“Just kick the bloody thing” my father and I screamed out in unison as Lewis Roberts-Thomson had ambition confused with ability as he tried to clear the ball from defence. When it comes to football I am clearly my father’s son. Last weekend I took my 6 week old son Jack to Wagga to meet [Read more]
The Footygods: Nike
May 22, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Nike was the sister of Kratos, Bia and Zelus. Given that they personified strength, force and envy, they almost had a forward line between them. Nike made up for what they missed. With her wings and chariot she was known for her speed and the greeks just loved her. Saturday saw indigenous round come to [Read more]
What has happened to the long sleeve jumper?
May 18, 2012 by 17 Comments
While shopping recently I tried to track down a long sleeve jumper but alas it appears they have dissapeared much in the same vein as black footy boots and 1/2 time oranges. It seems that all you can buy now are the sleeveless variety (at least via most retail outlets and the swans website). I [Read more]
The Footygods: Hebe
May 18, 2012 by Leave a Comment
The Greeks had a god of youth called Hebe. She was the daughter of Zeus and carried the cup that the gods drank from. You could recognise her by her sleeveless dress. She even turned the old Iolaus into a young man. On Saturday, one bunch of sleeveless kids battled another bunch of sleeveless kids [Read more]
Number 56: Gerard Toohey, a triple premiership captain and Woof Woof
May 18, 2012 by 13 Comments
Number 56 – David Simpson and Gerard Toohey Recruited from Numurkah, not far from Shepparton, David “Harry” Simpson was a tall player (190 cm) who played three games for the Cats in the number 56 guernsey at the tail end of the 1984 season. Simpson arrived at Kardinia Park in 1981 and showed early promise [Read more]
John Kingsmill’s Footy Diary: Gaming
May 18, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Round Eight Ultimate Footy This is a neat fantasy comp. It differs from SuperCoach where most end up drafting the same players. Here, we battle against ourselves – each player can only appear in one team. Twelve teams have a preseason draft and trade players each week. We fight one on one in nine [Read more]
May 18, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Round 1: Crowd Behavior – The Six Golden Rules April 1, 2012 @ 11:50 am posted by Michael Allan So footy in Melbourne has kicked off and we could not have asked for any better games to kick us off. Richmond looked competitive against Carlton, Hawthorn just had the edge over Collingwood with incredible goals to Franklin and Gunston in [Read more]
No. 55: Austin McCrabb and Mark Neeld
May 17, 2012 by Leave a Comment
With no players since 1980 having represented the Cats in Number 54, we skip to two Geelong favourites who wore the Number 55. Number 55 – Austin McCrabb and Mark Neeld Colac farmer Austin McCrabb was a cult figure with Geelong supporters who stepped out in the number 55 jumper for the final two home [Read more]
When a throw is a throw
May 17, 2012 by 16 Comments
In baseball they call it a pitch, in netball a pass, in football a handpass. In all three cases it could simply be called a throw. I remember gathering around Mr Patto at footy training as an eight year old at Petrie Park in Montmorency. Mr Patto was a legend; Montmorency’s Pied Piper. Rather than [Read more]
In The Beginning Of The Royboy Bail-Out Was The End Of The Word Love.
May 16, 2012 by 34 Comments
I remember everything and that is unforgivable when you love the Fitzroy Football Club with every molecule and gum-guard. I have always adored them in their absence and write them back to life at every single chance. When the blessed can-rattlers came out like ghouls bearing bent two bob bits I knew the jig was [Read more]
Take no heed of the early crow
May 16, 2012 by 6 Comments
I wish my boy was seven years older so he could have come home from Reservoir West primary on Monday and seek me out to make things better; put him at ease. For those little monsters wearing different colours would have been telling him his world is about to turn for the worst. That his [Read more]
1980 A Personal Footy Almanac – Round 8, Saturday 17 May, v Carlton, MCG
May 16, 2012 by Leave a Comment
It’s 12.30pm and the upper deck of the Southern Stand is already a sea of faces. Sure, the cool, showery weather has encouraged the early arrivals to grab the under cover seats, but this crowd isn’t just regulars huddled together for shelter. This is huge. I grab one of the few remaining areas of bench [Read more]
The 2012 ‘Mopsy’ Fraser Cup – Round Seven
May 15, 2012 by 2 Comments
Greetings Tipsters Instinct is important in itself, but more important is knowing when to go with it. Works in all sorts of situations, whether a mate introduces you to his new girlfriend and the sirens blare and emergency lights flash “Noooo, don’t do it!” or your sister introduces you to her new boyfriend and he’s [Read more]
The View from Shepparton
May 15, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Well, I might as well been on Mars trying to follow the footy this weekend, but instead, extremely happily it must be said, I and the Minister For Home Affairs were wending our way to the Sunshine Coast to get away from the cold and gloom of Victoria. The only thing was for whatever reason it was [Read more]
No away strip in Royal Blues v Blues up the bush
May 15, 2012 by 5 Comments
Spent a few days at Donald recently, in the heart of the Mallee, it being the location of the famous Bullocks Head tree, also being at the centre of the right wing, White Army mobilisation of March 6 1931. Whilst there why not go to the footy, and see a classic North Central League encounter. Donald played Charlton, [Read more]
Hope and Glory
May 15, 2012 by 3 Comments
“The miserable have no other medicine. But only hope.” William Shakespeare (not the glam rocker) Whoop it up Geelong and Manly fans. And jubilant Sky Blues for that matter. You may never see your team win the big one again! Ridiculous notion? Perhaps, but let me remind you lucky sods of the numerous dearly departed Demons [Read more]
State of Origin 1982 (a reality check for today’s footballers)
May 14, 2012 by 6 Comments
Look what Pamela Sherpa found in her old scrap book: The Big V in a ‘crook’ state By Tom Prior the Sun Thursday July 8, 1982 Victoria will have to find at least two, possibly as many as four or five, new players for its team to play Western Australia in the state –of- origin [Read more]
It’s not the umpies’ fault
May 14, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Only one game into round six and the wider football community was served a reminder of something we already know but rarely remember, umpires do not win or lose games for your team. With reports earlier in the week highlighting the 40 more free kicks West Coast have received when playing at home compared to [Read more]
AFL and the Dark Ages
May 13, 2012 by 7 Comments
On one side of the globe, an African – American US President confirms his support of gay marriage; meanwhile, the AFL chooses not to recognise adoptive children under the Father / Son rule………………..words fail me as to the attrocity of this decision. Forgive my cyncism (it is merely my form of outrage) but it appears [Read more]
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