Rulebook, in the centre, asking his teammates whether they’d like to buy a copy of his book just minutes after the final siren of the Inter-varsity Footy Carnival.
On the left, Almanac Free Market Meteorologist, BD Dutschke, and on the right, royal strongman (descended from King Canute), Dan ‘Handbag’ Hansen.
So let’s run this interview with them via the comments section [all welcome to give your own responses]:
Year?
Favourite drink?
Carnival venue?
Accommodation?
Name of the Blacks team, if appropriate?
Coach?
Other than Shawshank Redemption, favourite movie?
Opponent in the final?
Favourite TV show?
Positions on the day?
Jumper number?
Recruited from where?
Karen Pini or Abigail?
Score?
Favourite food?
Grand Final performance: player rating out of 10?
Delvene Delaney or Allyce Platt?
Individual stats?
University course?
Life ambition at that stage?
Goalkickers?
Float the dollar or not?
Vine pull or no vine pull?
Where was the celebration?
From Rulebook:
1988
Back then beer – Coke now
IV Team 88 ( unusually for Ad Uni fc a boring team name )
Sydney
Rooftop Hotel in Glebe
Michael Dadds – Coach which was a term used v loosely
Daddsy’s pre-match address – Well we have come a long way. You know what position you’re playing. Hopefully see you at quarter time
The Castle
Monash
The Front Bar
Me – runner we shitted in, so bugger coaching
Payneham CC by Mick Weatherald
Karen Pini
GF Ad University fc 21-17-143 def Monash 9-5-59 ( it was a cliffhanger at the opening bounce )
Karen Pini
Schnitzel
Both v v good – Danny’s sledging of the opposition as always was elite
I was also our All Australian Selector. No truth in the rumour Danny and BD were celebrating making the side before the carnival started.
Delvene Delaney
As Chocka Bloch always said I was the number one graduate of Football 1 H
To stay alive
To float the dollar – ohh please
Vine Pull – Huh ?
More where wasn’t the celebrations – we kicked on when we got back to Adelaide and somehow the A grade won the next day – turned out Ham and Eggs had delayed concussion pretty sure he played A grade and can’t remember it.
From Handbag
Year: 1988
Favourite drink: Only Bob Neil approved beer.
Carnival venue: Sydney
Accommodation: Some dodgy joint on Glebe Pt Rd
Name of the Blacks team, if appropriate: Not appropriate.
Coach: Daddsy, I think?
Other than Shawshank Redemption, favourite movie: Beaches
Opponent in the final? Monash, I think.
Favourite TV show? In 1988, Rage, I only had time for TV in the early hours of Sunday night.
Positions on the day? Ruck Rover/HBF
Jumper number? Probably 28
Recruited from where? The nasty Western suburbs (as the spooners called it)
Karen Pini or Abigail: Which one was always on the cover of TV Week?
Score: We won by about ten goals. But they made us pay.
Favourite food: Frikadelle. (Google it) Here you go: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frikadelle
Grand Final performance: player rating out of 10: Fully fit, or with hangover adjustment factor applied?
Delvene Delaney or Allyce Platt: Who’s Allyce Platt?
Individual stats: About 10 kicks, 10 handballs, 2 meat pies and one sock.
University course: Geophysics- yes global warming is real.
Life ambition at that stage: I can’t remember but I think success eluded me.
Goalkickers: I did kick one from the pocket that went over all four posts. Luckily Mac Whitham went to the Rulebook school of goal umpiring.
Float the dollar or not: As long as we have a responsible Federal Government running tight fiscal policy and the Governor of the RBA employs prudent monetary policy, float away.
Vine pull or no vine pull: Red, preferably a shiraz.
Where was the celebration: Near the Bob Neil sign on the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
About John Harms
JTH is a writer, publisher, speaker, historian. He is publisher and contributing editor of The Footy Almanac and footyalmanac.com.au. He has written columns and features for numerous publications. His books include Confessions of a Thirteenth Man, Memoirs of a Mug Punter, Loose Men Everywhere, Play On, The Pearl: Steve Renouf's Story and Life As I Know It (with Michelle Payne). He appears (appeared?) on ABCTV's Offsiders. He can be contacted [email protected] He is married to The Handicapper and has three school-age kids - Theo, Anna, Evie. He might not be the worst putter in the world but he's in the worst four. His ambition was to lunch for Australia but it clashed with his other ambition - to shoot his age.
