Well I prepared a post about my World Cup highlights. The World Cup post is under this. But first I need to acknowledge the death this week of Sam Neill.
Have you seen “Death in Brunswick?” So great. And his roles in the films of Shane Maloney’s novels “Stiff” and “The Brush Off.” All made in inner northern Melbourne, knocking around with the late great John Clarke. Superb.
Did you follow his instagram? He brought me much happiness and relief - pretty consistently, but especially during the lockdown years of 2020 and the tumultuous 2021 at his instagram site. He would often start a short piece to camera asking “How are you?” He posted short films by “cinema quarantina.” And the antics of his farm animals. And poetry readings, paintings and songs. And advice to “find a good tree and just hang out together for a while.”
During that peculiar and challenging time of COVID, it was easy to believe that he cared. Here’s one example from January 2021. He writes: “Lockdown blues? Tough times. Just a little mild suggestion. These little things help can get us through. Anyway ... I wish you the best, and as speedy a way though the rough waters as possible.”
I admired his ukulele songs, his sharing them in the hope of making things a little bit better. Like this one - one of his first, from March 2020. I even recorded a few of my own in those bleak times, for the same reason. Here is one of mine from October 2020 (day 195 of lockdown — having only left home for short walks since March).
I never met but greatly admired Sam Neill - his attitude, his sense of humour, his bearing. The way he related to others, even his farm animals that he sometimes named after famous friends. Love and peace to all who knew him.
==
Sure, both semi finals and the final are still to come at the time of writing. And the “bronze medal” game, too, I guess, fwiw. And sure, corruption, hydration breaks and the use (or not) of video-assisted-referees have raised many questions.
But the time is NOW to capture my Top 5 moments from the 2026 World Cup of Association Football. What an event. What an event. In many ways, I think this is the best event the world puts on.
This comes to you from a time zone 10 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time, on the southeastern flank of the mainland of the Great Southern Continent.
Purely an Australian view. Purely this Australian man’s view. Purely this Australian man, whose four grandparents were all born in Australia and who was raised in a cricket/ Australian rules football environment and who has never in his 50+ years played a full competitive game of soccer (though he has played plenty of social games of Friday arvo indoor soccer as a young fella)-’s view.
Countdown style.
==
FIVE
A Wednesday morning. Commuting to work in Melbourne city on the tram during the second half of Columbia v Switzerland. Round of 16. A gripping match. Extra time and it’s still 0-0. All along Nicholson Street, a bloke beside me watches the game on his phone. As does another who stands nearby. As do I! Penalties. It’s going to penalties. People look to other people’s phones. Two of us strangers make mute eye contact and shrug. Colombia scores at their first attempt (Quintero). Switzerland does the same (Xhaka). At the bottom of Bourke Street, with penalties level at 1-1, service from my phone provider is lost and I get the Frozen Screen Of Death. It’s not until later that I learn the result. At the time, I learn that I care.
==
FOUR
Whenever players come together after games for handshakes, hugs, high-fives and acknowledgement. Awareness of a shared vision. Awareness of there being no competition without an opponent. Awareness of the game. Respect for the game. The human soup.
And fans, too. Dancing in aisles, making music, enjoying togetherness and time under the sun.
==
THREE
Aa early Sunday afternoon. Quarter finals. I’ve managed to keep myself in information quarantine all day, as I very much hope to watch SBS On Demand 30-minute highlights packages of two games played earlier this morning, without knowing results. Already from a 30-minute highlights package I’ve been disappointed to see England beat Norway. And now I’m joined by my youngest daughter (19-y-o) for Argentina versus Switzerland. Brilliant.
“Do they line up like this before every game?”
and
“How does offside work, anyway?”
and
“Oh, this is pretty good. I should have watched more of this.”
==
TWO
A Sunday afternoon. At the local pub with great mates for Australia’s first group game versus Türkiye. The Lomond shows the game on several screens. We’re chatting in the bar on a very pleasant Sunday afternoon when BOOM Nestory Irankunda BOOM explodes the story open - and BOOM Patrick Beach BOOM saves the story again and again - and BOOM Connor Metcalfe BOOM seals it. 2-0 a stunning result for Australia.
Later, finding Socceroo jerseys to be seemingly sold out in Australia(?), I navigate to a website that proclaims to sell them. I wonder, pause, wonder some more and then, WHOOPS, I’ve accidently and excitedly purchased one. By the time it arrives (weeks later, flown in from Guangzhou, China) Australia is knocked out, but I’m ready to support.
==
ONE
A Friday, late morning. At the local pub with great mates for Australia’s third group game versus Paraguay. Finding the Lomond closed when I arrive at 11:45 am. Publican James quietly lets me in and by kick-off, the top bar is alive. A fine summer’s afternoon in San Francisco beams to us here, in high definition colour. The bar is in fine multi-accented voice. A Scottish woman probably most consistently the loudest. “Och, you’ve gorrrt to be kidding!” The anticipation. The excitement. 0-0 a wonderful result for Australia. A happy raucous bar.
Qualification for the knock-out stage!
And beers!
And a delicious Thai green chicken curry!
All before mid-afternoon on a Friday.
==
It has been magnificent.
Many thanks to SBS Australia for showing all matches free-to-air, and thereby reaching the largest possible number of people and creating a sense of shared event.
Best wishes to France, Spain, England and Argentina.
May all teams play to the best of their abilities, may all be free of injury and may the best team win.
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