About Tim Gavel
Sports commentator with ABC Grandstand for over 30 years Tim Gavel has called a range of sports including NRL, Super Rugby, Wallabies, Rowing World Cups, Rugby World Cups, Socceroos, Matildas, Opals, Boomers, WNBL, NBL, International Netball, Men's and Women's one day international cricket, Big Bash, World Volleyball League for Fox Sports, Rowing World Cup and National Championships for Fox Sports and the 2000 Paralympics.
All Articles
Sport
Canberra Raiders' five-eighth Jack Wighton is on course to become a one-club player in the NRL after a signing a new four-year, $3 million deal with the club. Wighton rejected more lucrative offers from other clubs to stay in Canberra. Wighton, the Clive Churchill medallist from last year's NRL grand final, came of age as a footballer and as a...
Sport
As teams took to the field on Saturday morning, the heavens had already opened up. The irony wasn’t lost on the Braidwood community impacted by the bushfires, nor those who had travelled from areas as far afield as Sydney’s northern beaches to take part in the day. The Braidwood Bushfire 7s, with over 40 teams competing, filled the void created...
Sport
When Brad Haddin made his first grade debut for the ANU at the age of just 16, many in the ACT Cricket community felt they had a front row seat to something special. A few years later, Haddin made his debut for the Comets, then the Australian One Day team, followed by selection in the National T20 side, before finally...
Sport
Solomone Kata’s talk to his teammates during the impromptu training camp in Newcastle resonated with Brumbies coach Dan McKellar. Kata, a former schoolboy rugby union star in Auckland, had joined the Brumbies in the off-season after seven years in the NRL, first with the New Zealand Warriors, then with the Melbourne Storm. https://www.facebook.com/TheSportingCapital/videos/1180265742181154/ The essence of his talk to his...
Sport
The Raiders have been one of the more stable teams in the off-season with minimal disruption. Even the departure of Aidan Sezer and Jordan Rapana created few waves with ready-made replacements available. Those replacements should make the Raiders an even better team in 2020 with George Williams and Curtis Scott – two players with the ability to maximise the team’s already...
Sport
Bob Hitchcock was unassuming in many ways. His genial personality belied his strength of character, and he instilled a life-changing sense of values into many who had the benefit of being in his orbit as a coach and mentor. Bob’s ability to translate the technical aspects of rugby union into the explainable was legendary. He could cut through; a quality...
Sport
When the sun set on the Brumbies' 2019 Super Rugby season, a new era began with the departure of five of the club’s biggest names in recent history. At first it will appear strange to see a Brumbies team minus Sam Carter, David Pocock, Christian Lealiifano, Henry Speight and Rory Arnold. Their places will be taken by some players you...
Sport
When Thomas Ashmore opted for shooting over rugby in his final years at St Francis Xavier Catholic College in Canberra, it was a declaration he was determined to take the sport as far as possible. An early indication that he had made the right decision came when he was named the College’s Sportsperson of the Year in Year 12. “It...
Sport
Bec Goddard has been a trailblazer for women in a range of sporting pursuits, including as coach of the Adelaide Crows women’s AFL team when they won the flag in the inaugural season. She was also the first female field umpire in the North East Australian Football League, and the first female to be involved in the coaching structure at...
Sport
Nikki Ayers still remembers the pain as she writhed in agony after dislocating her knee, tearing multiple ligaments, and severing a major artery and the main nerve in her right knee. It came from a regulation tackle after Nikki made a break playing in a pre-season rugby union game for the Tuggeranong Viqueens against Royals in 2016. Says Nikki, “I...
Sport
Most people know that there is more to gaining emotional support from fans of sport than simply winning. Sure, winning helps, but if other factors aren’t taken care of, winning in the minds of supporters can appear hollow. We have seen it in the past in Canberra. There was a disconnect between fans and the Raiders during the Super League...
Sport
In a Charnwood cafe in Canberra three years ago, Dr David Headon met with former Raiders chairman, John McIntyre. They were there to discuss the writing of a history of the Raiders Club. With over 30 years' involvement with the Raiders as secretary and chairman, John McIntyre was well placed to provide insight. He had been there in the tough...
Opinion
If you are like me, you would have grown up listening to the Olympics on the radio. Television reception wasn’t great in the bush, so the radio was our connection to the outside world. It was great when driving as well. The picture could be created with words and your mind does the rest. The impact that it had on...
Sport
Mel Breen says she's feeling comfortable within herself as she prepares to lift her campaign to qualify for next year’s Tokyo Olympics to another level. That feeling's been a long time coming. This mindset is, in part, a reflection of her injury-free status after a horror year in 2019 in which she was hampered by foot, nerve and hamstring injuries....
Sport
Next year’s double-header at Eden Park in Auckland has the potential to be a great sporting social experiment. The possibility of such an event has been talked about for some years but it always fell short for a number of reasons, not the least being the self-interest of the respective codes. But it appears times have changed in the quest...
Sport
As sure as night follows day, player managers will be on the phone to Raiders CEO Don Furner seeking an upgrade for their charges. There will also be carefully planted stories suggesting players may look to go elsewhere if there is no upgrade. This is usually followed by assertions from the player that while they are happy at the Raiders,...