The Sport Count

Australian coach Brian Goorjian:

“We’ve all seen [...] Rocky. We’re in a tournament, and we get a chance to step up to the plate and take a swipe at the Big Dog. That’s the way I look at it. We’re in a tournament with the best team in the world, and we get to take a swing.

Rocky: tried hard, didn't actually win.

Did you watch the end of Rocky, Brian? Yeah, both fighters get beaten like dogs and, defying the expectations of the boxing elite, the match goes down to the wire. But after that final bell sounds, it’s that cocky bastard Apollo Creed whose hand is lifted in the air, while Rocky — the underdog, beaten and bruised, but not broken — is forced to make do with the love of a good woman.

Do you have some good women lined up, Brian? Will we see Andrew Bogut, bleeding from the brow, screaming in anguish to the woman he loves?

If Brian is talking about the original Rocky, the analogy seems about right; based upon their pre-Olympic meeting — in which the justifiably confident Americans were forced to play hard through the fourth quarter for the first time in their Olympic campaign — the Australians are in a position to draw blood from Team USA.

The idea is that Australia, boasting just one NBA player, and coming off some grotesque form in their early games, will rely on guts, determination, and national pride to see them through. (It’s worth knowing that ‘guts and determination’ have, for decades, been the national cry whenever Australians enter a field upon which we’re likely to lose, from Gallipoli — a fateful Great War battle which has shaped the national consciousness — onwards).

It was ‘guts and determination’ that impressed ball heads back in Atlanta; in pre-Olympic play, Australian point guard Shane Heal — a relatively diminutive long range bomber with a feisty attitude — went chest-to-chest with Charles Barkley, screaming in the Round Mound’s face after copping a hard elbow.

In 1996, Australia was willing to fight, but that just meant they went down fighting. And, barring a genuine miracle, the result will be the same 12 years later.

The Australians will likely test the Americans, and the final margin may even total less than 20, but a loss is a loss, and it will be the Americans who advance. Predictable? Sure. But this isn’t the time for bold predictions which can’t be backed up. This isn’t the time, despite the distant hopes of our small nation, to start writing cheques our players can’t cash.

All we can ask is that our boys go out there and give it a red hot go.

Andrew Bogut.

The Boomers boast quality players. Andrew Bogut’s 23 points against Lithuania (including a surprising 3-3 mark from beyond the arc) showed how dangerous he is from inside out. Back-up point guard Patrick Mills was electrifying — seriously, there is no other word — in that pre-Olympic match, wrecking Chris Paul in transition play, sparking talk of a 2009 draft spot. And 7-footer Chris Anstey boasts years of international experience, a surprisingly soft shooting touch, and an apparent willingness to pick fights with any NBA star.

But that’s not enough. Not nearly.

Pre-Olympic play is one thing. Place these Americans — desperate to win, supported by nearly the entire basketball world — in an elimination match, and you’re likely to meet a completely different beast. This is a team with depth and versatility at every position. They have the strength, speed and energy to clamp down on whatever offense you run (remember the full court press Kobe single-handedly ran against South American teams in their qualifying matches?). And, importantly, they’ve learned how to beat the 2-3 zones teams have thrown at them, leaving opposition teams confused and impotent.

So, expect to see guts and determination from the Australians. But don’t expect to see Rocky II.

Posted By: Anton