By Damian Watson This particular Friday is filled with high anticipation as two star forwards, who after departing from their previous respective clubs following undisciplined actions last year, begin to pull on a different guernsey in 2010. Carlton’s summer of turmoil may have stemmed from Brendan Fevola’s Brownlow antics and I am delighted as the Blues prevail over Brisbane in a Visy Park practice match in [Read more]
NAB Cup, Round 1: This competition doesn’t mean anything, does it?
February 27, 2010 by 27 Comments
By Steve Healy After an exciting day at the footy with my Almanac Friends (Josh, Damo, Michael and Adam) there is nothing better than coming home to hear the Dees play Freo on the radio. Well, there might be, but on Sunday night it was the best option. I get off the train at Darling [Read more]
NAB Cup, Round 2: Dogs deserve to be pre-season favourites
February 27, 2010 by 78 Comments
Hawthorn v Western Bulldogs Gee, this week has gone quick. After surviving Monday and Tuesday, the final few days flew. Soon enough, I’m sitting in my chair, with the TV on, footy on, and Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life is playing? Right, weird choice Seven. Barry Hall runs out for the tri-colours [Read more]
NAB Cup, Round 1: The day I met Josh, Steve, Michael, Damo and Majak
February 27, 2010 by 14 Comments
NAB CUP ROUND 1 – NORTH MELBOURNE vs GEELONG When I announced my plans during the week to go to the footy with some people I’d never met, the responses from my parents were mixed. Mum was strongly disapproving of the whole idea. “You say you’re 100% sure they are who they say they are, [Read more]
Poetry: Black and White
February 27, 2010 by 11 Comments
By Andrew Gigacz – It used to seem very easy To “footy fan” categorise You barracked for us, or barracked for them Or (GASP!) maybe even the Pies! –
Odd Spot: Oldie but a goodie
February 26, 2010 by Leave a Comment
US 13-year-old gelding Cool N Collective “will try again to become what is believed to be the oldest horse ever to win a race in New York when he faces 6 others in the 1st race at Aqueduct (over 8 furlongs) later today,” reported bloodhorse.com. This will be his 81st lifetime start; at his previous [Read more]
Racing: Typhoon Tracy the pick on a day of little depth
February 26, 2010 by 2 Comments
Amongst a congested sporting landscape, the once prestigious Futurity Stakes meeting at Caulfield is in danger of being overlooked by sportslovers and punters, many of whom are already casting their wayward staking towards footy betting, which on the NAB Cup is foolhardy. Friday night’s meeting at the Valley is actually very good but it will [Read more]
Book Review: When dreams come true
February 25, 2010 by 5 Comments
Book: Golden Boy: Kim Hughes and the bad old days of Australian cricket Writer: Christian Ryan Publisher: Allen and Unwin, Melbourne, 2009 Price: $35 Reviewer: Les Everett WESTERN AUSTRALIA is a big State but it’s a small place. In 1974, when I left Kalgoorlie-Boulder to attend Graylands Teachers’ College, 600 kilometres away in Perth, I [Read more]
Soccer: My love of Manchester United
February 25, 2010 by 2 Comments
By Domenic Favata I play footy, but I have a strong interest in the game we call soccer. I follow Manchester United because they are a team of stars, they are a team of loyalty and, most importantly, a team of skill. I don’t have Foxtel, so when I get a chance to watch a [Read more]
Food: I love the emphasis on cuisine and footy in Melbourne life
February 24, 2010 by 7 Comments
By Daniel Jackson There are two things I love about Melbourne: its infatuation with sport and its passion for exceptional food. There is certainly an abundance of both in our great city, and I’m here to combine them by writing for some of football’s biggest critics about some of the finer features of Melbourne’s food [Read more]
Tennis: The Garden and the Brat
February 24, 2010 by 11 Comments
My first visit inside the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club’s iconic centre court was indeed memorable. Instead of paying close attention to the action, I found myself reminiscing over famous Wimbledon centre court battles of yore. A catalyst for this was the presence in the BBC commentary box of a certain brash New [Read more]
Cricket: The Summer of Cricket. Or was it the Season of Watto?
February 24, 2010 by 1 Comment
By John Butler Whilst lowering the curtain on the slow death that was the Hobart Test, Exalted Supremo of the Almanac, Paul Daffey, declared it had been a strange summer. Amen to that! The date was 18 January. It seems a very long time ago. As the Australian team returned from an ill-fated Ashes campaign, [Read more]
Winter Olympics: The buzz around Whistler
February 24, 2010 by 2 Comments
by Brad Carr I had an amazing few days at the Olympics. I’m now continuing my ski-trip up in Alaska, but tinged with a little bit of regret that I didn’t schedule myself a longer stint at the Games. The main thing about the Olympics is the excited, euphoric mood that engulfs it. Forget the [Read more]
NAB Cup, Round 1: CAT-astrophe as Cats made to look human
February 24, 2010 by 8 Comments
How to overreact by Tabloid “Journalist” Caroline Walls-Sheahan (aka Alex Wadelton) Geelong is staring into the abyss created by the selfish decision of ex-captain Tom Harley to establish a happy life with his new wife in Sydney. The vacuum left by being forced into retirement by his wife was obvious to all and sundry in [Read more]
Manning Clark House – essay writing competition for high school students
February 24, 2010 by 6 Comments
G’day high school students, Manning Clark House is a cultural and scholarly centre in Canberra. Each year we have a Weekend of Ideas. This year the theme is Fair suck of the sauce bottle: a celebration of Australian language. In conjunction we are running a competition: BE A JOURNO FOR A DAY All you have [Read more]
Crio’s Question: Is the AFL immune to the crowds crisis?
February 23, 2010 by 2 Comments
by Chris Riordan The trend, it must be said, is alarming. 9,000 at Blue Diamond Day. 15,000 at MCG for an ODI. 18,000 at major A-League semi at Etihad.
NAB Cup, Round 1: Go you Roo boys!
February 23, 2010 by 777 Comments
by Josh Barnstable What a great way to start the NAB Cup for North Melbourne with a first round match against Geelong, just terrific, thanks a lot AFL. Despite the fact that I knew we would get absolutely flogged, Dad and I planned to go to the game, and soon enough we had all planned [Read more]
Is Bullfighting Sport?
February 23, 2010 by 4 Comments
by Damian O’Donnell Barcelona 1987. It’s August and still very hot. What a city. I love this place. It’s vibrant and colourful and bursting with a subdued (but not too subdued) excitement. It’s as if something is always bubbling just under the surface. The combination of the fascinating “old city” and the noisy, modern “new [Read more]
A Family Day affair of the heart
February 22, 2010 by 536 Comments
by Danielle Eid Who knew that such a moment would leave my heart beating so hard and fast that it felt as though it would rip out of my body? That I would smile so much I could feel my body fill with happiness. This was the effect meeting Jack Anthony had on me.
NAB Cup, Round 1: We need more opportunity to dream
February 22, 2010 by 1 Comment
By Dan O’Sullivan For supporters of the competition’s strugglers, the lead-up to the NAB Cup is like the brief few seconds when you wake from a heavy night but your brain has yet to kick into gear. All you have is the warm static of a good night’s sleep to cloud your memory, so for [Read more]
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