WEBVTT - Will 2026 be the last hurrah for the Commonwealth Games? 0:00:01.080 --> 0:00:03.240 Here at two Good Sports, we would like to acknowledge 0:00:03.240 --> 0:00:05.520 the traditional owners of the land on which we record 0:00:05.519 --> 0:00:08.840 this podcast. There were innerie people. This land was never seated, 0:00:09.080 --> 0:00:17.919 always was always will be hi there and welcome to 0:00:18.000 --> 0:00:20.160 do good sports. Sports needs told differently. 0:00:20.239 --> 0:00:23.280 I'm Georgie Tunny and I'm Abby Jelmy, And my goodness, 0:00:23.400 --> 0:00:27.360 has it been an overwhelming week of just feeling so 0:00:27.600 --> 0:00:30.000 privileged that we get to do what we do and 0:00:30.200 --> 0:00:33.800 your feedback on our last episode, Yeah, the term is overwhelming. 0:00:33.880 --> 0:00:39.640 We were inundated with messages about how you'd felt the 0:00:39.680 --> 0:00:42.600 same yep in the reaction to the GWS scandal, but 0:00:42.720 --> 0:00:45.800 also just that women in sport need a voice. 0:00:45.880 --> 0:00:49.640 George, Yes, yeah, And I think what hit me most, 0:00:49.760 --> 0:00:52.120 Jelmy was all of the wonderful feedback from all of 0:00:52.120 --> 0:00:54.760 the listeners, thank you for sending it in, But it 0:00:54.800 --> 0:00:57.840 was the messages from our colleagues as well. Yes, and 0:00:57.920 --> 0:01:00.480 all of the women who have fought like us so 0:01:00.600 --> 0:01:03.520 hard and for so long to get a space at 0:01:03.520 --> 0:01:05.400 the table, whether that be at the back in the 0:01:05.680 --> 0:01:07.600 back corner of the room, but at least they're in 0:01:07.640 --> 0:01:10.760 the room. Who was saying thank you for voicing this 0:01:11.080 --> 0:01:13.560 and speaking about it so eloquently, which is great for 0:01:13.680 --> 0:01:16.560 us because I remember us recording that episode being very 0:01:16.640 --> 0:01:19.640 highly charged and not quite sure what was coming out 0:01:19.680 --> 0:01:20.120 of our mouth. 0:01:20.160 --> 0:01:21.319 That I also couldn't breathe. 0:01:21.480 --> 0:01:25.640 Yes, there were layers to theas there were layers, but 0:01:25.800 --> 0:01:28.720 to know that we were kind of speaking on behalf 0:01:28.760 --> 0:01:33.679 of a cohort and that that cohort really did accept 0:01:33.720 --> 0:01:36.600 and thank us for that and we communicated their thoughts 0:01:37.080 --> 0:01:38.840 is something that will stay with me for a long time. 0:01:39.040 --> 0:01:41.600 Yeah, and we shared some personal stories too, and to 0:01:41.640 --> 0:01:44.760 have them received the way they were. Although I mean, 0:01:45.640 --> 0:01:48.000 the headline that came out of my story was Channel 0:01:48.040 --> 0:01:51.960 seven presenter in disgusting photo incident, which I just feel 0:01:52.040 --> 0:01:55.040 paints me seven and a half months pregnant in a 0:01:55.080 --> 0:01:55.880 really odd light. 0:01:56.160 --> 0:01:58.240 So in my mind I see that, I see that 0:01:58.280 --> 0:02:00.400 headline and I'm like, oh my god, what was she 0:02:00.480 --> 0:02:07.920 doing licking an escalator? Give me a call? 0:02:08.760 --> 0:02:11.160 But we do. While we're on the topic of the giants, 0:02:11.160 --> 0:02:14.240 we did want to have a correction because, as we 0:02:14.320 --> 0:02:17.480 had both mentioned in the episode, but perhaps because of 0:02:17.520 --> 0:02:19.480 our vitriol, we didn't get to it as early as 0:02:19.520 --> 0:02:22.200 what we should have. We both highly respect the Giants 0:02:22.280 --> 0:02:23.760 as an institution and have had. 0:02:23.720 --> 0:02:26.440 All of our dealings with them have always been positive. 