I wish my boy was seven years older so he could have come home from Reservoir West primary on Monday and seek me out to make things better; put him at ease. For those little monsters wearing different colours would have been telling him his world is about to turn for the worst. That his [Read more]
1980 A Personal Footy Almanac – Round 8, Saturday 17 May, v Carlton, MCG
May 16, 2012 by Leave a Comment
It’s 12.30pm and the upper deck of the Southern Stand is already a sea of faces. Sure, the cool, showery weather has encouraged the early arrivals to grab the under cover seats, but this crowd isn’t just regulars huddled together for shelter. This is huge. I grab one of the few remaining areas of bench [Read more]
DA Puzzle of the Round (8)
May 16, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Discover the world of David Astle here. But first, can you solve this week’s puzzle? Two prominent players, From two Melbourne-based teams. Who paired could be magical, Or so it seems. Since the midfielder And forward combined Echo house members Of a sorcerous kind. Abracadabra, what two stars? And what house? (No mixing [Read more]
Perplexed, Warburton.
May 16, 2012 by 4 Comments
Never has a club been so blessed in being sacked by its coach as St Kilda in losing Ross Lyon. Two years ago I wrote up a Carlton-St Kilda game for the Almanac. In 45 years of watching the game I’ve seen some monumental thrashings, but always there’s been a Bobby Skilton, or even [Read more]
Round 7 Winners and Losers
May 15, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Round 7 was a round unlike many others. The competition’s newest members got their inaugural win, and the smallest winning margin was 3 goals. This week’s list features plenty of unexpected winners as underdogs not only came away with victories, but significant margins to boot. Winners The Greater Western Sydney Giants This match was the [Read more]
The 2012 ‘Mopsy’ Fraser Cup – Round Seven
May 15, 2012 by 2 Comments
Greetings Tipsters Instinct is important in itself, but more important is knowing when to go with it. Works in all sorts of situations, whether a mate introduces you to his new girlfriend and the sirens blare and emergency lights flash “Noooo, don’t do it!” or your sister introduces you to her new boyfriend and he’s [Read more]
The View from Shepparton
May 15, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Well, I might as well been on Mars trying to follow the footy this weekend, but instead, extremely happily it must be said, I and the Minister For Home Affairs were wending our way to the Sunshine Coast to get away from the cold and gloom of Victoria. The only thing was for whatever reason it was [Read more]
Toasting Crows victory with Black Caviar
May 15, 2012 by 2 Comments
Sport can do funny things to people. If you’re anything like me you’ve most likely just nodded in agreement. For fanatics like you and I it makes us go to extraordinary lengths to be a part of great sporting moments. I did something that normal people would probably think was a little crazy on the [Read more]
Nail biter
May 15, 2012 by 2 Comments
Ive bitten my fingers right down. I can barely type this because of the pain. It starts when the game starts. I’m a Carlton supporter. My Dad who I no longer have any contact with was and still is a Hawthorn supporter. I grew up going to watch Hawthorn games right throughout the 80s and [Read more]
No away strip in Royal Blues v Blues up the bush
May 15, 2012 by 5 Comments
Spent a few days at Donald recently, in the heart of the Mallee, it being the location of the famous Bullocks Head tree, also being at the centre of the right wing, White Army mobilisation of March 6 1931. Whilst there why not go to the footy, and see a classic North Central League encounter. Donald played Charlton, [Read more]
No fairy tale ending at the SCG
May 15, 2012 by Leave a Comment
On the eve of round 6, one astute observer made the point that Melbourne Storm, in the Sydney based NRL and the Sydney Swans, playing in Melbourne-centric AFL were both undefeated. Contrary indeed. The potential for a good match between Sydney and Adelaide loomed. After a great win against Hawthorn, the Swans were set to [Read more]
Hope and Glory
May 15, 2012 by 3 Comments
“The miserable have no other medicine. But only hope.” William Shakespeare (not the glam rocker) Whoop it up Geelong and Manly fans. And jubilant Sky Blues for that matter. You may never see your team win the big one again! Ridiculous notion? Perhaps, but let me remind you lucky sods of the numerous dearly departed Demons [Read more]
Crio’s Q: Mum’s a good sport!
May 15, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Sunday’s blizzard conditions really tested the resolve of footy Mums in Melbourne – none of this tea + toast with the newspapers stuff. More and more, it seems, Mums are involved in kids’ sporting development. No longer is it just “Mum’s taxi” or the canteen roster, but myriad other roles, including coach, trainer and scorer [Read more]
How Good Was That?
May 14, 2012 by 1 Comment
I wasn’t there damn it. We were out, following the fortunes via a little app on constant ‘refresh’; Another good start another first quarter won, after Carlton I knew we’d be in it; we sighed when they kicked six in the second quarter not knowing that we weren’t actually out of the game for very [Read more]
State of Origin 1982 (a reality check for today’s footballers)
May 14, 2012 by 6 Comments
Look what Pamela Sherpa found in her old scrap book: The Big V in a ‘crook’ state By Tom Prior the Sun Thursday July 8, 1982 Victoria will have to find at least two, possibly as many as four or five, new players for its team to play Western Australia in the state –of- origin [Read more]
May 14, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Tasmanian Footy Almanac launch
It’s not the umpies’ fault
May 14, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Only one game into round six and the wider football community was served a reminder of something we already know but rarely remember, umpires do not win or lose games for your team. With reports earlier in the week highlighting the 40 more free kicks West Coast have received when playing at home compared to [Read more]
A day of surprises
May 14, 2012 by 3 Comments
Saturday was going to be a long day. For two reasons, the first reason is that I was playing tennis and the footy was that night. My second reason is that my plans to watch the footy were smashed when I realised I was going to my sister’s dance concert! After the biggest upset of [Read more]
Recent Comments