I've always thought that Bradman was, as you say, a bit of an opportunist regarding his takeover of Hodgett's business, but I've not read anything which would ping him with evidence as a shonk. Heenan, Dunstan, Nason, etc have been able to weave entertaining yarns about Bradman's alleged shortcomings, but their critiques have never found much purchase in the court of public opinion, including the accusation Bradman was (if I recall correctly) autistic and that the Don was an FTB. When all is said and done though, most people assume he's just another sportsman who leveraged his ability with bat and ball into a career in business, and I suspect his "threshers" want to take Bradman down a peg because Howard took him up a peg.
Cheers Tony. I wrote a few years ago that there were two competing visions of The Don, which I called Sir Donald Brandname and Sir Donald Badman, sharing many of the same vices.
Thank you GH for adding those few bumpers to what I already knew. Is it true that Braddles was black-balled from one of Adelaide's leading Golf Clubs but "higher" beings intervened? How he could speak against World Series cricket was a laugh!
At a cricket dinner c.1990 a senior attendee suggested to our table that Bradman could not go on the 1935-36 tour to South Africa as he had been named as a co-respondent in a divorce case, his passport held. Can we discount that as misinformation ?
Thanks Gideon. It seems logical that settling in and consolidating his position in his new environment could well be more important than a five month absence playing in a tour that wasn't in my guess ranked very highly at the time.
To read this right after reading "Cracking Noises", "Sir Donald Brandname", "The Greatest No-longer-living Australian" in "Game For Anything"... quite the feeling, I must say!
Great article Gideon. Fascinating to find out the background behind the move to Adelaide.
Dare say that no cricketer moves states these days for a stockbroking job though. 😊
Only other one I can think of is Bob Cowper back in 1969.
Excellent article, Gideon.
I've always thought that Bradman was, as you say, a bit of an opportunist regarding his takeover of Hodgett's business, but I've not read anything which would ping him with evidence as a shonk. Heenan, Dunstan, Nason, etc have been able to weave entertaining yarns about Bradman's alleged shortcomings, but their critiques have never found much purchase in the court of public opinion, including the accusation Bradman was (if I recall correctly) autistic and that the Don was an FTB. When all is said and done though, most people assume he's just another sportsman who leveraged his ability with bat and ball into a career in business, and I suspect his "threshers" want to take Bradman down a peg because Howard took him up a peg.
Cheers Tony. I wrote a few years ago that there were two competing visions of The Don, which I called Sir Donald Brandname and Sir Donald Badman, sharing many of the same vices.
Thank you GH for adding those few bumpers to what I already knew. Is it true that Braddles was black-balled from one of Adelaide's leading Golf Clubs but "higher" beings intervened? How he could speak against World Series cricket was a laugh!
Ian Chappell can certainly hold a grudge. I somewhat admire him for his persistence.
At a cricket dinner c.1990 a senior attendee suggested to our table that Bradman could not go on the 1935-36 tour to South Africa as he had been named as a co-respondent in a divorce case, his passport held. Can we discount that as misinformation ?
I remember that rumour, but reckon it would have been surprising had this not attracted the interest of a reporter in the matrimonial causes list. It may have been stimulated by this: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/159797391?searchTerm=bradman%20divorce
Thanks Gideon. It seems logical that settling in and consolidating his position in his new environment could well be more important than a five month absence playing in a tour that wasn't in my guess ranked very highly at the time.
To read this right after reading "Cracking Noises", "Sir Donald Brandname", "The Greatest No-longer-living Australian" in "Game For Anything"... quite the feeling, I must say!