Damian Balassone, Smokie Dawson, Andrew Fithall, Bill Holmes (I think), Luke Reynolds at the Royal Melbourne Hotel in Bourke Street, Melbourne, setting the early tone of The Footy Almanac Grand Final Eve Lunch.
Damian Balassone was a big hit at The Footy Almanac Grand Final Lunch at the Royal Melbourne Hotel. Huge thanks Damian.
He read a number of his poems including some from his collection Strange Game in a Strange Land. Over the last twenty years, Damian has established himself as a poet, and we’ve been delighted to publish him here at The Footy Almanac. His poems have appeared in over 100 publications, most notably in The New York Times, The Australian and The Canberra Times. Described as a ‘virtuoso’ by legendary Australian poet Les Murray, he is the author of three volumes of poetry. His love of footy stretches back to 1980 when he sat on his father’s shoulders in the outer of Victoria Park, studying the movements of the Macedonian Marvel.
His prose is pretty flash too.
Here’s a couple of poems:
Robbie Flower at the Western Oval
The dazzling moves of Robbie Flower
evade these men of brutish power.
He baulks the wild men of the west,
then hits a teammate on the chest.
In autumn sun or winter shower
behold the skills of Robbie Flower,
but fans would give up everything
to watch him ply his trade in spring.
Mongrel Punt Proverb
When scores are level in the last
and the final bell’s about to blast
and the greasy Sherrin lands
into your trembling hands…
remember that a mongrel punt
is all it takes to hit the front.
These poems come from…
Contact Damian to say hello and to buy a copy of Strange Game in a Strange Land HERE
Read more from Damian Balassone HERE
Damian’s writing has appeared (or is about to appear) in The New York Times, The Australian, The Canberra Times, The Spectator, The London Magazine, Griffith Review, The Saturday Paper, Eureka Street, Arena, Overland, InDaily, Quadrant, Green Left, Australian Poetry Journal, First Things, Red Room Poetry, Light, Lighten Up, The New Verse News, Asses of Parnassus, Shot Glass Journal, Abridged, The American Bystander, Cordite, Blackmail Press, Little Old Lady Comedy, Tongues of the Ocean, The Footy Almanac, ABC Radio, SEN, Living Arts Canberra, Stereo Stories, The Dirigible Balloon, The Mozzie, Dark Sky Dreamings, News Weekly, The Daily Drunk, Verse Wisconsin, Better Than Starbucks, Snakeskin, Australian Rationalist, Reader’s Digest, One Sentence Poems, Warrandyte Diary and Poem Today.
www.damianbalassone.wordpress.com
Read more Almanac Poetry HERE
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About John Harms
JTH is a writer, publisher, speaker, historian. He is founder and contributing editor of The Footy Almanac and footyalmanac.com.au. He has written columns and features for numerous publications. His books include Confessions of a Thirteenth Man, Memoirs of a Mug Punter, Loose Men Everywhere, Play On, The Pearl: Steve Renouf's Story and Life As I Know It (with Michelle Payne). He can be contacted [email protected] He is married to Susan. They have three school-age kids - Theo, Anna, Evie. He might not be the worst putter in the world but he's in the worst four. His ambition was to lunch for Australia but it clashed with his other ambition - to shoot his age.
Love your work Damian. Great to finally meet you at the lunch. It was a cracking day and your segment with JTH was a ripper!
Cheers Col. It was fab to meet you. Was hoping to chat a bit more about Robert Zimmerman with you, hopefully next time. It was indeed a cracking day.