Almanac Life (and Poetry): A Desert Poet – Jack Dodds

With Remembrance Day approaching, Nicole Kelly shares some poetry and diary extracts written by her great-grandfather Jack Dodds while he was on active duty at Tobruk during the Second World War.

Almanac (New) Books: Gideon Haigh’s ‘Shelf Life’

It’s not a cricket book, but it is a Gideon Haigh book, which we’re always enthusiastic about here at The Footy Almanac. ‘Shelf Life’ is a collection of Gideon’s journalistic writing over the past 20 years; Gideon explains more within.

Almanac Music: Dave Kimber – Scavenger hunts in Beverly Hills and Malibu.

More adventures from Dave Kimber and his mates on scavenger hunts around Beverly Hills and Malibu.

Almanac Rugby League – State of Origin, Game 2 preview: It’s all on the line – for both teams!

It’s all on the line in Sydney tomorrow night in Game 2 of the 2020 State of Origin series. Will NSW show their true colours or can the Queenslanders conjure up another miracle?

Almanac Poetry (and Music): ‘Lionheart Summer’

The weather’s getting warmer – summer is approaching. This week’s poem from Kevin Densley, ‘Lionheart Summer’, is about a fondly remembered summer he spent in Adelaide (travelling there from Geelong) as an eighteen-year-old in 1980 … involving his grandmother’s beautifully cool bluestone house in Largs Bay, Test Cricket, the local beer, and a Kate Bush album.

Almanac Elections: The polling booth near the cricket ground

Elections are front and centre which reminds us of this yarn from Roger Lowrey, first published around election time 2019:

Dog legs, racing, cold beer and fraternising with the enemy were all part of Roger Lowrey’s stint while handing out how to vote cards during the SA State Elections in 1985.

Almanac Poetry: ‘The Practice Nets’ – Philip Hodgins

Footy is over, cricket is here and it’s time to hone up those cricketing skills! Philip Hodgins (1959 – 1995), in his poem ‘The Practice Nets’, reflects upon the role the nets play in the life of cricketers.

Almanac Rugby: Bledisloe Glory…in 1979

Despite the famous recent victory, the Wallabies rarely take the chocolates over the All Blacks, let alone claim the Bledisloe Cup. Brian the Ruminator takes us back to a rare golden moment some 41 years ago…

Almanac Teams: Return to sender

Here’s a new Almanac Team from Rodney Boyd, it’s his best list of players who returned to a former club (from the 1980s onward). [A surprisingly long list of fine players! Ed.]

Almanac Cricket: Finding Frank Tarrant under the grape vines

With summer here, the sultana grape vines provide Michael Sexton with a wonderful shady backdrop for listening to Test cricket, and for reading. A book he recommends for reading in such a place is Mike Coward’s ‘Cricket’s Forgotten Pioneer: The Frank Tarrant Story’.

Almanac (Local) Cricket: Pomborneit Cricket Club 2020/21 Season- October Review

All the October action from the Pomborneit Cricket Club.

Almanac Food: KD’s Kitchen – The Jaffle

Kevin Densley is back in the kitchen for more culinary delights; this time he is making jaffles.

Almanac Rugby League – 2020 State of Origin, Game 1: (Unlikely) History repeats

John Harms reports on State of Origin I, which reminded him of 2001.

Almanac Rugby League – 2020 State of Origin Game 1: Setting Origin alight

Sean Mortell has catholic tastes when it come to sport in general and football in particular. Here he offers his perspective on last night’s Game 1 of the 2020 rugby league State of Origin series.

Almanac Footy: John Gallus – The journey through football

Matt Watson examines the football journey of former Melbourne footballer John Gallus.

Almanac Rugby League – Cameron Smith: A legend in his own time

Liam Hauser makes the case that, over the 30 years he’s followed rugby league, Cameron Smith is the greatest player he has seen.

Balcony Banter: Ready to return

It’s been a very different year for the MCG. MCC Library sleuth Lynda Carroll writes about previous occasions when the ‘G’ coped with unusual circumstances resulting from a variety of causes.

Almanac Rugby League – 2020 State of Origin, Game 1: Flickering start, high beam finish

The NRL’s 2020 State of Origin series got underway in Adelaide last night. The Almanac’s rugby league editor Ian Hauser tells us how he saw it unfold.

Almanac Footy: From AFL football to tattoo guns

Trying to follow his football dream, Hal Hunter found himself at Essendon’ during the peptide scandal. He has gone on to forge a career in a completely new field. Emile Pavlich spoke to him.

FEARLESS 2020 Finals Week 3: Review and post-season thoughts

Paul Thompson was writing his review of the AFL Preliminary Finals when rumours of events at North Melbourne gave him pause for reflection. He offers his thoughts on what has transpired.