Test of Will

by Glenn McGrath

  When the day came for me to return to ‘work’ and leave for yet another tour, the looks on their faces broke my heart. It rammed home that I was spending way too much time away from home. When I asked myself if the time had come for me to call stumps, that look and that sense of knowing became the deciding factor. It was thinking about the life I could have with my family that made it quite easy for me to say goodbye to a sport that’d dominated my life for longer than I cared to remember.

  Holly is growing into a special young lady and I feel an enormous sense of pride in that. And while she is creative, ‘Doll’ is also a great student and her school report cards acknowledge all of her positive traits from grades to manners. James is a real boy; he has lots of good mates and is into many sports. We do a lot together: one of our shared interests is scuba diving and free diving. It’s something that we do together that I believe can only strengthen our bond. Sometimes I’m asked if I would like James to play cricket at a high level. All I ever say is if that’s what my son wants, then I’ll do all I can to help him, but if he doesn’t, that’s his choice.

  I’m very proud of the people my kids have grown into, and are growing into. As proud of them as I am, and as much as I love them, I don’t mind admitting it’s scary to think what the world is like out there. It can be a mean place, but while it’s a deep concern, I think we need to give our kids our trust and, as hard as it is, allow for them to make some mistakes. I believe that’s how they’ll learn who they really are. I’ve set myself the goal as my kids’ father, and Sara backs me completely as their mother, to ensure they’re raised to be people who care for others. That would make me, as their dad, very happy and proud.

  4

  PINK FIT

  It’s great to be back here at the SCG, which is my favourite ground in the world. To walk back on the hallowed turf is always something very special, but to think this is our seventh Sydney Pink Test we’ve been involved in is absolutely incredible. Through that time, through the Cricket Cares program with Cricket Australia, we’ve raised over $6.5 million dollars, which I think is absolutely amazing … I can’t think of any other sporting event and charity/foundation that have teamed up and created something this special. To see everyone turn up in pink is amazing. To think the Australian and Indian teams have pink logos [is incredible] … I guess when I was a kid you wouldn’t have anything pink near your cricket gear, to think what’s been created here and how many Australian families have been supported just blows me away. We have come a long way in a relatively short space of time but we have a long way to go to achieve our goal, which is every Australian family experiencing breast cancer has access to a breast care nurse where they live. That’s still the driving force of the foundation, as is raising breast awareness, especially in younger women. We say in the foundation, together we can make a difference but I think it should be together we ARE making a difference … it’s been amazing.

  —My thoughts to the media before the 2014–15 Pink Test

  The most commonly asked question I field during the lead-up to the Pink Test at the SCG is what would Jane have made of her life being honoured in such a public way. The truth is this: she would have felt a mixture of shock, pride and humility, because she never believed the foundation—and definitely not breast cancer—was all about her. The third day of the SCG Test represents hope and enjoying life to promote the importance of educating people about breast cancer and ensuring that no woman, regardless of her background or where she lives, is condemned to go through her struggle alone. The McGrath Foundation provides specialised nurses who are trained to help in so many ways.

  The Pink Test is a festive occasion and I guess that’s helped by the fact that it falls in the Christmas–New Year period when people are happy and up for a good time. In that regard, my family is no different to anyone else. Jane McGrath Day means a lot to Holly and James, because when they see the SCG bathed in pink, because it’s the colour most people wear to support the foundation, I think they realise the Pink Test is about hope and appreciating the gift that is life. It’s also a sign for James and Holly that the legacy of their mother’s fight with a disease that eventually took her life has become a rallying cry for so many people.

  As was the case with the first Pink Test when I looked over the SCG with a sense of awe, I make it a point each year to take time out to soak in the scene and admire what has been created. The sight of the sea of pink around the ground—and the fact that people are prepared to help out and show their support for the cause—never ceases to amaze me.

  The Pink Test is actually a joyous time for us, and Jane McGrath Day is one that I, James and Holly embrace. It’s a day that reminds us, Sara included, that life isn’t just about quantity, it has to centre around quality. I’m conscious of trying to hang onto what I learnt during that period of my life, and that is the importance of savouring the moments that count.

  Cricket Australia acknowledged the importance of the foundation’s work by naming the third day of the Sydney Test the Jane McGrath Day. While it was an extraordinary gesture, we didn’t know what to expect going into it. Apart from anything else, I wondered whether the public would buy into it. I mean, it was after all a Test-cricket crowd, who value the sport’s age-old traditions.