0:02:26.080 --> 0:02:28.200 And they have a lot of strong women in their 0:02:28.280 --> 0:02:30.200 leadership group within the club that have been there for 0:02:30.240 --> 0:02:32.000 a very long time, and one of them reached out 0:02:32.040 --> 0:02:34.560 to us and thanked us for the episode, but also 0:02:34.639 --> 0:02:37.519 just wanted to clarify that the club certainly didn't sit 0:02:37.600 --> 0:02:40.880 idly by when these allegations were made, which is what 0:02:41.000 --> 0:02:44.560 had been reported and what we reiterated. The club worked 0:02:44.639 --> 0:02:48.200 hand in hand and recommended sanctions with the AFL, including 0:02:48.200 --> 0:02:51.239 those that were handed down to the leaders, and took 0:02:51.280 --> 0:02:54.440 it very seriously. They did, And I think that what 0:02:54.480 --> 0:02:57.519 we really want to stress is that as much as 0:02:57.639 --> 0:03:01.800 the Giants were the example that had led to us 0:03:01.880 --> 0:03:06.079 really unpacking this cultural issue within the AFL, they are 0:03:06.720 --> 0:03:09.240 not the exception to the rule, no, and that it's 0:03:09.240 --> 0:03:13.320 a wider commentary that we were making, and we believe 0:03:13.320 --> 0:03:15.080 they've got all the right people in place to be 0:03:15.120 --> 0:03:16.560 able to rectify this. 0:03:16.880 --> 0:03:19.680 Yeah, but pats on the back all round to everyone 0:03:19.720 --> 0:03:21.400 who listened to that episode took. 0:03:21.680 --> 0:03:23.600 Shared it as well, which is amazing. 0:03:23.840 --> 0:03:27.720 The responses Jelmy has said was overwhelming, and therefore you 0:03:27.960 --> 0:03:31.440 all are our good sports of the week, so thank 0:03:31.480 --> 0:03:33.480 you very very much. It meant a lot to us. 0:03:33.840 --> 0:03:36.280 This is one of the only times I can remember 0:03:36.280 --> 0:03:39.920 in my career that I've had only positive feedback. 0:03:40.040 --> 0:03:42.040 Same and we were ready for pitchforks. 0:03:42.160 --> 0:03:43.320 Yeah we were, We were, which. 0:03:43.200 --> 0:03:44.600 Probably says a lot about our audience. 0:03:44.640 --> 0:03:47.640 It does, so it's really lovely. But of course, Jelmy, 0:03:47.920 --> 0:03:50.720 we are about balance, so I have to have a 0:03:50.760 --> 0:03:53.760 bad sport as well in this episode, and I am 0:03:53.760 --> 0:03:58.000 going toward that to myself because when I saw the 0:03:58.040 --> 0:04:02.440 news that Australia had lost the Constellation Cup in netball 0:04:02.560 --> 0:04:05.640 Australia in New Zealand, we lost to New Zealand for 0:04:05.680 --> 0:04:08.520 the first time in Australia since twenty nineteen. This is 0:04:08.520 --> 0:04:11.720 only the third time that New Zealand has actually won 0:04:12.080 --> 0:04:17.160 the Constellation Cup in history. Did I swear and stamp 0:04:17.200 --> 0:04:20.719 my feet like a toddler? Yes, yes I did, Yes, 0:04:20.760 --> 0:04:21.120 I did. 0:04:21.160 --> 0:04:21.200 So. 0:04:21.320 --> 0:04:24.760 Bad sport to me, because sometimes you know what, emotions 0:04:24.800 --> 0:04:25.680 just get the better of you. 0:04:25.920 --> 0:04:28.000 And I think it is one of the great rivalries 0:04:28.080 --> 0:04:30.840 in sport, Australia New Zealand in netball, and it always 0:04:30.920 --> 0:04:33.120 seems to go down to the dying seconds. 0:04:33.200 --> 0:04:35.719 Yes, yes, and always people always come at me, like 0:04:35.760 --> 0:04:38.839 when Queensland won eight in a row, nine out of 0:04:38.880 --> 0:04:41.280 ten series straight in the state of origin, They're like, 0:04:41.320 --> 0:04:43.240 don't you want New South Wales to win? So it's 0:04:43.240 --> 0:04:47.760 a bit more interesting? No, no, no, I don't. I 0:04:47.960 --> 0:04:51.440 don't so well done New Zealand. The actual playing cohort 0:04:51.480 --> 0:04:53.480 there at the moment is freaking scary. 0:04:53.600 --> 0:04:56.440 So yeah, but bringing netball up is a great topic 0:04:56.440 --> 0:05:00.080 because it is one of the ten sports that I 0:05:00.120 --> 0:05:04.159 needed to make the cut for the Glasgow Comnwealth Games. Now, 0:05:04.240 --> 0:05:06.279 this Georgie is one of the first topics that we 0:05:06.360 --> 0:05:10.080 covered on Two Good Sports, essentially going is it costing 0:05:10.160 --> 0:05:14.480 six maybe seven billion dollars for Victoria to host this event? 