A History of the Australian Boomers

With the Olympics only a couple of weeks away I thought I would look at the evolving nature of the Australian Boomers basketball team.  Going all the way back to the 1996 Games in Atlanta, USA to this month’s London 2012 Olympics it’s interesting to see how the team has changed and where the players are coming from.  Let’s start 16 years ago...

1996 Atlanta Olympic Games

This team was the highlight of the last twenty years as they blasted nearly everyone in Group B, winning four out of their five games, putting them second in the group and scoring over 100 points in those four wins.  They got pounded by Yugoslavia but everyone in the group did.  In the quarter finals they were matched up with Croatia and on the back of a last second three pointer by Tony Ronaldson they escaped by two points to move on to the semi finals, where they would be against the mighty USA.  Losing 101-73 put them in the Bronze medal game which they lost by a heartbreaking six points against Lithuania.

The squad was made entirely of NBL players –

Andrew Gaze (captain) – Melbourne Tigers

Tony Ronaldson – South East Melbourne Magic

Sam Mackinnon – South East Melbourne Magic

Scott Fisher – Perth Wildcats

Pat Reidy – North Melbourne Giants

Brett Maher – Adelaide 36ers

Tonny Jensen – North Melbourne Giants

Shane Heal – Sydney Kings

Mark Bradtke – Melbourne Tigers

John Dorge – South East Melbourne Magic

Andrew Vlahov – Perth Wildcats

Ray Borner – Canberra Cannons

Some massive names from the history books of Australian basketball and it was no wonder that the team came so close to winning a medal.  Things would change with time.

2000 Sydney Olympic Games

With only six players returning from the 96 games there was a lot of pressure on the younger guys to step up and produce.  Luckily for the team Luc Longley put his hand up to play which helped immensely.  In group B the team was average, winning three out of their five games and interestingly finished with a measly +1 in points difference.  The team lost their first two games, going down to the Steve Nash led Canadians by 11 and losing again to Yugoslavia by 14.  That would mean they have to win their next three games, which they did.  Four points did it against Russia, eleven against Angola and in the final game of the group they beat Spain by eleven.  That would mean they came up against Italy in the quarter finals, beating them by one shot, 65-62 but lost again in the semi finals, this time to France 76-52.  In a severe case of déjà vu they squared off against Lithuania again for Bronze where they faltered and lost by a massive 18 points, 89-71.

Again this time all but one player on the squad was playing in the NBL –

Andrew Gaze (captain) – Melbourne Tigers

Chris Anstey – Victoria Titans

Mark Bradtke – Melbourne Tigers

Martin Cattalini – Adelaide 36ers

Ricky Grace – Perth Wildcats

Shane Heal – Sydney Kings

Luc Longley – Phoenix Suns (USA)

Sam Mackinnon – Townsville Crocodiles

Brett Maher – Adelaide 36ers

Paul Rogers – Perth Wildcats

Jason Smith – Victoria Titans

Andrew Vlahov – Perth Wildcats

Still the big names but some up and comers like Chris Anstey and Jason Smith.  What is great about this squad is that Longley played, showing that Australians can play overseas and play well, which will be a continuing trend in the next few games.

2004 Athens Olympic Games

There were five returning players from the Sydney games but the heavy hitters, like Andrew Gaze, Luc Longley and Andrew Vlahov had retired.  And it showed, as the team wallowed to a 1-4 record and second last in the group.  What makes matters worse is that their only win was against bottom placed Angola who had an average losing margin of 20 points a game.  That put us in the 9^th place classification match against New Zealand where we beat the Tall Blacks 98-80, a small victory when it made us 9^th instead of 10^th.  The less said about this campaign the better.

There were now three players playing overseas, up from the one at Sydney –

Shane Heal (captain) – Sydney Kings

Tony Ronaldson – Perth Wildcats

Brett Maher – Adelaide 36ers

Andrew Bogut – University of Utah (USA)

Martin Cattalini – Adelaide 36ers

John Rillie – West Sydney Razorbacks

CJ Bruton – Sydney Kings

Jason Smith – Sydney Kings

Glen Saville – Wollongong Hawks

David Anderson – Montepaschi Siena (Italy)

Matthew Nielsen – Sydney Kings

Paul Rogers – Casademont Girona (Spain)

As you can see all of the legendary players had left except for Shane Heal and Andrew Bogut was a 19 year old college player, this was very much a rebuilding year and it showed on the standings.  However, there were triple the amount of players playing overseas than the last Olympics which is a good sign for Australian basketball.