  Kylie Tink was chief executive of the foundation at the time, and I thought she did an incredible job during the six years she was at the helm. I clearly remember the day we attended our first meeting with Channel Nine’s head of sport, Steve Crawley. Every time we offered a suggestion that could help promote the foundation, Steve would shake his head before replying with a gruff, ‘We can’t do any of that.’ I had no idea what to expect after we left that meeting; but on the third day of the Test I looked around my favourite cricket ground with what I can only describe as a sense of awe and disbelief. The signage around the ground was pink; the logos on the Aussie team’s shirts were pink; the stumps were pink; and the Channel Nine commentators were dressed in pink. There were volunteers working tirelessly to collect money for the foundation, and the tradition-steeped Ladies Stand was named after Jane. Everyone from the prime minister to truckies and office workers were decked out in pink, and all I can remember thinking to myself was, How incredible is this? Channel Nine, Cricket Australia and the SCG Trust had exceeded the requests we’d put forward. I don’t think I can ever hope to thank Cricket Australia’s chief executive officer James Sutherland, Steve Crawley, the SCG Trust’s Jamie Barkley and the crowd enough for their efforts, because that first Pink Test was the springboard for the tradition—and the warm spirit that I believe defines the day—in each of the summers that have followed.

  That first day was a blur. I went from high teas to commentary booths to media interviews to mingling with the crowd to lunch, where the prime minister and other dignitaries were in attendance, to talk about the work of the foundation and to spell out our goals. I finished the day happy with what had been achieved. The success took everyone by surprise. I was elated for the foundation’s sake, because apart from helping to raise the profile it was exciting to think of how many lives would change for the better.

  These days Sara accompanies me to the SCG and her involvement is important to me. Her desire to support the work of the foundation means a lot to me. The foundation holds a special significance for Sara because her mother battled breast cancer. The Test is also a chance for her, now living on the other side of the world, to reflect on what she and her mother endured and the importance of their relationship. During the Pink Test the SCG is full of so many people with their own stories and emotions. I meet so many people throughout the course of those five days who, in one way or another, have been affected by cancer. Last summer a breast cancer patient named Jill Crozier was present for the Test against India because she wanted to be a part of the day, and I thought her story was more powerful than anything that happened out on the pitch. Jill travelled to Sydney from a sheep station nearly four hours from Broken Hill in outback New South Wales. She was exa
ctly the kind of person we had in mind to help when we formed the foundation. You see, there was a five-month period after being diagnosed when she needed to endure a 1600-kilometre round trip from her property to Adelaide for chemotherapy. What I can only imagine would’ve been a nightmarish journey ended when the McGrath Foundation—in alliance with a valued sponsor, Elders—was able to fund a breast care nurse to be attached to the Royal Flying Doctor Service at Broken Hill in 2011. That nurse, named Jo Beven, is someone I have heard only wonderful things about over the years. Her posting means she’s able to look after women like Jill, who live in remote areas in New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland. The care Jo provides patients goes beyond dispensing medication and offering advice. I was told that when Jill lost her hair, her eyelashes and eyebrows as a result of her chemotherapy treatment, Jo went to the trouble of taking a make-up artist along on a visit to show Jill the best way to apply make-up. Jo realised that was something that would allow Jill to feel good about herself. It’s the human touch; and the reason I’ve mentioned Jill and Jo is because they put a face to the many, many stories behind the foundation. They are the people that the beefy blokes who dress up in pink and the women who normally wouldn’t attend a cricket match in a pink fit are helping through their donations and support. Before the 2015 Test, when the foundation celebrated our ‘decade of making a difference’, we revealed our plan to try and increase our number of breast care nurses to 110, because we realised that would put us in a position to support another 10,000 families.

  Normally Cricket Australia doesn’t partner up with a charity for more than three years, but we have started talking about heading into our third term, and that is an honour. What also pleases me about the Pink Test is that we—Cricket Australia and the McGrath Foundation—have formed an alliance that is also giving back to cricket. It’s my understanding that the pre-ticket sales for the Sydney Test, especially for the third day, are higher than at any other ground around Australia during the summer, and that’s because there are more families and women coming along—and that pleases me. As I said on the eve of the 2014–15 Test, I can’t think of too many charities or foundations that have partnered with a big sporting organisation with such success. The players have thrown their weight behind it; the sponsors are extremely generous; Channel Nine has certainly bent over backwards to help; the SCG Trust has been magnificent and they go to a lot of trouble to prepare the ground; while the crowd doesn’t hold back its support. It’s only getting bigger every year, and as a foundation we now have a far better understanding of what we need to do. And that’s good, because after seven Pink Tests I’m not running around like a headless chook anymore.

  We’ve had four prime ministers involved in the event since its inception—Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull. What I like is that, in the course of the day, the nation’s leader could be found having a cup of tea with breast cancer patients or, as was the case for Mr Abbott last year, judging a cake-decorating competition, which included entries from his wife, Margie; celebrity cook Julie Goodwin; athletes Ellyse Perry and Candice Falzon; and Holly and me. Holly was the star of our team. It made me smile as the PM treated the matter as something of national importance when, dressed in his pink tie to support the cause, he stuck his finger deep into the icing, examined it closely and then, after some more consideration, declared the contest a dead heat. While he gave each team 18 points (and probably saved himself from a night in the doghouse at Kirribilli), my opinion still stands that Holly’s effort was clearly the best!

