It’s no secret we Aussies love our sport. Let’s face it, the thought of no sport is simply ‘un-Australian’! But that’s the reality facing sports fans right now. We’ve watched as one by one most of our favourite sports codes have had to shut down for the good of the country, fans and players.
No water cooler talk. No mesmerising highs. No frustrating lows. Sure, we’ve got re-runs of great sporting moments but it’s just not the same.
As we stare down the truth of a long, bitter winter with the very real prospect of no live sport, we thought it was time to take a glass half full approach.
It’s quiet now. But sport will be back. Bigger and better than ever. And when it’s back, there are some iconic Aussie sporting events that you just have to experience at least once in your lifetime.
So, we challenged ourselves to come up with the great Aussie sport bucket list.
We’ve come up with 7. There’s plenty to choose from and there’ll be plenty to debate. But when it comes to atmosphere, spectacle, and spine-tingling, sheer joy and excitement, we reckon it’s pretty hard to go past our top 7.
Boxing Day Test
5 days of unmissable test Cricket
There’s nothing as Aussie as summer, cricket and the iconic MCG. The Boxing Day test match is the highlight of the Australian test cricket calendar. Pity the poor touring team that walks into the cauldron on Day One of the five day Test facing a determined Aussie 11 backed by a sold-out crowd of 90,000 screaming Aussies expecting nothing but outright victory. But get in early as tickets sell fast.
Australian Grand Prix
Formula One at its finest
The Australian Grand Prix is the second oldest surviving motor race in Australia. Held at the Albert Park Circuit, the stars of the F1 circuit descend on Melbourne for an action-packed weekend with the winner presented with the time-honoured Jack Brabham trophy. There’s plenty of action on and off the track as the event takes over Melbourne.
Melbourne Cup
The race that stops the nation
Equine immortality awaits the Thoroughbred who takes out the annual running of Melbourne Cup. Run on the first Tuesday of November at Flemington Racecourse, staying prowess comes to the fore with 24 horses competing over 3200m to pass the post first. The richest two-mile handicap in the world has stopped the nation since 1861 and has earned a place in Australian Sporting folklore.
Bathurst 1000
The great race
The pinnacle of Australian Motorsport racing, the Bathurst 1000 is a circuit race held at Mount Panorama, the second weekend in October. The touring car race is a 1,000km battle for endurance supremacy with the nostalgia between Holden v Ford rivalry captivating Australians for decades.
AFL Anzac Day
Lest we forget
This is more than just a football game played for four points. The AFL hold the annual ANZAC day match at the MCG including a commemorative ANZAC Day service. The match is played out in front of 100,000 spectators in what is one of the most incredible and emotional Sporting occasions on the Sporting calendar. This is a day to celebrate the spirit of ANZAC and the AFL do it better than most!
The Bells Beach Surfing Classic
Surfs up!
The Bells beach classic has been held at Torquay, Bells Beach since 1961. An Easter tradition which is littered with the stars if the World Surf League all battle it out to be awarded the prestigious honour of the ‘Bell’ trophy.
State of Origin Series
A Rivalry without Rival
The series became legend, when Rugby League immortal and Queensland captain Arthur Beetson landed one on the face of his then Parramatta club teammate and New South Welshman Mick Cronin. From that moment we knew Origin was serious. Mate against mate. No holds barred. The legend has grown ever since, with Queensland having a dominance in more recent years thanks to a once in a generation team of stars such as Slater, Smith, Thurston, Inglis and Cronk. It’s simply ‘Australian Sports greatest rivalry’ and an event not to be missed.
So, there you have it. We’re sure there’ll be heated debate; which is what sports all about. But we think it’s a pretty good list, and we’ll be locking in this bucket list as soon as tickets come back on sale!!