This weekend would have been Indigenous Round in the AFL. It’s named after Sir Doug Nicholls. Historian (and the ultimate footy person) Rod Gillett reminds us of Sir Doug’s story – and tells us that he’s actually eligible for a significant New South Wales side. [Beaut piece Rocket – JTH]
The Footy Almanac 2007 Round 8 – Sydney v Port Adelaide: All the signs were good!
An enjoyable day in the corporate box for Rod Gillett as the Swans account for the Power in their Round 8 clash at the SCG in 2007. Rod’s report appeared in ‘The Footy Almanac 2007’.
Riverina Wool Team Inspires Selection of NSW Greatest Team
Rod Gillett has been involved in the selection of the NSW Greatest Team of All Time. It was announced today (May 9, 2019) in Sydney. Take a look!
Almanac Book Review: Behind the Goals: The history of the Victorian Country Football League by Paul Daffey
Rod Gillett has reviewed the latest book by The Footy Almanac co-founder Paul Daffey. Behind the Goals: The history of the Victorian Country Football League is out now.
Ultimate Wool Team – Riverina: A better side from historian Rod Gillett?
How does this compare with the Riverina team picked so far? Rod Rocket Gillett, the boy from Rochy, has added a few names and gives some excellent detail about the players. [Thanks Rocket – JTH]
AFL Round 2 – Sydney v Gold Coast: Proudly Sydney
Rod Gillet travelled from Sydney’s south (where 12.6% of supporters live) to the SCG to watch the unfurling of the premiership flag.
Robertson Oval – where Terry Daniher was king
The AFL grounds onslaught into NSW continues with the unveiling of a revamped Robertson Oval in Wagga on March 2 when the Giants play the Brisbane Lions in a NAB Cup game under lights. Rod Gillett says the oval has a rich history.
50 years on – Square and Rochy resume the rivalry
by Rod Gillett Last year the Golden Square Football Club went through the Bendigo Football League unbeaten to win the premiership. It matched the feat of the Rochester “Invincibles” who were premiers and champions in the same league in 1962. Rochy beat Golden Square in the grand final that year. Both clubs are understandably [Read more]
How the West is being won
by Rod Gillett AFL football will be played at four different venues in Sydney this season. Three of those are in western Sydney. Only one is in the city, the traditional home of the game, the Sydney Cricket Ground. Footy has been played at the SCG since the 1880s and hosted VFL matches as [Read more]
The birth of the UWS Giants
by Rod Gillett When Sydney University play the UWS Giants in the eastern conference of the North East Australian Football League (NEAFL) this season it won’t actually pit two uni teams against each other. The UWS Giants are not necessarily representing the University of Western Sydney, they’re just playing under their name. That’s because [Read more]
LET’S JUST CALL IT ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL, OR SOCCER FOR SHORT!
The final session of Gaelic football for kids in Abu Dhabi last Sunday involved a match against the parents at the British School – delicious irony in that given the history between the Irish and the English. But that’s another story. The kids call it “Gaelic”, but the parents call it football, after all, its [Read more]
Footy kicking on in Coffs Harbour
by “Rocket” Rod Gillet The Sydney Swans defeated last year’s AFL runner-up St Kilda in a NAB Challenge match at the BCU Stadium in Coffs Harbour by 31 points last Saturday night. Almost 5000 attended the fixture on a unseasonably cool night on the north coast of NSW. One of those in attendance was my [Read more]
NOT IN A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN
”The fact is rugby league lives and breathes in western Sydney – we’re part of the community, we have been there for a century … ” (my emphasis) (David Gallop, NRL CEO, Sydney Morning Herald, 9 September, 2010) The NRL is paranoid about the AFL’s expansion into western Sydney. And they’ve got good reason to [Read more]
LOCAL FOOTY: 137 YEARS OF WAR- Rochester v Echuca
The eternal desire by the Rochester Football Club to beat Echuca will be magnified ten-fold when they meet at the Rochester Showgrounds in the final round of Goulburn Valley Football League this Saturday. At stake for Rochy is more than the immense pride and satisfaction that always comes from beating their arch-rival but a place [Read more]
UNI FOOTY CLUBS ARE UNIQUE
When Len Cuff transferred in his employment to Sydney in 1984 the former Tasmanian Amateur rep just went straight down to Sydney Uni where he found out he didn’t have to learn a new club song. The Sydney Uni victory song, “1-2-3 the uni boys are we”, “4-5-6 we got ‘em in a fix”, “7-8-9 [Read more]
JACK DEAN – PRINCE OF PLAYERS IN SYDNEY FOOTBALL
In the 1949 interstate match between NSW and Victoria at the SCG nineteen year old East Sydney ruckman Jack Dean went up against veteran Victorian captain Jack Dyer at the opening bounce. “He sat me on my arse!” Jack told me over a few beers. We were at Harry McAsey’s pub in Alexandra after a [Read more]
MATCH REPORT – GRAND FINAL : DUBAI HEAT v ABU DHABI FALCONS
by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rocket It was great to have our boys play in the Grand Final. It was exciting to be involved. Everyone in the club was determined to enjoy it – and enjoy it we did. The elephant in the (locker) room was the absence through injuries and unavailability of some of our [Read more]
Middle East AFL Grand Final preview: Abu Dhabi won’t be able to stand the Heat
by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rocket Grand finals, anywhere, at any level, arouse passion and excitement. The second-ever Middle East AFL grand final will be no exception. However, the unbeaten Dubai Heat will go into Friday’s premiership decider against Abu Dhabi as raging hot favourites to win their second successive title despite beating their grand final [Read more]
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