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
editReferences
edit- ^ 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) - ^ "One Day in September". 45cat. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ^ "Up There Cazaly". 45cat. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ^ Pierek, Jon (25 July 2010). "Lockett: Happy to be 'home'". The Age. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
- ^ "Jesaulenko You Beauty". Youtube. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
- ^ "Archie's song of inspiration". AFL News, 19 May 2013. 19 May 2013. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
- ^ "It all Sounds like football to me". Youtube. Retrieved 3 December 2015.
- ^ Picket Palace - Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti, retrieved 26 August 2022
- ^ Milligan, Nick (21 March 2013). "Russell Morris pays homage to Les Darcy". Maitland Mercury. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
- ^ "Paul Kelly – Rally Round The Drum". Youtube. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
- ^ "Final bell for showman Jimmy Sharman". The Age. 26 April 2006. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
- ^ "Bradman". 45cat. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f Daffey, Paul (11 December 2004). "The Ten". The Age. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Goodbye, Phar Lap, Goodbye". AllDownUnder.com. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ^ "Come on Phar Lap". 45cat. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ^ "Russell Morris SHARKMOUTH – Track 11 BIG RED". Youtube. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
- ^ "The Goondiwindi Grey". 45cat. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ^ "The Melbourne Cup". 45cat. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ^ "Paleface Adios". 45cat. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ^ "Little Hondo". 45cat. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ^ "Evonne Goolagong tribute [1981]". Youtube. Retrieved 9 December 2015.