It’s a description not generally afforded to my own derrière. “Magnificent black rump”. But Black Caviar and I do share other common ground. Caulfield is our home track. We reside on the Frankston line. Mordialloc beach hosts our water-based activities – where admittedly Nelly has me covered in mid-Winter (as does Tom Hafey, incidentally). Today, [Read more]
Lessons I Learnt in India and Sri Lanka (Part 2)
July 4, 2012 by 4 Comments
Lesson 2: I’m a celebrity in India. I am a celebrity in India. I’m famous. The people love me…I think. You see, as a white-haired fair skinned teenage Australian, I was quite a rarity in India. Frequently, people would stop me in the streets (inner Mumbai especially) and ask for a photo or autograph. I [Read more]
Footy DNA
July 4, 2012 by 4 Comments
Gibson and Lake. DNA is a brilliant thing. Look at how many SODs, Sons of Dads are playing the game these days. Heaps! Only half of them from Footscray! How good is it to see a Liberatore running around? Keeping the mighty flame of his father’s name burning! A Raines! Even runs like Dad. [Read more]
Sleepy Hollow Faithful
July 4, 2012 by 2 Comments
Back to basics: Local sport in 3 parts
July 4, 2012 by 5 Comments
BACK TO BASICS Local sport in 3 parts There’s nothing like local sport to help you connect with the community. Corporate demands, overly structured game plans and totally rip-off prices go by the way to be replaced with a cheery welcome, lots of space, family friendly prices and much good humour. It’s good just to [Read more]
O Tempora, O Mores
July 4, 2012 by 20 Comments
O Tempora, O Mores Latin – the language of ancient Rome; for centuries, the language of the Christian church and the academic and cultural discourse of western civilisation. In 21st century Australia, Latin is a “dead” language, studied by few, understood well by fewer and spoken by virtually none. When I admit to having studied [Read more]
La Furia Roja
July 4, 2012 by 7 Comments
Last comments on 2012 European Championships by Lee Hugh McGowan Final Spain 4 -0 Italy Great final. Exhibition football from Spain, Italy played well too, but no team on earth can compete with the Spanish when they are on the form they displayed in the game that clinched their third international title in a row. [Read more]
DA Puzzle of the Round (15)
July 4, 2012 by 1 Comment
Discover the world of David Astle here. But first, can you solve this week’s puzzle? This week we give you six straight clues. Solve them correctly and you can then string your answers together in a new sequence (with no letter mixing needed) to sound out a major AFL name. As an added help, the [Read more]
Club colours – how very multicultural
July 3, 2012 by 1 Comment
Tweeting has become the new booing almost in that you know that tweeters are probably subjecting people to inane utterings. Tweeting reminds me of a great Denis Thatcher quote (and there weren’t that many!) that: it’s better to remain silent and be thought a fool, rather than open your mouth and remove all doubt! Anyway it’s [Read more]
Standin’ on the Outside Lookin’ In
July 3, 2012 by 2 Comments
It s been some time since I’ve written a piece and some les than charitable people have suggested that I’m in hiding. Nothing could be further than the truth. Simply been a bit busy with work and family matters, that’s all. I mean who cares about other stuff like footy and how the Blues have [Read more]
Falcons and Lions live a bit
July 3, 2012 by 1 Comment
WAFL round 15 THE task for teams five to eight on the WAFL ladder entering round 15 was simple – beat teams one to four. In the Saturday games it happened but, while Perth gave East Fremantle a scare, the Sunday games consolidated top four spots. At Leederville Subiaco were the outsiders in the battle [Read more]
Head to head
July 3, 2012 by 7 Comments
“C’mon! Let’s go for percentage!” A cry often heard around the terraces or screamed at the television. Percentage is a means of improving your position on the ladder. Win big against the weaker teams and limit the damage if you are to lose against a better team. At the end of the season percentage is [Read more]
I can’t actually remember, but…
July 3, 2012 by Leave a Comment
By Gemma Sibillin The first time I ever went to a game of footy? I wouldn’t have a clue. I don’t remember much about the actual game. Sorry to disappoint, but I can’t actually remember who won. But I’ll try my very best to remember as much as I can. I’m not sure whether it [Read more]
Australian selectors still preferring the cryptic over the quick
July 3, 2012 by 5 Comments
After watching Australia’s two one-dayers against England, there is one disturbing thought to emerge : some ghosts of the Andrew Hilditch era may have returned to our selectors’ thinking. There at Lord’s was that perennial selection of 18 months ago, Steven Smith, while Mitchell Johnson waltzed straight back into the side at The Oval when Pat Cummins succumbed to [Read more]
The Almanacker’s Lament (apologies to John O’Brien)
July 3, 2012 by 4 Comments
“We’ll all be rooned,” said Litza, In accents most forlorn, “This bloody Ratten shits ya, I wish he’d not been born.”
I’m still standing
July 3, 2012 by 15 Comments
And so it came to pass, that Guy McKenna was all alone. Not just in the AFL ranks, as he’s been the only winless coach for a number of weeks, and it seems that they’ll again need the words to the song written up on cue cards should they break the drought in 2012. After [Read more]
Loose men everywhere
July 3, 2012 by 9 Comments
My uncle Bob uttered these words after North Melbourne kicked two quick goals at the Docklands last night and declared their intent; they were there to win. That’s what it felt like, that in a moment, North possessed the ball, the ground, the universe and the Saints boys were left chasing. Fatigued and aging and [Read more]
crio’s Q
July 3, 2012 by 1 Comment
It was probably the report of an Almanacker wearing a hoodie to a Lord’s Taverner’s dinner that has brought this matter to (ahem!) a head. Beau Brummel Flynn, having indulged sartorially in matching tie and scarf at The ‘Bool, was outraged. Hoodies, it must be said, are essential for all 15 year old boys or [Read more]
Desire in old Geelong
July 2, 2012 by 14 Comments
There was something timeless about the football in Geelong yesterday. Like the weather has been coming out of the south-west since God put breath into Adam, and the Geelong faithful have been rugging up, and turning up, since the Saturday after that. It’s wild, that weather. The Shipwreck Coast looks like it does for a [Read more]
The View from Shepparton – Round 14
July 2, 2012 by 2 Comments
Spain has won the European Cup. Have to be happy for them as it should be a real morale booster for the country. In the real world of Aussie Rules I have to say that like many people at the commencement of the season I thought it would be a dull year with Geelong, Collingwood, Hawthorn, [Read more]
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