I should preface this article by stating that I have never enjoyed Twenty20 cricket. This dislike for Twenty20 cricket has morphed into an equally strong dislike of the IPL. So from my perspective, it is not necessarily disappointing to hear that the IPL is losing sponsors and supporters.
What’s in a name?
May 4, 2012 by 16 Comments
“What’s in a name?” Juliet: “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” So said Juliet in William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet on finding out Romeo was “on the other team”, a Collingwood member to Juliet’s “Carlton” or any other AFL team with [Read more]
Stripes of survival
May 3, 2012 by 16 Comments
It was THE DAY, we the Sport Reporting students were going to temporarily take the place of journalists in a presser. The coach in question was Michael Malthouse. The room was set up so well you’d think it was the real deal, from the microphones on the table, to the glass of water. My mission [Read more]
A Few Old Chestnuts
May 3, 2012 by 1 Comment
Greetings All Being in Hobart there is also the opportunity to take in the ruminations, observations and considerations from the Great Sage from the South of which are littered throughout this literary diatribe. No shortage of footy stories this week in both the news and the forum. Most of them covering a few old chestnuts [Read more]
Ode to the Fat Boy
May 3, 2012 by 2 Comments
Ode to the Fat Boy. Some sad news came to me recently. A friend from my sporting past had left us after a long illness. I had lost touch with him, and whilst I knew of the illness the finality of it all shocked me. I passed on the news to my brother up north [Read more]
Almanacker short-listed for the Miles Franklin Award
May 3, 2012 by 5 Comments
G’day Folks Great news: Writer Tony Birch, who is best-known around the world for his Almanac pieces on Carlton, has been short-listed for Australia’s premier literary award, the Miles Franklin, for his novel, Blood. Congratulations Tony. We hope you are kicking with the breeze in the final quarter, and get the four points. (Tony also [Read more]
1980 A Personal Footy Almanac – Round 6, Saturday 3 May, v Geelong, VFL Park
May 3, 2012 by 1 Comment
Saturday 3 May, 4.30pm, Monash University Music Department. The date, time and place of my clarinet exam. It had been in the diary for weeks but as the day approached, I felt a growing frustration that I’d be so close yet so far from the event going on a bit further down Wellington Road: Geelong [Read more]
The best Wagga has to offer
May 3, 2012 by 14 Comments
As a proud Wagga boy (now living in Melbourne), I’ve beenthinking about what a great production line of players Wagga has produced. I have decided to have a crack at naming my best 22. What makes it more impressive for me is that arguably Wagga is split about 60% league and 40% AFL (in my [Read more]
Will this be Wynyard’s year?
May 3, 2012 by 7 Comments
Round 1 – Wynyard vs Smithton First game day is always exciting. There is a gnawing feeling inside and no matter what has happened in the past you believe that this could be your year. The only problem with that is that all the other club’s connections have the same feeling. I had changed my [Read more]
Playing for the Brisbane Lions reserves
May 3, 2012 by 9 Comments
Playing for the Brisbane Lions reserves may not mean much for some, but at the time it meant the world to me and I could barely contain my excitement in the lead up to the match. At the time I was 16 years old and training with the NT Thunder, hoping to get selected in [Read more]
Wadeye Dockers celebrate Grand Final victory
May 2, 2012 by 7 Comments
Painting the globe orange
May 2, 2012 by 9 Comments
I am just back from Canberra. I enjoyed the Greater Western Sydney’s first match up there on the weekend, and I reckon there were plenty who did as well. It started with a longish lunch – on the Friday, and finished with the final siren as the shadows fell on Manuka and the Canberra chill [Read more]
Sink or swim for Lions – they sank
May 2, 2012 by 4 Comments
Brisbane downpours have a particular soaking quality which seems to soften your bones like arrowroot biscuits. Through the window of the taxi on Wynnum road it looked like a classic. “Ya still goin to the footy? Good on ya,” said the cabbie “They only get up here once a year.” “We’ll go down Geelong Street, [Read more]
The View from Shepparton – Round 5
May 2, 2012 by 8 Comments
What a round we have just had, again a fantastic advertisement for our code. Unfortunately I, as is, and ever has been, barracked for the wrong side and was on the receiving end of the the Tomahawk’s 6 straight goals. Get that, Buddy et al!!! 6 STRAIGHT GOALS IN ATROCIOUS CONDITIONS. It was bad luck [Read more]
DA Puzzle of the Round (6)
May 2, 2012 by 2 Comments
Discover the world of David Astle here. But first, can you solve this week’s puzzle? When you hit 32, the milestones appear, As they did for him last round. But the clock never stops, and maybe next year, Promising rookies will need to be found. This whole (13) process Is part of footy life, no [Read more]
Gutted. Absolutely gutted.
May 2, 2012 by 2 Comments
I’m Gutted. gutted– sensation of shock, amazement, normally unwanted, tingling stomach on the verge of crying, Normally happens when horrible news is delivered to you quickly. It can also mean ‘to remove the intestines or entrails.’ Either way, it’s unpleasant. Absolutely gutted. It’s a great phrase, isn’t it. All the profanities in the world fail to [Read more]
Round 5 Winners and Losers
May 1, 2012 by 13 Comments
Round 5 is in the history books. The Swans and Eagles are undefeated at the top of the ladder and it’s feeling like a movie I’ve seen before. Here are the winners and losers from a round that gave us several thrilling encounters and a crushing loss or two. Winners Dane Swan The Brownlow Medallist/art [Read more]
It’s footy, Jim, but not as we know it
May 1, 2012 by 17 Comments
(AFL Quebec Preseason Cup: Concordia University, Loyola Campus, Montreal, Saturday April 28) A few things I’d never encountered in over 40 years of footy-going: snow en route to a game; a bagpipe medley of Advance Australia Fair and Waltzing Matilda; a rule forbidding goals kicked from beyond the 30-yard line; a field of artificial turf; [Read more]
Almanac Rugby League – The Longest Month
May 1, 2012 by Leave a Comment
For Panthers fans everywhere, April has been a long and heartless month. In the leadup to tonight’s match against Newcastle, Penrith are still yet to score a point on the Rugby League field in the month of April. Not a try or goal; not even a solitary field goal to show for their efforts. A [Read more]
The season of a Saints tragic (so far): Rounds 4 and 5
May 1, 2012 by 2 Comments
Ross Who? You’d have to live on Mars not to have read any papers, listened to any radio stations or watched any football TV over the last week before the Fremantle-St Kilda game. What extraordinary hype, what a build up to what was essentially Round 4 football in the 2012 season. It was all hot [Read more]
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