The First Game of the Season A wife in marvellous Melbourne may well be tried for treason if she tries to stop her man attend the first game of the season.
Century up for Adelaide Oval scoreboard
November 3, 2011 by 1 Comment
The Adelaide Oval scoreboard turned 100 years old on 3 November.
Almanac Tips: Oaks Day
November 3, 2011 by 3 Comments
Harms’ Tips Ulundi Twilighting Valentine Miss and trifectas with Russian Bond Satin Shoes (roughie: Vain Attraction) Chosen To Fly Gliding/Ravheel Proliferate Cascabel Face Off Smokie’s smokies for Oaks Day. Race 6: #3 Gliding. (then #2 Dowager Queen, then #5 Roma Giaconda). J B Cummings collects Oaks trophies like he collects Melbourne Cups. [Read more]
Cup Day
November 2, 2011 by 2 Comments
by Andrew Starkie The Retreat beer garden roared when they jumped in the Cup. Stubbies saluted the air. Smoke from the bbq clouded the TV screen. By the time the field had gone past the post for the first time, some had returned to their huddles and beers. The rockerbilly band were [Read more]
In A-League of its Own 4 (2011/12)
November 2, 2011 by 5 Comments
Tom’s weekly outlook on the A-League The Brisbane Roar has firmed as favourites to take out the A-League this season following their 7-1 demolition of Adelaide United at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night. Funnily enough, it was a come from behind win following Dario Vidosic’s early goal which put only a seed of doubt [Read more]
What if?
November 2, 2011 by 19 Comments
One of the many attractions of sport is the endless possibilities for discussions post events beginning with the word “if.” The beauty of such arguments are that they are all hypothetical, so no-one can be proven wrong ! In the wake of the greatest Melbourne Cup of my lifetime, one of the fascinating post-race events [Read more]
Laps
November 2, 2011 by 14 Comments
I drove down one of the goat’s tracks behind town yesterday, towards home, stopping off at the footy oval, where it all smoothes out into thin, second-hand bitumen roads. The grass was long, everything grey drizzle, rolling hills and mountains that disappeared into low, shifting clouds. My feet weren’t itching at all. It all [Read more]
Almanac Rugby League – Could the NZ halves please stand up?
November 2, 2011 by Leave a Comment
After watching the opening game of the Four Nations tournament between Australia and New Zealand, I’m left with a puzzle: is Benji Marshall badly out of form, injured or just foxing? I mean, how can someone who is supposed to be one of the two or three best players in the world put in two [Read more]
Yes we love trash. Tales of the recycled – Part 1
November 2, 2011 by 1 Comment
“Oh I Love Trash Anything Dirty or Dingy or Dusty Anything Ragged or Rotten or Rusty Yes I Love Trash” (Oscar The Grouch, circa 1969, Sesame Street) Now that the Cup has been run and won and the treasured prize in Australian horse racing is jetting off to France once again, football fans can [Read more]
Crio’s Q: A nice meal with some friends
October 30, 2011 by 3 Comments
Cup Eve..time for another established Almanac tradition. The lunch. I must admit to not being a big “liunch” attender. Either working or wary! But lunches and sportsman’s nights tend to develop a notoriety that probably includes some recounts from our worldly readership. Anyone game to break the “what happens at the function [Read more]
Who wins the Melbourne Cup?
October 30, 2011 by 42 Comments
Here is the Melbourne Cup field. No doubt you have form guides scattered around the study (lounge room, loo, kitchen bench). Thought you might like to start the discussion. Mount a case for your selection: 1 11113-66-101 AMERICAIN(15) Gerald Mosse 58.0 Alain de Royer Dupre 2 2-01794-1311 JUKEBOX JURY(6) Neil Callan 57.0 Mark Johnston [Read more]
AFL Fixture Discussion
October 28, 2011 by 24 Comments
The fixture for 2012 is now released. (Remember, it’s a fixture, not a draw). Here it is: http://www.afl.com.au/Fixtures/tabid/10586/Default.aspx So who’s happy and who’s not? North supporters, please form an orderly queue. Cue jokes about Collingwood and the MCG. You all know the drill…
Moshing with the Murphys (and my son)
October 28, 2011 by 9 Comments
Dropkick Murphys Venue: Forum Theatre Tuesday, October 25. Macca, his brother-in-law and I meet up with Graeme and John in the main bar of Young and Jackson’s. Jack has pulled the pin, so in a moment of generosity I offer the spare ticket to my son, and he accepts it gleefully. He will catch [Read more]
V.R.C. Derby Day Almanacker Selections
October 28, 2011 by 7 Comments
A ripper card at Flemington tomorrow. The predicted inclement weather adds complexity to the equation solving process. Our experts have been busy unlocking the form guide code and secrets. This is what they’ve come up with. Race MOC’s Morals Flynn’s Fancies Smokie’s Smokies Harms’s Hopes 1 Galah First Course Meethaq Galah Galah Meethaq First Course [Read more]
Book Review: Tortured Tales of a Collingwood Tragic
October 27, 2011 by 19 Comments
Tortured Tales of a Collingwood Tragic James Gilchrist Connor Court Publishing Paperback $30 Your choice of football team can affect so much. This presumes, of course, that familial loyalties allow for the luxury of choice. For many, this is not an option. Food, shelter and clothing can be at stake. Even if you are [Read more]
‘Tis the season for a sickie
October 26, 2011 by 17 Comments
by Andrew Gigacz I’m sitting in the office looking out at a beautiful sunny Melbourne spring day. This would be a perfect day to activate one of my “seasonal leave” days, I reckon. Or it would be, if such a thing existed. I first came up with the concept of seasonal leave [Read more]
Crio’s pre-Derby Day deliberations
October 25, 2011 by 22 Comments
by Chris Riordan It’s Tuesday night. Incredibly, this time next week the Melbourne Cup will have been decided and I’ll have my feet up on the couch during what is half time of the Flemington Carnival. There are so many great stories waiting to unfold and I’m looking forward to being a part of [Read more]
In A-League of Its Own 3 (2011/12)
October 25, 2011 by 3 Comments
Tom’s weekly outlook on the A-League Both of Melbourne’s teams are already in trouble. In the aftermath of the weekend’s derby, it seems that both Victory and Heart are in for horror seasons if nothing changes. For the Victory, their wealth of quality players in the final third of the pitch has brought them a [Read more]
Football and trees.
October 24, 2011 by 10 Comments
Whenever I plant a tree of significance I get a photo of one of my kids next to it. It’s the best way to gauge its growth over the years; look at the tree, look at the child. “Remember when I took that photo of you in front of the jacaranda?” “Yeah Dad. Whatever.”
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