Saints get the first – Magpies and seagulls form huddles blustery day – Swan’s first half dozen to collect his thoughts noon chill – players dropping marks I blow into my hands winter echoes – Heater’s mark again on the big screen stop start wind – forwards turn defenders turn forwards long winter – Leigh [Read more]
Haiku Bob: round 15 – holes in the night
July 15, 2010 by 3 Comments
first quarter gloom Swan weaves light through the darkness the wind pierces my body another goal behind the cold – Ball lays another tackle to keep warm icy wind the pack splinters in Didaks’ wake Swan’s thirty-nine touches no two the same non-scoring end a gull turns its head on play by hand or foot [Read more]
round 14 – one touch at a time
July 8, 2010 by 3 Comments
the night drifts along until Didak another night punctuated by Harry’s stampedes Jolly sidesteps the night all to himself first goal in an hour followed by another a minute later World Cup month and now Daisy tries a scissor kick night sounds a smother ricochets off the roof Swan up the ground and back one [Read more]
Haiku Bob: round 13 – moon at every turn
June 30, 2010 by 5 Comments
magpies darting here and there the moon at every turn beneath exploding pinks and blues Harry’s bursting run bitter night Ball bundles his catch full moon – we have their forwards surrounded Toovey arrives at a moment unafraid of his limitations brief eclipse – Didak shakes his shadow loose full moon Beams in space winter [Read more]
haiku bob: what’s left of the light
June 22, 2010 by Leave a Comment
winter dusk… the pleasant gloom of a drawn game the cold – not enough on the kick blustery wind – Leon switches on and off deep winter – Fraser’s dropped mark takes us deeper bare stems – our brittle lead grows by a point another behind leaves me chuckling in the chill air deep in [Read more]
Haiku Bob, Round 11- the short road
June 10, 2010 by 4 Comments
onset of winter – the game begins with brisk movements still life – Fraser stands the mark a nip in the air – taking the short road to goal a gull glides from the rafters – Leon curls one in cold winter night the ruckmen lock arms watching closely but not understanding the umpires winter [Read more]
Haiku World Cup
June 6, 2010 by 10 Comments
In less than a week, South Africa plays host to The Greatest Show on Earth when the World Cup kicks off in Johannesburg. Pretty soon, the Knackery will be full of punditry and prognostication on the fortunes of the Socceroos as they take on the world’s best. To celebrate, a panel of experts (actually, a [Read more]
Haiku Bob: round 10 – stars far apart
June 2, 2010 by 5 Comments
raising our beers to Didak’s first he snags another stars far apart – Cloke sends a long bomb to nowhere talk of a leadership spill – Maxwell loses traction on his own line rock in the stream – Ball stands in a tackle of four a mark only Brown could take taken again shimmering floodlight [Read more]
Haiku Bob: Round 9- the cat’s purr
May 25, 2010 by 4 Comments
after the sky bleeds cats from every nook and cranny no moon Beams the light inside the arc the dark rises – I wait for the moon and Leon one star – the pack releases Ablett ravaged trees – the flimsiest of hopes on Caff’s boot the cold begins its creep shots drift wide footprints [Read more]
round 8 – the air crisps
May 20, 2010 by 3 Comments
top of the table clash spilling the wine I look up Heater fumbles the air crisps Pendlebury’s pinpoint pass autumn thickens no way through Sandilands night breeze flat-footed forwards in Toovey’s wake darkening skies Cloke from dead in front… all the fallen leaves – we get numbers around the ball umpire’s appreciation round the sound [Read more]
haiku bob – round 7: flesh and shadows
May 12, 2010 by 5 Comments
moonlit night – a magpie strolls into the goal square space between stars – magpie defenders guarding it swirling breeze Didak through the flap of seagulls squeezed on the left checked on the right Harry Obama steers a course through the middle floodlit flesh and shadows climb over Jolly umps wave play on starlight Cloke [Read more]
haiku bob: clear above the clouds
May 5, 2010 by 2 Comments
bringing autumn tackle by tackle to the Blues a mountain clear above the clouds – Dawes marks again tumbling leaves – Ball turns himself inside and out down on form Leon chases some hidden goal a row of Blues neatly laid out for Didak’s trickery pack forms – Swan ducks his head into the cloud [Read more]
end of sorrow
April 29, 2010 by 3 Comments
Anzac Day – the sun settles on every medal Anzac Day crowd – the amplification of silence end of sorrow Cloke kicks the first bright autumn sun flashes through the goals Cloke’s banana Toovey goals there must be something in this beer Anzac Day – Didak finds a gap between bodies watching the rain beer [Read more]
haiku bob round 4: faint stars
April 20, 2010 by Leave a Comment
first tackle – the sun ducks its head night comes – Harry closes up a gap clods of dirt fly in Daisy’s blazing path balmy night all our mistakes softened evening of faint stars Leon misses and misses again something unremarkable sparks a sudden flood of goals fingertipper – Leon’s grab nicks the moon old-timer [Read more]
haiku bob Round 2 – the pack’s hollow
April 14, 2010 by 1 Comment
Autumn night – all kinds of noises from the packed stadium arch rivals – it takes six men to eject the drunk another point pointless complaining leaves crackle and pop goes Reiwoldt’s hamstring slipping away the first leaves and our early lead crickets – Ball’s pulse fills the pack’s hollow bloke on a stretcher ball [Read more]
Haiku Bob Round 2: waiting for the moon
April 6, 2010 by 3 Comments
warm up – Leon practices kicking opportunistic goals my entire life coming here not knowing what will happen waiting for the moon – we can’t get it out of the middle daylight savings ends – Collingwood whittles away the light approaching dusk… the moment between winning and losing shades of pink in the ghost gum [Read more]
Haiku Bob – AFL Round 1 – the cackle of magpies
March 31, 2010 by 2 Comments
first game of the year arriving at the ground too early early lead recalling last year’s early lead so humid the defensive line fans out windless afternoon – Harry’s dreadlocks still swinging one more drops into the hole Barry fills no sweat Medhurst plucks the ball from the muggy air wherever he goes Johnno [Read more]
Soccer: The night I watched Man U beat Milan in a Swedish green room
February 21, 2010 by 15 Comments
I pick up the phone and do something I’ve never done before. Call a television studio and ask to speak to one of the most popular TV sports presenters in the country. I’m in Stockholm. The TV presenter is a former professional footballer who represented Sweden in the ’90s. And he’s my brother-in-law (if that’s [Read more]
AFL Grand Final – Haiku Bob – a thin mist
September 30, 2009 by 4 Comments
Grand final day every seat taken on the couch clouds black and blue the crunch of bodies to kill the ball no goals… wild applause greets a smother shots for goal sprayed far and wide like Goddard’s nose all day the rain Ablett not falling [Read more]
Haiku Bob: AFL Finals – week 3 – oceans of torment
September 23, 2009 by 3 Comments
heavy rain – beyond the old picket fence oceans of torment swirling sky beneath dark clouds and umbrellas Harry spears the first downpour – one Cat then another bobs up rain stops – our defence leaks Ablett sky clears Leon has left us too wanting the scores to be different I drink more moon spills [Read more]
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