Robert Drane opinion pieces.
Trading places
The dramas of this year’s AFL national draft revealed a lot about why people watch and play the game. James Hird caused a stir two days after a devastating…
OPINION
Accept mundane to become Mundine
Whether Anthony Mundine’s comments about the terrorist attacks on America were a free speech issue, or one of role-model responsibility, the real issue is this: should we give them…
Draft Dodgy
The pious indignation and earnest discussion sparked by former Hawthorn coach Ken Judge would be amusing if it wasn’t so irritating. Judge told the press that committee member Don Scott…
Enter, Exum
Documents recently released by Dr Wade Exum detail the results of positive drug tests for over 100 US athletes, including Carl Lewis – who tested positive for a number of…
Cricket Crisis
The chain of events that led to the Test match between India and South Africa being relegated to a first class match constituted a crisis that easily matches the Cronje…
The Carey affair
How do we sign off on the Wayne Carey saga? Should we? When is it a decent time to stop talking about it and allow the protagonists to put their…
Sideline Fever
All over the world, sporting officials are under siege. Australia’s figures disclose a crisis. A record 75% of kids who begin umpiring Australian Rules Football are dropping out. Rugby League’s rate is 60%. The number of people officiating in sporting events has fallen by a confounding 26%. It’s not a silent epidemic. There’s no mystery about it. The entire world witnesses it daily, on television screens, at major and minor sporting events, and, crucially, in junior ranks. Here are some examples of what they’ve seen just at the elite level: