Are Aussies crap at sport?

Now I know we think we're great, but beating the English and a few white South Africans at cricket, winning the Rugby League World Cup against three other nations doesn't make us brilliant at sport..even though we think it does.

Nor does winning the State of Origin. No-one else plays last time I looked; although I'm often told it's the World's Greatest Sporting event, that and the Anzac Day game at the AFL with the World's Greatest Athletes taking part.

So to John Bermingham, from the AGE, and the like, who love to tell us how they hate football but just love writing about it, here's to you. Head the ball mate!

The Olympics; take out the swimming and we're not very good at running it seems to me. And this is a true test as let's face not all nations have a swimming pool but most have people who can run or play football.

And of course AFL is hardly a measure despite what many seem to think.

Football, basketball and running are probably the true measures of a countries success in key sports played by a significant portion of the world.

In womens sport football and basketball we are excellent, not so in running. In men's we are okay in basketball, but in football and running we are not so athletically gifted for a nation of superstars are we. Maybe we're not the super sporting nation after all.

Broaden the sporting base to include Tennis, Rugby Union, and Cycling. Only cycling do we make a real impact at the moment, and who knows whose using what drugs in that sport.

So a pass mark for outstanding athletes but hardly the super sports nation many seem to think we are. Time for an AFL World Cup to boost our ego once more methinks!

Australia are ranked about 20 in football for a reason. Probably where we stand in men's sport across the board.