The meeting at Caulfield on Saturday lived up to its promise. Emphatic winners and good formlines to follow. The Blue Diamond Preludes were terrific entrees to the main event in a fortnight. Tony Vasil’s debut filly, Psychologist, blitzed her opponents to scream to the top of the betting markets. Stories had leaked on Friday that [Read more]
FOOTY: Life and times of the bush Bartel
February 7, 2010 by 26 Comments
By Paul Daffey Terry Bartel was still 15 when he announced himself to North East Victoria as a serious sporting talent. A slip of a kid with deceptive strength through his shoulders, he opened the batting for the Beechworth senior team and plundered 227 to break the Ovens and King Cricket Association record. In a [Read more]
FOOTY: Diesel and dust, and desert footy
February 7, 2010 by 15 Comments
By Sue Currie I hear it before I can see it. A rowdy mob of wild-looking Aborigines surges into the clinic a minute after I open the door. I could be scared of them if I did not know them all as individuals and families. Men of all ages with red headbands; handsome, husky youths [Read more]
Footy: A solitary leaf opens gates of anticipation
February 7, 2010 by 8 Comments
By Damian O’Donnell By rights when the leaves fall off the trees they should “fall” up into the sky; after all, that’s the way the trees are facing. Fortunately the mysteries of gravity make the leaves drop to the ground. This may not sound like a very significant issue to concern oneself with, but I’ve [Read more]
Racing: Plenty at Caulfield for occasional and dedicated punters alike
February 5, 2010 by 16 Comments
Even if you don’t have the time, inclination or bank to invest into Caulfield’s Orr Stakes formguide, the replays and stewards’ reports will be compulsory texts for anyone with an interest in the Autumn Carnival. These fields cover the whole gamut! Spring punters will have heard of Cup stalwarts Viewed, Shocking, Zipping and Littorio, all [Read more]
Footy: North’s best matches of recent years
February 5, 2010 by 663 Comments
By Josh Barnstable After reading a couple of stories on the Almanac about rivalry and how teams stack up against others in terms of a rivalry, I decided to dedicate this piece to some of the great games that North Melbourne have played against the other teams in the league over the past few years.
Exhibition: A day at the footy starts at the gates
February 5, 2010 by 24 Comments
By Paul Daffey Many of my boyhood memories revolve around local footy, from matches played on wind-blown ovals in the north-west suburbs of Melbourne or on lonely ovals in the Mallee. I can still hear the “phhhsh” sound of air being pushed from a player’s lungs as he absorbs an unexpected tackle, or the sweet [Read more]
Fantasy Footy: My dark secret
February 5, 2010 by 10 Comments
I have a sordid confession to make. On the surface, I’m a middle-aged, middle-class, middle-brow guy from a middle-sized town. Nothing special here folks, move right along. But I have a secret life. A life consumed by dark obsessions and manic compulsions. A life ruled by unholy urges and perspectives warped. A life that leads [Read more]
Cricket: Gayle receives ultimate gift after Canberra clinic
February 4, 2010 by 11 Comments
Chris Gayle issued an invitation to the kids of Canberra to turn up at Manuka Oval at 4pm on Wednesday for a hit and bowl ahead of the Prime Minister’s X1 match, which starts on Thursday. I happen to be in the area so I go along and have a look. Boys with monstrous cricket [Read more]
Film: Full points to Cohuna-Union rivalry flick
February 4, 2010 by 23 Comments
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]
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