Almanac Footy: The Hopkins-Ellen Medal – A Call for Nominations

Sam Steele has devised a list of lesser-known players who were in the right place at the right time and performed admirably at Grand Final time.

Almanac Footy Writing: Continuing the umpiring debate…

Nothing in the AFL is as contentious as the decisions made by the men in green. Stainless jumps into the umpiring debate.

Almanac Footy: A decade on – was I Nostradamus?

Sam Steele reflects and comments on the thought provoking predications he made about the future of AFL footy in a piece he published on The Footy Almanac in 2009.

Grand Final – Richmond v Geelong: What an asterisk!

Stainless doesn’t shy away from the dreaded ‘asterisk’ season – he embraces it!

1981 Revisited – Epilogue: ‘Tainted Love’

After all is said and done (again) Stainless wraps up his odyssey through the annals of 1981 superb history.

1981 Revisited – Grand Final: ‘The Winner Takes It All’

A Brownlow Medal is tied, and two of the game’s oldest rivals fight it out for the Premiership in an epic tussle. Sam Steele was among the standing room crowd on the day, and vividly relieves the experience. (This is an outstanding conclusion to a brilliant series – Ed).

1981 Revisited – Preliminary Final 1981: ‘Another One Rides the Bus’

In his 1981 retrospective, Stainless looks back at the Preliminary Final, in which favourites Geelong take on Collingwood at VFL Park.

1981 Revisited – Finals Week 2: ‘Hold on Tight’

Sam Steele’s recounting of the 1981 VFL season reaches semi-final week. Carlton take on Geelong for a place in the Grand Final, whilst Collingwood and Fitzroy fight for survival.

1981 Revisited – Finals Week 1: ‘To Cut a Long Story Short’

It’s finals time in Stainless’ look back at the 1981 season. In the first week, there are multiple upsets that disrupt the course of the finals series.

1981 Revisited – Round 22: ‘Back in Black’, The Death of South Melbourne

South Melbourne play their last home game at the Lakeside Oval, and finals places are confirmed on largely sodden ovals. Sam Steele revisits the final home and away round of the 1981 VFL season.

1981 Revisited – Round 21: ‘De do do do, De da da da’

Stainless recounts Round 21 of the 1981 season which set the scene for a final round to determine every ladder position for the looming finals series.

1981 Revisited – Round 20: ‘Once in a Lifetime’, The Neale Daniher Edition

As a moment in history, this was the pinnacle of Neale Daniher’s career as a footballer; the marvel of Fight MND was a young, talented defender ahead of his time. Sam Steele continues his look back on 1981, with particular focus on the Dons’ clash with the old enemy, Carlton.

1981 Revisited – Round 19: ‘Cool World’

The freezing winds dominated almost as much as the umpires’ strike in Round 19, 1981. Stainless braved the arctic Moorabbin conditions and was rewarded with a thriller. And the VFL’s Sunday football experiment wasn’t helped any by the weather. The finals are taking shape as Sam Steele’s 1981 Revisited continues.

1981 Revisited – Round 18: ‘You want it. You got it.’

Sunday footy made its first appearance in Round 18 of the 1981 season. Stainless recounts the story of its promotion ‘in the patrons’ interest’! David Rhys-Jones and Brent Croswell provided the on-field ‘entertainment’.

1981 Revisited – Round 17: ‘Bad Habits’

Captain-coaches are now a thing of the past and the Tigers just can’t break through. 1981 was a different world, as Stainless eludes to in his recap of Round 17.

1981 Revisited – Round 16: ‘Some Days are Diamonds’

Stainless uncovers some ‘World of Sport’ classics as he revisits the VFL’s Round 16 from 1981.

1981 Revisited – The Escort Cup: ‘The Night Owls’

In his journey through the 1981 season, Stainless Steele revisits the halcyon days of the Escort Cup when Essendon downed Carlton in the Grand Final at VFL Park.

1981 Revisited – Round 15: ‘The Tide is High’

With the rain turning Victorian grounds into troughs, Round 15 of the 1981 VFL season became a battle of attrition. But off the field, Stainless describes the political feud that was surrounding South Melbourne’s potential relocation to Sydney.

1981 Revisited – Round 14: ‘Gotta pull myself together’

Round 14 1981 is best remembered for perhaps Malcolm Blight’s most embarrassing moment in footy. Stainless continues his review of the 1981 VFL footy season.

1981 Revisited – Round 13: ‘Swingshift’

Stainless Steele continues his journey through the 1981 season with Round 13. The Bombers overcame a 26-point deficit at three quarter time to pip Richmond at the bell while Geelong kicked a mammoth score against a hapless North Melbourne. All that and more.