0:05:14.520 --> 0:05:16.680 And what is going to happen with it? Well, we 0:05:16.720 --> 0:05:19.280 haven't touched on it since, but there's been developments this 0:05:19.360 --> 0:05:23.800 week that have really made us think is this format 0:05:24.000 --> 0:05:27.200 viable going forward? And is this the beginning of the 0:05:27.320 --> 0:05:41.440 end for the Commonwealth Games. That's what we're discussing today. 0:05:42.600 --> 0:05:44.720 Jell mey, our dear listeners may have been able to 0:05:44.760 --> 0:05:47.440 hear my little cackles just as you were introducing this 0:05:47.480 --> 0:05:51.440 week's topic, because I tell you what, I haven't laughed 0:05:51.560 --> 0:05:54.160 like I have laughed whenever we talk about the Commonwealth, 0:05:54.240 --> 0:05:56.800 games about your passion for it and how you're like, 0:05:57.040 --> 0:06:01.680 what in the hell is happening? Someone give me an answer. 0:06:01.800 --> 0:06:06.719 You go red. The house is on fire, the houses 0:06:06.760 --> 0:06:08.560 on fire, and no one cares. 0:06:08.680 --> 0:06:11.200 And it's one of my favorite topics in the world. 0:06:11.279 --> 0:06:15.400 So this is me and Pens. This is me building, 0:06:15.440 --> 0:06:19.240 putting the last little nail into the soap box that 0:06:19.320 --> 0:06:22.760 I have constructed here, and I am ready for Jellny 0:06:23.200 --> 0:06:24.240 to take it away. 0:06:24.360 --> 0:06:27.159 Where are we Well, I'm going to wax lyrical and 0:06:27.200 --> 0:06:29.480 take you on a different journey to start with, because George, 0:06:29.480 --> 0:06:32.880 if you were anywhere near a TV in the last week, 0:06:32.960 --> 0:06:36.640 you would have seen Charles and his mate Camilla parade 0:06:36.720 --> 0:06:40.840 around Sydney to hundreds of adoring monarchists in what was 0:06:40.880 --> 0:06:43.920 a very royal visit. The opera house was lit up. 0:06:44.200 --> 0:06:46.920 I mean they did snub royal ramwik people read to 0:06:46.960 --> 0:06:49.840 see him at the races, they didn't go. Leaders were met, 0:06:49.880 --> 0:06:52.400 hands were shook, sausages were turned in what was the 0:06:52.400 --> 0:06:56.760 world's most awkward barbecue, and Camilla proved she was just 0:06:56.880 --> 0:06:59.080 like the rest of us by taking off her shoes 0:06:59.560 --> 0:07:02.200 and dare to go barefoot back up the stairs after 0:07:02.279 --> 0:07:06.240 a long day of service, allah leaving the Flemington members 0:07:06.279 --> 0:07:09.960 after one too many champagnes. Turns out they are just 0:07:10.040 --> 0:07:13.400 one of us. But it was largely hailed a success. 0:07:13.440 --> 0:07:18.520 The Australian Republic Movement dubbed it the Farewell Os Tour, however, 0:07:18.720 --> 0:07:22.320 saying the vast majority of Australians confirmed that they continue 0:07:22.360 --> 0:07:26.720 to see the monarchy as irrelevant to modern Australia. How 0:07:26.760 --> 0:07:29.280 does this link back to sport? Are you asking? Well, 0:07:29.600 --> 0:07:31.520 here are two good sports. We don't want to discuss 0:07:31.560 --> 0:07:34.400 the relevance of the Commonwealth in modern society, but we 0:07:34.560 --> 0:07:37.680 sure as hell do want to discuss the very real 0:07:37.720 --> 0:07:41.240 decline in relevance of the Commonwealth Games in the modern 0:07:41.320 --> 0:07:45.840 sporting landscape, its viability and the slim down version to 0:07:45.880 --> 0:07:50.440 feature only ten sports in Glasgow twenty twenty six, which 0:07:50.440 --> 0:07:54.600 is ironically announced while the two monarchs were swanning around Sydney. 