After reading my copy of The Footy Almanac 2009, I was inspired and thought this could be my perfect opportunity to follow my dream to become a sports journalist. So I decided to sign up to this wonderful website and try and contribute something to this awesome collection. My dream of being a sports journalist [Read more]
NAB Cup, Round 1: Saints and Pies worth the wait
February 21, 2010 by Leave a Comment
After getting my first dose of football for 2010, I eagerly await my next fix. It seems to be the longest week of my life from the final siren of Western Bulldogs v Brisbane from last Sunday to the opening bounce of this match, yet it was a very quick and enjoyable week. The week [Read more]
NAB Cup, Round 1: It’s hard to imagine a better pre-season game
February 21, 2010 by 17 Comments
Could a NAB Cup game get any better? Two premiership contenders in battle, with Luke Ball playing against his former side. I am eager to see some other players, namely Simon Buckley (ex-Demon) and Darren Jolly for their new sides. The surface of Etihad Stadium is the talking point during the week, after being pulverised [Read more]
NAB Cup, Round 1: Saints somehow win a corker. Good night!
February 20, 2010 by 6 Comments
It’s all about presentation, isn’t it? Ignoring the deplorable state of the actual turf at Etihard Stadium, Channel 7 (Sydney) tonight gave a very good argument for their not being awarded the broadcasting rights for the AFL at the next round of bidding. Their commentary team is great: Bruce McAvaney, the fantastic Dennis Cometti, Leigh [Read more]
NAB Cup, Round 1: Bulldogs see off brave Lions in Canberra slush
February 19, 2010 by 3 Comments
By Steve Healy Ah, Sunday afternoon footy on the radio… can it get any better than this? Fev’s first game for the Lions, Buchanan’s and Staker’s as well. The dark sky is looming outside my bedroom window, whereas the Canberra sky is even darker and Manuka oval has been three inches under water all day [Read more]
World Footy: Expansion of footy gathers pace
February 17, 2010 by 1 Comment
By Brett Northey For some, Australian football’s hopes of international growth are misguided, whilst for others they are almost an obsession. Certainly throughout the 20th century the sport’s expansion had its peaks and troughs, its false dawns. But the past decade has seen steady progress and many good news stories. Even just focussing on the [Read more]
Footy: The best birthday present in the world
February 17, 2010 by 8 Comments
ANTHEA ABELL ‘Open your eyes you white maggot!’ The only place I was allowed to talk like this was at the footy. It was the Grand Final 1990. Collingwood were on the cusp of breaking a thirty-two year premiership drought. It was also the day after my fourteenth birthday. I was supposed to be having [Read more]
Footy: My lowdown on all clubs’ away guernseys
February 17, 2010 by 382 Comments
One of the biggest rising issues in the game these days is the sort of guernsey your club wears. If you grew up watching footy in the early 20th century, you would be shocked to know that the likes of Melbourne, Hawthorn and the Western Bulldogs have predominantly white strip when there is a clash. [Read more]
Footy: My season exploring a wonderful tradition
February 16, 2010 by 4 Comments
By James Gilchrist At the start of Wednesday Warriors, the book I wrote about the footy tradition at St Patrick’s, Ballarat, Matt “Twiggy” James, stands suspended on top of a ten metre pole, contemplating the “Leap of Faith”, part of a team building exercise with the St Pat’s First XVIII in the chill winter months [Read more]
NAB Cup, Round 1: Hawks to aim high, Tigers to finish low
February 16, 2010 by 3 Comments
By Richard Naco I approached this game with some trepidation. Channel 10 in Sydney stayed with their traditional AFL format & started the replay of this game well after 11pm, so as to not flood the Emerald City with too much AFL goodness too soon (the ‘play it mean/ keep ‘em keen’ approach, I guess). [Read more]
Footy: Casey Fields is a wonderful place
February 16, 2010 by 204 Comments
By Steve Healy Despite the fact that the NAB Cup was starting, the match I was most looking forward to last weekend was the Dees’ intra-club match. I have never been to Casey Fields before, even though I have planned to go a few times over the past couple of years, these plans haven’t eventuated. [Read more]
NAB Cup, Round 1: Eagles and Bombers get season off to a flying start
February 16, 2010 by Leave a Comment
By Steve Healy Naitanui… Naitanui. He was the star of the night, the crowd pleaser; he was almost worth the price of admission. But even more astonishing, arguably, was the thirteen goals scored by the Eagles to turn the game around midway through the second quarter. One thing’s for sure: West Coast are going to [Read more]
NAB Cup, Round 1: Hawks look to be back to their best
February 16, 2010 by Leave a Comment
By Steve Healy I turn on the TV, the Aurora Stadium light shine on to a brilliant surface, which is set for a game between 9th and 15th from last year, Hawthorn and Richmond. There’s all the evidence in the world that this will be a blow-out, but to be fair, indigenous stars Rioli, Gibson [Read more]
Footy: Geelong v Geelong … it doesn’t get any better
February 16, 2010 by 12 Comments
By Alex Wadelton When I first heard that the mighty Cats were coming to my adopted home of Sydney for an intraclub match, I giggled like a schoolgirl being attacked by a feather duster. Because living in Sydney and following Geelong is a lot like being one of Paris Hilton’s brain cells… lonely. So, having [Read more]
Crio’s Question: What’s your sports viewing pecking order
February 16, 2010 by 17 Comments
It became apparent to me on Sunday evening that I need to make some big decisions these days – and I’m not always good at that. This particular conundrum involved a clash between the Doggies v Lions from Canberra and the Sydney FC v Victory match. As usual, it was resolved by a visit to [Read more]
NAB Cup, Round 1: Hawks look ready to rumble
February 15, 2010 by 5 Comments
By Rick Kane Don’t tell me that Saturday night’s match between Hawthorn and Richmond was essentially irrelevant. I know, I get it. For starters, who gives two hoots about the NAB Cup? February is more about adjusting back into work schedules, rueing festivals missed and admonishing kids to finish their dinner, all of it. Footy [Read more]
NAB Cup, Round 1: Why do the away teams wear the home guernseys?
February 15, 2010 by 231 Comments
Now, not wanting to make a replica of Crio’s Question here, but I have a question that needs to be answered. Why have the home sides in all the matches so far in the NAB Cup worn away guernseys? It’s just plain stupid: Josh Barnstable21 year old North Melbourne supporter from country Victoria. Currently living [Read more]
Footy: Gigs gives us his well-oiled machine
February 15, 2010 by 25 Comments
By Andrew Gigacz You can have your Dreamteams and your Supercoach comps. Mike Sheahan’s Top 50? Pah! Having completed some exhaustive analysis and listened to the word on the street, I have come up with a team of players that are a huge chance to set the AFL season alight in 2010. Now as [Read more]
Link: Billy Miller goes to Kardinia Park
February 14, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Billy Miller’s tour of the old VFL grounds takes us to Kardinia Park, a bit of a johnny-cum-lately among the old grounds, but fondly considered nonetheless. Almanac Admin
NAB Cup, Round 1: Premiership stars lead Hawks to big win
February 14, 2010 by 205 Comments
After a fairly boring day to say the least, which started with tennis in the morning, I eagerly awaited 4.40pm. It finally came, and I opened up Realplayer on my laptop and started listening to the coverage of Adelaide v Port Adelaide by SEN radio. The Power ran away with the match in the second [Read more]
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