1988
Back then beer – Coke now
IV Team 88 ( unusually for Ad Uni fc a boring team name )
Sydney
Rooftop Hotel in Glebe
Michael Dadds – Coach which was a term used v loosely
Daddy’s pre match address – Well we have come a long way you know what position your playing hopefully see you at Q time
The Castle
Monash
The Front Bar
Me – runner we shitted in so bugger coaching
Payneham CC by Mick Weatherald
Karen Pini
GF Ad University fc 21-17-143 def Monash 9-5-59 ( it was a cliffhanger at the opening bounce )
Karen Pini
Schnitzel
Both v v good – Danny’s sledging of the opposition as always was elite
I was also our All Australian Selector no truth in the rumor Danny and BD were celebrating making the side before the carnival started
Delvene Delaney
As Chocka Bloch always said I was the number 1 graduate of Football 1 H
To Stay alive
To float the dollar – ohh please
Vine Pull – Huh ?
More where wasn’t the celebrations- we kicked on when we got back to Adelaide and somehow the A grade won the next day – turned out Ham and Eggs had delayed concussion pretty sure he played A grade and can’t remember it
I’ve known Rulebook for about 40 years, but I still don’t know if he went to Adelaide Uni, and if so, when, and what did he study (or not, as the case may be)?
Challenge accepted.
Year: 1988
Favourite drink: Only Bob Neil approved beer.
Carnival venue: Sydney
Accommodation: Some dodgy joint on Glebe Pt Rd
Name of the Blacks team, if appropriate: Not appropriate.
Coach: Daddsy, I think???
Other than Shawshank Redemption, favourite movie: Beaches
Opponent in the final? Monash, I think.
Favourite TV show? In 1988, Rage, I only had time for TV in the early hours of Sunday night.
Positions on the day? Ruck Rover/HBF
Jumper number? Probably 28
Recruited from where? The nasty Western suburbs (as the spooners called it)
Karen Pini or Abigail: Which one was always on the cover of TV Week?
Score: We won by about ten goals. But they made us pay.
Favourite food: Frikadelle. (Google it)
Grand Final performance: player rating out of 10: Fully fit, or with hangover adjustment factor applied?
Delvene Delaney or Allyce Platt: Who’s Allyce Platt?
Individual stats: About 10 kicks, 10 handballs, 2 meat pies and one sock.
University course: Geophysics- yes global warming is real.
Life ambition at that stage: I can’t remember but I think success eluded me.
Goalkickers: I did kick one from the pocket that went over all four posts. Luckily Mac Whitham went to the Rulebook school of goal umpiring.
Float the dollar or not: As long as we have a responsible Federal Government running tight fiscal policy and the Governor of the RBA employs prudent monetary policy, float away.
Vine pull or no vine pull: Red, preferably a shiraz.
Where was the celebration: Near the Bob Neil sign on the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
1988 IV, all games played on Syd Uni #1 Oval, I wore #11 or #87. Kicked 5 in the GF, including a droppy from the 50m line in the last quarter. I prob played HFF as Bourbs was FF, think it was against Monash. Daybreak was nominally coach, inspirational after hours. Stayed at some sleazy dive on Glebe Point Road. Many uni courses, even completed one.
Dollar float obvious yes, vine pull yes in the end, disastrous policy at the time. Celebration and presentation dinner at Syd Uni club across the road. Mickey B and Joffa the stars, as I recall. Only 36 years ago!
These are great. Player profiles are always compelling. My favourite prompt and reply ever remains:
Do you smoke? Never checked.
Handbag, the four-goal-post shot is a hoot.
Nice drop kick goal Digby.
Harmsy, it’s probably the most memorable goal/point/out-on-the-full I’ve ever kicked. Allow me to regale you with the details.
The pockets are pretty square at Syd Uni Oval, and after a throw in near the point post the ball rolled back towards the boundary. I picked it up and turned around only to be pushed in rhe chest by a Monash player. As I was falling backwards I jammed it on the boot, and I swear it went over all four post and landed on the boundary in the opposite pocket. It was our Adelaide Uni appointed goal umpire standing on the dot and in order to put a bit of peer group pressure on him I started running towards the centre square punching the air, a la Tony Liberatore in the1997 Prelim.
Much to the dismay and protest of the Monash Uni players Mac Whitham was a graduate of the Rulebook school of goal umpiring and he stepped forward, looked confidently at the field umpire and gave it the two fingers.
I like to think of it as the turning point but we were seven or eight goals up at that stage.
Brilliant.
Also Handbag, Frikadelle is the same recipe the Harms family use. Also a favourite, With mashed potato, veges, gravy and a dill pickle.
RB beer is better for you than Coke. Seen what Coke does to an old coin if you soak it for a while? Beer doesn’t do that.