KEY POINTS:
It's invariably the way. No sooner have the sporting gongs been handed out for last year, than thoughts turn to what lies ahead.
Mahe Drysdale had barely lifted his Halberg Award for supreme sports achievement on Thursday night when a bloke turned to me and asked the question which is sure to have done the rounds of sporting buffs since January rolled round on this year's calendar.
If New Zealand win the cricket and rugby World Cups, regain the America's Cup in Valencia and topple the Aussies to retain netball's world title, whose will have been the greatest accomplishment?
(For the moment, suspend reality and ponder this with a modicum of seriousness. Also remember, people like single sculler Drysdale and shotputter Valerie Vili are, to put it mildly, decent chances to win their respective world titles as well. It could be a bumper year. But let's keep this simple.)
Don't forget as all are teams, only one would be acknowledged in next year's Halberg Awards.
Okay, you might think there's more chance of the Greens sweeping the next election than that Fabulous Four coming off, but just play along for the moment. Whom would you pick?
My friend, a man highly knowledgable on a variety of sports, plumped for the cricketers.
His reasoning was that the netballers, over the course of a championship campaign, will eventually have to win only one game that really counts; the euphoria of an America's Cup win won't match that of the original win, then retention in the red socks days of the late 1990s, and won't stack up alongside a rugby or cricket triumph; and that cricket pips rugby on the strength of having to beat more highly competitive teams than the All Blacks, if the current state of international rugby remains this year.
Any of eight teams could win in the Caribbean in April. The cricketers might need to win seven matches against genuine title candidates because of the Super Eight format.
The All Blacks could win their World Cup without having to face, say, England and South Africa because of the way the draw plays out.
That's not their fault. After all, England were worthy cup winners four years ago, yet didn't play the All Blacks. That's life.
Peering into the future was a common theme among award recipients at the Halberg Awards.
Drysdale spoke of his anticipation of watching those teams succeed this year. He also talked with conviction about winning Olympic gold in Beijing next year.
Richie McCaw, in accepting the teams award for the All Blacks, talked of the challenges of September-October in France.
Rebecca Spence, pocketing a $25,000 grant as inaugural recipient of the Westpac-sponsored emerging talent award, made it clear she's got Beijing on her mind.
Spence talked with regret that - despite winning two world junior titles in duathlon and the cycling time trial last year - she missed out on the one she really coveted, the world triathlon crown. Spence is clearly blessed by two things. She has remarkable sporting gifts, and she has a formidable desire to succeed.
In that, she has something in common with Drysdale.
Listen to them. They don't talk about "if". They say "when" in talking of their objectives.
Both are tough-minded, driven athletes, one at the peak of his powers, the other climbing the mountain as fast as her legs will carry her.
When you consider how athletes will go in critical moments of their careers, some leave you feeling that maybe they will succeed.
With this pair you expect them to.
* David Leggat was on the Halbergs judging panel.
