FOR generations, it’s been such a spirited bar-room debate, it’s become a sport of its own.
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Who is Wagga’s greatest ever sportsperson?
And in a city with such a rich sporting pedigree (we are the City of Good Sports, after all), the answer is not readily apparent.
Our list of famous alumni reads like a who’s who of Australian sport: former Aussie cricket captain Mark Taylor, rugby league great Peter Sterling, AFL legend Wayne Carey, golf major winner Steve Elkington and many more.
Trying to benchmark greatness, that indefinable quality that sets one apart from the rest, is an imprecise science in any sporting field.
The impact of technology, the rise of professionalism and assessing the quality of opposition from one era to another can make comparing greatness within a sport, let alone across different sports, a troublesome task.
The foggy lens of time can also allow nostalgia and sentimentality to cloud judgement.
Respected local cricket coach Warren Smith, who famously mentored a young Michael Slater, has reignited the debate about Wagga’s greatest sportsperson by suggesting a statue be erected to jockey Scobie Breasley at Bolton Park.
Mr Smith says, somewhat provocatively, there is “really no competition” as to whether Breasley is our greatest sporting export.
Breasley, a five-time Caulfield Cup winner who rode a staggering 3250 winners and captured some of the world’s biggest races, doesn’t normally feature prominently in kitchen table debates about Wagga’s best.
Indeed, when discussing homegrown sports stars on its website, Wagga council lists 23 sportspeople and 10 separate sports – but no mention of Breasley.
Of course, no one has a monopoly on being right, especially in such an arcane debate.
But regardless of where the Wagga-born jockey sits in the pantheon of local greats, Mr Smith’s suggestion for a statue in his honour has merit.
Breasley’s career was a testament to exquisite talent, hard work and supreme confidence – qualities that embody greatness in any field.
And if the cost of bronze is an issue for council, better that ratepayers stump up for a statue of a jockey than a man twice his size, like Wayne Carey.