At Wimbledon too, the story is very much the same, with Australian men combining for 21 titles - to be ranked third among all nations - and women combining for five titles. Roberto Carballs Baena, the Spanish player wears Lotto. His tally includes - 6 Australian Open triumphs (1961, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967), 2 French Open titles (1963,1967), 2 Wimbledon trophies (1964, 1965), and 2 US Open wins (1961,1964). This newsreel segment from 1933 profilesAustralian Jack Crawford, the worldNo. 75 0 obj <> endobj This news segment is a good example of telling an engaging story in under two minutes. Novak Djokovic " Universal Tennis provides a standard for all players. Adelaide, SA, 26 September 2022 | tennis.com.au. He also was the No. Newcombe and Connors were keen rivals but only faced off against each other in one Grand Slam final, the Australian Open in 1975. He won Wimbledon four times and the Grand Slam twice, in 1962 and 1969. Jan 16 - Jan 29, 2023 . Serving up a list of the best tennis players from Australia, listed by popularity with photos of the players when available. U19 Boys' Doubles Individuals. A unified pathway centred around the player helps you identify your stage and where to find competition opportunities to suit your standard. The Russian tennis player was born into a sports family. The specific events and details will be determined at a later date by the Tennis Canada High Performance staff. Brookes won the Australian Open in 1911 and three years later won both the singles and doubles titles at Wimbledon. National Nine News reports on Pat Rafter's loss to Goran Ivanievi at the Wimbledon final in 2001. Jaienjoyed a series of tennis triumphs on his road to success. Sedgman retained his amateur status for only another year, deciding to turnprofessional in 1953. The ITF junior girls tennis rankings are updated on a weekly basis. Australia has long been blessed with talented tennis players and the current generation is no different. This list is made up of a variety of players, including Arthur Ashe, Roy Emerson, Rod Laver, and Neale Fraser. Hewitt has made Australia proud on many occasions, including helping the country win the Davis Cup twice - in 1999 and 2003. Court amassed more major titles than any other player in history. Paul has a career-high ATP singles ranking of world No. Home to the US Open Grand Slam Tournament, New York City had long needed a vibrant tennis academy where kids could train. RELATED: Former tennis champion Jelena Dokic reveals weight gain struggle. A strong exemplar of the serve-and-volley game, Sedgman was Australias first Wimbledon champion post the Second World War, ushering in the the golden era of Australian tennis. Margaret Court is the first player in the Open Era to have completed a Career Slam by winning all four Grand Slam titles. Boris Becker may have been the two-time Wimbledon defending champion but it was 22-year-old Pat Cash who won the men's single championship in straight sets against Ivan Lendl, 7-6; 6-2; 7-5. 0000032743 00000 n 1 ranked professional from 1964 to 1970, spanning four years before and three years after the start of the Open Era in 1968. The technical and harsh Spaniard with an out-of-the-box game thinking has not avoided comparison with Rafael Nadal himself. Much was expected of the youngest ever player to rise to the top of the ATP rankings, and he certainly didn't disappoint. > Find out more about the December Showdown. At that time the team played with Australian-made tennis racquets, which were also exported to countries like the US and South Africa. Known as The Wizard, and always attired in long sleeves and cloth cap, Brookes controlled speed in ground shots and aggressive net attack took him to the top of international tennis. At just a minute in length, this clip offers an effective vignette of the career of one of Australia's tennis pioneers. Qualifying points will be on offer at all TA-endorsed National 1000, Signature 500, Premier 250 and Junior 125 events. Strength is the key building block for physical development and in turn tennis development eg. Lacoste Lacoste, the company founded by tennis player Ren Lacoste, sponsors several top-ranked tennis players. In 2019, there were over 600 ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors tournaments, with about 8,000 boys and . Jai began his coaching journey with Excel Tennis Head Coach Marcus Petrou at the age of 13yrs, at a time he was struggling to win matches in tournaments. I put him onto a great personal trainer and his time management [between tennis and school] has been fantastic.. Hopman was the successful captain-coach of 22 Australian Davis Cup teams from 1939 to 1967. . Australia has produced some exceptionally talented tennis players over the years, including both men and women. Rosewall won 9 slams in doubles with a career double grand slam. The competition