2021 What’s the Buzz Awards: Sport’s winners, losers, feuds, blunders
This year has been packed full of on-field scandals, off-field dramas and epic blunders. But there’s one that stands out at the top of the list.
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And the winners are ... after a Covid-impacted year featuring Tokyo Olympics glory and plenty of tomfoolery, Phil ‘Buzz’ Rothfield hands out his 2021 awards.
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SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR
Wollongong’s Emma McKeon wins seven medals, four gold, to become the standout swimmer at the Tokyo Games – the most by an Aussie at a single Games. Her 11 medals overall also breaks the mark of nine previously held by Ian Thorpe and Leisel Jones.
SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR
Wheelchair tennis star and Paralympian Dylan Alcott achieves history by winning the Golden Slam. Skolling a beer out of the US Open trophy is the perfect Aussie way to celebrate becoming the only man to win all four majors and a gold medal in the same year.
THE SILLY SAUSAGE AWARD
Paul Vaughan and his Dragons barbecue party boys defy Covid restrictions to not only burn themselves but cook their team’s season. Thirteen players are suspended or fined.
BLOWING BUBBLES I
Queensland forward Jai Arrow sneaks a woman inside the Queensland camp. He’s banned for two games and fined $35,000 – oh, and his Miss World Australia partner Taylah Cannon unfollows him on Instagram.
BLOWING BUBBLES II
To show dumb acts aren’t confined to Queenslanders, NSW 18th man Api Koroisau also meets up with a woman he knew inside the Blues’ team hotel before Origin II. His Origin card is marked.
GETTING THE BOOT
Local junior Adam Reynolds breaks the South Sydney point-scoring record held by super boot Eric Simms. He also captains the Rabbits to a GF. For his efforts, he is shown the door and leaves for Brisbane.
BLUNDER OF THE YEAR
See above.
BUZZ’S 2021 SPORTS FEUDS
Phil Gould and Brian Fletcher once had a tight working relationship at Penrith, before Gus’s departure to the Bulldogs.
But Gould caused a massive stir at the foot of the mountains when, after signing Penrith’s Viliame Kikau for the 2023 season, he posed for a happy snap with coach Trent Barrett and Kikau, in a Bulldogs polo, despite having a year to run on his Panthers deal. The photo was then leaked the day before Penrith’s grand final parade, creating further tension between the two clubs.
Elsewhere, don’t expect to feel the holiday spirit between Eels general manager of football, Mark O’Neill, and player agent Sam Ayoub, after the two parties went toe-to-toe in protracted contract negotiations over several stars.
Although Parramatta ultimately re-signed Ayoub clients Clint Gutherson and Junior Paulo, they lost Reed Mahoney to Canterbury.
NRLW star Ali Brigginshaw was critical of NRL boss Andrew Abdo over the decision to postpone the 2021 season, Fox League’s Cooper Cronk and Adam Reynolds traded barbs over the star’s contract status amid Cronk’s claims Souths deserved “more bang for their buck” from their halfback, who has since joined Brisbane.
TEAM OF THE YEAR I
It’s impossible to go past the Australian women’s cricket team, who enjoyed a world-record 26-game one-day international winning streak before losing to India. It’s their first ODI defeat since 2017.
TEAM OF THE YEAR II
Australia’s 4x100m women’s freestyle team of Bronte and Cate Campbell, Meg Harris and Emma McKeon break the world record to claim our first gold medal in Tokyo.
THE AUSSIE ROCKY
George Kambosos Jr pulls off the biggest upset since Rocky Balboa defeated Apollo Creed when he takes down Teofimo Lopez to become the unified lightweight champion. Some are calling it the greatest win by an Aussie boxer.
GOLDEN MOMENT
There was no bigger race at the Olympics than our own Ariarne Titmus coming from behind in the 400m freestyle to nail American legend Katie Ledecky in the pool. The 200m freestyle win cemented her greatness.
LEADER OF THE YEAR
Boomers basketball superstar and Olympic flag-bearer Patty Mills is an inspiring leader on and off the basketball court, both reflecting his Aboriginal heritage and Australian values. He can play a bit, too.
TERRIBLE TIMING
Revelations on the eve of the Ashes that Australian cricket captain Tim Paine had been involved in a sexting scandal with a former Cricket Tasmania employee of four years ago.
