A win will provide the platform for Garside to do what no Australian has done, win Olympic boxing gold. No one will be more nervous than dad Sean and mum Kate who will be watching from lockdown. 

“It’s nerve wracking, watching through my fingers, I couldn’t watch the last round of the last fight, had to walk out,” Kate said. 

“But he is feeling comfortable, relaxed. As long as he listens to his trainer and sticks to his plan.”  

Cruze brings an enormous reputation into the ring and whatever happens Garside will need to convince the judges he has done enough against a white-hot favourite.

“We’ve been speaking to him every day. He is still looking forward to fighting for gold but understands the enormity of what’s ahead and the need to win convincingly.” 

Before the Games started, when asked what drew a then 9-year-old to boxing Garside quipped, “The short answer is I watched too many Rocky moves, the long answer is I was a bit of a softy, a wimp, more inclined to be a mommy’s boy. I wanted to win the respect of my brothers and particularly my father.” 

Mum still finds watching her boy in the ring difficult. 

“I hated it, still find it hard as the stakes have got bigger. When Harry first started doing it, we thought it would be short lived. I used to think it was, what thugs do. But I’ve learnt to respect the sport, respect the skills, it’s like a game of chess.”   

Kate has also seen boxing and veteran trainer Brian Levier bring out the best in her boy.

“Brian has instilled a love of boxing in Harry, he has always looked after him. Harry trained for three years before he could get in the ring, every night he’d be there. He has two older brothers but he now has a lot of other brothers and sisters he’s met through boxing…..and he still has a pretty face, thank goodness.” 

Garside was only 20 when he announced himself on the world stage in 2018 by winning the Commonwealth Games.  

“The biggest thing I’ve done since then is improve between the ears, I’ve matured,” he said. “Every month I challenge myself to do something that makes me uncomfortable. I test myself out of the ring and it makes me more fearless in the ring, I’m willing to take risks to grow as a person,” he said.  

What’s followed was everything from ballet to karaoke.

“Oh, he’s a terrible singer,” his mum said, and then with a hint of pride, she adds “We have deep conversations, he loves to expand his mind and have a good armour of information about topics he wants to talk about. But mostly he champions other people, he’s humble and he’s grounded.” 

Sean and Kate had planned to watch the fight with 100 of Harry’s supporters including Levier at a Victorian club but COVID has put an end to that. Instead, they will be in the family loungeroom. 

Across the globe the world will watch her youngest son, trying to achieve his dreams while rocking a mullet, “Oh isn’t it revolting, absolutely revolting but 24-year-olds don’t listen to their mums.” 

That maybe so, but before he steps into the ring Harry will get some motherly advice the entire country hopes he follows. 

“I’ll just tell him, mate you know what to do. Now go out there and kick his ass.”

Jon Harker