Craig Mottram..................Listened to Craig being interviewed on Triple M tonight.Asked who he barracked for.........The Blues of course.
For you non athletics fans,Craig came third in the 5000metres world championships........Third you might ask.Well,to put it into perspective,it's the first time in 20 years that a non African has won a medal of any shape in running.He only just got nutted on the line mind you.A really monumental effort.
A really huge congratulation's are in order from all us Blue's fans.

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All my dangerous friends

Good pickup, Mick.

Craig Mottram's a gun. What he's achieving in track and field is a far greater achievement than pretty much all our swimmers, bar Thorpe and Hackett.

As you say, he's the first non-african to medal in the 5000 metres at the World Championships since 1987.

And he's getting better and better every year. He's now so good, he's no longer a 'white guy' novelty act, but the real deal: a genuine world-class distance runner.

But a small correction, he didn't get pipped on the line. He was actually coming fifth with about 40 metres to go, and finished really strongly over the last 10 metres to take bronze.

Awesome effort. It's also great to watch, because he's around a foot taller than all the african guys. The africans call him 'the long one'.

A really great effort from Craig but I'd be happier with less famous fans and more famous players.

I think plenty of the female swimmers might disagree with you on that one. It's a good effort sure but just because Australians don't traditional do well in track and field doesn't make his efforts any better than those of our champion swimmers.

Correct Johnny.What i meant was he just went down by slightly less than a metre.He is a realistic chance of a gold in the next Olympic's.

Would love to think the club would embrace this guy and invite him as an official guest of the club to one of the remaining game's.Even Dennis to invite him down to training and give some sort of motivational talk to the boy's.

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All my dangerous friends

Andain, I hold that view because every nation on earth competes seriously in track and field, and only a comparative handful are serious about swimming.

Only the rich countries compete well in swimming, and that's why the few rich countries that take it seriously share the medals amongst themselves.

And because there's less competition, it's far easier for a talented athlete to win an olympic medal in the pool, than on the track.

That's why Australia wins the vast majority of our Olympic medals in 'rich countries' sports:

track cycling
rowing
swimming

We love winners, so we throw huge sums of money at the AIS and the state academy's to help buy that success.

Anyone who wins an olympic medal in ANY sport is a champion, there's no doubt about that. But because we've been spoiled in Oz, I think a lot of people don't realise how amazingly difficult it is for anyone to win a medal on the track.

It's by far the deepest talent pool of any olympic sport.

Mottram's a class act but he will NEVER beat Bekele. Bekele is Gebrselassie and then some. He might have missed the medals had Bekele not pulled out after the 10k.

Nonetheless what he has achieved is absolutely awesome and he will only get better. He'll move into the 1600 soon too I reckon and be even better at that.

If he's a Carlton boy (which is funny, considering he comes from Geelong) the guys should definitely get him along - maybe to do some preseason running with the boys.

Not many swimming pool's in Ethiopia,Kenya,Somalia etc etc.
See were Johnny is coming from Andain. Or Tennis courts or golf courses for that matter.Or formula one racing,or racetracks.

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All my dangerous friends

He's friends with Prender

Both Gebreselassie and Bekele are actually vital cogs in Ethiopia's economy, funny as it may sound. They both use prize and sponsorship money to finance various enterprises and building constructions around Addis Ababa, providing for employment, foreign investment etc. They are both national heroes. So not only is running a poor man's sport it is a source of income for thousands of people.

Ironically for Mottram he would probably be mobbed in Kenya or Ethiopia after that race, but people here would still go "Craig Who?"

I don't really care whether we have celebrity fans or not.

Good points John and Ponkstar. The two best guys weren't there, but to still get 3rd in the world championship event is awesome. The big thing about Mottram is that he is only 25. He is still yet to reach his peak.

OK. So let's get Prenda into the team for the last game of the year and invite Mottram along. Make it a big event.

Actually, I wonder....can he kick?

Tall, fit, can run all day, shows balls and determination....worth a late pick?

absolutely super effort from craig, shows us all that if you believe, and you do the work, you can win. He said that he had learnt not to fear the Africans in the 5,000 and 10,000. There's a lesson for the Blues in this!

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"Two roads diverged in a wood,
and I,
I took the one less travelled by,
and that has made all the difference."

Robert Frost

Is he eligible for the NRS??

My God you're right!

It's not our lack of talent or "culture" holding us back. It's the fear of Africans!

(It's okay Vet - I understood )

yeah thanks GWS.

Actually, I think obne could draw a paralell with aliens !

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"Two roads diverged in a wood,
and I,
I took the one less travelled by,
and that has made all the difference."

Robert Frost

In his junior days Craig always had one opponent he was unable to beat over the distances he competes at. A runner who was his nemisis and touted as a superb 5000m prospect for the future. A runner who chose a different sporting passtime when the choice had to be made.

And I think that player should've stuck to running - one Ian Prendergast(ly)!!!

Heard this in a another interview with Craig a few months back

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C'mon Blueboys!