By Richard Jones THERE’S plenty of stories about former Bendigo and central Victorian footballers who’ve made the transition from local comps to the AFL. For example the four Selwoods, Nick Dal Santo, Greg ‘Diesel’ Williams, Geoff Southby, Rod Ashman, Jimmy Buckley, Peter McConville and Trevor Keogh all made the trip down the highway to the [Read more]
Local footy: Memorable administators in the Bendigo Football League
February 18, 2010 by 23 Comments
By Richard Jones JUST as in football’s playing ranks, there’s never a shortage of memorable characters running affairs at club or league levels. Here in the Bendigo league we’ve had controversial and colourful presidents and chairmen, feisty secretaries and treasurers, but also a sound quota of extremely gentlemanly and thoughtful people. But it doesn’t matter [Read more]
FOOTY: Life and times of the bush Bartel
February 7, 2010 by 26 Comments
By Paul Daffey Terry Bartel was still 15 when he announced himself to North East Victoria as a serious sporting talent. A slip of a kid with deceptive strength through his shoulders, he opened the batting for the Beechworth senior team and plundered 227 to break the Ovens and King Cricket Association record. In a [Read more]
Exhibition: A day at the footy starts at the gates
February 5, 2010 by 24 Comments
By Paul Daffey Many of my boyhood memories revolve around local footy, from matches played on wind-blown ovals in the north-west suburbs of Melbourne or on lonely ovals in the Mallee. I can still hear the “phhhsh” sound of air being pushed from a player’s lungs as he absorbs an unexpected tackle, or the sweet [Read more]
Local Footy: No shortage of characters in Bendigo footy
February 2, 2010 by 3 Comments
By Richard Jones IT SHOULD come as no surprise to footy followers that our unique Australian code draws plenty of ‘characters’ to weekly matches. Here in central Victoria we have attracted, and continue to attract, our fair share. Over a period of three decades I’ve seen quite a few. Rich
Footy: I’ve got my number
January 22, 2010 by 278 Comments
By Jeffrey Paterson Number 36 is not highly fought after at any club, really. Simon Goodwin, Dane Swan, Aaron Davey and Dustin Martin are the players that spring to mind when I think of the AFL players who don the number 36. Also it’s the number I don for my team the Katunga Swans, although [Read more]
Footy: Prato’s journey to Bulldogs not as exotic as Daw but no less remarkable
December 17, 2009 by 7 Comments
By Richard Jones The Majak Daw story makes a nice yarn. But how about Maryborough boy, Eddie Prato, taken by the Western Bulldogs with pick No.58 in the AFL rookie draft? Eddie spent most of 2009 playing basketball with the Ballarat Miners in the South East Australian Basketball League. At 6 ft 8 ins in [Read more]
Noel McMahen: City superstar, country legend
November 30, 2009 by 7 Comments
by Mark Gullick Many people know the cliff notes of Noel McMahen’s time in Rochester, but the full story has rarely been told. It is the tale of high stakes, high pressure and high achievement. McMahen was a VFL superstar. Debuting in 1946 with Melbourne, McMahen struck success in 1948 as part of a winning [Read more]
Footy: Superdogs find plenty to yap about on trip south
November 11, 2009 by Leave a Comment
By Nick Kossatch The Riverland Superdogs ventured to the south east of South Australia over the weekend and by all reports, that region was painted red. Bordertown was the overnight stop on Friday night. The Bordertown Roosters Footy Club were the hosts and provided many beverages and plenty of food for the hungry and thirsty [Read more]
Local Footy: Sydney footy makes up for unfortunate events of a century ago to claim new home at Blacktown
October 10, 2009 by 5 Comments
By Rod Gillett The recent Sydney AFL Grand Final was played at the new stadium at the Blacktown Olympic Park, which has become the new “home” for local footy in Sydney. It is significant location given that the GWS AFL team is to be based at this facility. GWS is of course, the acronym being [Read more]
Local Footy: You never know what to expect in a grand final
September 25, 2009 by Leave a Comment
As I walk into Elsternwick Park for the Victorian Amateur Football Association’s A-section grand final, the biggest day of the Ammos season, I expect an Old Xaverians victory. They’re playing De La Salle Old Collegians, the team they beat by 92 points in the second semi. Xavs are finals hardened. This is their twelfth grand [Read more]
Women’s Footy: Debbie Lee wins Football Woman of the Year award
September 25, 2009 by Leave a Comment
By Leesa Catto Congratulations to Victorian Women’s Football League president Debbie Lee on being named the 2009 Football Woman of the Year. The award, presented by the Essendon Women’s Network, offers recognition to women who have made a significant contribution to the game of football. Almanac Admin
State Footy: Phil Cleary plays big part in glorious VFA Grand Final memories
September 25, 2009 by 2 Comments
By Rod Oaten Oh, for the nostalgia of the good old VFA Grand Final. It was an unsophisticated, grass roots event, full of tribal loyalty and tension between the supporters. No corporate boxes, but then I guess corporations didn’t get involved with what really was working-class footy. You would often see a club president or [Read more]
General Footy Writing: Watch out for the termite mound!
