FRANK HYDE TRIBUTE
Page: 2219
Ministerial Statement
Mr GRAHAM WEST (Campbelltown—Minister for Gaming and Racing, and Minister for Sport and Recreation) [3.18 p.m.]: As most members of the House are aware, on the weekend the Australian women's football team, previously known as the women's soccer team, the Matildas, reached the quarter finals in the World Cup. This is the furthest any team from Australia has ever progressed in a senior world cup and I am sure members of the House will join me in congratulating them on a wonderful tournament. Nine of the players in the team are current scholarship holders at the New South Wales Institute of Sport. The institute's women's soccer program provides an individual skills-based program for under-20 and senior athletes with the aim of improving New South Wales representation in these teams. The program is clearly working. The program serves athletes based in both the Sydney metropolitan area and regional areas of the State.
Regional athletes are served in their home areas through a network of institute regional coaches. Indeed, the Matildas' striker, Sarah Walsh, is from my own electorate of Campbelltown, and that is probably part of the reason in the past we have had the Matildas do a number of exhibition games locally. New South Wales Institute of Sport athletes continue to have a strong presence in all national women's teams, the highlight being 11 New South Wales Institute of Sport athletes contributing to a silver medal in the Asian Cup tournaments. New South Wales Institute of Sport junior athletes played major roles in the 2007 under-17 Women's World Cup qualifiers, the 2006 under-20 World Cup, the Peace Cup and the Australian Youth Olympic Festival. I congratulate the Matildas on their fine performance and wish them even greater success in the future.
On a more sombre note, I pay tribute to the legendary rugby league caller Frank Hyde, who died at the age of 91. Mr Hyde distinguished himself as a player, a coach and a broadcaster. In a distinguished football career Hyde played for the Newtown Jets, the Balmain Tigers, the North Sydney Bears and New South Wales. He scored a try for the Tigers in their winning grand final in 1939 and captained New South Wales in the same year. Frank Hyde began his radio career in 1953, calling games into a microphone set on a card table on the sidelines. His cry "It's long enough, it's high enough and it's straight between the posts" became part of the game and of the experience of rugby league. As the Minister for Community Services told me this morning—and many others who grew up hearing Frank Hyde call the game—he made a real difference to their enjoyment of rugby league. I am sure all members of this House will join with me in extending condolences to his family.
Mr GEORGE SOURIS (Upper Hunter) [3.20 p.m.]: I have pleasure in joining the Minister for Sport and Recreation in congratulating the Matildas on a wonderful World Cup tournament. In fact, it is the first time that the Matildas have won a match in the World Cup, with their 4-1 victory over Ghana. Their record for this World Cup is nothing short of phenomenal. They had a 1-1 draw with Norway, the European power, a 1-1 draw with Canada, and then progressed to the quarter finals, where they sustained a narrow 3-2 loss to Brazil. I enjoyed watching the match on Sunday night. As Australia was simultaneously playing Fiji in the rugby union World Cup, I interchanged between channel 10 and the ABC to watch both games. The Matildas are a remarkable team. With their great experience of the World Cup, I am confident we will see an excellent performance at the 2008 Asian Cup, which commences next May. I join the Minister and all other members in congratulating the Matildas on a marvellous World Cup performance and wish them the very best for the forthcoming Asian Cup. This experience will stand them in good stead.
I also join the Minister and the House in expressing our condolences to the family of Frank Hyde on his very sad passing last weekend. He was aged 91 and had been married for 64 years to the late Gaby Hyde. Frank Hyde called 33 grand finals. He played for Newtown, Balmain, Norths and New South Wales and he would certainly have represented Australia if it had not been for the interruption of the code during World War II. Frank Hyde is an icon and was an adornment to the game of rugby league. He brought the game to life on the radio long before people had the ability to see it on the television. I once heard him say in an interview that one of the secrets of his great success was to give the score frequently during a broadcast. I, too, express the same sentiment as the Minister. Frank Hyde's career was indeed long enough, high enough and straight between the posts!