Almanac Footy Tributes: Ron Barassi – A top bloke: an interview with Xavier Tanner

1977 North Melbourne FC premiership player Xavier Tanner remembers his coach of ten years, the late great Ron Barassi, in an interview with Citrus Bob Utber.

Almanac Teams: Players that have played in a premiership or grand final for two clubs

More finals-themed action from Rodney Boyd as he outlays two sides made up of players who climbed the mountain (or stumbled at the summit) for two clubs in their careers.

Almanac Poetry: Love Me Tonight

For this week’s poem, Kevin Densley has delved into his archives and found one in which, to use his own words, he ‘channels someone like Sir Les Patterson’. [Contains mature themes]

Almanac Footy Tributes: Ron Barassi – the greatest.

For Andrew Fraser, Ron Barassi was the greatest. Here are his reasons why.

Finals Week 2 – Melbourne v Carlton: Tradition

Citrus Bob Utber delighted being an unbiased spectator at the nail biting Semi Final match between Melbourne and Carlton.

Almanac Book Review: ‘Australian Soccer from the Beginning’ – Ted Simmons OAM

Ted Simmons OAM has always been the go to person for those seeking historical information about Australian Soccer. This historical information he gathered over many decades is now recorded in his book, ”Australian Soccer from the Beginning’ which has been reviewed here by Roy Hay.

Almanac Footy: Finals Diary – Chapter 3: The week off

With his team having the week off, Shane Reid remembers back to 2018 in Murano, Venice when he failed to recognise an international star of film and music, and she, thought he was an AFL star who played for Brisbane! [Cracking read Shane: Ed.]

Almanac Life: My (splendid) week

Peter Fuller is feeling great after an eventful week of participating in, and watching, various sports with a degree of success as he recounts.

Finals Week 2 – Sal’s Preview: The Maynard Attraction

It has been a controversial week in footy as Sal Ciardulli points out. Sal previews the Finals Week 2 of matches and casts his eye over the form for the weekend racing.

Almanac Music: Extraordinary Musical Moments – Ozzy Osbourne Sings John Lennon’s ‘How?’

KD brings back his ‘Extraordinary Musical Moments’ series to discuss Ozzy Osbourne’s version of John Lennon’s ‘How?’, from the latter’s classic Imagine album.

NRL Finals Week 2: The Road to the Finals – Part 2

Matt O’Hanlon casts a very thorough eye over the two NRL semi-finals this weekend, applying the principles of horse-racing and the superior logic of the MOH mind.

NRL Finals Week 2 and NRLW Round 9: Enthralling!

After last weekend’s enthralling rugby league matches, Ian Hauser goes looking for his winners in Week 2 of the NRL finals and Round 9 of the NRLW.

Almanac Soccer: Relegation and Promotion In Our Own Backyard – Poetic Brutality and Beauty Under Our Noses

Photographer and sports writer Luke Radziminski has worn some crashing defeats (and victories). Here he whips around Victorian soccer and his engagement with it in recent times.

Up the Mighty Murray! – Episode 22: Towards the Headwaters  

In this the penultimate episode of Peter Clark’s magnificent series of ‘Up The Mighty Murray!’, Peter takes us on a journey towards the headwaters and Corryong. The featured match is the Grand Final of the Upper Murray Football League, Cudgewa v Bullioh.

Finals Week 2: AFL Footy Fixture 2023 – 1st and 2nd Semi Finals

Find out who plays where and when in Week 2 of the AFL 2023 Final series.

Almanac Travel: The Train Boy – Juliaca, Southern Peru

Dips O’Donnell continues his incredible travels through South America – this time on a train in Peru, and the small boy that captures his attention in Juliaca.

Almanac Books and Music: ‘Summer Of Blood’ – Dave Warner

‘Summer Of Blood’ is musician and author Dave Warner’s new book due for release in October. A crime thriller in search of a missing young man in San Francisco during the summer of love in 1967 the book is sure to be a cracking read from this award winning author. Dave has selected a playlist of fabulous music from the era to support the book.

Almanac Poetry: ‘Small Spider’ – Tommy Mallet

Tommy Mallet returns with a new poem about an encounter with a spider as he dresses for work.

Almanac Teams: Players that won a Premiership or made a Grand Final in their first year

Rodney Boyd is back at it again – this time he shares two sides (one luckier than the other) just in time for the AFL finals series.

Sausage Roll Review: Platy Pie Bakery of Mount Compass

Mickey Randall tackled a monster of a sausage roll at the Platy Pie Bakery and with it the monster questions of existence, with cameos from Aristotle, The Dude and HAL from 2001 [Shame you couldn’t shoe-horn Camus in for the sake of this excerpt – Ed]