David Leggat: Mate, she's a festival of Aussie feel-good

Warm fuzzies and big talk were the order of the day when the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games team met the international media in Manchester yesterday.

Led by Victorian premier Steve Bracks, the four heavyweights brought out to sell the notion that Melbourne will be impossible to top as a sporting extravaganza, laid it on by the truckload.

"Melbourne literally is the sporting capital of Australia," enthused the world and Commonwealth Games champion squash player - and dinky-dye Melbournian - Sarah Fitz-Gerald.

"If not the world," chimed in the premier, with a politician's exquisite sense of timing.

"Melbourne people are sports crazy," added Ron Walker, chairman of the organising committee.

"I predict the venues will be full every day."

Not to be left out of the gushathon, Justin Madden, Minister of the Games, reckoned Melbourne will turn on "a celebration of all things the Commonwealth Games represents."

Buckets of money are being spent, including A$400 million on developing the already vast Melbourne Cricket Ground.

So Melbourne's Games will dwarf the Manchester event in most respects.

Bigger will be better seemed to be the message.

For starters, they are budgeting on about 6000 to 7000 athletes, close to double the number in Manchester.

Not that Manchester has done badly, you understand.

It's just that the scale will be different.

"I don't think there's been anything disappointing at all here," Madden said.

"Manchester is a can-do city."

Whatever that means.

"The scale of the event will be different, the scale will do justice to Melbourne."

Translation: she'll be bigger than the Nullabor Plain, mate.

Maybe even as big as the 2000 Olympic Games in the city up north a bit perhaps?

"I don't think we intend to compete with Manchester, or the Olympics in Sydney," Walker said.

"We will produce things in a way the world becomes gobsmacked."

Host countries tend to perform above their usual standards. Australia are already one of the big achievers. So, no chance of a lack of interest for that very reason?

"Even though we are so dominant, Melbourne people love their sport," said the beaming Fitz-Gerald, gold medal draped round her neck.

"They'll turn up and watch anything,"

There was just one ripple in this festival of feel-good.

Some of the Commonwealth's best athletes are not in Manchester, opting either for a spot of R and R, or running in rich events around Europe.

So how do you propose to make sure the Commonwealth's best athletes will turn up?

Will there be "incentives" on offer?

No flat denial here.

No smooth dismissal of the very idea of opening the cheque book.

That matter "hadn't been determined," said one of the blokes.

Decisions on whether incentives are required will be made in the next few months, said another.

At which point the media conference abruptly stopped.

The premier said something about having a lunch engagement.

Fitz-Gerald had to prepare for a doubles game at the squash centre.

Then there were smiles and happy snaps all round before this travelling roadshow moved on to continue the work of spreading the good word on Melbourne and the next Games.

Full coverage:
nzherald.co.nz/manchester2002

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