By Paul Daffey Ivanka Buczma, a landscape architecture student at Melbourne University, had a piquant first experience of a country footy rivalry. The 20-year-old and a dozen fellow students were on a field trip in Cohuna in northern Victoria as part of their landscape heritage subject. The students, as well as two lecturers, had entered [Read more]
Film Review: Clint continues to intrigue despite playing it safe
February 3, 2010 by 10 Comments
Film: Invictus. Release: 2010. Director: Clint Eastwood. Starring: Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon. Review: John Butler. Many movie fans out there would have long recognised that Clint Eastwood has been on an extended later life roll. Long past his prime as a leading man, he’s prolifically directed (and often starred in) a string of films which [Read more]
Racing: How I met Patrick Valenzuela
February 3, 2010 by 5 Comments
By Philip Tyndall On Saturday as I was walking through the car-park at Flemington, I came across a bloke standing under a gum tree looking like he wasn’t sure where to go. He was well dressed in an open-necked shirt, and he had a black travel bag with a “Melbourne” airline tag on it. I [Read more]
Link: Times are strange when Dougie butts out
February 3, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Holy smoke! Doug Walters has given up the durries! The Guardian gets over its shock to explore the link between cricket and cigarettes. http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2010/feb/02/the-spin-cricket-smoking
Footy: Why I admire Jim Stynes as a leader
February 3, 2010 by 249 Comments
By Steve Healy The person I admire as a leader is Jim Stynes. Coming from Dublin and having such an illustrious football career on and off the field was truly inspirational. He played 264 games, 244 of those consecutive (an VFL/AFL record). He kicked 130 goals, won the club’s best and fairest four times, and [Read more]
American football: Favre leads all-star cast in Hollywood finals
February 3, 2010 by 2 Comments
By Cade Lucas Among the many weird and wonderful pleasures afforded Australian viewers by the arrival of Channel 10’s One HD channel, the orgy of American sport it delivers into Australian loungerooms, free of charge, at a conveniently pleasant hour of the morning, is among the best. And chief among these sports is that most [Read more]
Tennis: It’s a great day watching the battlers on the outside courts
February 3, 2010 by 3 Comments
By Rod Oaten I really enjoy the Australian Open, not to see the antics of the of the top stars as they strutt their stuff, but to watch and admire the battlers. There are 512 players on Day 1 of The Open, we all know the top dozen men and women, but what about the [Read more]
Footy: Billy Miller goes to Brunswick Street
February 2, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Here’s the second instalment of our countdown to the AFL season using Billy Miller’s travels to the old VFL grounds. This time we bring you the Brunswick Street Oval. Watch and learn.
Crio’s Question: Who have you put a line through?
February 2, 2010 by 32 Comments
By Chris Riordan A strong thread of opinion this summer has surrounded the merits or otherwise of Shane Watson. “Promoted on promise”, “selectors’ lovechild”, “insecure pratt”, “nancy boy” … the vitriol has poured thick and fast even while Watto has established himself as Australia’s premier opener and the all-rounder for which barflies have searched since [Read more]
Local Footy: No shortage of characters in Bendigo footy
February 2, 2010 by 3 Comments
By Richard Jones IT SHOULD come as no surprise to footy followers that our unique Australian code draws plenty of ‘characters’ to weekly matches. Here in central Victoria we have attracted, and continue to attract, our fair share. Over a period of three decades I’ve seen quite a few.
Poetry: Footy Time
February 1, 2010 by 3 Comments
by Sue Currie We’ve sent the Pakis packing The Open now is shut The hot cross buns are in the shops And school is going back. The silly season’s ended The NAB Cup’s nearly here It’s time to meet our new boys And bag the umps again. Pre-season’s nearly over We’re members once again It’s [Read more]
Tennis: Still awaiting the Aussie charge
February 1, 2010 by 1 Comment
by Dan O’Sullivan As another Australian Open winds up and the great Roger Federer flies back to Switzerland to collect yet another cow to go with his 16th Slam (are the Swiss still doing that?), the inevitable question will be asked, where was the Aussie charge? The predictable poor showing by the locals can probably [Read more]
Footy: My Scoresheets
February 1, 2010 by 187 Comments
By Steve Healy I have a football hobby: scoring. It’s pretty much using a bit of paper with teams and game notes, and writing the scores in boxes, while writing down goal kickers and the quarter by quarter scores. I’ve been doing this for years, but I’ve only kept them in a folder since 2007. [Read more]
Footy: The troubles and triumphs of Richo, Part 3
January 31, 2010 by Leave a Comment
By Domenic Favata 2002-2006 As Matthew Richardson got older, the better he got. Injuries still hampered him but he continued to provide the goals and spirit that Richmond desperately needed. Richmond were struggling, they had failed to back up their finals appearance from 2001. Sometimes Richo’s tantrums on the field were blooming more often as [Read more]
Racing: Nicconi shines on day that will shape autumn markets
January 31, 2010 by 5 Comments
By Chris Riordan The Lightning Stakes lived up to its reputation as a “good horse’s race” when Nicconi bloused Wanted with a whirlwind finish at Flemington. The roll-call has been enhanced by recent winners’ subsequent success abroad, and the Lightning victor looks suited to the pathway trodden by Takeover Target, Fastnet Rock, Miss Andretti and [Read more]
Winter Olympics: Seductive Sigulda sweeps me off my feet
January 30, 2010 by 10 Comments
By Tim Ivins With the Winter Olympics just around the corner and with me experiencing a white winter for the first time, I decided to take advantage of the conditions and experience something that would be impossible in Australia. The four man bobsled. For those of you who aren’t quite sure what that entails, cast your [Read more]
Footy: Billy Miller on Arden Street
January 30, 2010 by 3 Comments
What a way to count down to the season … one of Melbourne’s favourite musicians and Saints fans, Billy Miller (late of the Dingoes), has made short films on the 12 grounds of the old VFL clubs. We start here with North Melbourne’s Arden Street Oval.
Footy: The off-season has gone on long enough!
January 28, 2010 by 2 Comments
By Steve Merry In the season proper, footy fans are spoilt for choice. There is football everywhere. Newspapers are littered with articles, photos and charts. Radio stations such as SEN discuss footy endlessly. Pay television channels provide us with a host of shows on the subject, and then, to fill in the gaps, they run [Read more]
Cycling: The Tour Down Under through a fan’s lens
January 28, 2010 by 1 Comment
You want colour and movement? Here’s a link to Anne Federowytsch’s album from the Tour Down Under. http://www.photovations.com/ims/album.php?u_id=5318uKg0o x x x x
Tennis: It’s not the same without Damir
January 28, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Did someone say Damir Dokic? Amid all the talk about fashion and Prince William’s bald spot, we miss him.
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