List of Australian sports songs

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List of Australian sports songs covers songs written specifically about Australian sports, sports people, animals and sporting events. It excludes sports team songs or general songs that are anthems for sports events. For example, the song "Down Under" by Men at Work—which became the theme song for the crew of Australia II in their successful bid to win the 1983 America's Cup—is excluded.

Mike Brady, Greg Champion and John Williamson have specialised in writing and performing Australian sports songs. Two Australian sporting heroes, Sir Donald Bradman and Phar Lap, have several songs about them.

Sport Title Date Writer/singer Comments
Athletics Our Marjorie[1] 1952 Jack O'Hagan (writer), Alan Coad and the Song Paraders (singers) Song about the Australian sprinter Marjorie Jackson, known as the Lithgow Flash.
Australian football One Day in September[2] 1980 Mike Brady (writer/singer) Anthem for the AFL Grand Final
Australian football That's the Thing About Football 1994 Greg Champion(writer/singer)
Australian football Up There Cazaly[3] 1979 Two Man Band (Mike Brady & Peter Sullivan) (writers/singers) "Up There Cazaly" is an Australian rules football catchphrase inspired by early 20th century St Kilda and South Melbourne great Roy Cazaly.
Australian football There's only one Tony Lockett 1999 James Freud (singer) Highest goal scorer in the history of the VFL/AFL with 1,360 goals in a career of 281 games.[4]
Australian football One True Game 2002 John Schumann (writer/singer)
Australian football Jesaulenko, You Beauty[5] 2012 Tex Perkins & the Dark Horses (writer/singer) Exclusive song for The Marngrook Footy Show for the Final Siren segment. Alex Jesaulenko took a famous high mark in the 1970 VFL Grand Final.
Australian football The Back Upon Which Jezza Jumped 1985 TISM – This Is Serious Mum (writer/singer) Song about Alex Jesaulenko jumping on the back of Collingwood's Graeme Jenkin to take a famous high mark in the 1970 VFL Grand Final.
Australian football The Swans Return 1987 Weddings Parties Anything (writer/singer) Song about South Melbourne Football Club move to Sydney to become the Sydney Swans.
Australian football Colour of Your Jumper[6] 1993 Archie Roach (writer/singer) Nicky Winmar famously raise his guernsey in response to racial taunts by Collingwood Football Club supporters at Victoria Park, Melbourne.
Australian football Shut Up – The Footy's on the Radio 2010 TISM (writer/singer)
Australian football It all Sounds like football to me (Ted Whitten) 1981 Mike Brady (singer) Ted Whitten, a legend of the Australian Football League[7]
Australian football Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti 2019 Picket Palace A punk tribute dedicated to Essendon player Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti, which was made into a popular music video.[8]
Boxing Ballard of Les Darcy 2012 Russell Morris (singer) Tribute to boxer Les Darcy[9]
Boxing Rally around the Drum 1992 Paul Kelly (singer & writer) / Archie Roach (writer) Song about tent boxing in Australia on Hidden Things album.[10]
Boxing Jimmy Sharman's Boxers 1984 Midnight Oil The album Red Sails in the Sunset included this song regarding Jimmy Sharman's boxing troupe.[11]
Cricket Our Don Bradman 1930 Jack O'Hagan (writer), Art Leonard (singer) Tribute to Australia's (and the world's) greatest cricketer, Sir Donald Bradman
Cricket Bradman[12] 1986 Paul Kelly (writer/singer) [13]
Cricket Sir Don 1999 John Williamson (writer/singer) Williamson performed "Sir Don" at Bradman's Memorial Service in Adelaide in 2001.
Cricket The Tiger and the Don 1990 Ted Egan (writer/singer) Song about Australian batsman Sir Donald Bradman and spin bowler Bill O'Reilly
Cricket C'mon Aussie C'mon 1978 Allan Johnston, Alan Morris and other from Mojo (writers/singers) Advertising jingle to promote World Series Cricket[13]
Cricket I Made A Hundred in the Backyard at Mum's 2005 Greg Champion (writer/singer) [13]
Cricket Cricket's on the Radio 2005 Greg Champion (writer/singer) [13]
Cricket Shane Warne 2007 Paul Kelly (writer/singer) Shane Warne holds the Australian record for the most test wickets.
Cricket The Baggy Green 2000 John Williamson (writer/singer) Baggy Green is a cricket cap of green colour, which has been worn by Australian Test cricketers since around the turn of the twentieth century.[13]
Cricket Victor Trumper 1994 The Lucksmiths (singer) Victor Trumper was an Australian cricketer (1899–1912)
