Bradman defies the stereotypes, just as he did on the cricket field. He isn't folksy like Babe Ruth or quotable like Ali or a knockabout bloke like Teddy Whitten. Australians aren't much like Bradman. He is famous for not seeking fame and in a way has become a victim of it. For 70 years, he has been public property.
Outsiders tell it differently.
Seven years ago, Kevin Boyle, an Adelaide journalist and former editor of The Weekly Times , took his son Greg, then 13, to Bradman's home in Adelaide's Kensington Park. Greg had written to Bradman saying he was doing a school project on him. Bradman phoned and invited him around. He was really generous. I found him transparently charming - totally different to his imagery.