0:07:54.960 --> 0:07:58.920 You know, Australia, the country that dropped the ball and 0:07:59.000 --> 0:08:02.920 led us to this tiere, a miss that we Victorians 0:08:03.160 --> 0:08:07.960 are still paying hundreds of millions of dollars to host nothing, 0:08:09.520 --> 0:08:10.760 to host nothing. 0:08:12.200 --> 0:08:15.600 What I would love producer James to do here is insert. 0:08:15.360 --> 0:08:20.000 Around the ball. I'm just we're in so much debt, 0:08:20.240 --> 0:08:23.280 Victoria is in so much debt, and we have spent 0:08:23.400 --> 0:08:26.760 three hundred and eighty million dollars to have. 0:08:26.720 --> 0:08:28.680 Nothing, to have nothing. Yeah, I think. 0:08:28.680 --> 0:08:30.440 So we'll take you back to that and how we've 0:08:30.480 --> 0:08:32.800 got to that point, George, So you take it away. 0:08:33.480 --> 0:08:37.559 Well tell me because as you recall, I know, because 0:08:37.559 --> 0:08:40.960 it lives in your mind. Rent free is what we're seeing. 0:08:41.360 --> 0:08:43.840 But what our listeners may not necessarily recall is that 0:08:43.920 --> 0:08:48.240 in July last year, Victoria abruptly Withdrew as the host 0:08:48.320 --> 0:08:50.960 of the twenty twenty six Commonwealth Games. We talked about 0:08:50.960 --> 0:08:53.480 it a little bit at the time, but one note 0:08:53.520 --> 0:08:55.840 that we actually could not get our wrap our heads 0:08:55.840 --> 0:08:59.120 around was when the then Premier Daniel Andrews said that 0:08:59.160 --> 0:09:01.600 it was going to cost too much money, was going 0:09:01.679 --> 0:09:05.520 to be too high, blowing out from two point seven billion, 0:09:05.520 --> 0:09:10.880 which was the forecast, to six maybe seven becoming the 0:09:10.960 --> 0:09:15.559 count from Sesame Street eight ha ha ha nine ha ha. 0:09:15.920 --> 0:09:17.200 I can't make this stuff up. 0:09:18.160 --> 0:09:21.240 And he said that it was quote to quote him 0:09:21.600 --> 0:09:24.000 I've made a lot of difficult decisions in this job. 0:09:24.400 --> 0:09:29.200 This is not one of them. It's never sat with 0:09:29.360 --> 0:09:33.080 us that particular call. It doesn't make sense. We've always 0:09:33.120 --> 0:09:35.160 been like, excuse me, hang on, can you explain the numbers. 0:09:35.200 --> 0:09:37.920 We're just not sure, bah bah. And as we have 0:09:38.040 --> 0:09:40.600 gone on, we've seen that it hasn't sat that well 0:09:40.600 --> 0:09:41.400 with a lot of people. 0:09:41.440 --> 0:09:44.880 And the reason why Victoria got this over the line, 0:09:44.920 --> 0:09:47.760 and it was a pre election promise, was that it 0:09:47.840 --> 0:09:50.280 was going to be a rural games and they were 0:09:50.320 --> 0:09:54.400 going to build infrastructure in regional Victoria and that's why 0:09:54.440 --> 0:09:58.520 they pulled it, essentially just saying the cost of production 0:09:58.720 --> 0:10:02.240 has blown out so much for these venues that we 0:10:02.360 --> 0:10:05.200 promised that we would build that we just can't be 0:10:05.240 --> 0:10:08.640 seen to be prioritizing six maybe seven billion dollars on 0:10:08.679 --> 0:10:13.760 a one off event when there's a housing crisis. No shit, Sherlock. 0:10:14.160 --> 0:10:17.280 But we have been left so the State Auditor General 0:10:17.400 --> 0:10:22.360 found that five hundred and eighty nine million had already 0:10:22.400 --> 0:10:26.280 been spent on the games that never went ahead. That 0:10:26.320 --> 0:10:30.040 figure includes three hundred and eighty million in compensation to 0:10:30.120 --> 0:10:33.559 the Commonwealth Games Federation, of which two hundred million has 0:10:33.640 --> 0:10:36.640 now been given to Glasgow to go can you do 0:10:36.800 --> 0:10:41.720 something with this shit sandwich? Like, can you please rescue this? 0:10:41.880 --> 0:10:45.320 So the Scottish government agreed for a rescue deal for 0:10:45.360 --> 0:10:48.080 a scaled down version of the twenty twenty six Games, 0:10:48.080 --> 0:10:52.199 