David EdwardsMacGill - "like a fine wine..."
June 3rd 2008 06:19
ASTRA award winner Stuart MacGill has officially hung up his cricketing spikes for good, trading in the Asics spikes for a Cabernet blend. The budding vigneron realised his passion for the vineyard had usurped his desire to stand on a cricket field with a bunch of blokes that probably don't intellectually stimulate him in the least.
MacGill spent over a decade living in the shadows of the kingpin of legspin, Dr. Shane Warne. Warney's 'dead-eye' accuracy and effortless delivery could be sharply contrasted with MacGill's erratic, indiscriminate brand of legspin, whose run-up/bowling action had all the awkwardness of a David Letterman interview.
Nevertheless, MacGill always intrigued this writer due to his individualism, and desire to not be typecast. An insubordinator by trade, MacGill was known for his occasional dummy spit and feisty nature. When 'Tugga', 'Tubby', 'Heals', 'Pigeon' et al were smashing beers and belting out "Under the Southern Cross", MacGill was more at home with an aged Burgundy (from the region of course), or perhaps a smooth Merlot might tickle his fancy. Anything other than the low-brow, hideous, Crown Lager black sheep "V.B" - which his team-mates would gorge themselves upon. Because MacGill was an individual, not a boring, beer-guzzling team-player. He was a selfish, self-interested individual, who always felt he was getting a raw deal and always believed in his ability over Warney. Which is exactly why i loved him.
Cricket is full of "yes" men. If you were to look at the cricket from the 1960s and compare him with today's cricketer, you would barely see any form of social evolution at all. Unless you are contrasting a "Chappell" with Andrew Symonds, in which case you would notice an evolution in hairstyle, these cricketers (appearance aside) are just charactures of an era gone past. Boozy nights out and fines for rocking up late? Sure, take your pick. I'm sure even Bradman got on the beers (as long as someone was shouting)! However MacGill was not predisposed to this culture, instead he was the epitome of the refined, modern cricket (sans outbursts). A gentleman who always appeared well groomed, was articulate enough to host a Foxtel show (that wasn't simply related to his sport or 'choc-full' of awful cricket puns); cricket simply wasn't ready to embrace such a modern man.
Wikipedia mentions that MacGill once read over 24 books on a tour of Pakistan. Warney in comparison is said to have never read a book in his life, even though i personally have read at least 2 books about him. I have read more books about Shane Warne than Shane Warne has read actual books.
If media reports suggest that MacGill was late to the day's play in the Second Test then i for one will refuse to believe it. Because who is MacGill supposed to have been drinking with? Its not like he would have a big night out with "Punter", for example, unless he wanted to discuss golf handi-caps or Swisse Multivitamin adverts. I can't see MacGill getting on the beers (or conversely, Ricky sampling anything that doesn't come in the form of a stubbie). MacGill claims his alarm didn't work, and i believe him! It is likely that he was simply so engrossed in his latest novel that he forgot to set his alarm - too captivated by the words of Steinbeck, Faulkner or Joyce to remember he had to rock up and ply his trade on a dodgy Antiguan wicket the next morning.
Reading Jon Pierik's article in today's 'Daily Telegraph', i was reminded of some funny MacGill moments, which have led to the over-analysis of his character. There was an incident in a Sri Lankan casino that was never fully documented that led to a fine. In the Sutheland Grade changerooms he punched captain Rodney Davidson after a disagreement. He has had fines for abusing umpires, and i always loved it when he would jump up and down when a team mate dropped a catch, or misfielded a ball. His latest fine came last year, when he was fined 50% of his match fee for an on-field outburst in Pakistan.
The quirky, intelligent, polarising MacGill was a breath of fresh air, and a fantastic juxtaposition to the philandering Warne, whose ocker exploits were nothing new at all, just typical human failures. I could bore you by pointing out statistics that suggest MacGill was the more successful spinner, and analyse the fact that MacGill consistently out performed Warne whenever the "spin-twins" were in the same test side, but i won't. It is simply not necessary. What matters is that MacGill will be remembered as the weird guy who never really fitted the sterotypical 'ocker Aussie cricket' mould, which was refreshing in an era of "talking Boonie dolls".
Like a fine wine, MacGill got better with age - but injury had finally got the better of him. MacGill was a wine to be savioured in the late 90's early 2000s, but Australian selectors let it age a little too long. By 2007/8, MacGill had matured too far, and it was time to pour the proverbial remnants of his career down the drain.
