

And herein lies the challenge for Australian sports culture and its societal leaders. Does internationalisation of competition and globalisation of sport make Australia skulk into the corner and focus on more winnable things in smaller competitions, or does this challenge provoke us, and our leadership, to stare down the challenge head-on and do something about it? A response perhaps more in line with our cultural conceit as a sports country?

What sporting country cowers in the face of increased international challenge?

Well, not the athletes and players, nor coaches, that’s for sure. Check former South Melbourne, Brisbane Roar and Melbourne Victory coach, Ange Postecoglou, at Tottenham Hotspur, in the world’s biggest sporting league. He refused to be defined by his geography and perceptions of his sport-

ing culture and has taken, at this stage with ultimate and ongoing effect, to challenge the world on its terms.

Players, athletes and coaches instinctively want to do the same thing: play the best, compete with the best, be the best. It’s called being a thoroughbred. Our players are thoroughbreds, but what about our leadership?

Ultimately, given our population size and geography, there is only so much that can be done. We, however, are not even within a bull’s roar of “so much”. Our funding model is prehistoric and hostage to political actors who either have bare naked preferences to parochial pursuits or lack the courage to make a stand for Australia’s place in the sporting world. The numbers don’t lie, but politicians duck and weave.

From a football perspective, they resist funding equity for many reasons, but as an act and sign of leadership, and because the stakes in football are so high for Australia — which we’ve all just experienced — and so many Australians actively partake of the sport, they should be leading the way, as per their elected responsibility, to take us forward.

Funding equity is a basic and should be an immediate starting point. And that’s before we’ve even really come to terms with the levels of resourcing that most other countries are pouring into their football programs.

Australia? Its elected leadership seems happy to wait for the wave to subside and enable the status quo.

Reminds me of the story of the tsunami, the hegemon and the disruptor.

A time of joy: newfound heroes from around the world played to packed stadiums during the FIFA Women’s World Cup Pictures: Phil Hillyard

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Pulling power

SYDNEY FC FANS HAVE THEIR EYES FIXED ON ONE PLAYER: CORTNEE VINE WORDS: IAIN PAYTEN

T

he incredible impact of the Matildas’ success at the FIFA Women’s World Cup is easily seen in an array of facts and figures.

For instance, in the record crowd of 11,471 that turned out for Sydney FC’s first Liberty A-League Women clash of the season at Allianz Stadium in October. Or that a good chunk of the crowd were newly minted Sydney FC female members, whose numbers have experienced extraordinary growth over last season.

But in the eyes of Sydney FC chief executive Mark Aubrey, the most powerful moment came by looking at the faces — not the figures — after the women’s Sky Blues’ first-up win over the Western Sydney Wanderers in October.

“Seeing Cortnee walk around that ground at the end of our first match highlighted the superstar status of those Matildas,” Aubrey says. “They are incredible ambassadors not only for women’s sport but sport in general, in inspiring boys and girls.”

“Cortnee” is Cortnee Vine: she of the last-penalty that beat France in the FIFA Women’s World Cup quarterfinals-fame. Vine, 25, emerged as a rising star for the Matildas during their historic run to the semi-finals.

The profile of the speedster sky-rocketed throughout the

Season goals: blue skies ahead for FC WILL A NEW YEAR AND A NEW COACH GARNER RESULTS? WORDS: IAIN PAYTEN

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B

ig, bold and iconic: three words new Sydney FC coach Ufuk Talay already knows are the perfect way to describe the Sky Blues as a football club. What he wants is for big, bold and iconic to become a perfect description for Sydney FC’s style as a football team, too.

“One of the biggest messages is we are a big club,” Talay says. “We are big, bold and iconic, and that’s the football we need to display. We want to go out there and pressure teams and play a high-pressure game and also excite the fans with the football we want to play.

“We want the fans to enjoy the game and have excitement when they come to the game to watch their team play and perform. And at the same time, hopefully win games.”

Star quality: Cortnee Vine in action at Allianz Stadium, and with her adoring fans Pictures: Dan Ullman

tournament and reached household-name levels after she tapped in the winning goal at Suncorp Stadium; with just a lazy 7.2 million watching on television, and countless more watching screens in parks and live sites across the country.

Vine has since become a literal poster girl for Sydney FC, with her face at the forefront of a post-World Cup push to steer the national love for the Matildas into local A-League Women clubs.

“The opportunity presented by the success of the Women’s World Cup is unprecedented,” Aubrey says. “As a club we are working really hard and spending a lot of time and money to capture that momentum, and bring more people to the game. We are very proud of the success of our women’s team and have produced more Matildas than anyone.”

Sydney FC aimed to sign up 1000 women’s members for the 2023-2024 season, but are already well beyond 2100. Almost 10,000 kids under 16 have also taken up a Liberty Pass membership through Sydney FC, allowing free entry to all games. And there has been a huge level of interest in Sydney FC’s new Female Football pathway program for girls aged 11-16 to train towards becoming professional footballers.

In terms of attendance, the record crowd for the October Wanderers clash improved on the previous competition record of 9519, set when Sydney FC beat Western United in April’s A-League Women grand final.

On top of winning the championship — as well as the premiership, as top-of-the-table victors, in a rare double-double — the team secured a big win before the season even kicked off. This happened when Vine turned down overseas options to re-sign with Sydney FC for another season, just days after the World Cup. “We were delighted to retain Cortnee but also delighted she was equally keen to stay in the A-League and continue to drive women’s football here, and continue her journey at Sydney FC,” Aubrey says. “It speaks volumes for the league and if you now look at the amount of women we have playing in top leagues around the world, all of them have come through the A-League.”

Talay returned to Sydney FC in early November after the club responded to a slow start to the season with the removal of long-serving coach Steve Corica, instead turning to a man with plenty of history at the Sky Blues.

Talay was a member of Sydney FC’s title-winning squad in the inaugural A-League season of 2005-2006, and won a title in 2018-2019 as an assistant coach. After leaving Sydney to manage Wellington Phoenix, where he impressed in four seasons, Talay worked briefly as an assistant to Graham Arnold at the Socceroos.

