Sunday, February 22, 2009
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Good news
In 2000, the Clontarf Football Academy was set up to encourage Aboriginal lads to stay in school while also honing their football skills.
My understanding is quite a few players have been drafted from the 23 academies that currently run in WA and the Territory.
In a move that's surprised everyone, the Federal Government has just announced a $10 million grant, which will allow nine more schools to open, as well as the expansion of several existing.
1500 kids currently benefit from this. Not an insignificant number, but one that's now set to increase.
Kate Ellis, you champ.
My brother works in a remote community. According to him, the natural flair a lot of these kids have is amazing.
Oh. And it looks like Richmond are going to take Ben Cousins. Boo. Sorry to end on a low.
My understanding is quite a few players have been drafted from the 23 academies that currently run in WA and the Territory.
In a move that's surprised everyone, the Federal Government has just announced a $10 million grant, which will allow nine more schools to open, as well as the expansion of several existing.
1500 kids currently benefit from this. Not an insignificant number, but one that's now set to increase.
Kate Ellis, you champ.
My brother works in a remote community. According to him, the natural flair a lot of these kids have is amazing.
Oh. And it looks like Richmond are going to take Ben Cousins. Boo. Sorry to end on a low.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
In summary
The West Coast have lost Ashley Hansen.
I laugh.
Next year is the year of the Fremantle!
Mmmm. Deja vu...
I laugh.
Next year is the year of the Fremantle!
Mmmm. Deja vu...
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
collingwood in great form
I know footballers aren’t smart.
They don’t have to be.
They have to be good at football.
But how fucken hard is it not to drink and drive when you earn 400 grand a year.
Catch a fucken taxi.
I understand why the odd student does it, no money, maybe even when a poor unfortunate guy does it, but when you earn more in one year than most people spend on a house you have lost the plot .
Get pre paid cab vouchers.
Hire a driver.
Get a horny star gazing girl to drive you.
There are plenty of options.
But Heath Shaw, like a lot of footballers thought fuck it.
And he was at the Gebung (a vile place full of people I despise) which is a long way from where ever he lives in the northern suburbs.
Alan Didak was worse though, unless he has moved, he doesn’t live more than 15 minutes walk from the geebung.
He could have easily walked home.
So now he attacks taxi drivers, hitches a ride with a killer, and lies to his club about traffic accidents.
But from a football point of view can Collingwood afford to lose him.
Another club will pick him up, so why are they better served to “turn him around” than Collingwood.
Well Sydney probably is, look at the great job they have done with big bad.
I need a drink.
They don’t have to be.
They have to be good at football.
But how fucken hard is it not to drink and drive when you earn 400 grand a year.
Catch a fucken taxi.
I understand why the odd student does it, no money, maybe even when a poor unfortunate guy does it, but when you earn more in one year than most people spend on a house you have lost the plot .
Get pre paid cab vouchers.
Hire a driver.
Get a horny star gazing girl to drive you.
There are plenty of options.
But Heath Shaw, like a lot of footballers thought fuck it.
And he was at the Gebung (a vile place full of people I despise) which is a long way from where ever he lives in the northern suburbs.
Alan Didak was worse though, unless he has moved, he doesn’t live more than 15 minutes walk from the geebung.
He could have easily walked home.
So now he attacks taxi drivers, hitches a ride with a killer, and lies to his club about traffic accidents.
But from a football point of view can Collingwood afford to lose him.
Another club will pick him up, so why are they better served to “turn him around” than Collingwood.
Well Sydney probably is, look at the great job they have done with big bad.
I need a drink.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
the bench is in form
I would like to congratulate the AFL on the new interchange rule.
For several reasons really.
One, no one likes it, and I like seeing coaches so angry a vein might pop.
Two, it is humorous to watch stewards try and hold back charging young stallions.
Three, for finding a way to stop so many interchanges whilst pretending this is about the 19 man saga.
It’s genius, the AFL have managed to slow down interchanges, all the while pretending to make sure the basic fundamentals of 18 vs 18 is maintained.
Personally I am not sure why interchanges needed to be slowed down.
It will eventually reach a plateau, and we will get used to it.
Some people are worried that the marquee match ups are lost in football because of interchanges.
I can’t speak for more than one other person when I say that the marquee match ups I see are the key position ones, and they are still there.
I grew up on Langford V Sticks, Carey V Jakovich, Silvagni V Lockett etc…
I can’t remember Shaw V Williams, Harvey v Crawford, Riccutio V Voss.
Mid field match ups are almost impossible to keep an eye on.
And they are almost never one on one.
Shaw played on Williams a lot, but they were both under the pack, how am I supposed to pick up the subtle nature of that match up from the top of the Olympic stand.
Perhaps for people in the comfort of press box with binoculars on you could see underneath those packs, but for the rest of us we were watching the contest, and wondering how many sticks would kick on gayfer.
I love lots of interchanges, because it means I get to see Rhyce Shaw coming off the ground two and three times a quarter, and that can’t be bad.
For several reasons really.
One, no one likes it, and I like seeing coaches so angry a vein might pop.
Two, it is humorous to watch stewards try and hold back charging young stallions.
Three, for finding a way to stop so many interchanges whilst pretending this is about the 19 man saga.
It’s genius, the AFL have managed to slow down interchanges, all the while pretending to make sure the basic fundamentals of 18 vs 18 is maintained.
Personally I am not sure why interchanges needed to be slowed down.
It will eventually reach a plateau, and we will get used to it.
Some people are worried that the marquee match ups are lost in football because of interchanges.
