Graham Cornes names his favourite sport moment from 2019
From Glenelg snapping its SANFL premiership drought to the miraculous story of Marlion Pickett, Graham Cornes has named his favourite sport moment of the year.
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In a year of sport can you pick just one moment?
A moment that is permanently etched in your memory, that you will tell and retell the story of for years to come? As this year reaches its conclusion, there are many, but can you isolate just one?
There is one big problem with the coverage of sport these days - there is too much of it.
The old adage “be careful what you wish for” is particularly true in 2019.
With so many dedicated sports channels and a Kayo, new streaming service that allows you to watch up to 50 sports live, we flick from channel to channel searching for the one that that will hold our attention for more than three minutes.
Watch over 50 sports LIVE on Kayo! Stream to your TV, mobile, tablet or computer. Just $25/month, cancel anytime. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial & start streaming instantly >
Actually with Kayo, you don’t even have to flick.
You can watch three different sporting events on the one screen – if you pay the premium subscription of course.
So in a year of sporting moments, issues and great events can you pick just one. Here is a selection.
Long-suffering Glenelg supporters will say the 2019 SANFL grand final.
Of course that was indeed memorable - particularly when the credibility and integrity of the SANFL was threatened by the possibility of an AFL reserves team winning the flag. Forgive the self-indulgence.
The delightful and inspirational Ash Barty won the French Tennis Open at the famous Roland-Garros stadium. That was memorable but throughout the year, for the wrong reason, so were the spectacular outbursts of poor behaviour by Nick Kygrios.
Australians are desperate for an Australian to win our Tennis Open which was won this year by Novak Djokovic and Naomi Osaka. Kyrgios, who provides living proof that exquisite talent alone is not enough to guarantee sporting success, and Barty could be our best chances. Now that would be memorable.
There were plenty of moments that were memorable for the wrong reasons. Alen Stajcic was controversally sacked as coach of the Matildas. The team never recovered and lost the final round of 16 match at the World Cup on penalties to Norway.
Sam Kerr, our best player took the first penalty and completely missed the goal, which summed up the year actually.
Rugby League suffered an off-season of its players behaving badly which provoked its chief executive, Todd Greenberg to announce it had been a “train-wreck”. The code was wracked by a string of off-field indiscretions, which proved once again that seemingly “good-blokes” can behave like wanton boofheads.
As usual however, the state-of-origin series restored credibility to the code.
Rugby Union however, lost all credibility both with its handling of the Israel Folau matter and the Wallabies’ performances in the World Cup.
Emphasizing again that leadership, on and off the field is everything, the Wallabies are surely our most disappointing national team.
South Africa, won the World Cup of rugby. It was a truly heroic, memorable victory against England who had, it seems, exhausted its resolve with a semi-final victory over the All-Blacks.
A team, led by a man of colour, representing a country now impacted by such domestic turmoil triumphed on the world stage as they did once before in 1995. It was truly one of sport’s great moments.
A horse was our national Australian hero. The mighty mare Winx was retired after 33 consecutive victories. Her final race was at Randwick – Royal Randwick actually – but the scene most memorable was that of the everyday fans on the adjoining suburban street acknowledging the victory through the chain wire fence at the end of the race.
There were many other great moments. Tiger Woods re-surfaced, as he was his wont, to win another major golf title in Augusta.
However, it was the victory by a little-known young Australian golfer, Hannah Green in the PGA Championship that also excited. Green triumph, the first Australian woman’s since 2006 was memorable.
Our cricket team retained the Ashes in England but it was a series of mediocrity in which the Australian batters were dreadful - save for a new talent in Marnus Labuschagne. The one highlight was Steve Smith who emerged from his year of shame and suspension with Bradman-like performances and a restored reputation.
Dave Warner had a miserable Ashes series. Impeccable behaviour throughout his suspension did not mollify his critics who continued to bay for his blood. They were silenced here in Adelaide however. An incredible 335 runs (not out) was surely the final act of redemption but there are some who will never be satisfied. How dare he surpass the immortal Don’s record by just one run!
Still, it was memorable. This despite the identity crisis that cricket, with so many different forms and so many different competitions, continues to suffer.
Football wise, it was a miserable year here in Adelaide. The Crows freefall from grand final favourite in September 2017 continued to confound the experts. The momentum of adverse publicity and criticism would not be stopped until Don Pyke resigned and Brett Burton and Scott Camporeale were sacrificed. Port Adelaide didn’t fare much better on the field but the excitement generated by a handful of exciting young players preserved the optimism of the perennially demanding Port fans
A perfectly timed photo which preserved for perpetuity the image of Tayla Harris further promoted the cause of AFLW. That was a moment. A magnificent photo of an athlete in full flight also unfortunately attracted predictable, leering, lewd comments.
The photo itself is great advertisement for the game that continues to grow a rapid rate. However, the bronze statue, commissioned by an opportunistic sponsor was overkill.
However, for this sports lover there was one moment that was the most memorable. The AFL, to the frustration and chagrin of the state footballer leagues, re-introduced a mid-season draft. Players were ripped out of their clubs inspired by false promises and (mostly) unrequited expectations.
There were exceptions. Marlion Pickett was drafted mid-year from South Fremantle. It’s the most amazing story.
He was 27.
When he was a few years younger he had spent two and a half years in gaol.
He fitted comfortably into Richmond’s reserve team and played well in the VFL grand final. So well did he play in that game that the following week he was selected by Richmond to make his debut in AFL grand final.
It was a crazy/brave selection by the Tigers. Surely he would be overwhelmed?
However, he came off the bench in the second quarter and immediately impacted with a goal assist.
But it was that moment in the third quarter when he broke from the centre and turned to receive a handball.
Then in the manner that is usually only the preserve of the great players, time slowed and space opened up.
He blind-turned gracefully and delivered the ball to a leading team-mate.
The subsequent mark and goal have faded from the memory. That blind-turn never will.
That’s what you call a memorable moment.
What’s yours?