“Steve [Corica’s] fingerprints are all over almost every trophy we have at the club and he did a fantastic job,” Sydney FC chief executive Mark Aubrey says.

“But we expect to set standards at Sydney FC. When Ufuk came in he used the term big, bold and iconic, which

we use for our club in the way we want to play and hold ourselves. We have a fantastic list at this club and we expect to be competing and to be playing a really aggressive and exciting brand of football.”

Talay didn’t take long to make an impact, with Sydney thumping high-flying Adelaide United 5-1 in midNovember for Talay’s first game in charge. Aubrey loved watching Talay as much as the ever-increasing goal tally on the scoreboard.

“What was encouraging about that game against Adelaide was even when we got four goals up, Ufuk was on the sideline, pushing the boys upfield and to press, and that’s encouraging for the brand of the football we want to play,” Aubrey says.

“That’s the Sydney FC we know.”

For Sydney FC matches and tickets, go to allianzstadium. com.au

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Looking up AFTER AN ORDINARY 2023, THE NSW WARATAHS ARE LOOKING TO CHANGE THEIR FORTUNES WORDS: IAIN PAYTEN

I

n the days leading up to their Super Rugby opener in February, NSW Waratahs players and coaches camped overnight on the field at the new Allianz Stadium. Armed with equipment that ranged from decked-out swags and tents through to simple pillows and sleeping bags, the squad attended a season launch function in the stands and then settled down for the night on the turf.

“It was an opportunity to get together, have a bit of fun and familiarise ourselves with our home field,” Waratahs captain Jake Gordon explains. “We used to train there a lot back in the day, but after being away for a number of years [due to the rebuild of the stadium], a lot of the guys hadn’t spent any time at all on Allianz.”

All was going to plan until the heavens opened at about 2am. “It was survival of the fittest,” Gordon laughs. “It got tough out there. As soon as the rain hit, you could just hear people running for cover.”

The soggy sleepover ended up being something of a snapshot of the season ahead for the Waratahs, in which their ambition to build on a promising 2022 season also didn’t go smoothly through to the end.

The Waratahs had high hopes for 2023, and made no attempt to keep it quiet. Having emerged from their worst ever, winless season in 2021, the team under new coach Darren Coleman re-emerged in 2022 — beating the Crusaders and five others on their way to a sixth-placed finish and a quarter-final.

The return to Allianz Stadium for round one in 2023 — against arch-rivals the ACT Brumbies — was hyped as a huge celebration and the start of a campaign that Coleman said would finish in the top four.

“We put heaps of emphasis on the first game, we pumped it up in the media, and coming off an encouraging 2022, we were playing the top Aussie team in a new stadium,” Gordon says. “We were hearing numbers of 25,000-30,000. So it was hard not to get excited and ambitious for that game.”

The event delivered. A crowd of 25,076 turned out and Max Jorgensen announced himself by scoring twice on debut. But the Brumbies did their thing and won the contest, immediately giving the Waratahs a flat tyre.

“I think it probably did take a bit of sting out of us,” Gordon says. “It was an entertaining game but

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Power pack: opposite, Charlie Gamble in stride; and, below, captain Jake Gordon Pictures: Phil Hillyard, Karen Watson

when we came into the sheds it was pretty flat and it probably carried over a little bit for us.”

The Waratahs season ebbed and flowed, with good stretches, some close losses and a handful of bad defeats, too. In the end, they finished sixth and were bundled out

by Auckland’s Blues in the opening week of the finals.

“We were just inconsistent across the whole year,” Gordon says. “We let wins slip but we probably finished where we deserved, sixth, the same as we did the year before. But we played way better in 2022. The outside view, and the inside view, was that we were going to go a bit better [than 2022] but we just didn’t perform consistently enough to match it with the top four or five teams.”

The season ahead will have a different feel. Coleman is planning to adopt a lower profile, at least as far as finals predictions go. And there’ll be no hyped-up round one clash at Allianz Stadium, either, given the Waratahs will start their season on the road, with games against the Reds and the Crusaders before a first fixture against the Highlanders at home on March 8.

The remaining games at Allianz Stadium will be clashes with the Blues, Melbourne Rebels, the Crusaders, the Chiefs, the Brumbies and the Reds.

The Waratahs squad has not undergone major change, but there will be one noticeable absentee: ex-captain Michael Hooper, who has retired from 15-a-side rugby to concentrate on the Australian Sevens Olympic campaign. “Hoops around the leadership is going to be a massive loss, but Charlie [Gamble] is a very handy player, he had great years in 2021 and ’22,” Gordon says. “There is not a massive change in the squad but you have guys who have played World Cups and played more footy in the national Wallabies jersey since last season.

“Jorgo [Max Jorgensen] will be another exciting guy to watch. He’s another year older and is a great talent.

Lalakai [Foketi] and Izzy [Perese], both had very good years. “In the forward pack we have a few new guys like Hayden Thompson-Stringer, a strong English prop, and a big Sydney boy coming back from France, Miles Amatosero. Fergus Lee-Warner is also joining us.

So we have added some good depth and quality. But the majority of the squad hasn’t changed too much. Hopefully that’s a good thing,” Gordon says.

Waratahs vs Highlanders, Allianz Stadium, March 8, 2024

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Don’t miss a match Sydney Download the Domain app and get alerts that match your search

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CLUB LIFE DINING

•

WELLNESS

•

TR AVEL

DESIGNS ON ALLIANZ

TAKE THE (COLD) PLUNGE

WHY 2024 IS PARIS’S YEAR

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Healthy balance Perfecting your yoga practice PAGE 50

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FIT BITS

Be appy

Don’t make a splash Get your body summer fit with the new Aqua Sculpt classes, a Pilates experience on water. The low-impact exercise classes are held in the Sporting Club of Sydney outdoor pool on floating aqua boards. The classes last 45 minutes and are designed to sculpt the entire body as participants flow through a Pilates fitness sequence. The added challenge comes from floating on the water and trying to maintain balance rather than toppling into the water. The classes will run for three months during summer, on Wednesdays at 12.45pm and Thursdays at 6pm. Participants can wear either activewear or swimwear and bookings are essential.

