By Andrew Gigacz Caroline Wilson’s call for Kevin Sheedy to remove himself from the running for the Richmond coaching job (The Age, 8th July, 2009) highlights a number of issues. Firstly, Wilson suggests that Sheedy’s decision to put his hand up for the job is potentially divisive to the club. If that is so, [Read more]
General Footy Writing: Have a snag at St Vinnies match at Punt Road before heading across to the ‘G
July 8, 2009 by 2 Comments
By Zoe Clare St Vincent De Paul soup vans have been feeding homeless and disadvantaged men and women in the Collingwood area for years. And all volunteers who work on the vans quickly learn that, in order to have a chat with the regulars, you must know your footy. If not, you fake it. The [Read more]
General Footy Writing: The state of Tom Hawkins’ play
July 7, 2009 by 9 Comments
By David Hyland Being an avid football follower I have never in my life of 39 years seen a developing young player subjected to such harsh analysis and vitriol as Tom Hawkins. Firstly I have to declare an interest in Tom Hawkins the young man. I have been his player sponsor at Geelong for [Read more]
Round 14: The View from Shepparton
July 6, 2009 by Leave a Comment
by Peter Schumacher Well what a match that was. The grab from Gardiner was certainly as has already been pointed out very reminiscent of Leo Barry’s effort a couple of years ago. I don’t agree with those who argue that the result proved nothing, in fact it proved that St Kilda are the premier team [Read more]
Sports Science: Clint Youlden reckons he can have you kicking longer in an instant
July 6, 2009 by 4 Comments
The Cannonball – “Instantly ad metres to your kick” by Clint Youlden If you are a right-hander (and presumably a right foot kick) and I asked you which leg is your strongest leg, most of you would answer “my right leg `cause I kick with it”, you would however, be incorrect. Most people believe that [Read more]
General Footy Writing: Being a fan keeps us young forever
July 5, 2009 by Leave a Comment
By Michael Mueller I wish I could remember from where I read this particular snippet of information, but a survey of British football fans a few years ago revealed that the loyalty they show to their clubs– albeit tempered by periods of extreme desperation and agony – far exceeded the loyalty and perseverance they displayed [Read more]
The Pre-Wrap: Round 14: Barry Hall deserves our sympathy
July 3, 2009 by Leave a Comment
By John Mosig What a week it’s been in Footy Eddie. The embarrassing loss to Arch Rivals Essendon has seen the big timber tumbling around at Royal Parade. First to get the axe was ex-President in Waiting John Elliott. With Big Jack’s moral compass awry again he found himself catapulted back into yesterday. And just [Read more]
Weekend Read: Irish and Australian football are different and that’s a good thing
July 3, 2009 by 7 Comments
By Paul Daffey I enjoyed Irishman Cormac McCormack’s piece on the lack of humour and connection in the AFL, and although I can’t help but think that Cormac is looking at sport in his homeland through porter-coloured glasses, I agree with much of what he says.
General Footy Writing: 2008 draft to be considered among the best
July 3, 2009 by 4 Comments
I think in a few years time, we’ll be talking about the 2008 national draft as a draft to match the super-draft of 2001 which saw Chris Judd, Luke Ball and Luke Hodge start their careers. The 2008 top-10 saw the likes of Daniel Rich, Jack Watts, Jack Ziebell, Nick Naitanui and Stephen Hill taken [Read more]
Sports science: AFL players should practice kicking far more often
July 2, 2009 by 16 Comments
By Clint Youlden I’m a sports scientist who specialises in biomechanics. As a sports scientist who’s interested in footy, it destroys me to see the lack of effort that AFL players put into practising kicking. I heard Matthew Richardson say that “players would have 40 to 50 shots on goal a week … but you [Read more]
General Footy Writing: I’ve decided what I want to be
July 2, 2009 by 2 Comments
ByDanielle Eid We all grow up with a career in mind. When you’re a five year old girl, you want to be a princess. Younger boys want to be firefighters or superheroes. We grow up with an imaginative, “anything is possible” attitude, which dissolves by the time you hit high school. In the early years [Read more]
Funny teams: Dale Thomas in, Nick Stevens out of line-up of two-first-namers
July 2, 2009 by 7 Comments
By Tom Riordan You’d think that the school holidays would bring a break to writing, compiling, or even thinking. But on the first day of the holidays I had the idea, after watching the promising debut of Liam Anthony for North Melbourne at the MCG the day before, of naming a team of AFL players [Read more]
Middle East Correspondent: Huey’s cherry-ripe for the Swans job
July 1, 2009 by 5 Comments
By Rod Gillett The news that Sydney Swans chief executive officer Myles Baron-Hay is stepping down at the end of the season will spark speculation in the Melbourne media about a replacement from the football managerial stocks, with all the usual suspects being given a run. The best man to run the club in my [Read more]
View From Shepparton: AFL Round 13
July 1, 2009 by Leave a Comment
By Peter Schumacher Well this was a pretty straightforward round in terms of expected results; indeed in one tipping competition I picked 7 winners. The Lions continue to look good but given their opponents this was not difficult. In fact I reckon that Brisbane, and Geelong for that matter, could have been a little upset [Read more]
Gigs’ Stats: Round 13 Stat. Declaration
June 30, 2009 by Leave a Comment
ERATOSTHENES’ GUIDE TO TIPPING 8 WINNERS Mathematicians use the “Sieve of Eratosthenes” to come up with all the prime numbers in a list from 2 to any specified integer. The process involves eliminating all multiples of 2 (which is a prime) and then 3 (which is next prime) and so on until only the prime [Read more]
General Footy Writing: It’s hard trying to watch the footy when the broadcaster goes bust
June 30, 2009 by 1 Comment
By Ben Jensen Sometimes I hate being a footy fan outside Australia. I had it all worked out last year; got myself a Setanta Sports subscription; at only £9.99 a month I was supposedly going to get four games live a week. That’s almost better than back home! By the time the Cats and Port [Read more]
The Big Clash: Saints and Cats match should be a beauty if these precedents are a guide
June 30, 2009 by 10 Comments
By Damian Watson In the light of the big clash between the two undefeated teams St Kilda and Geelong on Sunday, I’ve had a look at some of the biggest build-ups to home-and-away games. As I am only 14 years old, I wasn’t around to feel the vibe of the big matches in the 1960s, ’70s, [Read more]
General Footy Writing: How a Tiger got his stripes (part 1)
June 30, 2009 by Leave a Comment
By Sam Steele It was not until 1970 when I was six years old that I even discovered the existence of Australian football. Unlike so many Australian families in which footy allegiance, like religion, is rock solid and and never to be questioned, or those in which rivalries flourish, in my family the game was [Read more]
Crio’s Question: What’s the big deal about Friday night?
June 29, 2009 by 10 Comments
By Chris Riordan Friday is a time for some week-ending cleansers. But what’s with the supposed pride in one’s team being on “The Big Stage of Friday Night Footy”? I’m baffled. As an attendee it doesn’t suit. Worn out at week’s end, it is too long to wait after work and too hard to come [Read more]
The Wrap: Round 13: Hawks’ defence over and Bailey looks gone
June 29, 2009 by Leave a Comment
By John Mosig What a round it’s been in Footy Eddie. The body bags draped in Navy Blue were lined up along La Via Lygon on Saturday morning. You knew it was a big funeral when you noticed Mick Gatto amongst the mourners. Carringbush monstered another 7 stone weakling on Saturday Arvo in Melbourne while [Read more]
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