All hail the Ross scallop pie, especially en route to the footy in Hobart

FEARLESS – Could it get any worse for the Demons? We hope not…   Carlton headed north to the Gabba confident that the preseason woes were behind them. As if to emphasise this, Eddie Betts took two screamers, both requiring Air Traffic Control’s permission to land. After an even first half, the Murphy-led Blues exercised [Read more]

For Whom The Bell Tolls

Is it possible to have stretch marks on your heart? The tension and pressure of the final minutes of front running were almost too much for the mortal system of The Terrace. Not so for the inspiring and inspired performers of the GFC. Like the extraordinary waves that lashed the surf coast the week before, [Read more]

A modern-day (Tasmanian) parable

Easter Sunday dawned in Tassy and the natives awoke to three main news stories.   Firstly the Easter Bunny had arrived and I’d consumed the ears out of three chocolate rabbits before arising.   Secondly we met with a word unfamiliar to us in the southern outpost, Ominium. The nearest I’d heard of it was [Read more]

The Axis of Enlightenment

By Rick Kane Somewhere between these three points lies the truth. Late last week, Crawf, writing for the little paper, (Victorian reference) argued that in the upcoming Easter Monday game between dreaded rivals, Hawthorn and Geelong, the Hawks would prevail. He finished his well balanced essay exclaiming that if the Hawks couldn’t beat the Cats [Read more]

Round Two Reflections: Forward 50 has become “The Land of the Giants”

  by Nick Sculley Round one of 2012 will be hard to top this season. One match decided after the siren, two more by less than a kick and the old-fashioned shootout was back in vogue. Fast-forward a week and round two had taken some of the gloss off an exemplary first round. Two 100-point plus [Read more]

Spontaneous combustion

by Kenneth Nguyen The dread thought has hung over me all Easter weekend, through a Good Friday spent getting dumped by 5-footers down at Lorne, through Saturday’s Mad Men catch-up session and Easter Sunday’s inevitable chocolate binge: We’re going to lose this one. For three seasons since 2008’s Day That Shall Not Speaketh Its Name, [Read more]

Round 2, 2012- Collingwood v Richmond

by John Carr Having decided early in the week to sit this game out in terms of attendance, (three tiddlywinks, a wife working weekends…something’s got to give) I booked myself a night in front of the box to watch my Richmond tackle the Pies. Sounds simple enough? What on earth was I thinking? Making dumplings [Read more]

Under the arrogant exterior, we Cats supporters still get nervous

  by Daniel Paproth I’m nervous before this Easter Monday clash. I’m always nervous before Geelong/Hawthorn matches. Even though my arrogance and joking over-confidence always win out, deep down, I feel the same as many other Cats fans – 08 still hurts.   09 and 11 more than made up for that loss, mind you. [Read more]

North head south

                                          North come south Reviewed by Adam Muyt. North Melbourne Versus Greater Western Sydney, 1.10pm, 8 April 2012, Bellerive Oval, Hobart Last week I was in Sydney where I grew up, reviewing a rugby league game for the [Read more]

Round 2 Winners and Losers

The second round of the season is in the books. Hopefully you had a tremendous Easter filled with family, chocolate and football. If you skimped on the last one have no fear, the following will fill you in. Winners Captains This was a good round for club captains. Chris Judd started proceedings on Friday night [Read more]

Purple patch

  Round 2 Collingwood vs. Richmond: Easter Saturday 8th May 2012 by John Ramsdale Purple Patch: “An exceptional period of time when someone experiences success, good fortune or luck.” Vaudeville performers from the early 1900’s allegedly had a saying, “Never follow an animal or a child act.” This was supposedly on the grounds that these [Read more]

Beating the nerves (and the Hawks)

  by Cait Mullen Normally, I go to the footy with my dad and siblings but as they’re all away I’ve had to scrounge up a replacement to go to the Geelong v. Hawthorn game with me. After being away for 12 months I have craved the atmosphere and emotions of going to the footy [Read more]

still the crowd

  Good Friday – we discuss who ought to be culled Easter Saturday – we enter the game without our leader a shot at goal brings howls from the crowd – full moon no wind missed kicks still the crowd autumn night nothing much going on except Pendlebury dusk – Daisy splits the night into [Read more]

Preseason pretence

  by Jamie Gault As we approach round three of the AFL season and start to, as the fans, settle into the 24/7 football bubble that encapsulates the community at this time of year, let’s take a moment to reflect on what has come and gone and how we got sucked in yet again. Getting [Read more]

The View from Shepparton – Round 2

by Peter Schumacher Thursday night. Was uneasy about being at home by myself when the Minister for Domestic Affairs was at a Maundy Thursday Church service which in theory I too should have been attending.  Too  bad, quarter time, Lions up by a couple of points and playing well enough to make me think about [Read more]

Geelong versus Hawthorn Day!

  AFL Round 2 Geelong vs Hawthorn By Susie Giese   I swear I am a child. Excitement is the overriding feeling. I can’t sleep. I try to read a book, watch a DVD, but I can’t distract myself. I’m too excited for tomorrow. It’s my favourite day of the year. I dream about it [Read more]

Distant memories

After a morning chocolate binge, my sister and I stroll down to Southern Cross at dusk. I do not feel confident. Who would after a loss to Port? And it could be argued that last year, Gold Coast were a better side than the Power. I had regretfully witnessed the ’09 Grand Final in the [Read more]

The Wrap – Round II

  THE WRAP – ROUND II WHERE LIFE IMITATES FOOTBALL by John Mosig What a round it’s been in Footy Eddie.   With an emphatic win over a brave but ill equipped Brissy on Thursday night, The Rattzbaggers announced that after all this coming, they’ve finally arrived.  On Saturday we witnessed more demoralizing destruction of Melbourne’s [Read more]

While it’s still fresh

..and only slightly scattered in my head. The game got so intense toward the end that I’m finding it hard to recall the last quarter. Just a series of moments with a firm grip on my heart throughout! The first time since ’08 that I’ve gone to a Cats v Hawks game expecting to lose. [Read more]

John Kingsmill’s football diary – Round 2

  Round Two, The Australian Rule of Entropy   “In statistical mechanics, entropy is a measure of the number of ways in which a system may be arranged, often taken to be a measure of ‘disorder’ (the higher the entropy, the higher the disorder).”     This year, will the shape of the season only [Read more]