Almanac Footy: With Genius Can Come Flaws

Ian Wilson looks at some of footy’s great footballers who are more often remembered for their publicity received for adverse deeds perpetrated within or outside footy during their career.

Gary Ablett Snr: From the other side

Tiger fan Ian Lewis harks back to the day in 1989 when he and his fellow Richmond supporters barracked against their own player as Gary Ablett Snr threatened to kick 20 goals against the hapless Richmond.

Trick-or-Treating Malcolm Blight

From Halloween knocking on the (rumoured) door of one of the greatest ever footballers to chatting footy with God and masquerading with Murali, these are some of Damian Balassone’s treasured tales from decades past.

Gary Ablett Jnr – from God’s son to Jesus, and how one final stand may cement something special

Sean Mortell reflects on Gary Ablett Jnr’s remarkable career which comes to an end on Saturday night. ‘If he can lead the Cats to an emotional triumph on Saturday night, he may leave the game with one final sparkling moment, one last mind-blowing goal. But he may also depart having put together the best career in recent memory…’

Almanac Poetry: Two Championship Performances

Kevin Densley compares two spectacular feats from two different eras. [Welcome Kevin – Ed]

Rosie and Me: Geelong Cats Open Training

Keen Cat Anna Pavlou lingers longer than she expected at Kardinia Park watching her beloved Cats train, and meets Rosie as she explains.

Almanac Footy Memoir: Patience wins

Forty-four years of patient waiting it took Anna Pavlou’s dad to witness a Geelong premiership. The heartbreak and pain were finally over as Anna Pavlou reports.

Almanac Football: 1993 Revisited

Stainless takes a fascinating trip down memory lane as he recalls the 1993 AFL season. [With a nod to the Brettig-Collins-Gill podcast – Ed]

Vale “Name A Game”

Adam laments today marks the end of an era for the footy nostalgists and he is not happy. Sports Delivered have officially decided to put an end to their “Name A Game” service, one that has provided home and away, finals and State of Origin matches on VHS and later DVD format since the early 1990’s.

Paul Keating, Mr Brightside and Bobby Ewing: For the true believers – Richmond 2017

Whatever your views on Paul Keating, the man did have some damm good lines. So, like his comment just after his unlikely election win against John Hewson, the Tigers win was one for the true believers, writes Sean Curtain, and the sweetest victory of all.

A Team of Champions without a Premiership

Phil Dimitriadis has come up with another clever composite team, this time it’s his team of premiership-less players. Who can you add to this?

A Cats Eyed View of Subi

Cat’s supporter Denis reminisces about the Subiaco Oval as he says goodbye to it as an AFL venue.

Top 15 VFL/AFL Full-Forwards of the Last 40 years: 1975-2014

Controversial, fearless, well-informed and exhaustive. Philip Mendes and Lucas Lewit-Mendes list their greatest full-forwards of the ‘modern’ VFL/AFL era.

The Finals: Perfect Prelims – A Walk Down Memory Lane

The 2014 Preliminary Finals are drawing ever-closer. And to get us all in the mood, Steve Baker recalls some of the classic Prelims: Stynes going over the mark in ’87, Fraser Brown’s tackle in ’99, Plugger’s after the siren gem in ’96 and the death of the ‘Kennett Curse’.

Gary, it’s not that simple

Gary Ablett said his dad was better. End of story. Or is it?

AFL Round 18 – Geelong v St.Kilda: Dear God, I think Podsiadly has you covered

Saturday night’s game bought back many memories for Stephen Cooke – Barry Mitchell’s mute friend, the 2009 Grand Final, and Gary Ablett’s towering mark from 1989.

AFL Round 7 – Geelong v Essendon: Geelong Time.

P. Flynn braves the desert zephyr, quenches his thirst with a wine of the desert, and takes in some Geelong Time. [Now with a copy of John Burke’s Footy Record from the day]