Growing up on Sydney s northern beaches, anyone sport obsessed knew who Bob Bozo Fulton was.
I was no different, and after landing a dream gig writing for the Manly Daily in 2008 as a budding junior sports journalist, our paths soon crossed.
Plenty of colleagues and other scribes were quick to tell me not to get Bozo offside - he knew people from all walks of life and had contacts galore, they said.
Eventually I took on a senior sports role with the newspaper of record on the Sydney s Northern Beaches, with the daily movements of the Manly Sea Eagles the most crucial round for my job.
It truly is a little bit of everything.
The pandemic, for one, has undoubtedly contributed to a selectively restrained economic climate – families are wary of where their dollars are being spent and it doesn’t help that venue ticket prices have been a sore point for years.
Perhaps the ultimate crescendo came in the form of this season’s debutants Macarthur FC charging an eye-gouging $50 per person for Sydney FC active fans to attend Bulls matches, which club director Sam Krslovic attributed to COVID and an unanswered voicemail.
But Australian football’s problems existed well before the COVID-19 outbreak - all the shutdown period did was put our longstanding issues under the microscope.
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In the last year alone, so much of our domestic football scene has had very little to do with the exploits and drama on the pitch, but rather what’s happening off of it.
This week was no different, as the sport’s reputation was plunged into further chaos following the fight between the fans of Sydney United 58 and Rockdale Ilinden FC at the weekend.
The footage was disturbing, the violence indefensible and the condemnation from all corners of the football fraternity and wider society, was justified.
For a code that has long opined about the mainstream media’s lack of interest in us, these
Rugby league fans and former greats have come together to farewell Tommy Raudonikis at a public memorial at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Following last Friday s private funeral service, Monday s gathering was a chance for the many fans and friends of Tommy to give a send-off to league s blue-collar hero.
Along with many fans, the memorial brought out former greats from Western Suburbs and merger partner Balmain, such as Garry Jack, Steve Roach, Benny Elias and Paul Sironen.
The stands at the SCG filled in the lead-up to the service in perfect weather at the SCG.
Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V landys attended, along with former NRL chief David Gallop.
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Sport by Dean Ritchie
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Subscriber only God help God. With these three words, long-serving Newtown Jets official Terry Rowney put the big fella on notice about welcoming to heaven the ultimate footy scallywag, Tommy Raudonikis. The cheeky comment brought laughter from a 500-strong gathering sitting in the famous SCG Members Pavilion on Monday during a memorial service for the legendary Wests and Newtown halfback and rascal, who died on April 7. It was an eclectic congregation, ranging from millionaires in suits and Cartier sunglasses to knockabouts wearing thongs, stubbies and Wests Magpies jumpers with VICTA splashed across the front - Tommy s kind of people.