Joey to smoke Railway rivals

Jess Palmer (left) onboard Smokin Joey and Meredith Tuckett onboard Bel Thor at Balnarring Beach. Picture: Colleen Petch. Source: Colleen Petch / News Limited

MORNINGTON trainer Wez Hunter's confidence of winning the Railway Stakes with Smokin' Joey was boosted after his final piece of track-work at Mornington last Saturday.

"He worked sensationally. The Mornington track-clocker Les O'Briem said he hadn't seen a horse work that well for a long time," Hunter said.

Hunter said it was the manner in which Smokin' Joey worked and not so much the time which was the impressive aspect.

"It was effortless work. It was just the way he did it," he said.

Hunter said it was the best week Smokin' Joey had had in the three weeks since he had joined the stables.

In that time, Smokin' Joey has had two starts for Hunter for a win in the 1400m Group 3 Chatham Stakes and a second in the Group 1 Emirates Stakes (1600m.)

Hunter received a positive report from his partner Meredith Tuckett as to how Smokin' Joey travelled over to Perth perfectly.

"Meredith said he never turned a hair on the trip. He then went straight to the paddock and had a roll and then went and had a big brekky," he said.

The nine horses which left Melbourne early on Monday morning for the Perth carnival all travelled well.

Smokin Joey (front) gets edged out by Boban in the Emirates Stakes. (Photo by Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images) Source: Getty Images

Sam Pritchard-Gordon said that Mutual Trust had also travelled well and had settled in perfectly at Ross Price's Capel beach property which is two and a half hours south of Perth.

Pritchard-Gordon said he was buoyed by Mouro's win in the Eclipse Stakes last Saturday as he defeated Mutual Trust in the Sale Cup.

"The Railway Stakes is the race we've targeted and we've been lucky enough to have secured the services of Damien Oliver," Pritchard-Gordon said.

Robert Heathcote said his pair Buffering and Fire Up Fifi had also travelled well.

Heathcote said Fire Up Fifi's chances would depend on the Railway Stakes being run at a genuine tempo.

"It's going to be a tougher assignment, but she deserves her chance," the Brisbane trainer said.

"She's earned her way there and with 54 kilos she's going to be suited.

"At her last start (Myer Classic) she carried 57 kilos when third behind two classy Group 1 mares in Red Tracer and Catkins and they didn't run along.

"If it's run at genuine tempo she comes right into play. She's a top-class mare."

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Weather won't shut Kensington

The AJC's new track manager Nevesh Ramdhani inspects the track at Royal Randwick. Source: News Limited

THE $1.6 million new all-weather Kensington track will face its first real test on Saturday, especially if the miserable weather forecast for Sydney continues.

Randwick copped more than 70mls of rain by Monday morning, forcing a set of barrier trials to be pushed back again until Thursday.

But track boss Nevesh Ramdhani said Kensington would definitely go ahead, regardless of what the heavens do the rest of the week.

The all-weather surface coped so well with the recent drenching that Ramdhani said it would be the only grass track available to local trainers at trackwork this morning.

"I've got no doubts whatsoever about the races going ahead at Kensington,'' Ramdhani said.

"Last Saturday morning we had to shut everything except the Kensington track. We had 46mls from Friday night to Saturday morning, but we opened it up to trainers with horses racing Wednesday and Saturday. All up there were 42 horses, and I would have rated it a 'dead four'. After the horses had worked, you would have thought only five horses had gone over it.''

Meanwhile, Canterbury received 54mls of rain early yesterday and was rated a ``heavy eight'', but is still expected to get the green light for tomorrow's meeting.

The rescheduled Randwick trials, which were pencilled in for yesterday, then today, will now be run Thursday. It will clash with a second set of trials across town at Warwick Farm. Chief

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Link punishes 15 errant Wallabies

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SIX Wallabies players have been suspended and a further nine have been officially warned after a boozy night out in Dublin last week.

In an extraordinary punishment handed down by coach Ewen McKenzie, stars Adam Ashley-Cooper, Nick Cummins, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Benn Robinson, Liam Gill and Paddy Ryan have been given a one-week ban.

