Until now I have kept largely silent. Serving my apprenticeship like all new Almanackers. Soaking up the knowledge of those that have come before me. Graciously accepting my thrice daily ration of tepid water and pie crust, before turning back once more into the lesson plan. Studying match reports from older versions of the good [Read more]
Christmas Wrapping
December 19, 2011 by 10 Comments
Here’s one we couldn’t hold over till the days drew shorter and the rich aroma of briquette smoke and the thunk of leather on leather turned our minds to more serious matters than the captaincy of Pup and the longevity of Punter & Mr Cricket. Guy goes into a bar, there’s a robot bartender. The [Read more]
Perth Almanac Drinks – South Fremantle Footy Club – 16 Dec 2011
December 18, 2011 by 8 Comments
Enjoyable evening in a Post Surrealist way. Bit late arriving. Cross town traffic in the Friday Night Pre-Christmas rush. Red and White Bulldogs going through their paces on the Oval. Christ they’re keen – and young. I remember when I was young and footballers were all old men. Now its reversed. At least the [Read more]
Off Season Odyssey Pt.5: Dreams, and One in 5,000,000.
December 18, 2011 by 6 Comments
The trouble with an Off Season Odyssey is you don’t get a real break from footy. A day in Melbourne and I’m over it. My old mate, Gianpi, lines me up a week on a demolition crew, which is good, then we have a kick, because we’ve had a kick for 30 years, no [Read more]
The Best at What They Do
December 15, 2011 by 4 Comments
I didn’t have a ticket for Rod Laver Arena so only caught a glimpse before security chased me out. Just a few moments, but they were enough. I saw McEnroe play and I’ve never forgotten it. McEnroe glided to his left. He was in position, two metres behind the baseline, in plenty of time. [Read more]
Off Season Odyssey Part 4 – The “G”
December 14, 2011 by 9 Comments
by Matt Zurbo Jack’s in a band. He plays social footy, and fills in with a suburban team now and them. They call him The Butcher. More for the way he kicks than anything. “How was the Tassie west coast?” he asks. “Brilliant,” I say. “Lonely. There just aren’t any people down there. [Read more]
‘Black Gold’ presents the Arthur Beetson Radio Tribute
December 12, 2011 by Leave a Comment
‘Black Gold’, produced by Koori Radio (Sydney-93.7FM) and 3KnD (Melbourne-1503 AM), will present a special live 3-hour tribute show for Indigenous rugby league legend, Uncle Arthur Beetson OAM. We will be celebrating the life and times of the first ever Aboriginal captain of a major national sports team, who won two premierships as captain [Read more]
More on the Victoria Park installation
December 12, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Duke Albada is the artist who put together the installation at Victoria Park. As Vin Maskell pointed out recently it features many writers and fans some of whom are part of The Footy Almanac crew. Here are some further words from Duke: MANY THANKS to all contributors! This link leads to a short video [Read more]
North Melbourne 2012 season preview
December 7, 2011 by 6 Comments
by Josh Barnstable “Close but no cigar” “Almost there” “Just not good enough” One word comes to mind. Two, in fact. North Melbourne. If North’s ’10 and ’11 AFL seasons were made into a novel, pick any of those three sayings above and you have a perfectly suitable title. That’s the reality of [Read more]
Queenstown
December 5, 2011 by 11 Comments
by Andrew Starkie In the late ’70s mum and dad took my sisters and I on a road trip around Tasmania. It was deep Winter and the roads were hilly, winding and wet. I was car sick for two weeks. I recall moments like framed snapshots. Slipping on snow and ice on Mount [Read more]
Victoria Park Knackers
December 5, 2011 by 7 Comments
Picture by Vin Maskell Some illustrious Knacker alumni are amongst the list of contributors to Duke Albada’s sound installation at Victoria Park.
Quietly, a line in the sand.
December 4, 2011 by 4 Comments
Quietly, A Line in the Sand. I went to Southport in Tasmania the southern-most town in the land, looking for the southern-most footy oval in the country, or, I dunno, unless they play Aussie Rules that far south in New Zealand, maybe the world. But when I left I saw the dirt road [Read more]
Another Go at GWS
December 4, 2011 by 23 Comments
A few weeks ago I complained that Greater WesternSydneywas using its privileged “out of contract” picks to poach players from lower clubs. Now that the main draft is completed a second question emerges about GWS. Will they have a viable team for their first season? Phantom pointed out that, unlike Gold Coast, GWS was [Read more]
Giving thanks for the GFC
December 4, 2011 by 8 Comments
by John Mirisch Nov. 28, 2011: This is Thanksgiving time in the US. It’s one of our best holidays. Any holiday that centers around a meal can’t be all bad, I guess. In the best American tradition, we take stock of life’s blessings, among the pains and irritations, and we give thanks [Read more]
A navy blue and white comparative
December 2, 2011 by 16 Comments
By James Grapsas On 4 October 2011, Ben Jensen wrote an informative analysis of the best teams of all time (Geelong ninth best team of all time). Geelong’s feat of winning three premierships in five years (including four Grand Finals), which was ranked 9th in the article, soon brought to mind the performance of Carlton [Read more]
Off-season odyssey. Part I
December 1, 2011 by 17 Comments
From the Bottom, Up. Doug was a postie, one year off retiring. Bert, I reckon, propped up the bar most nights. “I drive an excavator, do as little work as possible,” he said. It was a small town, the smallest. I got the impression Bert’s way was the general way. The sun was an [Read more]
Almanackers immortalised at Victoria Park
November 29, 2011 by 4 Comments
by Vin Maskell Pamela Sherpa, Haiku Bob, John Harms and Vin Maskell are amongst several Almanackers who are part of a permanent sound installation to be officially unveiled at Victoria Park this Sunday afternoon, 4 December. The sound installation is called For The Love Of It and is located in a walkway of the Sherrin Stand. It is one [Read more]
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