When Dunlop Volleys just won’t do

  By Clint Rule With the inevitable explosion of my Dunlop Volley Footy Boot Hybrids in about round 12 a few years back, I pined for a new idea. Something fresh to dig into for this year’s lower grade amateur league pre-season. And when I think fresh, I think retro. In my school days there [Read more]

WA beats Vic Country in Under 18 championships

THE WA under 18s team atoned for their defeat by Queensland with a strong victory over Victoria Country at Subiaco Oval on Sunday. In a game highlighted by excellent kicking from both teams WA controlled the first and last quarter while Vic Country were in charge for the middle bit. The visitors took a three-point [Read more]

The 2012 ‘Mopsy’ Fraser Cup – Round Twelve

Greetings Tipsters Your correspondent is currently leading his tipping competition. I’d like to say that I have fantastical insights or a rigourously well-informed analytical system happening but the truth is that I think about them for about as long as it takes to click on the dots on the tipping website. Dumb luck? Partly, luck [Read more]

The Running Man

Sometimes the messages get complicated when you’re the team runner for the Ivanhoe under 15s. “Tell Patrick to hit a target when he’s kicking into fifty, tell Seb to pick out a teammate when he gets it and take Sam off for Liam. Sam’s number nine.” Many times I’ve bounded onto the field and realised [Read more]

Round 12 Winners and Losers

Last weekend I was off in the wilderness, trying to utilise the fleeting 30 seconds of reception I could get to acquire scores. As a result, I couldn’t report on round 11. However now I am back amongst civilization and delivering to you everything you need to know about round 12. Basically, Behinds! Behinds everywhere!

Early Cornes

By his own admission, Graham Cornes found his induction into the Australian Football Hall of Fame slightly awkward. As a player his signature moment was a gasping high mark in the dying moments of the 1973 SANFL grand final. Glenelg was down by five points when he went back for the kick. It was the [Read more]

The View from Shepparton – Round 12

My question this week is, “What is the best or perhaps most appropriate sledge  or quick one liner that you have either delivered or personally  heard in in matters sporting?”. My own personal entry this week is this; “If an aspect of football had the  equivalent of junk bond status the  winner would be the NRL [Read more]

The Wrap – Round XII: Where lift imitates football

And what a round it’s been in Footy Eddie.  The Eagles saw off a spirited Bluebagger Challenge to return to the Top of The Ladder, and The Feeling Faints fall just short of a famous Victory in The City of Churches.  The Tiges had to win in torrid conditions up in Sin City, and The [Read more]

The Footy Gods: Horme

Horme was a difficult god to describe. The scholars describe her onrush in battle. Perhaps the best way to describe her by what she wasn’t: apathetic. Horme was who you wanted next to you when you wanted to have a go. She could be a dangerous companion when you didn’t. Perhaps the girl that you [Read more]

John Kingsmill’s Footy Diary

  ROUND TWELVE Is anyone else prepared to admit they’ve fallen in love with Jaimee Rogers? I’m blond. I declare that up front; I’m not embarrassed about laying my cards on the table. Us blonds have become subject to cruel jokes ever since Marilyn Monroe seduced a simpler world. Jaimee has big eyes, a round mouth, and [Read more]

The Patriarch of Footscray

I love Friday’s at the moment. I know, everyone loves Friday, but for me they’ve just become Daddy and Richie days, with mum starting a new job. Last week we went to have a look at Williamstown’s refurbished Point Gellibrand Oval, the day before it was reintroduced to football. I love the Willy footy ground. [Read more]

Football writer

Apologies to Lennon/McCartney (I think it was the latter) Dear Sports Ed, won’t you read my stuff I can make a sentence, so I’m good enough Never really played much footy before Failed first-year law And now I wanna be a football writer Football writer Irony drips from my poison pen I can do cross-promos [Read more]

The Tigers of old…

  By Cheryl Critchley HOW’S this for a bunch of Richmond diehards? These dedicated Tigers boast 835 years between them, almost 500 years of membership and 73 premierships in their combined lifetimes. Ranging in age from eight weeks to 86, the feisty group of grannies and a few ring-ins have met monthly for about a [Read more]

The echo chamber

The rooms now empty, echoing again, his players long gone from their latest loss, The coach surveys the scene, once more his men have led, but coughed it up. Still, he’s the boss. He’ll have to take the blame although he knows his midfield’s soft, his forwards will not run Down back his boys won’t [Read more]

Judd is Einstein, not Eisenhower

What’s wrong with the Blues is a question that’s causing a bigger stir than a Master Chef wooden spoon. And while we’re talking the spoon, I want to add another reason why the Blues are heading towards that end of the ladder rather than the heights of round four: Chris Judd as captain.

A night when all the stars aligned

Last night many of the biggest names in football gathered to honour the latest AFL Hall of Fame inductees and the elevation of Barry Cable to legend status.  It’s one of the heartwarming aspects of football that through this event and the Brownlow Medal, past greats of the 1960s-’70s-’80s vintage still regularly keep in touch. Looking at the [Read more]

Stroppy Jack

Stroppy Jack.   Hark, they call, Stroppy Jack!    His  body language is no good.    He’s surly.    He’s arrogant.    He has a cocky way.   Damn straight.      Why can’t he be like Lenny Hayes?    Why can’t he be like Dunstall?    Why can’t he be like Nick?    Why [Read more]

The Wrap (11) – Where lift imitates football

And what a round it’s been in Footy Eddie.  The Rattzbaggers made it tough for themselves by going down to Geelong after looking to be in command.  The Tiges made it even tougher for themselves by going down to the Dockers.  The Bombers made it even tougher again for themselves by kicking 1-11 in half [Read more]

1980 A Personal Footy Almanac – Round 12, Monday 16 June, v Hawthorn, MCG

“For God’s sake, Moncrieff, learn how to kick!” No, this wasn’t the rant of a frustrated Hawthorn fan trapped among the Tiger hordes. This was me, sotto voce, willing Hawthorn to make a game of it. For Richmond fans today, even a small string of wins is regarded as cause for wild celebration. The notion [Read more]

Voulez-vous footy avec moi?

Forty years on, Vin Maskell recalls the dedication of a classmate during French lessons   In 1973 we had French before footy. We had masculine and feminine nouns before running around on the Frere Jacques Hamilton Oval. We had singular and plural verbs before scratch matches amongst the boys of Form Three at le college [Read more]