North Melbourne Football Club has been robbed of its traditional rivalries in recent years. But an AFL Gold Coast team presents a unique opportunity for NMFC to capitalise on a very real rivalry. While rarely acknowledged in the media, North Melbourne has some fascinating traditional rivalries. The Hawthorn-North Melbourne rivalry, founded on the teams’ three [Read more]
OUT: Richo, Wallace and bad times. IN: D Martin, Hardwick and FINALS!
January 18, 2010 by 4 Comments
By Jeff Paterson. Well, I’ve been reading the newspaper (mostly the Herald sun) and reading what they’ve had to say on the internet – and something’s come to my attention. For the first time in quite a while Richmond, the team I’ve supported most of my life, isn’t getting talked up to do anything spectacular this [Read more]
Footy: Mum’s the word on these dream-team tips
January 17, 2010 by Leave a Comment
So it’s that time of the year again. Well not quite, but you can now register for all sorts of AFL fantasy footy teams. Those fantastic games where you pick 18 players, they score points when they get a kick and then you get to beat other people. It’s your own little team! I usually [Read more]
Footy: Year of the Tiger
January 13, 2010 by 110 Comments
By Domenic Favata According to the Chinese zodiac, Richmond should have a pretty good year. That has been promised for years, but will Richmond, under new coach Damien Hardwick, finally take the giant step all the fans have been waiting for? When I heard about one of former coach Terry Wallace’s theories of coaching — [Read more]
Footy: A midsummer reflection on the rise of the Cats and the Saints in light of 2004
January 12, 2010 by 40 Comments
By Sam Steele When it’s 44 degrees outside and the rest of the family are on holiday, what else is there to do but bung a couple of old footy tapes into the VCR and relive some of the great games of the past. As fate would have it, I chose to have a look [Read more]
Barney’s 2010 AFL Crystal Ball: West Coast and the Western Bulldogs
January 9, 2010 by 2 Comments
West Coast Eagles: Some teams are good, not great, but just good. Sometimes they are great and shoot to the top of the ladder and win the odd premiership, but then they lose some skill and drop down in the top 8. The Eagles used to be like this. 2002, they finished 8th. 2003, they [Read more]
Barney’s 2010 AFL Crystal Ball Part 7: St Kilda and Sydney
January 8, 2010 by 338 Comments
by Josh Barnstable St Kilda: So close, yet so far was the story for St Kilda in 2009. 22 wins from 25 games but failed on the big stage against Geelong. That hurt them. It hurt them more then any other premiership loss would have hurt any other club. They have a great team that [Read more]
Barney’s 2010 AFL Crystal Ball Part 6: Port Adelaide and Richmond
January 7, 2010 by 648 Comments
by Josh Barnstable Port Adelaide Power: The Power made a resurgence of sorts on the field, putting in some good displays while also getting rid of that shocking home guernsey that they have worn since their inception to the AFL in 1997. Port Adelaide will now sport a new guernsey made by a six year [Read more]
Barney’s 2010 AFL Crystal Ball Part 5: Melbourne and North Melbourne
January 6, 2010 by 340 Comments
by Josh Barnstable Melbourne: Off the bottom of the ladder into finals contention is where the Dees will find themselves in the next couple of seasons. What’s so different though? Dean Bailey has predicted a change, he has changed the gamestyle that was, at times, ugly, recruited the best two kids in the country and [Read more]
Barney’s 2010 AFL Crystal Ball Part 4: Geelong and Hawthorn
January 5, 2010 by 111 Comments
by Josh Barnstable Geelong Cats: The premiers, in decline maybe? You wouldn’t think so, as the only major loss from the premiership side of 2009 is captain Tom Harley, but form in the second half of the season pointed towards a change of form in the next couple of seasons. The forward line lacks a [Read more]
Barney’s 2010 AFL Crystal Ball Part 3: Essendon and Fremantle
January 4, 2010 by 20 Comments
by Josh Barnstable Essendon: A tough year for the Bombers finished in an unlikely finals berth that they didn’t deserve, and it showed with a 96-point thumping by the Crows showing them the exit from September. Matthew Lloyd and Scott Lucas are gone, their two goalkicking stars of the past decade. The Bombers don’t have [Read more]
Barney’s 2010 AFL Crystal Ball Part 2: Carlton and Collingwood
January 3, 2010 by 45 Comments
By Josh Barnstable Carlton: After such a promising season, it seems it could all go down the drain with the loss of Brendan Fevola. The two-time Coleman Medalist departed during trade week after the Blues were angered by his performance at the Brownlow Medal. Getting Lachie Henderson for Fevola was a dud deal, but a [Read more]
Barney’s 2010 AFL Crystal Ball Part 1: Adelaide and Brisbane
January 2, 2010 by 246 Comments
by Josh Barnstable It’s that time, the time we all cherish as youngsters, I’m sure the fellow members of the Fab 5 will be feeling this feeling that I’m having as I type this. It’s a time of hope, anticipation and gratitude. No, not Christmas, no, not the start of the New Year. The magical [Read more]
A tale of two newspapers
December 28, 2009 by 452 Comments
by Steve Healy For many years, Melbournians have lived in a city of two major papers. The question moves from house to house. It is a question that breaks hearts, ruins friendships and causes long term arguments with peers. Which is better, The Age or the Herald Sun? Steve HealySteve Healy is an entity of [Read more]
Thoughts of a ‘Honeybird’ (nickname from Steve H.)
December 26, 2009 by 228 Comments
by Danielle Eid As I type this it’s 12:13AM. I know what you are thinking, why the hell is Danni still up at this time? Doesn’t she have anything better to do than write a piece up at this hour? I’m writing this up because I want to and I’m nocturnal. Wide awake till about [Read more]
Footy: Why I barrack for the Eagles
December 24, 2009 by 2 Comments
By Brad Carr I’m an Eagles supporter who lives in Melbourne. The most common question I get asked is, “Why do you barrack for West Coast?” The conversation normally goes along the following lines: Local: “Who do you barrack for?” Me: “West Coast” Local (contorts face uncomfortably): “Eeeeww (pauses). Are you from over there?” Me: [Read more]
Memoir: My Father, My Football
December 22, 2009 by 9 Comments
This piece was written in 2000, and has not been published before. By Terry Chapman My life’s first footy moment comes courtesy of a black-and-white image of me in Grandma’s backyard in Coburg. I’m about four. Mum would have been behind the old Kodak 126, freezing forever the opening entry on my life’s stats sheet. [Read more]
Footy Talk: Gary Ablett jnr talks to God (not his Dad, the Guy Upstairs)
December 18, 2009 by Leave a Comment
Gary Ablett jnr: You’ve already met. God: What can I say? Allegedly the only bloke (blokette?) who can hit a one iron. Initial negotiations with GC17 had been unfruitful… and rather baffling. Gazza felt no closer to resolving his dilemma. Having finally made it back from Queensland, his Manager decided to be proactive. Player managers [Read more]
Eulogy: University don inspired footy history study
December 18, 2009 by 4 Comments
By Rod Gillett The ability to inspire performance is a quality that is most often attributed to sports coaches. It is also attributed to teachers of art, music and literature, even mathematics. Many of us have had a teacher profoundly influence our scholastic life and engender in us an enduring enthusiasm for a particular subject. [Read more]
Almanac Launch: An Adelaide trip with a few twists
December 17, 2009 by 2 Comments
By Bob Utber With the Copenhagen climate summit in full swing as I wandered down from Mildura to Adelaide last week, I could not help but notice the way in which country clubs in South Australia and Victoria look after their sporting ovals. Indeed some of the finest grounds are along the highway between Mildura [Read more]
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