All except Ryan will miss this week's Test against Scotland, leaving the Wallabies in disarray, having won just five Tests all year.

Under IRB rules, each team must name four props so Ryan will play this week, then miss next week's Test against Wales.

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A further nine were given stern warning by McKenzie in the form of a letter (Dave Dennis, Kane Douglas, Saia Fainga'a, Bernard Foley and Nick Phipps) and verbally (Scott Fardy, Mike Harris, Ben McCalman and Nic White).

McKenzie said there had been no public complaints about the players' behaviour, but he's looking to make a hard-line statement to his under-achieving side, who coincidentally produced their best performance of the year by defeating Ireland 32-15 last weekend.

The players went out for dinner in different groups last Tuesday night, and then the 15 culprits decided to kick on at other bars, returning at various stages of early Wednesday morning.

While there is no alcohol ban in place and no official curfew, and the team had a day off on Wednesday, all players are expected to limit their booze intake and return at a reasonable hour in the week of a big game.

Nick Cummins has been in rich try-scoring form of late. In the backdrop is similarly suspended Liam Gill. Source: Getty Images

"Everyone in our squad is required to comply with and adhere to high standards of ethical conduct both on and off the field," McKenzie said.

"Those standards were compromised in the lead-up to Saturday's victory over Ireland with a group of players making the decision to stay out late and consume inappropriate levels of alcohol during the early hours of Wednesday morning.

"The Wallabies, in conjunction with the ARU, have decided to take significant action in a quest to drive the highest standards off the field.

"Let's be clear - these are internal sanctions and aren't a result of any complaints or reports of inappropriate or sinister behaviour while our players were out.

"Instead, we have chosen to address an issue that has come up internally and we are now being up-front about it."

Adam Ashley-Cooper's ban is especially disappointing as he is one of the more experienced Wallabies. Source: Getty Images

McKenzie came into the job after the disastrous British & Irish Lions series, when the culture of the group was questioned under previous coach Robbie Deans, who selected James O'Connor and Kurtley Beale after they had been out at 4am days before the second Test.

"We've done this because we need to continually reinforce the need for our players to make smart decisions to benefit the team," McKenzie said.

"The worst thing you could do for the Wallabies in the long-term is do nothing because that would mean we would be ignoring poor culture and a significant performance issue.

"We will always take action in relation to examples of poor culture when it's warranted - doing nothing to address poor behaviour will never be an option. We've taken on the challenge of re-defining our team culture.

Benn Robinson is one of the six suspended despite only recently winning his Test spot back. Source: Getty Images

"This is not a simple process but it needs to happen so we can have a chance to be the best team we can be.

"Already this year we've spent a lot of time being crystal clear around behaviours to ensure we are in a position to take the step-up to the next level.

"The reality is that if we are going to reach these levels, the players need to be making the right decisions as professional athletes and need to do everything possible to perform at their best for each Test.

"We also need to recognise the players who are doing the right thing and ensure our behaviours are in-line with the expectations of our stakeholders and our fan base."

In a year when the ARU has been forced to slash its budgets due to low public interest, resulting in less income, this is the last thing Australian rugby needs.

Tatafu Polota-Nau after coming on as a substitute for Australia against Ireland at Lansdowne Road. Source: AP

McKenzie said his sanctions would not be used as an excuse this weekend against Scotland.

"There is no doubt having talented players unavailable will put this team under significant pressure but we won't be using this situation as an excuse," he said.

"For us, this is a great opportunity to circle the wagons and re-calibrate our behaviours to get back on track off the field.

"I am disappointed on a personal level, but firm action is the best outcome when presented with a scenario like this. You need to deal with issues to ensure everyone can be accountable for their actions."

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SUSPENDED FOR SCOTLAND TEST

Adam Ashley-Cooper

Nick Cummins

Tatafu Polota-Nau

Benn Robinson

Liam Gill

SUSPENDED FOR WALES TEST

Paddy Ryan

WRITTEN WARNING

Dave Dennis

Kane Douglas

Saia Fainga'a

Bernard Foley

Nick Phipps

VERBAL WARNING

Scott Fardy

Mike Harris

Ben McCalman

Nic White

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF EWEN McKENZIE'S ACTIONS? HAVE YOUR SAY BELOW.

