Australia’s Greatest Sporting Moments
A Countdown of the most Extraordinary events in Australia’s Sporting History
A. J. Baker
LIKE OUR SHEEP OBSESSED NEIGHBOURS, Australia is renowned for producing some of the greatest athletes and moments in sporting history. Across the holiday break I have frequently found myself watching sport highlights like Marcus Stoinis’ spectacular century in the IPL. In spite of this I figured writing an article about Australia’s illustrious sporting history would be a better use of my time than writing another monotonous essay about some French guy, Meursault, who didn’t like his Mother. With that being said, let’s dive into the definitive top 7 greatest moments in Australian sporting history.
1. Cathy Freeman’s 400m Gold Medal (2000)
In lane 6, the deafening roar of the Sydney crowd behind her she took off in her iconic green and gold bodysuit. Freeman finished the race lengths ahead of all the other competitors and the crowd erupted with emotion. Although an incredible athletic feat, the significance of this victory for the Indigenous Australian community was immense with Cathy becoming the inaugural Indigenous Australian gold medalist. She finished with an effusive lap of victory with the Aboriginal and Australian flag draped around her, a moment of reconciliation in Australia’s violent history.
2. Australia Wins the America’s Cup (1983)
One hundred and thirty-two years of US dominance in yachting’s grand challenge, the America’s Cup, was ended by the Royal Perth yacht club’s Australia II in their 1983 duel. Three losses in the first four races left John Bertrand’s crew reeling but they pushed the contest to an unprecedented decider. The final 41-second victory prompted lavish celebrations and Prime Minister Bob Hawke’s timeless decree: “Any boss who sacks a worker for not turning up today is a bum.”
3. Glenn Maxwell’s 201* (2023)
With Australia reeling at 7-91 chasing 291, Maxwell almost single-handedly carried Australia to victory with a record-breaking double century. As full-body cramps restricted his movement to upper body only, Maxwell’s knock resembled a game of French cricket on steroids. When the 7th wicket fell, WinViz (a database that calculates the relative chance of a team winning in any given moment) suggested Australia had a 0.1% chance of victory. This courageous knock secured a win for Australia and facilitated their tournament win against an unbeaten Indian side in India.
4. Cadel Evans Wins the Tour de France (2011)
Born in Katherine in the Northern Territory, Evans rode to within sight of the summit of world cycling, then took a few years to get to the top. After successive second place finishes in the Tour de France in 2007 and 2008, he finished below expectations the following two years. In 2011 Evans stayed out of yellow but in contention throughout, ultimately blowing away his GC rivals in the final time trial. At the age of 34, he became the oldest winner since the second world war, and the first Australian. Truly an amazing moment in Australia’s limited cycling history, inspiring thousands of middle aged men in lycra (MAMIL’s) to inundate the nation’s roads at peak hour riding agonisingly slow. Thank you Cadel.
5. Lance ‘Buddy’ Franklin kicks 1000 (2022)
The SCG turned into a sea of red and white when Buddy kicked his 1000th goal across his 19 year career. Although he became the 6th AFL/VFL player to achieve this milestone, doing so in an era where scoring is dispersed across the team and having 100 goals in a season is an anomaly unlike the league 30+ years ago. This achievement, although an extraordinary moment, was more so a testament to Lance’s longevity and consistency as a goal scorer, cementing itself on the list as a capitalisation of his remarkable career.
6. Matildas World Cup Campaign (2023)
The Australian Women’s soccer team (The Matildas) had undoubtedly one of the nation’s best team sport performances over the two week competition, finishing 4th overall with an injured star Sam Kerr. The moment that stood out more than any other was the excruciatingly long penalty shootout against France. Australia and France went goalless across 120 minutes then produced the longest World Cup shootout in history as both teams took 10 kicks to decide the winner. Goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold was crucial to keeping the Matildas’ hopes alive but it was substitute Cortnee Vine who stepped forward to become the hero with an assured sudden-death strike that fired the hosts into the semi-finals.
7. Steven Bradbury Olympic Gold Medal (2002)
What sort of list would it be without including one of the most iconic and hilarious underdog moments in Australia’s sporting history. In the 1000 metre short-track semi-final at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Games, Steven Bradbury knew he was outclassed in the high-calibre lineup. Trailing behind throughout the race, the veteran was well out of contention – until a late crash allowed him to progress. Then in the final, with an even hotter field led by USA hero Apolo Anton Ohno, another almost unfathomable late fall procured the first winter gold medal for Australia – and “the Bradbury” was born.
Honourable Mentions
Mick Fanning punches shark, Shane Warne ball of the century, Adam Goodes performs Indigenous celebration, John Aloisi scores penalty to send Soceroos to the World Cup, Adam Scott wins the US Masters, Ash Barty wins Australian Open.