The ‘Wagga Effect’

A recent nostalgic trip back to Wagga Wagga to visit my parents has got me thinking. Can any other town rival Wagga Wagga as the premier producer of sporting talent (per capita) in Australia?

With the Ashes about to start tonight, it is a timely reminder of when Michael Slater and Mark Taylor put the Poms to the sword in 1993. The Council afforded the dynamic duo a tickertape parade through Baylis street upon their return. The 1996 AFL grand final saw Paul Kelly and Wayne Carey face off as opposing captains. In the 198os the battle for the Australian halfback spot in Rugby league was fought between Peter Sterling and Steve Mortimer. All this for a town with a little over 50,000 people. Is there something in the water?

The Australian Institute of Sport in 2005 undertook a study to try and find out what was going on. The research came up with a theory called the ‘Wagga Effect’. If the researchers had shouted me a $3 middy at the Tolland Hotel I’m pretty sure I could have saved a lot of tax payer dollars, and explained the reasons why we have punched above our weight over the years.

Access to Sporting Facilities

The fist thing I noticed when winding the Camry back into Wagga the other day was Jubilee Park. The area features multiple touch footy fields, an athletics track, two hockey pitches and a Rugby Union Ground out back. Green grass as far as the eye can see. If you live in one of the main suburbs in Wagga you are never more than 10 minutes walk from a decent sporting oval. I used to take it for granted that you could just pop on the Dunlop volleys and take a short stroll to a sports oval of your liking. I have grazed knees on about 20 different ovals I’d say. All of the mainstream sports were covered so you were spoilt for choice. Also most houses had a good old backyard with turf. No excuses not to be active.

Unique Geographic Location

Situated pretty much smack bang between Melbourne and Sydney we had the best of both worlds. Back in the 80s I’d say Wagga was 65% league and 35% AFL in terms of support as the main code. Most youngsters tried their hand at both codes to some degree. The ferocious tackling of Paul Kelly certainly had a background in the lessons he learnt playing Rugby League. As a youngster, former Wallaby stalwart Nathan Sharpe used me as a stepladder quite a few times in junior Aussie Rules. I swear he was about 6 foot as an 11 year old. You had the options to try out all the codes and follow what fitted best.

I still reminisce (and tell anyone who cares) about the day I tore apart Cameron Mooney in the under 12s. Our careers then took different paths. I even shared the half back line in the Wagga under 1os team with a Wiggle! (the yellow Wiggle Sam Moran).

Population Size

50 odd thousand was the perfect size to create a good standard of sporting competition, yet still offer opportunities for youngsters to test their mettle in senior grades, as the talent pool had its limits. If you were a good 16 year old invariably you would be playing first grade against experienced old pros. The perfect opportunity to be tested and to learn your craft. No easy runs or kicks to be found. The opportunity to compete in good standard senior competitions held you in good stead when you headed for the big smoke. You learnt to play hard and much advice was given over a post match beer in the sheds.

Role Models

You didn’t have to look far to be inspired. As a Kid Michael Slater used to play at my club. The mighty Lake Albert Cricket Club. He was a talented 17 year old who had been playing first grade since he was 14. For every time Michael got out in the nets he would run a lap of Rawlings Park in his pads. If I applied that rule to myself I would have covered more kms than Cliffy Young. There is no doubt having positive role models helped drive many youngsters. Most also used to put back in, do school visits etc etc

Parents also provided invaluable support. When I think of all my mates at school, invariably all our fathers knew one another either by playing with or against one another at sport. At 5.10pm (no peak hour traffic in Wagga) there would be kids sitting on the front step of every house waiting for their old man to come home and kick the footy. The sporting culture was passed on through the generations.

There are probably many more intangible reasons, however, the above stand out.

My recollection is from the 198os as a youngster. Have things changed? The numbers would suggest so. Wagga has not produced a top class cricketer for some time. We still do pretty well in AFL (Suckling from the Hawks and Cunningham from the Swans) and Rugby League (Jamie Soward from the Panthers), however, the numbers have dropped from the golden days. There are good regional academies in place, however, it seems harder to break through unless you are under the nose of the decision makers in the city.

Below is a list of the top shelf of sporting talent to come out of Wagga in mainstream sports (apologies for those I have missed out). My criteria is pretty simple. The below names have either been born in Wagga or spent a decent amount of their formative years cutting their teeth in sporting competition in Wagga.  Mark Taylor is a case in point, he was born in Leeton, however played his junior cricket in Wagga and spent his formative years in the town. I figure the fact we have named an oval after him qualifies him for the list!

So here goes.. Wagga’s sporting elite in mainstream sports. The Challenge has been set to all other Australian towns. Who wants a shot at the title?

Cricket

Mark Taylor, Geoff Lawson, Michael Slater

AFL

Paul Kelly, Wayne Carey, Jason Wild, Brad Seymour, Matt Suckling, Harry Cunningham, Paul Hawke, Jason Mooney, Cameron Mooney, Brett Scott, David Murphy, John Pitura, Neville Miller, Harry Lampe, Bill Mohr, Geoff Kingston, Colin Hounsell, Matthew Lloyd, James Byrne, Michael Phyland, Bryce Campbell, Mark Fraser, Stephen Eather

Rugby League

Steve Mortimer, Chris Mortimer, Peter Mortimer, Peter Sterling, Greg Brentnall, Jamie Soward, Joe Williams, Steve Martin, David Barnhill, Arthur Summons, Eric Weissel, Marc Glanville, Nigel Plum (apologies as my memory on league is not as good and am sure I have missed many off the list)

Golf – Steve Elkington

Triathlon – Brad Kahlefeldt

Rugby Union – Nathan Sharp, Nick Henderson, Ken McMullen, James Lenehan, John Langford, Beresford Ellwood, Arthur Tonkin

Jockey– Scobie Breasley

Hockey – Melanie Twitt

Basketball – Greg Hubbard