Sporting Club of Sydney and Sydney Cricket Ground members can now take greater control of their membership entitlements with digital membership cards and digital card sharing now available via the Sporting Club of Sydney mobile app.

“We’re making it easier for club and SCG members to maximise the benefits of their memberships,” says Tim Blight, general manager technology at Venues NSW. “The release of digital membership cards and digital card sharing in the SCOS mobile app is another step to enhancing what is truly a unique and world-class membership program.”

Venues NSW teamed up with Sydney-based digital agency Present Company to deliver the app.

“We leapt at the opportunity to work with Venues NSW to deliver the SCOS members app,” says Present Company director Arturo Escartin.

“We’ve consolidated the members’ digital journey in an easy-to-use, visually stunning tool. We’re excited to continue to improve and refine the features of the app to further enhance the member experience.”

Improved digital card sharing, loyalty rewards, food and beverage mobile ordering and event gamification are features slated for future app releases. The app is available for download from Google Play (Android devices) and the App Store (iOS).

The digital card system does not replace your physical cards if you prefer to use those.

Boots and all Gym-goers looking to recover from tough sessions or injury have access to new equipment at the Sporting Club of Sydney. Normatec compression devices are advanced products that aid in the recovery process. The full-leg boots, hip and arm attachments use a dynamic air compression system to promote muscular recovery and are useful for both elite and everyday athletes.

The Normatec devices are said to relieve tension, soothe sore muscles and prime the body and the mind to be at their best. They are popular

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with those wanting to maintain peak fitness but can also improve blood flow, reduce swelling and inflammation, and increase range of motion, as well as promoting faster recovery from training.

The Normatec equipment is available in the recovery zone at the sporting club, located in the main gym, close to the entry door.

Staff can assist members to set up and pack down the products. It is a complimentary service but bookings are essential and can be made through the Mindbody software.

{ THE INTERVIEW }

BROOKE LLOYD INTERIOR DESIGNER When you walk into Allianz Stadium’s sporting club or bars and restaurants, you are enjoying the work of a designer who lives around the corner

When did you start working on the Allianz Stadium redevelopment and what was the brief?

How long did the project take from start to finish?

Involvement from our interiors specialism team began right at the inception of the project. Our strategy for all projects at Cox is to design them from the inside out.

The experience of the spectators is paramount and this informs everything from the form and shape of the façade to the orientation of the pitch. The brief was to create a stadium in a park that felt equally like a global destination and also part of the local Moore Park community. We were tasked with providing more community value, more experience for teams and fans, and better connection to surrounding parkland and amenity.

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Interior life: Brooke Lloyd at Bert’s, one of the restaurant spaces she designed at Allianz Stadium Pictures: Gregg Porteous, Hamilton Lund

Which areas did you work on?

I led our very talented interior design team in designing all the interior spaces, which ranged from the corporate and hospitality zones, technical broadcast spaces to the player facilities. We also designed the general concourse, amenities, workspace and the Sporting Club of Sydney fitness facility. It was a big job.

What was the look and feel you wanted to achieve in these spaces?

There was a different brief for each space. The concourse, for example, is purposely quite neutral to ensure the attention is on the pitch. The restaurants and bars were designed to feel like you could be drinking or dining in a pub or restaurant on Oxford Street. Many of our details are derived from the classic Paddington pubs that surround the stadium precinct: crafted ceramic tiles and robust bar plinths that you can prop your foot on while having a drink. At every opportunity we sought to connect the spaces back with the context of Sydney. In the Level 2 Members bar we created a spot to the rear of the bar so the spectacular views across Moore Park and the city skyline can be taken in.

Have you done similar projects to this before?

Prior to doing this project, I had spent a decade in London designing bars and restaurants with Conran and Partners. It was interesting to approach the hospitality

{ WINE }

Local heroes

NSW WINES ARE ON THE RISE. AND THESE NAMES ARE THE ONES TO WATCH Jessop Wines

spaces within the stadium through this lens of boutique design instead of the preconceived notion of what a stadium hospitality experience should be.

Who did you report to when doing this project?

We primarily reported to the Venues NSW team and later Merivale was also very involved. Both were unwavering in their shared vision to create an elevated stadium experience. They laid down the ambitious brief to create a place that was imbued with the soul of Sydney, driven by the rich tapestry of its past, its present and its people.

Which are your favourite spaces at the stadium?

Without question it would be Bert’s in the members lounge. It’s such an intimate place for such a public venue, a special corner far from the madding crowd. The lush finishes, city skyline view and the double height volume create a beautiful space for a beautiful menu.

I also love the corner bar in the south-west of Level 4 overlooking Kippax Lake, such fabulous views. Oh, and any space in the sporting club but particularly the pool deck; it feels quintessentially Sydney.

How do you feel about the area now that it is finished and you can see people enjoying it so much?

I feel overwhelmingly proud of what Cox has achieved.

There is not a bad seat or vantage point in the entire stadium. The elevated design, teamed with the unrivalled Merivale food offering, make it entirely unique and I would say hands down the best stadium experience in Australia.

You recently moved within walking distance of the stadium. Do you get there often?

It is pretty funny. We are regulars at the stadium, we have two sports obsessed sons who are keen to watch any sport, but in particular, football. It was amazing to watch the Women’s World Cup there and to see the crowds at near capacity for recent Sydney FC games. We also went to the Paul McCartney concert. Such an adaptable venue.

What are you working on now?

I have just completed a new restaurant in North Sydney called Poetica and have begun concept design on Canva’s new workplace, a 9000-square-metre headquarters for their Sydney campus with food at the heart of the experience.

Canobolas Wines

ORANGE

ORANGE

This new producer is making small batch, single vineyard wines at Orange.

