From our western suburbs correspondent No-one at the MCG, Footy Park, Subi, the Gabba or the SCG saw anything like it. Yesterday, in the game of the AFL round, Footscray Primary School Grid 1 team took on Grid 2 at half-time in the match between Richmond and the Dogs at Etihad Stadium. The much-anticipated showdown [Read more]
Brighton FC’s only flag in 1948
May 15, 2011 by 5 Comments
This is a letter I received from Ian Bennett (of The Local Footy Show on Channel 31), who has unearthed remarkable film of the 1948 Brighton semi-final, preliminary final, and grand final. If you have any stories about this team or it’s players we would love to hear them. To find out more about the [Read more]
AFL in South America
May 15, 2011 by 3 Comments
In late 2010, I packed my bags and flew over to South America to take part in what I hoped would be the most rewarding and life changing experience of my life – Volunteering in South America. The project that was assigned to me was in a small, remote village, 45 minutes North of Cusco [Read more]
Match Committee Ep. 9
May 13, 2011 by Leave a Comment
The lads have a special guest star in this episode. http://www.thematchcommittee.com
Round 8 Blog
May 13, 2011 by 31 Comments
There’s a game on tonight ? Who’s playing? Dips, Phantom, do you happen to know? This promises to be a great round of footy, so tell us what’s on your mind Knackers.
Zen and the Art of Football
May 13, 2011 by Leave a Comment
I recently bought a copy of ‘Skills of Australian Football’. It’s a good looking book, full of photos and useful advice for budding players on how to work on key aspects of their game, such as marking, kicking and hand skills, evasive tactics – even how to spoil, shepherd and smother. Each section features a [Read more]
In Praise of Trent Cotchin
May 12, 2011 by 2 Comments
“Who’s your favourite player, dad?” It’s a question that stumps me. “I don’t have favourite players, mate”, I say, rather sheepishly. “Royce Hart was my hero as a kid, but I’ve never had favourites since then”. Billy gives me a glare and I hastily mutter something about admiring Lenny Hayes. But it’s clear my hesitant [Read more]
One Hundred Years Ago: Round 2, 6th May, 1911
May 12, 2011 by 11 Comments
If the VFL hoped to put one area of controversy behind it with the decision to permit player payments, it was to be rudely reminded that certain sections of society remained implacably opposed to the very notion of professional sport. On the eve of the season’s second round a scathing public attack by a prominent [Read more]
Almanac Rugby League – The Goodna Footy Floods of 2011
May 12, 2011 by 2 Comments
THE GOODNA FOOTY FLOODS of 2011 by Tony Caswell (or TC, The Goodna Gunna) The river came up, and the rain came down A playing field of green, became a slush of brown The footballs are gone, along with tackling bags All the teams jerseys, are now muddied rags Gary, the President, he carried the [Read more]
Classic Passages 1: The Best of the Footy Almanac
May 12, 2011 by 4 Comments
By Phil Dimitriadis “Everybody knows that you live forever, when you’ve done a line or two” Leonard Cohen The Footy Almanac is now into its fifth year. Many things have changed since early 2007, some have stayed the same. One constant has been the inspired, prophetic, deluded and passionate pieces that come from the writers [Read more]
Geoff Raines
May 11, 2011 by 3 Comments
Football Fact No. 1,000,000,002 Geoff Raines. Geoff Raines was the crispest player to ever pull on a boot. I don’t care that the father of Andrew was a pretty boy, or that the umps didn’t like him, or that he chased the dollar. Not a bit. In his days at Richmond he would take the [Read more]
Great footy matches which have made it into your family mythology
May 11, 2011 by 20 Comments
In the Harms family mythology there are many footy matches which are remembered. Not all fondly I might add. Almost all of them involve the Geelong Football Club. Many involve the despised Pies. Which footy match has made it into your family’s mythology; a story which is told and re-told.
The View from Shepparton
May 10, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Went to church yesterday as is my wont every Sunday. Thus I miss out on Insiders and Offsiders every Sunday which is not my want. But just discovered iview. Hallelujah.
Why we love footy
May 10, 2011 by 1 Comment
by Steve Ingham It’s easy to get carried away in football. If a story is on the front page of the newspaper, if it leads the nightly news or takes up hours of talkback radio, most likely it is an ugly story. A scandal of some description. Sex. Drugs. Alcohol. Violence. Aside from the Brownlow [Read more]
Deconstructing Collingwood
May 9, 2011 by 21 Comments
Collingwood is in a re-building phase. Not the team, but the old ground. The Magpies haven’t played an AFL game at Victoria Park since 1999. Local teams, including the Collingwood reserves in the VFL, have been playing on the oval for nigh on a decade as parts of the ground have fallen into disrepair.
Nick Unloads
May 8, 2011 by 1 Comment
That wouldn’t be the head of a certain well known ex-football manager would it? Yvette Wroby speculates at to Nick Riewoldt’s current thoughts (with a little help from an Age photo.
AFL overestimate supporters’ attitude to pay TV
May 7, 2011 by 11 Comments
It is a disgrace when on a brisk Saturday in May, only ONE game out of FOUR being played today, can be viewed on television. Last weekend when there was no free-to-air televising of any day games, my daughter and I decided to go for a stroll into the ‘centre hub’ of our busy little [Read more]
From the Folly of Subiaco to Greener Pastures
May 6, 2011 by 5 Comments
By Brad Carr In last year’s Almanac, I wrote up the Round 7 game between West Coast and Hawthorn, and I referred to Subiaco Oval as “what sadly remains the worst stadium in the AFL”. In the course of editing the book, Paul Daffey picked up on this point, and asked that I elaborate on [Read more]
Ponderings from Cape York
May 6, 2011 by 2 Comments
Is this the tail end of the Cape York Wet season or Autumn in Melbourne? Looking out the window at the porch light illuminating the rain falling in front of the grapefruit tree you could be excused for confusion. But no, an arm with sleeve rolled up thrust out the window tells me it’s still [Read more]
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