Tom Hafey: the heroes’ hero

Jeff Dowsing celebrates Tommy Hafey at Collingwood and how his passion inspired Hafey’s Heroes to always overachieve, but fall short at the final hurdle.

Blood-blisters to the Blacks, a Richmond Oval reverie

‘On the field of play you know whose side you are on’. The Bloods are in the blood. So are the Blacks. Tom Martin describes living, playing, being footy – with thanks to his parents.

Poetry: A Difficult Birth

Simon Wilcox has something he’d like to say bout the ’19th Man’

The World Game: from Paris to Brunswick Street

Neat little observation from Rob Heath; when cultures cross, happily.

Tommy

Matt Zurbo chatted with Tommy Hafey a number of times. Here’s what he found. [Brilliant story of Matt’s dad – and of how Tommy recognised it as a brilliant story – Ed]

Giddy-Up Gill

They told me this bloke (Nank) had a turn of phrase on him. And they were right. Here Paul Nankivell casts his eye on what we can expect from the regime of Giddy-Up Gillon.

Tribute to Tommy

Dave Chettle is a Magpie man whose passion for footy was ignited by Tommy Hafey.

AFL Round 8: Reports

All the Almanac reports from Round 8 of the 2014 AFL season.

Is Pavlich really the greatest ever Docker?

Scientific proof that maybe Pav is not the greatest living Docker…or maybe he is.

Open sewage: the need for a people person’s plan

Can the 1854 fatal cholera outbreak in London Town inform the AFL in 2014? David Wilson searches for signs of enlightenment and epidemiology.

WAFL Round 8: Swans Flying, Thunder Almost Roar

The Almanac’s WAFL correspondent Les Everett reports on a round that saw Peel narrowly miss on a first win for the season, and Swan Districts continue to defy pre-season predictions.

I Don’t Like Mondays

Jeff Dowsing doesn’t like Mondays. According to the sparse crowd at Docklands, who does?

So what exactly is the AFL?

Melbourne barrister David Forbes answers some key questions about the AFL.

Tommy Hafey – No Over Finessin’

Matt Watson recalls his encounter with the then Collingwood coach, as a 9-year-old opposition supporter at Arden Street. Along with all of us, Matt is seriously sad, but explains how his respect for Tommy transcends narrow club partisanship.

AFL Round 8: The 2014 ‘Mopsy’ Fraser Cup

Earl O’Neill’s Round 8 saw two football worlds collide in a pall of orange flames and grey smoke in fast forward. The lightly toasted paps went down a treat. Plus Earl’s warm tribute to Tommy.

So Tommy’s Gone

The life and legacy of Tom Hafey have inspired Stephen Whiteside to this poetic tribute.

Vale Tommy

A key link to the “good old days” of footy has passed with the death today of Tom Hafey. Crio recommends retiring a couple of items in memoriam. Do you have any to add..?

AFL Round 8 – The Wrap: The Bump We Had to Have Round

Mr Wrap reckons that the Bloods and the Adelaide Longshoremen sent a message on the weekend. There is a spring in the Wrap step this week as the bye avoided further long suffering among TLSPRF.

How will the Kennedy-Judd trade be judged in hindsight?

It’s a good question to pose! Was the famous trade worth it? Have Carlton missed out?

AFL Round 7: Match reports

All of the Round 7 match reports.