Glasgow, Comm Games & Bloody Madness: John’s Take

I don’t usually wade into political debates, but the decision to cancel the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Victoria was — to put it bluntly — bloody madness.

As a 20‑year‑old, I still remember the thrill of winning the 1970 Australian Road Title and being selected to represent Australia at the Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh. It was my first trip outside the country, and the excitement of travelling overseas was almost as big as the honour of wearing the green and gold. Back then, very few young Aussies travelled abroad, and the locals in Scotland were just as fascinated by us as we were by them.

That’s what the Commonwealth Games do: they connect people, they create memories, and they give athletes, especially young ones, a moment that shapes their lives.

Which is why the Victorian cancellation still stings.

The Regional Model Was Flawed From Day One

A regional Commonwealth Games was never truly feasible. The model was wrong from the start, and the reasons for hosting them were never clearly aligned with reality.

Take Bendigo. The plan was to build a temporary velodrome to host all track cycling events. But Bendigo would have been at capacity just housing athletes and officials — meaning spectators would have struggled to find accommodation. Meanwhile, Melbourne already has a world‑class velodrome sitting inside John Cain Arena. Yes, it would have needed some work after years of inactivity, but nothing close to the cost of building a temporary venue from scratch.

Ballarat faced similar issues with rowing — infrastructure gaps, accommodation pressure, and transport challenges that were never properly resolved.

These weren’t surprises. They were predictable, structural problems.

And the official reviews back that up. The Victorian Auditor‑General found that the original business case underestimated costs and overstated benefits, and that agencies failed to give “frank and full advice” before the government committed to hosting. The expected cost blew out from $2.6 billion to more than $6 billion, and the final cost to Victorians — even after cancellation — is already over $589 million.

Regional communities were promised a legacy — housing, upgraded facilities, long‑term investment. Instead, many were left with unfinished projects and unanswered questions. Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo, and Gippsland are still waiting to see whether the promised infrastructure will ever fully materialise.

Cancelling Was the Easy Way Out — Not the Right One

Once it became clear the regional concept wasn’t going to work, the government took what looked like the easy option: pull the pin.

But the right decision, the courageous decision, would have been to pivot.

Melbourne has some of the best major‑event facilities in the world. Use them. Run the marquee events in the city, and share selected sports with regional centres that could realistically support them. That hybrid model would have delivered the Games, protected the legacy, and avoided the international embarrassment that followed.

Instead, we paid hundreds of millions in penalties and compensation, and the damage to our reputation will take years to repair. Even the Senate’s interim report highlights the reputational hit and the messy decision‑making timeline that led to the collapse.

And Now Glasgow Isn’t Even Holding a Road Race? REALLY?

As if the whole saga wasn’t frustrating enough, Glasgow, the 2026 replacement host, isn’t even staging a road race.

For a sport that has delivered some of Australia’s greatest Commonwealth Games moments, it’s a slap in the face. Road racing is one of the most accessible, iconic, and widely supported events in the entire program. To see it dropped entirely only adds salt to the wound.

What We Lost

The Commonwealth Games aren’t perfect, but they matter, especially to young athletes dreaming of their first international start line. They matter to regional communities who rarely get global attention. And they matter to the legacy of Australian sport.

We didn’t just lose an event. We lost an opportunity and one that won’t come around again for a long time.