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Tigers salivating over Farrakhan

Chris Anstey is looking forward to seeing Mustapha Farrakhan play. (Photo by Robert Prezioso/Getty Images) Source: Robert Prezioso / Getty Images

SPENDING the summer guarding one of the NBA's best players has the Melbourne Tigers expecting big things from new import Mustapha Farrakhan,

Farrakhan, who is replacing Ayinde Ubaka on the Tigers roster, spent the pre-season with the LA Clippers before being cut on the eve of the NBA season.

Tigers coach Chris Anstey expects the 193cm shooting guard to make his debut against the Townsville Crocodiles at The Cage on Sunday.

``He's come out of the Los Angeles Clippers pre-season leading into their NBA season," Anstey said.

``Guarding Chris Paul everyday is probably the toughest assignment a guard can have in the NBA.

``He's an athlete, he'll complement our group, he'll get Chris Goulding some easier shots and he'll get our bigs some easier looks."

A graduate of the University of Virginia, Farrakhan, 25, averaged 13.5 points per game as a senior before embarking on a pro career in the NBA D-league.

He played for the Bakersfield Jam, Iowa Energy, Sioux Falls Skyforce, Idaho Stampede and also spent time with NBA team the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2012 pre-season.

Farrakhan also has famous lineage as the grandson of Louis Farrakhan, the current leader of powerful religious movement the Nation of Islam.

The Tigers have been on the lookout for another star import after American Stephen Dennis blew out his achilles before the opening round.

Ubaka, who'd previously spent time with the Tigers, filled in the role over the first month of the season but was released by the Tigers on Sunday to return back to the States for personal reasons.

In seven games for the Tigers, Ubaka averaged just 5.3 points per game at 31.8 per cent from the field - down dramatically from his NBL career average of 13.5 points.

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Spirit of Boom set to unload

Rival trainers Tony Gollan and Rob Heathcote go head-to-head in the Winterbottom Stakes. Pic Mark Cranitch. Source: Mark Cranitch / News Limited

YOU would think Tony Gollan would be put off by Buffering taking on Spirit Of Boom in Saturday's Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes, but he has welcomed the presence of the $3.8 million earner.

Spirit Of Boom was a close third in last year's Winterbottom and Gollan is banking on a hot speed for his six-year-old, who arrives in even better form this year.

"Buffering being there is part of racing in the Group 1s, you have to expect to take on the best," Gollan said.

"But this will be a different race to the Group 1s in Melbourne. They get firm ground and they run their sprint races at a very good clip. They don't worry about reputations over there. I think there will be plenty of pressure on Buffering this time."

Buffering and Spirit Of Boom arrived in Perth yesterday and their trainers will join them today.

Rob Heathcote hasn't been to Perth in 30 years but says he has fond memories of his lone visit and he hopes Buffering can provide some more fodder for his scrapbook this week.

"I felt he made a statement at Flemington," Heathcote said.

"He was leading into a headwind, the Hong Kong horse (Lucky Nine) was supposed to improve several lengths and the bookies took a big set against him, but he just left them standing.

"It's funny, only a few weeks ago people were saying he wasn't a genuine Group 1 horse, now he's the highest rated sprinter in the land."

Buffering will be his first runner at Ascot and he is expecting a typically warm response for his warhorse.

"I get blown away by the popularity of the horse, not just in Queensland but everywhere," he said.

"The number of emails and texts I received was amazing and then everyone you bump into at the races says 'good on Buff.' There's a genuine affection for the horse now."

Stablemate Solzhenitsyn is set to undergo tie back surgery tomorrow for laryngeal hemiplegia, which is paralysis of half the larynx.

"It's what controls the breathing, which helps explain what went wrong at Flemington," Heathcote said.

"It's a similar operation to the one So You Think had after he won his first Cox Plate and the vets have said there's a 60 per cent chance of an excellent result, 20 per cent of it being good and only 20 per cent of it not being any good, so we are hopeful he will come back fine.

