Archbishop of Sydney

Football Victory

By + Cardinal George Pell
Archbishop of Sydney
3 October 2005

There is no doubt justice was done last weekend when the Sydney Swans beat the West Coast Eagles.  I am not claiming that the most talented team gained the premiership, but courage, perseverance, determination and football brains deserve to be rewarded at least some times in this life.  The Swans victory was one such occasion.

Last week I was asked whether it was legitimate to pray for Wests Tigers in this weekend’s rugby league grand final.  I replied that it couldn’t be bad for us to pray for a Queensland defeat; but only a little prayer.  So it was with the Swans.

Most Australians take our sport for granted, but many countries do not have the wealth, facilities or opportunities to play or watch as we do.  Even in England, where most of today’s sports originated, authorities sold off many of the ovals school children used.

Plenty of competitive team sport should be encouraged in all schools. Team sports, properly coached, can be marvellous schools for character; for developing self-confidence, a sense of belonging and cooperating, and learning to win and lose with grace.  It is also a useful lesson to learn that we keep battling on even when we are losing badly.

Special praise is due to Swans coach Paul Roos, once a champion player, who now coaches as he played.  At first I didn’t like the style he devised, slowing down the tempo, chipping the ball around and waiting for an opening.  Publicly criticised in Victoria, he held his nerve and reaped the fruits.  He built a strong team spirit, which brought the best out of his players in three successive narrow wins survived a finals defeat, out-thought the opposition and brought the first premiership to Sydney, with only a 72 year wait for what had been South Melbourne.

Barry Hall was indispensable, leading his team to the ultimate prize with his skills (which were never in doubt) and the self discipline he has developed.

I was frightened that the big powerful Eagles ruckmen would dominate in the last quarter, but it was the Swans’ Jason Ball, in his last game, who did that.  The Eagles’ Daniel Kerr was crippled at one stage and returned to run like a gazelle.

Leo Barry’s mark in the dying moments of the game capped our day.  It was not a display of athleticism by a young jack-in-the-box when the pressure was off, but a match saver, daring and courageous; as he said, a moment to savour.

Mike Willesee is one of those few who saved the Swans from disappearing a few years ago.  He summed it up like this “What is important is not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog”.

This is still a good lesson, especially for our young men.