was first introduced by Tennis Australia in 2008, and has seen many of Australias most prolific players such as Ash Barty, Nick Kyrgios and Alex de Minaur competing and winning national titles as juniors. Here is a list of 12 talents we have. The Emerson Trophy, awarded to the champion at the Brisbane International, is named after him. (Top) 1 Contents. The only player to have both a stadium and tennis tournament named after him, Laver has won the Calendar year Slam on two different occasions (in the year 1962 and 1969), a record which looks unlikely to ever be broken. The medal was India's first individual medal at the Summer Games since wrestler KD Jadhav won bronze in 1952. Every level of tennis is represented in sunny Los Angeles, from top junior players to legends of the sport. He is the first Greek tennis player to ever be ranked top 10 in the world rankings. In this clip, host Roger Climpson introduces two other tennis greats who pay tribute to Newcombe, Australian Ken Rosewall and American Jimmy Connors. Interspersed with footage of the match itself are interviews with the players and reactions by family members and even Prime MinisterBob Hawke. He was also a part of 5 Davis Cup winning teams. He was the first player in tennis history to rake in $1 million in prize money earnings. Hewitt also played Australian Rules Football until he was 13 and then turned towards tennis. These tournaments for players aged between 13 and 18 give young players world-class competition and the chance to earn ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors Ranking points. These tournaments may not have rankings points or prize money but provide great competition. French Open (Roland Garros) 5. Hewitt turned professional in 1998 when he secured his first professional singles title. The German tennis player, who has Russian roots, has already won 15 ATP singles trophies. . Mar 10, 2015. This short newsreel clip marks the return of the 'Rockhampton Rocket', world No. Although Alexander has been in the elite of world tennis since 2017, he has not competed well in Grand Slam tournaments. J500 Osaka (Osaka Mayor's Cup) 10. This clip shows how the racquets were made and features Ken McGregor, who was part of the winning Davis Cup teams in 1950, 1951 and 1952. A transformed December Showdown Masters will also be hosted at Melbourne Park in December, with the top-ranked players in each of the respective age categories; 18/u (top 16), 16/u (top 32), 14/u (top 16) and 12/u (top 16), invited to compete against their highest-ranked peers. 0000004925 00000 n Roche went on tomake the Wimbledon final once, in 1968, where he was defeated by fellow Australian Rod Laver in straight sets. But this was at a time when international tennis was largely an amateur sport. Isabella is currently ranked the number 1 in Australia for her age group and is the youngest junior player on the pro tour circuit and the youngest to attain a WTA ranking . The Australian Junior Grasscourt Championships for 12/u and 14/u competitors will be contested next January in Wodonga, Victoria. The tennis training program here is very similar to how top juniors in Europe train from the ages of eight to 14 years. Martina Trevisan reacts in the finals match against Jessica Pegula of the United States during day eleven of the 2023 United Cup at Ken Rosewall Arena in Sydney, Australia. The tennis-playing Zverev family proved to be a good influence on the budding champion. U19 Boys' Singles. Hewitt, who made his Grand Slam debut at he 1997 Australian Open aged just 15, became the ATP Tour's youngest ever World Number 1 in November 2001. Ajla Tomljanovic retains her position as Australia's top-ranked female player despite being absent from the Australian Open through injury. !G02?jR'WI0fSjly*74+l9l0f+'WJ5FeIKis7Db~r'=C[frI:/CY. Toggle the table of contents . Matteo Berrettini started his professional career in tennis in 2015. The following events currently in the competitive play calendar will be designated as Australian Junior Tour events and will carry the following points designations to assist players, parents and coaches determine the number of points available to the winner of these respective events. He has participated twice in the finals as a member of the Canadian team. He won the Pro Grand Slam in 1963. > Find out more about the Junior Development Series. WARNING: this collection may contain names, images or voices of deceased Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. He is currently the second-ranked player in Victoria for the 1994 birth year. It seems like things are back on track. Players who collect points from the 14s Nationals & 15s Nationals Teams Championships and age out ahead of the end-of-season Masters will not be permitted to carry over the points accrued at these events to go towards their final points race total. reverberating across all the arenas in the country