Dan Andrews' $7b decision raises questions over future of Commonwealth Games

The signs were clear in 2017 when Durban was stripped of the 2022 hosting rights and again four years later when Hamilton, Canada, pulled out of the race to host the 2026 edition.

So dire was the situation, the Commonwealth Games Federation went cap in hand to Dan Andrews and the Victorian government in a desperate bid to find a home for the 2026 edition.

The organisations had come up with a vision to save the Games. Rather than hosting the event in one city, it would be spread across four regional Victorian cities.

It was sold as a cost effective way to host the 13-day sporting extravaganza, a path forward and a lesson for the IOC as they attempt to trim the ever-ballooning costs of hosting the Olympics.

Andrews, however, shattered that facade on Tuesday morning.

In announcing his government's decision to pull the pin on the 2026 Commonwealth Games, the premier claimed the anticipated cost had blown out from $2.6 billion to $6-7 billion. It was a cost his state was not willing to bear.

For context, the 2032 Brisbane Olympics were originally forecast to cost $4.45 billion. That figure now sits at $7 billion.

The Commonwealth Games has settled into an uneasy rhythm throughout the past two decades, with hosting rights alternating between Australian and British cities.

Birmingham held up the UK end of the bargain last year, now it was Victoria's turn to do so.

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The fact even Victoria, the so-called sporting capital of the world, was not willing to foot the bill reveals exactly how far the Commonwealth Games have fallen in the Australian consciousness.

Interest levels have waned in recent years in an increasingly cluttered sporting landscape. Hardcore fans will always switch on, but casual fans need a degree of tension and competition to draw them in.

The Commonwealth Games have sorely lacked that in the past decade. Viewers have lost interest in watching a substandard version of the Olympics in which Australian athletes sweep the podium.

Interest had already started to wane in countries outside Australia and England as the two countries dominated the competition.

Questions will now be asked of not just the nature of the 2026 Games but the future of the event in general.

An Australian city will likely put their hand up to host the competition at short notice, but whether the Commonwealth Games exist in 2030 remains to be seen.

Already, countries are leaving the monarchy to become republics, with many seeing the monarchy as a relic of a blood-stained colonial past.

The Games were intended to mend some of those bridges and unite the union as one. Tuesday's announcement shows few have faith they are achieving those goals.

Throughout it all, one has to feel for the athletes at the centre of all this.

For some, the Commonwealth Games are their pinnacle. Lawn bowls, netball and a host of other sports do not feature in the Olympics and this is their one chance every four years to compete in a multi-sport extravaganza, mingling with some of the best athletes in the world.

For others, the competition is a valuable stepping stone to the Olympic Games. A scaled back version of the main event, it provides a crucial opportunity to learn how to stay focused and achieve peak performance while living in a village filled with distractions.

As the Commonwealth Games limp towards a likely death, we may have to wait years to learn the long-term impact on Australia's performances at the Olympics.