KICKING A BAG

ECHUCA EXCERPTS We are still slightly dazed in Echuca concerning Monday’s game. After seeing a junior match on Saturday on the park Oval, no one thought there was any possibility of big scoring on Monday, for the oval was dotted with small lakes .It was a bright move on the part of officials and players [Read more]

No Dream Ending for Swans

Arms outstretched Adam Goodes plucked the ball from the air to take the mark in the dying seconds before the final siren.  Steadying himself he strode forward and snapped out a long kick.  A collective breath was drawn as the ball spiraled towards goal.  Then forty thousand voices howled out in delight and despair as [Read more]

A beautiful man, a curious crossroad.

There aren’t many footballers like Cam Mooney. Not afraid to hug and kiss his teammates, and sometimes even his opponents, his tender acceptance of his 2007 Premiership medallion still chokes me up. He is the image of Hamish, the fierce, but loveable rock-tossing friend of William Wallace in the movie Braveheart. In the age of [Read more]

A pilgrimmage

Richard Naco has visited Geelong and Kardinia Park for the first time, and this is what he observed…   It was a sensational day, although my wife told me that I looked like death warmed up when she collected me from Sydney airport at 10:15pm (I’d been up since 2:15 am, and had been away [Read more]

Characters. Part I.

Characters Pt.1.   Lenny Hayes has it. I’m sure. He plays with it, in a way that defines a person. Character. What a jet! I’d be stoked to meet him. Just to say thanks. But there is character, and there are characters. The game needs ‘em. I need ‘em. On the footy field, in my [Read more]

More Pillaging Please (Mer plundring vänligen) – the Viking Saga Continues

Yvette Wroby took some visiting Vikings to the footy.

Australia-Sri Lanka preview

After all the negative talk about what’s happened in the recent past, all the controversy over selection, and all the speculation about the outcome of CA’s review, the Aussies are back into action from tonight in Sri Lanka. Two T20s precede a five match ODI series, and there’ll be a lot of players looking to [Read more]

Sal’s Tips: Round 20

A touch tardy this week but time is the killer.  An abridged version without much commentary – except to say that as an AFL Coach Mick Malthouse makes a very ordinary mathematician! Did pick the lot last week – but not a tough challenge.  A return to some old names due to time constraints!

Road Warrior

By Sasha Lennon My profession takes me to lots of places.  Last week it took me to Western Australia’s Gascoyne region. The Gascoyne is a big place, twice the size of Tasmania but with only a fraction the population.  And like everywhere else in WA, the Gascoyne is big on footy.

Crio’s Racing: Aurie’s Star Handicap

The Aurie’s Star Handicap is on at Flemington this Saturday. Actually, it is not that important an event – Budge, who goes back a bit further than me, reckons it was formerly run mid week – but it has the potential to create a groundswell of interest and notice that the “good ‘uns” are not [Read more]

THE PRE WRAP – ROUND XX

FOR THE PHILOSOPHICAL MARNGROOK FAN What a fortnight it’s been in Footy Eddie.  We’re not boastful by nature around here in The Wrapcave, but let us take you back to our pre-season call for the Coach most likely: This year the Deathly Dirge of the Coaches’ Carousel will be wafting down from Mt Lofty and [Read more]

round 19: haiku bob – slipstreaming

This week’s match report comes from Budapest in Hungary where I attended the Formula 1 Grand Prix. Fascinating city. Wonderful race. And another Magpie victory.   practice session — every one of Cloke’s kicks is a goal     safety car — Prismall’s knee collapses at the first turn     slipstreaming – Pendlebury moves [Read more]

One Hundred Years Ago: Round 14, 22nd July, 1911

  Even before the VFL era had begun, the Australasian newspaper had formed the following opinion of the St Kilda football club: “There are 2 classes of men who play football. With one the pleasure of participating is more than sufficient recompense for defeat: the other class thinks that a win is above everything else. [Read more]

Almanac Footy Teams: Kelly Country

Glen! picks a side of Kelly-related footy names.

Grand Final Day Infirmity

By Manning Clark (circa 1981)   On the last Saturday of September every year many of the inhabitants of Melbourne, and indeed of the whole of Australia and even in foreign lands, are stricken with a strange infirmity. Over 100,000 gather in an enclosed space mistakenly known as the Melbourne Cricket Ground. There for two [Read more]

Rotunda in the West 20th August 2011

Sat’dy Arvo Footy August 6th 2011

Some teams must be well over it. Glenorden, for example, whose seniors (WRFL Div1) lost by 277 points to Spotswood on Saturday. No mention on their site about the fate of coach Jay Fantusca, though there is notice that cricket will soon be underway! What makes it hard for clubs like the Hawks is that [Read more]

A Lovely Bullet

    I met her up in the mountains, which was rare.   She was tour guiding while I rebuilt the forest floor, in the middle of winter. Head-to-toe in mud. She didn’t care. Come autumn, the girls from down in the Bay had arranged a female footy match to raise money for something. You [Read more]

Roller coaster, Dees style

  by Simon Dobbie All right. As everyone’s favourite Melbourne supporter, I’m sure you’ve all been waiting with baited breath for my take on the Geelong game and Bailey sacking.  (deep breath) Where do I start then? OK, the game. I am still speechless about it to be honest. The thought of it just prompts an [Read more]

Driven up the Walls

It can’t be far away now, perhaps only a matter of a week or two. I wander what the banner line to the article might be? “Ablett and Suns a Good Fit” Or “Suns Shine on Gazza.” Or “Walls has Surgery to Remove Stale Egg from Face”   Earlier this year (April 1st in fact), [Read more]