Almanac Grand Final Lunch: Pics, brief report and thank yous.

The Footy Almanac Grand Final Eve Lunch was held at the Royal Melbourne Hotel and, in the tradition of these lunches, was a lot of fun.

The Tip the Top 8 count was very exciting with Peter Fuller winning on 73 – a mighty fine score, especially given that the a couple of teams threw a spanner in the works for most tipsters. (The full scoreboard is in this separate post)

 

The scoreboard after seven selections had been calculated (great stamina from ER)

Huge thanks to Johnny and Frankie (and Nick) at the Royal Melbourne Hotel who did everything they could to make the day run smoothly and easily.

Huge thanks to Yvette Wroby for looking after the reception table and the books and for donating a couple of prints for the raffle.

Huge thanks to Kate Birrell for the various items of art for the auction and the raffle.

Huge thanks to Luke Reynolds and Prickly Moses for the tickets to the Otway Oktoberfest for the raffle.

Huge thanks to Blundstone for a pair of boots.

Huge thanks to the speakers – some completely impromptu. Especially Matty Clarke, Gareth Andrews and Tony Wilson – and others. (You can see them below).

Huge thanks to Dips O’Donnell and Andrew and Helen Fithall for helping things go smoothly especially early on and with the raffle.

And a huge thanks to Lyn Campbell-Anderson for taking these photos.

 

Yvette with her prints of Lenny Hayes and Adam Cooney.

With long-suffering Tiger Adam McNicol.

Greg and Heather Humphries all the way from Far North Queensland

A few books were sold – especially after the reading of Ronny Wearmouth’s three quarter time address.

Yvette chats about The Women’s Footy Almanac 2017 and Siren’s Call.

Tim Harcourt the airport economist explains the significance of the Adelaide Oval.

Writer and publisher James ‘Jimmy Two-Bob’ Weston has had a Tiger life and also helped write the  Malcolm Blight biography.

With Almanac editor and writer Swish Schwerdt who gives the day a South Australian flavour. (Good to see Pie-Girl as well)

Current Crows’ ruck coach and all round good bloke Matty Clarke who played his footy at Brisbane, Adelaide and a final year at St Kilda.

With Tinsel Tony Wilson who invited us to focus on three quarter time with the reading of a brilliant speech and he introduced speeches by Allan Jeans and Tommy Hafey on Speakola. Check them out at Speakola HERE.

 

John Mosig stole the show as you would expect Mr Wrap the Tiger to do.

Great to have Geelong legend and Richmond premiership player Gareth Andrews with us.

More John Mosig (and the lunchers).

Tiger fan Gary Birrell was on top of the world.

Kate Birrell talks us through her original work – which was auctioned.

Auctioning a print of Kate Birrell’s First Season

They came from everywhere. Peter Dungan’s table.

Brett ‘BD’ Dutschke celebrated the Sturt premiership while giving us the commercialised weather.

Bureau of Meteorology flood specialist David ‘ER’ Wilson delivers one of the lines of the day: “I work for you”.

Swish Schwerdt and Rex and Eve Clarke (Matty’s parents) lead the crowd in ‘The Pride of South Australia’.

The raffle is excellent. A lucky winner with a print of Archibald prize-winning Geoff Dyer’s Jono Brown which was the cover of The Footy Almanac 2010.

Peter Blakeney chose Yvette’s prints when his ticket came out.

It was a huge rendition of Tiges’ song.

Yellow and Black!

Another winner who chose Jim Pavlidis’s Gary Ablett. (Prescient)

Old mates catching up: Tim Harcourt with Gavin O’Connor former MHR (Corangamite). [Gavin is from a Tiges family but he is a Catter].

The chaps out the back.

 

READ OUR OTHER GRAND FINAL ARTICLES – THEY ARE MANY AND VARIED.

Comments

  1. Brilliant pix. Congrats to all involved in organising who help keep the wonderful Almanac community going. Bleak City is alive in GF week even when your team is not involved, as the Avenging Eagle and I discovered at last year’s lunch. The FA GF lunch is GFFAF (Good for Footy Almanac Funds) and a TLSPRF (Trip of a Lifetime Spent Preserving Relationships and Friends).
    Note to self – next year.

  2. Yvette Wroby says

    Lyn’s terrific photos show how great an afternoon it was. Thanks all

  3. bob.speechley says

    A great event. Wouldn’t miss it for quids.

  4. Amazing photos, Lyn. Looks like it was an absolute success. Good to see so many Almanackers in one room.

  5. Polythene Pam says

    Great day – thank you.

  6. Jennifer Muirden says

    Shame I wasn’t able to attend. Sure looks like a whole lot of fun was had by all! GO TIGES!

  7. Jennifer Muirden says

    Shame I wasn’t able to attend. Sure looks like a whole lot of fun was had by all!

  8. Luke Reynolds says

    Another wonderful Grand Final eve lunch. Book me in for 2018.

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