with where a multimillion pound commitment was made by Australian 0:10:52.240 --> 0:10:55.120 authorities to save the event. Now they hosted the Games 0:10:55.120 --> 0:10:57.560 in twenty fourteen, yes, and they were seen as an 0:10:57.600 --> 0:11:02.120 overwhelming success. But you'll remember Emingham only hosted the last 0:11:02.120 --> 0:11:08.440 Commonwealth Games, also rescuing this format. Yes, so without footing 0:11:08.760 --> 0:11:13.199 most of the bill, Glasgow are getting to host and 0:11:13.280 --> 0:11:16.920 we are just having the check how does this all 0:11:17.000 --> 0:11:20.400 check out? And how? More the point, did we not 0:11:20.600 --> 0:11:25.200 think of hosting a scale down games when we have 0:11:25.400 --> 0:11:30.959 all the infrastructure and we hosted the Commonwealth Games recently. 0:11:30.520 --> 0:11:33.040 Which is actually what I thought at the time. The 0:11:33.040 --> 0:11:36.080 Commonwealth Games Committee, who we have since paid one hundreds 0:11:36.080 --> 0:11:39.360 of millions dollars of compensation to, did suggest like that 0:11:39.520 --> 0:11:41.280 was part of all of their workings, being like, hang 0:11:41.320 --> 0:11:44.520 on a second, let's not cancel, let's not cancel everything. 0:11:44.559 --> 0:11:47.360 Maybe we can just like rework some things, we can 0:11:47.400 --> 0:11:50.040 figure it out. I feel like that was a conversation 0:11:50.160 --> 0:11:52.760 that wasn't entertained by the Victorian government, and. 0:11:52.800 --> 0:11:55.400 Yet the Scots had it. And I thought, you know 0:11:55.440 --> 0:11:57.000 what I'm going to find. I'm gonna hear a barometer 0:11:57.120 --> 0:12:01.640 for how the Scottish feeling to have the Comonwealth Games. 0:12:01.679 --> 0:12:05.560 And this was the first podcast that popped up that 0:12:05.679 --> 0:12:09.560 I'm found talking about the Games. And if it is 0:12:10.400 --> 0:12:13.280 a reflection of the general view, it's bloody funny. 0:12:13.559 --> 0:12:16.040 I mean, it's some Mackey Moosh games in it. 0:12:16.720 --> 0:12:19.400 Wow, Lord Shay, we're already. 0:12:19.160 --> 0:12:21.880 Heard it in twenty fourteen and it's coming back in 0:12:21.920 --> 0:12:25.360 twenty twenty. Stays because Melbourne, the state of Victorian a 0:12:25.440 --> 0:12:28.280 shoeshes we can't afford to put it on. She when 0:12:28.320 --> 0:12:29.679 can we afford to put it on? 0:12:30.120 --> 0:12:30.839 Believe, can you know. 0:12:30.800 --> 0:12:33.599 What it's going to end up going? Shaudi Arabia. I 0:12:33.679 --> 0:12:36.520 should order bout sporting events school because they give the 0:12:36.559 --> 0:12:39.920 fucking money. He put them on because they've got all 0:12:40.040 --> 0:12:46.680 the money in the world and we're all fucking skin. 0:12:45.960 --> 0:12:50.640 So he has a point. Cost he's a massive issue. 0:12:50.679 --> 0:12:54.160 But the come Wealth Games Australia Boss Craig Phillips said, look, 0:12:54.160 --> 0:12:57.000 we were happy to talk to the Victorian government about 0:12:57.000 --> 0:13:00.840 finding ways of saving costs of the game. If eliminating 0:13:00.880 --> 0:13:03.160 sports from the program was a part of that, we 0:13:03.280 --> 0:13:05.679 certainly would have had the conversation. I've been on the 0:13:05.720 --> 0:13:08.680 record as saying we didn't really get that opportunity to 0:13:08.800 --> 0:13:09.760 have that conversation. 0:13:09.920 --> 0:13:14.480 They weren't interested. The Victorian government wasn't interested in saving 0:13:14.559 --> 0:13:17.120 these games. They they didn't want them to happen. 