when Hewitt played. Alexander Babanine His first Davis Cup appearance came in 1949 and he took Australia to the final, where they lost 4-1 to USA. Rosewall reached a record 35 major finals, winning 23including 8 Grand Slam singles titles. There would be chants of 'Rusty!' The US Open was the only major to elude the adored Aussie; she lost four consecutive finals in New York between 1973 and 1976. Denis Shapovalov, born in Canada to Russian immigrant parents, represented his nation on the Davis Cup team. HMsHs =GX +rPeRd)Ra (4B {yw|5Q=(,5@^`z!AZEHidm6k(3e2 cE1tpZ(P& JZ Tw%aa4&Cf\hT0PiC%mH@C(FRo 0000003999 00000 n Overall, Rosewall reached a record 35 major finals, winning 23, including 8 Grand Slam singles titles. Johnny Milner takes a look at some Australian tennis stars who have excelled on the traditional grass court at Wimbledon. Next year, Sedgman and his team extracted sweet revenge, winning the Cup 4-1 on American soil. We also see people celebrating in Croatia the victory of Ivanievi. Nicknamed 'The Woodies', they formed one of the most successful doubles partnerships in tennis history. Six Australian men currently sit inside the ATP's top 100 players. Doubles: Best eight (8) results can be calculated from events contested in the players Masters age category. She won the Australian Open a record 11 times and also won more Mixed Doubles titles than any other woman - active or retired. Our tennis players dominated the world rankings, particularly from the 1950s to the 70s, which commentators look back on as a golden age of Australian tennis. All players should take note of what age category they are eligible to compete in at the end of the National & State Masters. The Czech is good at playing on hard surfaces and indoors but has less experience with grass. Rosewall was one of the two best male players for about nine years and was the World No. With her tennis career going so well . And the 19-year-old . His 200 singles titles is the most in tennis history, making him one of the greatest tennis players of all time. The Top 200 Ranking List will be calculated four (4) times per year. Margaret Court (ne Smith; born 16 July 1942), also known as Margaret Smith Court, is a retired Australian tennis player and former world No. Alexander Zverevs pro career started in 2013. Starting with his first Challenger final and winning the first ITF tournament. This list is in no particular order, but these guys are just so good that its hard to say who will come out on top. In this newsreel Ken Rosewall returns home after Australia's Davis Cup success, defeating defending champions the United States. According to the results of the Australian Open tournament, Daniil Medvedev reached the final (losing to the best tennis player in the world in terms of rating and the 8-time winner of this tournament, Novak Djokovic), and for the first time in his career, he climbed to 3rd place in the rating. Andrei Rublev became the youngest player to make noise on the ATP circuit in 2013 with an impressive 8 tournament wins before his 18th birthday. Wildcard application and selection process, Ballkids, Officials, Coaches & Volunteers, Australian Grand Slam Coaches Conference, Reports, Publications and National Policies, Non- ranking points tournaments (Junior Development Series), Ranking points tournaments(Junior Tournaments), Junior ITF tournaments(ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors), School Championships (Bruce Cup for Primary Schools & Pizzey Cup for Secondary Schools). Her combined tally of 24 Grand Slam Singles' titles, 19 Women's Doubles and 21 Mixed Doubles' titles is second to none. He also has one Australian Open, two Wimbledon and four US Open titles to his name. She got to travel the world for matches. He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1982. Discover all of last week's tournament winners from all age groups and tier levels - on our signature single page format. Just a small selection of his achievements includes: Excel Tennis is very proud of Chris who was offered a tennis scholarship at Penn State in America to continue his tennis journey. A lot of people remember the 2019 US Open final, but none more than world number 1 Medvedev. Lew Hoad, also seen in this clip, won four Grand Slam singles titles (including twice at Wimbledon)and had a string of titles as a doubles player. *Final acceptance will not be confirmed or published until 13 November 2023. U19 Mixed Doubles Pairs. [3] 7 Adopt the approach and habits of top pro players. Brookes' style, a blend of solid groundstrokes combined with excellent serving variety, propelled him to great heights. Whether it will work out we will soon find out. Colleges were recruiting her. 1 mens tennis player that year. Despite the lack of sound, we can still appreciate Laver's timing and power. Winner of the 12U National Hardcourt Championships Singles and Doubles, Winner of