Many will look at the Giants’ first season and say it was terrible, laughable, a joke and a disgrace from a team nobody wants in an area where people shouldn’t even be allowed to touch a Sherrin. Steve Duffy doesn’t see it that way.
Off Season Odyssey – Part 22: Unnoticed Echoes
September 24, 2012 by 3 Comments
The day’s been perfect. Lost and perfect. I have money in pocket, hard work behind me. There’s only five clouds in the sky. Each one worn by a mountain range, making their own weather. The town is perfect, to look at, anyway. To drive through. To drink at. Walking into the pub, surrounded [Read more]
The 2012 ‘Mopsy’ Fraser Cup – Preliminary Final
September 24, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Greetings Tipsters I watched Friday’s prelim laying down in my Hanoi hotel room with Perky Girl, drinking several beers at $0.60 a pop and smoking cigs at $0.50 a pack. For all of that, I’ve been following the Sparkies for far too long to ever get too cocky, so it wasn’t an entirely relaxing experience. [Read more]
Holy Grail
September 24, 2012 by 1 Comment
The tension is building for Jake ‘Cobba’ Stevens as the Swans fight for the silver chalice.
2012 Season Positives for the Pies
September 24, 2012 by 1 Comment
As I start to pick up the pieces and get my life back together after the devastation of the Preliminary final loss to the Swans, I’ve decided to reflect on all of the positives Collingwood had in season 2012. There will be no negatives in this article. Therefore no mention of the four knee reconstructions [Read more]
“He’s a Magic Man …”?
September 23, 2012 by 6 Comments
As a long time barracker of the “Mighty Mustardpots” I’ve taken great delight in the fabulous exploits of all our players in the Brown and Gold (It’s gold! Got that? As Alan Jeans once said “… there’s nothing yellow about Hawthorn!”) and with such an array of talented indigenous players at the club at the moment I’ve [Read more]
AFL Preliminary Finals – Hawthorn v Adelaide: A Crows Fan’s Perspective
September 23, 2012 by 21 Comments
I don’t recall ever feeling prouder after a loss. The Adelaide Crows have now lost the last four Preliminary Finals they’ve taken part in. All four of those losses have been painful experiences, but this one was by far the most tolerable. That may seem baffling; especially considering the margin in this one was closer [Read more]
AFL Preliminary Finals – Sydney v Collingwood (Floreat Pica Society): And now, the end is here
September 22, 2012 by 5 Comments
Dear Floreat Picans, Well, despite my doubts last night, the sun did come up in Sydney town this morning. And here I sit in the Virgin Club lounge sadly punching out the final match report for the season. As I walked into the lounge I was confronted by a sea of black and white CGU/Westpac [Read more]
VAFA – Div 1: A truly grand finale
September 22, 2012 by Leave a Comment
In what can only be described as a magnificent showcase of amateur football, North Old Boys – St Patrick’s defeated Peninsula Old Boys by three goals at Sandringham last Sunday to convincing win the Division 1 premiership. Not since its 1982 A Grade win had the famous Brunswick-based club won a senior flag; importantly, this [Read more]
AFL Preliminary Finals – Sydney v Collingwood: Silky Swans Grand Final ready
September 21, 2012 by 7 Comments
The Sydney Swans have broken an eleven game, seven-year voodoo losing streak against Collingwood, securing their Grand Final appearance by twenty-six points infront of 57,156 at ANZ Stadium. Amongst the celebration of Jude Bolton’s three-hundredth game and the battle of the Reids and Shaws, the Swans were strong defensively and attacked early putting the [Read more]
Off Season Odyssey – Part 20: Empty Bars and Back Pocket Legends
September 21, 2012 by 8 Comments
Empty Bars and Back Pocket Legends. The hotel hangs over a winding road that cuts down into town. Above its door is a sign that says Top Pub, simple and honest. I’ve been on the road for ten hours and slouch over my beer as if it’s a lead-lined magnet. [Read more]
The Book of VFL/AFL Finals
September 21, 2012 by 3 Comments
It’s that time of year when Phil Dimitriadis reaches for the ‘Bible’ of AFL finals.
Stadium Congestion
September 21, 2012 by 5 Comments
Georgia Blom, from Genezzano College, presents a thought-provoking argument on stadium safety.
The Penultimate Week
September 20, 2012 by 1 Comment
Welcome to the Penultimate Week! We are now down to four and the news this week has been focussed on the selection of a team that will never play together. The All-Australian team is not something that particularly interests me (Especially when there are no Blues in it) and the discussion and debate over it [Read more]
A Tribute to Norm McDonald
September 20, 2012 by 24 Comments
Max Watson, aged 11, wrote this profile as a project at Merri Creek Primary School.
Off Season Odyssey – Part 19: Blood
September 20, 2012 by 9 Comments
Uncle Les is dying. It’s not right. I have such vivid memories of him being so damn imposing. So solid. All Hungarian, with that slicked back hair, the angular face, barrel chest. That way. Straight down the line. Now he’s skin and bone, there nothing there. He sits opposite me in his house [Read more]
Freo’s Dockers Should Not Be Moved
September 19, 2012 by 11 Comments
Austin Robertson with some thoughts on the what’s happening at Freo, where there are those intent on removing Freo from Freo.
Side by side, back to back
September 19, 2012 by 5 Comments
On Friday night the Magpies and Swans engage in the most important game they’ve played against eachother for 76 years. This is the Collingwood’s 50 Most Sensational Games story of the 1936 Grand Final. 1936 Grand final MCG, Saturday 5 October CROWD: 74,091 UMPIRE: Blackburn Collingwood 3.6.24 7.16.58 8.19.67 11.23.89 South Melbourne 3.4.22 5.7.37 8.12.60 10.18.78 BEST COLLINGWOOD – Pannam, Whelan, Carmody, Kyne, [Read more]
Footy Book Review: Legends and more Legends
September 19, 2012 by 2 Comments
Peter Crossing reviews Sean Gorman’s Legends, and Ken Piesse’s Legends of the Bush.
1980 A Personal Footy Almanac – Preliminary Final, Saturday 20 September, Collingwood v Geelong, VFL Park
September 19, 2012 by 12 Comments
As a neutral observer of sporting contests, I generally find some reason or other for supporting one team. Today’s tricky. I want the team to win today that’s most likely to lose to Richmond next week. But which is that? Logic tells me I should want Collingwood to get up. They finished fifth. We beat [Read more]
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