Chris Jessop is the winemaker and the focus is on producing minimal-intervention wines that showcase the vineyard and the year. The wines are made to be fruit-forward and to drink now. jessopwines.com

The third-oldest vineyard in Orange sits 800 metres above sea level and produces primarily chardonnay, cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon.

Again, there’s a real focus on sustainability in the vineyard and thoughtful winemaking.

The wines are really, really good. canobolaswines.com.au

Mercer Wines

Gilbert Family Wines

HUNTER VALLEY

MUDGEE/ORANGE

Aaron Mercer is a great winemaker with a fastgrowing Hunter Valley brand.

The focus is on sustainability and Mercer also works with alternative varieties outside what is traditionally seen in the Hunter, typically shiraz, chardonnay and semillon. mercerwines.com.au

Will Gilbert, the sixthgeneration of Gilbert family winemakers, has been chief winemaker for some years. The one-time young winemaker of the year is making wines from Mudgee and Orange of consistent high quality. gilbertfamilywines.com.au Renzaglia Wines

Margan Wines and Breaking Ground HUNTER VALLEY

Margan has been around for a while and consistently makes great wines — it was the first vineyard established in Broke Fordwich, outside of the Pokolbin area of most Hunter vineyards. Its wines are fantastic and a few different varieties, such as albariño and barbera are being grown. Family scion Ollie Margan is now more involved with the winemaking and particularly with Margan’s Breaking Ground label. margan.com.au

BATHURST

Another family winery, with Sam Renzaglia leading the upcoming generation. The family works with fruit from across the Central Ranges. renzagliawines.com.au Yarran Wines RIVERINA

This great organically certified, sustainability focused Riverina winery is part of the next generation of Griffith winemakers. A Halliday Wine Companion 2021 dark horse of the year winner and a genuinely interesting young producer. yarranwines.com.au

Brooke Lloyd leads the interiors specialism at Cox, an architectural practice with studios across Australia and New Zealand.

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GYM SESSION

ALIGNED WITH THE TIMES PICTURES: GREGG PORTEOUS

S

tanding on a mat on the pool deck of the Sporting Club of Sydney, yoga instructor Evangeline Yeun does not hesitate for a second when asked to strike a pose. Then again, these aren’t just any poses. Rather, Yeun — who teaches vinyasa, aerial and foundation yoga at the club, plus barre classes — calls on years of training to quickly slip into a range of classic yoga postures, or asanas, from the simple to the complex. Her flexibility and agility are incredible to observe.

Yeun says yoga is about being present, having fun and working with your body without assumptions or expectations. “Have fun with it. Start your practice like you’ve never done it before,” she likes to tell her students. “Let go of your expectations. Give it a go.”

And for those who don’t regularly practise yoga, but who like to keep fit through running and training, she says many yoga postures are useful as warm-up and warm-down tools.

Not only do they help keep the body loose, limbered and aligned, these classic poses can assist in warding off injury and lifting the spirits.

Here are some of her favourite yoga postures.

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Supported back bend

Hamstring stretch

Bridge pose

Spinal twist

Spinal twist

Banana pose

Plow pose

Shoulder stand

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Warrior Reverse warrior

Dancer’s pose Extended side angle pose

Extended triangle pose

Wheel pose Wide legged forward bend

Wide legged forward bend with bound hands

Angle pose

Happy baby

Bound angle pose

Low lunge with forward bend

Tree pose

Runners lunge

Half pyramid

Seated forward bend

Pigeon pose

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OUT IN THE

COLD

Ice baths have extraordinary health and recovery benefits. But how do you maximise results?

Amy Davoren-Rose takes the plunge to find out

A

lthough I moved from the Gold Coast to Sydney more than 20 years ago, I’m still the first person to reach for a jacket when the weather drops below 23°C. Long hot showers are my love language, so the thought of willingly plunging myself into an ice bath was not a particularly welcome one. But after hearing friends gloat about increased energy and immunity after jumping on board this year’s hottest health trend – contrast therapy, in which you plunge from hot sauna to ice bath – I was curious. Would it live up to the hype?

What is contrast therapy?

Contrast therapy involves exposing your body to alternating hot and cold temperatures through ice baths, saunas, hot and cold packs, or showers. Although it’s currently having a moment among wellness gurus and

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Deep freeze: exercise scientist Fabio Ghiani at the ice pool and spa at the Sporting Club of Sydney Picture: Gregg Porteous

influencers, its origins can be traced back to the ancient Greeks and Egyptians. Over time it has integrated into healing traditions such as Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese medicine, while also becoming a cultural signature of many Nordic countries and a well-established practice in sports medicine and rehabilitation.

According to Fabio Ghiani, an exercise scientist and personal trainer at the Sporting Club of Sydney, contrast therapy works on the principles of vasodilation and vasoconstriction.

“When heat is applied, blood vessels dilate, increasing blood flow to the area,” he says. “Conversely, cold exposure reduces blood flow. The alternating effects help flush out metabolic waste products and deliver fresh oxygenated blood to the tissues, aiding in recovery.”

While scientists are still unpacking the benefits, the swift alternation between hot and cold temperatures is linked to increased circulation, pain relief, muscle recovery, reduced inflammation and, potentially, enhanced immune function. “The improved blood flow and reduced swelling can create an optimal environment for the body’s natural healing processes to take place,” Ghiani says.

While the physical benefits of the therapy cannot be underestimated, there can be other, more subtle side effects. Johannes Egberts, an “avid biohacker” and breath-work specialist, grew up in The Netherlands and was introduced to winter bathing at a juvenile boot camp for rebellious kids when he was 13.

“I’d gotten myself into a lot of trouble and this program took a group of us out into the Black Forest in Germany for eight weeks. Every morning one of the instructors would run out into the snow and yodel all

the way down to the closest river,” Egberts recalls. “We thought he was totally crazy, but I remember him telling us how good it was for your heart, brain and mood.”

When the young Egberts finally joined his instructor, it was a life-changing experience. “The moment you get into the ice cold water, everything’s possible,” he says. “You have to catch your breath and learn to be with yourself. It becomes this form of mindfulness and self-regulation, both of which are essential skills.”

