Richmond’s run to the 1980 premiership struck a significant speed bump in the guise of South Melbourne at the Lake Oval, leaving a young Sam Steel to ask: What strange meteorological Bermuda Triangle operates down here?
1980 A Personal Footy Almanac – Round 22, Saturday 30 August, v South Melbourne, Lake Oval
August 29, 2012 by 2 Comments
The last Sunday in August
August 29, 2012 by 2 Comments
You see it every September in the Herald-Sun. Photographs of victorious premiership sides in suburban and country leagues across the state. Jubilant players leaning into a huddle. Laughing out loud and yelling “Yeah, you beauty!”
AFL Round 22: Freo, give song heave ho before finals
August 28, 2012 by 6 Comments
And Greatness Is upon us…the 8 teams are now left to jockey for positions in the last round and history is made when for the first time ever when 10 teams miss out. Make the most of the finals opportunity or waste it at your peril… Speaking of Timmy Rogers and greatness how about Zeus [Read more]
WAFL – Round 23: Swans get a grip on second
August 28, 2012 by 1 Comment
THE four might be settled but round 23 still threw up some interesting results. Of most interest was the nine-point win by Swan Districts over Claremont at Bassendean. Swans took control early and led by 40 points at three quarter time. The Tigers sent a message by kicking six goals to one in the last [Read more]
Crio’s Q: “Deus Absconditus”
August 27, 2012 by 3 Comments
If you don’t mind, Umpire! As usual, the umps have copped a bashing this AFL season. The “deliberate” epidemic at Subi the other week generated another outburst of “worst ever” vitriol on talkback radio. We all seem to recognize a bad umpire….but what makes a good one? Last year, under the magnificent title “Deus Absconditus”, [Read more]
AFL Round 22: The Wrap
August 27, 2012 by 11 Comments
On Friday night The Grey Army was on the march once more, taking another step along the road to oblivion as they ran headlong into The Tiger, who just happened to be heading in the opposite direction.
VWFL Grand Final: Darebin up the creek without a Premiership
August 26, 2012 by 3 Comments
When I started working as a cadet journalist on the Knox-Sherbrooke News back in 1985, one of the first stories I wrote was about women’s footy. The VWFL was in its infancy and the Ferntree Gully Kangas were struggling to find their feet. The competition had a handful of teams and faced [Read more]
Eat up! Eat up! And play the game.
August 26, 2012 by 16 Comments
It was one of those nights when a few middle-aged blokes get together to talk about old times in sport. John was a new fellow to join the group and everyone’s eyes lit up when he said ‘I saw Bradman bat once’. John’s view of Bradman was when the Indians played a Test [Read more]
AFL Round 22 – Richmond v Essendon: Schadenfreude
August 25, 2012 by 6 Comments
The German term “schadenfreude” is beautifully efficient – a single word when in English we need seven (taking pleasure in the misfortunes of others). Richmond was hardly efficient last night but the ease with which the Bombers were brushed aside was breathtaking. And enjoyable. As Essendon’s abortive 2012 campaign played out its last dismal rites, the schadenfreude flowed [Read more]
Don’t take the mickey Mick
August 24, 2012 by 9 Comments
So I bet you are all wondering, why is Travis Cloke playing so badly? Well you can stop racking your brains and coming up with that list because Mick Malthouse thinks he knows the answer. Yes Travis has been double teamed in the past and yes last week the delivery to the big number 32 [Read more]
When the North Adelaide Roosters were kings
August 24, 2012 by 29 Comments
In this wonderful reminiscence of the era, Michael Sexton recalls the 1972 Champions of Australia series, when the North Adelaide Roosters improbably beat Carlton.
Spring hopes eternal – a survival guide to September
August 23, 2012 by 3 Comments
“It’s spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you’ve got it, you want – oh, you don’t quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!” ~Mark Twain As winter slowly comes to a close, those chilly frost-filled mornings [Read more]
Tigers fans still there through thick and thin but where are Hawks fans?
August 23, 2012 by 5 Comments
Richmond may have disappointed by missing the finals again this year, but its fans certainly haven’t. Stats revealed in the Herald Sun show that despite an overall downturn in attendances, Richmond has had the fourth largest crowds on average this year at 42,113, behind only Collingwood, Carlton and Essendon. These Tiger fans who turn up [Read more]
The 2012 ‘Mopsy’ Fraser Cup – Round Twenty One
August 22, 2012 by 2 Comments
Greetings Tipstsers Predictions, projections and prognostications have been propelled into a pointless pile of piffle. Where once we wallowed in a world of near certainty, now we walk warily in a universe wherein anything might happen. For, dear reader, it now does appear that any of the Top Seven could beat any other of the [Read more]
1980 A Personal Footy Almanac – Round 21, Saturday 23 August, v North Melbourne, Arden Street Oval
August 22, 2012 by 3 Comments
I’m pacing the floor of a stately, shady old house in Brighton, Adelaide. I’m secluded in an ornate living room where the house’s one radio is located. The setting is incongruous enough for a football broadcast. The house looks like footy has never before sullied its oh-so-respectable interior. But it’s me who is really out [Read more]
Bless me Father, for I (may) have sinned
August 21, 2012 by 15 Comments
Bless me Father, for I (may) have sinned. Maybe it was our esteemed leader Mr Harms writing about Assumption Day recently (rightly corrected by one of the Micks amongst us as the Feast of the Assumption and a Holy Day of Obligation) but I feel the need to get religious and seek forgiveness. I recently [Read more]
The View from Shepparton – Round 21
August 21, 2012 by Leave a Comment
My mob beat the Adelaide pretenders, no one can take them seriously now. They cannot play away from Footbrawl Park and that is that. On the other hand, what a magnificent comeback from my mob. 38 points down at quarter time and then they gradually reeled them in. They are definitely the Richmond of the [Read more]
Let the umpires off their philosophical hook!
August 21, 2012 by 5 Comments
Once I smugly looked down on Rugby Union. Its penalties seemed to contribute far too much to the final score and, worse than that, they seemed trivial and opaque. Fans apparently waited with bated breath and accepted the direction of the referee’s pointing arm with the best good humour they could muster, and then mutter [Read more]
The Wrap – Round XXI
August 21, 2012 by 7 Comments
THE WRAP – ROUND XXI WHERE LIFE IMITATES FOOTBALL And what a round it’s been in Footy Eddie. On Friday night The Handbags led at every change, seeing off a second half challenge, to send The Saints marching back to Seaford for Season 2012. Come Saturday and it was Boilover time. First it was The [Read more]
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