2008 Beijing Olympic Games

Six past players took part in the China games but it seemed there was a youth initiative happening, with six players 25 years or younger.  Similar to the Sydney Olympics, the team lost their first two games but went on to win their next three to come fourth in the group.  It was the young brigade who led the way, with one of those six under 25 players leading the scoring in all but one game.  Unfortunately coming fourth put them square against the  ‘Redeem Team’ Americans where they were handsomely thrashed 116-85 but put up a fight in the first half, only being down by 12 but were blown out of the water in the second half.  As there was no seeding playoff game the team finished seventh but were equal fifth on win/loss which was a great turnaround.

There were now five players playing overseas, nearly half the team –

Matthew Nielsen (captain) – BC Lietuvos Rytas (Lithuania)

Chris Anstey – Melbourne Tigers

Patrick Mills – Saint Mary’s (USA)

Andrew Bogut – Milwaukee Bucks (USA)

Joe Ingles – South Dragons

Brad Newley – Panellinios (Greece)

CJ Bruton – New Zealand Breakers

David Barlow – Melbourne Tigers

Mark Worthington – South Dragons

Glen Saville – Wollongong Hawks

David Andersen – FC Barcelona (Spain)

Shawn Redhage – Perth Wildcats

As Australians are getting more and more recognition throughout the basketball world they are getting snapped up by talent hungry teams, shown by the five foreigners out of the twelve.  But that is nothing compared to this year’s squad.

2012 London Olympic Games

As the games haven’t been played yet I can’t give a recap so here is the team –

Matthew Nielsen (captain) – BC Khimki (Russia)

Peter Crawford – Townsville Crocodiles

Patrick Mills – San Antonio Spurs (USA)

Adam Gibson – Gold Coast Blaze

Joe Ingles – FC Barcelona Regal (Spain)

Brad Newley – Valencia BC (Spain)

Matthew Dellavedova – Saint Mary’s (USA)

David Barlow – CB Murcia (Spain)

Mark Worthington – Gold Coast Blaze

Aron Baynes – Ikaros Kallitheas BC (Greece)

Daniel Kickert – Turow Zgorzelec (Poland)

Aleks Maric – Panathinaikos BC (Greece)

David Andersen – Mens Sana Basket (Italy)

As you can see, all but three players are from the NBL and in my opinion is a great showing of Australian basketball.  Sure the NBL suffers as the league would like to have all of these players competing in the Australian league but it just goes to show that the world is sitting up and taking notice of the Aussies in the world and I would love to see all of the players competing in the Olympics be from overseas teams as it shows that this country exports so great talent.

How will the team go?  Who knows but I’m pumped to find out, only three weeks to go!

2012 Australian Boomers Squad (with a twist)

Two weeks ago I outlined my favourites for the 2012 Olympic basketball gold medal so this week I thought I would go through my Australian team for the tournament.  There is one twist, as only players who are competing in the NBL at the moment qualify for selection.  I have picked a fifteen man squad with three players for each position to go into battle with the best of the best.

Point Guard

Starting PG – Adam Gibson (Gold Coast)

Gibson may be having a down year by his standards but he is still the premiere point in the league.  His previous experience with the Boomers will be vital and standing 188cm he won’t be pushed around by the opposing PGs.

First Bench PG – Rhys Martin (Wollongong)

The one shining light out of Wollongong, Martin has become an outstanding distributor.  In only nine games this season he has had two nine assist games and a seven assist game but with the dearth of scoring on the Hawks team he has had to pick up his offensive game even more.  Put him with better scoring options and sit back and watch his fantastic point play.

Second Bench PG – Brad Robbins (Perth)

He may not be the best shooter, in fact he is probably in the lower half of the league but his defence is unavoidable.  His grit and determination is top class and every team needs a hardnosed defender to nullify opposing guards.  He may not be able to shoot well but he can still get to the rack and battle with the trees.

Shooting Guard

Starting SG – Stephen Weigh (Adelaide)

I would class Weigh as a SF but he is definitely capable of manning this position and it gives the team some extra height to battle the bigger teams out there (USA, Spain).  The 36er can also spread the floor which will be imperative for the team’s big men who need space to do their work.

