Canberra sports fans had reason to note two important anniversaries over the weekend - the last premierships of the Raiders and the Brumbies, in 1994 and 2004, respectively.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
These were two of our greatest triumphs, and well worth celebrating.
Canberra sport fans have had to dine on memories for a very long time now, and they are indeed very great memories. Both teams were stacked with all-time greats of the game, not just of the clubs.
But just as those times are a long way in the past now so, too, are the best days of the Canberra stadium.
As they looked back fondly at 2004, the Brumbies couldn't help pointing out the stadium had barely changed in the two ensuing decades.
The 70s-era stadium is now so far behind the best venues in Australia that it now barely passes muster.
But now the Prime Minister, no less, has weighed in on the debate, the narrative finally seems to have shifted.
In the scheme of things, $10 million is small bickies when we consider what's at stake; a new stadium in Canberra - slated to be built by 2033 - is expected to cost at least $500 million.
But in the lead-up to last week's budget, Anthony Albanese opened the door for a joint funding deal, saying he would "consider proposals on their merit" after committing $10 million to a Bruce precinct master plan.
This was after a $250 million splurge on an AIS upgrade; the cards are now well and truly on the table.
Talk of a Bruce precinct puts paid to many a long-held dream about a stadium in the city centre. Perhaps, posited sports editor Chris Dutton last week, it's time to believe in Bruce.
After all, a $10 million commitment from the federal government, albeit for another study, is not just a vote of confidence; it is the first time the federal government has even entered into a legitimate conversation about the issue.
We have in the current prime minister an avowed Canberra fan, of a stripe we haven't seen for some time.
Sometimes a bit of consistency can be a good thing.
We like that some things never change, especially in a place like Canberra, where things are often in a state of flux. Except when they aren't.
When things just refuse to progress and the powers that be can't stop arguing over what to do next.
Canberra shouldn't be a sepia-toned city living on past glories.
And modern sporting infrastructure is a reasonable ask for a national capital.
Send us a letter to the editor
- Letters to the editor should be kept to 250 or fewer words. To the Point letters should not exceed 50 words. Reference to The Canberra Times reports should include a date and page number. Provide a phone number and address (only your suburb will be published). Responsibility for election comment is taken by John-Paul Moloney of 121 Marcus Clarke Street, Canberra. Published by Federal Capital Press of Australia Pty Ltd.
