Round 12 – Carlton v Port Adelaide: Life, death and football

It’s been a year of highs and lows for Blues fan Barb Smith.

Round 2 – West Coast v Carlton: Expect nothing, avoid disappointment

Barb Smith is feeling great at quarter-time. By three quarter time she’s taken a leaf from the Tigers Book of Life.

A tippler discovers Bulldogs aphorisms

Over a glass of wine or two, Barb Smith reads Caro’s analysis Peter Gordon’s press conference and has a few thoughts of her own.

One Lousy Point

In a rather miraculous result the Reed-Smith tipping comp comes down to the wire.

AFL Round 21 – Carlton v Geelong: Sick of smug cats, sick of valiant defeats, and other titles

Sick of gallant defeats, Barb Smith is looking to the Blues’ future…and she likes what she sees

Dear Carlton

Barb Smith has broken up with Carlton and headed to France. She’s been peeking though.

Dear Carlton

In a letter to her beloved Carlton, Barb Smith tells her team it needs to shape up if their relationship is to be saved.

AFL Finals Week 2 – Sydney v Carlton: End of the line

It was a helluva ride this year but being out of the finals has its upside, writes Barb Smith, who now vows to concentrate on other parts of her life.

Wheels of fortune and other puns

Carlton made the finals at the expense of Essendon, and have progressed to the second week while Collingwood fell over in week 1. It’s been everything Barb Smith could have wished for.

Round 23 and other anomalies (from a pumped Bluebagger)

For once Barb Smith is grateful for the Essendon Football Club. She spends no time thinking about James Hird – now that the Blues are in the finals.

AFL Round 19 – Carlton v Fremantle: The Blues were done over, Dad

After an emotional week, when she said goodbye to her dad, Barb Smith settles in to watch her Blues. She likes Freo, just not when they play this well against her team.

AFL Round 11 – Essendon v Carlton: There, I’ve said it, “We choked (against the despised)”

Barb Smith gets away for the weekend just in time to see her Blueboys collapse.

AFL Round 1 – Carlton vs Richmond: Footy, a religion. A play in 4 acts

Carlton fan Barb Smith has a confession to make after Thursday night’s drama.

Carlton, you bastard

I don’t know how I feel, heading off soon to the last game of Carlton’s season, and the last game with Brett Ratten as coach. A lot of people have condemned the club for their treatment of him, and I think the media needs to take a fair bit of blame for his demise. It [Read more]

Melbourne: have you considered your supporters might be the problem?

A big thank you to the Demons supporters who sat right behind me at the ‘G on Sunday to see their team play the Blues. Had they not been there, resplendent in their cashmere coats and members’ medallions, I would not have been aware of the injustices inflicted on their team by the the umpires. [Read more]

A blue sort of fortnight

A blue sort of fortnight   It is Saturday night, the night before my birthday, I’m just clinging to my fifties. I’ve had a pretty crappy week. My husband and I work together, with a small staff, and are a bit over-worked and snapping at each other.  We were robbed at work on Sunday night, [Read more]

Never a passenger

Carlton’s slogan this year was “No Passengers”. I never thought Setanta O’hAilpin was a passenger.   I love his intensity and the way he plays with passion. I love his Irish accent. I love the way he crashes around in the game, and brings the ball down for our smaller players (“Setanta’s little helpers”). I [Read more]

Oh Glorious Night

After sitting through the Carlton v Magpies game last Saturday, and been driven mad by opposition (Collingwood) supporters, I entered last night’s game Carlton v Essendon still cranky. I could not get over how much the Magpie supporters believe the ball is their right. They have manipulated the media (say no more) and the government [Read more]

Collingwood are annoying

God, I forgot how annoying playing Collingwood is. I started what I expected to be a nice day, with a late invitation to the dining room at the ‘G. Lucky I was dressed for it & left work early, caught the train in with great expectations. Question: When did Magpie supporters become “gentrified” and take [Read more]

A full day of football

Last Friday, I had a full day of football. It started at 12 noon (well actually, it was about an hour later when host and guest turned up). It was the monthly Footy Almanac luncheon at the Clyde Hotel in Carlton, and Ted Hopkins was the Guest of Honour. Many years ago I was an [Read more]