Sport, hands down, is an art form in its own right

October 31, 2026 — 5:00am

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Sports broadcaster and columnist Kelli Underwood and senior arts writer Karl Quinn presented the keynote speeches at The Age’s Melbourne Assembly forum, moderated by Waleed Aly, on the topic, “Sport v the Arts: What is the true heart of Melbourne?” Below is an edited excerpt of Underwood’s speech. Read Karl Quinn’s speech here.

I can win this debate with just three words: Sport is art. And Melbourne does it better than anywhere else in the world. Let me explain.

I’m not a suave, cultured arts writer (like my good friend, Karl); I’m a sports broadcaster. But even I know there are seven major art forms: music, painting, architecture, literature, theatre, film and sculpture.

Let’s start with music. Is there a better and more uniquely Melbourne sound than the roar from the MCG? When the players run out on the field and burst through the banner, in front of 100,000 fans, you can feel the ground shake and rumble. The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra’s percussion section is good – but not that good! Your heart beats a little faster.

And what about when a player is sprinting down the wing and a Rioli sets chase, lunging horizontally through the air like Superman, and lands a desperate tug on the opponent’s guernsey and pulls the player to ground? There’s a pause while our hearts are in our mouths. And then, that collective shout: BALL! It fills my heart.

What about painting? The best art award in Australia would have to be the Archibald, generally seen as the most prestigious portrait prize in the country. Of course, sport has won it.

Remember Adam Goodes’ stunning portrait by artist Vincent Namatjira. It shows Vincent hand in hand with Goodes, before iconic images of Adam’s war dance and his re-enactment of Nicky Winmar lifting his jumper. What makes this even more special is that this portrait was the first by an Aboriginal artist to win the Archibald, in 2020, the prize’s 99th year.

To architecture. Good design makes you feel at home and provides a sense of belonging. Name me a building that does it better than the MCG. Good architecture is about innovation and problem-solving – like Rod Laver Arena with its groundbreaking retractable roof. And name me a better urban landscape than the Melbourne Formula One Grand Prix track at Albert Park, the best track in the world for the fastest cars to........

© The Sydney Morning Herald