Sport globally is on hiatus and our reporters Justine McCullagh-Beasy, Sean Hardeman and Brian Allen are eager to talk sport via The Commentary Box.

JUSTINE: The Michael Jordan documentary The Last Dance on Netflix is creating a buzz. It got me thinking - what Australian sporting stories deserve to be told or would capture audiences' attention? To me, the Melbourne Football Club is the ideal topic. It's the oldest football club in the world and has had its share of highs and lows. There's the 'curse' which followed the sacking of premiership-winning coach Norm Smith in the 1960s - the Demons are still searching for their 13th flag some five decades on - and off-field tragedy has been a regular visitor. Would it be a better documentary if they broke their premiership drought or if they continued in their malaise?

BRIAN: Some Australian sports stories that would capture worldwide attention would include people like Cathy Freeman, Nick Kyrgios, Ian Thorpe and Shane Warne. They are international superstars that millions of people have heard of and I think their stories would have the best shot at rivaling something like The Last Dance. Closer to home, I'd love to see an updated Leigh Matthews documentary. He's widely regarded as the best player to ever play AFL but I'm yet to see a documentary on him. I see on YouTube there was a series called Lethal made numerous years ago. As for the Demons, well you only have to look at the numerous documentaries on the Richmond Tigers since they broke their drought. As a Tigers' fan I reckon you can't have the ultimate sense of satisfaction without all that struggle. The glimmer of hope over the years - "Could they come good this year?" - always kept things interesting. I think a Dees documentary with a premiership ending would be perfect. Those sports stories where a team overcomes obstacle after obstacle to win - well they usually give you goosebumps.

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SEAN: I feel like a Demons' documentary could go along the lines of another series we have talked about in The Commentary Box - Sunderland Til I Die. I feel Melbourne would have the same sort of drama with rising and falling and the emotions of fans when they were driving to a preliminary final in 2018 and then the fall back to earth in 2019. The Dees have had their fair share of drama in the past 60 years too so there is enough there to fill a series. A good one could be on the dominant Australian men's cricket team in the early 2000s. Langer, Warne, Hayden, McGrath, Ponting, the Waughs and many more would make for an interesting watch! The recent Amazon Prime series The Test shows how enthralling the behind the scenes can be in cricket and with the players telling their stories about the winning streak and the disastrous Ashes defeat in 2005 would be thrilling to recap.

JUSTINE: I'd watch all of those. What about some more obscure ideas? Some of my favourite docos have been ones about a little-known story. Following a tennis player on the ATP or WTA tour who has to scrap to survive, trying to earn spots in Grand Slams etc would be compelling. For those on tennis' pinnacle, money is no issue but it's a different story for those busting a gut just to make it inside the top-100.

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BRIAN: Agreed. For every person who makes it in tennis or any other sport, there are hundreds of people who don't. And for those trying to breakthrough it's not all glitz and glamour. It comes down to balancing expenses with travel, accommodation and other costs. For example, Slovak tennis player Zuzana Zlochova claimed her biggest ever pay packet ($5000) when she won the Warrnambool Lawn Open this year. She's been on the tour for 12 years and is 317 on the Women's Tennis Association singles rankings. Also, as someone who moved to Warrnambool a couple of years ago, I've always been amazed by how many big names have come out the south-west. Marc Leishman, Kathryn Ross, Leon Cameron, Jonathan Brown, Jordan Lewis and Emma Kearney are just some. Is there a documentary in that? What makes the south-west a breeding ground for so many top athletes and coaches?

SEAN: I feel you're onto something there Brian! Must be something in the air or the water around these parts to create wonderful athletes. Another good one would be on the AFL players who have come from here - the Fitzroy connection, the Cobden football factory, South Warrnambool's success at producing some great players. You could also do many of the teams from down here which have been successful. Koroit's success could be a good one for local filmmakers looking to start their careers to look at in the future.

JUSTINE: Inner sanctum access - at any level - is always intriguing, particularly for people who haven't experienced it. A season following a country football-netball club would unearth some interesting subplots, particularly if it was filmed next season, post-coronavirus. One of the better documentaries is Formula One's Drive to Survive. There could be some interesting scenes in season three - if there is one - after Sebastian Vettel revealed he would part ways with Ferrari after 2020. Could this pave the way for Aussie Daniel Ricciardo?

SEAN: Well at the end of the last season they did say almost every driver is out of contract in the paddock and it was going to create mayhem. This is only the start of the silly season. I was speaking with The Standard's star photographer and genuine revhead Morgan Hancock about where Dan goes. We thought he either sticks it with Renault or if he goes to chase world titles at Ferrari or even jumps to McLaren, which is a rising team within the F1 paddock, if Spaniard Carlos Sainz gets the Ferrari seat. I hope Dan ends up at McLaren as he would suit it perfectly. Ferrari doesn't look at all settled.

BRIAN: Formula One isn't my strength but I like this idea about following a country footy and netball club post-coronavirus restrictions. I wonder if any filmmakers are getting to work already? You'd want to get all this context in about will or won't they return in 2020. It's been a challenging and intriguing time to be a sports reporter, that's for sure.

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