If you wish to see the whole Italian Team of the Century, it’s available at: http://www.italianteamofthecentury.com.au/final-team.php By Tony De Bolfo In an interview with a Melbourne sports journalist in 1995, the late Richmond ruckman Jack Dyer, known both infamously and endearingly as “Captain Blood”, declared Frank Curcio one of his greatest on-field adversaries.[1] “He was [Read more]
Why ‘Gaz’ will be the ‘God-sun’
July 22, 2010 by Leave a Comment
The long lasting debate about whether Gary Ablett will head north to the Gold Coast rages on and will continue to rage on until the day he signs a contract, to which team is still unknown. We all know Gary Ablett is one of the best players of the modern era, there is no doubting [Read more]
A Collingwood High Road?
July 19, 2010 by 5 Comments
By Suzy Lewis Collingwood versus St Kilda – Saturday 17 July 2010 “…In retrospect we sort of seemed to have it for most of the second half, but you never know, do you, what can happen. It’s just been part of my football upbringing, I don’t expect anything until it’s there and in reality and [Read more]
Floreat Pica Report- Round 15 v Port
July 12, 2010 by 2 Comments
By Kevin Ramsdale typical |tipik?l|adjective having the distinctive qualities of a particular type of person or thing : a typical day | a typical example of 1930s art deco | typical symptoms. See note at normal .• characteristic of a particular person or thing : he brushed the incident aside with typical good humor.• informal [Read more]
The Real Costs and Benefits of Mega Sports Events
July 10, 2010 by Leave a Comment
The pattern is the same the world over. A bid is announced for a major sporting event. Politicians and businessmen roll out figures and rationalisations as to why we’ll all benefit from investment of the public purse in the acquisition of said event. If the bid should prove successful, then heaven and earth is moved to ensure things run [Read more]
Floreat Pica Society- West Coast Game
July 5, 2010 by 1 Comment
By John Ramsdale I hate this ground-see Bulldogs report, 6/6/2010. On paper this looked like a straightforward game and we should have approached it with great confidence. Tim had marked this down as a win in his half –year summary. However, based on previous experience going into games that were classified as certain wins there [Read more]
Jabiru impressions of a stormy night
July 2, 2010 by Leave a Comment
On Friday night I drove in 33 degree heat from Darwin to Jabiru. A roadhouse burger in one hand I jabbed at my crackling radio, willing it to give me some sounds of home… As night fell I found Gerard and Drew on 774 and then (when that dropped out) the genuine ‘insights’ of Rocking [Read more]
Floreat Pica Society: Round 13 v Sydney
July 1, 2010 by 2 Comments
By Tony Scully There are two things that make me nervous, One is when the word ‘Bunny’ is bandied about, the other is when the word McBurney is running about. Thus I went into Saturday night with fear and loathing. How can a side keep the sort of dominance, over another, going (home or away), [Read more]
Wimbledon 2010 Forum
June 25, 2010 by 6 Comments
70-68. That’s a basketball score right? Or a Saints v Sydney game? Vital statistics Match duration: 11 hours, five minutes Fifth set duration: Eight hours, 11 minutes Total number of games: 183 Fifth set number of games: 138 Total number of points: 980 Isner aces: 112 Mahut aces: 103 Combined aces: 215 Isner winners: 246 [Read more]
Community Cup 2010
June 24, 2010 by 2 Comments
In the tradition of last year’s ring-in appearance by Rupert Betheras, this year’s captain of the Rockdogs will be none other than Dan Sultan, star of screen and microphone. For more information on the Community Cup, including details of how to get there, follow the link below: http://www.communitycup.org.au/ Almanac Admin
Floreat Pica Rd 12- Draw your own Conclusions
June 16, 2010 by 1 Comment
By Paul Harkin MATCH REPORT The day didn’t start well with the 4-0 thrashing of Australia by Germany in the World Cup. The trip to the footy was uneventful. After we settled into our seats, Greta Bradman (The Don’s granddaughter) serenaded us with a touch of opera. Where else but in front of the MCC [Read more]
World Cup Forum
June 14, 2010 by 117 Comments
Germany 4 Australia 0 Oh the pain of it! Let’s face it folks, last night wasn’t a total shock, but it definitely wasn’t what we were looking for. What went wrong? Were the tactics at fault? Or just the execution? Do we hold out any hope for the rest of the campaign? Here’s your chance [Read more]
LINK: Michael Gleeson’s Cakewalk
June 13, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Those of us lucky enough to attend the last Almanac lunch at the All Nation’s Hotel were thoroughly entertained by Michael Gleeson and Shane Morwood’s recollections of the breaking of Colliwobbles in 1990. Cakewalk has now been published, and you can read an excerpt from it here: http://www.smh.com.au/afl/afl-news/history-in-the-making-20100608-xtnn.html And please remember the next Almanac lunch [Read more]
FIFA World Cup Preview: Part 7 of 8
June 12, 2010 by Leave a Comment
GROUP G (‘The Group of Death”) Brazil: The giants of this group of death will go into the tournament, like always, as favourites. And with a good reason too, as they produce magnificent players left, right and centre. Coach Dunga, has opted for a steady game that Brazil have not been known for. A mixture [Read more]
Link: Sometimes the best ones are right in front of you
June 11, 2010 by Leave a Comment
The speaker at the next Almanac lunch is Melbourne footy identity Bernie Sheehy, who’s coached premiership teams in the Amateurs and the VFL as well as coaching Essendon and Fitzroy reserves. He was also Neale Daniher’s right-hand man at Melbourne. The always interesting Bernie was quoted extensively by Almanacker Peter Hanlon in this article in [Read more]
LINK: Ajax’s Player Factory
June 10, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Dutch club Ajax’s junior soccer academy is not called De Toekomst — The Future for nothing. In fact, it makes our attempts at player development seem positively half baked. This extensive New York Times article explores an institution which has become a virtual player factory. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/06/magazine/06Soccer-t.html?pagewanted=1&ref=global-home&adxnnlx=1275490919-Cyaxrq7Cvoe2eKBiQsfTjg Almanac Admin
FIFA World Cup Preview: Part 6 of 8
June 9, 2010 by Leave a Comment
GROUP F Italy: Many have doubted the reigning champion’s odds of going back to back. Saying their old and too defensive has brought up queries in the Italian team. Of all, Marcello Lippi knows that his side are not affected by outside talk. That they talked them down in 2006, and you all know what [Read more]
Book Launch: Cheryl Critchley’s Our Footy
June 9, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Cheryl Critchley launches her book Our Footy: Real Fans vs Big Bucks at the London Tavern Hotel on Thursday, 17th of June. Kevin Sheedy will be feature speaker. Our Footy press release Almanac Admin
LINK: Barney’s Big Coup
June 9, 2010 by Leave a Comment
70 year-old trainer Barney Curley has taken the British bookies to the cleaners in one of the biggest betting coups in a long, long time. But, says Barney, it wasn’t all about the money. Punters who dare to dream (isn’t that all of you?) should read on… http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/barney-curley-nobody-will-win-as-much-on-horse-racing-in-100-years-1988728.html Almanac Admin
How we tried to lose the unlosable game.
June 8, 2010 by Leave a Comment
By John Ramsdale What a ridiculous time to play football; marginally better than a Monday, but still ridiculous. The only advantage is that it puts off thought s of returning to work or school for a couple of hours. I hate this ground: its location, its surface, we do not seem to play well there, [Read more]
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