Characters make the world go round

Substitute goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne shot straight into Australian sporting folklore on Tuesday morning when he made the defining save of the nation’s World Cup qualifying campaign to send the Socceroos into the final 32.

That alone is enough for him to be etched into the history books of football in this country.

But the way he went about it means his reach will be astronomical.

Dubbed the ‘Grey Wiggle’ for his dancing efforts on the goal-line during the penalty shootout, Redmayne’s look of shock after making the final save will do the rounds of the internet for all eternity.

In schoolyards and at training session for weeks to come, future stars and future fans of the game alike will be wriggling and jiggling their way between the posts, feigning astonishment when they eventually nab a flying save of their own.

The engagement Redmayne’s efforts will create cannot be underestimated — and the results will not only be seen at grassroots level, but in the viewing audience numbers when the World Cup campaign reaches its crescendo later this year.

Because while die-hard fans will watch their national team through bleary eyes from beneath a blanket no matter the hour, the general public need a bit more encouragement.

The Socceroos now have the ‘wiggle room’ to make that engagement happen.

Tyler Maher is the bleary-eyed editor of the News.