I couldn’t bring myself to put my mind to this stuff earlier as I was so distressed, horrified, mortified, by our second-term fade-out against Collingwood. I was so happy at half-time. The birds were singing, well they would have been had it been day time, Brisbane were looking great, Brown was on fire although he [Read more]
View From Shepparton: I’m glad Voss emphasised Lions’ first half rather than second
August 5, 2009 by Leave a Comment
Cricket: It’s Headingley 1981 and I want to be sedated
August 5, 2009 by 8 Comments
By Tony Roberts The gloomiest roommate I ever endured was Bernard Disken. At the time we met in September 1983, Bernard was only 23, but he’d already mastered the full Eeyore to an extent that must have made his fellow disciples of the defunct House of York grey with envy.
In the Sheds: Shepparton Swans hope to emerge from turmoil with three Yze brothers
August 5, 2009 by Leave a Comment
By Paul Daffey Goulburn Valley league club Shepparton Swans (once known as Lemnos) have had a tumultuous year. They lost four dozen players before the season, told senior players they would have to take a pay cut mid-season, sacked their senior coach the next day and recently forfeited a reserves game because they had only [Read more]
Haiku Bob – AFL Round 18 – the big sticks
August 5, 2009 by 1 Comment
murky stars the air heavy with Presti’s absence deep winter the mating season for misdirected kicks moon glint a daisy among the weeds of our forward line night mist Leon turns expressionist another behind – a seagull sails between the big sticks slow moving [Read more]
Local footy: Footy at Lake Cargelligo
August 5, 2009 by 1 Comment
by David Ogilvy While travelling from South Australia to the north coast of NSW recently, my wife and I found ourselves in Lake Cargelligo in NSW’s Northern Riverina on a cool windy Saturday.
Gigs’ Stats: Tigers, you can still make the eight; Seven, you can jump in the lake
August 5, 2009 by 68 Comments
Andrew Gigacz’s Round 18 Stat. Declaration STATITORIAL – SEVEN PLUS TEN EQUALS A PRIME TIME NUMBER How do I hate thee, Channel Seven? Let me count the ways. Too many ways to count probably, but 10 seems like a good starting number. Presented with their second opportunity of the season to show a game live [Read more]
AFL Round 18: My Dad goes to Lions dinner but Pies win anyway
August 4, 2009 by 1 Comment
By Liam Fahey It was cold at the MCG when I arrived. My Dad had deserted me and gone to the Brisbane Lions dinner (the traitor), so I had to track down Uncle Stephen (Stephen said my Dad had Medallion Club Mick-ed us). When I got to my seat, I sat down and had the [Read more]
Top 10: Australian footballers who excelled in other sports
August 4, 2009 by 40 Comments
By Damian Watson With the recent news of Brisbane Bronco and State Of Origin representative Karmichael Hunt making a shock transition from the NRL into the new Gold Coast side in the AFL, I decided to take a look back and count down the best 10 senior footballers who excelled in other codes.
General Footy Writing: Danihers biography taps into a sentimental yearning for the past
August 4, 2009 by 2 Comments
By Adam McNicol The back cover of The Danihers contains a quote from Kevin Sheedy. “They say nostalgia is the most powerful drug in the universe. If so, this book should be banned.” Sheeds might have been off-target with his effort to win the coaching position at Richmond, but in this case he’s spot on. [Read more]
Third Test, Day 5, Parts 1, 2, 3: Credit to the Australian batsmen. Now about the bowlers …
August 4, 2009 by 20 Comments
By Andrew Gigacz It’s a seemingly lost cause for Australia as Day 5 begins: 25 runs behind, 2 wickets down and 28 overs gone, which means it’s going to be Swing O’Clock for the English bowlers as soon as play gets under way. PART 1: TWELVE HOURS BEFORE STUMPS I’m writing this at 3:45 pm, [Read more]
Crio’s Question: Novel premiership odds depend on how you define St Kilda strip
August 4, 2009 by 11 Comments
The Irish betting organisation Paddy Power is best known in Australia for its novel approach to gaming, such as when it called for punters in 2008 to bet on the name of Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman’s then unborn child. Their slogan is prominent on the sideboards at EPL matches. Having now bought out Sportsbet, [Read more]
AFL Round 18: Half the supporters around me want to lose. I don’t.
