AFL Grand Final: Who Are Those Guys?

The Grand Final reminded me of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid; the Hawks were Butch and Sundance, the Swans the hunting party they couldn’t shake. “Who are those guys?” the Hawks were asking all day; incredulous at the tenacity of their opponent.

AFL Grand Final: I’m a lucky man

Craig Dodson doesn’t make a habit of hugging 70 year old female strangers but at 5.08pm on Saturday it made perfect sense as the emotion of the Swans victory took hold. Sport has the power to unite people and a shared love of the Sydney Swans had taken over M29 row E of the Olympic stand.

AFL Grand Final: Bad kicking is bad football

It is the oldest saying in the game, says Stephen Alomes, bad kicking is bad football. It was true long before they invented ‘scoreboard pressure’, players became ‘delicious’ and the Hawks won the stat sheet.

AFL Grand Final: Lunch of champions

After some memorable Grand Final lunching, Yvette Wroby and friends settled down for a Grand Final full of energy and fight from the first bounce.

AFL Grand Final: Betting on O’Keefe

    Roland and I are walking through our small town between bouts of sideways rain, doing it easy. I’ve just cut a load of wood to pay for my grog over the Grand Final weekend. We slip into the tavern to be warm for the length of a lazy traveller. “Give me your iThingie,” [Read more]

AFL Grand Final: The Wrap

THE GRAND FINAL WRAP WHERE LIFE IMITATES FOOTBALL And what a Grand Finalé to a Grand Season it’s been Eddie.  Just in case you’re not sure of the words of The Tinseltowners’ song we’ve printed them out so we can all sing along with The Loyal Sons & Daughters. Cheer, Cheer the Red and the [Read more]

AFL Grand Final: The 2012 ‘Mopsy’ Fraser Cup (from far far away)

Greetings Tipsters When we checked into this hotel yesterday I had one question. “Do you have the Australia Network?” Yes, they do, but I insisted on confirming it before we booked in. After all, one must have one’s priorities in order. The Sparkies were playing in another Grand Final. I’ve never really liked the Mayblooms. [Read more]

A series of rambles from Grand Final Week

Monday – The Brownlow I used to love Brownlow night, but some of the magic has been lost of late. It seems less and less about footy. However, fellow ‘knacker Neil summed it up beautifully “Not a fan of the Brownlow but love the excuse for Monday night pots.” I do like how everyday conversations [Read more]

AFL Grand Final: Let There Be Football

  Right now it’s past midnight. Tomorrow. Saturday. Grand-damn-Final day! Praise be and hallelujah Grand! Final! When jets play on jets. Champions are put on Champions. Redemption stories are put on redemption stories. One tale to be confirmed, etched in stone. The other to be shattered and fade like false dawns. I’ve said it before, [Read more]

AFL Grand Final: A strange love story

Bruz has fallen in love with the Swans but can’t quite put his finger on why.

AFL Grand Final: Barracking for football in general, and banjos in particular

My mate Biddsy bought a banjo, and a banjo manual, so he could learn that brilliant solo from the Swans theme song, from first principles. He barracks for Richmond. I am thinking of Biddsy and banjos because we have heard a lot of the Swans theme song  in our house over the past few days. [Read more]

Grand Final Preview: The Pre-Wrap

The Wrapster gives his two cents on Jobe, Juddy, Swan, a twilight Grand Final and the Tigers….and he’s just getting started.

Grand Final preview: Medals, smokies and the first goal

Resident tipster Sal Ciardulli makes his prediction and provides some smokies for the Norm Smith and first goal.

AFL Grand Final: Harms TattsBet preview

Harms with some thoughts on the Grand Final.      

Grand Final preview: Diary of a dialectician in training

There are three sleeps to go until the Grand Final. Hawks supporter Rick Kane is getting seven hours per night – for now, anyway.