our great sporting moments remembered - Melbourne Cricket Club

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CLUB NEWSGIFFEN, HEALYENTER HALL OF FAMEThe Australian Cricket Hall of Fame welcomed another pair of outstanding cricketerswhen George Giffen and Ian Healy were inducted in 2008.GEORGEGIFFENGeorge Giffen’s phenomenal achievements often sawhim referred to as Australia’s W.G. Grace. Anall-rounder in the purest use of the term, he was the firstplayer in Test history to complete the double of 1000runs and 100 wickets.His soundly based batting, which featured powerfuldriving, never saw him listed below number six in theorder, while the infinite variety of his immaculatelycontrolled off-breaks formed an important componentof the attack.His exceptional stamina was the product of a Spartantraining regime, making him appear absolutely tireless oneven the most enervating day of an Australian summer.To quote Johnnie Moyes: “He was crafty, shrewd,persistent, and a superb stayer.”First noticed at 15 when invited to bowl in the nets toGrace’s visiting English team in 1874, Giffen played hisfirst Test in 1881/82 and a few months later made thefirst of his five tours of England (1882, 1884, 1886, 1893and 1896), achieving the double of 1000 runs and 100wickets on each of the last three.The pace dominance of Fred Spofforth, George Palmerand Tom Garrett initially limited Giffen’s bowlingopportunities and he gathered only 29 wickets in his first17 Tests. After their departure, however, he came intohis own to add a further 74 in the remaining 14 of hiscareer and finish with 103 at 27.09.Batting at number three for the majority of his 31Tests, Giffen made 1238 runs at 23.35, an excellentreturn on the uncovered wickets of his day. He was at hismost productive in the 1894/95 Ashes series, taking 34wickets at 24.12 and scoring 475 runs at 52.77, whichincluded a superb 161 at the SCG in the opening match.Some of Giffen’s performances for South Australia defybelief. For example, he combined a double century with12 or more wickets in a match against Victoria twice in acalendar year. Having made 237 and taken 5/89 and7/103 at the MCG in January 1891, he surpassed thatwith 271 and figures of 9/96 and 7/70 at the AdelaideOval the following November.No player anywhere in the world has ever approachedsuch feats, while his 11,758 runs at 29.54 and 1022wickets at 21.31 make him the only Australian to exceedthe 10,000 runs/1000 wickets double in first-class cricketfor state and country.IANHEALYAt the time of his retirement in 1999, Ian Healy wasthe most successful wicketkeeper in Test history,leaving other greats such as Rod Marsh, Alan Knott,Godfrey Evans and Wally Grout in his wake.Excellent footwork and extremely safe hands, allied toa mental toughness that yielded nothing to theopposition, underpinned his success. He was equally athome in taking pace and spin, a particular highlight beinghis outstanding partnership with Shane Warne.Moreover, he was a capable batsman, generally atnumber seven, who rarely failed to play a significantinnings when runs were most needed, this capacityunderlined by the fact that all of his four first-classhundreds were made in Tests.Healy was unexpectedly chosen as Australia’s onlykeeper for the 1988/89 tour of Pakistan after only sixappearances for Queensland.Although struggling at first, he nevertheless earned therespect of his peers for his work ethic, courage, teamfocus and the thoroughness of his preparation for amatch.Thereafter, he made few mistakes and became integralto an era of Australian dominance on the internationalstage, missing only one Test, through injury, in a 10-yearcareer. His flawless keeping to the spin of Warne and TimMay against England in 1993, which netted him 26victims, saw Wisden name Healy as one of its fiveCricketers of the Year.On his next tour there, in 1997, he dismissed 27 batsmen,only one short of the overall Test record set by Rod Marshin 1982/83. Two years later, he overtook Marsh’sAustralian and world record tally of 355 dismissals.Healy made his maiden hundred in England in 1993,an unbeaten 102 at Manchester.Among his many other useful Test innings were acareer-highest 161 not out against the West Indies atBrisbane in 1996/97 and 134 against England in 1998/99,also on his home turf at the Gabba, the latter helping toincrease Australia’s total from 5/178 to 485 all out.In 119 Tests Healy dismissed 395 batsmen (366 caughtand 29 stumped) and scored 4356 runs at 27.39. In onedayinternationals he dismissed 233 batsmen (194 caughtand 39 stumped) and made 1764 runs at 21.00, while inall first-class cricket his tallies were 767 dismissals (698caught and 69 stumped) and 8341 runs at 30.22.10 MCC NEWSJULY 2008