First Bench SG – Aaron Bruce (Sydney)

Even though I am not a huge fan of Bruce and have been quite critical I must admit that if he plays with disciple he can be a great asset.  His shooting can change games and the team will need another ball handler in some games to break full court presses.

Second Bench SG – Brad Hill (Cairns)

Hill starting the season like a NBA Live game with cheat codes.  Having multiple high quality games in a row people were looking at him for an All-NBL selection.  However his last four games he has gone 6/24 and fallen off the face of the Earth.  I am taking a gamble here as I’m banking on having the Brad Hill from earlier in the season that did everything.

Small Forward

Starting SF – Peter Crawford (Townsville)

The pickings for SF were slim but Crawford is one guy I would select straight away.  He will be the glue of the team as he does just about everything a coach wants him to do.  He shoots well and is deadly from outside the arc, he can rebound, pass, defend and just be a nuisance if needs be.  It may not be a glamorous job but someone needs to be that guy who just fits with the team.

First Bench SF – Mark Worthington (Gold Coast) [Captain]

I was tossing up between putting Worthington as a PF or SF, and even considering putting him in the starting SF position but I believe this is where he will fit best.  That doesn’t mean that he is a bench warmer as I want Worthington to be a ‘super-sub’ who comes off the bench but gets starters minutes in both the forward positions.  His objective?  To do what he does best, rebound and hit big shots and lead from the front which is why I have selected him to captain this squad.

Second Bench SF – Anatoly Bose (Sydney)

The young King is a bombshell, even being designated the nickname ‘An Atomic Bomb’ because he can score quickly and from anywhere.  He isn’t quite at the point where he can be counted on for big minutes at this level but a cameo here and there will go a long way for this team.

Power Forward

Starting PF – Cameron Tragardh (Melbourne)

Trigger has shown that he is more than capable of leading a team from the front.  He will need to reach another level to compete with the best PFs in the world as he might be going up against Luis Scola, Pau Gasol and god forbid, Dirk Nowitzki.  But right now, he is the best PF in the NBL, no question.

First Bench PF – Jacob Holmes (Townsville)

Every team needs a rebounder and there isn’t many better than Holmes.  He is the yin to Tragardh’s yang and young Jacob can make up for Trigger’s weaknesses.  His scoring and passing skills are two delicious cherries on the top of the sundae.

Second Bench PF – Shawn Redhage (Perth)

Another bench player who will get more minutes than his depth chart rank dictates, Redhage is a hell of a player and will make this team move smoother.  He is a cool customer which will help the team when it gets into hot water.  I’m 99% sure that he has dual citizenship which will allow him to play for Australia but if someone can confirm this then I would put him above Holmes as the first PF off the bench.

Centre

Starting C – Julian Khazzouh (Sydney)

The best player in the NBL bar none and far and away the best Australian.  If Sydney used him more than they would be in a better state but that is going off topic.  Khazzouh should be in the real Boomers squad and should have a breaking out party in 2012 being guided by Andrew Bogut.  Khazzouh should be the focal point of this team if they want to compete.

First Bench C – Daniel Johnson (Adelaide)

He is really blossoming into a legit star player this season and should continue to grow.  Has a silky smooth jumper that will stretch some centres and likes to battle for rebounds.  I have put him as the first bench C not because I think he is better than the next centre but I want to see what he can do at the biggest basketball tournament in the world.

Second Bench C – Luke Schenscher (Townsville)

Still injured at the moment so I haven’t had a chance to see him in action this season but he will be healthy by the time the Olympics roll around.  The tall red head knows about playing on the big stage which will go a long way in teaching Johnson the way of the Olympics.

Coach – Rob Beveridge

His ability to direct players while also letting them play will be paramount to a team that will most likely be overmatched in talent.  The players need to work as a team rather than rely on individual greatness.

As you can see the team is lacking genuine talent in a lot of areas, especially at the two.  Which is understandable as that position is usually taken up by Brad Newley and/or Joe Ingles who went to Europe to work on their game.  I believe I have compiled a good list of newcomers and old hats which spreads out the experience levels but this just my opinion and you might have a completely different team.

Do you have any changes to the team?  Don’t believe that someone should be in the team or another player is too low?  Tell me your team in the comments section below.

Patrick Mills - A Tribute

Everyone and their dog knows that Patrick Mills has been released from the Melbourne Tigers to further his career in China.  While I can see why he made the move I do think that it was a little scummy of him to go so soon.

