‘Mad’ Barrackers

I mean ‘mad’ barrackers in the best sense of the word – as in crazy, funny, and strangely wonderful.  People who are passionate to a fault. Ian and Kel’s terrific stories on the ‘My Friend Neil’ post had me reminiscing.  Thought it would be good to have an ongoing series of pieces dedicated to these [Read more]

In Praise of Trent Cotchin

“Who’s your favourite player, dad?” It’s a question that stumps me. “I don’t have favourite players, mate”, I say, rather sheepishly.  “Royce Hart was my hero as a kid, but I’ve never had favourites since then”.  Billy gives me a glare and I hastily mutter something about admiring Lenny Hayes.  But it’s clear my hesitant [Read more]

One Hundred Years Ago: Round 2, 6th May, 1911

If the VFL hoped to put one area of controversy behind it with the decision to permit player payments, it was to be rudely reminded that certain sections of society remained implacably opposed to the very notion of professional sport. On the eve of the season’s second round a scathing public attack by a prominent [Read more]

Almanac Rugby League – The Goodna Footy Floods of 2011

THE GOODNA FOOTY FLOODS of 2011 by Tony Caswell (or TC, The Goodna Gunna) The river came up, and the rain came down A playing field of green, became a slush of brown The footballs are gone, along with tackling bags All the teams jerseys, are now muddied rags Gary, the President, he carried the [Read more]

Classic Passages 1: The Best of the Footy Almanac

By Phil Dimitriadis “Everybody knows that you live forever, when you’ve done a line or two” Leonard Cohen The Footy Almanac is now into its fifth year.  Many things have changed since early 2007, some have stayed the same. One constant has been the inspired, prophetic, deluded and passionate pieces that come from the writers [Read more]

Geoff Raines

Football Fact No. 1,000,000,002 Geoff Raines. Geoff Raines was the crispest player to ever pull on a boot. I don’t care that the father of Andrew was a pretty boy, or that the umps didn’t like him, or that he chased the dollar. Not a bit. In his days at Richmond he would take the [Read more]

Great footy matches which have made it into your family mythology

In the Harms family mythology there are many footy matches which are remembered. Not all fondly I might add. Almost all of them involve the Geelong Football Club. Many involve the despised Pies. Which footy match has made it into your family’s mythology; a story which is told and re-told.

The View from Shepparton

Went to church yesterday as is my wont every Sunday. Thus I miss out on Insiders and Offsiders every Sunday which is not my want. But just discovered iview. Hallelujah.

Why we love footy

by Steve Ingham It’s easy to get carried away in football. If a story is on the front page of the newspaper, if it leads the nightly news or takes up hours of talkback radio, most likely it is an ugly story. A scandal of some description. Sex. Drugs. Alcohol. Violence. Aside from the Brownlow [Read more]

Deconstructing Collingwood

Collingwood is in a re-building phase. Not the team, but the old ground. The Magpies haven’t played an AFL game at Victoria Park since 1999. Local teams, including the Collingwood reserves in the VFL, have been playing on the oval for nigh on a decade as parts of the ground have fallen into disrepair.

Nick Unloads

That wouldn’t be the head of a certain well known ex-football manager would it? Yvette Wroby speculates at to Nick Riewoldt’s current thoughts (with a little help from an Age photo.

AFL overestimate supporters’ attitude to pay TV

It is a disgrace when on a brisk Saturday in May, only ONE game out of FOUR being played today, can be viewed on television. Last weekend when there was no free-to-air televising of any day games, my daughter and I decided to go for a stroll into the ‘centre hub’ of our busy little [Read more]

From the Folly of Subiaco to Greener Pastures

By Brad Carr In last year’s Almanac, I wrote up the Round 7 game between West Coast and Hawthorn, and I referred to Subiaco Oval as “what sadly remains the worst stadium in the AFL”. In the course of editing the book, Paul Daffey picked up on this point, and asked that I elaborate on [Read more]

Ponderings from Cape York

Is this the tail end of the Cape York Wet season or Autumn in Melbourne? Looking out the window at the porch light illuminating the rain falling in front of the grapefruit tree you could be excused for confusion. But no, an arm with sleeve rolled up thrust out the window tells me it’s still [Read more]

The Uncontrollable Smile

By Vincent Tan I like Melbourne. I like that “Before the Game” is actually shown before the game. I like that I can sit at a pub and have absolutely no compulsion to zip up my jacket to hide my navy blue and white hoops for fear of ridicule and the inevitable drunken comment about [Read more]

OK, Who forgot to Compile the VFA Stats between 1877 and 1896?

Given that the 18 (or is it 19) years represent a significant chain in the history of footy, I’m surprised that there is (or seems to be) no easy-access stats for the VFA results in the period. I can find the premiers but that’s about it. Is there a place to find this stuff or [Read more]

Footy Un/certainty

A couple of weeks ago, Friday night football hosted Collingwood and Richmond. As the first half drew to a close, the Pies up by some 8 goals, the ABC’s David Parkin lamented the unevenness of the match. He wasn’t having fun anymore: ‘The joy of any contest surely comes from the uncertainty.’ * On the [Read more]

My (not so) favourite drop-kick, part 7

Vin Maskell hears the ugly truth in part seven of his meandering series. The train stuttered and stopped as it tried to pull out of the station. “Passengers,” announced the driver, “we’ve had to stop because some drop-kick in a red cap is trying to force open the doors.” You know the game is just [Read more]

The View From Shepparton: Rd 6

The View” has been delivered late this week as the events organiser and myself have made a sudden decision to relocate within Shepparton. We found this retirement village with facilities that one could only dream of, for example a  library, a table tennis table (very important)! a bar, gym, 15 metre lap pool,a gold star [Read more]

Culture wars: the new frontier of player development?

by Peter Baulderstone Chris Reardon’s incisive piece on football team ‘culture’, and the thoughtful responses from other contributors inspires me to make my own observations on the closely related issue of young player development I have been following the WAFL colts competition pretty closely for the last 3 years.  These Saturday morning matches are a [Read more]