Round 2 – Haiku Bob: armchair ride

Haiku Bob reflects on some special moments from Round 2.

Almanac Poetry: ‘the live sherrin’ – Bill Wootton

Bill Wootton on that most animated of inanimate objects, the footy.

There once was a round of footy: Edition 1.

We welcome occasional rhymester and writer, the elusive Troy Brunel-O’Peerents who has chosen the poetic form of his homeland, Ireland, to report on Round 1 of the AFL season. We were not expecting match reports in haiku and we’ve been enjoying them for a decade. Now we’re rapt to be getting match reports as limericks.

Round 1 – St Kilda v Collingwood: Haiku Bob – autumn clarity

Haiku Bob is back with a footy haiku about the Collingwood win over St Kilda.

Almanac Poetry: A Boy and His Football

Michael Pardy makes his Almanac debut with a poem about kids who have a footy in their hands all the time and how it becomes their friend. (Welcome aboard, Michael – Ed.)

Almanac Poetry: 2021 AFL Grand Final Haiku Kukai – Leaning towards the Landlords

Haiku Bob presents some of the many amazing haikus received during the 2021 AFL Grand Final Haiku Kukai.

Almanac Poetry: ‘Four Flags’ – Tommy Mallet

With the AFL Grand Final around the corner, Tommy Mallet remembers a footballer who played in four premiership teams in his poem ‘Four Flags’.

Almanac Poetry: ‘The True Believers’ – Bruce Dawe

‘The True Believers’ is a footy poem from Bruce Dawe, one of Australia’s greatest and most loved poets.

Jake Lever Leaving

‘Jake Lever Leaving’, a poem from Damian Balassone, reflects the despair when a favourite footballer leaves the club.

Almanac (Footy) Poetry: ‘Opportunity’ – Bill Wootton

Bill Wootton’s footy poem ‘Opportunity’ reflects a split second decision that should have won Collingwood the Anzac Day clash against Essendon in 1995.

Round 11 – Haiku Bob: the dithering

It’s tough being a Collingwood supporter at the moment as Haiku Bob reflects in his latest haiku poem.

Round 9 – Haiku Bob: like my life

Season 2021 is not a happy time for Collingwood supporters, especially with ‘the coach on everyone’s lips’, as the latest from Haiku Bob suggests.

Almanac Poetry: ‘Eddie Betts’s Shorts’ – Steve Rogers

Steve Rogers expresses his love of footy with memories of icons of the game, especially Eddie Betts’s shorts.

Round 2 – Haiku Bob – life is simple

Watching the Magpies’ win over Carlton, Haiku Bob had a moment of clarity about a simple rule for a happy life (for Magpie fans).

The Pig-Headed President

Hubris reflects downfall in Damian Balassone’s topical poem, ‘The Pig-Headed President’.

Beach Footy

Damian Balassone shares a seasonally-appropriate poem from his collection: ‘Strange Game in a Strange Land’.

Almanac (Footy) Poetry: Ted’s legacy

What price a Ted Whitten footy card from the Scanlens collection? Bill Wootton thinks back to his treasure trove and how they parted ways.

Almanac (Footy) Poetry: The footy

Ah, the pleasure of that first leather football in the hands of a young boy! Bill Wootton remembers it well.

Almanac Poetry: ‘Chicken’ Smallhorn

A poem about the legendary Fitzroy champ, Wilfred ‘Chicken’ Smallhorn, by Stephen Whiteside.

Almanac (Footy) Poetry: Fred Swift

Fred Swift captained Richmond’s premiership team in 1967, his last quarter goal-square mark a precursor of Leo Barry many years later. But was he over the goal-line? Bill Wootton captures it all in verse.