Success as a Mud Pie

Damning with faint praise for a team of Clayton’s Champions if you will, Dips O’Donnell turns the heat up on Geelong after a decade of ‘success’.

Special Olympics – Swimming: Please Let Me Win

With the Paralympics own it’s timely to return to an Almanac Classic…

Kate’s sporting kite crashed at the Special Olympics Victorian State Games on Saturday, but Dips helping out at the games, says, his daughter can learn from her experience and recover from her loss to once again fly her kite high. [If you do nothing else today, read this – JTH]

Almanac Life: Footy and Fortune.

Breakfast in bed, thoughts about the footy, and reading ‘Botany Bay and the First Fleet’ are all part of Fathers’ Day for Dips O’Donnell.

Almanac Life: Crossing The Road

Some musings from Dips O’Donnell as he moves into lockdown mode once again.

Round 11 – Collingwood v Geelong: Dear old Melbourne

In a timely poem, Dips sums up the current atmosphere in Melbourne as they bunker into a fourth lockdown. Saturday’s clash, according to Dips, epitomised the current mood in the town as Collingwood and Geelong spluttered along.

Round 8 – Richmond v Geelong: Poleaxed

Dips O’Donnell’s Covid-19 vaccination spoiled his pizza and shiraz, and bed was a welcome relief. There, in his post-vaccination haze, watching the Cats great victory over the Tigers eased his pain. Get vaccinated says Dips, it’s better than the real thing!

Almanac Footy and Life (and Lunches): Engaging the Cats

Dips O’Donnell attended the Almanac/Odd Friday lunch with Ron Reed. There was a significant family event happening the next day, so he wasn’t going to stay late. Then the Carlton Draught started slide down easily…

Almanac Footy: AFL Practice Match – Cats v Pies

Dips O’Donnell took his time to watch the Geelong v Collingwood practice match last week. With his eye on the next new thing out of the Cattery, he was impressed by an array of players and tactics.

Almanac Life: A Short Note to 2020.

2020 was a year like no other but Dips O’Donnell is optimistic for 2021.

Grand Final – Richmond v Geelong: Cactus

The bitter taste of a grand final loss is an unwelcome experience as Geelong supporter Dips O’Donnell explains.

Finals Week 1 – Port Adelaide v Geelong: The wisdom of walnuts

Likened to a wonderful scene in The Sopranos, Cats fans are currently suffering after yet another finals loss. Dips O’Donnell is the first to react.

Round 17 – Geelong v Richmond: Zero

So, I’m thinking the Almanac has entered its Sgt Pepper’s stage, thanks to Dips who has really been affected by Geelong’s loss to the Tiges. Gather around him as he cleans the loos, vacuums the stairs while listening to a philosophy podcast and some classic music. [This is your 200th piece on the Almanac site Dips. Thank you. – JTH]

Almanac Poetry: There was a brown land called Australia

Dips O’Donnell has been moved to poetry by the plight of Victoria.

Almanac Footy Comment: Reconnecting without contact

When the pandemic walls started to close in and the AFL hit the decks in the attempt to salvage the season, Dips thought the whole experiment might be a fool’s errand. With time, he now confesses that the physically-distant competition has allowed him the peace and space to reconnect with his team [Marvellous – Ed.]

Almanac Poetry: The Pub

The local pub is a living history museum with many stories to tell. Dips takes a nostalgic look at these institutions in his poem, ‘The Pub’.

Almanac Life: Looking back in lockdown

Nostalgia, going home, the innocence of childhood, living life – 50 years down the track, Dips O’Donnell remembers and relishes a rich tapestry.

AFL: WTF

In these abnormal footy times, has Covid-19 enabled a level playing field for season 2020? Dips ponders the question and other thoughts.

Almanac (Footy) Linguistics: AFL Terminology

The dictionary defines ‘pithy’ as ‘terse and vigorously expressive’. Dips gets pithy about the over-used sobriquet ‘blockbuster’.

AFL: Curving the Curve

Dips takes time out after some hard yakka to reminisce – on oil heaters and premiership droughts broken, bulbs dormant and thorns more active. [Perhaps JTH has done the same Youtube searches? Ed.]

Almanac Poetry – A Beer With No Pub

Dips has had enough! Airing his frustration in satirical verse, it’s time to re-open the pubs and let the good times roll he urges. [Ed: We’ll drink to that!]