2015 ICC World Cup – Final: For Love of Underdogs and the Australian Way (and Blog – add your comments)

 

 

It’s late and I’ve got to shoot straight.

 

There’s a rift tearing at the heart of our country. Australia versus New Zealand.  Here’s my take on it.

Australia, the one I was raised in, has core values. Working class, sons and daughters of convicts, haters of authority, rebels. Enemies of convention.

Laconic.

Slaves to doing what we feel is right, rather than what we’re told.

Lovers of the underdog.

We have always held a healthy dislike of America, with their money and population and creed of, “We’re No.1!” We despised that shit with all our hearts.

Australians, as I understand it, were famous in the wars, for being the only country that did not salute their superior officers, who did not stand to the flag. We fought for each other, for the people of the land. For the right to get pissed!

The flag I have not time for, but the people who fought for me and mine, I would give them the world.

They gave me the freedom, the joy, to be alive in the most un-judgemental, cruisy, country in the world. It was never about patriotism. It was about “Whatever blows your hair back.”

And, as a lover of all those things, I’m putting my heart on my sleeve, and barracking for New Zealand today.

Because we are ten times their size, and have a ten times better team, and 100 times the money they do. Because, in this tale, We’re the Americans. The silver ferns are our little Aussie battlers. Defying the odds, defying the natural order, the way things are.

I know I should barrack for my country, but I can’t help it! As an Aussie I was raised, above all else, to be a whacker, and to love the underdog with everything I’ve got. To take on giants. Go New Zealand!

Nothing’s changed.

Comments

  1. Old dog,

    Completely agree with the sentiment, but in good all conscience, I can’t bring myself to support New Zealand when it comes to contests involving sport.

    There’s little to like about some of the characters within the Australian side, but nup, can’t do New Zealand over Australia.

  2. Phillip Dimitriadis says

    Matt,
    It would be UnAustralian to not go for the underdog.

  3. Mathilde de Hauteclocque says

    You think it’s tough for you pure bred? My Australian (and feminist) half is with the fairytale of a New Zealand win. My French (destructive and paternalistic) half is for Australia.

  4. Neil Anderson says

    I want Australia to win, but the second after they do, I want all telecasts to cease before the high-fiving starts from the bully-boys.
    But in all AFL matches I always support the underdogs. Not sure if that makes me a true Aussie or it just makes sense because of the team I support. No wonder I’m a bad tipster.

  5. Maybe we can think of them like Australia A and cheer for them like we did back in what was it ’94/’95?

  6. I’m with you all the way Comrade Zurbo. We let the Kiwis onto the MCG once every decade as Luke R eloquently argued recently. There is no meritocracy in world cricket, just an unholy alliance of Indian, English and Australian robber barons. They feed us endless pap and wonder why we aren’t grateful for the occasional meaningful contest. If you lie down with dogs you get fleas.
    Carna Kiwis.

  7. Geez Mathilde – a psyche in both camps?

  8. Forget the ICC World Cup and the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy. Kiwis are playing for the Rodney Dangerfield Plate – “I can’t get no respect”.

  9. Go En Zid

    Bro

  10. I get it, Matt.
    Australia to win, humbly, graciously, is my hope.
    Imagine that.

    May it be a tight contest, decided fairly and without controversy by the players.

  11. Mathilde; my sister lives in Annecy with her 3y.o son and while not quite as torn as you, often says she feels no compulsion whatsoever to fly the Australian flag in defense of the Wallabies when they take on Le Bleus. England v France? now that’s something different

  12. WTF. I cannot believe that an Australian could support a direct opponent. I understand that some members of the current (and former) Aussie team are very difficult to like (I have never met any of them so this uninformed opinion is based purely on what I have see on TV and read in the newspapers). I have also observed on TV how the NZ players behave like the game of cricket suggests a cricketer should behave together with their unbridled enthusiasm. But really is this a reason to barrack for NZ today?

  13. I’m barracking for the pitch: I hope it has some pace, bounce, and hence, carry.

    Interested to see how the Australians handle a top innings onslaught – if the Kiwis can launch one.

    I think M. Johnson could be both match-winner and liability. If he can’t get the ball he could find himself in the far canal.

  14. Nice toss to win. Game on.

  15. Matt Zurbo says

    Great comments! For and against. So funny Peter B! So awkward, Mathilde!

  16. Key change in NZ national anthem. Omen?

  17. E.regnans says

    Here we go.
    That Winnie-the-Pooh moment

  18. E.regnans says

    good bounce. pitch (tick)

  19. A bit of the Leon Davis’ about BB McCullum there? Well played M Starc.

  20. Pretty good delivery, that. Starc quick, with shape.

  21. E.regnans says

    NZ stealth plan to deceive AUS into thinking the game won in 1st over.
    #teamsport

  22. Well played E.regs:

    If there’s one wicket you want out of the 10 on offer, surely McCullum’s is the one you take!

  23. Par? 275?

  24. Matt Quartermaine says

    If Maxwell is taking wickets the Kiwis are in trouble. Hometown heroes?

  25. E.regnans says

    Let’s assume that was some humble and gracious advice from B Haddin to M Guptill

  26. Matt Quartermaine says

    Just letting him know the state of the game Dave. Super slow mo makes it look worse.

  27. Bruvva Les and me on the same side??? Too much lead in the Kiwi saddlebags.

  28. E.regnans says

    152 was enough at *tiny* Eden Park

  29. My backyard is bigger than Eden Park.

    270 still within reach, but these two will need to get their swing on in a hurry…

  30. E.regnans says

    shadows on pitch certainly a factor on 29 March.
    45 minutes & 3 wickets to get across.
    (Throughout Dec & Jan the shadow only reaches the pitch in the second innings, lights are on, effect reduced.)

  31. Just checking out the French Film Festival program for 4pm Perth time Wonder if Muroroa Mon Amour is on?

  32. E.regnans says

    Again B Haddin with thoughtful words of appreciation to the departing batsman, at the fall of G Elliott. Perhaps a recommendation for your film festival, PB.
    Talkative chap.

  33. We now have a bowling WCup final.

  34. Matt Quartermaine says

    That’s got to be one of the great bowling displays in WCC history.

  35. Par for this putch… about 170.

    Should be anuff bros.

  36. craig dodson says

    Why sledge elliott? Great knock and he gets told where to go by haddin and johnson when he gets out? Show a bit of class and say well batted..hard to warm to some of our blokes.

  37. Agree C Dodson. No class with some of these blokes.

  38. Greatest sporting contest on the MCG since the 2007 GF.

  39. Bugger.

  40. I enjoyed the 2007 GF a whole lot more.

  41. Matt Zurbo says

    Oops. See what happened when when a Fitzroy supporter jumps on your wagon! Sorry NZ!

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