1 October 2008

A significant rugby league match to celebrate our centenary

| johnboy
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Caretaker convention be damned, there’s an election to be won!

Jon Stanhope has again donned his Chief Minister’s cap to announce that he’s had talks with the National Rugby League about having an important Rugby League game in Canberra for the centenary of Canberra.

State of Origin? The Grand Final?

Er no. How about the City-Country game? (yes it appears they still take place). Or maybe if we’re lucky an instantly forgotten match against New Zealand.

But wait, there’s more:

    Mr Stanhope said negotiations were continuing for several more high-profile sporting fixtures in 2013 as part of an exciting, well-coordinated program of celebrations and cultural activities.

    “We have already reached preliminary agreement with Golf Australia for Canberra to host the 2013 Women’s Australian Open Golf Championship, as part of the centenary celebrations,” Mr Stanhope.

    Mr Stanhope said other Centenary projects already underway include the development of a Centenary curriculum unit to teach students how and why Canberra became the national capital, a special Centenary Premium Shiraz and Riesling wines, and the creation of a new flower – the Centenary Rose and a native to mark the capital’s 100th year.

Must… keep… eyes… open…

So obviously the team working on this centenary thing need a lot of help. What would you suggest could make it worth staying awake for?

(My opening suggestions: A cricket test match, An international rugby sevens tournament, a leg of the Big Day Out. Over to you)

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“How about a round of the Red Bull air racing or whatever it is?”

That would be just beyond all measure of awesome.

MONSTA TRUCKS
The bogan in me wants DESTRUCTION!Actually I’m keen on getting back to basics with the birdman rally. That stuff was great fun when I was growing up.

What about a V8 supercar race? What, that’s already been tried? Really?

Or how about a pikes peak style of race to the top of Black Mountain?…

Or we can be a bit logical and spend the dollars not on these one off things but use them for something a bit more enduring – like making all schools properly heated, all libraries provisioned with funds for a decent book injection, all highschool students taught how to drive properly, all people with dodgy teeth and no money having their teeth fixed, people on waiting lists operated on, something, anything that will help us into the next 100 years!

Bellerive holds about three times as many people. Cash, is the answer.

Bring back the 2CA fishing comps for the carps with the tags on em i reckon. Get rid of the carps and teach the kiddies to fish, you all know how the saying goes.

They’ve announced a bid for a Test match for Manuka in 2013, apparently It will be Aus V NZ or Aus v Ind. If they can play at bellerive why not Manuka??

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/sport/cricket/test-match-bid-cricket-chiefs-back-manuka-for-2013/163166.aspx

What better way to celebrate the centenary than by invoking the spirit of King O’Malley and having a grog-free year?

Unfortunately this would mean that all other events would be doubly dull.

Having competed in the Redbull Flugtag this year (basically the Birdman rally with massive corporate sponsorship) I whole heartedly support this proposal, and would love to be involved!

p1 said :

I don’t know if I am missing something, but is it possible to create a new native?

Yes.
http://www.ipaustralia.gov.au/pbr/about.shtml#1

But I vote for a Centennary return of the Birdman Rally.

There should be a Centennary ‘no summernats’ if the truth be known.

Suggestions: Wallabies vs ??????, Opals vs USA (that’d be good), Diamonds vs Silver Ferns,

They could run a special Centenary edition of summernats, with extra burnouts.

Perhaps a tallship re-enactment of the first fleet landings held on LBG?

We’re after suggestions here people.

Thump: Do they go right after you or do they just hold it out and say something?

Fair call, but I’ll add that if I were given an anti Stanhope flier in civic I’d throw it straight in the bin. Just as I’d throw pro liberal, pro ALP, pro CAP, pro/ anti anyone campaign material straight in the bin.

In fact my major pet hate at election time is being accosted by political volunteers of any persuasion determined to shove their material down your throat.

Ditto on the materials. Mercifully i haven’t been doorknocked yet.

p1 said :

…Stanhope will soon be getting blamed for the Cuban Missile Crisis, malaria etc etc…

It is the “etc” that worries me. What else it he responsible for? Faking the moon landings? Hiding the alien base under Lawson?

Stanhope IS an alien, sent to slowly destroy Canberra over three terms through such nefarious tactics as failing to replace street lights, building mind-altering scultptures and planting ‘arboretums’, which is an anagram of ‘A teror bums’. Coincidence? I doubt it.

…Stanhope will soon be getting blamed for the Cuban Missile Crisis, malaria etc etc…

It is the “etc” that worries me. What else it he responsible for? Faking the moon landings? Hiding the alien base under Lawson?

I really couldn’t give a stuff about the ACT election

Then why does it bother you so much?

Good question. I guess it doesn’t really. It just seems like we’ve reached a point where Stanhope will soon be getting blamed for the Cuban Missile Crisis, malaria etc etc. I got handed an anti-stanhope Lib flyer in garema yesterday, all that was missing was ‘666’ stamped on his head.

MrMagoo said :

I think the Centennary is a very important thing and if anyone is trying to raise awareness and in that attract major events to the city for the 100th Birthday then all is the good I say. We seem in this place to never want to show any form of pride in the place where we live. If Jon Stanhope or anyone on the Centennary taskforce is suggesting ideas thengreat, let’s hear them and then see if they can be reality.

Personally we have got buckley’s of a Test Match, just won’t happening no matter how hard ACt Cricket tries to tell us they are an important player in the market.

Anyway, lets get behind the 100 Birthday celebrations its OK to be proud of the place where we live you know.

I’m proud of the place that I live every day (every day that I don’t have to deal with the public service that is). I don’t need a woman’s golf tournament to brighten up my local fervor.

Besides, I think johnboy wasn’t so much saying ‘let’s not have events’, but rather ‘let’s not have events that completely suck’.

Thumper, I really couldn’t give a stuff about the ACT election, and you’re obviously a smart, well informed person, but your endless jabs at Stanhope et al are getting a bit tired, and frankly, predictable.

…and the creation of a new flower – the Centenary Rose and a native to mark the capital’s 100th year.

I don’t know if I am missing something, but is it possible to create a new native?

I think the Centennary is a very important thing and if anyone is trying to raise awareness and in that attract major events to the city for the 100th Birthday then all is the good I say. We seem in this place to never want to show any form of pride in the place where we live. If Jon Stanhope or anyone on the Centennary taskforce is suggesting ideas thengreat, let’s hear them and then see if they can be reality.

Personally we have got buckley’s of a Test Match, just won’t happening no matter how hard ACt Cricket tries to tell us they are an important player in the market.

Anyway, lets get behind the 100 Birthday celebrations its OK to be proud of the place where we live you know.

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