the 14U National Claycourt Championships, Winner of the 14U National Claycourt Lead-in Championships Singles and Doubles, Finalist in the Hong Kong Open Junior Championships. U19 Girls' Singles. International Tennis Federation ATP Tour US Open Series Billie Jean King Cup . Location: USA, Florida. The rule where players had to compete in age for National, Signature and Premier series events will be removed. The qualifying age categories for the Junior Tour events and the Junior Tour Masters will be 12U, 14U & 16U. Kenneth Robert Rosewall (born 2 November 1934) is a former world top-ranking amateur and professional tennis player from Australia. Please note this clip is silent. This media segment from Seven Nightly News is a good example of tightly constructed editing. This category lists tennis players with Wikipedia articles who have represented Australia notably in men's or boys' tennis . The Top 3 finishers of U16 and U18 Rogers Outdoor Junior Nationals will receive a formal . AUSTRALIA. There's also a look at how tennis racquets are made, a tennis-themed road safety video and tennis players on roller skates! He also holds the record for being the oldest doubles Champion at the Australian Open - a feat achieved in 1924 at the age of 47. Tomljanovi, who played for Croatia from 2009 to 2018, has been representing Australia at all events on the WTA Tour since 2018. The 18-year-old Spaniard who has been playing in pro tour for 3-years has won many crowns. He was among his country's top junior tennis players by age 11. Hes also a participant in the Davis Cup trophy as part of Canada. He wonthe Australian Open, the French Openand Wimbledon but fell short of being the first player to win the Grand Slam when he was beaten by Fred Perry in five sets at the US Championships. endstream endobj 85 0 obj <>stream 7. World No. She is the only player in tennis history to complete a multiple Grand Slam set, twice, in all three disciplines: singles, women's doubles and mixed doubles. Interestingly, Ken Rosewall is both the youngest as well as the oldest winner of the Australian Open - a unique record which looks unlikely to ever be beaten. There are dozens of junior tournaments played across Australia each year, which are categorised as follows: Non- ranking points tournaments (Junior Development Series) Ranking points tournaments (Junior Tournaments) Junior ITF tournaments (ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors) December Showdown 1 ranked amateur in 196162.Laver's 200 singles titles are the most in tennis history. This Is Your Life honours Australian tennis champion, John Newcombe. This short news item is about bronze busts ofTodd Woodbridge and Mark Woodfordegoing on display inGarden Square, Melbourne Park after the playerswere inducted into the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame. J500 Merida (Copa Yucatan) 9. Evert Tennis Academy. This new structure will deliver tennis in a more efficient and player-friendly format. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. This clip by the Australian News and Information Bureau shows young Australians being coached and competing to become the tennis stars of tomorrow. From Nick Kyrgios and Alexander Zverev to Victoria Azarenka and Karolina Pliskova, the recent history of Australian Open junior champions is full of names who have gone on to become major players only a few years later. With Madison Keys turning 20-years-old earlier this month, it's time to take a look at the current crop of youngsters on the ATP and WTA Tours. 0000006625 00000 n > Learn more about the Junior Tournaments and enter tournaments. This list answers the questions, "Who are the greatest Australian tennis players?" Australian Tennis Magazine Features; Your Game; Scores; Draws; Players & Rankings. 0000002782 00000 n Laver's tally of 11 Grand Slams includes 3 Australian Open victories (1960, 1962, 1969), 2 French Open titles (1962, 1969), 4 Wimbledon Championships (1961, 1962, 1968, 1969) and 2 US Open triumphs (1962,1969). (T](;.ksiT8SL+qJa#~9Zp4 x9Q!!Ci4Go:H3u8G ,jnn#Z1K/v Db6BD}LtxqP+c v8MpJFZUpZ0| 9 2`xEdD1WaXd/jJIZo)x-0`FL>Q&Uy/Wj$G:CcLB3w Against Rod Laver in 1960, he had a match point, only to lose 8-6 in the fifth set. A junior player who wants sponsorship needs to be performing well and playing at the big events, where the sponsors will get maximum exposure. These semi-professional tournaments act as a stepping stone to the Australian Pro Tour and offer both prize money and Australian Ranking Points. Players & Rankings; Players & Rankings; Hall of Fame; Player Profiles; Universal Tennis Rating; Pro Tournaments. Evonne Goolangong Cawley was ranked in the top 10 for nine years, and ascended to the summit of the rankings for a week in 1976. Contact your local club to find out more. In 1960, at the age of 18, Court began playing professional tennis and quickly enjoyed success, including her