0:13:17.320 --> 0:13:22.719 Is that because like Devil's advocate here, building the infrastructure 0:13:22.840 --> 0:13:25.880 is the only reason the spend was justified. Yes, and 0:13:25.920 --> 0:13:28.280 if they did a scale down games, those in the 0:13:28.320 --> 0:13:31.280 region would have said, well, you've got your sport, but 0:13:31.320 --> 0:13:34.439 your billion dollar promise to us to make these stadiums 0:13:34.440 --> 0:13:37.480 and for these hotels and for this tourism were taken 0:13:37.480 --> 0:13:37.880 from us. 0:13:37.960 --> 0:13:40.000 I think that that is fair, and I do think 0:13:40.120 --> 0:13:42.440 that as a whole, the Commonwealth Games or large scale 0:13:42.480 --> 0:13:48.320 events like this, they are politically noxious like they they 0:13:48.320 --> 0:13:51.240 put a bad taste in people's mouths when you're talking 0:13:51.280 --> 0:13:53.880 about it when so many people are struggling, there's no 0:13:53.920 --> 0:13:54.920 denying we're seeing that. 0:13:54.880 --> 0:13:57.280 With Brisbane at the moment for the Olympic Game. 0:13:57.200 --> 0:14:00.720 Where's our stadium of which we were the only ones 0:14:00.760 --> 0:14:01.240 that bid. 0:14:02.760 --> 0:14:04.640 That's the thing. Is it seen as this big coup 0:14:04.720 --> 0:14:08.599 that we got it? Yeah, no one else wanted it. 0:14:08.679 --> 0:14:10.719 But we mentioned off the top that it was a 0:14:10.800 --> 0:14:14.000 Dan Andrews government. That again Dan Andrews who's getting a 0:14:14.000 --> 0:14:16.320 statue and he's honor for all of his services to Victoria. 0:14:16.360 --> 0:14:18.800 But we'll leave that there. Jacinta Allen was actually in 0:14:18.880 --> 0:14:22.160 charge of this bid. Oh yes, she was coming back 0:14:22.200 --> 0:14:25.000 to me the Now premiere. Yes, that's right, and she 0:14:25.240 --> 0:14:28.680 this week was queried about o make King and Queen 0:14:28.720 --> 0:14:32.400 being in the country and also about the Goldwealth Game. 0:14:32.480 --> 0:14:33.960 So let's have listened to what she had to say 0:14:34.000 --> 0:14:36.160 to Tom Elliott on three aw the. 0:14:36.160 --> 0:14:38.720 Commonwealth Games that there's a theory doing the rounds that 0:14:38.920 --> 0:14:40.800 you didn't want to see the King because you're embarrassed 0:14:40.800 --> 0:14:42.040 about the Commonwealth Games. 0:14:42.200 --> 0:14:42.920 Is that true? No? 0:14:43.400 --> 0:14:45.200 No, Why are. 0:14:45.080 --> 0:14:47.880 You refusing to release all the information about the decision 0:14:47.920 --> 0:14:48.880 making on the Commonwealth. 0:14:48.880 --> 0:14:51.960 We've released a significant amount of information. Plus the Order 0:14:51.960 --> 0:14:54.960 to General has examined this issue and he's released his report. 0:14:55.000 --> 0:14:57.040 We always said it was the most the Order to 0:14:57.120 --> 0:15:01.960 General was the appropriate with the pro independent agency independent 0:15:02.000 --> 0:15:05.520 agency to have a review of that decision, and he's 0:15:05.560 --> 0:15:08.320 released his report. And meanwhile, Tom, what we're getting on 0:15:08.360 --> 0:15:12.080 with is those investments in regional Victoria, which was why 0:15:12.560 --> 0:15:14.360 why we looked at this in the first place. 0:15:15.080 --> 0:15:15.800 You go to Glasgow. 0:15:15.960 --> 0:15:17.720 Will you go to Glasgow in two years and watch it? 0:15:17.840 --> 0:15:18.400 I doubt it? 0:15:18.560 --> 0:15:21.560 No, Right, I'll be focused Tom on building more homes 0:15:21.560 --> 0:15:24.840 here in Victoria, not heading off overseas to a sporting event. 0:15:24.880 --> 0:15:27.640 Not going on holiday building houses, Tom, building houses, Tom. 0:15:27.760 --> 0:15:30.440 Yeah, moving right along, Tom. 0:15:29.680 --> 0:15:32.680 Moving right along us. Because we've mentioned the ten sports 0:15:32.720 --> 0:15:35.920 and I'm sure you're going which ones made the cut? Yeah, 0:15:35.920 --> 0:15:36.120 in the. 0:15:36.120 --> 0:15:38.800 Scale down version of the Comonwalk games that will be 0:15:38.840 --> 0:15:41.760 taking place in Glasgow that Victoria is essentially paying to 0:15:41.920 --> 0:15:42.320 put on. 0:15:42.640 --> 0:15:45.160 So they will take place from Thursday, the twenty third 0:15:45.160 --> 0:15:48.280 of July to Sunday the second of August in twenty 0:15:48.400 --> 0:15:49.160 twenty six. 0:15:49.360 --> 0:15:52.240 That's actually terrifyingly not that far away. 0:15:52.240 --> 0:15:55.040 He's not that far away at all. A total of 0:15:55.080 --> 0:15:57.760 three thousand athletes are expected to compete. That's about half 0:15:57.800 --> 0:16:00.280 the number of athletes that we saw at Birmingham. This thoughts. 