A FIVE-YEAR-OLD statement from Tasmania's tennis-turned-cricket impresario Michael Roberts may need further updating tomorrow.
Promoting Serena Williams's attendance at the 2007 Moorilla International, the then chief executive of Tennis Tasmania declared the former World No.1 and multiple grand slam winner would be ``arguably the highest profile athlete in the world from any sport to compete in Tasmania''.
Unsurprisingly, the comment provoked some rather heated debate with numerous global greats thrown into the equation.
The Examiner compiled a list which included Jack Nicklaus contesting the 1971 Australian Open at Royal Hobart, Jack Brabham in the 1960 Australian Grand Prix at Longford, Billie-Jean King in the 1968 Tasmanian Open, Lester Piggott in the 1985 Launceston Cup and Sebastian Coe in a 1990 Hobart athletics meeting.
In his new incarnation as Hobart Hurricanes general manager, Roberts would doubtless add Shane Warne's visit with the Melbourne Stars last month along with cricketing predecessors W.G. Grace and Don Bradman, who both graced Launceston's NTCA Ground.
Such was the strength of the top 10 that world champions like Mick Doohan, John Surtees, Grant Hackett, Ian Thorpe, Sid Patterson, Cathy Freeman, Jana Pittman and Kelly Slater were among the also-rans.
A new name could join that illustrious company tomorrow night when a 33-year-old father-of-four graces the turf of Launceston's Aurora Stadium.
Such is the global impact of what SBS likes to refer to as ``the world game'', that Harry Kewell brings with him a profile the equal of many of those aforementioned athletes.
The man whose goal against Croatia took Australia through to the knockout stages of the 2006 World Cup had been the 1999-00 PFA young player of the year, helped Leeds United to a Champions League semi-final in 2000-01 and Liverpool to two finals including victory in 2005 (the first Australian-born winner of the sport's biggest club competition).
Wikipedia, that most reliable of resources for lazy journalists, describes him as ``Australia's finest football export, despite his career being blighted with injury''.
Kewell has also turned down lucrative offers from the likes of Milan, Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal and Barcelona during his career, and as if that wasn't enough, he is a former flatmate of Westlife singer Nicky Byrne.
Since last September when The Examiner broke the story that Tasmania's first A-League fixture would see Kewell's Melbourne Victory take on Gold Coast United, interest has focused around whether the tattooed talisman would play.
The club's media officer, Nick Slade, was surprised to hear this.
``Why wouldn't he play? He's played 16 of our 17 games this season,'' Slade told The Examiner yesterday.
Since the year of Roberts' big call, Launceston has been hosting preseason friendlies involving Victory, attracting crowds of up to 8061 - almost four times Gold Coast's seasonal low of 2081 for the visit of Victory's Melbourne rivals Heart a month ago.
A realignment of Aurora Stadium to accommodate the round-ball code will cap the venue's capacity at 10,000 tomorrow night and the appearance of Australia's biggest soccer export - albeit one seated alongside Brad Hogg in the career twilight bus - should help see that limit approached.
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