first major title at the Australian Open, then . Australian players started to compete in 1905. Wildcard application and selection process, Ballkids, Officials, Coaches & Volunteers, Australian Grand Slam Coaches Conference, 2023 O3K J125 Goulburn Valley Junior & Open Championships, 2023 JT Junior 125 Frankston Centenary New Years Event, 2023 O3K J125 City of Joondalup Junior & Open Tennis Event, 2023 12u & 14u Australian Grasscourt Championships, 2023 O3K JP250 J125 Margaret Court Cup & Roche Series, 2023 OC JC 67th Inter-Regional Country Championships Victoria, Reports, Publications and National Policies, Top 8 players based on their UTR Ratings in their respective age categories, Top 24 points qualifiers from their respective age categories, Top 4 players based on their UTR Ratings in their respective age categories, Top 12 points qualifiers from their respective age categories, Eligibility for their respective State Masters. In order to play you must be a registered user. He was also known for taking shots of whisky inbreaks during particularly tense matches. Steve McAvoy, President Top Seed Tennis Academy, has been in the tennis business for over 30 years and is an award-winning top tennis coach and club manager in the United States.Between private lessons and Top Seed clinics Steve has curated an impressive resume of top junior, collegiate, and professional players including Gary Sacks - USC and ATP professional, Sam Querrey - top 30 ATP . The fact that Felix Auger-Allassim was born on the same day as Roger Federer might be interesting, but it does not mean that this coincidence will affect their careers. Be sure to check out our unique Top 10 graph and the junior girls tennis results section of this website. . What Are the Biggest Junior Tennis Tournaments in the World? Australia has long been blessed with talented tennis players and the current generation is no different. This footage from the Nine Network shows the first set of the 1970 Women's Singles Championship match between Australia'sMargaret Court and American tennis star, Billie Jean King. The Australian Junior Claycourt Championships were held earlier in the year in Canberra. The mens singles trophy at the Australian Open, the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup, is named after him. Max Purcell makes his debut inside the world's top 120 in the latest ATP Tour men's singles rankings. A players best 8 results in Singles & Doubles will count towards the players Points Race total. In 2017, Shapovalov won the ATP Progress of the Year and Tomorrow Star awards. He had a renowned backhand and enjoyed a long career at the highest levels from the early 1950s to the early 1970s. So in general you can expect weekly updates aside from when Grand Slams are being competed. Evonne Goolagong-Cawley: Trailblazer of Australian Tennis. As of the survey period, China registered the highest figure, as roughly 22.5 percent of all tennis players came from this country. The introduction of the new-look December Showdown, will also bring together and reward the countrys highest-ranked players, to compete in a professionally run tournament at the home of the Australian Open, across all junior competitive age groups from 18-and-under, down to 12-and-under players, said Soyer. She also won 19 women's doubles and 21 mixed doubles titles, giving her a record 64 major titles overall. Laver won 11 Grand Slam singles titles, though he was banned from playing those tournaments for the five years prior to the Open Era. This was before the introduction of tie-breakers to decide sets. Rising into the world's top 50 in 2018, veteran Aussie Matt Ebden is set to go the distance at this year's Australian Open. 10 ranked junior of the class of 2015 is LA-native Michael Genender, who has signed to play at Stanford University. John McEnroe Tennis Academy at SPORTIME Randall's Island. Men's singles. Legendary Australian tennis player Evonne Goolagong Cawley was once world number 1 and the world's first mother to earn a Wimbledon win in 66 years. As a teenager, Victoria Emma was one of the top junior tennis players in the country. Get all the latest WTA Australian Open 2023 Player List, results, and more! Laver focused on developing his serve and volley game, with aggressive ground strokes, and has been described by some commentators as 'technically faultless'. 1. The following dates are for the initial calculation of the list, not the publish dates. Its also very important for junior development to offer multiple opportunities for young players to gain experience competing on different surfaces.. U19 Girls' Doubles Individuals. This 1968 Australian Diary film asks, 'Is the Australian interest in tennis falling off?'. Why is Online Blackjack a Thing Among Young Tennis Players. Enjoy a selection of clips featuringsome of Australia'sgreatest tennis champions. 