"It still gives me enough time to get him ready for the autumn and winter if all goes well."

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'Wanderers just know how to win'

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WESTERN Sydney Wanderers might have been outplayed for the majority of their round six match against Melbourne Victory, but such is their winning mentality that they were able to come away with all three points.

That's the view of Fox Football commentator Mark Bosnich, and former Socceoos captain Craig Moore agrees, claiming "they just know how to get over the line".

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Tony Popovic's men were on the back foot for large periods of the first half at a sodden Pirtek Stadium, but were able to absorb the pressure from Kevin Muscat's Victory without conceding.

They held tough until the 82nd minute when Mark Bridge delivered a sucker punch, a goal on the counter that proved decisive.

Moore praised the home side and said the win was no fluke.

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"They're doing it regularly," Moore said on Sunday Shootout.

"They're comfortable and they hang in, even when they have bad spells in a game. Then they go and score late winners like they did on Saturday."

The A-League's newest team have lost just once in their last 20 matches, unfortunately for them it was in last season's grand final.

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For the Victory it's two losses on the bounce, but Moore says fans needn't be too concerned.

"At the moment goals to back up their good play have been missing," Moore said.

"They're good going forward, they create a lot of chances, but it's just not falling for them at the moment.

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"They'll be fine, they've got good structures in place.

While the Wanderers-Victory match was the most high-profile of the weekend, there was plenty of other action across the country. Read on for our round six review.

Highlight of the Week - William Gallas's exhausted post-match chat.

There's nothing like spending big bucks on a marquee player, them playing just 30 minutes on their debut before delivering a post-match conference like they've just run a marathon.

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In fairness to the Frenchman, he's just getting back to match fitness and it was a hot afternoon out west. Still, it was entertaining viewing.

Game of the week

All signs pointed to a dour afternoon when Newcastle Jets hosted a Brisbane Roar at Hunter Stadium on Sunday. Torrential rain had waterlogged the pitch, and the Roar were missing their star power through Socceroos duties and injury. But the two teams obviously didn't read the memo and played out an entertaining clash - the Jets coming out 2-1 winners thanks to hitman Adam Taggart's brilliant brace. Amazingly it was the first time in 60 attempts that the Jets have come from behind at half-time to win.

What we learnt

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Heart problems: As Mark Bosnich puts it, "Melbourne Heart need to restart". The Heart are still winless after six rounds and the loss to Sydney FC on Friday night turned the heat up a few more degrees on coach John Alosi. The coach would have been pulling his hair out at the kind of defending from Aziz Behich for the Sky Blues' second goal. It doesn't get any easier for the notoriously bad-travelling Heart, who next face the resurgent Jets away from home.

Tim Cahill loves Wanderland: Timmy and the rest of the Socceroos travelled to Parramatta to watch the Wanderers' win over Melbourne Victory. Cahill paid tribute to the RBB, who were in full voice all 90 minutes, despite horrendous wet conditions.

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H ow quickly things change: Three weeks ago Sydney FC were a club in crisis and Newcastle Jets weren't far behind. Now, the Sky Blues have won two in a row and occupy a finals place, while the Jets are in third, fresh off beating the high flying Roar. With the A-League such a tight competition, those are the fine margins coaches and players are dealing with.

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Wanderers fairytale just starting

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WESTERN Sydney Wanderers return on Friday <span channel="!Print">night </span>to where their remarkable journey truly began - Suncorp Stadium.

Cast your minds back a little more than a year ago when the Wanderers visited the famous Milton venue for the first time.

Awaiting them were the then-champions Brisbane Roar, who despite the departure of master mentor Ange Postecoglou, were at that stage still considered favourites to win a third-straight title.

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In contrast, the Wanderers had a ragtag look about them.

Hastily assembled by Football Federation Australia following the decision to punt Gold Coast United, the Wanderers came to Brisbane not only winless and goal-less after three games.

The last thing FFA need was for another expansion team to flop. But something special happened that night in Brisbane.