While Egberts didn’t understand the science back then, years later he became curious about the power of both cold and mindful breathing when he was introduced to the Wim Hof Method, named after the Dutch extreme athlete who champions the practice.

“In our culture, if you think about what we associate with health, it’s always exercise, nutrition and sleep. But no one talks about all the other fundamental things. One is exposure therapy and the other big one is breathing.”

Egberts says breathwork can be a useful addition to contrast therapy, especially if you have a mental block around extreme temperatures. He recommends trying a simple technique called coherent breath, which involves breathing in for five seconds and out for five seconds before getting into the cold water. “You can take about 10 rounds to calm yourself down. From the moment you slow your breathing down all the systems in your body follow.”

Egberts says a good place to start is with a cold burst to end of your morning shower. “It’s actually incredible for you,” he says. “Do your normal thing with a hot shower but then make it cold for the last 30 seconds.”

The road test Mustering all the courage I could fit into a one-piece bathing suit, I headed to the Sporting Club of Sydney one Friday to take the plunge. I began my first round with 15 minutes in the steam sauna. The heat worked its magic, relaxing my muscles and preparing me for what came next.

As I reluctantly transitioned to the ice bath, I banked a few rounds of coherent breath. Focusing on the steady count of my inhale and exhale was a gamechanger. It helped me push through the initial shock of the freezing water – set at the sporting club to a very chilly 4°C – and I quickly made my way down all the steps of the pool. My legs stung a little, but I managed to stay in for two minutes on my first round.

It was like I’d won a mental marathon. Stepping into my second round, I had the confidence to make it to three minutes of cold and then four minutes to finish off for the final round. What surprised me the most, was that after an initial energy boost, my body felt deeply relaxed and I was still enjoying some post-massage vibes hours later.

Is it worth the hype? Yes. Would I do it again? Yes. Will I still take a cardigan with me wherever I go? Yes.

How to do it safely and effectively If you’re trying contrast therapy for the first time, Ghiani says it’s important to understand the principles behind the alternating treatments. “The warm treatment will help relax muscles, increase circulation, and prepare the body for the cold treatment,” he explains, “while the cold treatment constricts blood vessels and reduces inflammation.”

Whether you do the therapy before or after a training session will depend on your specific goals. “When used before training, contrast therapy can help prepare the body for physical activity but alternatively it can aid in the recovery process after training,” Ghiani says.

He recommends beginners start with a hot treatment for three to five minutes, followed by a cold treatment for one to two minutes. As you become more confident with the therapy, you can gradually increase the duration of each phase up to 15-20 minutes for hot and up to 10 minutes for cold. Repeat the cycle for three to five rounds, and always end with a cold treatment.

Egberts agrees. “A lot of the benefits of cold exposure come from thermogenesis, which is the process of allowing your body to warm itself back up. If you finish on the hot, you are kind of robbing yourself of what your body can do in the minutes, even hours, later.”

Both suggest checking with a healthcare professional beforehand if you have existing health conditions such as hypertension, heart disease, nerve damage or are pregnant. And even if it’s part of your wellness routine, stay mindful of your body.

“Drink plenty of water before and after and pay attention to how your body responds to the temperature changes,” Ghiani says. “It’s normal to feel discomfort during the cold phase, but it shouldn’t be painful. If you do experience numbness or prolonged pain, stop the treatment.”

TIPS FOR USING CONTRAST THERAPY Sporting Club of Sydney exercise scientist and personal trainer Fabio Ghiani offers these tips for beginners

1

Start with a hot treatment for three to five minutes, followed by cold for one to two minutes

2

Gradually increase the duration of each phase up to 20 minutes for hot and 10 minutes for cold

3

Repeat the cycle for three to five rounds, and always end with a cold treatment

WHEN TO USE IT Before training Used before training, contrast therapy can help prepare the body for physical activity.

The cold treatments help reduce muscle soreness and inflammation, while the subsequent use of heat promotes blood flow and loosens muscles, potentially enhancing flexibility and a range of motion. By incorporating contrast therapy before training, you may experience improved readiness for exercise, reduced risk of injury and enhanced performance during a workout or athletic activity.

After training Using contrast therapy after training can aid in the recovery process.

The alternating hot and cold treatments can help alleviate post-exercise muscle soreness, reduce swelling and promote faster recovery by enhancing blood circulation. This may help minimise the impact of delayed onset muscle soreness and support overall muscle recovery, allowing you to bounce back more effectively from intense physical exertion.

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{ WELLNESS }

THE WATER WORKS Addicted to hot and cold therapy?

These luxury properties with water-based wellness centres are worth travelling for WORDS: ELIZABETH MERYMENT

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Juvet Landscape Hotel, Juvet, Norway

ne of the biggest trends in luxury travel worldwide is wellness. To capitalise on the trend, five-star hotels and resorts across the globe are racing to build glamorous bathhouse facilities that include saunas, steam rooms and cold pools that sit alongside more traditional spa centres offering massage, facials and body treatments.

There’s also a revived interest in hot springs, those mineral-rich warm pools that occur naturally around the world. These abundant-in-magnesium baths can provide relief from ailments including rheumatoid arthritis and skin irritations.

But it’s the combination of hot saunas beside icy baths that is really taking off, for the mood-altering benefits to be found from shaking up the bloodstream through taking consecutive hot and freezing cold dips. The natural high triggered by the practice is spawning a new generation of bathhouses and hotel wellness centres that need to be seen – and experienced – to be believed.

Here’s a sample of some of the world’s best.

Fittingly, the world’s best saunas are in Scandinavia.

