Former cop and prosecutor took WCF to task
The efforts Australian curlers go through to train at home is well known. Limited and generally poor ice conditions and equipment leave them scratching for basic access and opportunity, but still that nation’s tiny curling community powers forward.
Jay Merchant is the Canadian-born skip of Team Australia at the Pan Continental Curling Championships in Calgary, and he has enjoyed a wild curling ride to and within the land down under.
Including a bureaucratic hiccup that Merchant recent challenged—and won.
China’s surprise absence from this championship resulted in the World Curling Federation initially announcing that Kazakhstan would replace China in the A-division, leaving Australia in the B-Division.
That’s when Merchant put on his best suit and got to work.
“I had a look at the decision and I took a look at the world rankings and I said, well, something’s not right,” said Merchant. “We launched a formal appeal, and we were successful in that appeal.
“The proper selection process wasn’t followed, based on the process the WCF had published. So the decision to promote Kazakhstan in the first place was not correct.
“It’s what I do for a living, I’m in court all the time.”
Merchant has enjoyed a colourful off-ice career in Australia as a defence lawyer, a police officer, a prosecutor and head of prosecutions in Queensland. He’s competing in Calgary while on leave from current duties as a barrister.
“It’s unfortunate that (the WCF appeal) had to come down to that,” said Merchant. “And we’re seeing more and more of that, decisions are being made and they’re not correct, and it’s appropriate for athletes and teams to challenge those decisions. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
Merchant has enjoyed a colourful on-ice career, too. Originally from Red Deer, he competed against Team Brad Gushue lead Geoff Walker in the 2002 Alberta junior provincials, and also locked horns with Gushue himself in their youthful days. Merchant went on to compete on men’s teams in Alberta and Saskatchewan, as well as with Quebec’s Guy Hemmings.
But how did he end up in Australia?
Merchant had studied for his Master’s degree for a year in that country, and longed to return. He was scrolling through online curling posts in April of 2010—in the early days of social media—when he came across The Curling News Blog. And there it was.
“Australian Curling Wants YOU” read the post. It told a tale of opportunity in Australian curling; fellow Canadians living in Aus wanted to recruit curlers to relocate down under.
“Think we’ve got kangaroos loose in the top paddock?” asked the post. “Think again, this is actually quite bonzer. Holy Dooley!
“Even better if you work in Information Technology, we’ll find you a job. Even better if you’re single, we’ll find you a partner!”
“Somehow, somewhere, it just hit me … and I saw your blogpost,” said Merchant. “And I thought, shit, if I could make this work …”
Merchant made it work. He even scored the Australian government’s Distinguished Talent visa, usually reserved for professional athletes in other sports—never for curling.
“It was unheard of,” recalled Merchant. “I received permanent residency in eight days. That was a record for Australia. Then (I received) citizenship two years later.”
Merchant’s on-ice career for Australia has seen him compile a 20-43 won/loss record in 63 games played over eight competitions heading into Calgary. His current squad of Beijing Olympian Dean Hewitt, Tanner Davis and Kiwi-Canadians Justin and Ian Grundy were 2-2 heading into Thursday’s action against Canada (3-1) and the United States (3-1).
Merchant’s men, which includes his father Archie and brother Chad as team coaches, are aiming to finish in the top five and grab an elusive berth into the men’s world championships in Ottawa.
“This is why the WCF decision was so important,” offers Merchant. “I’ll be candid here, whenever you lose an Asian team at one of these tournaments, that’s a spot (at world championships) that becomes available.
“China, Japan and Korea have always been a thorn in our side so whenever there is the opportunity that one of them is not gonna be there, we have to seize on that and take the opportunity.”
Australia closes the round-robin against Korea on Friday.