For one he didn’t separate himself from the rest of the league enough to validate the pre-season hype.  Much like Harry Kewell for the Melbourne Victory who has only one assist and no goals in five games, Mills has failed to live up to his reputation of being unguardable and ‘NBA worthy’.  His numbers of 18.6 points and 5.0 assists are in the top level of the NBL but for someone who played in 64 games for the Portland Trailblazers they aren’t that impressive.  People expected Patty to put up 30 points a game and would light the world on fire.  Starting out he had numerous games of subpar shooting and his first three games he had more turnovers than assists.  Luckily for him his play improved with a 32 point game and three games with eight assists or more but he left before the naysayers could be shut up with his play.  42% from the field and 29% from three is just not good enough for any NBA player in the NBL.

However, the main reason why I am a little miffed is that after all this hoopla over Patrick Mills coming down from the NBA to help out his home country and the sport that needs a shot in the arm was extremely anti-climactic.  The first game of the season was sold out and there was a buzz in the air that was louder than the last decade of basketball but after two months that buzz has fizzled and Mills has lost his sheen and people are starting to turn.  Also, I feel like the Daryl Corletto saga was for nothing and the Tigers organisation will need to try hard to win back loyal fans now they have nothing to show for the jettison of Corletto. 

But at the end of the day Patty Mills has to look out for Patty Mills first.  He is only 23 years old and if he is getting paid the reported $1.25 million that is very hard to pass up for a low ranking league such like the NBL.  On the Xinjiang Guanghui Flying Tigers (which is a killer name by the way) there are notable names like Kenyon Martin and Quincy Douby with the league including players such as Stephon Marbury, Aaron Brooks, Wilson Chandler, Dan Gadzuric, JR Smith and Yi Jianlian.  No doubt he will get better exposure and a bigger challenge and combined with the uncertainty of the NBA contract situation where there is no guarantee that Mills will get a contract in the new NBA I can understand why he made this decision.

All is not lost for the Tigers as the shots that will be freed from Mills’ departure will mostly go to Ayinde Ubaka and Ron Dorsey so if you are needing someone on your Dream Team side then look for these two imports to improve their 9.1 and 8.3 ER respectively.  I believe that the Tigers’ play won’t drop off that much and neither will the overall impact of the NBL.  Sure Mills gave a huge boost but he didn’t back it up and so the public interest waned.  If Andrew Bogut is recruited then that is a different kettle of fish altogether...

I love the Olympics

I love the Olympics.  I love nearly everything about them except for the terrible coverage by the commercial networks and the undecipherable athlete names.  I even love the Winter Olympics with their weird and scary sports like Skeleton and Biathlon.  But the main thing I love about the Olympics is it is the best time for basketball fans to see the greatest players playing at the same time.  Sure the World Championships are a big deal but whenever the Olympics roll around country pride is at an all time high and a hell of a lot more people are tuning in.  Tell me, when was the last time someone outside Europe watched a game of Handball outside of the Olympics?

There has been plenty of history since the sport was introduced in 1936 with notable stories, such as the American dominance that is embodied by the 1992 ‘Dream Team’ super team filled with the likes of Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson who averaged a 44 point winning margin and never called a time out.  Or the shock win by Argentina in 2004 when the USA came in an humbling third.  Australia has a deep history as well, competing in thirteen of the seventeen Games that basketball has been included and coming fourth three times.  Unfortunately that is the best that the men’s team has done, coming middle of the pack in the rest of the competitions.

This year will be no different.  There are at least two teams that could dethrone the USA juggernaut in Spain and France, while Argentina is the dark horse in the mix.  Here is a rundown of the countries who I think will be vying for the Gold in London.

Argentina

The winners of the 2004 Gold, Argentina still has the firepower to be a contender, especially if Manu Ginobili can bring his usual quirky style.  Luis Scola was in a league of his own at the World Championships and the South Americans will again be putting all their eggs in the Scola basket.  The big question is do they have enough talent to make up for the fact that Ginobili will be 35 years old when the tournament rolls around?

France

Tony Parker was outstanding in the European Championships and should lead from the front this time around.  They have a lot of NBA talent with Joakim Noah and Nicolas Batum and if Kevin Seraphin keeps developing they look to have a fantastic starting five.  The only downside is that a lot of young players on the team that will need to step up if they want to challenge Spain and the USA.