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The Roar were odds-on favourites, while the Wanderers were a double-figure shot.

There is no doubt Brisbane underestimated their opponents, but that was irrelevant at the end of the 90 minutes.

Not only had Western Sydney scored their first goal, they won their first match, against the champions no less.

The Wanderers haven't looked back since.

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Despite losing last season's grand final, the Tony Popovic-coached side was truly the champions in the eyes of most of the football fraternity ­because they finished on top of the ladder.

And they have well and truly put to bed any second-year blues theories.

Going into Friday's top-of-the-table clash against the Roar, they are the competition's only unbeaten team and have added new dimensions to their style of play.

Following the departures of Ange Postecoglou and Graham ­Arnold from the A-League coaching ranks, there is no doubting that Popovic is the best club coach in Australia.

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How the Roar respond this week will be intriguing.

The Wanderers beat them four times from as many matches last season, but this seems a different and more motivated Brisbane team, despite their loss to Newcastle Jets yesterday.

We are only six rounds into the season but don't be surprised if Friday's clash is a grand final dress rehearsal.

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'Armband doesn't matter to us'

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TIM Cahill says that captaining the Socceroos would be a huge honour but leadership goes deeper than an armband.

Cahill, along with Lucas Neill, Mark Bresciano, Mile Jedinak and Mark Milligan are the frontrunners to be named skipper by new coach Ange Postecoglou on Monday.

Neill is the incumbent, and is expected to start in Tuesday's friendly with Costa Rica, but many believe Ange will anoint Cahill as the team's new leader.

The man himself says he isn't losing sleep over the decision, and that every senior player has a role to play with leadership.

"Captaining your side anytime is probably the biggest honour you can ever have," Cahill told Fox Sports' Sunday Shootout.

"With us as players, it doesn't really matter. When you're in a team, it's about the core, that's who controls the team.

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"On the pitch you need to look for eachother. So many times in my career I've turned to Mooresy (Craig Moore), Popa (Tony Popovic) or (Mark) Schwarzer and they haven't been captain.

Cahill said he had full trust in Ange's decision, but admitted there might be several captains tried by the new coach before June's World Cup.

"Whoever gets picked will be the right man for the job," Cahill said.

"It could be a transition period where we see a few captains."

Watch the interview with Cahill at the top of this page.

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Kelly finding pace in Japan

Todd Kelly and his Nissan Altima during the debut V8 Supercars season. Source: Jerad Williams / News Limited

TODD Kelly stood beside a bank of computers in the NISMO bunker in Fuji, Japan.

"Do you want to see the car?'' he said, surrounded by an army of small men wearing white coats.

One of the NISMO guru's nodded.

Todd brought up a picture of his Jack Daniel's Commodore, the V8 Supercar he had spent four years building, tuning and refining.

The Japanese technician smiled.

"Easy,'' he laughed.

He pointed to the front spoiler.

"Make bigger,'' he barked.

Then to the body of the car.

"Make smaller,'' he continued.

And then to the rear wing.

"Make better,'' he said.

He looked at Todd.

"Go much faster.''

If only it was going to be that easy …

Last year Kelly Brother's Racing (KBR) made the bold decision to throw out a car that had been developed to the point of perfection and build a vehicle based on a road car that would not exist for another six months.

People called them crazy and told them they would fail.

Sunday's action at the Gold Coast 600 at Surfers Paradise - v8 Supercar Qualifying - Jack Daniels Racing's Todd Kelly Source: News Limited

But as Todd sat with the confused Japanese man, the one now saying; "Why anyone want to race car like that?'' Kelly knew his team had made the right choice. KBR would no longer be one of several Holden teams relying on handout from a factory in Melbourne. They now had a Japanese bunker, overflowing with engineers, designers, and builders. They now had NISMO - the people that make Nissan's go really, really fast - on speed dial.

And Todd knew the man now shouting in Japanese at the picture of the "heavy", "blunt" and "make no sense" Commodore on the computer screen, would not rest until he made his new car NISMO fast. Kelly new his Nissan Altima would see "Godzilla'' rise once more.

