As I walk into Elsternwick Park for the Victorian Amateur Football Association’s A-section grand final, the biggest day of the Ammos season, I expect an Old Xaverians victory. They’re playing De La Salle Old Collegians, the team they beat by 92 points in the second semi. Xavs are finals hardened. This is their twelfth grand [Read more]
Women’s Footy: Debbie Lee wins Football Woman of the Year award
September 25, 2009 by Leave a Comment
By Leesa Catto Congratulations to Victorian Women’s Football League president Debbie Lee on being named the 2009 Football Woman of the Year. The award, presented by the Essendon Women’s Network, offers recognition to women who have made a significant contribution to the game of football.
State Footy: Phil Cleary plays big part in glorious VFA Grand Final memories
September 25, 2009 by 2 Comments
By Rod Oaten Oh, for the nostalgia of the good old VFA Grand Final. It was an unsophisticated, grass roots event, full of tribal loyalty and tension between the supporters. No corporate boxes, but then I guess corporations didn’t get involved with what really was working-class footy. You would often see a club president or [Read more]
The Pre-Wrap: Gownlow count goes down a treat
September 25, 2009 by 3 Comments
THE PRE WRAP – THE LAST SATURDAY IN SEPTEMBER Where Life Imitates Sport What a week it’s been in Footy Eddie. The Gownlow was a raging success and the running scoreboard kept everyone in the picture. At last we were saved the quivering of Football’s most famous bottom lip and didn’t Lauren look an absolute [Read more]
Footy Weather: Grand Final conditions to resemble Kardinia Park in July
September 24, 2009 by 2 Comments
By Brett Dutschke Strong winds are not only transporting soil to other parts of the country they are also making some places feel quite foreign. Just three days after a dust-blown Sydney resembled Coober Pedy, the Melbourne Cricket Ground this Saturday will be cold, wet and windy – more like Kardinia Park in July.
AFL Prelim Finals: Dogs battle to hold out Saints while I face challenges of my own
September 24, 2009 by 300 Comments
By Josh Barnstable It’s Friday night in the Northern Territory. The sun is down, the sky is a light grey colour, yet I can feel no atmosphere compared to what I would be feeling back in Victoria. To get me in the mood, I go for a walk with a couple of mates and pat [Read more]
General Footy Writing: Watch out for the termite mound!
September 24, 2009 by 1 Comment
I’ve recently moved to Galiwinku, which is the second largest Aboriginal community in Australia. It is based in a place called Elcho Island, which is a part of Arnhem land and situated about 500 kilometres east of Darwin. There are only 3,000 people in the community, but surprisingly there are eight football sides that make [Read more]
Racing: Sometimes, just sometimes, they change a race name for the better
September 24, 2009 by 4 Comments
By Chris Riordan Many of us old-timers lament the name changes that devalue feature races. But none, I suspect, resent the old Freeway Stakes being renamed in honor of Moonee Valley Champion , Manikato. Tonight’s 1200-metre weight-for-age race is a great tribute to Manikato, who won this race twice as well as recording five consecutive [Read more]
Racing: Mic Mac change of plans worries us
September 24, 2009 by 1 Comment
By Mark “Makybe” Freeman Interesting meeting at the Valley on Grand Final Eve, punters – but the heathens from Sin City continue to run their Group 1 George Main Stakes in the middle of The (actual) Premiership Quarter . . . even after they’ve won a flag. Punting-wise we’re all gearing up for the Grannie [Read more]
Harms: Cats crush cockroach with sleight of hand and weight of boot
September 23, 2009 by 1 Comment
SATURDAY night and I’m at the Punt Road end of the MCG. Behind glass. Thanks to a kind invitation from Bruce Houston and the Tatts Group who are obviously working their way through the share register. My portfolio is made up exclusively of Tatts shares, 231 from memory, a wedding gift from Bimbo Read and [Read more]
In the Sheds: Saints and Cats jumpers fail to offer a guide to AFL fortunes
September 23, 2009 by 3 Comments