0:16:00.360 --> 0:16:03.600 That will feature rum roll here we go, athletics and 0:16:03.720 --> 0:16:09.640 para athletics, track and field, swimming and para swimming, artistic gymnastics, 0:16:09.680 --> 0:16:14.680 feel track cycling and para track cycling, netball, weightlifting and 0:16:14.840 --> 0:16:21.760 para powerlifting, boxing, judo bowls and para bowls, three by 0:16:21.840 --> 0:16:25.080 three basketball and three by three wheelchair basketball. 0:16:25.440 --> 0:16:27.720 I'm just looking down the list. I don't seem to 0:16:27.800 --> 0:16:29.000 see hockey. 0:16:30.560 --> 0:16:35.080 No hockey, or diving, or road cycling or badmington or 0:16:35.120 --> 0:16:38.440 beach volleyball or cricket our. Aussie women not able to 0:16:38.480 --> 0:16:39.320 defend their gold. 0:16:39.520 --> 0:16:43.280 Yeah, rugby sevens No rugby sevens. 0:16:42.920 --> 0:16:45.680 Mountain biking, rhythmic gymnastics. 0:16:45.040 --> 0:16:48.200 Which I actually love. I will always fight for rhythmic gymnastic. 0:16:48.760 --> 0:16:50.800 If it is on your watching, you are watching, you 0:16:50.880 --> 0:16:54.320 can't look away. The hoop, a chance to compete without 0:16:54.400 --> 0:17:00.720 Russia and America come dream jam table jennis and power 0:17:00.800 --> 0:17:03.120 table tennis. And you've got to think about the para 0:17:03.160 --> 0:17:06.840 athletes here as well. So para table tennis, gone triathlon 0:17:06.960 --> 0:17:09.240 and para triathlon and wrestling. 0:17:10.040 --> 0:17:12.680 Huge, huge, so a lot a lot of big outs, 0:17:12.800 --> 0:17:14.280 a lot of really really big out. 0:17:14.359 --> 0:17:16.320 The headline for me, there is hockey. 0:17:16.119 --> 0:17:17.960 Yes, for sure, for sure, the Kookoa baros and the 0:17:17.960 --> 0:17:21.160 hockey RWs. Obviously they dominate. At the Commonwealth Games. 0:17:21.040 --> 0:17:24.639 We want to combine fourteen medals, including seven straight gold 0:17:24.720 --> 0:17:25.520 for the men's team. 0:17:26.040 --> 0:17:26.960 Well that's unfortunately. 0:17:27.160 --> 0:17:29.280 Do you know why we love the comm Games, Georgie. 0:17:29.400 --> 0:17:33.600 We win, we win. We locked the floor with them, 0:17:33.680 --> 0:17:37.880 let us win, and they've just taken it from us. 0:17:38.920 --> 0:17:39.199 You know what. 0:17:39.280 --> 0:17:41.280 We love to win on home. 0:17:41.160 --> 0:17:45.960 Soil, and diving is a big one too. So diving 0:17:46.000 --> 0:17:48.720 a bit in every edition dating back to nineteen thirty 0:17:48.880 --> 0:17:52.639 of the Empire Games, and road cycling had featured since 0:17:52.800 --> 0:17:54.919 nineteen thirty eight. And I mean we didn't have a 0:17:54.960 --> 0:17:57.320 strong road cycling contingent in the Olympics. Oh wait, we 0:17:57.320 --> 0:18:01.720 did Grace Brown our first gold the Games, so I 0:18:01.880 --> 0:18:03.520 wasn't looking forward to seeing that one as well. But 0:18:03.560 --> 0:18:07.080 Commonwealth Games, Georgie. Why I get emotional about it, and 0:18:07.160 --> 0:18:11.040 there are many reasons, is it serves so much of 0:18:11.080 --> 0:18:14.840 a purpose in our Australian sporting landscape. I mean, you 0:18:14.960 --> 0:18:21.159 think Kathy in ninety four when she held both the 0:18:21.200 --> 0:18:24.720 Australian and the Indigenous flag and in nineteen ninety when 0:18:24.760 --> 0:18:27.119 she was the first Indigenous woman to win gold for 0:18:27.160 --> 0:18:31.400 Australia Yep. Those moments happened at a Commonwealth Games. There 0:18:31.440 --> 0:18:35.360 are memories and people that would have been inspired by 0:18:35.400 --> 0:18:38.320 the Games on the Gold Coast that are now competing 0:18:38.359 --> 0:18:42.359 at an Olympic level and that chance to have wear 0:18:42.440 --> 0:18:46.080 the Green and gold and feel that level of pressure 0:18:46.880 --> 0:18:48.399 can't be replicated. 