one goal blurs

  murky light — the umpire sees a free no-one can   old woman knitting — our forward work slowly comes together   rain starts — Daisy comes from the clouds   winter afternoon — the torpedo punt drops short   misty rain — one goal blurs into another   hundred points up — the [Read more]

under the press

  jet lag fog — Daisy handballs over his head to his opponent   low cloud — Hawks wilting under the press   leaves gone — Cloke leads into the space   murky day– Cloke’s hands trap the light   flags flutter on top of the scoreboard — the kick doesn’t come back   night [Read more]

John Harms’ Celtic Dream

  ‘Twas Thursday night – the Match Committee, Down Corio way – the windy city, Chris said “its tough – this coaching lark”, “No finals played on Kardinia Park”.   Need fresh ideas – a new game plan, Not ‘forward press’ nor ‘man to man’, Now Bomber’s gone to Windy Hill, Need fresh ideas to [Read more]

Geelong’s Lament

By Rod Klein   Nothing was lost until the moment when cursed coin was tossed, and then for Cats, all time stood still whilst Collingwood applied their noisome drill.   The tide, for men hooped in blue and white, has flooded from the shore with premier-ship astride. In quickening sand and on the muddied strand [Read more]

blood and innards

It was midsummer this week in Sweden. Haiku Bob spent the weekend at the family’s summer house north of Stockholm on an island called Vätö. Beautiful spot. Went on a fishing expedition while the Pies and Swans slugged it out. The Pies got the points and we brought home the herring (about 60 0f them!)

Haiku Bob: Round 12- change of scenery

change of scenery — the first gamer adds some colour         rolling waves — leon breaks the last line         pale clouds — the Demon’s defence wearing thin           another sunburnt Pom — Wellingham slices through like they’re witches hats           [Read more]

flinging shadows

remnants of the sun — Goddard strikes the first blow         leaves tumble… tonight Cloke marking everything           floodlights flinging shadows — a hurried snap for goal         sharp cold — late goals before the long break bite the Saints         autumn [Read more]

When Greg Met the Butcher

A Football Fable (Colours and clubs have been changed to protect the colours and clubs) I Footballers up and back through the Wimmera Knew well the name Greg Trotter His number sixteen and his muscular arms Strung tight like a horse’s hindquarter They cowardly stepped away When they saw that number they knew But men [Read more]

the shudder of bones

autumn rain — Pendlebury slips into the stream when I crack my knuckles     our first goal chilly MCG — empty seats but not too much to be quiet about mist blunt air head down Ball hammers into the shudder of bones the sun has gone off somewhere but here’s Daisy! dusk presents itself Cloke [Read more]

My favourite drop-kick: part 8

  by Vin Maskell The Australian Rules Drop-Kick Appreciation Society is delighted to announce that poet, mathematician and Fitzroy fan Tom Petsinis has been inducted into the society’s Hall of Fame (Literature). Petsinis’ 2006 book Four Quarters includes the 12 verse, 48 line poem Drop Kick. It is a lovely ode to the lost art, [Read more]

blushing leaves

scattered leaves — none of our players where they were named closed roof — a lull overhangs our rustiness one miss from close in then two, then three… — blushing leaves wind-lashed trees — goals from turnovers pile up Wellingham crumbs — bodies swirl in his wake closed roof — all eyes on Daisy’s torp [Read more]

every good move

fallen leaves the ground they cover chasing Joel Selwood just like old times every good move contains Buckley rain holding off the forwards can’t get near it chilled to the bone the felled player motionless cloud blocked moon — a good chance the ball is where Selwood is entering time on a goal down — [Read more]

Geelong v Collingwood Rd 8 MCG

Round 8 Geelong v Collingwood Freezing weather Wet and windy at the G HUGE game Friday night footy 1 versus 2 Cats and Pies Both undefeated Old champs new champs Hunter Hunted role reversal Collingwood favourites Siren sounds Ottens wins the ruck No Jolly will hurt Magpies Geelong wins the clearance Menzel marks inside 50 [Read more]

Almanac Rugby League – The Goodna Footy Floods of 2011

THE GOODNA FOOTY FLOODS of 2011 by Tony Caswell (or TC, The Goodna Gunna) The river came up, and the rain came down A playing field of green, became a slush of brown The footballs are gone, along with tackling bags All the teams jerseys, are now muddied rags Gary, the President, he carried the [Read more]

Ted Hopkins

by Graham Jackson Having just read and enjoyed ‘The Stats Revolution’ I thought I might revisit a poem of mine published in the Winter 1974 number of ‘Canberra Poetry’. It’s called ‘Ted Hopkins: The Twentieth Century Identity’. I first met Ted in 1968/9, but only got to know him in the early 1970s, in Albury, some [Read more]

Haiku Bob Rd 6: clear moments after

wet afternoon the football used as a lure Johnno subbed off the game loses a little right-side brain sprinting in the clear then on meeting Luke Ball stopped wind-tossed rain a perfect pass by mistake moon strains through clouds a goal clear moments after watering my dead plant Leeroy explodes to life the rain lighter [Read more]

Haiku Bob- Rd 5: various shades

red leaves the Bombers hold on but soon fall away opening skirmishes sun ripples across  the ‘G Anzac Day – the shadows of the players brush the crowd in my new country watching Collingwood feels new bright afternoon the extra edge in our play autumn colours goals of various shades the moon about to appear a [Read more]

Haiku Bob Rd 4: last of the snow

It’s fair to say I’m a little confused. Not (just) because I’m on the other side of the world while my beloved Pies enjoy their most purple of purple of patches in living memory! As a haiku poet, I’m a captive of nature and the cycle of the seasons. It’s as it should be. Part [Read more]

Haiku Bob- Round 3: the height of the moon

old rivals – the crowd’s roar tossed on the breeze the club legend retired now who won nothing but their hearts* moon and stars – the rovers await Jolly’s tap pockets of snow soon will vanish – Blues purple patch up the ground and back again Swan’s shadow admiring the height of the moon – [Read more]

haiku bob – the far corners

spreading butter to the far corners of my toast Swan everywhere bright sun Pendlebury’s smoothness across every blade the crowd awakened by Didak’s first autumn gust the midfield changes direction sun slips through clouds Krakouer snaps one over his shoulder low sun Swan jabs one into the pocket autumn clarity thinking the unthinkable