Greece

I don’t know much about the Greek teams because most of their players don’t go to the NBA but that doesn’t stop them from being an elite team in every Olympic Games.  What surprised me in Beijing is that their team was both younger than previous years and taller.  Greece may not have the most recognisable players to the average basketball fan but their teamwork and overall talent is not to be overlooked.

Lithuania

Another team that is always in the top echelon of the sport, Lithuania has become a bane in Australia’s campaigns.  Two of the three times Australia has played off for the Bronze Lithuania has knocked them back.  And with good reason as their teams have grit and determination which combines well with their natural talent.  Look for Jonas Valanciunas to break out after his otherworldly display at the under 18 World Championships.

Spain

Even before Serge Ibaka committed to Spain they looked dangerous.  All but two Spaniards have been linked to an NBA team and they boast depth that makes nearly all other teams weep in terror.  Chemistry is key but if previous showings are any indications they will challenge the USA for the Gold.

USA

What else can be said that hasn’t already been told by history?  Thirteen Golds out of the sixteen tournaments, numerous hall of famers in the same team, The Dream Team.  The USA are always favourites going into the Olympics and this year will be no different as a lot of Beijing’s team have expressed their interest in coming back to defend their title.  Unless they pick an All D-League side then anything less than gold will be a huge disappointment.

So you are probably wondering what all this has to do with the NBL, right?  As we all know that a few NBL players get picked to go along with all the other overseas Australians and next week I will go over my picks for the 2012 Boomers side, with one slight twist.

20 reasons why I am excited about the upcoming season

Now that the NBL season is less than a month away, I realised that I am totally psyched about it.  So here is not one, not two but a whopping twenty reasons why this season is going to rock.

1 – Patrick Mills.  The biggest story of the off season, will he be able to back up his hype with a dynamite performance?

2 – Andrew Bogut’s status.  Until the NBA’s lockout is resolved there will always be people asking if Bogut will come and play down under.

3 – Sydney Kings’ crowd.  Last season was a disaster but this time they have a killer line-up and should make some noise.  Watch for the Sydney crowd to jump on the bandwagon and fill up the stadium as the Kings win.

4 – Who will fill in for Kirk Penney?  Penney is a huge hole to fill and there needs to a Breaker that can lead from the front.  Thomas Abercrombie is the best bet but is he too young to be given the crown?

5 – Julian Khazzouh’s encore.  The King of Kings was simply unstoppable and has been hard at work in the off season training to be an even better player.  In a league that has a shortage of quality big men look for Khazzouh to have a monster year.

6 – The new batch of imports.  Every year new imports come in and try and turn a team around and this season’s group is a doozy.  Guys like Jerai Grant and Will Hudson look great while many other foreigners will help out their team’s fortune.

7 – The first import to be released.  Sure the imports are fresh and shiny but when a team starts losing it’s usually those guys who bear the brunt.  At only 168cm my bet is on Adelaide’s Chris Warren to be the first to pack his bags.

8 – Andrew Gaze’s enthusiasm.  Whenever Drewy is on the air it’s like heaven to my ears.  It was unfortunate that the FIBA basketball was on at either the dead of the night or when I was working because I love me some Andrew Gaze zeal.

9 – ONE HD’s telecast.  I really hope that their coverage of the Australia/New Zealand series is not an indication for the rest of the season.  Last year was fantastic with multiple games a week but now that they have shifted to other types of programs will basketball be placed on the backburner?

10 – The crop of young blood.  Guys like Mitch Creek, Anatoly Bose, Jason Cadee, Chris Goulding, Thomas Abercrombie, Ben Madgen and Lucas Walker hold the league in their hands.  What a bright future we have to have such an outstanding bunch of young guys who will hopefully pave the way for others to play basketball.

11 – The gathering of elder statesmen.  On the other side of the fence there is CJ Bruton, Adam Ballinger, James Harvey, Peter Crawford, Glen Saville and Dusty Rychart who will use their skills and experience to offset that they have lost a step or two (just don’t tell them I said that).

12 – Talk of a second Melbourne team and a Brisbane team.  Although four Queensland teams may be pushing it having a club based in Brisbane is what most diehard fans would want to see.  What I want to see is another Melbourne team after my beloved South Dragons left the competition on top.

13 – The Q Clash.  I said it in another post but this rivalry has all the makings of a legendary battle.  Great teams, city resentment and a rabid fan base makes for an incredible story.