WITH all the focus on St Kilda and Geelong this week, In the Sheds combed through last weekend’s results to see if any portents could be gleaned from the clubs that wore Saints and Cats jumpers in local footy grand finals. Of the clubs that wore Saints jumpers, Koroit (Hampden league) and St Kilda City [Read more]
General Footy Writing: Wayward kicking provides just one of several twists in dramatic 1948 Grand Final
September 23, 2009 by 4 Comments
Most footy fans are familiar with the epic VFL drawn grand final of 1977. It was televised live into millions of loungerooms and has been replayed constantly since. Television has allowed us to relive the drama of that sun-drenched afternoon at the MCG, and fans too young to remember can still experience the historic moments [Read more]
Local Footy: Oopy’s oration stirs players and supporters to score win for the ages
September 23, 2009 by 4 Comments
By Darren Dawson Almost two weeks on from my old club’s stunning grand final victory, it is only now that the hairs on the back of my neck have begun to settle down. Having been comprehensively defeated by D1-section rivals Peninsula Old Boys in the second semi, Willy CYs had fought back through the preliminary [Read more]
Gigs’ Stats: Cold reception suits Saints and Cats just fine
September 23, 2009 by 6 Comments
Andrew Gigacz’s Finals Week 3 Stat. Declaration SAINTS CAUSE FAINTS WHILE CATS PILE UP STATS Now that it’s all over bar the shouting, it remains only to be seen who’ll be shouting the bar – Saints supporters or Cats clappers. Let’s see what could be gleaned from the two games. LAKE, BLAKE AND DOGGY HEARTACHE [Read more]
General Footy Writing: My night of waiting in line to buy Grand Final tickets
September 23, 2009 by 11 Comments
It’s Sunday night. Tomorrow at 9 am Grand Final tickets will be released to AFL full members of non-competing clubs. Dad and a few other AFL member mates have been planning for a few weeks now and tonight we put the plan into action. There are two ticket locations near us: Chirnside Park and Ringwood. [Read more]
General Footy Writing: Black and White through shades of Blue
September 23, 2009 by 6 Comments
Warning: the following will contain biases which are impossible to conceal. Another Magpie campaign has come-a-gutsa at the hands of the formidable Cats. Once again the black and white army is left to its disgruntled contemplation of what might have been … My heart beats Old Dark Navy Blue, and seldom will I be seen [Read more]
General Footy Writing: I love the Brownlow Medal
September 23, 2009 by 5 Comments
It’s one of my favourite nights of the year, the speculation, the over-achievers, the under-achievers, and the night where heroes are made. It’s Brownlow medal night. I can remember every Brownlow medal from 2000 onwards, mainly because Wowoedin won that year. That was the good old days when my whole family loved footy. At the [Read more]
AFL Prelim Finals: Pies are simply not good enough
September 23, 2009 by 100 Comments
It’s 6pm. I’m sitting in my room and the rain starts to belt down on to the roof, making that familiar and comforting sound. I’m watching a replay of Carlton v Adelaide in my room, just for the sake of watching a high-scoring game. I realise it’s an hour and a half before the bounce, [Read more]
Haiku Bob: AFL Finals – week 3 – oceans of torment
September 23, 2009 by 3 Comments
heavy rain – beyond the old picket fence oceans of torment swirling sky beneath dark clouds and umbrellas Harry spears the first downpour – one Cat then another bobs up rain stops – our defence leaks Ablett sky clears Leon has left us too wanting the scores to be different I drink more moon spills [Read more]
General Footy Writing: Tales of Krakouer brothers and Cockatoo-Collins confirm rich contribution of indigenous players to Australian football
September 23, 2009 by 3 Comments
A keen audience gathered at the National Museum of Australia in Canberra , to attend the recent FORCE FOR GOOD seminar. Presented by the museum in conjunction with with Manning Clark House and hosted by John Harms, the seminar focused on how indigenous Australians have enriched football. Dr Sean Gorman (an Almanacker) spoke about his book Brotherboys, which [Read more]
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