Almanac Rugby League – Irrepressible Tigers too good for dour Dragon

I arrived home in time for the dressing room shots. Hate missing them. ‘The Tigers have definitely got the best uniform.’ The legendary big red V cuts no ice with Sweetheart. Coach Tim Sheens, more statesmanlike every week as his beard thickens, and the Saints’ mentor, Wayne Bennett, are rock solid and calm. ‘Who’s the [Read more]

Great Scott, Scotty and Marsh too

  Today was just a little too much for me. What with day 2 of the Test, the Cats v Hawks and Adelaide (B&F) all live.  It was a dilemma Fortunately the test did not provide too many highlights from a spectator’s point of view with the exception of the Marsh and Hussey partnership.  The [Read more]

Collingwood/Eagles discussion

What do you reckon?

Cats/Hawks Discussion

Geelong 14.14.98 Hawthorn 9.13.57 Geelong into the Preliminary final. Hawks have to regroup, most likely without Buddy. Big injuries. A tough game. Cats fans are presumed happy. Hawks may feel the need to vent. What did you make of it folks?  

Blues Warrior reaches 200 games

University Blues has an extraordinary turnover of players. Every year huge numbers of students enrol and are drawn toward the picturesque oval. This is a double-edged sword for the club. It is a boon for recruiting but university students tend to travel or move when they complete their degree meaning many players only remain at [Read more]

THE PRE WRAP – FINALS ROUND I

FOR THE PHILOSOPHICAL MARNGROOK FAN What a week it’s been in Footy Eddie.  Dean Wallis turned out to be the ratbag Hirdy remembered him as, and seeing as he is probably the only lowly paid coach out at Whingy Hill, his penalty has been relatively light.  But Angry Adrian has said that the Appalling Football [Read more]

Most Valuable Finals Players of the Past 40 Years

My ideal full-time job would be picking teams like this. With the finals starting tonight, I thought about what players I’d seen make the biggest impact in September. These are the blokes I’d like to run out against Geelong or Hawthorn tonight if my family’s life were on the line. Chances are I’ve overlooked another [Read more]

Australians on top in Kandy

DAY 1 AT KANDY Pallekele is a wonderful cricket ground in fact I would go further and say it is one of the most beautiful grounds in the world. A word of warning though.  I hope that they do not build pavilions all the way round the perimeter and so destroy the wonderful views of [Read more]

Finals time in the WAFL

The finals start in the WAFL on Sunday and only one of last year’s top four will be taking part. After their one-point loss in the Andrew Krakouer grand final last year only a premiership will do for top team Claremont. The Tigers haven’t been as convincing in 2010 and third-placed Subiaco is probably the [Read more]

Hidden Treasures

  by Andrew Gigacz The term “hidden treasure” is oft misused by the marketing types. But in the case of Footy Almanac functions it’s an apt one. Sure, we Almanackers know all know about them but the wider community does not have a clue of the golden moments they miss every time the ‘Nackers meet [Read more]

More complications?

Friday night: Geelong v Collingwood. A weary season is pushing towards the inevitable conclusion. I have speculated, in an article during the week, about the possibility of complications to the narrative. Some commenters have agreed, but the wise and the cynical have restated the season’s direction, and expressed general boredom. But wait. Is that the [Read more]

Crio’s Racing: John H. Dato Day

Whilst I stop short of insisting anyone has a bet, this week or in the future, it’s fair to say that if you intend to get involved with Spring features then, at the very least, carefully watch the replays from this Saturday’s meetings at Rosehill and Moonee Valley. The season’s first Group One, the million [Read more]

Sal’s Tips: An Ochre Shadow bears down

The finals put an extra bit of excitement in the greetings this week, Email has already been flowing and we still have Friday to go!  Unfortunately much of the discussion in the media has been about the flow of players that will wear the Sunset Strip with Ward, Palmer and Davis formally announcing their defections.  [Read more]

One Hundred Years Ago: 1st Semi Final, 9th September, 1911

  The area just south of the Yarra was one of Melbourne’s most populous from the 1840’s. In the gold rush days  it was known as Canvas Town, after the huge tent city that was temporary home to thousands on their way inland to seek fortune. Then it was called Emerald Hill in honour of [Read more]

My favourite drop-kick, part 9

The Drop-Kick Premiership Team Vin Maskell It is said that a champion team will always beat a team of champions, but what if that team of champions is a team of champion drop-kicks? The selection criteria for this team are to be a premiership player and for there to be a reference to the player’s [Read more]

Almanac Rugby League – A hard night’s work

COVERING a footy match seems a pretty straightforward task. I remember a Julia Roberts movie where the main male love interest was a sportswriter, depicted in the press box with a beer in hand and not a notebook in sight. If only it was really like that. In fact, covering a night match where things [Read more]

PARINGA V LYRUP – INDEPENDENT LEAGUE GRAND FINAL 2011, Sat

September 3rd 2011 By Nick Kossatch at Paringa   LYRUP achieved its’ first ever back-to-back flags with a brilliant 32-point win over Paringa in the Independent Football League grand final at Paringa Oval on Saturday. Lyrup skipper Jason Marr won the toss and his team had the aid of a three-goal northerly. It was ex-Swan [Read more]

Where’s Webb Ellis?

  A little ditty transformed for the Rugby. Courtesy of Ben Santamaria. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby-world-cup-2011/news/audio.cfm?c_id=522&gal_objectid=10745054&gallery_id=121162    

The great equaliser.

As each club reviews its performance in 2011, there will be perceptions of success for those that have achieved more than expected, and recriminations for those that have not. A host of questions will be asked. Did we improve this year? Did we perform more consistently? Were we more competitive? Did we win as many [Read more]

A draw or a Fixture by John Sandy

  Some months ago when stuck in a car with three kids on the road to nowhere I bored my wife by creating a couple of possible options for ‘the league’ to create a fair and transparent fixture draw that was based on a formula depending on where teams finished the previous season.   A [Read more]