From The Sidelines

With the flick of his wrist, John McEnroe, who it is ridiculous to think will be 67 in February, would often execute a sublime half-volley, when the ball seemed past him. Crowds would gasp in disbelief. The impossible was made easy. If only the same could be said of entering a new secular year. The closing of one calendar and the opening of another is remarkably easy. However, the intractable problems of one year inevitably follow us into the next, leaving us wondering whethe

As Australia was moving towards its restful summer holiday period last Sunday, an antisemitic terrorist attack at its iconic Bondi Beach in Sydney, that claimed the lives of 15 innocent people, has recast so much. One is often told not to send an e-mail  or write in anger. Sleep on it. Consider calmer  communication in the morning. It is hard to sleep and write calmly after such a contaminating event. The productive, calm, and tolerant society that Australia has prided itself

Is it too early to make concluding observations about 2025? The tennis world is in its Christmas/New Year hiatus with Australia set to be its focus when it reawakens throughout January. For most Australians, tennis has momentarily surrendered its attention to the joys and agonies  of cricket and Formula One racing. Australia bestrides the cricketing world like a colossus against the visiting traditional bete noire  English team. For cricket fans, an irresistible pun- so far t

The tennis year is over after the finals of the Davis Cup in Bologna and the ATP finals in Turin. It’s been a triumphant few week for Italian tennis. Jannik Sinner continued his scorching run of indoor success by defeating Alcaraz 7-6(4) 7-5 in Turin, with Alcaraz’s compensation being to end the year ranked No.1. Alcaraz now leads their rivalry 10 matches to 6. Yesterday, Italy, for the first time in its history won a third consecutive Davis Cup title defeating Spain, with ne

Fifty years ago, this week the Australian political climate was beyond febrile. A constitutional crisis led to the dismissal of the Whitlam government with the Governor-General dissolving both houses of parliament and sending Australians to their third general election in three years. The conservative coalition of Liberal and National parties won an overwhelming victory in the 13 th  December election. Some political commentators predicted that Australian Labor Party would ne

Relationships have never been easy, whether they be personal, social, cultural, economic or international. Factors and elements shift. New influences intervene. Suddenly, what was is altered and the eternal process of adaptation and readjustment takes place. Look at how technology has reshaped just about every relationship of our life. Just when we thought we had mastered, well at least understood, the internet world, mobile phones, social media and the internet, along comes

Hold onto your hats! The bumpy ride continues! And it is a ride that has been centuries in the making! We may see a Prince of England formally stripped of his birthright as Prince Andrew, long considered the late Queen’s favourite child, has become the least favoured of his people. Allegations of aggressive sexual conduct with 0inors are bad enough. Throw in continued association with a pimp of paedophile sexual activity. Add accommodation arrangements that are generous to th

It is a week since I tackled the most challenging task of the year. We all know what it is: adjusting all the clocks in a residence when daylight saving/summertime is introduced. It is a straightforward procedure with older clocks. Head to the back of the device and turn the hands. Come the digital age devices, however, comes the drama, especially when resetting oven clocks. For me, achieving the desired goal is a fluky combination of reading an obscure manual five times, whi

How Carlos Alcaraz must love being 22! Everything seems to be aligning around the digits of his age. With his decisive victory against...

The US Open. Often a scene of chaos and craziness. Sadly, for supporters of Australian tennis we seem caught in a static, predictable...

Only in America! You might have missed it, but last week the US Open changed Grand Slam tennis. Again. Remember the Americans, always...

Last week the tennis world provided a story that not even the most romantic scriptwriter could have concocted. The Women’s Title at the...

Wow! It almost does not bear thinking about, but we must. Lest we forget. Tomorrow, 4 th  August is the 111 th  anniversary of the...

It is truly funny how patterns once considered odd suddenly seem unexceptional. After the 0-6 0-6 defeat of Amanda Anisimova in last...

The Gods truly play with us for their sport. After the euphoria generated by the unforgettable Men’s final in Paris, thoughts turned to...