0:18:48.640 --> 0:18:50.920 No, And it's this is the thing about the Commonwealth 0:18:51.000 --> 0:18:52.720 Games one. I think we need to talk about the 0:18:52.720 --> 0:18:55.880 incredible sense of community that it engenders for everyone who 0:18:55.920 --> 0:18:56.439 does take. 0:18:56.320 --> 0:18:58.040 Apart, it's the friendly game. It is. 0:18:58.080 --> 0:19:01.400 It's the Friendly Games. You see the power program integrated, 0:19:01.560 --> 0:19:05.520 which is huge, which is amazing because all that para 0:19:05.560 --> 0:19:08.080 athletes want is to be put on the same platform 0:19:08.080 --> 0:19:10.680 and the Commonwealth Games is one of the best events 0:19:10.760 --> 0:19:15.320 to do that. I also think that because there are 0:19:15.320 --> 0:19:18.480 some of these sports that aren't represented at an Olympic level. 0:19:18.480 --> 0:19:22.440 I was talking to Queen Lizellis last week, yes about 0:19:22.640 --> 0:19:25.000 exactly what those Commonwealth goals that she won in her 0:19:25.040 --> 0:19:28.720 career and that competition meant to her and it means 0:19:28.760 --> 0:19:32.440 the world. I was talking to Karen Murphy, the champion 0:19:32.520 --> 0:19:36.919 lawn bowler who was just inducted into the Sports Australia 0:19:36.960 --> 0:19:39.600 Hall of Fame Yes, that's how good she was. And 0:19:39.640 --> 0:19:42.080 it's like, don't you don't get to replicate. You don't 0:19:42.080 --> 0:19:44.959 get to have that moment at an Olympic Games. You 0:19:45.040 --> 0:19:48.120 have to have it at the Commonwealth Games. And if 0:19:48.119 --> 0:19:50.200 you're taking that away from all of these other sports, 0:19:50.200 --> 0:19:54.159 you're taking those opportunities away for those athletes. Oh, it 0:19:54.280 --> 0:19:56.520 doesn't sit well with me. Regardless of what you think 0:19:56.520 --> 0:20:00.639 about the Commonwealth. There are so many republics that compete, 0:20:00.800 --> 0:20:04.840 so many republic nations compete at the Commonwealth Games. You know, like, 0:20:04.880 --> 0:20:07.560 it's it can't be, it can't be. Shouldn't be this 0:20:07.640 --> 0:20:09.720 hard to hope to have them. 0:20:10.080 --> 0:20:12.800 I just think in the global climate at the moment, 0:20:13.240 --> 0:20:18.200 with how expensive these events are, once you take sports 0:20:18.359 --> 0:20:23.040 off the table, it's really hard to add them back on. Yes, 0:20:23.080 --> 0:20:26.159 and I think like all powder Glasgow for throwing a 0:20:26.200 --> 0:20:29.000 lifeline here so that we actually have the Commonwealth Games. 0:20:29.400 --> 0:20:32.080 But once you remove something, it's very very hard to 0:20:32.200 --> 0:20:34.800 add it back on. I agree. So the question is 0:20:34.800 --> 0:20:38.639 is this, Let's be honest, they look like school carnival events. 0:20:38.880 --> 0:20:42.560 Oh yes, yeah. Fun fact three buy three basketball? 0:20:42.920 --> 0:20:45.440 Know is that because it can happen in someone's driveway 0:20:45.560 --> 0:20:47.680 like you don't have to build the infrastructure. Is that it? 0:20:47.920 --> 0:20:49.359 I got to say, that wasn't one of my favorite 0:20:49.359 --> 0:20:51.960 events that was added to the Paris program. Yeah, I 0:20:52.000 --> 0:20:56.200 wasn't sure about that. Fun fact, Queenly's also calls the 0:20:56.240 --> 0:21:01.040 Olympics a glorified swimming carnival that will can't be there, 0:21:01.080 --> 0:21:02.199