By JAMILA RIZVI
When two Wallabies players decided to go for burgers at 3.00am, the night before a rugby test against England that only takes place every twelve years – that was an idiotic move.
When the likes of Bernard Tomic and Mark Philopousis (some of our most outstanding tennis talent) acted like playing Davis Cup for their country was beneath them – that was selfish and ungrateful.
And when six members of the Australian men’s swim team decided to take Stilnox and party into the night at the London Olympics’ Athletes Village, putting theirs and (more distressingly) their teammates’ success at risk – that was just plain stupid.
So last week when respected columnist Peter FitzSimons wrote a piece for Fairfax titled ‘Why, oh why, does Gen Y not get it?’ in which he bemoaned the current brood of elite Australian athletes – he certainly had ample evidence to support his case.
FitzSimons said:
“There seems to be truth to the notion that something is missing in the current generation when it comes to what is expected of them when accorded the sacred privilege of ”playing for Australia”….
Is it not true most of our national teams have lost their way in the past decade or so? That whereas we used to rule the roost in so many sports, we are now more likely to be the feather dusters making up the numbers? Isn’t it obvious that, all too frequently, part of the problem seems to be… lack of hunger?”
FitzSimons didn’t hold back as he took aim at James O’Connor, Kurtley Beale, Nick D’Arcy, James Magnussen, Eamon Sullivan, Tommaso D’Orogna, James Roberts, Matt Targett, Cameron McEvoy, Michael Clarke, Mark Philiposous and Bernard Tomic.
The problem, FitzSimons claims, is their Gen Y-ness.