Bruce McAvaney opens up about Women’s World Cup, Sam Kerr’s legacy, Hall of Fame honours, Dennis Cometti’s retirement advice
Bruce McAvaney and ADAM PEACOCK sit down to chat all things World Cup, why the stakes are higher than the Sydney Olympics, Sam Kerr’s Cathy-like challenge, memories of Pele, and his own future.
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It has been 25 years since CODE Sports expert Adam Peacock first crossed paths with Bruce McAvaney, the voice of the sporting nation, in a Channel 7 studio.
Many memorable moments later, the duo are preparing to spearhead Seven’s coverage of the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
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Adam: Bruce, what are your thoughts on being involved in the World Cup?
Bruce: Almost like a dream come true. One of those events when you get asked, ‘What haven’t you done that you’d like to do?’ Couple of things that come to mind and the World Cup has always been one of them.
Then to have it here in your own country with a team that’s competitive, it’s getting towards the end of a pretty long career, a bit of a gift to be truthful.
Adam: Everyone knows your love for Olympics, athletics, AFL, horse racing. I had a first-hand look at your attachment to football on my first day at Channel 7 in 1998. It was the men’s World Cup final weekend, and you were invested in that like a footy grand final. Have you always paid close attention to football?
Bruce: I was born in 1953, very early on knowing about Pele. Two goals in a final at 17 years of age, hat-trick on the way through in 1958. 1966 was big, the first time I really engaged.
Watching that England-West Germany final was amazing. Geoff Hurst with his hat-trick, Eusebio was the ‘Black Pearl’ in those days, Pele had been hacked out of it, North Korea led Portugal 3-0 in a quarter-final. It was like it was yesterday.
These events are monumental. Then 1970, been a better team than Brazil in 1970? I’ve always connected with the big event.
Geoff Hurst vs West Germany
— England Goals (@ThreeLionsGoals) July 30, 2017
Saturday 30 July 1966
World Cup 1966 Final
England 4-2 West Germany (aet)
*FIFTY ONE YEARS AGO TODAY* pic.twitter.com/SW4GQYj6Bj
Adam: What about the Matildas then? Your impressions as you get to know their story more and more?
Bruce: What I’ve really enjoyed over the last few months is to read about the history of the game and those role models, and those women who have done so much for this group, and this group’s unity I think is a quality that will work really positively over the next month.
It’s a really interesting history, one that everyone on and off the pitch have had to fight so hard for, and we arrive at this moment. It’s the perfect storm.
Always know we’ve had a decent team in the last 10-12 years, a couple of quarter-finals at World Cups, great run at the Tokyo Games.
It has the highest profile athlete probably in the country, male or female, a team that’s full of personality, a lovely mix of experience and youth, plus a coach that’s endearing. And, an opportunity that we may not see again.
Adam: It’s a good mix! Just on Sam Kerr and the World Cup, you can line this up better than anyone. Can you see similarities between her and another monumental moment, Cathy Freeman in 2000?
Bruce: It’s hard not to, and many of the Matildas have already said this could be a Freeman moment. Most of them are old enough to have witnessed it, some not so! Time flies.
Cathy carried a nation on her back for a lap. The dynamics are different, and zooming in on Sam; she will, more than any other player in this tournament from any other team, have the most pressure on her in so many ways. But she‘s used to it.
Incredible performer for her club, her Olympic Games in Tokyo I thought was outstanding, including the ups and downs of one match that she won’t forget. At the World Cup level she would be so determined to leave her mark.
Perfect age, with all the experience behind her, hopefully with a fit body, this is her time. She’s where Catherine was in so many ways.
Adam: Comprehending what Freeman achieved gets more remarkable with time, how she let everything bounce off her. Does this group need to let some things bounce off them?
Bruce: It’s a combination, holding your nerve, doing all the things that you’re meant to do. The best example I had of that was actually 1991, when Carl Lewis broke the world 100m record in Tokyo.
He was second last at the halfway mark and he was asked after, ‘What were you thinking?’. He said, ‘The one thing I thought was try not to run faster. Just relax. They’ll come back to me’.
Now, how do you have that poise over nine seconds? It’s what separates the great from the good. With the Matildas, you do feel for this group because it’s at home, because of their maturation, they won’t get a better chance.
Adam: Your career, I thought you were scaling back? But here you are treating the second at Eagle Farm on a Saturday like the Melbourne Cup. So much enthusiasm and you’re obviously pumped about this. How’s the balance these days?
Bruce: I am doing more than I expected. Felt when I finished calling the footy I would go to the next phase, and I did a bit, but (Seven) have taken on horse racing 52 weeks of the year. I’m not doing 52, but I’m doing more than I was.
The love for athletics is not going to change, and whilst we don’t have the Olympic Games, hopefully there’ll be big events to be involved with in the next few years.
But I got a phone call ten weeks ago from (Seven’s head of sport) Lewis Martin saying, ‘We’d love you to work with Mel (McLaughlin) on the World Cup. What do you think?’.
I took a second, thought, hang on, what an opportunity to work on something that I haven’t done, meet a new group of people. To stay young in a way, even though I’m not!
Surprised myself, thought I’d be doing less, haven’t quite got to that point. I will definitely over the next year or two go to the next phase of winding down but right at the moment … I’m having too much fun.
Adam: Congratulations on the AFL Hall of Fame induction. Also recently there was the South Australian Sport Hall of Fame induction, and the Logies Hall of Fame last year. A few thank you speeches. What’s it like saying thanks to everyone for acknowledging your career when it is still going?
Bruce: Feel like I’ve been to a couple of funerals, and they’ve been mine! It’s humbling. Now, we’ve all got egos. Dennis Cometti, when he wound down, said to me, ‘Macca, there’s two things; I’ve had a soft landing. Don’t go cold turkey. And also, I haven’t retired my ego’. Now, none of us ever do (laughing)!
About the accolades, and this is not false modesty, there is a sense of ‘have they got it right?’. I know how imperfect I’ve been over the years and how I’d like to have been better in certain ways. It’s been incredibly humbling, wonderful to be honest.
It’s the permanency of it that gets me. In 50 years time, my great grandchildren will see my name somewhere, or photo, and hopefully it makes them proud. My parents would be, I know my children are, feel like I’ve been overindulged and probably overrated, but can we not tell anyone!
Adam: Look, I just want to make the Hall of Fame in my own house!
Bruce: I haven’t done that! Don’t you worry. Everybody in the household, including the kids that aren’t in the household, think I’m the village clown. That’s way beyond what I’m going to do!
Adam: Last one, what do you hope the coverage will bring to everyone around Australia watching?
Bruce: A sense of shared involvement. Being part of it, us, the Matildas, the sport, the event. You live it, but I don’t think people realise how big this can be. It does rely a lot on the Matildas but even if it doesn’t happen for them, it will be a phenomenon.
If they were to get to a final and happen to pull off the miracle, I’m not sure there’s been a bigger sporting opportunity in this country.
Adam: Cathy included?
Bruce: Yeah I think this is as big as it gets.
Adam: Cathy won’t mind?
Bruce: She’ll just have to step aside, and have 23 others sharing the front table. She’s still there, always been there, but it will be a long table, and a very, very happy one.
Adam: Enjoy it mate.
Bruce: Can’t wait!
Originally published as Bruce McAvaney opens up about Women’s World Cup, Sam Kerr’s legacy, Hall of Fame honours, Dennis Cometti’s retirement advice
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