by Patrick O’Keeffe Some of the hardest fought cricket matches I ever played took place in backyards and driveways. And I’m not just saying that. As pleasantries were dispensed with, friends became bitter enemies. Every ball was delivered with ferocity, while the batsmen rarely gave their wicket away cheaply. When they did, they would channel [Read more]
Russians not Hiddink it off with Guus
December 7, 2009 by 2 Comments
by Tim Ivins Guus Hiddink would have cast a lonely figure in the bowels of Petrol Arena late on November 18. His Russian team, chock full of talent and Euro 2008 runners up had been eliminated by lowly Slovenia on away goals. In the first leg, a goal from Nejc Pecnik in the 88th minute [Read more]
Second Test, Day 3: A classic day of cricket
December 6, 2009 by 2 Comments
by Chris Riordan I heard an ABC Radio cricket promo refer to “the rhythm of summer”. I like that. Cricket on the radio is synonymous with holidays, sunshine…a myriad of memories in which cricket is sometimes at the foreground but just as often is the backing beat to this great time of the year. It [Read more]
Second Test, Day 2: Aussies’ effort all well and good, but did you hear about Mumbai?
December 6, 2009 by 7 Comments
West Indies 451; Australia 0/174 I awoke before dawn on Saturday to pore over the many elements of the impending contest, and then spent much of the morning attending to the nuts and bolts of getting to the big event – next year’s FIFA World Cup in South Africa, that is. By breakfast, I had [Read more]
Second Test, Day 2 – A change of fortune for West Indies and Clifton Hill
December 6, 2009 by 3 Comments
by Andrew Gigacz From the outside, the parallels between the current West Indies team and the Clifton Hill 5th XI may not appear obvious. Actually, even from the inside, they probably aren’t apparent to anyone but me. And in truth, they did not even manifest themselves in my mind until I woke up on Day [Read more]
Soccer: Hey Liverpool, another title before I’m 64, please!
December 6, 2009 by 11 Comments
By Stephen George I sat back and thought about what the Fab Four from Merseyside would sing in these situations. I convinced myself it would be something along the lines of needing help from somebody, but not just anybody. For the last 19 years, supporters of one club have been searching far and wide for [Read more]
Soccer: Australia’s tough draw leaves me wondering what’s in store
December 5, 2009 by 3 Comments
By Tim Ivins “The punishment an Almanacker and Socceroos tragic will put himself through,” I thought to myself as I turned off the alarm at 3.30am. The kettle goes on and so does the TV as beautiful Cape Town streams in. It’s an exciting time, the World Cup Draw, and probably the closest I will [Read more]
Second Test, Day 1: A uniform performance from a team that doesn’t know how to play the Safe way..
December 4, 2009 by 639 Comments
By Steve Healy After spending my first holiday morning at the uniform shop with my Mum, the cricket couldn’t have come at a better time: The West Indies won the toss and elected to bat, Adrian Barath and Chris Gayle strolled onto the brilliant Adelaide surface at the picturesque Adelaide Oval, with an attacking mindset. [Read more]
Second Test, Day 1 – Bravo Bravado
December 4, 2009 by 1 Comment
by John Butler The lead up to this game was again dominated by dire prognostications on the state of Test cricket, the state of West Indies cricket and various predictions on the state of the Earth (emanating mainly from Canberra). I leave the state of the Earth to those better informed, but can’t help feeling [Read more]
Launch: Top night at Adelaide launch
December 4, 2009 by 1 Comment
Crows fans partied like it was 1998 in the Adelaide Lutheran rooms during the SA launch. Add your comments on this night of mirth and midfields.
Boxing: It’s tough when you wait so long for something that’s over so quickly
December 4, 2009 by 658 Comments
With footy season over, I do my best to substitute footy with other sports. With the big Green v Jones fight tonight, I think it might be worth checking it out. I’ve never been a big boxing fan. My boxing knowledge spans only from Danny Green v Anthony Mundine to Rocky Balboa v Apollo Creed. [Read more]
Crio’s Question: Who is the best sports commentator?
December 4, 2009 by 38 Comments
Thanks to Peter Flynn for this instalment. It’s been inspired by Britain’s Daily Telegraph, whose readers have voted Murray Walker as “the greatest sports commentator of all time”.
Launch: A time to acknowledge our comforting, yet slightly mad, friend
December 4, 2009 by Leave a Comment
The Footy Almanac 2009 Perth launch speech by Dr Ken Spillman, delivered at the Subiaco Football Club, 27 November 2009 What an honour it is to launch The Footy Almanac 2009 in Perth – particularly so because the invitation to do so recognises the place of a book I conceived and co-edited almost 25 years [Read more]
Footy: Full points for goal umpire who relishes his part in the game he loves
December 3, 2009 by 7 Comments
I often mused when growing up: “What on earth would make someone take up footy umpiring and endure the insults and abuse that came with it”? During my childhood, I was sure it was normal practice to be an overzealous critic of umpires and it was OK to hurl foul language at them. After all, [Read more]
Footy: A day in the life of Jack Anthony and his WAG
December 2, 2009 by 183 Comments
Jack: “Danni, where’s my tie, honey?” Danni: “It’s in the cupboard on the left, darling!” *muffled noises* Jack: “I can’t find it! Do you know which one I’m looking for?” Danni: “Hold on sweetie I’ll be there in a sec.”
Cricket: Love of the game develops into family adventure
December 2, 2009 by 2 Comments
By Darren Dawson Cricket has consumed great slabs of my time over the past thirty summers. It’s cost me many life experiences: trips to the surf coast with mates as a teenager, weekends away with friends, long summer holidays with my young family. The only Derby days I ever attended were when the cricket was [Read more]
Cricket: I was there as Slasher took on Windies in best Test at Adelaide Oval
December 1, 2009 by 6 Comments
By Peter Schumacher I was at the Fourth Test match between Australia and the West Indies at Adelaide from 27 January to 1 February 1961 for 4 of the 5 days, and on that memorable fifth day I was present in the outer in the general vicinity of where the Chappell Stands are now located. [Read more]
Footy Talk: PT Barnum and Kevin Sheedy plan to put on a show
November 30, 2009 by 1 Comment
By John Butler Setting: PT Barnum: legendary showman and entrepreneur, founder of Ringling Bros Barnum & Bailey’s Circus and famous for pulling hoaxes and working freak shows. Often attributed the quote “there’s a sucker born every minute.” It’s a surprise he hasn’t worked for the AFL before now. Kevin Sheedy: really needs no introduction. With [Read more]
These sides ain’t half bad!
November 30, 2009 by 530 Comments
by Josh Barnstable After asking my Mum if there was such thing as a ‘half-decade’, she said she had not heard of such thing, unlike the popular saying of half century. But, I’m going to make half-decade a proper saying in this report, a report of the Team of the Half-Decade for each team. So [Read more]
Noel McMahen: City superstar, country legend
November 30, 2009 by 7 Comments
by Mark Gullick Many people know the cliff notes of Noel McMahen’s time in Rochester, but the full story has rarely been told. It is the tale of high stakes, high pressure and high achievement. McMahen was a VFL superstar. Debuting in 1946 with Melbourne, McMahen struck success in 1948 as part of a winning [Read more]
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