Yes, Jeff Sayle, who died last month made his fame as a Wallaby from the Galloping Greens, before becoming an iconic Randwick rugby coach, president and patron, but he was also a beloved figure at the Coogee Surf Club where he was part of the 1972 Australian championship gold medal-winning crew. And so, who better to scatter his ashes?
It happened late last Saturday morning, in bright sunshine, with the three surviving members of the crew bearing Jeff’s urn. The Coogee Surf Club was packed with 100 of their own members with as many from the Randwick rugby club as two surfboats pulled to a spot just beyond the breakers.
Much-loved Randwick identity and former club president Jeffrey Sayle.Credit:Jon Reid
Carefully now.
Oars up, for the minute’s silence, with just the sound of the waves crashing on the shore, ’midst the caterwauling seagulls.
Father John Kelaher, who had presided at the funeral now does the honours, carefully opening the urn and giving it a shake as his ashes are scattered to the wind. In an instant, they are gone. Vale, Jeff Sayle. Yours was a life well lived, filled with colour and movement, capped with a colourful final scene. Few could ask for better.
Tough to bear
Ummm, what’s happening with #StadiumSplurge, can you tell me? When last we spoke about it a few months ago, just after the Sydney Football Stadium had been knocked down, you will recall that LendLease had run screaming from the room, and said they couldn’t get within a bull’s roar of building the stadium for the budgeted figure of $729 million. Not to worry, the Berejiklian government said, we will have a new builder locked in by November, ready to go so the new football stadium on that spot can be ready for the 2022 season.
Well? I checked my calendar. Today is the last day of November. Stand by for some announcement I guess, telling us who will be building this nigh-on billion=dollar stadium to replace the perfectly fine one we had there.
Meantime, in unrelated news, it seems most of our koalas have been wiped out by the bushfires, and yet there has been no increase yet in the $11.2 million the NSW Government budgeted to help preserve them. Priorities.
It's not right, it's not right …
Yup, I know. The only possible explanation for the latest ludicrous Israel Folau move – to increase his statement of claim against Rugby Australia by another $4 million, by asserting that if not sacked the Wallabies would likely have won the World Cup and he would have gone on to be captain – is, as Georgina Robinson asserts, that it was some kind of legal manoeuvre. The general plan, I gather, was simply to up the ante of pain on Rugby Australia, so they will be more inclined to accept mediation and give a higher payout because paying him, say, $2 million, would look like a bargain against the $14 million they might have had to pay.
But surely we can agree the plan backfired? For such a manoeuvre to have worked it needed at least a few strands of credibility and that one had – dot three, carry nine, subtract five – NONE.
To reprise, Folau has never captained any team in any sport, since he started playing football in the third grade. During Cheika’s reign as coach there were seven vice-captains, and Folau was not one of them. Australia has a long tradition of not making fullbacks captain, and the last time it was tried was 40 years ago, for one Test, before it was abandoned. And when I broke the news to one long-time Wallaby teammate of Folau’s claim he burst out laughing. I had to spend a little time convincing him I was serious.
As far as I can see, all of the Australian rugby community, led by the executive, feel exactly the same way. So, my question again. How on EARTH could this help his cause, any more than his professed views that God was so annoyed by Australians voting for same-sex marriage he sent down the fireballs which, strangely, hit the fine folk outside of Tenterfield rather than the denizens of the streets Oxford and King.
How is this helping Folau again? And is anyone advising him?
And just say he did win the case, and got the full $14 million, wouldn’t that have to come from his former teammates, the juniors, the development programs and all the rest. This, really, Israel, was a part of God’s plan? Talk about moving in mysterious ways!
Time to use our heads
Of course most people don’t think heading soccer balls could do that much damage. I used to feel much the same. But here at TFF we try to go with the evidence, rather than just our feelings, for fear of being like the bloke who says “I just don’t believe in climate change, because it is really cold today in Wagga Wagga.”
And this week, there was a whole new burst of evidence on the danger of heading, coming from Willie Stewart, a leading neuropathologist from Glasgow, who released a study showing that professional footballers were five times more likely to die from Alzheimer’s disease.