September 24, 2009 by 1 Comment
I’ve recently moved to Galiwinku, which is the second largest Aboriginal community in Australia. It is based in a place called Elcho Island, which is a part of Arnhem land and situated about 500 kilometres east of Darwin. There are only 3,000 people in the community, but surprisingly there are eight football sides that make [Read more]
In the Sheds: Saints and Cats jumpers fail to offer a guide to AFL fortunes
September 23, 2009 by 3 Comments
WITH all the focus on St Kilda and Geelong this week, In the Sheds combed through last weekend’s results to see if any portents could be gleaned from the clubs that wore Saints and Cats jumpers in local footy grand finals. Of the clubs that wore Saints jumpers, Koroit (Hampden league) and St Kilda City [Read more]
Local Footy: Oopy’s oration stirs players and supporters to score win for the ages
September 23, 2009 by 4 Comments
By Darren Dawson Almost two weeks on from my old club’s stunning grand final victory, it is only now that the hairs on the back of my neck have begun to settle down. Having been comprehensively defeated by D1-section rivals Peninsula Old Boys in the second semi, Willy CYs had fought back through the preliminary [Read more]
State Footy: VFA memories flood back as Preston attack overpowers Port in Preliminary Final
September 22, 2009 by Leave a Comment
Off to North Port Oval for the Preliminary Final between Preston, now known as Northern Bullants, and Port Melbourne, always known as The Borough. I missed the first 10 minutes because of my partner’s very important birthday lunch/celebrations at a very swish Melbourne hotel. I could barely wobble my way out of the hotel because [Read more]
Local Footy: Xavs hold out De La for last-gasp win
September 21, 2009 by Leave a Comment
Old Xaverians yesterday scored their 11th A-section premiership and 10th since 1995 when they held off a late flurry from De La Salle to win the grand final at Elsternwick Park by three points. Xavs defeated De La by 92 points in the second semi-final and looked the likely winners throughout this match. They led [Read more]
Jones Files: Square keep Sandhurst at bay to earn grand final victory for the ages
September 17, 2009 by 2 Comments
By Richard Jones GOLDEN Square plays off with old rivals South Bendigo in this Saturday’s Bendigo Football League grand final. The Square Bulldogs went down by a goal to Eaglehawk in last September’s cliffhanger decider. The Bloods, meanwhile, have made the grand final for the first time since 1995. Perennial losing preliminary finalists, South snapped [Read more]
Local Footy: Hume league to honour old Coreen league
September 17, 2009 by 5 Comments
By Barry Malone The Coreen and District Football League folded in 2007 after 98 years of serving the people of the southern Riverina, specifically the area north of Corowa. This Saturday, at the Hume league grand final between Osborne and Jindera at Walbundrie, Hume league officials will host a “wind-up” of the Coreen league. It’s [Read more]
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