Haje Halabi, June 14,2011. “Rocket” Rod Gillett has been a much-loved member of the Australian football community in Abu Dhabi. This week friends gathered at his favourite oasis in the desert, Coopers Bar, to farewell him, as he will be soon venturing to Vietnam with his lovely wife Jessie and son Jeremy. There was a […]
Falcons triumph in the Middle East
April 5, 2011 by 2 Comments
The Abu Dhabi Falcons were tense in the sheds before the game. A few were attempting banter but it was difficult to get much more than nervous laughter out of anyone. Uncertainty over what the Doha Kangaroos were capable of was the main concern. That and the fact we were missing three blokes who were pretty handy. Coming […]
Middle East Grand Final Preview: the one day in March
March 26, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Today (Friday 25th) )is the biggest day of the year for AFL in the Middle East. The Abu Dhabi Falcons have made it through to the last Friday in March (LFIM, apologies Mr. Mosig!) with no defeats although have been put under pressure at times during the five round games. The Doha Kangaroos have earned […]
The Abu Dhabi Falcons juice Muscat
March 12, 2011 by Leave a Comment
The Abu Dhabi Falcons made the 4 ½ hour trip to Muscat for the third time in as many years. It’s one of the best and worst places to go. The best because the Magpies put on a great ‘after game’ in Rugby Union club facilities, (bbq feast and plentiful beers) and worst because it […]
When it rains it pours……goals apparently
February 5, 2011 by 1 Comment
The Postman and Gus Falcons Vs Bahrain One of the great tactical minds of the 20th Century, Sir Winston Churchill, once said “Anyone with half a brain starts their puzzles from the sides and works their way in”. I believe it was in reference to the battles won on the cold outskirts of Europe that […]
Match Report of Abu Dhabi Falcons Vs Doha Kangaroos
February 4, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Author: The Postman (Due to privacy concerns our reporter is not fearless and requests a nomdeplume) Two and a half metres out from goal, Brohaska stands and takes the easiest of chest marks unopposed and barely a minute into the game. Calmly he walks back off the mark and puts it through for a solid […]
Abu Dhabi Falcons Player Profiles
February 4, 2011 by 1 Comment
By Dan Brooke (with assistance from Russell Yule) M Day: Flash or Flamer was the nickname decision. Flash won as Mick’s ability to go from here to there in the blink of an eye is superb. Almost manages to disguise his ginger taint through bright eyes and bushy tailed approach. Has promised to demonstrate on […]
What do you say?
January 14, 2011 by 4 Comments
What do you say when you are living in a place, where on the day the floods hit Toowoomba and Grantham, we received our first rain for 12 months and probably only rain for the next 12 months? Barely enough to justify turning the wipers on. What do you say to the mate you’ve known […]
Paddle for the Mentawais- The Journey
December 11, 2010 by 2 Comments
By Russell Yule On Thursday morning, Harold Shim and myself attempted the first ever SUP circumnavigation of Abu Dhabi. (SUP stands for stand up paddleboard. Kind of a long surfboard powered by a 7ft long paddle). Here is the story lifted from the blog I have been doing about our Paddle for the Mentawais to […]
Paddle for the Mentawais – Get on Board!
December 1, 2010 by Leave a Comment
by Russell Yule The tsunami that hit the Mentawais Islands in October is the second to affect the region in since 2004. Assistance has been made even more difficult as the region is moving into the monsoon season, with weather conditions this year being horrific. Storms bringing winds of more than 100km/hr have prevented boats, […]
Falcons Vs Dingoes 12 Nov 2010
November 28, 2010 by 5 Comments
by Russell Yule The second round of the 2010-11 AFL-ME season kicked off with an early (10am) game between the Abu Dhabi Falcons and the Dubai Dingoes. The early start to avoid getting mixed up in the F1 World Title deciding event happening up the road and round the corner at Yas Island. (Any truth […]
Footy hasn’t finished for the Year. It’s just starting up … in the Middle East!
October 29, 2010 by 2 Comments
By Russell Yule Sure, most of the football community is depressed with the thought of facing the next four months with Collingwood as Premiers. Well here is an opportunity to move on. Get on board the AFL-Middle East bandwagon. Be amongst those up the front driving it, rather than on the wagon part! Your humble […]
MATCH REPORT – GRAND FINAL : DUBAI HEAT v ABU DHABI FALCONS
April 3, 2010 by 1 Comment
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 […]
Middle East AFL Grand Final preview: Abu Dhabi won’t be able to stand the Heat
March 17, 2010 by 8 Comments
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 […]
World Footy: Falcons and Dragons to battle for Middle East grand final berth
February 10, 2010 by 7 Comments
A berth in the Middle East AFL grand final is at stake when the Abu Dhabi Falcons take on the Dubai Dragons at the American International School in the UAE capital on Friday evening at 5 pm. The Falcons are undefeated after wins on the road in Oman and Qatar but they face the all-conquering […]
Local Footy: Desert dash fails to deter Falcons
December 16, 2009 by Leave a Comment
By Sheikh Mohammed bin Rocket The Abu Dhabi Falcons footy team made sure they did not stray into the Empty Quarter in Saudi Arabia when they crossed the border on their road trip to Muscat in Oman for last weekend’s fourth-round clash in the Middle East AFL. Despite getting to the ground only 15 minutes […]
Schauble likely to miss grand final re-match
November 19, 2009 by 6 Comments
by Rod Gillett Former Sydney Swans best & fairest Andrew Schauble is likely to miss the Middle East AFL grand final re-match when the Dubai Heat travel to the Sultanate of Oman to play the Muscat Magpies in their round 3 at the Muscat Rugby Club on Friday. Schauble is suffering from a flu virus […]
His Excellency, Terry Daniher, Ambassador for Football in the Middle East
October 29, 2009 by 3 Comments
By Sheikh Mohammed bin Rocket Bounding up the steps of the Le Meridien Hotel in Dubai last week to attend the Middle East AFL Sportsman’s Night the bloke in front of me kindly held the door open for me, “Thanks T.D.”, I said. ” Rocket, old son, what you are doing here?” exclaimed Terry Daniher. […]
Local Footy: Serong’s two seasons in Bendigo league rank him among the best
September 16, 2009 by 21 Comments
My fellow Almanacker Richard Jones is a keen observer and promoter of the Bendigo Football League. He has compiled two separate lists of the 10 greatest players from different eras. I saw several of the players he had on his list from the 70s play and that’ll brook no argument with me, all great players. […]
General Footy Writing: Ungarie junior premiership ushers in next generation of Danihers
August 27, 2009 by Leave a Comment
On the eve of the Footy Almanac lunch on Friday 28 August, at which Anthony Daniher and Adam McNicol will talk about Adam’s recently released biography of The Danihers, comes the news out of the Riverina that there are some more Danihers on the way to the AFL! What would you expect when the Daniher […]
Recent Comments