Warne will be remembered as the better spinner, but MacGill will be missed sorely. SportingMind salutes S.C.G MacGill and eagerly awaits series two of "Stuart MacGill Uncorked" on Foxtel.
-SportingMind
MacGill spent over a decade living in the shadows of the kingpin of legspin, Dr. Shane Warne. Warney's 'dead-eye' accuracy and effortless delivery could be sharply contrasted with MacGill's erratic, indiscriminate brand of legspin, whose run-up/bowling action had all the awkwardness of a David Letterman interview.
Nevertheless, MacGill always intrigued this writer due to his individualism, and desire to not be typecast. An insubordinator by trade, MacGill was known for his occasional dummy spit and feisty nature. When 'Tugga', 'Tubby', 'Heals', 'Pigeon' et al were smashing beers and belting out "Under the Southern Cross", MacGill was more at home with an aged Burgundy (from the region of course), or perhaps a smooth Merlot might tickle his fancy. Anything other than the low-brow, hideous, Crown Lager black sheep "V.B" - which his team-mates would gorge themselves upon. Because MacGill was an individual, not a boring, beer-guzzling team-player. He was a selfish, self-interested individual, who always felt he was getting a raw deal and always believed in his ability over Warney. Which is exactly why i loved him.
Cricket is full of "yes" men. If you were to look at the cricket from the 1960s and compare him with today's cricketer, you would barely see any form of social evolution at all. Unless you are contrasting a "Chappell" with Andrew Symonds, in which case you would notice an evolution in hairstyle, these cricketers (appearance aside) are just charactures of an era gone past. Boozy nights out and fines for rocking up late? Sure, take your pick. I'm sure even Bradman got on the beers (as long as someone was shouting)! However MacGill was not predisposed to this culture, instead he was the epitome of the refined, modern cricket (sans outbursts). A gentleman who always appeared well groomed, was articulate enough to host a Foxtel show (that wasn't simply related to his sport or 'choc-full' of awful cricket puns); cricket simply wasn't ready to embrace such a modern man.
Wikipedia mentions that MacGill once read over 24 books on a tour of Pakistan. Warney in comparison is said to have never read a book in his life, even though i personally have read at least 2 books about him. I have read more books about Shane Warne than Shane Warne has read actual books.
If media reports suggest that MacGill was late to the day's play in the Second Test then i for one will refuse to believe it. Because who is MacGill supposed to have been drinking with? Its not like he would have a big night out with "Punter", for example, unless he wanted to discuss golf handi-caps or Swisse Multivitamin adverts. I can't see MacGill getting on the beers (or conversely, Ricky sampling anything that doesn't come in the form of a stubbie). MacGill claims his alarm didn't work, and i believe him! It is likely that he was simply so engrossed in his latest novel that he forgot to set his alarm - too captivated by the words of Steinbeck, Faulkner or Joyce to remember he had to rock up and ply his trade on a dodgy Antiguan wicket the next morning.
Reading Jon Pierik's article in today's 'Daily Telegraph', i was reminded of some funny MacGill moments, which have led to the over-analysis of his character. There was an incident in a Sri Lankan casino that was never fully documented that led to a fine. In the Sutheland Grade changerooms he punched captain Rodney Davidson after a disagreement. He has had fines for abusing umpires, and i always loved it when he would jump up and down when a team mate dropped a catch, or misfielded a ball. His latest fine came last year, when he was fined 50% of his match fee for an on-field outburst in Pakistan.
The quirky, intelligent, polarising MacGill was a breath of fresh air, and a fantastic juxtaposition to the philandering Warne, whose ocker exploits were nothing new at all, just typical human failures. I could bore you by pointing out statistics that suggest MacGill was the more successful spinner, and analyse the fact that MacGill consistently out performed Warne whenever the "spin-twins" were in the same test side, but i won't. It is simply not necessary. What matters is that MacGill will be remembered as the weird guy who never really fitted the sterotypical 'ocker Aussie cricket' mould, which was refreshing in an era of "talking Boonie dolls".
Like a fine wine, MacGill got better with age - but injury had finally got the better of him. MacGill was a wine to be savioured in the late 90's early 2000s, but Australian selectors let it age a little too long. By 2007/8, MacGill had matured too far, and it was time to pour the proverbial remnants of his career down the drain.
Warne will be remembered as the better spinner, but MacGill will be missed sorely. SportingMind salutes S.C.G MacGill and eagerly awaits series two of "Stuart MacGill Uncorked" on Foxtel.
-SportingMind
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