The Footygods: Icarus

Even the greatest of champions have a flaw that can bring them down, says Ian Latham.

AFL Grand Final: Bad kicking is bad football

It is the oldest saying in the game, says Stephen Alomes, bad kicking is bad football. It was true long before they invented ‘scoreboard pressure’, players became ‘delicious’ and the Hawks won the stat sheet.

AFL Grand Final: The Wrap

THE GRAND FINAL WRAP WHERE LIFE IMITATES FOOTBALL And what a Grand Finalé to a Grand Season it’s been Eddie.  Just in case you’re not sure of the words of The Tinseltowners’ song we’ve printed them out so we can all sing along with The Loyal Sons & Daughters. Cheer, Cheer the Red and the [Read more]

“He’s a Magic Man …”?

As a long time barracker of the “Mighty Mustardpots” I’ve taken great delight in the fabulous exploits of all our players in the Brown and Gold (It’s gold! Got that? As Alan Jeans once said “… there’s nothing yellow about Hawthorn!”) and with such an array of talented indigenous players at the club at the moment I’ve [Read more]

AFL Finals Week 1: The View from Shepparton

I hope the tribunal throws the book at Chris Tarrant I love players that play the man and not the ball. I have had a sneaking respect for the Pies for most of the year but now hope that they get walloped.

AFL Finals Week 1 – Hawthorn v Collingwood (Floreat Pica): Pies with much to do

  I had a lot of doubts about this game before it started. After all we haven’t looked like beating Hawthorn both times that we met them this year. On the other hand we probably had close to the best team we have had since Luke Ball was injured. Once Paine came out and Sinclair [Read more]

AFL Finals Week 1 – Hawthorn v Collingwood: Buddy v Taz

The modern game spins and whirls. There is a game, there are games within games. And, occasionally, these days, there is still a cracking one-on-one. The game was Collingwood v The Hawks. The game within a game was how well Sewell and Mitchell combined to be more than two individuals. There are so many factors [Read more]

A Baker’s Dozen

Saturday was overcast and rainy in Hobart. A check of the forecast suggested nothing was likely to change. So what’s new in Tassy I hear you ponder? My regular traveling companion, Lezzy, was not too enthusiastic about the footy fixtures in and around Hobart so I hopped on the net, bought two seats at Hawk [Read more]

Buddy

I love Buddy. I’m not ashamed to admit my admiration and affection for the guy. Call it a man crush, call it whatever you like but as a Hawthorn supporter it’s only natural to show some love. I know I’m far from alone. He is Hawthorn’s poster boy, every hawks youngsters favourite player. Watching Hawthorn [Read more]

Round 6 Winners and Losers

Round 6 is done and dusted and only one undefeated team remains. It will be remembered for giving us some great games, some horrible games and Joshua Bootsma. Winners West Coast Eagles Winners because they are the last remaining undefeated team. Losers because their entire list is going to be out with injury by round [Read more]

The Footygods: the Phoenix

  by Ian Latham The phoenix was an eagle like bird with golden feathers. It would build its nest from twigs and die when it burned only for a new bird to rise in its place. It was a great story of triumph over our inevitable decline. I was quietly hopeful of the triumph of [Read more]

I love the Hawks

I love the Hawks. I love the way that someone came up with the brown and gold, the worst colour combination in the (current) AFL (I’m talking to you Giants), and yet they have resisted the urge to stuff it up in the name of marketing. I love how they don’t mind recruiting fat, washed [Read more]

Where Buddy and I part ways

I would love to have a cool one word nickname that everybody knew me by. Hi, I’m Tiger, g’day, I’m Chappy. Immediately identified. Not merely in name but in character. I love how one word can so simply capture the essence of the individual. That’s neat. So descriptive, familiar, as if we’ve known each other [Read more]