Special Sub-Topic: Aussie Sporting Disasters Click Here To Play: Aussie Sporting Disasters

After a 1-1 draw with Iran away during the 1998 World Cup Qualifiers, the Socceroos only needed a 0-0 draw (or a win) to advance to the World Cup Finals. What was the final score?

2-2. 2-2, thus ended our dream on the away-goals rule. We were robbed! November 1997 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground will be remembered for a long, long time. The devastation at the full-time whistle was indescribable: Stan Lazaradis fell to the ground at full-time and did not move for 20 minutes until a policeman came over and helped him off the ground. In attempting to qualify for the 3 World Cups 1990, 1994 and 1998, Australia has lost just one game (0-1 away to Argentina in the 94 qualifiers) and yet did not qualify for any of these 3 final series. There are many of us down under who reckon that the qualification system and the hurdles placed in front of Oceania qualifiers is unfair!

In 1995, one of the world's great sporting droughts came to an end when Queensland won WHAT competition for the first time in over 100 years?

Sheffield Shield. Finally, Queensland won cricket's main prize.

At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, athlete Jane Saville was disqualified moments from a certain victory in which event?

10km Walk. Everyone says it was a disaster, but it's a 'odd sport' where there's such a fine line between running and walking (keeping at least one foot in contact with the ground at all times) .. maybe she should've taken up running (she runs a lot).

Name the Aussie yacht that shamefully sank during the 1994 America's Cup?

One Australia.

Australia was beaten in the 1995-96 Cricket World Cup Final by which long-shot country?

Sri Lanka.

In 2001 Australia missed out on qualifying for the World Basketball Championships, by failing to win the Oceania group. Who did Australia lose to?

New Zealand. This was only our 3rd loss to New Zealand in basketball, and two of those came in these World Cup Qualifiers ... how embarrassing.

Despite being one of the finest players of his generation, Australia's Greg Norman failed to win a single US Golf Major. However, in the 1994 Masters he came mighty close but just lost to Nick Faldo. By how many strokes was Norman leading by when he tee-ed off on the last day before collapsing?

six. I remember going to school that day safe in the knowledge that the Great White Shark would finally win a US Major. Imagine my shock when by recess I was informed that he had lost ... they almost had to shut down the school because of the wave of shock and emotion that engulfed the school that day.

Greg Norman - he's a great source of anguish to an Aussie sports fan - how many times in total has Norman been a runner-up at a US Major?

5 - 1 US Open, 1 US PGA, 3 Masters. A sad 5 runner-up trophies for Greg. In 1984 he lost a play-off to Fuzzy Zoeller in the US Open. In 1993 he lost in another play-off to Paul Azinger in the US PGA. And he was runner-up in the Masters in 1986, 1987 and 1995.

For many years, the Australian men's Hockey Team has gone into the Olympic Games as gold medal favourites only to finish without the top gong, and three times have finished with a silver medal. Which of these Olympics did Australia NOT win a silver?

Seoul 1988. Since first competeing in 1956, the Australian men have won four silvers (1968, 1972, 1992, 1996) and four bronze medals (1964, 1984, 1988, 2000).

Of the first 10 World Netball Championships held, Australia won 8. Who is the only country to dethrone the Aussies during those 10 championships?

New Zealand. New Zealand defeated us in the 1967 and 1987 finals. The 10th championships were held in 1999.

At which one of these Olympics did Australia fail to win a gold medal?

Montreal 1976. The disasterous 1976 Montreal Olympics saw Australia walk away without any of the spoils, but it was a defining moment in Australia's sporting history and the one moment that brought upon the development of the Australian Institute of Sport.

As with Netball, Australia's Rugby League team has an impeccable record at World Cups. Of the first 12 played, Australia emerged victorious in 9 of them. Who is the only other country to win the Rugby League World Cup?

Great Britain. The Brits won the World Cup in 1954, 1960 and 1972. Since then it has been a cake-walk for the Kangaroos ... it's a bit stupid really, it's the only World Cup where Australians often like seeing their national team lose ... except to the Kiwis.

Australia has not been overly successful at the World Game of Soccer. But in the 1992 Olympics the Olyroos just missed out on a bronze medal after losing to which team in the 3rd-4th place play-off game?

Ghana. Fourth was a brilliant result for the Soccer boys. That's impressive for a country of 18 million that supports 4 major codes of football (Australian Rules, Rugby League, Rugby Union, and Soccer) and soccer is last in that list.

Australian tennis great Ken Rosewall won three of the four Grand-Slam tournaments. In which tournament was Rosewall a 4-time runner-up but never a winner?

Wimbledon. Rosewall lost Wimbledon finals to Jaroslav Drobny (1954), Lew Hoad (1956), John Newcombe (1970), and Jimmy Conners (1974): an incredible 20 years between the first and last!

In probably one of the most remarkable spells of bowling in cricket history, which South African bowler took 7 wickets in the final innings and restricted Australia to just 111 runs to win the 3rd Cricket Test in January, 1994?

Fanie de Villiers. We only needed 117 runs for victory and the only man standing in our way of a series victory was Fanie de Villiers who ran in over after over. When he wasn't collecting wickets, he was restricting scoring opportunities. It was horrible to watch, but at the same time it was the only time I've marvelled and appreciated an opposition bowling display.