By Chris Riordan “Dad, they’re not going to win with only twelve players. You’ve sacked most of the side already!” Not yet quarter-time and, according to my footy buddy, I’d gone all “Phillip Lynch” on the Doggies’ list. “Eagleton, must go. Johnno, leave while you still have some dignity. Hit it, Mitch, you’re our only [Read more]
The view from Shepparton: Round 6
May 5, 2009 by Leave a Comment
By Peter Schumacher Who is the most tragic footballer in the AFL: the Fev or Matthew Richardson? I reckon after last week’s effort the gong would have to give it to Fev, although Richo has an imposing record. My wife and I stopped in our tracks spellbound as Fevola’s last mark was called so well [Read more]
This Geelong Life
May 5, 2009 by Leave a Comment
by Ed Harcourt “You don’t know what love is until you’ve learned the meaning of the blues.” It was June 16 1991. A typical Melbourne day at the MCG. Round 13 of The Australian Football League’s season was my first as a member of The Geelong Football Club. We sat on the wing [Read more]
Warm feeling on a cold day
May 4, 2009 by 2 Comments
By Damian O’Donnell It was mid-winter, the mud was cold and deep, and the rain had a sting to it. It came down on that awkward winter angle where no part of the body is shielded. My footy boots were full of water and my long-sleeve jumper hung shapeless, like a clock face in a [Read more]
It’s SimCity Time!
May 4, 2009 by 2 Comments
by John Kingsmill In the current SimCity Adelaide Stadium Debate, I hope that the Advertiser’s report of State Treasurer Kevin Foley’s plan to move AFL from AAMI Stadium to Victoria Park and to couple footy with car-racing was flippant. I hope that Kevin Foley was only thinking aloud, exploring the last thing that someone [Read more]
Old East Fremantle Would Have Been A Contender
May 3, 2009 by 6 Comments
by Rod Gillett and Dave Warner When Paddy Ryder was awarded the Anzac Medal for his game for Essendon in this year’s match against Collingwood it occurred to me that here was yet another top-class player produced by the East Fremantle Football Club. I thought there was a story in it. I contacted [Read more]
The Lone Supporter
May 3, 2009 by 4 Comments
by Chad Woodbine Here, in South Korea I have a great life. My job is easy, I’m newly married – with all the wonderful things that come with that situation and my mother in law is my beer supplier. But there are some things that I don’t have. My wife knows that and [Read more]
Cats Could Do With An Overhaul
April 29, 2009 by Leave a Comment
by Angus Nicholls I’m pretty much a Holden man. Don’t know if I was born this way or was somehow subliminally groomed by the General during my formative years. What’s more it doesn’t matter given that we’re talking about the General’s mortal enemy and the Greatest Footy Club on Earth. Co-located in [Read more]
People, Places and Footy on ANZAC Day
April 29, 2009 by Leave a Comment
by Andrew Starkie North Melbourne versus Richmond 7.20pm, Saturday, April 25, Etihad Stadium This is primarily a match report for the North versus Richmond game, however, I do want to share some observations from earlier on ANZAC Day. Earlier in the day… A small group gathered around the cenotaph for the dawn service at Reservoir [Read more]
Believing in the Impossible
April 28, 2009 by 9 Comments
by Tony Wilson Shaun Dockery only ever gave one truly great three-quarter time address, but that’s not bad for someone who’s never actually coached. The match was Hawthorn versus North Melbourne at Arden Street, and if the year had have been 1976, this story might have been coloured with screaming fans, traditional rivalry and searching [Read more]
Save the Bounce
April 28, 2009 by 4 Comments
by Sasha Lennon I actually like Mike Sheahan. By that I mean I like (most of) what he writes in the paper and what he says on the telly. I especially like when, sitting on the couch alongside Wallsy he makes one of his softly-softly, it’s only business, I’m just doing my job [Read more]
The Round 5 View From Shepparton
April 28, 2009 by Leave a Comment
by Peter Schumacher St Kilda is going from strength to strength, whilst the term “Port Power” is turning out to be an oxymoron. Same difference I suppose. I suppose that the only point a losing coach can make in this circumstance is that the result shows where his team really is in the scheme of things. [Read more]
Australian football and disputes over the Anzac legend
April 27, 2009 by 5 Comments
By Robert Pascoe (with Mark Pennings) A talk to the Almnackery at the All Nations Hotel, Richmond, 24 April 2009 On the last Saturday of the February just gone, the former treasurer, Hon Peter Costello, now a backbencher serving the people of Higgins, was addressing Camberwell RSL at their ninetieth anniversary lunch. In his speech [Read more]
More than a Kick on ANZAC Day
April 27, 2009 by 2 Comments
by Sean Gorman I began a conversation with my seven year old son two years ago. That conversation continued yesterday when he played in one of the little league games as part of the half time action at the MCG on ANZAC day. It was the way the conversation started when he was five that [Read more]
Benched Coach
April 27, 2009 by Leave a Comment
by Andrew Fithall I didn’t have a good week this week. The Williamstown Juniors Under 16 Ds played Wyndhamvale at their ground and had a solid win. But I didn’t coach. There were a number of reasons for that. But, for the moment, let’s go back to Wyndhamvale. Wyndham was in the news a bit [Read more]
An Anzac Day reflection
April 25, 2009 by 2 Comments
By Damian O’Donnell A whole generation of blokes goes off to war in 1914. They go to a foreign land to kill and be killed. Today we might struggle to understand that. We, the inhabitants of this global village where the other side of the world is a click of a mouse away, cannot begin [Read more]
Bulldogs not on free-to-air? No surprise there
April 23, 2009 by 1 Comment
By Andrew Gigacz Imagine if Adelaide were second on the ladder and they were playing in top team St Kilda in Melbourne. For Crows supporters it’d be a dream scenario. First v second live into their lounge rooms. Now imagine that the game was only available for viewing in Adelaide via Pay TV. You can [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]
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