Dips O’Donnell retraces his Irish heritage in the diary and footsteps of his great grandmother during his trip to Ireland many years ago. A cracking read to celebrate St Patrick’s Day.
Almanac Life: Returning – Dips retraces the Irish footsteps of his great-grandmother
March 17, 2026 by 10 Comments
Opening Round – Gold Coast v Geelong: Concrete Slabs
March 9, 2026 by 2 Comments
Geelong’s sluggish and deflating performance in the Opening Round against the Suns drove Dips O’Donnell around the bend, reminding him of traversing a particularly bumpy bend on the road to Yarrawonga when he was a kid. Concrete slabs, both the bend and the Cats.
Almanac Music (and Travel): Lanigan’s Ball
February 23, 2026 by 12 Comments
Dips reflects on a folk song from the Emerald Isle that has stayed with him for decades, recently brought back to the front of mind for reasons unknown.
Almanac Life: When Summer was Different
December 15, 2025 by 15 Comments
Dips O’Donnell’s piece, first published in 2015, captures the essence of a kid’s summer. It is now included in ‘Jolly Nuisance’, an anthology of Dips’s writings.
The Ashes – Skill and Execution
December 7, 2025 by 7 Comments
Reflecting back to his time of competitive cricket reminded Dips O’Donnell of his childhood awe of the skills of Test cricketers which is now further reignited during the current Ashes series.
Almanac Life: ‘Jolly Nuisance’
October 17, 2025 by 18 Comments
Dips O’Donnell’s Mum turned ninety on the weekend. He and his five brothers defied her insistence on ‘no presents’ by presenting her with a brilliant gift. Check it out. [Simply beautiful – Ed.]
Grand Final – Geelong v Brisbane: I went to the Grand Final
September 29, 2025 by 8 Comments
Lots of senses got a workout for Dips as he attended the last Saturday in September courtesy of a mate who supports the opposition.
Almanac Life: Memory Project – Remembering Dad
June 27, 2025 by 6 Comments
Dips O’Donnell accepts Col Ritchie’s challenge and shares a memory of his father not long before his passing.
Almanac Illness: Fever
April 18, 2025 by 14 Comments
An ill Dips O’Donnell while reclining on the couch his fevered mind recalls images and words of advice from uncles years ago.
Round 5 Gather Round – Adelaide v Geelong: An open letter to Adelaide.
April 13, 2025 by 11 Comments
Dips has some advice for Adelaide supporters after Geelong’s win from behind stunned the parochial crowd.
Round 2 – St Kilda v Geelong: Generations Assemble.
March 23, 2025 by 4 Comments
Dips catches up with some cousins for the Saints v Cats match to reminisce on games past, to preview the game, and unfortunately, see their team go down.
Almanac Cricket – Boxing Day Test, Day Five: A Great One.
January 1, 2025 by 12 Comments
Dips offers his take on the body types of various sportspeople as he recounts the last day of the Boxing Day Test.
Finals Week 3 – Geelong v Brisbane: Lady Luck rides the bumps
September 25, 2024 by 2 Comments
It is far too easy to say Geelong ‘blew it’. The ebbs and flows of the preliminary final ran far deeper than that shallow analysis would indicate. Dips O’Donnell explains.
Almanac (AFL) Poetry: What Wins September
August 21, 2024 by Leave a Comment
Dips goes all poetic to explain the formula for prevailing in September.
Almanac Footy: Is This A Dagger I See Before Me?
June 30, 2024 by 21 Comments
Like many of us, Dips O’Donnell is frustrated by umpiring decisions made during matches. As he says, ‘four umpires adjudicate the game and yet chaos persists because chaos will have its way where humans make decisions. Chaos is like malaria; virtually indestructible’. Dips examines the issue in his usual thoughtful and erudite manner, and detail. [Cracking read Dips! – Ed]
Almanac (Footy) Rules: Tinkering as Rome burns
May 30, 2024 by 9 Comments
Dips has been contemplating the movable feast that masquerades as the interpretation of the rules surrounding the holding the man/holding the ball issue. How will it make the game better?
It’s a beautiful life.
April 22, 2024 by 15 Comments
What goes around comes around (or sometimes, comes back up) and for Dips, as he reminisces about his first big travel adventure, he is mindful of his petrified parents’ and bundle of emotions for his own kids, who now choose to wander…
At Easter-time Stawell Giveth and Stawell Taketh Away
March 31, 2024 by 55 Comments
We re-visit this classic Almanac yarn each Easter (for good reason):
Dips O’Donnell tells the story of his crack at Stawell and what the event and the weekend mean to the O’Donnell family.
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