By Vincent Tan I like Melbourne. I like that “Before the Game” is actually shown before the game. I like that I can sit at a pub and have absolutely no compulsion to zip up my jacket to hide my navy blue and white hoops for fear of ridicule and the inevitable drunken comment about [Read more]
OK, Who forgot to Compile the VFA Stats between 1877 and 1896?
May 5, 2011 by 6 Comments
Given that the 18 (or is it 19) years represent a significant chain in the history of footy, I’m surprised that there is (or seems to be) no easy-access stats for the VFA results in the period. I can find the premiers but that’s about it. Is there a place to find this stuff or [Read more]
Footy Un/certainty
May 5, 2011 by 1 Comment
A couple of weeks ago, Friday night football hosted Collingwood and Richmond. As the first half drew to a close, the Pies up by some 8 goals, the ABC’s David Parkin lamented the unevenness of the match. He wasn’t having fun anymore: ‘The joy of any contest surely comes from the uncertainty.’ * On the [Read more]
My (not so) favourite drop-kick, part 7
May 5, 2011 by 5 Comments
Vin Maskell hears the ugly truth in part seven of his meandering series. The train stuttered and stopped as it tried to pull out of the station. “Passengers,” announced the driver, “we’ve had to stop because some drop-kick in a red cap is trying to force open the doors.” You know the game is just [Read more]
The View From Shepparton: Rd 6
May 5, 2011 by Leave a Comment
The View” has been delivered late this week as the events organiser and myself have made a sudden decision to relocate within Shepparton. We found this retirement village with facilities that one could only dream of, for example a library, a table tennis table (very important)! a bar, gym, 15 metre lap pool,a gold star [Read more]
Culture wars: the new frontier of player development?
May 4, 2011 by 4 Comments
by Peter Baulderstone Chris Reardon’s incisive piece on football team ‘culture’, and the thoughtful responses from other contributors inspires me to make my own observations on the closely related issue of young player development I have been following the WAFL colts competition pretty closely for the last 3 years. These Saturday morning matches are a [Read more]
One Hundred Years Ago: Round 1, April 29th, 1911
May 4, 2011 by 19 Comments
The year of 1911 marked the completion of Australia’s first decade as a federated nation, and many of its not quite four million citizens may have been moved to reflect on their country’s distant role in a rapidly changing world. As autumn arrived in Melbourne, the more rarefied circles amongst its almost 600,000 residents may [Read more]
What about the fans?
May 4, 2011 by 17 Comments
Almanacker John Weldon has weighed in with his thoughts on the latest TV rights deal and he doesn’t believe the fans are getting much of a look in. Check out his piece at the link below and then add your thoughts here. http://theconversation.edu.au/articles/fans-pay-most-for-afl-broadcast-rights-1286
Could the Swans have done better than Jetta?
May 3, 2011 by 11 Comments
by David Butler The Sydney Swans have had 3 first round draft picks in the last 10 years. Jarred McVeigh, Lewis Jetta and Gary Rohan. The dearth of first round picks is directly attributable to the consistency shown by the Swannies under the management of Paul Roos. As a result the Swannies midfield over the [Read more]
Chris Judd v Football
May 2, 2011 by 1 Comment
Many players have pace. Even the AFL’s plodders are quick by any other league’s standards. Many of them can mark. Not just hold one, but squeeze that damn ball under hard physical pressure. Many of them can weave. Man, Brent Harvey can weave! Or get stats. Garry Jr, he can really rack ’em up. What [Read more]
Footy Rich and Poor
May 2, 2011 by 17 Comments
An American cousin of mine lives in Pittsburgh, and is an avid supporter of that city’s baseball team, the Pirates. On a trip to the USA some years ago, I asked my cousin Jim how he rated his team’s chances in the Major League Baseball season which had just commenced. He looked at me incredulously. [Read more]
QClash stunt enough to make you QEasy
May 2, 2011 by 22 Comments
The media alert was mysterious, intriguing and enticing. The CEOs and captains of the Brisbane Lions and the Gold Coast Suns were going to make a joint ‘major announcement’ ahead of their NAB challenge match. Luckily, journalists had to endure only one sleepless night before they found out what this major announcement was. Could the [Read more]
Book Launch: Ted Hopkins
May 2, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Ted Hopkins shot to fame when he replaced Bert Thornley at half-time in the 1970 Grand Final, kicking four goals to lead Carlton to victory. Although Hopkins played just one more game, he was to come back to footy in years to come – in a significant way. The collection and analysis of statistics started as a [Read more]
THE WRAP – ROUND VI
May 2, 2011 by 2 Comments
WHERE LIFE IMITATES FOOTBALL What a round it’s been in Footy Eddie. Is The Competition a movable feast or what? First up – on the Thursday night over on the balmy Indian Ocean Shore – The Fuchsias fell in a screaming heap against The Weagles. For the Friday night we switch to the Harbour City [Read more]
Only one thing going for him
April 30, 2011 by 5 Comments
It’s Sunday evening and the dining room at the Missionaries of Charity Men’s Refuge and Soup Kitchen, Fitzroy, is almost empty. The men have eaten, scraped their plates in the bin and headed into the night. I’ve mopped the floor and piled the chairs, but one man is hanging around. He’s new, I haven’t seen [Read more]
Friday II
April 30, 2011 by 12 Comments
You ever wake up and think: what happened to the rest of the Clokes? Where’s Martin Pike these days? Damn, he was a gun! Seeing him line up on a pretty boy like Hird was a compliment to both of them, and football. How good would Darren Bewick have been if given one more year [Read more]
The Jumper
April 29, 2011 by 10 Comments
by Andrew Fithall April 1965. Prep at St Joseph’s Numurkah. The school spanned from Prep to Form 4. Dad had come from his teaching job at the local state primary school to our school to take some boys for football training. My oldest brother Chris was in Form 2 and was staying for training. He [Read more]
The View From Shepparton- Rd 5
April 28, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Depending on where you are coming from, it is easy to be gloomy about Round 5, but I reckon that this round was exhilarating. Besides, I spoke to the great man, Gary Ablett, that’s more than most of you, dear readers, have achieved. The events organiser and I were in Adelaide over the long weekend, [Read more]
Footscray and Collingwood: now that takes me back
April 27, 2011 by 19 Comments
On Sunday the reigning premier Collingwood take on the artist formerly known as Footscray, the “twilight” game bringing down the curtain on the Sixth Round of AFL for Season 2011. For me clashes between these two teams have always been special. My father, Thomas William Kevin Rees, split his childhood years between the one time [Read more]
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