AFL Finals: 2005 Omens indicate a Swans Flag

In a time of Finals expectation, DaveP looks for omens to calm the nerves.

The Footygods: Ajax the great

Ajax the great was tall, big strong and smart. When he was born, Heracles threw a lion skin around him and prayed that the baby’s skin would be just as tough and his courage just as strong. Zeus came through on most of that but left the skin soft around his neck just to show [Read more]

The Footygods: Zelus

Zelus was a difficult god to be around. As the god of envy and rivalry, he could cause real difficulties even when he wasn’t trying. And he would leave us mortals to drink of bitter sorrow. We’ve seen a bit of envy and rivalry in the black and whites in the last year. Eddie wanted [Read more]

The Footygods: Bia

by Ian Latham   The greeks had lots of gods to make you think. They had Athena, the goddess of wisdom and learning. They had the muses who inspired writing and the arts. They could inspire you with their skill. A lot like Nic Naitanui. You could just marvel at him all day. And you [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]

The Footy Gods: Achilles

Achilles was fair of hair and fleet of foot. His troops loved him. He was fearless and beautiful. But not flawless. He could be moody and the tendon in his ankle was unprotected. And that is how the trojans killed him before the great victory of his troops. Not that the lesson was lost on [Read more]

The Footygods: the Trojan wars

The Trojans were unbeatable at home. They had a walled city by the water. They were able to defend easily and they could sweep out of their city to attack their enemy. They could always replenish their wounded soldiers. After a few years, the invading armies started thinking that they couldn’t win. The Trojan wars [Read more]

The Footygods: Elpis

The greeks were funny about hope. Some of them thought that there wasn’t much point having hope because the gods would do you in anyway. Some thought that hope only existed to make your suffering even worse. But they did give hope a minor goddess; Elpis; a young woman who held flowers in her hands. [Read more]

The Footygods: The Titans and the Giants

  by Ian Latham You can always tell Zeus. He’s the middle aged greek bloke either standing up looking serious with his thunder bolts or sitting down looking serious. You didn’t want to get in his way. Well, tell that to the Titans. They thought that they just owned the place, which was true. They [Read more]

The footy gods: Tyche

Tyche was the daughter of Zeus. She would spin a ball in her fingers to explain luck. The ball might bounce one way and you could win the game. Bounce the other way and you were gone. And all that planning and all that effort comes to nothing.

The Footygods: Sisyphus

Sisyphus came from a famous family although he didn’t like some of them all that much. He had a brother called Salmoneus who he spent much of his time trying to kill. It seems that he liked killing people generally. People would stay at his place and he would kill them too. It didn’t go [Read more]

The Footygods: Heracles

Heracles was strong, skilled and courageous. He shaved his head. But he had a temper and a woman sent him mad until he did some terrible, terrible things. The gods sent him away to see if he could save himself and he did. He killed the man eating birds and did all that had been [Read more]

The footy gods: Hubris

By Ian Latham   The ancient Greeks knew one thing. Do not pretend to be one of  the footy gods. They called that hubris. And if you were found to be hubristic, well, that meant trouble; with a capital T. Nemesis would fly down to find you. She  would spin her wheel of fortune and [Read more]