New Zealand Trip Pt. 1

  Had my recent trip to New Zealand’s North Island been graphed on its intensity levels, it would have looked similar to the electrocardiogram of a healthy 21-year-old; high peaks and moderate troughs. This was fitting because the reason for our visit was to celebrate my 21st birthday. The sweet lung-lolly found in rural New [Read more]

What Makes a Good Pre-Season?

What makes a good game of the West Coast Eagles and the Saints in the last Pre-Season match? (Warning:  the following is very one-eyed)  Winning:  so much for that for St.Kilda, one win of the three rounder (note 34 degrees at night), a splosh around in the rain and floods, playing amongst ourselves at Wangaratta [Read more]

Clint McKay

Photos and words by Peter Argent He’s big, he’s Victorian and naturally Bill Lawry loves him. After his performance in the last ODI on Thursday in Adelaide, so does Australia it seams – Clint McKay bowled the Aussies to victory with a five-wicket haul and celebrated. He also produced a important and handy cameo with [Read more]

Why Geelong will win the premiership

THE OPTIMIST’S GUIDE TO SEASON 2012. PART SEVEN. By Alex Wadelton WHY GEELONG WILL WIN THE PREMIERSHIP Gee, they’re long in the tooth. For the rest of the competition the Cats being perennial contenders is getting really old, it’s got so people just can’t think straight anymore. They’ve been at the top for so long [Read more]

Some Australia V Sri Lanka ODI history

Sri Lankas performance in the recent tri- nation ODI seres brought back memories of their first tri-nation ODI series in 1984-85. The third nation then was the West Indies. Australian cricket at the time was struggling. The end of the previous summer saw the retirement of the Big 3, Chappell G, Marsh, and Lillee. This [Read more]

Crio’s Racing: Labour Day weekend 2012

There’s always plenty of racing over the Labour Day weekend. I ran in to picnic bookie Lee Walker out at Sandown yesterday and checked his schedule for the weekend. “Alexandra Saturday and Balnarring Monday.” Great meetings both. Others are heading up to Echuca, reassured by messages that the track and environs are unaffected by the [Read more]

Perth Footy Almanac Evening

Perth Footy Almanac Evening Details here.

Tweeting Temptations

By Anne Fedorowytsch Nothing could disrupt my passion for the Adelaide Crows. No number of non-performances, near misses in front of goal or non-efforts could ever see me change my one-eyed ways. Although not something but someone has got my eye wandering… It all started on popular social networking site Twitter. An innocuous tongue-in-cheek tweet [Read more]

Manning Clark Cricket Dinner and Lecture 2012

 

The Malinga Kiss

Photo and words by Peter Argent. Is Lasith Malinga’s unique habit of kissing the ball (refer image) as he starts his run up the most unusual habit in world cricket?

Why Freo will win the premiership

THE OPTIMIST’S GUIDE TO SEASON 2012. PART SIX. By Alex Wadelton WHY FREMANTLE WILL WIN THE PREMIERSHIP By any measures Fremantle have the most successful history in all of Australian Rules football. A perennial powerhouse, they have claimed 42 senior premierships in the WAFL, shared between East and South Fremantle. Sadly, however, this is a [Read more]

Dragons prepare for big season in 150th year

By Richard Jones SANDHURST Football and Netball Club, one of the Bendigo league’s oldest, is gearing up for a big 2012 as the Dragons prepare for their 150th year. With ex-Dragon Joel Selwood now anointed as captain of reigning AFL premiers Geelong, Sandhurst hopes to have as many former players, members and officials as possible [Read more]

Premier Cricket: The ‘Mud Match’ of ’82

It was thirty years ago today – remembering the “Mud Match” – Richmond v Footscray March 6 & 8 1982 Punt Rd Oval This weekend Victorians will enjoy the traditional Labour Day long weekend. Proclaimed in 1879, the public holiday was known as the “Eight Hour Day” until a name change to “Labour Day” occurred [Read more]

The 22nd Annual Ladder Ladder Competition

  The LADDER LADDER Comp! It’s back! Again! But what the hell – I mean heck (sorry Mum) – is it? The LADDER LADDER Competition is simple (a bit like me, many would say). It’s a comp that requires you to do no more than to write down (or type) the names of the 18 AFL [Read more]

Sachin

by Darren Dawson And just like that, he is gone. But was he ever really here? Their season horribilis has finally come to end. But, I ask you, what was more disappointing? The Indians’ below-par on-field performances, or their surly off-field attitude? This Indian tour will not be fondly remembered for a number of reasons.   [Read more]

Loyalty and Symbolism in The Club

By Phil Dimitriadis The Club by David Williamson examines the political machinations of a failing football club and the power plays of its traditional and emerging stakeholders. The play challenges the hero myth and teamwork ethic that seems prevalent in the celebratory publications. It is a play about relationships and their vulnerability as the club [Read more]

A strange scene

  by Steve Merry It is a strange scene. Thirteen thousand fans have rated this event worthy of their attendance. Worthy of donning their team’s colours. Worthy of coordinating plans with friends or family. But to show that one might actually care about the result tonight is another matter. Only a brave few seem prepared [Read more]

Obituary – Hank Nelson

  by Gavan Daws (Peter Temple read it and thought it would be of interest to readers…and he was dead right) From Peter: here is a link to a great obit for Hank Nelson, a much-loved prof at the ANU, written by a colleague and lifelong friend, Gavan Daws. Hank was such a quintessential Aussie [Read more]

The unintentional comedy in the 2012 membership videos.

With the 2012 regular season less than a month away, clubs are stepping up their efforts in order to get more members on board for the upcoming season. Given how important membership is to fans and clubs alike, it seems appropriate that we should analyse the membership videos. Some promise success. Some promise excitement. Some [Read more]

How the West is being won

  by Rod Gillett AFL football will be played at four different venues in Sydney this season. Three of those are in western Sydney. Only one is in the city, the traditional home of the game, the Sydney Cricket Ground. Footy has been played at the SCG since the 1880s and hosted VFL matches as [Read more]