14-26 January 2024 . Play Tennis is proud of the quality of the tennis programme run for junior players. Corbett started playing tennis when he was six and said he was still looking at ways to improve. He also achieved a top 10 world ranking. the bigger the network gets the more beneficial. This clip is from Bicentennial Minutes, a series of 60-second snapshots of Australian history produced in 1988 to mark 200 years since the arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney in 1788. Official rankings for the ITF World Tennis Tour Junior Rankings presented by IMG Academy, featuring head-to-heads The 2023 Junior Tour Masters will form part of the 2023 Showdown to be staged at Melbourne Park. Sir Norman Brookes, or The Wizard as he was fondly called, was the first international player to win the prestigious Wimbledon Championships way back in 1907. Peter Luck's narration is concise and engaging. 3. Only high-profiled professional tennis players have access to this quality of racquets. Among the facets of his game is a strong first serve and solid defence on the baseline. Most notably, he won the Victorian Hardcourt Singles and Doubles Championships and represented Australia in the International Sports Federation World Schools Tennis Championships in Belgium, where Australia placed third. PCA . His total Slam tally of Grand Slams and Pro-Slams is 23, putting him well ahead of any other player. It is no surprise than that the Australian Open, formerly the Australasian Open, has played a huge part in nurturing best tennis players. Cech is at his best both inside and outside, but he performs better against stronger teams. Our tennis playersdominated the world rankings, particularly from the 1950s to the 70s, which commentators look back on as a golden age of Australian tennis. <]>> If you're searching for a particular popular tennis player from Australia or just have an interest in Aussie tennis players, this is the place to be. Please logout and login again. He however lost to Dominik Tim 3-6, 2-6. This players game received praise coming from both tennis experts and his opponent. . 47. He excelled on all of the court surfaces of his time: grass, clay, hard, carpet, and wood/parquet. > VIEW: Tennis Australias Competitive Play calendar. The further a player progresses in a sanctioned event, the more points they will be awarded. Corbett recently captained the Victorian 2012 Pizzey Cup team to third in the nation-wide competition. 97, achieved on 12 September 2022. Emerson also holds the record for winning 10 straight victories in Grand Slam tournament finals in which he appeared. This clip includes an appearance byhis wife Jean and footage of his winning Wimbledon in 1952. This is consistent with the naming conventions found within the ATP and WTA tours. 0000002859 00000 n Corbetts coach Marcus Petrou said his hard work and dedication was starting to pay off. The big-serving Aussie holds the record of 6 Australian triumphs jointly with Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer. In 1959 and 1960 Fraser dominated the US Open, winning the singles, doubles and mixed titles in both years. This year, he won the ATP award for best young tennis player and entered the Top 100 rankings. Rosewall was renowned for his backhand, which he played one-handed with a dangerous back spin, considered by some as one of the best in the history of the game. The ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors consists of more than 300 tournaments in over 100 countries tournaments. The Australian team won the cup five rubbers to nil and are shown with the winning trophy. In 1957 the Australians beat the United States 3-2, but in 1958 the result was the opposite, with the Americans winning against the Australians 3-2. Cooper was knighted in 2007 for his service to tennis.He was inducted into the Australian tennis Hall of Fame in 1987. Andy Roddick - 155.0 mph. Evonne is a Wiradjuri woman and she talks about how the media in Australia and overseas has referred to her Aboriginality. For important COVID-safety and visitor information please see Visit Us. This episode features Australian tennis great Norman Brookes who won the Davis Cup for Australia in 1907. If applicable, a player can have results from a maximum of three (3) other events outside of the players Masters age category. Cash was aperennial presence in the Australian Davis Cup team throughout the 1980sbuthis Wimbledon victory was his only Grand Slam title. The home of the Australian Open in Melbourne was renamed the Rod LaverArena in his honour, in 2000. He was part of the Australasian Davis Cup team that won the title on six occasions and is considered to have been the world No.1 player in the 1900s. The footage also includes shots of tennis courts for sale or in disrepair but ends by highlighting the social and community aspects of tennis with the hope that the game will still be an important part of Australia's future.