There are some interesting things going on in the cricket world at the moment. What we thought may have been established trends a few months ago might not be so established after all : Australia is improving, England is faltering and Pakistan is performing in its usual enigmatic way. The good news for Australia is [Read more]
Crio’s Racing: Cox Plate 2011
October 20, 2011 by 15 Comments
It’s the week between the Caulfield Cup and the Cox Plate. Racing’s hype machine is in top gear. We’re the main game in town for a couple of weeks. Inevitably, talk is of last week’s combatants and their path to Flemington and of the upcoming “WFA Championship of Australasia”. But this year there’s another level. [Read more]
Coach rules
October 19, 2011 by 7 Comments
by Glenn Brownstein So the Saints have a new coach, former Collingwood assistant Scott Watters. By all accounts, he’s a little more of a players’ coach, and a little more marketing- and community-minded, all necessary qualities. If he can just keep the Saints out of the police blotter until NAB Cup time, that alone [Read more]
MARTIN BENNETT 1951-2011
October 19, 2011 by 5 Comments
MARTIN BENNETT 1951-2011 by Steve Haddan Good afternoon, I am delighted to accept Carol and Peter’s invitation to say a few words in tribute for Marty, who I first met back in 1979. It was at the start of a brief and undistinguished career at the University of Queensland Australian Football club [Read more]
Geelong Cup Almanacker Selections
October 19, 2011 by 22 Comments
The titular heads of tipsterdom are back to solve the Geelong Cup (Gup according to some) equation. Good punting. Smokie’s Smokies 1. Dunaden 2. Bauer 3. Perfect Pecs Smokie says the French stayer (Dunaden) has some decent form behind it. He highly rates Luca Cumani as a trainer, but probably [Read more]
Almanac Rugby League – Another Locky farewell
October 19, 2011 by 1 Comment
If you needed any convincing of the truth of Mallory’s theory that international rugby league is, at best, a third tier competition in the league hierarchy, then Sunday’s Trans Tasman Test between Australia and New Zealand clinched the debate. The lead-up, the match itself and the aftermath received token media coverage. The absence of an [Read more]
Never a passenger
October 19, 2011 by 3 Comments
Carlton’s slogan this year was “No Passengers”. I never thought Setanta O’hAilpin was a passenger. I love his intensity and the way he plays with passion. I love his Irish accent. I love the way he crashes around in the game, and brings the ball down for our smaller players (“Setanta’s little helpers”). I [Read more]
In A-League Of Its Own 2
October 19, 2011 by 6 Comments
Tom’s weekly outlook on the A-League Following a first round stalemate with rivals Sydney FC, Melbourne Victory was looking to get some goals on the board when they made the trip to Adelaide for their Friday night blockbuster. For the Reds, Dario Vidosic was to make his debut for the club, and the Victory [Read more]
The Agony & The Ecstasy
October 18, 2011 by 3 Comments
Rugby World Cup 2011 Semi-Finals Review – Finals Preview by JJ Leahy The Semi Finals France 9 d Wales 8 Rugby is the number one sport in Wales and their team carries the hopes and the weight of a nation in the same way as the All Blacks do for New Zealand. In the late [Read more]
About votes and best players
October 18, 2011 by 29 Comments
by Les Everett OK. Bring it in. Everyone. Jog it in. Now. Sorry to interrupt training but there’s something I’ve gotta say. As you might know at this time every year I sit down in my black tie and count the votes for the Malarkey Medal. Come on. Bit of shush. Listen up. Every [Read more]
Redbacks on top
October 18, 2011 by 1 Comment
Check out Lawrie Colliver’s report from Day 1 of the Shield match between South Australia and NSW at the link below. Feel free to pop back here and have your say about that game or the domestic competition in general. http://wickettowicket.com.au/2011/10/17/sheffield-shield-sa-v-nsw-day-one-redbacks-on-top/
A Lovely Bullet Part II
October 18, 2011 by 2 Comments
Tribes and Family. The function was a ripper. My fiancé and I were drunk and in love. Despite it all. I remember dancing with her. How good it felt. She was all happy and shy about it. A tiny woman, or, maybe, in hindsight, girl, surrounded by all us apes. Big donks [Read more]
If this grandstand could talk……………
October 18, 2011 by 11 Comments
by Chris Bracher The guardian of the Western end of Albert Park Lake, she stands statuesque; the Lady of the Lake. A book-end mirrored at the lake’s Eastern end by the Blackie-Ironmonger stand at the Junction.. These bookends also marked “tribal” lines in a less sophisticated sporting era, when the “Battle of [Read more]
Tuesday night at the book group… readings in black and white *
October 17, 2011 by Leave a Comment
By Paul Masters It might have just been a normal, quiet first day in October when the book group met in an inner suburban house in Thornbury. They were, as always, more or less ready to catch up, eat, and to debrief on the human condition – work, partners, life and the whole damn thing [Read more]
Match Fixing Policy
October 17, 2011 by 6 Comments
There is currently discussion relating to Federal Sport Minister, Mark Arbib’s commitment to a National Match Fixing Policy. Of course this is not a matter of concern to the movers and shakers in AFL, as there is definitely no match fixing issue in relation to football, and by the way match fixing is spelt [Read more]
Trade Week Discussion 2011
October 17, 2011 by 11 Comments
Where there’s smoke, there doesn’t necessarily have to be fire. AFL Trade week is living proof of this. After all the huffing and puffing, it seems the two most notable trades are Clark to Melbourne and Ebert back home to SA (Port). Otherwise, there was a shuffling of juniors, journeymen and draft picks. Does anyone think their [Read more]
Kim Hughes Interview
October 17, 2011 by 1 Comment
A frank interview with Kim Hughes on Australian cricket in his time, his relationship with Dennis Lillee and others, and an interesting take on Australian masculinity. http://soundcloud.com/off-the-ball/kim-hughes-and-the-bad-old
Crio’s Q: Over-hyped events
October 17, 2011 by 20 Comments
Sporting events which I could not possibly have cared less about…actively avoided… Cathy Freeman’s gold NZ World Cup Union tournament Your thoughts?
West Coast Season Review
October 17, 2011 by 3 Comments
Please note this is coming from a North Melbourne supporter, so I don’t generally know what happens in the WAFL leagues. #1 Mitch Brown A year to forget for the Brown twins, both Mitch and Nathan at Collingwood missing most of the season with injury. The West Coast Eagle Brown played the first four games [Read more]
Scott Watters as the new messiah and dreams of old messiahs.
October 17, 2011 by 6 Comments
There’s a new boy in St.Kilda town (sans Moorabbin, sansSeaford) and his name is Scott Watters. For the last two years he has ably assisted Mick Malthouse (and beaten St.Kilda) so at least he has some experience of us. Albeit from the other side. Readingthe online ABC news, Watters is 42 (a babe as is the [Read more]
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