Almanac Flashback: Round 11 2011 – WCE v GCS: Loud and Proud and Out of Tune

Round 11 ten years ago saw West Coast take on Gold Coast at Subiaco with the Eagles winning by 18 points. Peter Baulderstone’s account of the the match in 2011 has been retrieved from the Footy Almanac archives.

Almanac Book Review: ‘The Golf Courses of Vern Morcom’ – Toby Cumming

Peter Baulderstone reviews Toby Cumming’s book, ‘The golf courses of Vern Morcom’, the story of one of Australia’s most influential golf course architects.

Almanac Golf: New independent golf journals/magazines – Best/funniest podcast ever

Golfing tragic, Peter B, has come acoss some new independent golf journals and podcasts he thoroughly recommends for the enjoyment of all Almanackers.

My Indigenous Round – Love and Pain and the Whole Damned Thing

During the AFL Indigenous Round, Peter Baulderstone gained an even better understanding of indigenous culture by having two in depth conversations with indigenous people. [Powerful, must read – Ed]

Australian Open : Frank Dancevic v Bernard Tomic

Our Australian Open Tennis correspondent braved his heated imagination to bring you this pictorial report on yesterday’s epic Centre Court battle between Frank Dancevic and Bernard Tomic (or Snoopy as he is affectionately known around the Almanac locker room).

Avarice, Fineprint and Lawyers: the AFL Annual Report (text now up)

Peter Baulderstone assesses the season from a commercial perspective, surveying the key corporate moments, and analysing the business practices. He concludes with the most recent deal which prompts him to ask: ‘What would you pay for a semi-detached full forward in the current Sydney property market?”

Perth BBQ and book collection

Peter Baulderstone and Les Everett will be hosting a BBQ, complete with beer and 2012 Footy Almanacs this Thursday, December 20, from 6-8pm.

The Game They Play in Hell

WEST COAST EAGLES v HAWTHORN Subiaco Oval; 5.40pm; Saturday 21 April 2012 Football’s like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.  Mrs Gump certainly knew a thing or two about AFL.  The Dockers showed heart and spirit on Friday night.  Go figure.  This week the Blues managed to do what the [Read more]

IDIOCY

“I’m here today with Marj, who is in charge of Image Development, Internal Operations and Coaching Youth with the AFL.  Can you tell us a little about yourself and how you came to get the job?” “Thanks John.  As you know the AFL has been spending an enormous amount of time and money recently on Image Development, [Read more]

A Perth Sporting Weekend

It’s been a huge weekend of sport here in the West.  The Force showed the insipid Reds the door.  And the Glory and the Wildcats advanced deeper into Finals territory.  But of course all that paled compared with the arrival of the CATS on Friday. That’s right the Champion Australian Team of Snorers (CATS) were [Read more]

Thinking outside the oval

by Peter Baulderstone Football (and that’s a broader family than AFL) has lost two of its broadest thinkers and most compassionate administrators – one to cancer, and the other to political correctness.  One loss cannot be remedied, but the other should be. We all get lost in the adoration and fandom of professional sport, and [Read more]

Keeping Up Appearances

Scene 1:  A group of Club Recruiters are meeting with an AFL Manager to discuss emerging issues and trends in the game. Recruiter 1: It’s always been as much an art as a science this recruiting business.  You look at what’s available in the local comps.  Look at your clubs place on the ladder.  No [Read more]

2011 – Looking Forward, Looking Back

  The angel sounded – the sentinel horn, The final quarter of the old year gone; It’s been a good year for the team up in heaven, Got the best of the Draft in Two Thousand Eleven.   Yabby’s the coach of this team for the Ages, With Doc as the skipper of the BeSainted [Read more]

AN ALMANACKERS CHRISTMAS TALE

  ‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house Not a creature was stirring, not even Harms’ mouth; Blue and white stockings – the chimney festoon, In hopes that the Handicapper will be filling them soon; The children were nestled all snug in their beds; As visions of Cats premierships danced in their [Read more]

Perth Almanac Drinks – South Fremantle Footy Club – 16 Dec 2011

Enjoyable evening in a Post Surrealist way.  Bit late arriving. Cross town traffic in the Friday Night Pre-Christmas rush.   Red and White Bulldogs going through their paces on the Oval.  Christ they’re keen – and young.  I remember when I was young and footballers were all old men.  Now its reversed.  At least the [Read more]

Lessons from Other Codes

  My fellow Almanackers.  I urged you to join me in launching the Football Improvement Federation of Australia (FIFA). We share a common love of Australian football.  But I have become concerned about the decline and stagnation of the code.  Games have become predictable, repetitive and defensive.  There is not enough variety to keep fans [Read more]

Tangled Up In White – Reflections on the Passing of Peter Roebuck

  For the last week I have been tempted to write about cricket – but who cares these days?  Corruption; meaningless space fillers for pay TV; the cosy self-interest of administrators, marketers and media; the decline of the first class competition inAustralia.  Brendan M, Skip and PJ had all said it more eloquently than me. [Read more]

On the Question of Sumich

‘Desperate and Dateless’ of Northern Tasmania writes: “Talk us through the Sumich defection. I would expect that would be the biggest thing to happen in WA since Bondy fell from grace. The rest of the football world’s equivalent of Barass going toCarlton.  Surely you are able to enlighten us eastern infidels.”   Well DD, we [Read more]

Top 10 Reasons for the Cats to lose the Preliminary Final.

  by Peter Baulderstone   10) – The Wisdom of Harms. In his prescient introduction to the 2009 Almanac Nostradamus Harms sagely observed “West Coast reminded me of Kaiser’s Germany, stockpiling and building and about to be launched”.  Well spotted JTH.  The blitzkrieg is about to be launched, and Geelong’s Maginot Line will be breached [Read more]

Rudd, Lyon, Freo and the Value of Nothing

  by Peter Baulderstone I don’t like the Harvey assassination (Mark not Lee Harvey) and Lyon ascension (Ross not Gary).  Trying to put aside the surprise, emotion and unfairness of the event, I want to put it in the context of our society and our politics in particular.   As the old saw goes ‘art [Read more]