The ice bath/sauna test of mettle was developed in this region of snow and ice, where warming up and freezing over is simply a way of life. True enthusiasts of the hot/cold genre could spend months in these faraway lands trying the hundreds of steamy public and private saunas that can be found everywhere from Copenhagen to Tromsø. A couple particularly of note: in Oslo, the Oslo Fjord Sauna is a public amenity that floats on the beautiful fjord on whose shores the city is built. Warm up in the floating wooden cabin before diving into the fjord for an icy shock. In Swedish Lapland, Arctic Bath is an extraordinary floating hotel based around a circular sauna. Step out of the sauna into the frozen river for the ultimate in cold shock therapy. In northern Norway, the remarkable Juvet Landscape Hotel offers an experience in wilderness vacationing. Water from the Valldøla fjord rushes by the hotel in spectacular fashion. Sit in the spa looking at the icy river through the plate glass windows before heading outside to jump into the sub-zero water. It’s a rush. At night, guests sleep in treehouses and cabins that are secreted away in a pine forest.

Six Senses hotel, Rome The Six Senses hotel group is globally recognised for its barefoot-luxury vibe and these elements come together in spectacular style at this newly opened city hotel on one of Rome’s most vibrant thoroughfares, Via del Corso. This ultra-luxe hotel, beloved of the world’s rich and famous, has been conceptualised by Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola as a temple of urban calm in a city that buzzes with life and chaos. Deep in the hotel find an extraordinary bathhouse, modelled on a traditional Roman bath. Enter this hushed zone to find a sequence of baths at various temperatures interspersed with fragrant showers, Swedish saunas and an ice plunge. Follow the instructions etched into the walls to perfect a bathhouse experience that will leave you blissed out to the point of delirious.

juvet.com

The Banya, Mullumbimby, NSW This bathhouse - built in an Art Deco building that for decades housed a bank branch - is making a splash in the domestic hot-cold scene. The property features a marble-tiled pool, two large hot mineral pools, a wood-fired sauna, a steam room and a cold plunge pool. Guests can set up on a sun-bed and warm up the old-fashioned, sunkissed way, before testing themselves in the cold plunge or under a jet hose aimed squarely at niggles and sore spots in the body.

A health-focused onsite restaurant and bar helps the time pass rather blissfully.

sixsenses.com/en/hotels/rome

Alba thermal springs & spa and Aurora Spa & Bathhouse, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria Victoria’s beautiful Mornington Peninsula has a wealth of hot springs but you haven’t tried natural bathing until you’ve visited the $100 million wellness complex that is Alba thermal springs & spa. On this remarkable property, find more than 30 geothermal springs where water gurgles to the surface at temperatures between 37°C and 43°C. The mineral-rich water, saturated with sulphur, calcium, magnesium and potassium, will have you floating as though on air, even when the air temperatures on the surface are chilly. The elegant, expansive property is gorgeously modelled, with each pool geometrically designed and blessed with names such as the Eye and the Shell. And there’s a sauna, cold plunge, day spa and restaurant on site. Accommodation should be ready early in 2024 so you can stay and play in one spot. Try also the nearby Aurora Spa & Bathhouse at the InterContinental Sorrento Mornington Peninsula, a 500-square-metre playground of hot, warm and cold mineral pools, where you’ll also find saunas, steam rooms and a lovely spa. albathermalsprings.com.au; auroraspa.com.au

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thebanya.com.au

Como Metropolitan Singapore

Ice cool: clockwise from top right, the Roman baths at Six Senses Rome; the view of the icy waters from the sauna at Juvet Landscape Hotel, Norway; the Swedish sauna at Aurora Spa & Bathhouse, Victoria; The Banya, Mullumbimby Previous page: Alba thermal springs & spa, Mornington Peninsula

The Singapore hotel scene is booming, with new or revived brands in the Asian hub including the Marriott group’s upmarket Edition Singapore, which opened in November, a relaunch of the famous Mandarin Oriental Singapore following an extensive renovation, and the opening of the boutique, 56-room Como Metropolitan.

The latter, a Singapore-based brand, has hotels around the world, from Italy to the Maldives, but this will be its signature property. Key to this temple of luxury is its urban wellness space – Como Shambhala, an outpost of the brand’s landmark Ubud, Bali health retreat featuring a series of glorious hot and cold baths, saunas and steam rooms. Guests can see onsite experts in gut health and body composition diagnostics, fitness training and hands-on healing. This is wellness in the Asian tradition which means absolute attention to detail, supreme luxury and next-level pampering. comohotels.com/singapore

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{ T R AV E L }

LIGHT FANTASTIC The culture capital of Europe is ready for its star turn WORDS: ELIZABETH MERYMENT

I

t’s always a good time to visit Paris. Spring, summer, winter, autumn – they are all the right season. But 2024 will be a little extra in Paris, for this is an Olympics year and the world’s favourite carnival of sport will be in the City of Light from July 26 to August 14. And after warming up with the Rugby World Cup in 2023, France is ready for an even bigger influx of visitors this coming European summer. Expect to see a lot of France — and so much Paris — in your social feeds, news reports and on television screens this year for all the right reasons. If all the coverage leaves you pining for a trip to Europe, then our tip is to book early and book well. Paris is bursting with hotels, but not all Parisian lodgings are created equal. This year, I spent time in Paris and fell in love with three incredible hotels. Each offers a different experience to the next, depending on what you are seeking from your Seine-side holiday.

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Hotel Grand Powers

Hotel Dame des Arts

The Hoxton Paris

This beautiful hotel, set one street back from the Champs-Élysées, is at once as grand as the name suggests, yet boutique. It is housed within a classic Haussmann building, with views of the Eiffel Tower from some rooms. This is a romantic property that delivers the quintessential Paris experience. Sip Champagne on your wrought-iron balcony as you listen to the hum of the street below, or use the location as a base to explore the city’s most famed attractions.

From here you are within walking distance of the Tuileries Garden, the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe and the Seine, as well as all the sights and shopping of the Champs-Élysées.

The beautiful thing about Hotel Grand Powers is its size. With just 50 rooms it maintains a sense of intimacy, yet is luxe enough to compete with Paris’s big ritzy hotels, some of which feel far less personal.