OUTRAGEOUS REACTION
Shane Warne, whose own history is more colourful than most, calls for Paine to be dropped from the team for the first Test at the Gabba. Seriously …
TWENTY20 VISION
Two of our most polarising cricketers, Mitch Marsh and Dave Warner, smash the Aussies to their first T20 World Cup title. Marsh, 77 off 50 balls, is man of the final against New Zealand and Warner (53 off 38) is player of the tournament. The trophy cabinet is complete.
ARTHUR OR MARTHA
Soccer is embroiled in the strangest controversy of the year, with Jordan accusing Iran of playing a man in goal during their women’s international. Zohreh Khodaei saves twice in a penalty shootout as Iran win. Jordan demands FIFA conduct a gender test. Oh brother!
COMEBACK OF THE YEAR 1
The Wallabies delve into the past to bring back the polarising Quade Cooper for the clash with the world champion Springboks on the Gold Coast. Cooper kicks eight from eight – including a 45m penalty on fulltime – as the Aussies win 28-26. Their best win in years.
COMEBACK OF THE YEAR 2
Brent Read on NRL 360.
SLUMBER BARTY
Millions of Australians stay up in the middle of the night to watch Ash Barty become Australia’s first female Wimbledon champ since Evonne Goolagong-Cawley in 1980. Barty defeats Karolina Pliskova 6-3 6-7 6-3.
MILLS AND BOOM
Yes, Australia won 17 gold at Tokyo. But one of the most precious medals is the bronze claimed by our Boomers basketball team after finishing fourth on four previous occasions. Patty Mills had the game of his life, scoring 42 points in the 107-93 win against Solvenia.
CRASH AND BURN AWARD
Latrell Mitchell is a superstar, but he’s also a liability. His reckless hit breaks the face of Roosters centre Joey Manu, sees him suspended for six games and probably costs Souths a premiership. Next year, he needs to pull his head in and repay the Bunnies.
GRAND WIZARD
Wayne Bennett taking the Rabbitohs to the grand final – his 10th with four clubs – is remarkable. He might be as old as Methuselah, but he still has the magic dust.
DOING THE STREAK
Craig Bellamy’s Melbourne Storm emulated one of the greatest teams I’ve ever seen, with their 19-game winning streak matching Jack Gibson and the 1975 Roosters. Across those 19 wins, Melbourne scored 729 points and conceded 232. Amazing.
POWDER KEG
The Storm’s Brandon Smith and Cameron Munster are caught on video with a white substance during post-season partying. Coach Craig Bellamy expresses his anger. Oh, to be a fly on the wall.
FOXTROT AWARD
Storm flyer Josh Addo-Carr leads the hapless Bunnies a merry dance to score six tries in a 50-0 win. He becomes the first player since Newtown’s Jack Troy in 1950 to hit a team for six.
HIGH CRIMES AND MISDEMEANOURS
There are 14 sin bins and three send-offs as ARLC boss Peter V’landys and the NRL launch a crackdown on high tackles on one of the biggest weekends of the season. Magic Round becomes Tragic Round.
WEST-SLIDE STORY
Wests Tigers coach Michael Maguire has the final cut on Fox Sports’ brilliant Tiger Town doco, which lifts the curtain on an NRL club. Many of the Wests Tigers players are the villains as our hero Madge does all he can to save the day.
READ ALL ABOUT IT
District Court judge Dina Yehia fired up after news of NRL star Jack de Belin’s sexual assault charges being dropped was leaked to your columnist 24 hours before they were officially struck out in court.
ROOKIE MONSTERS
Roosters half Sam Walker and Warriors fullback Reece Walsh look like school kids, but they schooled NRL veterans with their talents. How did the Broncos let them leave Red Hill? In the immortal words of Geoff Toovey, there has to be an investigation.
A ROOKIE ERROR
Reece Walsh is arrested on the Gold Coast and charged with cocaine possession as the silly season kicks off. The NRL fines and bans him for two games.
DUNNY BILL MEMORIAL AWARD
Bulldogs forward Adam Elliott and NRLW star Millie Boyle share a kiss in a toilet cubicle at a Gold Coast restaurant. The Dogs flush Elliott’s contract.
