At the place where Sydney Rd meets Albion Street rise two distinct buildings, the Edinburgh Castle and Don Bosco Boys’ Hostel. Passing these landmarks I recall flickering images of youth. Twenty years ago I boarded at Don Bosco with many other students and apprentices new to the city. A few of these made their way [Read more]
FIFA World Cup Preview: Part 7 of 8
June 12, 2010 by Leave a Comment
GROUP G (‘The Group of Death”) Brazil: The giants of this group of death will go into the tournament, like always, as favourites. And with a good reason too, as they produce magnificent players left, right and centre. Coach Dunga, has opted for a steady game that Brazil have not been known for. A mixture [Read more]
Roos put on a Friday Night Special
June 12, 2010 by 9 Comments
25 years of Friday night football. Pioneered by North Melbourne, people will always remember seeing the Krakouer brothers, Wayne Carey, Anthony Stevens, Mick Martyn, Corey McKernan, David King, Glenn Archer, Shannon Grant and the like strutting their stuff on the big stage of Friday night. Sadly though, North have not received their fair share of [Read more]
North Burn Those Friday Night Lights Again
June 12, 2010 by 4 Comments
The AFL loves to celebrate the game’s great traditions… as long as it doesn’t interfere with business. North Melbourne have been rightly lauded as the club responsible for popularising Friday night footy. With the 25th anniversary of the near riot that launched the first Friday Blockbuster, we have been regaled with tales of the King’s [Read more]
Forecast for Saturday is… Eagle Farm
June 11, 2010 by 13 Comments
Melbourne…Cloudy. Showers. Winds west to southwesterly averaging 15 to 25 km/h. Max 14 Brisbane …Fine Max 20 Here’s a tip. You’d rather be at Eagle Farm! That’s not to decry Melbourne’s racecard, as it is actually a good Flemington winter meeting tomorrow. But who’d want to shiver in that wind tunnel of a betting ring [Read more]
WHEN THE DONS PLAYED THE SWANS IN SYDNEY
June 11, 2010 by Leave a Comment
I felt the sniffle coming on when I woke up on Saturday morning. My throat was sore, my head was beating, my eyes were slightly watery and my nose was running wild. It was only the fact that I couldn’t possibly be sick that made me discount the fact that perhaps I was coming down [Read more]
Based on a True VFL Story…
June 11, 2010 by 1 Comment
Following the salted air through the backstreets of Williamstown, our disparate mob stumbles its way toward Morris St. Truth be told, none really knew what we were doing there; the luring prospect of a cheap can and a decent blue could not be discounted. Disenchantment with the corporate code and its roofed and soulless monsters [Read more]
Poms Provide Prospective Punting Pillage
June 11, 2010 by 6 Comments
One of the many great things about using Betfair to satisfy your deepest punting needs is that you are betting with the world. The entire world. It would be brilliant to get a print-out of who your bets were matched with: fifth-at-Cranbourne wagers matched with the blackberry-using Telstra technician parked under a mango tree in [Read more]
Footy’s Final Frontier
June 11, 2010 by 1 Comment
The AFL’s relentless push into new territory is a little bit reminiscent of the Americans planting a stars and stripes flag on the surface of the moon. Boldly going where no code has gone before, whether you like it or not. Outer space is pretty much the only region that hasn’t yet felt the sensation [Read more]
THE PRE WRAP – ROUND XI
June 11, 2010 by 2 Comments
FOR THE PHILOSOPHICAL MARNGROOK FAN What a week it’s been in Footy Eddie. The World Game gets its four yearly carnival under way tonight and the planet stops to watch. At least it’s got Akka & chequebook football off the pages for a bit. These pages at least. So what if Football’s most unstable bottom [Read more]
Link: Sometimes the best ones are right in front of you
June 11, 2010 by Leave a Comment
The speaker at the next Almanac lunch is Melbourne footy identity Bernie Sheehy, who’s coached premiership teams in the Amateurs and the VFL as well as coaching Essendon and Fitzroy reserves. He was also Neale Daniher’s right-hand man at Melbourne. The always interesting Bernie was quoted extensively by Almanacker Peter Hanlon in this article in [Read more]
Levi’s wobbler keeps Roo hopes alive
June 10, 2010 by Leave a Comment
North Melbourne versus Brisbane 7.10pm, Saturday, June 5 Etihad Stdium, Melbourne Just when you think all hope is gone, footy gives you reason to believe again. When one victory brings your season back from the cliff’s edge. That happened on Saturday night. I wasn’t supposed to be there. I was supposed to be at home [Read more]
Haiku Bob, Round 11- the short road
June 10, 2010 by 4 Comments
onset of winter – the game begins with brisk movements still life – Fraser stands the mark a nip in the air – taking the short road to goal a gull glides from the rafters – Leon curls one in cold winter night the ruckmen lock arms watching closely but not understanding the umpires winter [Read more]
LINK: Ajax’s Player Factory
June 10, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Dutch club Ajax’s junior soccer academy is not called De Toekomst — The Future for nothing. In fact, it makes our attempts at player development seem positively half baked. This extensive New York Times article explores an institution which has become a virtual player factory. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/06/magazine/06Soccer-t.html?pagewanted=1&ref=global-home&adxnnlx=1275490919-Cyaxrq7Cvoe2eKBiQsfTjg
Community Cup: Espy Rockdogs Pie Night
June 9, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Hi All, Yes, my old band, The Nubiles, are reforming for one show only as part of the Fabulous Community Cup. Dust off your rocking pants and come down to support a very good cause. Hope to see you there. For more information visit the Espy website. http://www.espy.com.au John Weldon
FIFA World Cup Preview: Part 6 of 8
June 9, 2010 by Leave a Comment
GROUP F Italy: Many have doubted the reigning champion’s odds of going back to back. Saying their old and too defensive has brought up queries in the Italian team. Of all, Marcello Lippi knows that his side are not affected by outside talk. That they talked them down in 2006, and you all know what [Read more]
One Flew Out of the Hawk’s Nest
June 9, 2010 by Leave a Comment
For the first six and a half years of my football life, I struggled year after year to settle on a team that would become an essential part of my sporting life. Family and peer pressure between the ages of one to six can be a daunting and stressful period. My Mother, a Cat; my [Read more]
Eulogy: Memories of a great talent with cheek and heart
June 9, 2010 by Leave a Comment
In over forty years teaching in country towns and living in local communities I saw, met and mixed with thousands of young people. I saw kids who went on to represent their state and nation in various sports but I never saw anyone the like of Terry Bartel. I was only connected with Terry for [Read more]
Local Footy: AFL recruiters’ broader vision brings local heroes into play
June 9, 2010 by Leave a Comment
In 2004, Victorian suburban and country footballers would have thought it more likely to be drafted into an astronaut program than to be drafted on to an AFL list. Even the VFL was barely on the radar for AFL clubs. Few recruiting managers were prepared to look beyond the elite under-18 competition, the TAC Cup. [Read more]
Book Launch: Cheryl Critchley’s Our Footy
June 9, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Cheryl Critchley launches her book Our Footy: Real Fans vs Big Bucks at the London Tavern Hotel on Thursday, 17th of June. Kevin Sheedy will be feature speaker. Our Footy press release
Recent Comments