14 – iinet Dream Team.  Last season was a blast and I will definitely be making a league this season.  Very addictive trying to get your team *just* right.

15 – NBL App.  It may be $1.19 (on the Android Marketplace) and not the best at the moment but if the developers can create a functioning app that brings box scores and news to my phone in an easy to read and concise manner it will never leave my HTC.

16 – Sport other than Cricket and Soccer.  To me Soccer is in my top three of all time boring sports, to go along with Baseball and Gridiron.  Other than Cricket there really aren’t many other choices to get a fix of a great sporting competition.  Basketball brings excitement and wonder that other sports just can’t match.

17 – Getting to see guys I used to play with/against.  Back when I was in high school I used to play in the U/18 competition in Melbourne for Diamond Valley.  Ben Allen was my teammate and Brad Robbins and Daniel Dillon were my opponents.  Sure they have forgotten me but I still get excited when I see them have a good game.

18 – The Wollongong Hawks.  They are the good guys of the NBL, the underdog.  A regional town with a blue collar roster they will do anything to prove to the outside world that they belong in this league.  And I say yes you do Wollongong but it is great to see you with that chip on your shoulder.

19 – The mascots.  It could just be the kid in me talking but its great watching the team’s mascots run around and make fools of themselves.  You may scoff but when Tiger Man and Tiger Cub come your around don’t be surprised if you are trying to shake their hand and get a photo taken with them.

20 – Finally, after six months without college basketball, four month without the NBA and an unbearable year without the NBL we get to see some basketball action!

Are you excited?  Because I’M PUMPED!

What are your reasons to be excited for the upcoming NBL season?

Don't let New Zealand out-fan us

In 2008 I was lucky enough to snag a second row seat to the friendly game between Australia and Iran at the Cage in Melbourne.  The Boomers won the match and I was able to watch some guys that I had never seen before like AJ Ogilvy so all was good in the world.  There was just one thing that bothered me during the game – the Iran fans.

They weren’t rude, obnoxious or insulting, but they were loud and passionate.  They waved their massive flag and cheered when their team scored or made a great defensive play.  The Australian crowd?  They clapped, they sung along when the announcer told them too or the 1980’s music was played but any other time the Australians sat on their hands and watched the game like it was on television.  If a blind person was in the crowd and didn’t know what country the game was played in he would say that the Iran team was at home.  To make matters worse, there were no more than 30 Iranian fans in the crowd.

I’m telling you this because it can’t happen again.  Ever.  Having a home crowd is supposed to be an advantage to the home  side, a sixth man on the court that gives the visitors the jitters every time they touch the ball.  I just didn’t see that from the Melbourne crowd years ago.  Which is strange because usually a Melbourne home game is packed and loud and it can’t happen when New Zealand come to town.

The Boomers are playing New Zealand for the Oceanic championship in September in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane and it would be shameful if we go down to our trans-Tasman rival.  It would be more shameful if we didn’t support our best and brightest basketballers.  You don’t see a Wallabies crowd sit on their hands whenever they play the All Blacks so please, please channel your inner Townsville crowd and go nuts.  Drown out those dirty kiwis and show your pride, not only for the Boomers but do it for me who lives over 500km away from Melbourne or Sydney and can’t make the game.  Here are some ideas:

-          Buy a horn or drums and do your best Indian cricket crowd impersonation.

-          Pick a New Zealand player and pick on him mercilessly (my old favourite was Dillon Boucher, man he was a jerk).

-          The Mexican wave may not have an on court presence but it gets the rest of the crowd excited.

-          Sing the national anthem – loud.  Nothing galvanises a crowd like singing their country’s song together.  We may not have the haka but Advance Australia Fair is pretty damn patriotic.

-          “Accidently” spill your drink on any New Zealander in the crowd to get them kicked out of the stadium.  This is a last resort as you will probably get kicked out as well but at least it is one less kiwi cheering for their team.

-          If everyone can get on the same page, all spectators should wear the same colour clothes.  Green and Gold are applicable but a black out or white out are also awesome.

Above all, cheer.  Cheer and clap and yell and get on your feet.  This is your country going to war for bragging rights against its fiercest rival.  I want to be able to hear the crowd going nuts when Brad Newley throws one down or Patty Mills crosses up a slow New Zealand forward for a circus shot.  Do it for Australia.