  Something I have noticed about the foundation is that everyone likes to have ownership of it, and I see that as very healthy. During the inaugural Pink Test, I took some time out and sat in the Cricket NSW box with two old friends. One was Brian Gainsford, who had a big impact on my cricket career when he picked me for the Tooheys Cup match that featured Doug Walters and the other first-class players in Parkes. The other was Brian Freedman who is a stalwart at the Bankstown Cricket Club and for New South Wales. As we watched, they commented that it was a pity they couldn’t take a piece of the Pink Test to communities around Australia. It was from that off-the-cuff comment that the successful concept of the Pink Stumps Day was born. The Pink Stumps Day is an event where local communities raise funds for the McGrath Foundation by playing pink matches, and people really throw themselves into the spirit of the day.

  There are other events run in conjunction with the Test, including the annual Pink Pigeon Race Day back at my hometown of Narromine. This event means a lot to me on a personal level. Some of the people I know from my school days and from playing local sport are out helping to raise funds and, at the same time, having a bit of fun at the expense of my nickname ‘Pigeon’—a moniker bestowed upon me a lifetime ago because of my skinny legs. The race is held on Jane McGrath Day and the pigeons fly from Narromine to Trangie, which is about 30 kilometres away. The concept is the brainchild of the Trangie Hotel’s big-hearted publican Steve Dalton, who is a pigeon racer. His idea has been a sure-fire success, raising well over $100,000. But I also really like that the race has become a genuine community event, with a three-person Ambrose at the Narromine Golf Club the day before, a sausage sizzle, and a Calcutta auction with the pigeons up for sale. They hold a Pink Lamb sale and on race day they have music and jumping castles for the kids. It makes me laugh that each of the pigeons are named after Channel Nine commentators, and sometimes the mind boggles when I wonder what characteristics they look for when they name a bird after Mark ‘Tubby’ Taylor, Shane Warne, Ian Chappell, Bill Lawry, Michael ‘Slats’ Slater, Ian Healy and the rest of the gang. In the true spirit of bushies helping out, the winnings from the race are split between the owner of the top placegetters and the foundation, and it helps a lot.

  I have also found that the foundation can bring out the best in old foes. The visiting teams have always been happy to play a role in the day, but most surprising to me since my retirement is the way in which the Barmy Army have supported it. During my days patrolling the boundary I exchanged plenty of banter with them, but my attitude towards them has gone up a few notches in recent years. I’m not going to get mushy, but the way they’ve banded behind the Pink Test and the foundation tells me that maybe they’re not such a bad mob after all; the last time they invaded the SCG they donated $35,000 to the kitty, which I consider a magnificent gesture. I think it says a lot about what they stand for: a group of people wanting to have a good time.

  There was a time when I’d wonder how long the Pink Test would be a part of the cricket calendar, but it seems as though it’s here to stay. I’ve heard the term ‘iconic’ associated with it in more recent times and I hope that is the popular view, because there is definitely a spirit about it, and there are plenty of people depending upon what the SCG Test and the generosity of so many people and organisations offer them.

  Hope.

  5

  FOUNDATION OF HOPE AND DEVOTION

  I just love cancer nursing, love it with a passion, because you just make a difference, that’s why. No matter what part of the experience people are at, whether it’s the beginning of their diagnosis, the middle or the end you can always make a difference.

  —Bec Creeper, McGrath IGA breast care nurse

  I’m humbled that the McGrath Foundation is considered by many people as one of Australia’s most respected charities, all because it is seen as something the average person can relate to. People appreciate that our single goal is to help women suffering from breast cancer in the most practical way possible, and that’s by providing highly trained nurses throughout the length and breadth of Australia, particularly in those rural areas where medical resources can be few and far between. After all these years—the foundation is ten years old—I still feel a thrill when I see someone wearing a McGrath Foundation cap as a show of support; or when I go to a refrigerator at a convenience store and see those rows of now familiar pink-capped Mount Franklin spring water bottles with our logo on the label
; and I will forever feel an immense sense of pride when I hear our greatest treasures, the nurses, described by their patients—and the patients’ families—as God-sent.

  Despite my unabashed pride in what the foundation represents, the truth is I live for the day when we can shut it down … that day when we can lock the front doors of our office in the Sydney suburb of St Leonards and allow everyone involved in the organisation to move on and utilise their amazing talents, their compassion and creativity in other endeavours, other fields. The reason why I can’t wait for that day is because it will mean the doctors and researchers who’ve devoted years of their lives trying to find a cure will have finally achieved what we’ve all been praying for—something to nullify an insidious disease that strikes one in eight Australian women and has brought far too much grief to the world. I firmly believe that day will come, but until it does we’ll continue to do our bit to work hard and try to bring whatever comfort we can to sufferers, through the nurses and whatever else we might be able to provide them and their families.

  In 2008 the McGrath Foundation had four nurses, but six years later—thanks to initiatives such as Cricket Australia’s SCG Pink Test; to federal and state government support; and to grassroots community efforts hosting high teas, walkathons, bike rides, pink cricket matches or even footy games with big burly blokes decked out in pink—at last count there were 102 nurses throughout Australia, each of them helping to make a difference to so many lives.