Last week’s rain, plus the pressure of a number of earlier games, turned the Adelaide Hills Central Division match between Bridgewater and Mt Lofty into a mud wrestle. During its history, the Bridgewater Oval has earned itself a reputation for producing conditions that would have the average mud lark rejoicing. Read his yarn and see [Read more]
The Winning Edge: The Reverse Barometer
July 18, 2012 by Leave a Comment
My tipping this year has been sub-standard. I’m the first to admit that the countless hours spent invested are not providing the expected results, and I’m not the force I was in my younger zenith. My tens of tipping competitions are in danger of being rendered as solely a week to week battle to grab [Read more]
1980 A Personal Footy Almanac – Round 16, Sunday 20 July, v St Kilda, SCG
July 18, 2012 by 7 Comments
The final of the VFL’s four exhibition games at the SCG this year was St Kilda’s home game against Richmond. All four games were played on Sunday afternoons as the League, to this point stymied by the State Government from playing Sunday matches in Melbourne, chose to use Sydney as the base for pitching this [Read more]
A Tiger in a nest of Magpies
July 17, 2012 by 3 Comments
By Phil Dimitriadis Alexander John Eastham is a different cat. In fact, he is a tiger. Yes, my grandnephew barracks for Richmond. The noteworthy feature of this highly unexpected phenomenon is that 99% of his immediate family are Pies fans. His paternal grandfather Jock is the president of the Gippsland Magpies and has [Read more]
“Should auld acquaintance be forgot”
July 17, 2012 by 5 Comments
June 30, MIT Fields Boston Australian Rules tournament As Melbourne sank into a slough of perfect footy weather – cold, wet, unpredictable – we were sheltering from the smarting sunshine and exhausting humidity of a Boston heatwave, elbow-deep in boxes and bags and bubblewrap, packing away a year-long expat adventure. We’d recently discovered that [Read more]
The 2012 ‘Mopsy’ Fraser Cup – Round Sixteen
July 17, 2012 by 2 Comments
Greetings Tipsters And then there were four. At this rate, I’ll run out of contenders before August but with his forward line taking part in a snooker tournament at Cottlesloe Beach SLSC on Sunday arvo against most of his midfield, Woosha won’t be spending too many weekends in September in a coach’s box. Fact is, [Read more]
The poncho ain’t pretty
July 17, 2012 by 3 Comments
You’re sitting ground level two rows from the front, on a cold Friday night at the MCG. The cold wind is blowing from the grey daunting skies and then it happens. It starts to rain. Rain is a beautiful thing especially when you are rugged up indoors wearing multiple layers and Ugg Boots watching the [Read more]
John Kingsmill’s Footy Diary
July 16, 2012 by Leave a Comment
ROUND SIXTEEN Fantasy Footy It’s been one of those weekends when most of my high performers agreed to abandon the cause: Matt Suckling – five kicks, four handballs and two tackles; Matthew Kreuzer – two kicks, four handballs and no marks; Jack Darling – five kicks, no handballs or tackles and no marks; Patrick Dangerfield [Read more]
AFL bites the bullet
July 15, 2012 by 14 Comments
In a bid to finally fix the inequity of the fixture – where 18 teams play 22 rounds – the AFL has bitten the bullet and will embark on the most sensible option. It will introduce five more teams. Commercial realties dictate a 22-round season must be maintained. Except for this year, when a 23-round [Read more]
Alternative Strip – Grow Up
July 15, 2012 by 3 Comments
Sunday Morning Coming Down. Those grey shorts Essendon wore last week reminded me of the ones I used to wear to primary school. Odd looking on an adult. Essendon’s problem is not that it has developed an alternative strip, it is having developed the worst effort at an alternative strip ever seen in any competition [Read more]
Get yer Record!
July 14, 2012 by 4 Comments
I thought Almanackers might be into this little discovery I made. Every page of every VFL/AFL footy record since the day dot is now available online. So if you have a spare 200 hours, have fun going down this wormhole… http://takata.slv.vic.gov.au/R/UM788H91NVIH5YHPK4J9J5LNM7RHX2RABDMLQ8TDVRM14DP5RH-15826?func=collections&collection_id=1081
Life on Red Hill
July 14, 2012 by 5 Comments
Life on Red Hill The Red Hill team song is a variation on the classic, ‘She’ll be Coming Round the Mountain When She Comes.’ In the second verse we sing – We’ll take on all the champions as they come, oh we’ll take on the champions as they come. Then it sounds something like – [Read more]
The Second Law of Thermodynamics applied to Umpiring
July 12, 2012 by 7 Comments
In the last twenty years we have seen the introduction of all sorts of technology in most sports. The collection of statistics, the recording of physiological states of the players, both during a match and at training and the use of what I shall call digital technology to aid (?) umpiring are now far more [Read more]
Gold Coast footy alive and well
July 12, 2012 by 4 Comments
By Cheryl Critchley “Gee-long, Gee-long, Gee-long!” Some things never change, even 1800km from Sleepy Hollow. We’re at Metricon Stadium on the Gold Coast and the Cats’ Cheer Squad sounds as hick as ever. “Gee-long, Gee-long!” The small but dedicated band of “Southerners” is surrounded by Suns supporters decked out in their still [Read more]
Just off the pace
July 12, 2012 by Leave a Comment
I was checking out the results of The Footy Almanac Tipping Competition (for which the prize is half a dozen bottles of red) and I noticed that Neil Kimpton was three clear on a score of 99. To be three clear in a comp of 80+ tippers seemed to me to be statistically significant. “99,” [Read more]
1980 A Personal Footy Almanac – Round 15, Saturday 12 July, v Fitzroy, Junction Oval
July 11, 2012 by 1 Comment
To this point, the 1980 season had unfolded in a wonderfully rhythmic way for me and for Richmond. The humdrum school week improved steadily as each Saturday approached. Another Tiger win was just around the corner. Yes, always a win. Amazing how an 11 game winning sequence can feel like eternity. The week’s break upset [Read more]
I’m cranky – it’s time for the footy mums to step up
July 10, 2012 by 9 Comments
After such a cracking win on Saturday night, I was rudely awaken from the momentary peace in the Saints world with news this morning that Jack Stevens was caught driving with 0.08 alcohol in his system on Sunday morning, he was fined and he will lose his licence for 6 months. The Club and the [Read more]
Letter to Manila
July 10, 2012 by 1 Comment
I thought that this week I would share an edited version of a letter which I sent to a long standing friend who lives in Manila. Last evening a marquee sports event in the Australian calendar took place, that is the third and deciding “State of Origin” Rugby League clash between Queensland and NSW.
The 2012 ‘Mopsy’ Fraser Cup – Round Fifteen
July 10, 2012 by 1 Comment
Greetings Tipsters When is a team truly down and out for the season? Sure, the bottom six definitely are and the next five are really only battling for the honour of being the first team to get kicked out of the finals. But above that, where do you draw the line? Folks, you don’t have [Read more]
The Wrap – Round XV
July 9, 2012 by Leave a Comment
THE WRAP – ROUND XV WHERE LIFE IMITATES FOOTBALL And what a round it’s been in Footy Eddie. On Friday night it was a famous Victory for truth & justice as Captain Carlton drove the Carringbush Interlopers from the field. By Saturday night The Ladder had undergone a major reshuffle as The Gliders crash landed [Read more]
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