I have strong memories of a State Of Origin at Lang Park in 1985. JP Strano rang me that morning and suggested we go. In those days, you could stroll at lunchtime to the ticket sellers in the City and procure tickets at an affordable price. As Jack and I walked out onto the street, it began to [Read more]
Writing Frank
May 30, 2012 by 3 Comments
By Nancy Sugarman The only sound on the phone was from Frank. A long whistling sigh, like someone expiring. I didn’t know what to say. He cried softly when he told me. Not sobbing, [Read more]
Feeling Hird, but looking Neeld
May 30, 2012 by 5 Comments
There’s a line Chris Cornell sings in a Soundgarden song that goes “I’m looking California, but feeling Minnesota.” Well, right now, I am trying to look James Hird but I’m feeling more Mark Neeld. My first year of junior football coaching has yielded an 0 and 9 start, and I fear the boys have forgotten [Read more]
What’s wrong with Willy?
May 30, 2012 by Leave a Comment
V.A.F.A., DIVISION 1, Rd 6 Review After a sustained period of success, featuring back-to-back premierships in 2008 and 2009, the Williamstown CYMS Football Club has suddenly fallen on difficult times. Having last season missed the finals by percentage only, not even the most pessimistic of observers – inside or outside the club – would have [Read more]
Aussie Rules in the home of American Heroics
May 30, 2012 by 3 Comments
USAFL Philadelphia Tournament Women’s match: Boston/Montreal vs New York/Baltimore/Ontario Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park Saturday May 19 If the city of Philadelphia were an AFL team, I guess it would have to be Fremantle. Philly’s an easy place to like, an unpretentious hybrid of blue-collar and bohemian that spurns efforts to get too slick, prefering to [Read more]
1980 A Personal Footy Almanac – Round 10, Saturday 31 May, v North Melbourne, MCG
May 30, 2012 by 12 Comments
In 1980, Ron Barassi was still the biggest name in football. Looking back three decades, it’s easy to snigger at the temper tantrums and the wide lapels and see the caricature rather than the substance of the man. However, without doubt, Barassi had the single greatest influence in changing the way football was played during [Read more]
DA Puzzle of the round (10)
May 30, 2012 by 1 Comment
Discover the world of David Astle here. But first, can you solve this week’s puzzle? Amazingly, this reluctant handballer (and a clear student of the game) can have his first name scrambled to spell a diligent scholar – while his surname’s last three letters can be axed to reveal what this same scholar does on [Read more]
The 2012 ‘Mopsy’ Fraser Cup – Round Nine
May 30, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Greetings Tipsters Working long hours at strange times of the day does not make for an environment conducive to watching three hours of football four times a weekend. This could also make it difficult to write a football column, but being clueless has never stopped me from doing anything before.
Uni reigns as Foz and Biz drill them home
May 30, 2012 by 2 Comments
BLACKS SEASON FLICKERS AS GUTTERS STAYS STRONG IN THE WET As I hunch over my antique desk, illuminated only by a flickering candle and the fading light of autumn through my velvet curtains, an intriguing contest is unfolding on the television behind me. In the brilliant West Australian sunshine, two teams with finals aspirations have [Read more]
You’d take magic over grind
May 29, 2012 by 4 Comments
I love a deft tap on the footy field, as much as I love a good footy brain. You can’t have one without the other. Tom Hawkins, he loves the deft tap. Whenever he flicks his wrist to guide the footy to a teammate in the clear, I press rewind on the foxtel control. Look [Read more]
A love affair rekindled
May 29, 2012 by 29 Comments
By Scott Rankin At times it had seemed to be the headiest of love affairs. Grand final appearances, a ‘minor premiership’ (what psychopath coined that phrase?) and 18-zip starts to seasons can do that to a man. As can Ross Lyon’s endearing, laconic style. He rang me one day. It was mid week in the [Read more]
Fearless, Round 9: Melbourne has copped enough! Focus elsewhere please…seriously it’s like shooting fish in a barrel
May 29, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Having set a dubious precedent (players with sleeve tatts don’t squib, do they?), Josh Hunt and his Cats took on the Dogs in the Little River Hoon Cup. Weather jibes aside, a reasonably tight game saw Stevie J put on a clinic to assist the Cats get home by 20pts. The Cats’ cream rose but [Read more]
The View from Shepparton
May 29, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Went to the footy on Satdy, first time in yonks. Went to see the Guns v the Powerless. Don’t go to live footy very often, which is a bummer because I don’t recognise a lot of the players and certainly didn’t recognise most of the Guns or for that matter most of the Port players.
After the Siren (a sonnet)
May 29, 2012 by 6 Comments
It was a different era he was sure, when harder men went one-on-one all day, and some still claim the way they played more pure; You always knew the price you’d have to pay. He’d paid his price for just one shot at glory in ’78; they were unbackable. His shot from twenty would have [Read more]
Round 9 Winners and Losers
May 29, 2012 by 7 Comments
Richmond beat Hawthorn by 62 points. Is that four horsemen I hear? Winners Richmond In a typical office block, passionate Tigers fan David approaches his manager’s office. “Frank, can I have a word with you” “Sure thing David, have a seat” “Cheers. Look, I know September is the make or break month for the business, [Read more]
Cats On Holiday
May 28, 2012 by 1 Comment
Darl and I we’re in Auckland after spending 11 nights on the South Pacific island of Fiji where even there we were able to catch AFL games on the Australian TV Network. I tried to time our flights and destinations to make sure we could find a TV that was showing the game. So far [Read more]
Asher Keddie and I were there for each other
May 28, 2012 by 14 Comments
Warning: may contain traces of ‘Pie-nut. A paediatrician told me recently the key to navigating toddler tantrums is to lower your expectations of their behaviour by 50%. It made sense because I’d successfully applied the same theory to maintain my sanity amid the delights and disappointments of Collingwood fandom.
Muz returns to see the Lions less mighty
May 28, 2012 by 8 Comments
It is 25 years since my last journey to a Melbourne stadium to watch a Brisbane team in a home and away game. A late Saturday night text invite from a mate in Bris Vegas had me rearranging my Sunday to go to the footy. Brad is originally from Townsville, a Kangaroos sponsor, and he [Read more]
NT Thunder Records Massive Upset Win Over Victoria Metro
May 28, 2012 by 15 Comments
BY – JACKSON CLARK The Northern Territory has scored an astonishing upset win over a highly fancied Victoria Metro outfit in the first game of the NAB AFL U18 Championships at TIO Stadium on Saturday night. The undersized Thunder side led all day to eventually win 15.10 (100) to 11.16 (82). Victoria had a wasteful [Read more]
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