I can’t speak for more than one other person when I say that the marquee match ups I see are the key position ones, and they are still there.
I grew up on Langford V Sticks, Carey V Jakovich, Silvagni V Lockett etc…
I can’t remember Shaw V Williams, Harvey v Crawford, Riccutio V Voss.
Mid field match ups are almost impossible to keep an eye on.
And they are almost never one on one.
Shaw played on Williams a lot, but they were both under the pack, how am I supposed to pick up the subtle nature of that match up from the top of the Olympic stand.
Perhaps for people in the comfort of press box with binoculars on you could see underneath those packs, but for the rest of us we were watching the contest, and wondering how many sticks would kick on gayfer.
I love lots of interchanges, because it means I get to see Rhyce Shaw coming off the ground two and three times a quarter, and that can’t be bad.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
One job Johns!!!!!!!!
I would like to thank Matthew Knights for giving me the inspiration to pull on the boots for the first time since I played Under 16's for Cobden, because if Courtney Johns can get a game in the AFL, anyone can.
I could right a whole blog on the absolute waste of space he is, but I would like to point out one opportunity he could have made a difference in the pathetic period of time we call his "football career."
Early in the second quarter on Anzac Day, Essendon were keeping up the Collingwood at least on the scoreboard when the ball was kicked to the Members Wing to Scott Pendlebury. Johns ran from behind and had the opportunity to put Pendlebury into another stratoshpere (please remember Johns is built like a brick $hithouse) by knocking him out. But, the moron laid a small bump on Pendelbury, gave away a 50m penalty, Pendlebury passed the ball to Medhurst who kicked the goal and the game was over.
Here was a chance for Johns to do something for the club - reward us all for the $hit we have had to put up with in watching the dumb ba$tard disgrace the red and black. But NO, he stuffed up again and let the side down. Pendlebury went on to have 31 posessions and ended up second on the voting for the Anzac Day Medal
Whilst te bloke with the turning circle of the "Queen of the Neatherlands", is playing, there's hope for every half-wit dud like myself. Now fu(k off Johns and give a young kid a go!!!!!
I could right a whole blog on the absolute waste of space he is, but I would like to point out one opportunity he could have made a difference in the pathetic period of time we call his "football career."
Early in the second quarter on Anzac Day, Essendon were keeping up the Collingwood at least on the scoreboard when the ball was kicked to the Members Wing to Scott Pendlebury. Johns ran from behind and had the opportunity to put Pendlebury into another stratoshpere (please remember Johns is built like a brick $hithouse) by knocking him out. But, the moron laid a small bump on Pendelbury, gave away a 50m penalty, Pendlebury passed the ball to Medhurst who kicked the goal and the game was over.
Here was a chance for Johns to do something for the club - reward us all for the $hit we have had to put up with in watching the dumb ba$tard disgrace the red and black. But NO, he stuffed up again and let the side down. Pendlebury went on to have 31 posessions and ended up second on the voting for the Anzac Day Medal
Whilst te bloke with the turning circle of the "Queen of the Neatherlands", is playing, there's hope for every half-wit dud like myself. Now fu(k off Johns and give a young kid a go!!!!!
Saturday, May 3, 2008
the bulge
Football has a new system to overcome.
Brian Taylor called it the jigger.
Gerard Healy called it something I’ve already forgotten.
And when Stuart Dew was part of it, it looked like the bulge.
The Hawks have won 7 on the trot with this corridor defying form of football.
Like flooding before it, it makes the other team look like a bunch of old dudes looking for the bus.
Today the pies repeatedly found themselves going around the boundary line, with a lack of skill.
Occasionally their bumbling boundary like plan worked, but not often.
They then reverted to a run and gun style of football.
Trying to run the ball at the bulge and pop it over the top.
They didn’t get a lot of pop.
Most of the time they got confused and coughed the ball up.
So far Clarkson has a system that works, but the season is oh so young.
As a Collingwood supporter I have seen two systems from coaches get wins early in the season.
Tony Shaw with his set plans, and all that jazz won four of six with a dreadful team before we all realised he wasn’t a coach.
And Mick baffled teams in 2002 with a system where one midfielder sits 10 meters behind the pack at stoppages.
Both of these plans worked, until they didn’t and football was played again.
Problem is with Hawthorn, they have a team that can actually play football, and by the time people have worked out to beat this they will already be entrenched in the top four.
Brian Taylor called it the jigger.
Gerard Healy called it something I’ve already forgotten.
And when Stuart Dew was part of it, it looked like the bulge.
The Hawks have won 7 on the trot with this corridor defying form of football.
Like flooding before it, it makes the other team look like a bunch of old dudes looking for the bus.
Today the pies repeatedly found themselves going around the boundary line, with a lack of skill.
Occasionally their bumbling boundary like plan worked, but not often.
They then reverted to a run and gun style of football.
Trying to run the ball at the bulge and pop it over the top.
They didn’t get a lot of pop.
Most of the time they got confused and coughed the ball up.
So far Clarkson has a system that works, but the season is oh so young.
As a Collingwood supporter I have seen two systems from coaches get wins early in the season.
Tony Shaw with his set plans, and all that jazz won four of six with a dreadful team before we all realised he wasn’t a coach.
And Mick baffled teams in 2002 with a system where one midfielder sits 10 meters behind the pack at stoppages.
Both of these plans worked, until they didn’t and football was played again.
Problem is with Hawthorn, they have a team that can actually play football, and by the time people have worked out to beat this they will already be entrenched in the top four.
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