The conclusions were reached after 7676 professional players born between 1900 and 1976 and 23,000 matched individuals from the general population.
Illustration: John ShakespeareCredit:John Shakespeare
“I equate it to asbestos and the shipbuilding industry,” he told London's Daily Telegraph. “A lot of time was spent working out how you might compensate families for what was an industrial disease.
“There was a very strong union for the shipbuilders. I think the players’ union needs to step in and say, ‘On behalf of our current players, there will be no more 100 headers a week in training, players will go off for 10 minutes to be assessed if they get a head injury and those players living with dementia now will be getting care packages and support.”
It is, surely, something to think about for Australian professional soccer players, and also something for coaches of all levels and ages to be aware of.
What they said
Clive James, who died during the week, once penned a famous line on Arnold Schwarzenegger: “He has a body like a brown condom full of walnuts.”
Antonio Conte, manager of Inter Milan: “I advise my players to have sex for short periods and with the minimum of effort and use positions where they are under their partners and preferably with their wives. Because if with others, well, that will need extra action.” Charmed, I’m sure.
Colin Scotts, former NFL player, on Valentine Holmes not making the cut and returning home: “He was never going to make it . . . You go over there and have to learn a Chinese language upside down. Physically you are running into a brick wall 100 times a day wearing a helmet. Your brain is going to be rattled like never before.”
Valentine Holmes on why his return won’t be like the Hayne Plane’s: “He had a bit of age on his side. He was a bit older than me so for him it would have been a bit harder to come back as good as he was.”
David Warner on scoring more runs in one innings against Pakistan than during the whole Ashes series: “I was on the end of a great series by a very good bowler. There was nothing more I could do. I wasn’t out of form, I was out of runs. Today I had a little bit of luck. That’s what you need in the game. Over there I didn't have much luck at all.”
Shane Warne on the 20-year-old “can’t bowl, can’t throw” saga: “I didn't do it, I promise you, I didn't do it. I don't know what more I can say.”
Wanderers coach Markus Babbel taking his frustrations out on a journalist: “You have two eyes, do you understand the game a bit? F—ing have a look.”
Jack Brubaker talking up his upcoming fight with Tim Tszyu: “When I beat Tim I’m the new face of Australian boxing, I’m the man to go to. I’ve got a bit of character as well. Tim is boring as hell. No one wants to listen to him. He’s as boring as batshit.”
Semi Radradra quashing rumours: “The NRL is behind me, it’s over. I already proved that I was one of the best Fijians in this league. Playing rugby union pleases me, I love it more and more.”
WADA showing some backbone: “Russian athletes and their support personnel may only participate in major events staged in the four-year period where they are able to demonstrate that they are not implicated in any way by the non-compliance.”
Chris Gayle with a Michael Clarke nomination that would make a statue blush: “As soon as I don't perform for two or three games, then Chris Gayle is the burden for the team . . . Chris Gayle is always a burden if I don't score runs, two, three, four times. Chris Gayle never get no respect. Once Chris Gayle fails, it's the end of his career, he is no good, he is the worst player and all these other things.”
Jeff Fenech on some Anthony Mundine fight I gather is in the works: “Anthony’s days are well and truly behind him, and to be honest, I think it’s embarrassing to the sport of boxing. I think it’s embarrassing. Anthony’s a great entertainer and he’s been great – what he’s done is amazing – but there comes a time when someone has to say stop.” I agree.
Team of the week
Ash Barty. Was named the GQ Sportsperson of the year.
Valentine Holmes. Will return to the NRL in 2020 after signing with North Queensland on a six-season deal.
Antonio Rodriguez. Mexican goalkeeper scored a goal from his own box when his goal kick sailed over everyone.
Michael Diamond. Selling his gold medal won at the Atlanta Olympics for trap shooting to help support his family.
George Bailey. Is the new Australian cricket selector, while still playing. I bet he won’t get sledged much.
Spain. Won the competition formerly known as the Davis Cup. I think our mob was playing in it recently, but it is hard to say, it all came and went so quickly – with no buzz.
RIP Pim Verbeek 1956-2019. The well-liked coach who took the Socceroos to the 2010 World Cup passed away this week after a battle with cancer.
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