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Anch -- thanks a lot. I used to have a book 'WA's top 40' and Marsh was in the top three picked. Since the time of the Eagles, I have often thought to myself that Peter Matera would be the first addion to that to 40 list

Beasley Hutton wrote: Victoria is just a pissant little state in the real world scheme of things but they really do believe they are bigger than Texas (or WA for that matter) over there boys with such grandiose claims of being the "sporting capital of the world" what must the citizens of London, New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Barcelona, Rome, Dallas, Tokyo, Rio, Moscow etc even Sydney closer to home think of those absurd claims?!?!

Never heard Melbourne or Victoria being the "sporting capital of the world", however have heard Melbourne referred to as the sporting capital of Australia. From my perspective it rings true whether people like it or not, from AFL, horse racing, the MCG etc. As an AFL state they even have the Melbourne Storm winning flags in the NRL, just won the NBL, host a grand slam event in tennis, oh and a superugby team in the Rebels who are currently top of the Australian ladder.
Absurd? Really, by the way they have the Grand Prix also. I'm not all that happy with it either, however it is hard to not acknowledge that consecutive Governments in Victoria (regardless of your political perspective) have not place them well in terms of attracting big events.

Gotta agree there ooollll...Melbourne is the sporting capital of Oz when you consider the AFL GF, F1, MotoGP, Australian Open tennis, the sand belt golf courses around Melbourne regularly host the Australian Golf Open, PGA and Masters. The Melbourne Cup and so on. Also the good burghers of Melbourne turn out in big numbers to anything sporting....didn't they get 90,000 or similar to the ARL State of Origin at the G a couple of years ago? So it's pretty hard to argue against it being the sporting capital of Australia.

ooollllrrrrrry2 wrote:

Beasley Hutton wrote: Victoria is just a pissant little state in the real world scheme of things but they really do believe they are bigger than Texas (or WA for that matter) over there boys with such grandiose claims of being the "sporting capital of the world" what must the citizens of London, New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Barcelona, Rome, Dallas, Tokyo, Rio, Moscow etc even Sydney closer to home think of those absurd claims?!?!

Never heard Melbourne or Victoria being the "sporting capital of the world", however have heard Melbourne referred to as the sporting capital of Australia. From my perspective it rings true whether people like it or not, from AFL, horse racing, the MCG etc. As an AFL state they even have the Melbourne Storm winning flags in the NRL, just won the NBL, host a grand slam event in tennis, oh and a superugby team in the Rebels who are currently top of the Australian ladder.
Absurd? Really, by the way they have the Grand Prix also. I'm not all that happy with it either, however it is hard to not acknowledge that consecutive Governments in Victoria (regardless of your political perspective) have not place them well in terms of attracting big events.

You have obviously never listened to SEN or the other Melbourne station Daniel Harford is on then as it is almost an hourly claim!

The trouble with the Victorians is that they are competting for a title which nobody else really cares about. Having said that, I shall humour them a little bit and point to two facts which suggest that it is not the sportting be all and end all.

In Aussie Rules -- surely the state's one and only claim to uniquity, the best players, by their own admission, have not been Victorians --

Bunton
Farmer
Cable

Turnning to the national sport, cricket, Victoria has always played second fiddle to NSW. WA did something unique, however, winning the Shield in its first season, despite having only a population of 400,000 or so at the time.

PS: Rod Laver is a Quenslander and Maggie Smith is from NSW -- it seems that there is not much Victorian about Australian sports achievements?

Beasley Hutton wrote: Victoria is just a pissant little state in the real world scheme of things but they really do believe they are bigger than Texas (or WA for that matter) over there boys with such grandiose claims of being the "sporting capital of the world" what must the citizens of London, New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Barcelona, Rome, Dallas, Tokyo, Rio, Moscow etc even Sydney closer to home think of those absurd claims?!?!

I’ve said it before, we should build a huge wall around victoria and fill it with water. It’d make agreat dam for the rest of Australia!!

58shark wrote:

Beasley Hutton wrote: Victoria is just a pissant little state in the real world scheme of things but they really do believe they are bigger than Texas (or WA for that matter) over there boys with such grandiose claims of being the "sporting capital of the world" what must the citizens of London, New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Barcelona, Rome, Dallas, Tokyo, Rio, Moscow etc even Sydney closer to home think of those absurd claims?!?!

I’ve said it before, we should build a huge wall around victoria and fill it with water. It’d make agreat dam for the rest of Australia!!

hahaha...that's pretty funny 58.