by Josh Barnstable Rewind to 2007, 2008 or 2009, and I wouldn’t have watched this match. I would have watched the opening quarter maybe, and then stop watching it. But, with the year the Saints had in 2009 and the young talent the Swans offer, this match is suddenly one I rate very highly. After [Read more]
NAB Cup, Round 2: Top last quarter helps get ordinary rice taste out of my mouth
March 1, 2010 by 11 Comments
After getting woken up at 8.30am due to some enormous thunder I didn’t do much all day. I had my usual Strawberry Yoplait yoghurt first thing and had a read of the Herald Sun, filled out my papers for work experience then I did some odd chores around the house for mum. Today I got [Read more]
NAB Cup, Round 1: New generation of Swans stands tall
February 21, 2010 by 2 Comments
Ever since reading the NAB Cup fixture in the library at school, one game stood out in the second week of the first round. Sydney and Carlton from Blacktown Olympic Park. Time has flown, and finally the day has come. After a bad loss at tennis, I look forward to resting up my muscles before [Read more]
Barney’s 2010 AFL Crystal Ball Part 7: St Kilda and Sydney
January 8, 2010 by 338 Comments
by Josh Barnstable St Kilda: So close, yet so far was the story for St Kilda in 2009. 22 wins from 25 games but failed on the big stage against Geelong. That hurt them. It hurt them more then any other premiership loss would have hurt any other club. They have a great team that [Read more]
Local Footy: Sydney footy makes up for unfortunate events of a century ago to claim new home at Blacktown
October 10, 2009 by 5 Comments
By Rod Gillett The recent Sydney AFL Grand Final was played at the new stadium at the Blacktown Olympic Park, which has become the new “home” for local footy in Sydney. It is significant location given that the GWS AFL team is to be based at this facility. GWS is of course, the acronym being [Read more]
AFL Round 16: Blues torch Swans in Flame Trees spin-off
September 16, 2009 by 1 Comment
by Rick Newbery Four years since The Move and I still can’t get the hang of this joint, whatever it’s called this week, and the frustration mounts as I crawl up and down the side streets of West Melbourne looking for a parking spot which is easy to get away from, and within reasonable range of [Read more]
General Footy Writing: The Sydney footy club has a much longer history than you might think
September 7, 2009 by 4 Comments
When did the Sydney Football Club play its first game? a) 1877 b) 1881 c) 1903 d) 1983 If you answered b) you were correct. The first recorded game of Australian football was played in Sydney in 1877 when Carlton visited to play the Waratahs Rugby Club in both rugby and “Victorian Rules”. The Sydney [Read more]
General Footy Writing: Musings from a Swans fan on the Eade factor
August 31, 2009 by Leave a Comment
Although raised as a diehard South Melbourne supporter, I was euphoric when they moved to Sydney in 1982. Finally, I thought, I am going to be able to experience the feeling of seeing my poor, humble, working-class team win a flag.
AFL Round 21: Walk across half-back upholds the Magpie name
August 26, 2009 by Leave a Comment
There have been many great football monikers down through the years, from the Flying Doormat to Plugger and the Galloping Gasometer. My favourite football name is fictional. It was the thinly veiled title given to the suburb of Collingwood by the writer Frank Hardy in his novel Pride Without Glory . . . Carringbush.
AFL Round 21: Pies score another win as I dread the end of the season
August 24, 2009 by 512 Comments
The footy season is nearly over and the big questions I’m asking are: * What am I supposed to do now? * How will I spend my weekends? * And more importantly, how will I survive? The seriousness of this matter is epic! Footy is the only reason to get out of bed on the [Read more]
AFL Round 21: What, me worry? Seems we have nothing to fear
August 24, 2009 by 5 Comments
By Suzy Lewis PESSIMISM: 1 : an inclination to emphasize adverse aspects, conditions, and possibilities or to expect the worst possible outcome 2 a : the doctrine that reality is essentially evil; b : the doctrine that evil overbalances happiness in life It was a blustery Melbourne day as I walked to the MCG through [Read more]
AFL Round 20: Swans are better thanI expect but I still want them to change their game plan
August 20, 2009 by 3 Comments
By Josh Barnstable After an eventful day, I want nothing more than to sit down and watch a good game of footy. But then I I realize Sydney is playing. At ANZ Stadium. I’m in for a boring night. I look for other things to do. Play footy on the Playstation; continue reading my book [Read more]
AFL Round 20: Amid much swearing and confusion over flirting with form, the Cats get home
August 19, 2009 by 3 Comments
Sydney v Geelong, ANZ Stadium, Saturday 15th August 2009. Sydney are coming off annihilating a pitiful Richmond, while Geelong were comfortably beaten by Carlton. A lot of criticism has been directed the Cats’ way, especially against Gary Ablett and Steve Johnson. Be interesting to see how the team responds against tough opposition tonight.
Round 20: I especially love Saturday nights when I can watch the footy. Cats did well to get up, too
August 17, 2009 by 4 Comments
Saturday nights are usually chaos at my house. Arguing about what should be on TV, so on and so forth. Derogatory comments about footy. It’s what happens when you have 10 people in one house. But tonight was one of the luckier nights. I got to watch the footy without much fuss.
General Footy Writing: It would gladden my heart to see an AFL club in western Sydney
August 16, 2009 by 6 Comments
I am a major advocate for an AFL team in western Sydney. I believe that it will ultimately be very successful – but it will take a long time and a concerted effort by the AFL and its fellow travellers to make it work. I’ve been involved in the promotion and development of football in [Read more]
Round 19: Tiger prospects look shaky after Sydney shellacking
August 12, 2009 by Leave a Comment
Mum and I headed off to the footy unusually early, even for our standards. The reason was because we needed to sneak in RMIT’s open day before the footy. I have plans to be there in 2012. Earlier that day I read an article by Emma Quayle, where she asks where Richmond and North Melbourne [Read more]
AFL Round 19: Swans cap off Mickey’s 300th with a fine win
August 11, 2009 by 2 Comments
By Keiran Croker On Sunday I headed off to the ’G for a breakthrough in the Swans’ history, it being the first time one of our players would play 300 games for the club. I was in my collar, tie and jacket (no jeans) as it was also my first time to watch a game [Read more]
General Footy Writing: Danihers biography taps into a sentimental yearning for the past
August 4, 2009 by 2 Comments
By Adam McNicol The back cover of The Danihers contains a quote from Kevin Sheedy. “They say nostalgia is the most powerful drug in the universe. If so, this book should be banned.” Sheeds might have been off-target with his effort to win the coaching position at Richmond, but in this case he’s spot on. [Read more]
AFL Round 18: Saints just manage to keep unbeaten record intact
August 2, 2009 by 1 Comment
By Tony Dalton Usually I try to avoid attending or watching games between the Swans and the Saints simply because of its low spectator value. I can watch my students play “all on the ball” every other day of the week. I don’t understand the AFL’s scheduling, why these two teams twice a year? It [Read more]
AFL Round 17: I enjoy my Canberra trip even if the Dees fall short
July 28, 2009 by 34 Comments
By Steve Healy Canberra is such a different place to Melbourne. Nowhere near as many cars, or buildings, and when you cross the road you are given about five seconds to sprint across. I arrived in Canberra with my brother on Saturday afternoon. I hopped off the small plane and the sky was blue and [Read more]
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