The international mission to see Nissan conquer V8 Supercars continued this week with KBR freighting an engine to Japan to be tested following a landmark engine deal with NISMO.

"We did a deal recently for NISMO to help with some of our engine development,'' Todd said.

"We've done everything in-house at Nissan Motorsport up until this point. We had a visit from the NISMO head engine engineer at the Grand Prix, and that resulted in them sending some test parts over from their version of that engine that competes in sports car racing, but unfortunately, that did not result in any improvement over here.

"NISMO has been extremely keen to work closely with us and help move us forward, so they sort approval to get one of our units over there and begin their own work on it.''

Nissan have spent more than $5 million dollars this year to take on Holden, Ford and Mercedes in the fast growing Australian racing series. No one expected miracles in the first year, but make no mistake, the Japanese giant is here to win. The Kelly's have been challenged endlessly by the new machine with horsepower and straight line speed caging the latest incarnation of Godzilla. The team has found gains in the engine and now Japan will find more.

V8 Supercar drivers Rick and Todd Kelly before the switched from Holden to Nissan. Source: Supplied

"Essentially, it's a fresh outlook and a fresh set of eyes, so sending our engine to NISMO will be verification of where we're at and how well far we've come with it this year,'' Todd said.

"The equipment that they've got at their fingertips to develop the engine is a lot higher-tech than what we have. They will be able to see things a little bit clearer than what we can."

The engine will be placed on one of the world's most sophisticated dyno machines and tested by the man who put the "Fast" into "Fast and Furious''.

"It's a much more controlled environment over there,'' Kelly said.

"Nismo's dyno cells are all extremely controlled temperature wise, and their repeatability of what they have is excellent. They have invested an incredible amount of money in the most up-to-date technology. Having this resource available to us is invaluable.

"They even have a transient dyno that they can run full lap simulation. That's not going to be used on our engine this time, but it could be a great option for us to use in the future."

Nissan have already gone from pretenders to contenders with a giant killing race win at Queensland Raceway proving their might. And the Kelly's have done a remarkable job going from zero to flat out in under 12 months.

"The gains have been good,'' Todd said.

"and I'm extremely proud of the work and progress that our team has made, considering this is exactly the same block and cylinder head that you'll find in your new Nissan Patrol.

"We've taken it to the max. To get to where we are, we've probably machined too much material out of the cylinder head to the point where we are really testing the reliability of the unit, but I'm really happy with the progress.

"I often think about the amount of time and money we've spent per extra horsepower. It would be a scary figure.''

But it is only the start of a journey that should have Ford and Holden running scared. The powerful company are demanding results and expect to see Godzilla break free from his chains next year thanks to some help from Japan.

"Straight-line speed has been the only thing that has slowed us down, and there's two things that have contributed to that - engine and aerodynamics,'' Todd said.

"Thanks to our own work at Nissan Motorsport, we feel that the engine has become an small component of our shortfalls, so the majority of our gains will come from aero which we're working through at the moment.

"Improvements with the engine will certainly help, so when we have both of those sorted for 2014, we'll be on the money."

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Read book extracts from ADP

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AS far as I'm concerned, Australia isn't just a place; it's a state of mind. It's the culmination of a journey I made with my heart and mind even before I made it with a 24-hour plane flight.

A few years ago, after a defeat that was especially hard to bear, I decided to take a holiday in a place as far away from Italy as I could find on the map. It was an escape, with no precise destination.

Italian soccer star forward Alessandro Del Piero arrives at Sydney International Airport in 2012. Source: News Limited

The important thing was to go a long way away. Much later I did something similar, although for very different reasons. It didn't happen after a defeat, but after I raised a cup as captain of the Juventus football team for the last time. I didn't have to escape from anything then; there was absolutely no need to run away.

But there are times when escape and change need the same approach, times when we also need to switch off physically and distance ourselves from our familiar routines. It's a leap to another level, a new stage in a video game that is totally different from the previous ones, and therefore even more stimulating, and must be tackled with a full tank of energy.

