Dawn Fraser blames money-hungry attitude for Australian sport slump

AUSSIE swimming icon Dawn Fraser has blamed the money hungry nature of modern sport for a dramatic form slump by Australian athletes.

Dawn Fraser on the MCG with the 1956 Olympic torch. Picture: Tim Carrafa

AUSSIE swimming icon Dawn Fraser has blamed the money hungry nature of modern sport for a dramatic form slump by Australian athletes.

With tomorrow marking the 60-year anniversary of the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games opening ceremony at the MCG, Fraser offered her opinion on where Aussie athletes were going wrong.

“It’s all hard work,” she said.

“I think there is more pressure these days because there is a lot of money in sport.

“We didn’t have that sort of money ... it’s pretty hard on young kids, especially if you’ve got debutantes in the team and they don’t have a mentor.”

Her message to Aussie athletes was simple.

“Leave your fun and games until after you’ve finished competing,” she said.

Fraser likes Kyrgios’ aggression but says he needs to control it. Picture: AFP

The four-time Olympic gold medallist said athletes need not take the fun out of sport — just respect the game and their supporters.

“We were all larrikins and the kids of today are larrikins too,” she said.

“But our coaches were very strict with us and I think money has played a big part in a lot of these top-line sports and athletes thinking they are king­pins when they’re not.

“You can always be knocked off in any game or any competition if you go in with a big head.”

Fraser said athletes such as Nick Kyrgios had to think of the bad habits they were teaching children and take pride representing their country.

“His aggression is good on the court but he has to control it,” she said.

Fraser, 79, said there was an attitude problem in some sports and athletes had to get on top of their minds as well as their game.

The Queen and Prince Philip at the MCG in 1956.

The Olympic flame at the Melbourne games.

“It’s all changed,” she said.

“All sport is very scientific now ... it is very professional and it puts a big strain on young kids.”

With the Australian cricket team in shameful form and a disappointing Aussie medal haul at the Rio Olympics, Fraser said: “I think it’s our time to suck it up a little bit.

“The other countries have caught up to us and our coaches have to sit down and have a good look and say ‘where did we go wrong?’.

“Analyse what we’ve done, where we’re going and how we are going to be good again.”

She called for better mentors for young stars and said Cricket Australia could do worse then send in Shane Warne to rally the troops.

She also backed new US president Donald Trump.

“I was always behind Donald Trump ... what he was saying about not letting the refugees in,” she said.

Mementos from the 1956 Olympics will be on display at the National Sports Museum

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