What a great Saturday of footy is in our backyard here in Melbourne this weekend – no excuses for not getting to enjoy a game somewhere in your region. Even the AFL has a suburban Saturday highlight with the real Western Derby taking place at Kardinia Park; although, despite it being an easy train trip [Read more]
Crio’s Q: Your favourite sporting year
May 30, 2011 by 23 Comments
I’ve had cause of late to remember 1984. I think it is my favourite year – at least for sporting memories. It’s the year I first experienced an English summer and the chance to join the sporting feasts only dreamed of from afar. Consider: At Lord’s I witnessed Gordon Greenidge’s finest knock as he pounded [Read more]
Racing around the world, and at Doomben and Caulfield
May 28, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Saturday 28 May and beyond After Rocket Man annihilated all-comers in the Group One KrisFlyer in Singapore on Sunday night, his supporters claimed the mantle of “World’s Best Sprinter”. It is not an idle boast as this remarkable horse has dominated the top tier in Dubai, Hong Kong and now in the Far East. Racing [Read more]
So, what footy will we be going to this week?
May 26, 2011 by 13 Comments
Once again, no MCG Saturday game gives us an excuse to check out other options. Out my way, the big drawcard this Saturday will be at Aberfeldie, where Jason Akermanis will join new recruit Mal Michael and former Essendon players Hayden Skipworth, Damien Peverill and Courtney Johns as they “welcome” Chris Johnson’s Avondale Heights. This [Read more]
Crio’s Q: Name a catch-cry
May 23, 2011 by 54 Comments
Subbies have latched on to “Fair dinkum, Unbelievable” at any opportunity during a week of memorials to the great Bob Davis. It’s his catch-cry. Essendon’s black armbands on Saturday night were to commemorate the passing of dual Premiership player Wally May (ref http://www.essendonfc.com.au/news/a/Essendon-mourns-the-passing-of-Wally-May/8218 ). After his retirement, Wally spent years as the special comments guru [Read more]
Crio’s racing preview
May 20, 2011 by 5 Comments
RACES May 19, 2011 Despite Brisbane’s Winter Carnival having a month still to run, there is a sense of a let-down after the massive crowds, hype and excitement of Black Caviar’s BTC Cup win last week and the breaking news that she is now to be rested until the Spring.
AT THE FOOTY…this weekend
May 18, 2011 by 3 Comments
by Chris Riordan The advent of billion dollar television rights has changed AFL fixturing forever. Increasingly it is becoming a TV supported competition. If you want to get to your team’s games, you need to be very flexible with your weekend schedules. We do otherwise – finding a timeslot that suits us and then looking [Read more]
Crio’s Q: Classic Collapses
May 16, 2011 by 21 Comments
The radio waves were humming last night with Saints eulogies…”lowest point ever” seemed a pretty big call. But it does look like they are in line for one of the more spectacular collapses from their lofty position – boy, has that “window” slammed! But sport has a habit of dragging participants very quickly back to [Read more]
Crio’s Racing: BT Cup 2011
May 13, 2011 by 5 Comments
Ever wish you could time travel to see the mighty Bernborough send hats flying, or their beloved Gunsynd bow to the parochial Queenslanders? The closest they might get to such iconic moments is this winter when the Banana-benders reclaim local boy Peter Moody. His remarkable mare, Black Caviar, heads north of the Tweed on her [Read more]
Crio’s bucket list
May 10, 2011 by 20 Comments
by Chris Riordan Seemingly unrelated matters have latterly caused me to reflect on great times and, indeed, the quick passing of time. Marto texted when he heard of Lionel Rose’s passing – “more memories of growing up”. Years are most easily remembered by events. Marto was with me at St Andrews in 1984 to see [Read more]
The Bool and other festivities
May 6, 2011 by 17 Comments
I’m home and still euphoric from another ‘Bool week, now established as comfortably my favorite race experience. Unless you have joined the devoted throngs, you can’t possibly understand the wonder of this pilgrimage. It’s been disconcerting to hear and read on my return journey about the “carnage” of “a bad day” (The Age) at Warrnambool. [Read more]
Crio’s Q: What is ‘culture’?
May 3, 2011 by 9 Comments
by Chris Riordan Alex “the estranged” Fevola has reportedly (H/Sun, News section, p24, 02/05/2011) blamed the AFL culture for her “monster” ex-hubby’s infidelity, drinking and gambling – inferring that different tolerances apply to gifted sportsmen. It is easy to make light of the media/celebrity circus and, no doubt, her news grab will soon be buried [Read more]
In between days
April 30, 2011 by 5 Comments
by Chris Riordan This is truly the “in between” weekend. Proof is that, clearly, the best “city” meeting on Saturday is at Hawkesbury, where an excellent Guineas Day deserves its metrop status. In the feature, Torio’s Quest has been backed for a stack. With Sydney’s Easter Cup races finally over, national focus will soon move [Read more]
Crio’s Question: how do you like your sports?
April 26, 2011 by 8 Comments
It was always a given that “there’s nothing like being there” and, whilst that’s true, it doesn’t necessarily make it better. The push for all “live” AFL matches brings the choice even more in to focus. Whilst I love going to the MCG for a day match – bar blockbusters – there are viable alternatives. [Read more]
Crio’s Easter racing preview
April 22, 2011 by 11 Comments
If you can get through the Good Friday doldrums – hint: Singapore races on TVN from 230pm! – the reward is a fantastic weekend of punting options. On this particular forum I shall ignore AFL and the furore surrounding the betting explosion, which, by any measure, has been immense and intrusive. And, though this page [Read more]
Oakbank
April 21, 2011 by 12 Comments
By Chris Riordan In South Australia, people know how often they’ve “been to Oakbank”. For well over 130 years, generations have journeyed in to the Hills and been intoxicated by the magic that is nowadays promoted (debatably) as the biggest picnic race carnival in the world. The road there, formerly a winding trip across the [Read more]
Crio’s Q: Horror Away Trips
April 18, 2011 by 26 Comments
North will limp, winless, back to Melbourne, their fans cussing a draw that has had them twice cross the Continent already this season. Geelong are unbeaten at Kardinia Park since August, 2007. Whilst “processes” and “structures” remain the catchcries amongst motivators, sometimes it is impossible to ignore the impact of a horror away trip. What [Read more]
Almanac Racing: MORE JOY(ous) AS GREAT RACING GRABS THE LIMELIGHT…
April 15, 2011 by 26 Comments
There’s a real buzz around racing at the moment, with Black Caviar proving that genuine Champions are the best marketing tool for the industry. A lacklustre atmosphere in the crowd at Docklands last Saturday, for a personal example, was transformed at the ground’s TAB venues in to which people crammed to watch, cheer and applaud [Read more]
Crio’s Q: WHEN IS WINNING NOT LOSING
April 11, 2011 by 14 Comments
…or is “winning is not the most important thing, it is the only thing” still a sporting maxim? We wedged in to the TAB at Docklands on Saturday to join the throng cheering home Black Caviar. “What about Haylist’s run”, most concurred, as they had with Crystal Lily’s gallantry behind the mighty mare in recent [Read more]
AJC Derby – a special day at Randwick
April 8, 2011 by 11 Comments
by Chris Riordan It is not my habit to sneak a midweek look at Webjet, eyeing a throwaway fare to Sydney, but the AJC Derby meeting is on my Australian racing bucket list. Alas, finances determine that I’ll watch the main races, the T.J. Smith and The Derby from a bar at Doglands – dragging [Read more]
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