MAN ON A SLEDGE
Former Test centre Will Chambers effectively talks himself out of the NRL. The Sharks centre sledges everyone in earshot in a game against the Warriors. The Sharks have the final word by dropping him. Chambers is off to play rugby in LA.
WOODEN SPOONERS
Poor old SEN radio. I like their weekday biggest personalities Andrew Voss, Bryan Fletcher and Joel Caine a lot, but sadly not many others do judging by their abysmal ratings. Poor Vossy finished the year on breakfast with .02.
FITZ AND RE-STARTS
Cronulla sacking John Morris as coach is one of the harshest calls of the season, but bringing in former Roosters assistant Craig Fitzgibbon has the Shire buzzing. Bring on 2022.
CROCK-A-DOODLE-DO
The Roosters’ medical team should’ve been on load management. Injury-enforced retirements to Brett Morris, Boyd Cordner, Jake Friend, season-ending injuries to Luke Keary, Joey Manu and Lindsay Collins – and many other mishaps – would have crippled many clubs. But the Roosters still make the second week of finals.
ORIGINS OF LEGEND
NSW destroy the Maroons 50-6 in Game I in Townsville, with Tom Trbojevic and Latrell Mitchell treating Queensland like doormats, and wrap up the series with a 26-0 shutout. To win a series with all three games in Queensland is outstanding.
FAST FEUD I
Bye George. Raiders halfback George Williams packs up his boots and returns to England mid-season, saying coach Ricky Stuart turned his back on him after he said he wanted to leave. Poor diddums.
FAST FEUD II
Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder produce one of the great heavyweights in their trilogy, both hitting the deck in a brutal stoush. The fighting words continue when Wilder refuses to shake Fury’s hand after being stopped in the 11th round.
BALLS AND ALL
Bradford Bulls rugby league player George Flanagan is suspended and fined for grabbing an opponent’s testicles in a Challenge Cup match. It’s the second time in 18 months he has been caught. Tip to his coach: stop telling him to make ball-and-all tackles, please.
ONE TOUGH HOMBRE AWARD
You can be a winner even when you lose. Paul Gallen’s courage, heart and tenacity has never been questioned, but he enhances his reputation when he lasts 10 rounds against our best heavyweight boxer Justis Huni.
BRAIN SNAP I
Bulldogs’ Lachlan Lewis tackles Rabbitohs playmaker Cody Walker as players leave the field at halftime after Walker calls him a “reserve grader”. One way to up your tackle count.
IT’S A MUTE POINT
Lachlan Lewis places an ad on eBay trying to sell the soundbar the NRL gave teams when they entered Covid-19 bubbles in Queensland.
BLOW THAT WHISTLE REF
Matt Cecchin retires as one of the NRL’s top referees. It’s a pity he wasn’t getting the big games in the latter part of his career. He bows out respected by players, coaches and fans.
THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT
GWS star Toby Greene’s petulant bump of the umpire in the elimination final against the Swans gets him a deserved suspension and cruels his team’s finals dream.
FLYING HIGH AWARD
Some of our Olympians cut loose on the flight back from Tokyo, drinking far too much booze and making gold-medal fools of themselves. There’s no truth to the rumour we’ll rename our team to the Chunders from Down Under.
THAT’S MY BOY
Panthers coach Ivan Cleary presents son Nathan with the Clive Churchill Medal – a grand final first – after Penrith’s 14-12 victory over the Rabbitohs. The Panthers laugh last and loudest on GF day.
TEARS OF GOLD
There is no more popular gold medallist in Tokyo than Penrith’s Jess Fox. After claiming bronze in the K1, Jess shows the heart of a champion to come back and win the C1 with her proud dad Richard calling it for Channel 7.
FAREWELL OLD FRIENDS
In a sad year for rugby league, we lose Immortals Bob Fulton and Norm Provan and an Immortal larrikin and champion in Tom Raudonikis. All three are giants of the Greatest Game of All. And in the last week we lost Peter Mullholland, one of the game’s most respected figures and truly the nicest person you could meet.
ENTER THE NEW DIVA
Mighty mare Verry Elleegant carries 57kg to win the Melbourne Cup in resounding fashion, running down hot favourite Incentivise, in a performance reminiscent of Cup icon Makybe Diva.
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Originally published as 2021 What’s the Buzz Awards: Sport’s winners, losers, feuds, blunders
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