I have created a list of the top 10 biggest sporting stories from 2015, the most controversial, the most outstanding and the most devastating. This past year has been a big one for sports and the sporting industry- let’s take a look.
Now, when I was first putting this list together I ended up with about 45 sports stories that could easily have made this list. To prevent writing a novel, I managed to narrow the list down to 10. Unfortunately lots of stories that were just as worthy missed out by a whisker. So, this is the list of top 10 stories (in no particular order) that I personally thought were some of the biggest in 2015.
- Mick Fanning Punches A Shark And Wins
Enough said really! A shark attacked Australian surfer Mick Fanning during a surfing comp in South Africa. The whole ordeal was broadcast on live TV and was absolutely terrifying to watch; I can’t even imagine how Mick was feeling. The shark knocked Mick off his surfboard and in to the water right before he punched it and was picked up by the sea patrol. It was an incredibly close call for Mick and an unbelievable event which made headlines all around the world. Mick is a very lucky man, and somehow managed to walk away from the attack without any physical injuries.
- The Hayne Plane Debuts In The NFL
It was the jump of all code jumps. Jarryd Hayne followed his dream of playing in the National Football League (NFL) in the States and left his Rugby League days at the Parramatta Eels behind him. On the 3rd of March 2015 he was signed by the San Francisco 49ers. The jury is still out on the success of Hayne’s NFL career so far, however there is plenty of time for him to grow in the sport. He impressed NFL coaches and officials early on, then had a bit of a lull, and now looks to be on the way up again. Good on him for following his dreams!
- Phil Walsh’s Devastating Passing
The 3rd of July was a very sad day not just for the AFL community, but the entire Australian sporting world. When news broke that Adelaide Crows head coach Phil Walsh had been stabbed to death by his son Cy Walsh, the sporting world went into shock and mourning for Phil’s wife and daughter, his friends and the Adelaide Crows Football Club. Since that day, it has come to light that Cy may have murdered his father in a fit of drug-induced psychosis, however there have been no confirmations. Cy remains in custody in a mental health facility in Adelaide.
- Michelle Payne Wins The Race That Stops The Nation!
This is definitely one of my favourite stories of the year- and not just because Michelle and I share the same surname! (Unfortunately we are not related, that I know of…) In 2015 Michelle became the first woman ever to win the Melbourne Cup when she rode Prince of Penzance – with odds of more than $100-1. And boy did she give a killer speech when she won! Michelle said that she struggled to find acceptance in a male-dominated industry and she used her moment in the spotlight to address the fact that female jockeys should be given a fair go.
“To think that (trainer) Darren Weir has given me a go and it’s such a chauvinistic sport, I know some of the owners were keen to kick me off, and John Richards and Darren stuck strongly with me…and I can’t say how grateful I am to them.
I want to say to everyone else, get stuffed, because women can do anything and we can beat the world”. – Michelle Payne
- Nick Kyrgios Solidifies His Bad Boy Rep
Tut, tut, tut. Unfortunately for Nick, he has created quite a reputation for himself, which over-powers his incredible and undeniable tennis talent. Nick sparked outrage in the tennis world with a sledge towards his Swiss opponent Stan Wawrinka which was along the lines of “Kokkinakis (Thanasi) ****** your girlfriend…” Actually, that’s exactly what he said. *Face palm* Add in all of his swearing, yelling at the crowd, racquet smashing and other annoying behaviours on court; he has not done himself any favours. Just play the game Nick- we want to see you excel at tennis, not at being a brat.
- Nat Fyfe Wins The Brownlow
Ahh Fyfey. What a legend. Seriously- he is just the smoothest dude out. After an incredible year, the Fremantle Dockers star got his Brownlow, along with many other honours and awards along the way. Fyfe was also named the WA Media Awards AFL Player of the Year and the WA Sports Star of the Year. His list of achievements gets bigger by the season and he deserves every award he wins. Not only is he an amazing footy player, he is humble, respectful and an all-round good guy off the field too.
- Ronda Rousey Is Kicked From Top Spot
American Ronda Rousey has been labelled as the Queen of UFC and mixed martial arts (MMA). Before this fight, she had openly stated that she believed that she could not be beaten. This arrogant approach towards her career and success has always left a bad taste in my mouth. Defending her title for the 6th time, Ronda faced fellow American Holly Holm in Melbourne in a fight which Ronda was the heavy betting favourite. She refused to bump gloves with Holly before the fight commenced which I thought was a huge sign of disrespect.
The fight began and Ronda appeared to have no answers for Holly’s striking. It was only the second time that Ronda had been taken to the second round in her MMA career. Holly took the UFC Bantamweight Championship early in the second round after knocking Ronda out with a swift kick to the head. (Brutal, I know…) It was the first loss of Ronda’s MMA career and her three-year reign as champion ended. She has now indicated her desire to retire from the UFC and MMA to pursue her acting career. Hmmmm….
- Jason Day Gets His Win
After so many close finishes in majors, Day finally got his victory at the US PGA. Not only did he win, he broke the record for the lowest score in major history, finishing 20-under par. He edged out Tiger Woods who previously held the lowest score record of 19-under par from the British Open in 2000. Jason is ranked No. 5 in the world and has been one of the most consistently excellent performers at golf’s four majors in the past five years, achieving six top five finishes.
- An NRL Grand Final To Remember
This years NRL Grand Final was an absolute action packed nail biter! I was literally on the edge of my seat throughout the match, which was everything and MORE than it was hyped up to be. The North Queensland Cowboys recorded their first ever grand final win, defeating the Brisbane Broncos 17-16 in golden point time.
As the game went back and forth, the Cowboys managed enough to force the game to golden point, where Johnathan Thurston slotted the 20m field goal that won them the grand final. Thurston also took out the Clive Churchill medal as the best player on the ground. That game was exactly what grand final’s should be, unlike the 2015 AFL Grand Final… #BlowOut
- Australia Wins… A lot!
(I cheated a little bit on number 10 and joined a bunch of good stories into one…)
This year our Australian Representatives were unbelievably successful! #ProudAussie
– The Australian Cricket Team won the Cricket World Cup final against New Zealand
– The Southern Stars Australian Women’s Cricket Team won the Women’s Ashes
– The Socceroos won the Asian Cup final against South Korea
– The Diamonds won the Netball World Cup final against New Zealand
– The US PGA Championship was won by Australian Jason Day
There were many, many more great sporting stories from 2015. I look forward to 2016 being just as packed, if not more so, with positive sporting stories and memorable events.
Wishing everyone a very Happy New Year!
Let us know what your favourite sporting moment of the year was at @TweetPerth and @EmmaLianaPayne.
