round 5 – haiku bob – the last second

  Anzac Day one grey cloud covers the sky   space closing at the last second Swan’s handpass   fine rain a snap for goal brushes the post   cloudburst the ball belted one end to the other   autumn mist a handpass without looking   cloud trapped sun Collingwood leading the smother count   [Read more]

the sunlight’s slant

piercing light the defender touches a nerve partly closed roof the ball hovers between flanks filling the stands with groans stubbed toe ump and player in heated discussion – the sunlight’s slant edge of winter – crossing the 50 metre line he falls over falling leaves them all behind Harry clouds adrift so many goals [Read more]

almost not there

autumn night the missing parts of our game watching the footy in a different time-zone I whisper an expletive turning leaves Swan fast becoming slow wisps of cloud Collingwood almost not there lingering snow the team’s lifeblood lies motionless flaming red the young maple – new coach feels the heat autumn haze I vaguely remember [Read more]

still the crowd

  Good Friday – we discuss who ought to be culled Easter Saturday – we enter the game without our leader a shot at goal brings howls from the crowd – full moon no wind missed kicks still the crowd autumn night nothing much going on except Pendlebury dusk – Daisy splits the night into [Read more]

down another falling

new season starts at the 10 minute mark I catch my breath first quarter the umpire plucks the ball from the clinging pack dusk deepens one more missed goal the debutant’s first shot at goal straight through the middle MCG in March Buddy’s skied hook post-high Cloke drags down another falling leaves alone inside fifty [Read more]

sunlight on leather

 by Rob Scott   first morning a familiar scent on the breeze   It should perhaps be the game at its purest. Everyone and everything is primed. Sun-tanned, tattooed and absurdly muscled players; feverish fans emerging on frenzied tenterhooks from a long summer of enforced detachment and other family commitments; pristinely manicured playing surfaces; even [Read more]

Choose your poision – the Top 8 Swedish style

  by Rob Scott The Swedish ice hockey (Elitserien) regular season came to a thrilling conclusion during the week as the top teams battled for places in the playoffs (slutspel) and the bottom teams tried to avoid relegation. Positions were so tight that almost every goal scored during the final round resulted in a change [Read more]

the damp Sherrin

    grand final dawn a bit of tightness in my hammys     low cloud Cloke’s long drop punt splits the ‘G in half     even on this day Stevie J reminds us the ‘G is a playing field     half-time at the pub another round of texting     lights on [Read more]

preliminary final – the clock stops

    late september the veteran scores the winning goal     the MCG in spring — alive with hawks, magpies and seagulls     the moon punches a hole in the sky — Tarrant spoils     bad live stream our hopes flickering     spring haze a field of heavy-limbed footballers     [Read more]

deeper into spring

spring sunset the difference a goal makes       freshly cut fields Swan feeds on the MCG     cloud then sun then cloud yet to hit our stride       looking for the angle Krakouer turns his back to the goals       a gap in the clouds Wellingham catches the [Read more]

Haiku Bob – round 24: some buds open

spring evening squealing cats spoil my dreams packed ‘G long after the goal I hear it fast moving clouds a chain of handpasses ends with a goal the curved path of the moon — Fasolo from the pocket last drinks our last goal turns out to be our last filling the half-empty stadium final siren [Read more]

the splintered pack

  12 goals clear Krakouer kicks the last on impulse     spring petals — Cloke plucks one close to home     Sandilands jumps — the splintered pack releases the goal sneak     the many paths life takes us peppering the goals     Swan sets off everyone left behind     winter’s [Read more]

round 22 – haiku bob – nearing spring

  warmer nights — the kick-out reaches the centre square       our latest back six concedes the first goal in under a minute       the old world connects to the new — Fasolo curls one back       late winter — gaps in our desire filled by Ball     [Read more]

Haiku Bob Round 21: length of the wing

  full moon Leon in every passage         a forward thrust as far as Tarrant’s fist and no further         six points such cheap reward for Wellingham’s goal         buds begin to flower — Fasolo plucks one from the pack         tucked under [Read more]

Haiku Bob Round 20: somewhere the moon

  winter rain — the ball tossed between bodies of water     somewhere the moon — Port players have trouble finding the ball     soggy night — Blair uses his lack of height     night rain — Collingwood players add to the glitter     non-stop rain — a dyke erected across [Read more]

somewhere the moon

    winter rain — the ball tossed between bodies of water   somewhere the moon — Port players have trouble finding the ball   soggy night — Blair uses his lack of height   night rain — Collingwood players add to the glitter   non-stop rain — a dyke erected across the half-back line [Read more]

round 19: haiku bob – slipstreaming

This week’s match report comes from Budapest in Hungary where I attended the Formula 1 Grand Prix. Fascinating city. Wonderful race. And another Magpie victory.   practice session — every one of Cloke’s kicks is a goal     safety car — Prismall’s knee collapses at the first turn     slipstreaming – Pendlebury moves [Read more]

backing into the swell

taking my lead from fellow floreat pican andrea mcnamara this week. i too was ‘by the sea’ for this game. actually, it was a lake – and we were in the middle of it. on an island about 3 hours north of stockholm called örjung. beautiful, peaceful place with classic swedish scenery – water, forest, [Read more]

among the rotting leaves

  cross wind — a betting slip among the rotting leaves   no sunlight on that side of the ground — just Daisy   but for their whistles the umpires would disappear *   a chill in the winter sun — Swan scuffs his first kick     the first petal separates.. Daisy’s one hander [Read more]

one goal blurs

  murky light — the umpire sees a free no-one can   old woman knitting — our forward work slowly comes together   rain starts — Daisy comes from the clouds   winter afternoon — the torpedo punt drops short   misty rain — one goal blurs into another   hundred points up — the [Read more]