Image of Alessandro Del Piero taking a free kick for the Padova youth team from his book, "Playing On. Source: Supplied

Yes, that's exactly it: Australia has recharged me and given me what I needed. After leaving Juventus I received many offers, mainly from Italy-far more than I would have expected. After nearly twenty years wearing the black-and-white jersey-which Italians either love or hate, but which in any case divides them-I didn't imagine so many teams would consider placing bets on someone who until a day earlier had been an opponent and the captain of the rival team of all teams.

Managers, coaches and colleagues made me feel really flattered. Probably they were hoping to take advantage of any feeling of revenge I might have had against Juventus, but I've never felt that. You don't erase the past, or at least I don't. I've always said I'd never play for another Italian team, despite my deep respect for the other clubs. I kept to that.

Book cover for Alessandro Del Piero - Playing On Source: Supplied

At first, in the early period as a player free from any contract, I evaluated offers on the basis of the competitive level of the championships involved and the possibility of participating in the main international events (the UEFA Champions League or the Libertadores, since going to South America was one of the opportunities I'd been offered).

Basically I was still reasoning with the mental¬ity of the 'old' Alessandro Del Piero. I still hadn't realised I'd already moved beyond that level of the video game: it had ended with that unforgettable day at the Juventus stadium and the most spontaneous, sincere and amazing tribute ever from the black-and-white supporters.

Alessandro Del Piero of Italy kisses the World Cup trophy in 2006 (/Getty Images) Source: Getty Images

I hadn't yet realised that I actually wanted something different. Not something more: that wasn't possible. I've been privileged in winning everything, both at club level and with the Italian national team in 2006, when we won the World Cup in Germany. For twenty years I raced along at 300 kilometres an hour, with a single obsession: to achieve perfection, which in sport means to win. And I left with a win.

What else could possibly give me those same feelings again? What could stand up to comparison without bringing on endless attacks of nostalgia? I would never have wanted to keep on playing and keep looking back instead of looking ahead as I'd always done. Better to stop. And so, while I was on holiday and trying to reorganise my thoughts after the flood of emotions that had overwhelmed me, I realised there was nothing more I could have.

Alessandro Del Piero in action for Sydney FC (Brett Hemmings/Getty Images) Source: Getty Images

No, not more. I had to look for something different, a new experience that would make it worth sweating it out and training, while still using all my experience, with the head of an adult and the heart of a kid whose only purpose in life was to run around after a football. So my mindset changed: I stopped looking for a team and a championship that would allow me to relive what I'd already had.

I started weighing up the proposals that offered something more than a contract, more than money, more than the opportunity to go back to winning what I'd already won. Not a new team, but a new life. A new state of mind: that's the reason for Sydney FC, for Sydney, and for Australia. A new life.

Alessandro Del Piero thanks the Sydney FC fans (Mark Evans) Source: News Limited

Australia stands for a before and an after. Even once I'm no longer here I'll always remember this interlude as a watershed time in my life, and not only in my professional life. Before this, I was used to being Alessandro Del Piero all the time, on and off the field. I have always deliberately (and I would say proudly) kept my public side separate from my private one: Del Piero the footballer separate from Alessandro, the father, husband, son, brother, friend . . . But in Italy, and in Europe generally, outside the four walls of my home it's impossible not to be Del Piero.

Alessandro Del Piero pulling the strings for Sydney FC (Brett Hemmings/Getty Images) Source: Getty Images

Mind you, I'm not complaining: the attention, and especially the show of affection I receive from people, make me feel privileged; I never forget that were no-one to rejoice at my goals, scoring them would not be worth the trouble. But I don't deny that at times, and especially since my children were born, I've become more persistent about looking for 'normality'.

And that is what I've found in Australia. I've rediscovered things I had almost forgotten: going to the park with my children (something I did with my father, when I was the child), walking around the city, being a tourist where I live, taking time for my family and for myself, and experiencing a new dimension I hadn't known before coming to Sydney.

