Watch Sporting Nation

Not Rated
1969
1 Season
8.1 (13)

Sporting Nation is a six-part series created by ABC in 2012, which celebrates the history of sport in Australia through the 20th century and examines how sport has helped shape the nation's identity. Each episode explores a different aspect of Australian sport, including the impact of international events, the rise of female athletes, and the political and social influence of sporting achievements.

The series is hosted by Australian sports journalist and presenter Adam Spencer, who guides viewers through each episode and provides expert insight into the events and personalities featured in the show. The series features interviews with a range of former athletes, including Olympians and world champions, as well as historians and sports commentators.

The first episode, entitled "The Birth of a Nation", looks at the early days of Australian sport, from the first recorded cricket match in 1803 to the emergence of football as a popular national sport in the late 19th century. The episode explores the role of sport in shaping Australian national identity and highlights key sporting figures from this period, including the cricketer Victor Trumper and the footballer Joe Darling.

The second episode, "The International Impact", focuses on the impact of international sporting events such as the Olympic Games and the Commonwealth Games on Australia's sporting culture. The episode features interviews with former Olympians and highlights notable Australian performances at past Olympics, including the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, where Australia won 13 gold medals.

In the third episode, "Sport and Politics", the show explores the political and social impact of sporting achievements on Australian society throughout the 20th century. The episode looks at key events such as the boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics and the role of sport in the struggle for Indigenous rights in Australia.

The fourth episode, "Women in Sport", focuses on the rise of female athletes in Australian sport, from the early pioneers of women's football and cricket to the breakthrough achievements of female Olympians such as Cathy Freeman and Dawn Fraser. The episode explores the challenges faced by female athletes in a male-dominated industry and celebrates the progress made towards gender equality in sport.

The fifth episode, "Sport and Technology", looks at the ways in which technology has revolutionized Australian sport, from advances in training methods and equipment to the use of video technology in refereeing decisions. The episode also highlights the role of sport in driving technological innovation in Australia.

The final episode, "Sporting Legends", celebrates the achievements of some of Australia's greatest sportspeople, including cricketer Don Bradman, swimmer Ian Thorpe, and footballer Johnny Warren. The episode explores what it takes to become a sporting legend and highlights the enduring impact of these athletes on Australian sport and culture.

Overall, Sporting Nation is a fascinating and engaging series that provides a comprehensive overview of the history of sport in Australia. Through its exploration of key events, personalities and social issues, the series sheds light on the ways in which sport has helped shape the nation's identity and provides a valuable insight into why sport continues to play such an important role in Australian society today.

Sporting Nation is a series that ran for 1 seasons (3 episodes) between and on ABC

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Seasons

3. Episode 3

July 8, 2012

The Sydney Olympics delivered heroes and unforgettable moments. But there was one event that gathered up the Australian community as one; and made them all feel good at the same time. If you're an Australian, you'll be able to answer this question: where were you when Cathy Freeman ran in the 400 metres final? John asks all of the people interviewed for this series what it meant. And he asks Cathy. Since the 1950s and 60s, the great Australian sports experience has shifted from playing sport to watching it. Television wants live sport and more live sport - with a very strong preference for male team sport. But the healthy, egalitarian society we think all this televised sport is reflecting, is in trouble. And sport is often funded by the problem. Australia still competes at the highest level, but it's more complicated, Cadel Evans is an Italian and French speaking Australian Swiss resident with an American employer. Away from the professional and international arena, community sport, mainly football and netball, is the gathering place, the common ground and the social glue across a lot of rural Australia. Sub-cultural sports in the suburbs provide a sense of connection and community for people who don't find it in traditional sport.

2. Episode 2

July 1, 2012

By the mid 70s Australia's capacity to produce regular swarms of amateur talent, although undiminished, was achieving less in a more professional and competitive global sports environment. At the 1976 Montreal Olympics Australia won no events of any kind. The Fraser government established an expensive state-funded institute. If we wanted national prestige from sport, we were going to have to pay for it. In the meantime, the pattern of domestic sport was changing. Television had discovered live cricket and then live football, and it was on for young and old. For migrant kids like Robert DiPierdomenico, playing footie was how you got accepted. Others, like Les Murray wanted to play soccer - the game they brought from Europe. Joy Damousi, Bob Hawke, Hugh Mackay and Roy Masters explain how migration transformed the nation and was more easily accepted when kids with funny names helped our teams win at the football. As team sport expanded and needed more players, the visibility of indigenous Australians in sport also increased dramatically. In 1983 Australia won the Americas Cup with John Bertrand at the helm. It was such a significant moment for Australia that the Prime Minister, Bob Hawke, encouraged the entire country to get on the turps. At the Atlanta Olympics in 1996 the Australian women's hockey team, coached by Ric Charlesworth, exemplified the comeback in Australian team sport and Kieren Perkins delivered one the great underdog performances of all time. We were ready for Sydney. Bring it on.

1. Episode 1

June 24, 2012

Post-war prosperity in Australia was accompanied by a golden age of international sporting achievement. Gideon Haigh and Bob Hawke tell us about the genesis of this era in Australian sport. The Melbourne Olympics in 1956 was the big bang in the relationship between sport and Australian culture and identity. Legends were created left, right and centre. This was the classical age in Australian sport, characterised by pure natural talent, supreme physical fitness and mental toughness. Its apotheosis is Herb Elliott. Elliott won every mile and every 1500m race he ever competed in, finishing with a world record victory in the 1500m at the 1960 Rome Olympics. After the triumphs of Herb Elliott and others at the Rome Olympics, Australia cemented an international reputation and generated a national mythology based on geography and sport. But our confidence was accompanied by hubris. Australian sports administration at the time was based on the theory that our sporting talent was God-given and all you had to do was turn up. It was this thinking that ended Dawn Fraser's career after winning gold at the Tokyo Olympics. With the Vietnam War at its height, race riots across America and the world becoming a more dangerous place, Ralph Doubell withstood the challenges that beset the Mexico Olympics in 1968 and Shane Gould describes the triumph amidst a terrorist attack at the Munich Olympics in 1972. In the next few years it was clear that the age of innocence was dead and Australian sport was in trouble.

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Where to Watch Sporting Nation

Sporting Nation is available for streaming on the ABC website, both individual episodes and full seasons. You can also watch Sporting Nation on demand at Amazon.