August 3, 2009 by 15 Comments
By Steve Healy I really wanted the Dees to win. Put tanking aside, put Tom Scully aside and watch a great team performance. It sounded so simple. I walked to the train station alone. I don’t usually go to the footy alone, but on this occasion I had to. The train to the ‘G was [Read more]
Local Footy: Terrible twist colours the tale of Tom and George
August 3, 2009 by 1 Comment
By Bill Walker Tom Hill. Now there’s a bloke’s name packaged by his parents a couple of decades ago without the complication of slipping another in between. Tom played his first senior game for Wynyard last Saturday. Although there were other high-profile “must win” contests, important milestones and sad dedication appearances throughout Australia, Tom was [Read more]
AFL Round 18: As a Demons fan who willed his team to lose, I feel sick
August 3, 2009 by 4 Comments
By Barry Levinson Jordan McMahon holds the Sherrin and Melbourne’s draft hopes in his hands: 48 metres out from goal, straight in front, it’s a kick most AFL players are expected to convert. But this is a Tiger who has already missed two sitters on the run and barely been able to hit a target [Read more]
The Wrap: Mrs Wrap might just be right on the Collingwood coaching deal
August 3, 2009 by Leave a Comment
ROUND XVIII And what a round it’s been in Footy Eddie. Carlton spoilt Adam Simpson’s send off, but that was to be expected. To celebrate a new club games record holder, The Doggies tore strips off The Anchormen, and the Sleepy Hollow Millionaires got out of jail down at Kardinia Park. The Feeling Faints also [Read more]
General Footy Writing: Durable Simmo gave everything for the Roos
August 3, 2009 by 2 Comments
By Mark Wallace The first moment I can clearly recall of Adam Simpson was in the final minute of the 1996 Grand Final. Wearing the No.37 guernsey, Simmo swooped on a loose ball and kicked around his body on his non-preferred right boot from 45m for a goal which put the Kangaroos six goals up. [Read more]
Local Footy: Willy in striking distance of second spot after thrashing Ivanhoe
August 3, 2009 by Leave a Comment
SENIORS IVANHOE 3.1 4.6 6.6 9.8-62 WILLIAMSTOWN 6.4 12.8 21.12 32.17-209 IVANHOE Goal Kickers: K. O’Dwyer 3, D. Neilson 2, J. Ritchie, C. Traeger, D. Wood, S. Mason Best Players: D. Meredith, K. O’Dwyer, D. Neilson, J. Meakin, D. Adams, D. Wood WILLIAMSTOWN Goal Kickers: R. Cassidy 10, S. Barlow 7, Z. Read 4, T. [Read more]
VAFA: St Bede’s revive premiership memories with powerful performance at uni oval
August 3, 2009 by 12 Comments
By Paul Daffey In the decade from the mid-1970s to the mid-’80s, University Blues lost four grand finals to De La Salle. The Blues featured talented players from all over the state who formed a brilliant but brittle alliance. The De Salle team was formed by players from a tightly knit community in Melbourne’s eastern [Read more]
Third Test, Day 4: Painful memories of Hollies Stand flood back on day of Rudilotto
August 3, 2009 by 7 Comments
By Peter Flynn After play was delayed by one hour due to a damp outfield, Australia finally dismissed England for 376 and were a precarious 2-88 in reply at stumps on day four. With the prospect of fine weather on day five, England will fancy their chances of going up two up with two Tests [Read more]
General Footy Writing: Umpire red-carded for dissent during Knights-Vannies clash
August 3, 2009 by Leave a Comment
By Ken Wilson An excellent standard of game has seen the Knights triumph over the Vannies, 9.2 (56) to 7.3 (45). The Collingwood Knights, and we are not sure if they are White Knights after our defeat or the Black Knights — in those jumpers who could tell,? — defended admirably after winning the toss [Read more]
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