Cricket Here Come The Aussies 1972 Daniel Boone & Rod McQueen (writers),1972 Australian Cricket Team (singers) The anthem of Ian Chappell’s 1972 Ashes squad[13]
Cricket Nambucca Boy 2015 Urthboy Tribute to Australian test cricketer Phillip Hughes, who died after being struck on the head by a ball in a 2014 Sheffield Shield game.[14]
Horse racing Goodbye, Phar Lap, Goodbye ? R Kreymborg (writer) Phar Lap, a champion Australian thoroughbred racehorse in the early years of the Great Depression. Sung to the tune Wearing of the Green.[15]
Horse racing Come on Phar Lap[16] 1983 Alan and Dianne Hawking (writer), Alan Hawking (singer)
Horse racing Phar Lap – Farewell to You 1932 Jack Lumsdaine (writer/singer)
Horse racing Big Red 2012 Russell Morris (singer) Tribute to Phar Lap[17]
Horse racing The Goondiwindi Grey[18] 1973 Nev Hauritz and Brian Wallace (writers), Tex Morton (singer) Tribute to Gunsynd, a champion Australian thoroughbred racehorse.
Horse racing That Tuesday in November 2000 Mike Brady(writer/singer) Unofficial anthem for the Melbourne Cup, an Australian horse race that stops the nation.
Horse racing The Melbourne Cup[19] 1965 Stan Coster (writer), Slim Dusty (singer)
Horse racing Queen in the Sport of Kings 1985 John Williamson (writer/singer) Australasian Country Music Awards for APRA Song of the Year.
Harness racing Paleface Adios[20] 1977 Rudy Brandsma and Richard Trembath (writers), Johnny Tapp (singer) Song about Paleface Adios, winner of over 100 races.
Harness racing Little Hondo[21] 1974 Lewis Buchanan (writer), Johnny Tapp (singer) Song about Hondo Grattan, a successful horse in the 1970s.
Paralympic Games Rise to the Moment 2000 Mike Brady (writer/singer) Official song for the Australian Paralympic Team at the 2000 Sydney Paralympics
Rugby league The Rugby League Song 1980 Danny McMaster (writer/singer)
Rugby union A Number on My Back 2000 John Williamson (writer/singer) Australian rugby team Anthem
Tennis Evonne 1981 Stagecoach Country Band Tribute to Evonne Goolagong Cawley.[22]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Van Straten, F. "John Francis O'Hagan (1898–1987)". O'Hagan, John Francis (1898–1987). National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Retrieved 7 December 2014. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  2. ^ "One Day in September". 45cat. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  3. ^ "Up There Cazaly". 45cat. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  4. ^ Pierek, Jon (25 July 2010). "Lockett: Happy to be 'home'". The Age. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
  5. ^ "Jesaulenko You Beauty". Youtube. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  6. ^ "Archie's song of inspiration". AFL News, 19 May 2013. 19 May 2013. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  7. ^ "It all Sounds like football to me". Youtube. Retrieved 3 December 2015.
  8. ^ Picket Palace - Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti, retrieved 26 August 2022
  9. ^ Milligan, Nick (21 March 2013). "Russell Morris pays homage to Les Darcy". Maitland Mercury. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
  10. ^ "Paul Kelly – Rally Round The Drum". Youtube. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
  11. ^ "Final bell for showman Jimmy Sharman". The Age. 26 April 2006. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
  12. ^ "Bradman". 45cat. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  13. ^ a b c d e f Daffey, Paul (11 December 2004). "The Ten". The Age. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  14. ^ Polson, James (26 November 2015). "Sydney rapper Urthboy pays tribute to Phillip Hughes with new single Nambucca Boy". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  15. ^ "Goodbye, Phar Lap, Goodbye". AllDownUnder.com. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  16. ^ "Come on Phar Lap". 45cat. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  17. ^ "Russell Morris SHARKMOUTH – Track 11 BIG RED". Youtube. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
  18. ^ "The Goondiwindi Grey". 45cat. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  19. ^ "The Melbourne Cup". 45cat. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  20. ^ "Paleface Adios". 45cat. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  21. ^ "Little Hondo". 45cat. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  22. ^ "Evonne Goolagong tribute [1981]". Youtube. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
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