Round 15 – Carlton v Collingwood: Vote One Pies in Celebration of National Mediocrity

Two titanic figures battle it out on Saturday – this was neither the case in politics or football as John Butler endures another Carlton v Collingwood rivalry with relevance, shame about the quality.

Round 14 – GWS Giants v Carlton: Razzle Dazzled

As Gold Coast have shown, it was not a “given” that the AFL’s new franchises would be successful in the short term. John Butler is impressed that the Giants are on the verge of something special so soon.

Round 12 – St Kilda v Carlton: Saints Show Blues About Rebuilds

Failing to make it into the ground, John Butler took to his tranny, iPad and a nearby pub to watch/listen as his Blues lost to the Saints.

Round 12 – St Kilda v Carlton: Everything worked as it should

Encountering Etihad’s ticketing procedures, John Butler experienced the “everything is working normally” process, and the problem is all of his own doing.

Round 10 – Carlton v Geelong: Who Is This Team?

John Butler adopts Carlton’s new mantra: the journey will be long, so no point getting too high, or too low.

Round 9 – GWS v Western Bulldogs: Orange Peril trample working class beneath corporate subsidised boot

John Butler asks how after 92 seasons for one flag, the Doggies would feel with the prospect GWS might pocket one, or more, before their first decade?

Round 8 – Carlton v Port Adelaide: Kade Simpson Day

If Carlton has had a heart and soul for the past 14 years, John Butler suggests its down to Kade Simpson’s performance over 250 games.

Round 7 – Collingwood v Carlton: Junkyard Dogs Launch Schadenfreude Festival

John Butler is pretty satisfied with Carlton’s new direction. How about Collingwood, JB?

Round 6 – Carlton v Essendon: Ugly is the new Beautiful

John Butler suggests ugly is the new beautiful after analysing the Carlton Essendon game.

Round 5 – Fremantle v Carlton: Transitioning Without a Parachute

For John Butler, this was a battle between a team seeking to learn how to, and another that had forgotten how to.

Round 4 – Carlton v Western Bulldogs: Dogs in a canter

Bulldogs building the dream while Carlton builds a team.

Round 1 – Richmond v Carlton: A New Carlton? Or the Same Old Richmond?

John Butler sees Carlton, the club that has made a fetish of living in the past, now preaching the future.

The Ozymandias Cup: Carlton v Essendon

John Butler finds visiting Princes Park rather like a trip to the Parthenon where a sense of the old gods remain, but alas, it was hard for him to ignore the rubble on what was an enjoyable afternoon for inspecting the ruins.

Book Review: The Straight Dope by Chip Le Grand

John Butler provides an thought provoking review of Chip Le Grand’s book, a must read.

Australia v New Zealand – Adelaide Test Day 2: When the going gets tough, Australia gets lucky

John Butler suggests that indiscreet batting was the major contributor to the fall of wickets on Day 2 of the Adelaide Test.

Australia v New Zealand – WACA Day 2: Kiwis salvage pride, but could still end up junked

The Bard of Ballarat, John Butler, chronicles a WACA Day 2 where New Zealand regained pride but not ascendancy.

The Ashes 2015: The Odd Couple’s Big Test

John Butler runs the ruler over the Australian team’s leadership, the Mates Club and the Sheffield Shield, as the Fourth Test looms.

Round 17- Carlton v Hawthorn: Hiatus Interruptus

Like The People’s Elbow earlier in the week, John Butler wonders if the powerbrokers at Princes Park truly understand the enormity of the task ahead of the club in the post-Pagan, Ratten and Malthouse tenures at Carlton.

Round 15- Hawthorn v Fremantle: Message received loud and clear

John Butler saw Hawthorn dispatch 2015 premiership rival, Fremantle, with jaw-dropping ease in Launceston on Sunday.

England v Australia – First Test, Day 3: The Hunter Becomes the Hunted

Has Boof gone to the well one too many times. John Butler thinks the selection of Dad’s Army may have turned an Indian summer into a final autumn for a few Australian cricketers