After a summer of lists and best of’s that generated plenty of discussion, the Mendes boys – Philip and Lucas – return with a comprehensive preview of North’s chances in 2015. Strengths: Much greater depth than in previous seasons. North arguably have 30 players who are proven at AFL level. Youngsters are pushing up [Read more]
Play On returns
March 4, 2015 by 18 Comments
John Harms’s omnibus Play On – made up of Confessions of a Thirteenth Man, Memoirs of a Mug Punter and Loose Men Everywhere – has been out of print for nearly a decade. Recent (unlikely) events have motivated him to right that situation, so that Play On will soon be available again. Here’s the story. And how you can buy the book and support the Almanac at the same time – it’s available through our Pozible crowdfunding campaign.
2001 – The Almost (Where’s SA and Tas?) All Australian SSA Team – A HAL of a Side
March 4, 2015 by 2 Comments
For those you who may have forgotten what Jordan Lewis looks like without the trademark three-day growth…
Pre-Season 2015: Swans in the Suburbs
March 4, 2015 by 6 Comments
A week out from their NAB Challenge match against Brisbane, the Swans headed to Henson Park, Marrickvile for intra-club hit out. It was the perfect Friday night for Mathilde de Hauteclocque and the Cygnet.
NTFL: Semi-final wrap-up
March 4, 2015 by Leave a Comment
It’s the pointy end at the Top End with St Mary’s dominating once more. Will S Milne capture that elusive Saints flag?
BRAINBUSTER !!!
March 3, 2015 by 27 Comments
Who was your favourite professional wrestler and what were some of the more memorable holds? Wrestling is a language, can’t you read?
Kick-to-kick (from Loose Men Everywhere)
March 3, 2015 by 2 Comments
Recently Paul Daffey pointed Age readers in the direction of the kick-to-kick passage in Richard Flanagan’s The Narrow Road to the Deep North, suggesting kick-to-kick had rarely been written about. He’s right, although it seems the Almanac is home to a number of writers (like Vin Maskell) who have. Here’s a snippet from Loose Men Everywhere by John Harms published in 2002. [E. Regnans alerted Almanac readers to the Flanagan excerpt when it was first published – Ed).
NAB Challenge 2015 – Western Bulldogs v Richmond: The Doug Hawkins Wing Part II (As an Adult)
March 3, 2015 by 3 Comments
Damian Gibson visited with the ghosts of Fitzroy past at the Whitten Oval as the Bulldogs and Richmond clashed in their opening match of the 2015 NAB Challenge
An AFL Lockout is the Only Answer
March 2, 2015 by 9 Comments
I suspect Rohan Coooper’s debut piece will generate a response. The players have too much power, he argues.
Kick-to-Kick at Docklands Stadium
February 26, 2015 by 4 Comments
The [time-honoured – Ed] tradition of kick-to-kick on footy grounds after League matches is set to make a comeback at the MCG in this, the year of the fan. Yoshi makes an impassioned plea for Etihad Stadium management to reconsider the Saints request to introduce it at the Docklands for Sunday games.
The Forgotten Premierships
February 26, 2015 by 6 Comments
George Smith takes a stroll down memory lane, inviting us to recall the forgotten premierships.
Frankie’s Summer Training Program Revealed
February 26, 2015 by 1 Comment
Never one to deny his fans what they want, Frankie – the first dog taken in the 2012 Canine Draft shares his summer routine with the Almanac.
Taking stock: thinking about the Almanac and its future
February 25, 2015 by 26 Comments
The Almanac is taking a moment to consider its future direction. Your thoughts are most welcome.
Essendon and their Curiously Scheduled, Possibly Generous and Definitely Soft NAB Challenge Games
February 25, 2015 by 7 Comments
The Bombers have a very ‘interesting’ NAB Challenge schedule ahead of them, argues Sean Curtain. Have the undermanned Bombers (self-imposed, it must be pointed out) been spared the rod by AFL in being drawn to meet three of last season’s strugglers in the pre-season competition?
Is Footy Too Long?
February 25, 2015 by 4 Comments
Yoshi, like many fans, finds himself at odds with Mick Malthouse’s claim that AFL matches should be shortened. The length of a footy game compared to rugby or soccer is part of what makes our game unique, claims our resident Japanese Almanacker.
1998 – (the excluding WA, SA, Tas) All-Australian SSA Team – Humble Beginnings
February 25, 2015 by 3 Comments
More All-Australian Juniors brilliance from the Swishter. The 1998 All-Australian (less W.A, S.A and Tasmania) SSA line-up. Spot the future VISY Ambassador in all his hirsute glory.
From Colonial Stadium to Etihad: Fifteen Years of Future Shock
February 25, 2015 by 6 Comments
While stressfully cleaning up in preparation for a possible shift, Neil Anderson finds an old newspaper.
NTFL Finals Week One Wrap-Up
February 24, 2015 by Leave a Comment
It’s the best footy you’re likely not to have seen (unless you live in the Northern Territory, of course). it’s week one of the NTFL finals and Jackson Clarke brings you the wrap-up on one of the most exciting competitions in the country.
A Barracker’s Guide to Footy Survival
Old mate Joe Moore presents your one-stop guide to surviving a football match. What to eat, what to wear, what to drink and who to listen to – it’s all here.