by Peter Schumacher Have to hand it to the Pies. Getting themselves out of gaol was a brilliant achievement, a side doesn’t often give itself a 23 points handicap in a last quarter and then run all over the opposition with 11 goals in 20 minutes. How often have the Crows let Collingwood escape [Read more]
My favourite drop-kick: part 8
May 24, 2011 by 1 Comment
by Vin Maskell The Australian Rules Drop-Kick Appreciation Society is delighted to announce that poet, mathematician and Fitzroy fan Tom Petsinis has been inducted into the society’s Hall of Fame (Literature). Petsinis’ 2006 book Four Quarters includes the 12 verse, 48 line poem Drop Kick. It is a lovely ode to the lost art, [Read more]
Bateman’s chance
May 23, 2011 by 1 Comment
I really liked the Richmond Indigenous Round specially-themed footy jumper. The design on the yellow sash was by local Indigenous artist Jirra Lulla Harvey, a Yorta Yorta/Wiradjuri woman. In an interview on Richmond’s website, Harvey said her design encapsulates iconic Victorian landmarks, mixed with Indigenous football themes. “The river is representative of the Murray, which [Read more]
Round nine wrap
May 23, 2011 by 4 Comments
In the end, Jonathan Brown was enough for Brisbane to regroup and craft its first victory for the year against North Melbourne. Matty Primus should take note and think again about old men. Port didn’t name Chad Cornes and dropped Brett Ebert on match day “for tactical reasons”. The team had too many forwards, he [Read more]
A history of football
May 22, 2011 by 1 Comment
A football career is a life. It is it’s own world, it has its own language, which you learn. It tests every emotion, builds character and breaks the weak. It has a birth, adolesence, maturity and, if done right, if seen through, a decline. In this decline you desperately try to pass your strength and [Read more]
Almanac Rugby League – Granny’s five cents goes a long way (a late sixties boyhood in Sydney)
May 22, 2011 by 12 Comments
Sausage roll five cents, (sauce one cent extra); musk sticks, cobbers, freckles, milk bottles, musk sticks, bananas – cent each; bertie beetle, choo-choo-bar, both five cents. Shiny packet on top of the glass-topped bench: same as a snag roll (minus sauce); forget bertie, forget the black mouthed bar; bargain! Give over the echidna; Mrs Mineo [Read more]
Is North Relevant?
May 20, 2011 by 24 Comments
It’s the theme of the season. Of the last few seasons. The theme throughout North Melbourne’s history: is North Melbourne relevant? Will North Melbourne survive?
What Makes a Footballer?
May 20, 2011 by 10 Comments
I can marvel at Judd. But barrack for Goodes. Voss was a Champion. Pike was a legend. Campbell Brown can be a goose. That’s why we love and hate him.
Striking the Right Balance
May 20, 2011 by 19 Comments
I understand that 2011 is “The Year of Chemistry” according to the United Nations. The UN is the body that seems to take it upon itself to label each year as if such a label might give the following 365 days some direction. I wonder when the “Year of Accountants” gets a run? I like [Read more]
Saints deja-boo 1999
May 19, 2011 by 12 Comments
Sunday morning. Grey. It’s summer in London. A hostel-quality fry-up at the Hampstead Heath YHA sits comfortably in my belly. It’s about to hit checkout time, and the hallways are thick with typical backpacker buzz. The forwarding destinations will be varied. Some are Paris-bound on the Eurostar, some the ferry to Calais, others are off [Read more]
Deconstructing Collingwood, part 2
May 19, 2011 by 1 Comment
Is an old VFL footy ground still a fair dinkum footy ground if it doesn’t have a fair-dinkum old-fashioned scoreboard? The Collingwood landmark what was the 1966 Victoria Park scoreboard was pulled down last January, as part of turning the ground into a community space.
Classic Passages:The Best of the Footy Almanac
May 19, 2011 by 3 Comments
By Phil Dimitriadis Rounds 2 and 3, 2007 “A book is a fragile creature, it suffers the wear of time, it fears rodents, the elements and clumsy hands. So the librarian protects the books not only against mankind but also against nature and devotes his life to this war with the forces of oblivion.” Umberto [Read more]
The View from Shepparton – Round 8
May 18, 2011 by Leave a Comment
by Peter Schumacher OK so Brisbane lost again, this time to Essendon. At the Gabba. My daughter and son in law and grand daughter who are rabid Dons’ supporters didn’t say anything as they rushed into the local Lutheran Church service on the morning after the night before. They accompanied an organ as they played, [Read more]
One hundred Years Ago: Round 3, 13th May, 1911
May 18, 2011 by 6 Comments
A perfect autumn day greeted footballers and barrackers alike as they travelled to their appointed grounds for the third round of the 1911 season. Increasingly, Melbournians benefited from the Saturday half-holiday, freeing them to pursue the leisure of their choice. More and more were choosing football. It’s doubtful the sunshine made the streets and gutters [Read more]
Desert Ovals
May 18, 2011 by 6 Comments
People go two ways over Easter. They lift the city off its foundations and dump it on the coast, or go to the footy. Especially footballers with the Easter bye. You can spot them in an Anzac Day crowd by the way they barrack. The AFL suporter will call: “Kick it, kick it, kick it!” [Read more]
Trouble at The Cave
May 18, 2011 by 8 Comments
by Eric Ellis THERE’s a place, on Singapore’s Sentosa Island, that Demetriou should induct into the AFL Hall of Fame, a sod in his sacred turf of the competition’s haollowed places, a place Where Magic Happens. Its my mate Alex’s basement den, The Cave. We’re drawn – a hard core five of us, Asia lifers [Read more]
AT THE FOOTY…this weekend
May 18, 2011 by 3 Comments
by Chris Riordan The advent of billion dollar television rights has changed AFL fixturing forever. Increasingly it is becoming a TV supported competition. If you want to get to your team’s games, you need to be very flexible with your weekend schedules. We do otherwise – finding a timeslot that suits us and then looking [Read more]
Bobby Davis Photo Tribute
May 17, 2011 by 1 Comment
Alex Wadelton has placed a black arm hoop to this famous image, in way of tribute to The Geelong Flyer.
A Good Mean Club Song.
May 16, 2011 by 5 Comments
Fengal rock up to play us. Their reserves have three men as old as me. At one stage, one of them fair bowls me over, then helps me up. “You’re my vintage.” he says. Later, I try to run through him, as he would me. In play, it’s all respect and fair.
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