Jingoism was alive and well in Australia, especially in the aggressive tabloid newspaper market.
A visit from the New Zealand cricket side in 1982-83 got them into the final of the one-day series but they were snuffed out in straight games by their hosts. Lance Cairns' 21-ball 50 gave a few of us some small comeback.
Usually that came when the All Blacks were in town.
They were a solid side in those days while the Wallabies were building towards their Grand Slam unit of 1984.
They had been edged out 2-1 in 1982 in New Zealand and then lost the solitary encounter the next year at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
The All Blacks' visit in 1984 was the doozie though. The Wallabies began with an opening win at the SCG, the All Blacks squared the series at Ballymore and then nailed the series 25-24.
The Wallabies had a quality team with Andrew Slack leading men like Mark Ella, Michael Hawker, David Campese, Roger Gould, Tommy Lawton, Topo Rodriguez, Simon Poidevin and Skylab Cutler.
They introduced new stars like Steve Tuynman, Nick Farr-Jones and Michael Lynagh the next year but again fell by a solitary point margin, 10-9 at Eden Park.
Monday mornings always felt a shade better walking into the office and my wallet was replenished by bet-hungry colleagues.
Those memories, even shaky single-point wins helped when the cricket came around.
All changed in late 1985 when captain Jeremy Coney and his troops arrived. They had class across the disciplines with Richard Hadlee, Martin Crowe and Ian Smith reinforced by competent batting and bowling resources.
The Ockers brought their own umpires and Keppler Wessels as an opener though we delighted in calling him Kevin West to rile the locals.
Boony was there, Allan Border, McDermott and fast-bowling colleague Dave Gilbert, whose sister worked in our office.
In their first dig in Brisbane, the Aussies fell for 179 with Hadlee claiming nine wickets and catching Geoff Lawson from Vaughan Brown's bowling.
There was a serenity to match that talked about in The Castle, it was magic strolling over to the television set in the office especially as New Zealand declared at seven for 553 after an imperious century from Crowe and another from Reid.
McDermott, Gilbert, Greg Matthews and Dutchie Holland all collected hundreds too from their bowling.
Then Paddles rocked up once more with 6-71 and Australia, despite an unbeaten 152 from Border and a ton from Matthews, lost by an innings and more.
We sauntered out with high hopes to the SCG for the second test. While John Bracewell scored 83 not out and Paddles claimed another five-wicket haul, the Ockers chased down 260 to win by four wickets on a turner.
Bugger. It was head down at the office listening to the incessant talk of an Aussie revival.
But there was a cricketing god and he lived in Perth.
Both sides brought in the pace men for their spinners on a wicket and outfield which, in the end, lacked some sting.
The Aussies crept past 200 as Paddles ripped out five of them while Edgar and Crowe got a pair of 70s to take us one shy of 300.
Border and Boon stepped up but Paddles nailed six for 90, leaving him with 33 wickets in the series and one shy of 300 test victims.
Could the Kiwis score 160-odd for victory? You betcha. The Crowe brothers were unbeaten with Martin on 42 and Jeff on 2 when the moment came. A test series win in Australia, God it was good working in the Sunburnt Country.
We left but other Kiwis would have endured 26 years of repetitive sledging until Doug Bracewell and his buddies came good this week in Hobart.
