Author: australiansportreflections
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Australian Prime Ministers and Sport Series – Andrew Fisher
By Greg Blood ANDREW FISHER – AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY 5th Prime Minister (1908–1909; 1910–1913; 1914–1915) Andrew Fisher viewed sport and physical fitness in terms of nationalism. The physical fitness of Australian men would be important in defending the new nation and the Olympic Games could help promote physical fitness and the nation on the…
australiansportreflections
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Australian Prime Ministers and Sport Series – Ben Chifley
By Greg Blood JOSEPH BENEDICT ‘BEN’ CHIFLEY– AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY 15th Prime Minister: 1945 -1949 Ben Chifley as Treasurer (1941-1949) and Prime Minister (1945-1949) made decisions that impacted positively and negatively on sport in Australia encompassed by World War II. Sport was important to Chifley in his youth and it helped him gain a community…
australiansportreflections
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Australian Prime Ministers and Sport Series – Chris Watson
By Greg Blood JOHN CHRISTIAN (CHRIS) WATSON AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY 3rd Prime Minister: 1904 Chris Watson was the Australian Labor Party’s (ALP) first prime minister but his time in the role was very brief – 113 days. Watson predominantly played rugby union and rowed in his youth and twenties. He viewed sport from the…
australiansportreflections
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Notable Australian Sporting Deaths in 2023
By Greg Blood List of notable Australian sports people that died in 2023. These people contributed significantly to their sport and Australian sport in playing, coaching, administration or media roles. Sport Australia Hall of Fame five members – Ron Barassi, Phil Coles, Rale Rasic, John Devitt and Ken Warby. Significant Coaches – Ron Barassi (Australian…
australiansportreflections
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Australian 2023 International Sporting Performances – Will They Be Replicated at the Paris Olympics and Paralympics?
By Greg Blood In November 2023, Gracenote predicted that Australia would win 50 medals including 15 gold at the 2024 Olympics. Listed are Australian world champions and medal performance in Olympic, Paralympic and other major sports in 2023 that most likely would have feed into this prediction. Swimmers led the way topping the medal table…
australiansportreflections
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Australian Sports Books 2023
By Greg Blood Books published in 2023 that provide historical, biographical and policy insights into Australian sport. ASSH Australian Football Australian Sport Policy Boxing Cricket Endurance Sport Football Horse Racing Journalism Motor Sport Rugby League Rugby Union Sport Book Reviews Sport Photography Social Issues Surf Life Saving Surfing Women Additions to this list can be…
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Play Well Strategy- a New Journey in Sport Participation in Australia
By Greg Blood Play Well is the latest Australian Sports Commission (ASC) attempt at improving sports participation in Australia. Its worthwhile reflecting on its journey to this strategy. Play Well (Pdf) is stated as Australia’s first co-designed Sport Participation Strategy. It was co-designed with major players in the sport sector.Play Well covers all the areas…
australiansportreflections
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Australian Prime Ministers and Sport Series – William McMahon
By Greg Blood SIR WILLIAM McMAHON GCMG CH PC – LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA 20th Prime Minister: 1971-1972 William ‘Billy’ McMahon was prime minister for just under 2 years and his government had to manage the controversial tour of the 1971 South African rugby union team. There was increasing opposition in Australia to the racially…
australiansportreflections
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Can we finally have the future of the AIS in Canberra settled?
By Greg Blood The Albanese government has announced an independent review to determine the future of the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in Canberra. Since Australia’s Winning Edge 2012-2022, the AIS in Canberra has been in limbo – that’s ten years. The review apparently will be finished by the end of the year. It is…
australiansportreflections
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Australian Prime Ministers and Sport Series – Joseph Lyons
By Greg Blood JOSEPH ALOYSIUS LYONS CH – AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY / UNITED AUSTRALIA PARTY 10th Prime Minister: 1932-1939 Joseph ‘Joe’ Lyons was prime minister during a significant period of the Great Depression where sport played a role in distracting the Australian community from the day-to-day cost of living pressures and high levels of unemployment. The…
australiansportreflections