Occupying what was once a rather tired Holiday Inn is this hotel, which opened in February 2023 and is attracting global press for its retro-inspired design and Left Bank vibes. The 109-room property is beautifully situated in the midst of the Latin Quarter and is all ’60s and ’70s colour schemes, with sexy midcentury feels. But it’s the incredible rooftop that is garnering the most attention, for its twinkling Paris skyline view. This is the place to head for an after-hours tipple as the Eiffel Tower shimmers back at you with its hourly light show (the tower’s lights sparkle for five minutes at the top of every hour). The rooms are compact but contemporary – all wood-panelled walls and white sheets – and there’s a fashionable Mexican restaurant onsite, for when the sight of another dish of steak frites is just too much.

The 2nd arrondissement is not traditionally recognised as a tourist area, and yet this brilliant hotel is the toast of Paris. The 172 rooms, with their cool but distinctively French design are one thing, but it is the courtyard dining spaces and chic fitout that separate The Hoxton from the pack. Sit in the airy courtyard over boozy cocktails as a passing parade of beautiful people wanders around like extras from Emily In Paris. The location, too, is surprisingly enjoyable.

You will feel you are in the real Paris and a world away from the tourist scene that chokes so much of the city. The Hoxton is part of a British brand, the flagship of which kickstarted the hipster revival of London’s East End when it opened in 2006. The Hoxton Paris is likewise a heap of fun in a city known for its many pleasures.

hotelgrandpowersparis.com

damedesarts.com

thehoxton.com/paris

Always in style: clockwise from main, the view of the Eiffel Tower from Hotel Grand Powers; the acclaimed rooftop bar at Hotel Dame des Arts; view from a suite at Hotel Grand Powers; the Hoxton lobby’s original staircase

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{ AROUND THE GROUNDS }

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{ AROUND THE GROUNDS }

Life Members inducted 6.12.2023 SY DN EY CR ICK ET GROU N D

On a beautiful December evening, 12 legends of Australian sport were inducted as Life Members of the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Family and friends watched on as the 12 new inductees — Graham Arnold, Ken Arthurson, David Campese, Belinda Clark, Richard Colless, Glenn McGrath, Michael O’Loughlin, Nick Politis, Cheryl Salisbury, Basil Sellers, Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh — were awarded the highest honour the institution can bestow on individuals. The dinner was held on field of play under balmy summer skies and was attended by all the inductees, as well as Venues NSW chairman David Gallop, and directors Todd Greenberg, John Quayle and Lachlan Gyles. Stars from across the sporting world, including Marlene Mathews, Michael Cleary, Trent Robinson, John Longmire, Brett Kirk, Tom Harley, Mark Bosnich and Matildas pioneers Renaye Iserief and Heather Garriock were also guests. Former Australian cricket captain Mark Taylor said he was “delighted and honoured” to receive Life Member status. “I was fortunate to play my first and last cricket Test matches here for Australia so I have some terrific memories of this place. It’s generally my home ground and to be recognised with this honour is something I won’t forget and I’m very humbled by it.”

{ AROUND THE GROUNDS }

Sir Paul McCartney 27 & 28.10.23 A L L I A NZ STA DI U M

Robbie Williams 16.11.23 A L L I A NZ STA DI U M

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It has been a season of song at Allianz Stadium, with two of the UK’s finest entertaining legions of adoring music lovers.

Concert-goers were immensely moved by the two incredible shows of Sir Paul McCartney, who at 81 played to packed houses in October as part of his Got Back tour. The former Beatle had fans in raptures, with Sydney Morning Herald music reviewer George Palathingal rightly declaring that “a Paul McCartney concert might give you some of the most special live musical memories you will ever have”.

Families, some with babes in arms, held hands and sang together to some of the most memorable songs ever penned, from Let It Be to Hey Jude. Other Beatles moments on the 39-track playlist included Can’t Buy Me Love, Something (on George Harrison’s ukulele) Blackbird and

Get Back, plus Wings classics Band on the Run, Live and Let Die and Maybe I’m Amazed.

Showman Robbie Williams then took to the stage for his one Sydney show on November 16. The affable singer, currently being seen on Netflix’s new series about his career, delivered a rousing set that included hits Let Me Entertain You, Kids, Rock DJ and Angels and interesting covers of Oasis’s Don’t Look Back in Anger and John Farnham’s You’re the Voice.

The show included a memorable moment when fan Daniel proposed to his girlfriend Lauren on the big screen, with help from the star.

“God bless you mate, have a wonderful life together,” Williams told Daniel after the proposal.

“I’ve been with my wife for 18 years and she was the making of me. She’s the reason that I am the man that I am today, and that I am happy.”

The next smash hit show to be held at Allianz Stadium will be P!nk on February 9-10, 2024.

CALENDAR _ 20 23 |

DECEMBER

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

MARCH

22

3-7

04

07

BBL

T EST M ATCH

Sydney Sixers vs Adelaide Strikers

Australia vs Pakistan

SCG, 7.15pm

SCG, 10.30am

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12

Sydney FC vs Western United FC

Sydney Sixers vs Sydney Thunder

Allianz Stadium, 5.30pm

SCG, 7.15pm

26

13 & 14

Sydney Sixers vs Melbourne Stars

Unite Round

A-L E AGU E

BBL

SCG, 6.05pm

BBL

ON E DAY I N T ER NAT IONA L

Australia vs West Indies SCG, 2.30pm

09 & 10 CONCERT

P!nk Summer Carnival Tour Allianz Stadium

19

NSW Waratahs vs Blues Allianz Stadium. 7.35pm

A-L E AGU E

BBL F I NA LS

Sydney FC vs Wellington Phoenix

The Knockout

Allianz Stadium, 7.45pm

20 24

SCG, TBC

22

BBL F I NA LS

The Challenger SCG, TBC

24

BBL F I NA LS

The Final SCG, TBC

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CR ICK ET SH EF F I EL D SH I EL D

NSW Blues vs Victoria SCG, 10.30am

17

A-L E AGU E

Sydney FC vs Adelaide United Allianz Stadium, 6pm

24

A-L E AGU E

Sydney FC vs Melbourne City FC Allianz Stadium 5.30pm

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10 16

SCG, TBC

A-L E AGU E

Allianz Stadium, 7.35pm

SUPER RUGBY

The Qualifier

20

NSW Waratahs vs Highlanders

Allianz Stadium, 5pm

BBL F I NA LS

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08

SU PER RUGBY

Sydney FC vs Brisbane Roar FC

Allianz Stadium, 7.45pm

Allianz Stadium, 7.45pm

SCG, 7.20pm

A-L E AGU E

A-L E AGU E

Sydney FC vs Newcastle Jets

AFL

Sydney Swans vs Melbourne

22 NRL

Roosters vs Rabbitohs Allianz Stadium, 8.05pm

23 AFL

Sydney Swans vs Essendon SCG, 7.30pm

28 NRL

Rabbitohs vs Panthers Allianz Stadium, 8pm

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18

NSW Waratahs vs Melbourne Rebels

Roosters vs Storm

SUPER RUGBY

Allianz Stadium, 7.35pm

30

A-L E AGU E

Sydney FC vs Central Coast Mariners Allianz Stadium

APRIL

NRL

Allianz Stadium, 7.50pm

21 AFL

Sydney Swans vs Gold Coast Suns SCG, 1pm

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N R L A NZAC DAY

Dragons vs Roosters

12

Allianz Stadium, 4pm

NSW Waratahs vs Crusaders

SU PER RUGBY

SU PER RUGBY

Allianz Stadium, 9.10PM

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NSW Waratahs vs Chiefs

13

Allianz Stadium, 9.10pm

Sydney FC vs Western Sydney Wanderers FC

A-L E AGU E

Sydney FC vs Perth Glory

Allianz Stadium

Allianz Stadium

A-L E AGU E

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For latest event details and tickets go to venuesnsw.com

MAY

04 AFL

Sydney Swans vs GWS Giants SCG, 1.45pm

05

A-L E AGU E

Finals week 1 Allianz Stadium

11

SU PER RUGBY

NSW Waratahs vs Brumbies Allianz Stadium, 7.35pm

12

A-L E AGU E

17 AFL

Sydney Swans vs Carlton SCG, 7.40pm

19

A-L E AGU E

Finals week 3 Allianz Stadium

26

A-L E AGU E

Mens Grand Final Allianz Stadium

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SU PER RUGBY

NSW Waratahs vs Reds Allianz Stadium, 7.35pm

Finals week 2 Allianz Stadium

NRL

Roosters vs Warriors Allianz Stadium, 2pm

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{ J A N U A R Y 4 , 2 0 17 }

WHERE I WAS WHEN …

David Warner went berserk before lunch.

By Neil Breen

W

e all know what the first morning of the New Year’s Test is like. High excitement. Members lining up at the gates from before dawn.

TV crews doing live crosses on Driver Avenue. The extended family has gone home after Christmas and this little slice of peak summer is all ours.

The anticipation. “Who’ll win the toss? Surely they’ll bat ... wicket will turn square by Day 4.” All that jazz.

The excitement picks up when the teams come out for their warm-ups. “Hey look, Mitch Marsh is warming up ... maybe they’ll leave Starc out. He’ll be filthy.” “No, Starc is marking out his run up. I can’t see Hazlewood.”

“He’d be filthy, too. Home Test and all.”

We’ve all had those conversations. It’s part of being there. The great unknown of what is about to unfold. Normally, though, the mornings turn out as expected — one or two wickets before lunch and about 80 runs on the board, no matter who’s batting.

But, in the first session of Day 1 on January 3, 2017, playing Pakistan was a session no one saw coming. In fact, something happened which had never happened in a Test match in this country, let alone on the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Australia won the toss and batted.

David Warner was opening with the young Queenslander, Matthew Renshaw.

Warner hit balls two, three and four to the fence. OK, this is a fun start. Then he hit more and more to the fence. He and Renshaw brought up the 50 partnership in the ninth over. Warner was on 44 and Renshaw six.

I was in the press box, covering the match for host broadcaster Channel 9. No one was getting too excited at that point.

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David Warner scores a pre-lunch century in 2017.

Picture: Phil Hillyard

We’d all seen Warner start fast, dozens and dozens of times. But he kept surging.

When the 100 partnership came up in the 21st over, Warner was on 80 and Renshaw 19. By then, the crowd knew it was on: a century before lunch on Day 1.

Everyone in the press box also knew it was on. It had only ever happened four times in history — and not since 1976.

Bradman did it once in England, so did Victor Trumper.

I left and went looking for Warner’s family. I needed a camera on them to capture the moment. I found Warner’s wife Candice nursing one of their babies in the Clive Churchill Brewongle Stand. I clearly remember Warner being on 85 or 86 as it approached 12.15pm. Lunch was at 12.30. Time was running out.

Poor old Renshaw copped loud groans every time he blocked a ball and kept Warner off strike. The kid was 20 and opening for Australia on Day 1 of a Test and, by simply doing the job he was selected for, he got jeered. Then Renshaw blocked the last ball of an over and he got a massive cheer.

Warner was in the mid 90s, then 97. Tick, tick, tick ... one shot away as 12.30pm was approaching. But he did it quite easily in the end, with minutes to spare. A glide to third man produced the runs and he’d made it to 100 off 78 balls.

Everyone went bananas.

Australia 0-122, Warner 100 not out before lunch on Day 1. He would later tell the press he had no idea that no one had ever done that in Australia, and he was only the fifth player in history achieve such a feat. “I never thought about getting to 100 in the session until I saw I was 80 not out with 25 minutes to lunch.

I just rode the wave,” he said. So did everyone else at the ground.

Warner was dismissed after lunch for 113. Renshaw made 184 – his highest Test score – getting plenty of cheers not jeers, in a mammoth first innings total of 8-538 declared.

Australia won the Test by an innings and 123 runs.

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“I was fortunate to play my first and last cricket Test matches here for Australia so I have terrific memories of this place. To be recognised with this honour is something I won’t forget.

And I’m very humbled by it.”

M A R K TAY L OR