I tipped Western Bulldogs to beat Adelaide yesterday and bet on them to get over the line. And they did, but, sitting in the rain in that lonely park I only wanted Adelaide to find a method, any method, to kick a couple of goals in the last quarter and to stay in front. In [Read more]
A Tiding of Magpies and an Interloper Farewell Haiku Bob
August 3, 2010 by 19 Comments
by Peter Flynn It is early Saturday night not long after sunset. I saunter down Gertrude Street listening to Port versus Hawthorn. Bizarrely, I find myself barracking furiously for Port Adelaide. It’s funny who you can end up supporting in neutral sporting contests. Each Port pack mark in front of goal evokes a well-concealed short [Read more]
Haiku Bob: round 16 – fingers of sun
July 22, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Saints get the first – Magpies and seagulls form huddles blustery day – Swan’s first half dozen to collect his thoughts noon chill – players dropping marks I blow into my hands winter echoes – Heater’s mark again on the big screen stop start wind – forwards turn defenders turn forwards long winter – Leigh [Read more]
Haiku Bob: round 15 – holes in the night
July 15, 2010 by 3 Comments
first quarter gloom Swan weaves light through the darkness the wind pierces my body another goal behind the cold – Ball lays another tackle to keep warm icy wind the pack splinters in Didaks’ wake Swan’s thirty-nine touches no two the same non-scoring end a gull turns its head on play by hand or foot [Read more]
round 14 – one touch at a time
July 8, 2010 by 3 Comments
the night drifts along until Didak another night punctuated by Harry’s stampedes Jolly sidesteps the night all to himself first goal in an hour followed by another a minute later World Cup month and now Daisy tries a scissor kick night sounds a smother ricochets off the roof Swan up the ground and back one [Read more]
Haiku Bob: round 13 – moon at every turn
June 30, 2010 by 5 Comments
magpies darting here and there the moon at every turn beneath exploding pinks and blues Harry’s bursting run bitter night Ball bundles his catch full moon – we have their forwards surrounded Toovey arrives at a moment unafraid of his limitations brief eclipse – Didak shakes his shadow loose full moon Beams in space winter [Read more]
haiku bob: what’s left of the light
June 22, 2010 by Leave a Comment
winter dusk… the pleasant gloom of a drawn game the cold – not enough on the kick blustery wind – Leon switches on and off deep winter – Fraser’s dropped mark takes us deeper bare stems – our brittle lead grows by a point another behind leaves me chuckling in the chill air deep in [Read more]
Haiku Bob, Round 11- the short road
June 10, 2010 by 4 Comments
onset of winter – the game begins with brisk movements still life – Fraser stands the mark a nip in the air – taking the short road to goal a gull glides from the rafters – Leon curls one in cold winter night the ruckmen lock arms watching closely but not understanding the umpires winter [Read more]
Poetry: A Lament To Kings All
June 8, 2010 by Leave a Comment
By Tim Pekin A LAMENT TO KINGS ALL It’s as if some kings have never been not Attracting the strong, the poor, the traditional hero’s lot Unearthing dreams on a quest for the Holy Grail Performing epic deeds for the populace to hail They lead their men into battle, at the fore Mercurial imposing figures, [Read more]
Haiku World Cup
June 6, 2010 by 10 Comments
In less than a week, South Africa plays host to The Greatest Show on Earth when the World Cup kicks off in Johannesburg. Pretty soon, the Knackery will be full of punditry and prognostication on the fortunes of the Socceroos as they take on the world’s best. To celebrate, a panel of experts (actually, a [Read more]
Haiku Bob: round 10 – stars far apart
June 2, 2010 by 5 Comments
raising our beers to Didak’s first he snags another stars far apart – Cloke sends a long bomb to nowhere talk of a leadership spill – Maxwell loses traction on his own line rock in the stream – Ball stands in a tackle of four a mark only Brown could take taken again shimmering floodlight [Read more]
Haiku Bob: Round 9- the cat’s purr
May 25, 2010 by 4 Comments
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
May 25, 2010 by Leave a Comment
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
May 20, 2010 by 3 Comments
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
May 19, 2010 by 2 Comments
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
May 12, 2010 by 5 Comments
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
May 5, 2010 by 2 Comments
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
April 29, 2010 by 3 Comments
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]
Poem: Ode to the Crackling Transistor
April 26, 2010 by 3 Comments
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
April 21, 2010 by 2 Comments
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]
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