Alessandro Del Piero of Sydney FC celebrates with fans (Brett Hemmings/Getty Images) Source: Getty Images

In my life as a Sydney FC player many of my habits have changed; living my everyday life in a country so very different from Italy enriches me. This is not a value judgement; it's simply a fact. In Australia we are virtually all migrants-some who came early and some who came later. I've met so many Italians, for example, that some days I feel I'm still in Turin.

Each one of them has their own special story and they all deserve a book like this one. It's real life. Their love for Italy, even from such a distance, makes me even prouder to be Italian and at the same time makes me appreciate this country, which has succeeded in establishing its own identity partly through the diverse origins of the people who live here.

Sydney's Alessandro Del Piero fully focused. (Pic Brett Costello) Source: News Limited

This country is a great example: it has harnessed diversity as an asset without seeing it as an obstacle, and this is the basis of its community life and the cornerstone of a shared value system. It's some¬thing you pick up very quickly, when you go shopping, when you take your children to school, at restaurants and on the training pitch. It's a lesson I want to carry with me forever, and I'd like my children to do the same.

I realised at once, after just a few days Down Under, that I had made the right choice. On and off the field. I think all sportspeople should try to spend a period of their professional lives in Australia, because for anyone in my profession it's a sort of paradise.

Alessandro Del Piero celebrates a Sydney FC win with fans. Source: News Limited

What I noticed immediately is the general assumption that sport is a fundamental part of young people's education, and more broadly a cultural factor that is always present in people's lives. Here the correspondence between physical activity and wellbeing is well and truly apparent, you notice it very quickly.

In one of my first interviews with an Italian newspaper after I arrived in Australia, I said that one of the things that struck me most in Sydney was seeing how many people were pursuing sports activities early in the morning, at the break of day when I was heading for the training pitch..

Alessandro Del Piero with his famous tongue out celebration (Pic by Brett Costello) Source: News Limited

Clearly, when people have stopped being high-level athletes and become spectators, they obviously possess a superlative ability to appreciate the athletic and technical skills of other sportspeople. Here in Australia they love being there in person, being part of the event and getting totally involved, with great respect for the essence of sport but at the same time barracking and following the contest with fire and passion.

Alessandro Del Piero during his team at Juventus. Source: Getty Images

Don't think The Cove at Sydney FC is any less vociferous than the most enthusiastic curva I've known in the course of my European career . . . But 'anti'-barracking, for example, the organised and systematic booing of opponents to put them off, doesn't exist here.

And I'm convinced this is linked to a generalised ability to appreciate the value of sport, not just its results and not just barracking for your team. This is true for all sports disciplines, not only those with a great Australian tradition but also the newer ones like football that are gradually receiving more space and attention.

The welcome I was given was extraordinary. In every stadium I was applauded, in every city the Australian public showed its appreciation and its eagerness to see me on the field. Lots of people, especially but not only Italian migrants, have thanked me for making this choice. Actually, I'm the one who is grateful to them for all the emotions they are giving me and for everything I'm learning from this great adventure. The renewal of my contract with Sydney FC for a second A-League season shows how confident I am about this project and this Australian experience. I will do all I can to help the team grow further, improving on last season's results, and to help the continuing expansion of the Australian football movement, especially among young people and children who want to start this marvellous sport at an early age.

I'm not afraid of being accused of being narcissistic if I confess that one of the main reasons behind my accepting the Sydney FC offer was their absolute determination to get me. From the first meeting they made me feel truly important, by their actions and not just with their words, and above all they always linked the project to the Australian football movement. Of course I play for Sydney and my objective-and their reason for signing me on- is to make my team better and help it grow, but there's something more. From the moment I arrived at the airport and from the first training session, not to mention my first game, I had the honour and the responsibility of being celebrated as an emblem of football and of sports in general, a symbol of the growth of the whole Australian football movement. That is no small thing: it's almost the ultimate accomplishment one can hope for in one's career. Almost, though, because it's a career that is not yet over. The finale has yet to be written.

Playing On by Alessandro Del Piero (Allen & Unwin) will be published on Wednesday 20 November. RRP $22.99

Thanks to Bookworld, News Corp Australia and Fox Sports readers can order now and receive a 20% discount and free shipping. Click here!

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