Bruce McAvaney | Channel 7 Sports broadcasting Legend (03.06.26)
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What are the upcoming highlights for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow?
It's 50 days until the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games and you'll be able to catch every unmissable moment from Friday the 24th of July live and free on 7 and 7 Plus Sport. Central to that is going to be Bruce McIverney. It just felt like the right time to shoot the breeze with some of the sporting issues around and then zero in on the Comm Games as well. Bruce, always a pleasure to have you on the program.
Good on you, Gerard.
Third day of winter. Just give us an idea, what's the sporting diet for Bruce McIverney right now?
Well, there's a lot on. Commonwealth Games obviously is looming, and we'll chat about that in a moment, 50 days away. So that's what I'm starting to get in my head right around, Gerard. World Cup's so close. French Open's right at the heart of it, so to speak, quarterfinal time, and what a tournament that's been. Footy's at that, you know, sort of beautiful middle stage, and we know that we're going to have a remarkable weekend coming up, concluding on Monday and then next Wednesday when we say farewell to New Danaher. So there's a whole lot happening there. So, yeah, look, horse racing's going well. Queensland Cannibal gets stronger and stronger, and Waller and McDonald have been remarkable. So there's so much on, isn't there?
There is, there is. Could we get a word on the Neil Danaher life and legacy from you, Bruce, as you've pondered it since his passing?
Incredible. Forever, his legacy. He could have easily, I think, probably bowed his head 11 years ago, all those years ago, and sort of thought, well, I'll suffer this privately with my family. But he decided very bravely that he would take the beast on and bring all of us with him. It's been a surge. It's been overwhelming. He is a genuinely national hero. He goes way beyond football. And, you know, all of us that have had anything to do with him have been touched.
So
Incredible. Only one. And, you know, a career that was cut short, we know. There was a lot of hurt about him. He was a match winner.
How does Bruce McAvaney prepare for major sporting events?
He didn't play a lot of footy. What might have been a coach that got so close and a human being that left us with everything, really. So, yeah. And what about Beck and the family? Oh, boy. What a family they are.
Yeah, some emotion-charged days ahead, that's for sure, Monday, and then the state funeral, which is this day next week. What are you thinking of our AFL season?
I'm enjoying it. It's fresh. I think most people thought, Gerard, that the Swans would bounce back. They had a terrible start last year. Gordon got back into the team, and ironically, he's not there now. But once Gordon got back in the team, he found his stripes last year. I think one of the keys for them is Grundy. You know, a couple of years ago, he was going almost as well as he is now and then faded. I think, you know, they rested him last week. So, look, there's a freshness. Sydney and Freo, for sure. I mean, they've won 11 straight games. You never quite feel like they're dominating and yet they're playing a style of footy that's pretty irresistible. Geelong have been a bit teasy. God, they're good.
And Brisbane's a bit queery. And suddenly the Giants have, you know, raised their hand again. I think it's down to five. And that's going to include Brisbane. With Hawthorne and Geelong following in Sydney and Fremantle's weight at the moment.
So you're not dismissing the Lions?
No, not just yet. Crucial on the weekend, of course, they play Gold Coast. And if they get to six and seven, it is unravelling a bit. Not completely, but this is the one thing I think, Joe. It's unreasonable to bank on a team playing in four consecutive Grand Finals. It's so difficult to do, and that's what they're faced with this year. They could easily have won that first one. They've won the last two. So it's a lot to ask, and maybe we're just thinking about 2025 and 2024 and not 2026, but they're probably, the next month will be absolutely crucial. I know they've got to buy, but they have to start playing some good footy again.
I can't work out whether this question is impolite to ask of people these days, but could you see James Hurd back at Essendon as coach?
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
What are the upcoming highlights for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow?
0:00–2:13
2
How does Bruce McAvaney prepare for major sporting events?
2:13–4:37
3
What is the significance of Neil Danaher's legacy in sports?
4:37–9:48
4
How is the current AFL season shaping up according to Bruce?
9:48–16:27
5
What are Bruce's thoughts on James Hird's potential return to coaching?
16:27–21:18
6
What recent achievements have been made in horse racing?
21:18–21:53
Speakers
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