It was the dream of two Melbourne fire fighters. Ride in relay with ten colleagues around Highway 1, taking in 15,000 kilometres and the diverse and contrasting landscapes of Australia.Their mission, to increase the awareness of prostate cancer, a disease that affects men aged over forty, men like Mark O’Connor and David Doherty. When the pair rode into the MCG recently to finish the adventure, not only had the ride raised thousands of dollars, it had delivered the message to thousands of males of all shapes and sizes throughout the country.

North Hobart Oval plays without a doubt a major part in Tasmanian football history. It has been host to many great clashes over the years from interstate and intrastate football to the rivalries of the former TFL (Tasmanian Football League) competition. In the 1970’s they jammed into the tiny ground, lining the terraces with views of the Derwent River and shouting their lungs out at their local heroes in a grand final.

Who could forget the famous win over the Big 'V' in 1990 before 18,653 roaring fans. In 1979, 25,000 squeezed into the ground to watch Glenorchy play Clarence in a classic TFL grand final, a record attendance for a match in Tasmania.

Former Richmond VFL star and ex-Tasmanian Michael Roach was once asked what he thought the biggest difference was between playing in the big league in Melbourne to the quiet backdrops of rural Tasmania where he began. The roar of the crowd compared to the tooting of car horns after a goal is scored was his reply.

Roach played on the wings of the Longford ground in Tasmania’s north before signing with the Tigers of Punt road and becoming one of their greatest ever goal kickers with more than 600 majors. It certainly would have been an eye-opener for the skinny kid from country Tasmania, running out onto the hallowed turf at the MCG in front of tens of thousands of hysterical fans.

“This kid could win the Tour de France one day.” The voice of cycling, Phil Liggett, had just witnessed quite possibly the first step in an Australian’s quest to win the greatest race on earth.Liggett had been travelling in a support vehicle up Mt.Wellington in Hobart as a part of the race convoy on the penultimate stage of the 1998 Tour of Tasmania.

A young determined mountain biker from the hills around Melbourne had just burnt off the field in the ascent to the top and would pull on the Tour leader’s yellow jersey that night.It was the first time he had ever worn the leader’s jersey in a road race, his name -  Cadel Evans.When you look back on the careers of sports stars that have risen to great heights, there is usually a time and a place that can be pin-pointed to changing their pathway to stardom, a defining moment where an action or result confirms their ability to become the next big thing.