10 Average Questions about Aussie Sports

Answer: Joe Bugner

Born in Hungary in 1950, Joe Bugner's family fled to England in 1956 after the Soviet invasion. Bugner held the British and British Commonwealth Titles twice and the European Heavyweight Title three times. He fought many of the great champions in thriller matches in his professional career, going the distance with both Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, before moving to Australia to live on his retirement in 1977. Over the next two decades however he made periodic comebacks with some success, winning the Australian Heavyweight Title in 1995 and, aged 49, the WBF Heavyweight Title.

His professional career record was 69-13-1 and this included 41 knockout wins. Joe has recently began to carve a new career in the movie industry.

Answer: Darrell Hair

Hair called Muralitharan seven times in three overs in this match, and it was some time before it was realised he was making the calls based on Muralitharan's elbow action rather than on his foot. It was ultimately concluded by the International Cricket Council (ICC) following a subsequent bio-mechanical investigation that year, that Muralitharan had a congenital elbow deformity, clearing him of any wrong play and leading to the ICC raising the elbow extension to 15 degrees for all bowlers.

Answer: Dungog, New South Wales

Walters was a great first class (from 1962) and test attacking batsman and right arm medium pace bowler (from 1965) until his retirement in 1981. He played in 74 test matches for Australia, with a batting average of 48.26 and a bowling average of 29.08, and with his career interrupted from 1966-68 for two years when he was conscripted for two years of National Service in the Army.

Answer: Graeme Langlands

One of Australia's immortals of the game, Langlands was a rugby league footballer, and later coach, during the sixties and seventies. He represented the country at international level on 45 occasions, captaining 15 of these and played at the state level for St George Dragons.

In the 1975 grand final match, he wore a sponsor's white boots. Prior to the game, he had a pain killing injection in an injured leg which went horribly wrong. It deadened his leg nerves and consequently his ability to play his normal brilliant game. To his chronic embarrassment, every mistake he subsequently made was highlighted by those bright boots.

However he still remains as one of the most respected players of all time at the game.

Answer: Aluminum

The most renowned sportsmen of all time in his field, Lillee started his career as an extremely fast bowler, but stress fractures in his back almost ended that career. His determination and grit saw him fight his way back to the top once again as a brilliant bowler and one of the forces behind the establishment of the World International One Day Cricket matches.

He finished his international career as a then record holder of the most wickets taken to date. Although there were no rules against its use, and it wasn't particularly effective anyhow, the aluminum bat in the 1979 game created a furore and led to an amendment of cricket rules that stated all bats must in future be made of wood.

Answer: Once in 1966

The Bathurst 1000 is a 1,000 kilometre supercar race held once a year at the Mount Panorama circuit at Bathurst in New South Wales. Since 1960 this race has thrilled race fans Australia wide and mostly it has been a tussel for first place between Fords and Holdens, and only with the occasional Jaguar or Mercedes or Nissan taking the prized trophy instead. Since 2000, it has been run exclusively for V8s, but in 1966 a little Morris Cooper S blitzed the field. See, Virginia, there really is a hare and tortoise race.

Answer: He lost his balance, fell in, and was disqualified

Yes it's true, the great swimmer Ian Thorpe fell in the drink. It was a tragedy. Though he managed to qualify for the Olympics anyway in his other races, it seemed he was out of the 400. Then Craig Stevens, the second qualifier in the race, in a gallant gesture telecast Australia wide, withdrew from the race, thus allowing Thorpe to swim the 400 for Australia in the Olympics after all, in an event that was billed as "The Race of the Century." Thorpe went on to take first place against his friend Hackett, in the closest and most brilliant swim of all time.

Answer: Ken Rosewall

Born in Sydney in 1934, 'Muscles' is considered to be one of the top male tennis players of all-time, with a career at the highest international levels from the early fifties to the early 1970s. From 1952 until 1977 when he was aged 43, he was still ranked among the top 20 players in the world, only quitting the top 10 in 1976. Though he was runner up four times at Wimbledon, 1954, 1956, 1970 and amazingly still in 1974, this was the only title that eluded this inspirational Australian sportsman.

Answer: Makybe Diva

This wonderful little mare won the Cup in 2003, 2004, and 2005. She is the highest stakes-earner in Australian horse racing history to date, and in 2006 was inducted into the racing Hall of Fame. Same jockey, Glen Boss, on each of those amazing wins as well.

A bronze statue has also been erected at Flemington race course, home of the Melbourne Cup, in her honour. Retiring in November 2005, the Diva has since given birth to a colt and a filly. That's some retirement. You go, girl, you're a beauty.

Answer: 3

Dawn won the 100m freestyle in 1956, 1960, and 1964. She won eight Olympic medals in all, four of which were gold. She also won six Commonwealth gold medals. She became the second swimmer in history to win gold at three successive Olympics for the same event. In October 1962, she broke the minute for this event, swimming it in 58.9 seconds and held this record from 1956 to 1972, eight years after she had retired.