Every summer since 1976, when unseeded Mark Edmondson upset defending champion John Newcombe,  Australians have wondered whether an...

Canadians voted last Monday using their non–compulsory first past the post voting system, Australians voted yesterday using their...

This evening at midnight a quirky feature of Australia’s electoral system comes into effect. A 48 hour ‘media blackout’ is enacted. This...

The unintended consequences of social changes are often far more potent than the intended ones. In the eras when workers were paid in...

Yes, it’s true. Australians can start voting on Easter Tuesday. In a mere eleven days.  There was a time, not so long ago in Australia,...

Yesterday, President Trump announced his most sweeping set of economic tariffs. He, alone amongst all considered opinion, believes the...

Earlier this week I attended an end of term retreat with senior students. It occurred to me that the event and its timing were...

What’s the quip?: “Never trust a used car salesman or a specialist”. Well, maybe we will have to add meteorologists to the list. Last...

It is often said that adaptation is the key to biological survival and evolution. Many sporting codes have clearly taken that advice to...

Americans had their Presidential and Congressional elections  last November.  Australia will have its Federal election by the end of May....

Christians prepare for the celebration of Christmas during the season of Advent.  In an increasingly secular Australia, the faithless...

Before we know it the summer season of tennis will begin in Australia. Both Djokovic and Kyrgios, along with the World’s No.1 female...

Happy Birthday Mr. President!  Joe Biden is 82 today.  He is busy trying to carve out his lame duck legacy, even strolling away from the...

Get used to hearing much more about Grover Cleveland! Rarely mentioned amongst the pantheon of American Presidents, Cleveland served as...

Imagine a tennis match where two old combatants are preparing to recontest the final, having contested it four years before. Suddenly,...

So, the world keeps producing its jolts. The unrelenting reminders of change and mortality. Ethel Kennedy, Robert Kennedy’s widow, dies...

It probably is a shock to all other than the most ardent of tennis fans that the US Open starts next Sunday with its qualifying rounds....

Today, 110 years ago, World War One begun. Arguably the defining moment of modern history, the Germans thought they could reach and...

Well, well, well. The inevitable has occurred. Joe Biden has succumbed to the relentless logic of politics. His party do not believe he...

Does anyone go to work on a Friday anymore? In this post-Covid world the relative absence of foot and car traffic at the end of a...

Last weekend I was treated to time in Adelaide, the capital of South Australia.  An underrated city, often overlooked by being in the...

Tasmania is Australia’s smallest and only island State within the Federation. The nation’s smallest State, it is close in the size to...

In 1948 George Orwell wrote an ominous novel predicting the destinies of citizens in the post-War world. In the same year photo-finish...

A spoiler warning: the following comments are not designed to offend. Please read in the cause of commentary not controversy. Sometimes...

I suspect many would agree that the current world is one where the practice of old certitudes has never been less guaranteed. Be it the...

Reluctant as I am to use contemporary expressions that may not be understood by all, may I begin by offering the following ‘spoiler...

The Australian Open has six days to run and the openings for Australian success have closed in the Men’s and Women’s draws. Yesterday’s ...

Isn’t it remarkable that, notwithstanding all that has come before, the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve generates a collective...

For my sins, but with constant delight, I have taught Australian students for over 30 years about the structures and processes of its...

The Christian season of Advent is nearly upon us, beginning on 3rd December, and marks the promise of something new and beginning with...

It is the fear of every tennis player to lose a set six games to love. If a player loses a traditional best of three sets match 0-6 0-6,...

Tomorrow in Australia at 4.49 p.m. is the spring equinox in the southern hemisphere. After then, days south of the equator will have more...

“Speaking of Serena, America’s Coco Gauff, fresh from an indifferent summer won the Women’s title at Cincinnati. Often touted as...

The forthcoming first day of September in the southern hemisphere is heralded as the first day of spring, whilst for Americans it is the...

So, another Wimbledon is about to begin! How it can be two years since Roger Federer played his final match on Centre Court, let alone...