SCG Test, Australia v India – Call for writers

The Sydney Test begins on Tuesday. The is the last Test match until June in the West Indies. Prospective story-tellers, get on board. All welcome.

Celebrating Richard Flanagan’s Man Booker Prize 2014: footy

Richard Flanagan’s magnificent work: “The Narrow Road to the Deep North” was awarded the Man Booker Prize 2014 for fiction in London. This novel, of and by a Tasmanian, includes footy. To celebrate, here is a wonderful school yard scene; “and then began the magic of kick to kick…” [Great to read Paul Daffey’s reference to this Almanac thread in his Sunday Age column today (4-Jan-15)]

Almanac Music: Paul Kelly’s Winter Coat

Kath Presdee remembers the Sunday night return-drive to Canberra, and her Paul Kelly cassette.

American Football, NFL Week 17 – Dallas @ Washington:

Stone Cold Steve Baker is sick of hearing the words “program” and “team culture” in post-game sport-speak (across a raft of codes). But when it comes to the impact of Rolando McClain on the Dallas Cowboys defense, there are no two words that sum up the difference between playing football in January or thinking about the draft and pre-season training between Christmas and New Year’s.

A Royboy’s Lament

Fitzroy Pete Carter tells the story of a lifetime spent following the tragedies and occasional triumphs of the Royboys.

Lou: The Talent Pool

Lou with some thoughts on the depth of the Australian talent pool. [Includes a rare admission from Lou that he got something wrong – Ed]

Definition of Football

Yoshi Imagawa spends Christmas Dinner watching the EPL and ponders which code lays the best claim to being called “football”.

2014 Year in Review

Vaughan Menlove reviews the year in Football in Australia, and crosses his fingers for success at the Asian Cup and continued growth of the world game locally.

African dreams of AFL glory

Wesley Hull reports from Far North Queensland on the growing interest in Australian footy from the younger generation of African migrants.

Corowa heats up (and blows away)

Glen Davis took off to Corowa for his final racing odyssey of 2014.

MCG Test, Australia v India – Day 5: Geoff Marsh – A Father’s Pain

At the MCG on Day 5, Andrew Starkie sympathises with another father’s pain

Lou: A veteran’s perspective?

Lou, as we know, likes a chat. He has spent years with his customers. He knows them well. Some have been talking to him about keeping things in perspective.

Cyclone Tracy Exhibition in Darwin

News of a photographic exhibition has reached us thanks to one of our Darwin correspondents, Joc Ledwidge.

Triumph Over Adversity – The Spirit Of Our Game

Wesley Hull’s account of how difficult it has been to fly the Australian Rules flag in a South African village called Bodibe.

Wearing Viv in Greece

You will find cricket in unlikely places.

The Goodfellas Footy Almanac World Game Podcast: December 31st

From Fitzrovia in St Kilda Dr Cruel (Vaughan Menlove) and Stone Cold Steve Baker grab some brekky and look at all of the New Year’s Day action in the A-League and the English Premier League.

Crio’s Racing

It is, as Bruce would have it, a delicious irony that we have the most meetings of the year at the time our readership is at its lowest….though that could be interpreted in various ways, I deduce that the holiday season is the common cause. New Year’s Day races are a long standing tradition, and [Read more]

Crio’s Question?

“Wonderful memories of happy times often accompany loss” – Crio asks for readers’ thoughts on both from the previous twelve months.

MCG Test, Australia v India – Day Five: Denouement

The final day of the MCG Test was a stop-start affair that fizzled out. John Harms talks pizza, golf and the Australian attempt to take ten wickets.

MCG Test, Australia v India – Day Five: Bob Church, the Cherry Flicker and the Scarlet Pimpernel

‘Citrus Bob’ Utber describes the denouement of the third Test; a final day that promised so much, but delivered little by the time stumps were called.