THE WRAP – ROUND III

WHERE LIFE IMITATES FOOTBALL What a round it’s been in Footy Eddie.  It was another Cakewalk for The Good Old Collingwoods on Friday night as TRP delivered a reality check to The Bluebaggers in front of 88,181 fans to remain astride The Competition Table.  The Bulldogs became the latest beneficiary of the Appalling Football Leagues [Read more]

CATS FAR TOO GOOD FOR POWER

GEELONG easily accounted for Port Adelaide in their first Skilled Stadium home game for 2011. Max Rooke made a lap of honour around the ground to huge cheers before the Cats ran out to a guard of honour of past greats. The first quarter was a bit scrappy in very windy conditions, the Cats though in front by seven points at the change. They struggled again in the five minutes following but from that point on slammed the gate shut on the Power, booting four unanswered goals to lead by twenty-nine points at half time. The third quarter bordered on a procession for the first ten minutes, the Cats putting paid to any suggestions of a Power come-back. The boys from Alberton did however kick three in a row to finish the quarter forty-three down. Dam Menzel kicked the opener to a huge reception, but that was nothing compared to the cheers Allen Christensen got when he kicked his maiden AFL goal. In the end the Cats, as predicted, were simply too good for Port Adelaide, winners by just under eighty points.

FPS Report- Rd 3: Collingwood V Carlton 8 April 2011

By Paul Harkin Can there be a better prelude to a game than to unfurl the premiership flag from the previous season? I don’t think so. The ceremony was handled tastefully. No overhype, but enough to show the football world who is the current boss. The sight of Lou Richards and other legends of the [Read more]

We’re in the Dark (Where’s that light switch).

Two banners to start the game:  Saints – Loyal and Brave, A Sight to Behold, 200 for Nick Reiwoldt, Good as Gold. Bombers:  Saints Taking Art Classes, Certainly know how to draw. And it’s on.    When the teams run through the banner, they play the St.Kilda song twice.  I think wistfully it’s because we’re unlikely [Read more]

Four ponderings and a conjectural (the State of the Game)

Footy seems to have changed in 2011, and at this early stage it seems mostly for the better. I don’t just say that because this year the Eagles look worthy of holding a spot in the top 16, but it helps. Saturday night’s game between West Coast and Sydney was a thoroughly engaging and entertaining [Read more]

Masters Tension Evokes Memeories

Memories are funny things. They can flicker at the edge of your mind like a light bulb in the cellar. Others shine stronger than the brightest star in the sky, special moments that take your breath away out of sheer horror or sheer joy. One of the brightest memories I have occurred in April 1996. [Read more]

Magpies and Blues Share the Love, But Not The Points

To listen to some media hype is to believe that when the clans of Carlton and Collingwood gather for contest, ruckus melee and mayhem are assured. That the bays of the MCG will resemble King St on a bad night. That riot police are on standby. This is of course a nonsense. It is one [Read more]

US Masters – live

This is phenomenal. Adam Scott has just lost his second t the 15 th tirght, and Tiger has just hit a half-OK second tot he 18th. A stack of players within one shot of Adam Scott at -11. And a few moe within two! Jason Day just missed from 5 feet at 14. He looked [Read more]

The Essence of the Game

During the recent discussion about the claim that the substitution rule has saved the game and that the Almanackery (aided by some bountiful Heathcote vines) influenced this development, JTH challenged us to identify the Essence of the Game.  I thought I’d open the bowling. There’s potentially a PhD thesis in this, and God knows, it’s [Read more]

The Tribe and The Red and Black Squad look to be the difference

As the AFL evolves at great speed on the field this season two clubs are exploring a new way to gain an advantage in the crowd.   Adelaide and Essendon have created cheering squads whose roles are to generate stadium atmosphere and build an intimidating environment for opposition teams.    The squads are an addition [Read more]

Richo is back, and his name is Jack

    I thoroughly enjoyed watching the Hawks pound the Tigers on Saturday night, dishing out a 63 point lesson in all things football. Buddy was at his best, aided by the class of Burgoyne, Sewell, Gibson, Hodge, Ellis, Guerra, Hale and a host of others. The pundits are on the money in predicting a [Read more]

Haiku Bob- Round 3: the height of the moon

old rivals – the crowd’s roar tossed on the breeze the club legend retired now who won nothing but their hearts* moon and stars – the rovers await Jolly’s tap pockets of snow soon will vanish – Blues purple patch up the ground and back again Swan’s shadow admiring the height of the moon – [Read more]

My Greatest Live Experiences have Occurred in an Arena

As discovered by Rob Scott. As translated by Google. By Johan Croneman Did you see Carlton v Collingwood yesterday? Great game, a red-hot derby, live on Eurosport. All of Melbourne is said to have stood still. The game is a sort of cross between rugby and football played on an oval field with an oval [Read more]

Country Footy & Radio Can Mix

I didn’t know what to feel. Excited? Nervous? Comprehensive? Regret, even? I wouldn’t know for a while, so I blocked it out of my head. I had a game of footy to play, against Katamatite, the Tigers, Sam Wright’s home town. I spotted his dad first as I walked to the changerooms, donning a North [Read more]

Collingwood v Carlton: A race against time

By Domenic Favata It’s Friday, school’s out and the stage of the MCG awaits us as I leave home for the train station. The night is primed to be a good one, as I am joined by four mates (2 Collingwood, 1 Carlton, 2* neutral- including me) who are all anticipating a cracking night of [Read more]

AFL ROUND 3 2011; GEELONG V PORT ADELAIDE; MATCH PREVIEW INCLUDING FINAL TEAM LISTS, TV DETAILS

By Ben Jensen twitter.com/thecattery GEELONG CATS V PORT ADELAIDE POWER GEELONG has brought back big guns Joel Selwood, Cameron Mooney and Matthew Scarlett for their first proper home match of the season tomorrow. Josh Cowan’s debut will have to wait at least another week as he was named as one of three emergencies. Missing are two injured players in defenders Andrew Mackie (ankle) and David Wojcinski (achilles) while Cameron Guthrie returns to the VFL for a spell. Port Adelaide made two changes, skipper Dom Cassisi the big loss with a medium-term knee injury while Cameron Hitchcock has been dropped. Former Cat Jason Davenport is named on the bench for the Power. FULL MATCH PREVIEW

Not another flag?

  Collingwood v Carlton School. It had been really getting me down. These past 10 weeks have been really… Actually, no, I think you’ve all heard enough about the struggles of my Year 11 life. In fact, school’s been great, the workload is tough but I’m coping fine. The Easter holidays have now begun, but [Read more]

Leather fish bonding

All you need is one other person and a footy. Is there anything better, other than the game itself, than a bit of kick-to-kick? Eureka Street’s Margaret McCarthy shares her experience at the link below. http://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article.aspx?aeid=22174 And the “Vin” Margaret refers to in her piece is none other than Almanacker and drop-kick connoisseur Vin Maskell.

AJC Derby – a special day at Randwick

by Chris Riordan It is not my habit to sneak a midweek look at Webjet, eyeing  a throwaway fare to Sydney, but the AJC Derby meeting is on my Australian racing bucket list. Alas, finances determine that I’ll watch the main races, the T.J. Smith and The Derby from a bar at Doglands – dragging [Read more]

James Gilchrist book launch

If you weren’t lucky enough to be at the launch of Almanacker James Gilchrist’s book, Tortured Tales of a Collingwood Tragic, you can catch James’ launch speech at the link below. Then do yourself a favour and buy the book. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QF68JeP8trw