Grand Final – Richmond v Geelong: On Grand Final day things started going wrong long before the bounce.

In hindsight, Hamish Townsend realises that the omens were there long before the game started. But why did his match ticket have to be among the Richmond hordes?

Finals Week 3 – Brisbane v Geelong: The Catters smash the Lions and go through to the Grand Final

Brisbane-based Cats fans, the Townsends, head to the Gabba for the preliminary final against the local side. Dad, Hamish Townsend, tells the tale of the night, and of the impressive Geelong win.

Round 11 – St Kilda v Geelong: Saints mugged by Cats and (maybe) reality

Hamish Townsend saw a one-sided contest with Geelong in sparkling touch against the Saints at the Gabba (on a Monday night in Brisbane). He wonders why the pre-game St Kilda hype was so strong.

Round 10 – Geelong v North Melbourne: Cats fend off wilting North up North

Hamish Townsend has been soaking up the sunshine that is wall-to-wall footy in Queensland; rays of light from the two Lachlans and North’s woes might need more sunlight as the Cats got the job done.

Round 1 – Collingwood v Geelong: Cats get under Collingwood’s guard

Hamish Townsend has been a passionate Geelong fan of his life. He assesses the Cats performance against Collingwood at the MCG on Friday night. [Love the Warhol reference, among others – Ed]

Round 23 – Gold Coast v Port Adelaide: Through the gloom, but…

The Gold Coast sun has set on season 2016, the final home and away against Port showed promise and as Hamish Towsend suggests, now is the time to modify the list and culture.

Round 22 – Brisbane v Geelong: On a Menegola-rolla

As a Geelong fan in Brisbane, you get one game per year. Hamish Townsend takes his daughter; who would she pick as her favourite player..?

Round 18 – Geelong v Brisbane: We’re here now, but he is coming

One of the last AFL venues to boast a terrace, the City end at the Cattery is where wit, grape, grain and lip flows in equal measure. The Kardinia Park faithful are a tight-knight community and it’s why there’s a nervous air around the return of Adam Goodes for Hamish Townsend. What if a good mate or a family member decides to boo? Can good people stand idly by?

Round 1 – Melbourne v Gold Coast: Watts going on down there in Melbourne Town

Hamish Townsend is having Easter with his family on beautiful Stradbroke Island where it’s still the 1950s – which might explain the Demons’ wonderful performance against the favoured Suns.

AFL Round 14 – Gold Coast v Geelong: El Nino forecasts change and the Suns deliver.

Hamish Townsend watches his Cats get swept away by thunderstorms bearing down from the Gold Coast.

AFL Round 2 – Brisbane v Geelong: The Glass Menagerie

Hamish Townsend journeys to foreign lands (a corporate box at the Gabba) to induct his daughters into the love of the Cats.

Donegal burst secures All-Ireland final

Hamish Townsend joined some nervous Mayo supporters on Sunday night for the All-Ireland final against Donegal.

Hawkins pips Hawks in match of the year

GEELONG 9.3 10.5 14.9 18.10 (118) HAWTHORN 2.0 7.6 11.8 17.14 (116) 3 Hawkins, 2 Sewell, 1 Mitchell For a Geelong fan, beating Hawthorn with a goal after the siren is one of the sweetest tastes life offers. Only a big finals win beats it. There’s no point building it up. Tonight the Cats won [Read more]

Blues officially no good

Carlton v Hawthorn by Hamish Townsend 3.2 6.2 7.6 10.10 70 7.4 10.7 16.10 18.12 120 3. Franklin, 2. Sewell, 1. Mitchell Tonight I will write about the two teams I like the least. It’s Friday night, the girls have finally gone to bed, I’ve cracked a Peroni and plonked in front of the box [Read more]

The Yorkshiremen

Collingwood fans in Queensland often end up like Monty Python’s Yorkshiremen; standing around with tans and expensive shoes talking about how tough Reservoir was in the seventies. The collection of aging tradies and engineers in black and white standing in front of us at the Gabba on Saturday were the classic bunch. They were keen [Read more]

Sink or swim for Lions – they sank

Brisbane downpours have a particular soaking quality which seems to soften your bones like arrowroot biscuits. Through the window of the taxi on Wynnum road it looked like a classic. “Ya still goin to the footy? Good on ya,” said the cabbie “They only get up here once a year.” “We’ll go down Geelong Street, [Read more]

Packing Caviar

Almanacker Hamish Townsend on Black Caviar for The Global Mail  http://www.theglobalmail.org/feature/packing-caviar/185/

The Makings of a Cult (following)?

GC v Adelaide  Gold Coast      9.10.    64 Adelaide         18.17  125 Votes – Thompson 3, Tippett 2, G Ablett 1   Adelaide have pulled back from the brink of awfulness after sacking their coach and just pushed the Cats to the bitter end. The Suns stopped worrying about winning months ago, so where was the [Read more]

Circle the Cars

  NORTH MELBOURNE – 4.7 8.10 12.15 17.20 (122) BRISBANE 4.0 8.5 10.6 11.11 (77)   Best: Black (BL) 3, Bastinac (NM) 2 and Petrie (NM) 1   Dust off the picnic blanket and make sure the car battery is fully charged, the AFL’s least popular non-Victorian team is playing Melbourne’s least popular team at [Read more]

Black Caviar makes it 13 from 13

Black Caviar went 13 from 13 at a packed out Doomben today. There is something in the hearts of Australians that just love a champion nag. Brisbane had been buzzing all week at the prospect of the witnessing the most exciting thing since the Fitzgerald Royal Commission. I decided it was time to get my [Read more]