after the sky bleeds cats from every nook and cranny no moon Beams the light inside the arc the dark rises – I wait for the moon and Leon one star – the pack releases Ablett ravaged trees – the flimsiest of hopes on Caff’s boot the cold begins its creep shots drift wide footprints [Read more]
Poetry: TWELVE STRAIGHT MATE
The balmy army sat there calmly well….for just a little while thought they had the old foe down and out so they chanted, yelled and smiled openers smacked the ball around Australia in a pickle but balmy army hadn’t counted on a startling spell from Bichel he used the humps and hit the stumps made [Read more]
round 8 – the air crisps
top of the table clash spilling the wine I look up Heater fumbles the air crisps Pendlebury’s pinpoint pass autumn thickens no way through Sandilands night breeze flat-footed forwards in Toovey’s wake darkening skies Cloke from dead in front… all the fallen leaves – we get numbers around the ball umpire’s appreciation round the sound [Read more]
Winter of Discontent
by Bill Walker Out east in the leafy eastern burbs, climate change has hit the streets the May bloom buds refuse to burst, there is no winter sweet scattered forlornly on the footpath, scuffed leaves of gold and brown big Jeff’s pulled out his secateurs, just who is leaving town perfect juicy ripened fruits can [Read more]
haiku bob – round 7: flesh and shadows
moonlit night – a magpie strolls into the goal square space between stars – magpie defenders guarding it swirling breeze Didak through the flap of seagulls squeezed on the left checked on the right Harry Obama steers a course through the middle floodlit flesh and shadows climb over Jolly umps wave play on starlight Cloke [Read more]
haiku bob: clear above the clouds
bringing autumn tackle by tackle to the Blues a mountain clear above the clouds – Dawes marks again tumbling leaves – Ball turns himself inside and out down on form Leon chases some hidden goal a row of Blues neatly laid out for Didak’s trickery pack forms – Swan ducks his head into the cloud [Read more]
end of sorrow
Anzac Day – the sun settles on every medal Anzac Day crowd – the amplification of silence end of sorrow Cloke kicks the first bright autumn sun flashes through the goals Cloke’s banana Toovey goals there must be something in this beer Anzac Day – Didak finds a gap between bodies watching the rain beer [Read more]
A well-rounded holiday
26 April – the day after ANZAC Day. Which means it is a public holiday as Victoria has adopted the national policy of a day in lieu of the Sunday. Good idea if you are an employee. My actual ANZAC Day was spent at the MCG seeing the Pies dominate the Bombers, so the extra [Read more]
Poem: Ode to the Crackling Transistor
Ensconced we sit in contoured plastic seats, our floggers banned, our brollies not allowed, with leg-room our desire for comfort meets and yet the advertising’s way too loud. Where thermos flasks of soup once warmed us up and pies were cheap, or peanuts from a sack, We queue for coffee now, five bucks a cup, [Read more]
Poetry: The Geometry of Tom Harley
The Geometry of Tom Harley by Andrew Gaylard That these two lines will meet there is no doubt: A burly forward leading from the square, The footy’s arc descending through the air; They will converge just thirty metres out. Then from an angle, running back without A hesitation and without a care For safety, just [Read more]
haiku bob round 4: faint stars
first tackle – the sun ducks its head night comes – Harry closes up a gap clods of dirt fly in Daisy’s blazing path balmy night all our mistakes softened evening of faint stars Leon misses and misses again something unremarkable sparks a sudden flood of goals fingertipper – Leon’s grab nicks the moon old-timer [Read more]
haiku bob Round 2 – the pack’s hollow
Autumn night – all kinds of noises from the packed stadium arch rivals – it takes six men to eject the drunk another point pointless complaining leaves crackle and pop goes Reiwoldt’s hamstring slipping away the first leaves and our early lead crickets – Ball’s pulse fills the pack’s hollow bloke on a stretcher ball [Read more]
Haiku Bob Round 2: waiting for the moon
warm up – Leon practices kicking opportunistic goals my entire life coming here not knowing what will happen waiting for the moon – we can’t get it out of the middle daylight savings ends – Collingwood whittles away the light approaching dusk… the moment between winning and losing shades of pink in the ghost gum [Read more]
Two Kings
by Andrew Starkie Down the phone from his home in Melbourne’s northern suburbs, Jack Rennie has a softly scoured, Brando like voice. He is welcoming, patient and as he speaks, his memory opens and he joyously recounts one of our great sporting moments. ‘He was king of Australia at the time,’ recalls Jack, former trainer [Read more]
Haiku Bob – AFL Round 1 – the cackle of magpies
first game of the year arriving at the ground too early early lead recalling last year’s early lead so humid the defensive line fans out windless afternoon – Harry’s dreadlocks still swinging one more drops into the hole Barry fills no sweat Medhurst plucks the ball from the muggy air wherever he goes Johnno [Read more]
Food: Get along while the weather’s still warm
Footy is back! And for me it couldn’t have come sooner. Finally an end to a seemingly never-ending pre-season of running, swimming, cycling, boxing, wrestling, tackling, biathlons, triathlons, weights and of course football sessions. But most importantly, as a Richmond player, it’s a chance to make amends for a rough 2009 season. One of the [Read more]
Poetry: Black and White
By Andrew Gigacz – It used to seem very easy To “footy fan” categorise You barracked for us, or barracked for them Or (GASP!) maybe even the Pies! –
Food: I love the emphasis on cuisine and footy in Melbourne life
By Daniel Jackson There are two things I love about Melbourne: its infatuation with sport and its passion for exceptional food. There is certainly an abundance of both in our great city, and I’m here to combine them by writing for some of football’s biggest critics about some of the finer features of Melbourne’s food [Read more]
Poetry: Oh Tim
I’d missed the news yet caught a rumour Barely through the summer slept. Now autumn blows a heavy humour Scandal has its promise kept.











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