by Shane Goss In the days pre-AFL and Metricon Stadiums, suburban grounds played host to the game’s biggest stars. Back then the AFL was the VFL. Telephone-booths were still in use and Big M milk was the flavour of the times.The ‘match of the day’ or ‘games of the round’ were taking place every Saturday [Read more]
Good Guys and Heroes
June 21, 2011 by 8 Comments
By Sasha Lennon Saturday the 18th of June 2011 was a special day. It was a day for good guys and heroes. It was about players past and present, and what happened on the field was just a side-story. My eight year-old daughter Molly and I were in Hawthorn’s second home of Launceston, to watch [Read more]
He’s alright, this [Geelong player*] *insert your preferred young’un
June 21, 2011 by Leave a Comment
He’s alright, this kid Menzel. In 2007 when the Cats finally won a flag, I was in London desperately searching for a pub that was showing the game at two in the morning. As the opening bounce drew closer I knew that we were going to win, and that I wasn’t going [Read more]
Clarence Clemons – The Passing of a Musical Inspiration
June 21, 2011 by 11 Comments
by Peter Baulderstone One of the great things about the Almanac is that its’ about more than footy. Its’ footy and sport as an entrée to things that are deepest and most important in life. Stuff that would sound ‘preachy’ if stated overtly, but sounds natural and unforced in the context of fandom, mateship [Read more]
A day with the Tigers
June 21, 2011 by 1 Comment
by John Green There are many types of Tiger in the football jungle. They may be found in places as diverse as Coburg, Werribee, Mitcham, Morwell, Colac-Coragulac, Woori Yallock, Kyneton and Foster. Or Glenelg, if you want to continue your safari outside Victoria. Today I’m watching the Tigers in the afternoon and fronting up [Read more]
Happy families, but not when it comes to the Swannies
June 21, 2011 by 4 Comments
Bloody hell, the Swans should have made a bit more of an effort for Dad’s Seventy-Sixth birthday. We should have switched the teev off fourteen minutes into the first term. Three goals, one, to one behind, things were looking good. Then Prinz Eugen marked, dead in front, and three minutes later, the ODNBs had [Read more]
Nothing Sweeter
June 20, 2011 by 3 Comments
I’m not old enough to understand the hate and bitterness North Melbourne folk have towards the people of Windy Hill, but I do know that there is probably no better feeling than beating Essendon, especially when you’re the underdogs and they are ‘premature premiership chances’. I know that North’s push into the VFL was thwarted [Read more]
St Kilda’s Night of the Living Dead
June 20, 2011 by 25 Comments
Considering the top shelf drama that games between these two clubs have provided in recent years, this was a night more notable for what was missing than what actually transpired. No Ablett. No Selwood. No Hayes. After a few minutes, no Bartel. But most significantly, no St Kilda.
THE WRAP – ROUND XIII
June 20, 2011 by 11 Comments
WHERE LIFE IMITATES SPORT What a round it’s been in Footy Eddie. The Team of The Mighty West drove another nail into The Coffin of South Australia as they overhauled and eventually ran away from them on Friday night. The Leafblowers were roaring in the Leafy East as their heroes demolished The Little Rays of [Read more]
Crio’s Q: Golden Boys
June 20, 2011 by 15 Comments
With a wave of the (titleist) wand, Tiger is forgotten….golf has its wunderkind…a golden boy. Though followers have seen it coming for some time, his U.S. Open exhibition ordains Rory McIlroy as “hottest property”. Can you remember the official baptism of a new hero? Who and when?
A Magic Moment
June 20, 2011 by 18 Comments
It was 1979, early Spring. A skinny little kid stood on the half forward flank waiting for the opposition’s full back to kick the ball back in. The mud grabbed at his boots but wasn’t so wet that it made him feel grounded. The early Spring sun was ridding the ground of the rank smelling, [Read more]
Winter in the West
June 20, 2011 by 8 Comments
Winter has made its annual guest appearance in Perth. Water sporadically fell from the sky, and seasoned observers confirmed this as a rare phenomenon called ‘rain’. While the east coast has been deluged in the past 6 months, over here the ducks learn to swim by correspondence class. And so to Subiaco for a [Read more]
Haiku Bob: Round 12- change of scenery
June 20, 2011 by 2 Comments
change of scenery — the first gamer adds some colour rolling waves — leon breaks the last line pale clouds — the Demon’s defence wearing thin another sunburnt Pom — Wellingham slices through like they’re witches hats [Read more]
Foggy Fearon Footy
June 19, 2011 by 17 Comments
Last week Margaret McCarthy wrote in the Almanac about the joys of learning kick-to-kick with a group of blokes in Williamstown each Sunday morning. The thick fog at the Fearon Reserve on Sunday 12 June did not deter these early rising stars. In fact, they seemed to revel in the relatively unique conditions. (For country [Read more]
The very many things I learned or “Were you watching and learning from the Clinic Geelong put on tonight?”:
June 19, 2011 by 6 Comments
Don’t play the same team that Geelong keep beating. Other than Stevens, all were older and none the wiser playing against the top team so far this year. Don’t kick out of bounds. If you are going to pick up a Geelong player, can we get a better one please? Don’t expect the old guard [Read more]
Round 13 Blog: Unlucky for Some
June 17, 2011 by 35 Comments
Coaches requiems are already being written; some teams are still a ‘mathematical’ chance for finals; it must be mid-season. The Dogs host the Crows tonight for the right to remain a ‘mathematical’ chance. Essendon host North, whose recent form is actually the better of the two. Is Sir James’ halo slipping? Hawthorn introduce the Gold [Read more]
Grass Roots Footy Man “Rocket” Rod Gillett farewelled from the desert.
June 17, 2011 by 5 Comments
Haje Halabi, June 14,2011. “Rocket” Rod Gillett has been a much-loved member of the Australian football community in Abu Dhabi. This week friends gathered at his favourite oasis in the desert, Coopers Bar, to farewell him, as he will be soon venturing to Vietnam with his lovely wife Jessie and son Jeremy. There was a [Read more]
THE PRE WRAP – ROUND XIII
June 17, 2011 by 15 Comments
FOR THE PHILOSOPHICAL MARNGROOK FAN What a seven weeks it’s been in Footy Eddie. Barcelona took the Championship Trophy at Wembley, driving the Northern Scum into the turf. The Spanish dominance continued at Roland Garros when another Brit bit the dust as RRRRRaffallll dismembered Andy Murray. Red Bull went from strength to strength in spite [Read more]
Male identity crises and other truths
June 17, 2011 by 20 Comments
The world has changed. Back in the good old days, if you’d forgotten where you were, or who you were, all you needed to do was buy a beer and listen to the sports conversation around the bar. If the bloke behind the jump poured you a XXXX you knew you could look outside to [Read more]
News Flash: Floreat Pica Society Spy escorted from closed Carlton training session!!
June 17, 2011 by 3 Comments
This morning a colleague (lets call him Agent 86) and I had a business meeting in Parkville. 86 is originally from the USA and like most of us blokes is sports mad. After 9 years in Melbourne I regard him as a true blue Aussie and he loves his footy, sport, beer and most secret [Read more]
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