A Villanelle that is an ode to my Father By Phil Dimitriadis From dodging bullets in World War 2, to stepping on broken bottles of Abbott’s Lager. Ah, the relative peace of Turner Street in 1952. While Communists and Royalists searched for prey, The slums of Collingwood seem like heaven. The wounds were still raw, [Read more]
Tigers need a young coach for a new era
April 23, 2009 by 5 Comments
By Paul Daffey In 2004 Hawthorn finished fifteenth with four wins and a percentage of 70 while Richmond finished sixteenth — last — with a percentage of 69. The clubs were separated by one percentage point. I know these figures because they’re burned in my mind. It hurts and confuses me to think what has [Read more]
Collingwood Find Some Form in the Reclink Cup
April 22, 2009 by Leave a Comment
by Hamish Townsend There’s a point near the roundabout at Keele St and Gold where the wind changes to gusts. Local inns call with a false warmth and hospitality; The Leinster and The Bendigo either side or retreat to the Curry Family or Robbie Burns and its Spanish restaurant. This point is where the black [Read more]
Sydney Uni align with Collingwood — and stick with blue and gold colours
April 22, 2009 by 5 Comments
By Rod Gillett When the Collingwood Football Club first sat down with the Sydney University Australian National Football Club to talk about the proposal to field an under-eighteen team in the Sydney AFL competition the uni officials made it quite clear that the team’s colours would be blue and gold. This was not an issue [Read more]
Seventh heaven, my bootlace. Writing match reports is a terrible business
April 22, 2009 by Leave a Comment
By Andrew Stafford A few days after the Brisbane v Collingwood clash at the Gabba, I received an email from a fellow Pies tragic. “You must have been in seventh heaven!” she gushed. Several other friends, not all of them Magpie fans, made similar comments. My job is a source of some envy. I am [Read more]
So good to see brilliant Cats live. Yes, live!
April 20, 2009 by 1 Comment
By Peter Schumacher If I were a Geelong supporter I wouldn’t know whether to laugh or cry. I mean, how did they ever manage to lose the grand final? On Saturday night they were magnificent. Even Neil Craig, who I reckon is really fair in his analysis of the way his side is playing, said that [Read more]
You learn as you go
April 20, 2009 by Leave a Comment
By Andrew Fithall They say that how you train is how you play. In fact Dickie Fry said it several times on Friday evening as under-sixteen training went overtime until we could get some semblance of skill into the drills. Training had begun the same as Wednesday, with “whole group warm-up” co-ordinated by Dickie and [Read more]
Rochy’s local heroes do it for the jumper
April 18, 2009 by Leave a Comment
When the Rochester footy team took to the field in last year’s Goulburn Valley Football League Grand Final, it ran through a home-made banner that proclaimed “Local heroes”. Their rivals, hot favourites Seymour, who were aiming for their fourth flag in a row, ran out through an AFL club cheer-squad banner. But it was [Read more]
May the force be with you
April 16, 2009 by 4 Comments
I have a four year old son who is mad about Jason and the Argonauts, Batman and, above all, Star Wars. Together we have watched all six episodes of said saga many times. Further, we have played Lego Star Wars on the Playstation almost every day since Christmas, but only when the baby is asleep [Read more]
New tricks for a new Dog by Stephen Cooke
April 15, 2009 by Leave a Comment
Muzza had taken it upon himself to provide me with an impromptu coaching session. It was my first night of training with the Capella Cattledogs and I certainly needed the help. I was a Victorian (“Mexican”), followed Australian football (“aerial ping pong”) and had never watched a full game of rugby in my life (“inconceivable”). [Read more]
Round 3
April 14, 2009 by Leave a Comment
For the first time in two years I was actually at footy match, at the MCG to boot and starring the Cats and the Magpies. First up, for all of Dennis Cometti’s commentating skills, where oh where has the seconds warm up game gone? Oh OK, I am aware that this format went the way [Read more]
Round 2
April 7, 2009 by Leave a Comment
What with landscaping, church working bees and the like I now find that it is Tuesday and I haven’t yet got together my mish mash of thoughts re round 2. The two stand outs to me were on the one hand Dean Laidley praising his team after their performance against the Bulldogs. How refreshing this [Read more]
Bush Boys Beaten By Heat In Dubai by Rocket Gillett
April 7, 2009 by Leave a Comment
It was more than a truly international clash on football’s latest frontier; it was a classic Bush Boys versus City Slickers encounter. The inaugural Middle East AFL Grand Final pitted the unbeaten Dubai Heat (based in the UAE) against the Muscat Magpies from neighbouring Oman. Dubai is an emerging 21st century megapolis while Muscat is [Read more]
First match of the coaching season
April 6, 2009 by 3 Comments
We love living across the road from a football ground. Helen and I moved into our current abode 14 years ago. The school football ground was part of the attraction. Many family hours have been spent flying kites, throwing frisbees, kicking footballs, catching lacrosse balls, learning to ride bicycles or just running around. We always [Read more]
Round 1
April 3, 2009 by Leave a Comment
As many have said, so why not one more, not much can be taken out of the first of 22 rounds. Still, I would rather be a Brisbane than a Richmond supporter as the Lions commence their relentless march to the finals. Hope that they don’t expect to keep on winning though by producing one [Read more]
The New Magpies – guest writer Mark O’Connell
April 1, 2009 by Leave a Comment
Despite two wooden spoons in my lifetime, no season could ever be as bad as 1982. Coming off 3 grand final appearances in a row, we slipped to 10th in a 12 team competition with only 4 wins for the season. We were only propped up by perennial whipping boys St Kilda and Footscray. In [Read more]
NAB Cup Practice Oops Grand Final Match Geelong v Collingwood by Carolyn Straford
March 31, 2009 by Leave a Comment
I went to the NAB cup grand final full of optimism and a little confused. Being a Hawthorn supporter I had no allegiance although I went with two Collingwood fans. However I do admit secretly to having a soft spot for Collingwood, (I may be the only Hawthorn supporter that does). My excuse is that [Read more]
Coaching Dilemma
March 31, 2009 by Leave a Comment
The telephone number flashed up on the screen and I recognised it immediately. Mark Hunter is an ex- Bulldogs player – 130 senior games. And he has demonstrated over the past few years that he is also a very good junior coach. His boy Lachlan and my son Bill share a year of birth and [Read more]
Canadian Pyke mounts his challenge
March 31, 2009 by 1 Comment
by Merryn Sherwood I have to say, I’m already a little bit in love with Mike Pyke. Not just because his name rolls off the tongue so lightly, although that’s part of it, and not just because he is a Canadian international rugby fullback that just through he would give Australian Rules football a [Read more]
Slow Start by Pamela Sherpa (Snowy Mountains correspondent)
March 31, 2009 by 2 Comments
We think this is our first ever story on the Almanac site.
Recent Comments