CAN YOU SMELL WHAT THE CANTEEN IS COOKING?

With the AFL starting their season with a cracking opening round of games, that seems in many cases to have divided tipsters, and other leagues around the country in full swing, it is worth sparing a thought for where all this begins, especially playing careers. This weekend sees the start of junior football, at least [Read more]

Here we are again

A couple of years ago, I sat and watched the Tigers run out onto the MCG, led by a man who many said was to be the messiah, of sorts. The bringer of good times and good fortune to Punt Road. “Isn’t he great,” some said. “What he a boost he’ll provide,” said others. “What’s [Read more]

Damian Callinan@MICF

Leunig at Rotunda in the West

THE PRE WRAP – ROUND I

FOR THE PHILOSOPHICAL MARNGROOK FAN   What a week it’s been in Footy Eddie.  We’ve seen the launch of Sheedy’s Sydney Shenanigans up in the shadow of the Sandstone Curtain.  (No Nurelle – I know he mumbles, but you’re thinking of Sandy Stone)  That didn’t go too badly.  Sydney blew Their Crosstown Rivals off the [Read more]

Archibald Prize Entrant: Brian Bourke

Words and portrait by Martin Tighe.   l chose to depict Brian Bourke in the way in which l imagine his clients saw him; a formidable barrier between a desperate defendant and the awesome power of the law, as someone between them and the iron bars of prison in some cases. Brian Bourke is also [Read more]

Premier Cricket: 2011/12 Grand Final Preview

Preview – 2011/12 Premier Cricket Final One game of the 2011/12 Premier Cricket season remains. After finishing the Home and Away season with consecutive loses Dandenong found form when it mattered most knocking over the first and second ranked sides in consecutive weekends. They’ll defend the premiership they captured in dramatic circumstances a year ago. [Read more]

Crio’s Racing: The Hard Sell

Starting now it becomes a hard sell. Ask anyone involved in “other” sports in Melbourne between March and October. But, for racing, it needn’t be a matter of giving up. Here’s where committed “horse players” need to get organized and develop a resilient punting habit to withstand footy’s destructive tsunami! I’m certainly not advocating that [Read more]

Another disappointing start for the Tigers

By – JACKSON CLARK After an impressive preseason you cannot blame Richmond supporters from being disheartened after the Tigers’ momentum came to a shuddering halt in the first round of the season. The 44-point loss to Carlton is far from catastrophic but it was certainly an anticlimactic way to start the season – something that loyal [Read more]

NTFL Season Review

By – JACKSON CLARK Tiwi Bombers won its first premiership since inception into the competition to culminate a fantastic season of football in the Northern Territory Football League. Commiserations must go to Nightcliff as the club fought its way back from bottom place to fall agonisingly short of its first premiership title in 47 years. [Read more]

Kentucky’s Uncivil War

The footy season starts in earnest this weekend, but here in Louisville all attention will be paid to an historic college basketball game ­– for the first time, the University of Louisville Cardinals will play the University of Kentucky Wildcats in the NCAA Final Four. Wallabies vs. All Blacks? Collingwood vs. Carlton? Try more like [Read more]

Queensland Footy Forensics Launch

 

A one-sided rivalry

By Daniel O’Sullivan Question: Can a fierce rivalry still be considered a fierce rivalry if one half of the fierce rivalry is blissfully unaware of its existence? This sounds like it could be one of those “if a tree falls in the forest” questions with no definitive answer asked by men sporting turtle neck sweaters [Read more]

Oh what a night……….

Oh what a night, late in March back in 91. That’s when the Crows story had began What a game and what a night…………..   Okay it’s not quite as good as the Four Seasons song but on an autumn Friday night at the end March it  was not only the beginning  of the 1991 [Read more]

45 to 27 by Peter Flynn

It is ten minutes or so into the second quarter of the 2011 Grand Final. Geelong is playing reasonably well. Johnno can’t feel his knee (a good sign). Selwood, as usual, is maniacally attacking the ball.

The WAFL’s top 25

  Two interesting WAFL pieces here from one of the Almanac’s men out west, Les Everett.   First up, a summary of round two.   http://australianrules.com.au/news/971/78/Royals-fly-home-and-fail-Bulldogs-get-there   And second, a pre-season gimmick. The top 25 WAFL players over the past 25 years.   http://australianrules.com.au/news/969/78/WAFL-top-25-over-the-past-25   It would be good to get other Almanackers’ thoughts on [Read more]

Footy’s home away from ‘drome

  by Jeff Dowsing Since Roy Cazaly was a boy, a perennial issue facing football has been access to suitable venues to play and train. If it’s not a war between football and the local council, it’s a barney amongst the club’s pigskin punters and their ship of flannelled fools.  The latest is the Kangaroos jettisoning the cricket club [Read more]

Ashes within reach as England lose their mojo

  by Brendan McArdle The first two days’ play of the Test match in Galle between Sri Lanka and England have proven two things :  England are a hopelessly incompetent team in the sub continent, and their hold on the title of no.1 Test team is very tenuous.      Never mind the fact that England have bounced [Read more]

Hate for Essendon

by Josh Barnstable Hate is a very strong word. I try not to use it too much, but it doesn’t do itself justice when talking about the Essendon Football Club. As a North Melbourne supporter, I have grown up despising the red and black brothers. Older, richer and more successful brothers. In Grade 3, my [Read more]

The Danihers

  by Rod Oaten It’s a long bow to draw the Port Fairy Folk Festival with the Essendon Football Club via the Danihers but seeing Anthony at the recent Festival, as I have for the last four or five years, sparked  up the grey matter and the writing bug. I’ve been a regular at PFFF [Read more]