NEW MUSEUM ISA WORK OF ARTYOUR GUIDE TOTHE NATIONALSPORTS MUSEUMAdmission PricesPublic MCC MembersNon-event day: Adults $15 $11: Concession $11 $11: Child (5-15) $8 $6: Family $45 $35Event day: Adults $7.50 $7.50: Concession $5.50 $5.50: Child (5-15) $4 $4: Family $22.50 $22.50Champion athlete and former Governor of Victoria John Landy cuts the ribbon to openthe National Sports Museum in March.Stunningly designed and utilising ablend of light, sound, colour andaction to brilliant effect, the newNational Sports Museum at the MCG isa masterpiece.It opened on March 12 with a galabash attended by more than 1000 guests,who enjoyed a cocktail party on the MCGarena before inspecting the new facility attheir leisure.Hosted by Eddie McGuire and a team ofsporting champions who have agreed to beambassadors for the museum (see right),the function was a fine introduction to aworld-class facility that will be a must-seeattraction for locals and tourists alike.Sporting images surround the visitor asthe escalator takes you to another worldbelow the seating terraces of the stadium.Jack Brabham’s famous Grand Prixwinning Repco BT19 of 1966 is an idealgreeting, representing both the breadth ofsporting coverage in the museum and thequality of its exhibits.Beyond Brabham’s car is a shrine toour sporting heroes, the Sport AustraliaHall of Fame exhibition, with each of its47 Legends and 500-plus inducteesappropriately honoured.Further down is the Backyard to BaggyGreen exhibition, a stroll through thejourney of cricketers around the world thatNational Sports MuseumAmbassadors Catherine Freeman Shane Warne Ron Barassi Shane Gould Liz Ellis James Hird Tony Charlton Collingwood Football Clubcelebrates the game’s elite in the AustralianCricket Hall of Fame.A fitting finale to the cricket display isthe Baggy Green Room, a quiet, reverentspace with a statue of the great Bradmansurrounded by a sea of caps from thosewho have represented their country. Thissection also links the NSM to the MCCMuseum.Visitors on guided tours have theirappetites whetted in The People’s Groundexhibition, a snapshot of people and eventsat the MCG since the 1850s and the factorsthat have influenced its development overthe years. Next is the Faster, Higher,Stronger Olympic exhibition whichfeatures the Ancient Games, Edwin Flack’sAccessThe National Sports Museum is open10am – 5pm on all non-event days (lastadmission 4pm).On major event days such as AFLfootball fixtures and internationalcricket, admission will be discounted forthose holding an event day ticket.A full schedule of MCG event daysand hours of operation for the NationalSports Museum is listed on the websiteat www.nsm.org.au. We suggest youallocate at least 1–2 hours to fullyexperience the museum.MCC MuseumThe MCC Museum will not beaccessible to National Sports Museumpatrons on MCG event days. However,MCC members and guests have free-ofchargeaccess to the MCC Museumfrom the Members Reserve entrance onevent days.1896 olive branches and medals, theStrickland Collection, a display case foreach of the Games, treasures from theBeaurepaire Collection and the torches.Then there are displays on boxing, theParalympics, rugby union and league,boxing, basketball and cycling before a lifesizerecreation of Jezza’s mark enticesvisitors into the vast space below devotedto Australian football, the Australia’sGame exhibition. Alongside are displays onsoccer, golf, tennis and netball. On thesame level are numerous interactivedevices, a big hit with the kids that invitesthem to climb walls, cycle fast, run, jump,spar, kick goals, lay handballs and runbatsmen out. The verdict? Fantastic!JULY 2008 MCC NEWS11
Page 5 and 6: FOOTY’S HALL OFFAME FINDS ITSRIGH
Page 8 and 9: CLUB NEWSHE’S ALWAYS BEENA LEGEND
Page 12 and 13: CLUB NEWSMANY TREASURES AWAITVISITO
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Page 22 and 23: MEMBERS’ NEWSNEW MCC WEBSITEMembe
Page 24: MEMBERS’ NEWSYOUR 2008 AFL FINALS

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