Friday @ footyalmanac

ALMANAC LUNCH (REDUX): If you missed last Friday’s lunch (shame on you!), guest speaker Tony Wilson relives some of the highlights of what goes on when James Hird isn’t available.

CRIO’S GG’s: With Spring in the air, Chris Riordan looks at the prospects for Craiglee Stakes Day.

THE PRE WRAP- FINALS EDITION: John Mosig pontificates, prognosticates and elucidates on a HUGE first week of finals footy.

FICTION: Albertville face up to a pre-finals encounter with arch rivals Mt Logan, as Richard Holt’s The Albatross Rules reaches chapter 25, Good and Evil.

PLAYER WELFARE: Michael Malthouse has again highlighted the physical toll of constant travel on West Australian players . Brad Carr thinks he’s onto something, and provides some facts to back up the contention, along with some possible solutions.

BOOING: To boo or not to boo? That is the question Arma Nasco faces as he delves into this murky aspect of crowd behaviour.

TRIBUTE: Floreat Pican Steve Fahey has jumped ship, albeit temporarily, to pay his respects to one of footy’s Mr Nice Guys, Paul Roos.

MEMOIR: What’s in an old footy jumper? For Vin Maskell, a lifetime of memories and family associations.

LADDERS: Westcoastdave answers the question on everybody’s lips, “do football and transitive logic mix?”. The results are positively feudal.

OMEN: And while we’re on statistical oddities, Sainter Rick Newbery doesn’t like the trend he sees in results between the Cats and the Saints.

FLOREAT PICA REPORT: Patience is the word for Tony Scully, as he reports on the Magpies’ final round glitch against the Hawks.

AFL Round 22 – RICHMOND v PORT ADELAIDE: John Green was at the MCG to witness the curtain come down on the Tigers’ season and Ben Cousins’ career.

SOCCER: Poor crowds and a last-minute loss have left Melbourne Heartbtoken again. Tom Riordan gives us “everything A-League”.

THE VIEW FROM SHEPPARTON: Peter Schumacher shoots from the hip as he looks back over Round 22 and ahead to the finals.

CRIO’S Q: Finals are the time when reputations are made or broken. Chris Riordan asks, who you to nominate who has shined on the September stage, and who has sunk?

KNIGHTS SACKING: Sam Steele is not impressed that the “Faceless Men” have struck at Bomberland.

THE WRAP XXII: John Mosig looks at the round, and in some cases the season, that was. Of course, on the matter of the Essendon coach, John is one who can legitimately claim “I tipped this” a long time ago.

HOME AND AWAY GAMES FINALE: To continue the Essendon theme, Geoff Sinclair’s innovative opus, Home and Away Games reaches its final chapter, in what has been a dramatic season for both the Bombers and “Rabbit” Schofield.

ITALIAN TEAM OF THE CENTURY: Those fortunate enough to attend a previous Almanac lunch would have heard Tony De Bolfo speak movingly of the marvellous stories behind so many members of the Italian Team of the Century. As a reprise, we have the story of Alec Epis, who grew up on the West Australian goldfields, and went on to play 180 games for the Bombers.

AFL Round 22- MELBOURNE v NORTH MELBOURNE: Josh Barnstable kept his perfect record for the season intact, as a couple of veterans went out on a high at the ‘G.

AFL Round 22- COLLINGWOOD v … errr COLLINGWOOD: Danni Eid swears she took notes for the Hawks game, but when she contemplated the dropping of her beloved Jack, something had to give!

AFL Round 22- WESTERN BULLDOGS v ESSENDON: Josh Barnstable took time out from his burgeoning media career to take a look at the Dogs finish the Bombers season with a loss.

AFL Round 22- FREMANTLE v CARLTON: John Butler saw the the Blues storm home, but fail to snatch a home final from the Dockers.

AFL Round 22- FREMANTLE v CARLTON: An early taste of finals intensity was just what Josh Barnstable needed to warm the bones.

THE WRAP XXII: The Wrap returns in time for the finals. John Mosig pays tribute to some notable retirees and casts an eye over the final home & away round.

CRIO’S GG’s: Chris Riordan is pretty excited about the field for the Memsie Stakes, as well as life in general, as the prospect of Spring grows near.

BEN COUSINS: After hype that put Avatar’s pre-publicity to shame, Ben Cousins’ story, as told to us by Ben Cousins, finally hits the screen. What do we all make of it?

AFL Round 21- SYDNEY v BULLDOGS: Jake Stevens and his Dad travelled to Sydney to watch Brett Kirk’s last game and got to meet the man himself, making it a memorable trip in all respects.

LOCAL FOOTY: Long lost Queensland correspondent Mick Jeffrey has had a season with a few downs, but many more ups, as he prepares for a Preliminary Final this weekend.

GIGS’ STATS: This week as we travel at breakneck speed down Gigs’ Insane Statistical Highway, we discover that the final eight is not so final, gauge Carlton’s chances of beating Freo two weeks in a row, marvel at Collingwood’s drought-breaking final score, and pay tribute (anagrammatically, of course) to “Boomer” Harvey.

AFL Round 21- ST KILDA v RICHMOND: There were cousins everywhere David Downer looked on Saturday, as the Saints warmed up for what they hope will be a perfect September.

AFL Round 21- WEST COAST v NORTH MELBOURNE: With the Roos out of finals contention, and on the other side of the continent, Andrew Starkie allowed himself a pleasant Sunday evening’s listening, amongst other activities.

COUNTRY FOOTY: The rivalry between Echuca and Rochester goes back 137 years. Rod Gillett provides some very enlightening background to their crucial clash this weekend.

ALMANAC LUNCH: The next lunch is on this Friday 27th at the Clyde Hotel, cnr Elgin & Cardigan Sts Carlton. Special guest speaker will be author, raconteur and broadcaster Tony Wilson. All enquiries to pauldaffey@hotkey.net.au

CRIO’S QUESTION: Some sporting moments are instantly recognisable by a few words. Chris Riordan asks you to share those moments which are indelibly tagged.

THE VIEW FROM SHEPPARTON: As the home and away season draws to a close, Peter Schumacher looks at which clubs can look forward with confidence, either to this year’s finals, or next season.

SOCCER: Tom Riordan reports on Round 3 of an A-League season that could be defined by goals, excitement and maybe even a Worm.

FLOREAT PICA: The Pies won as expected but, as Mick Ramsdale reports, the game didn’t exactly go according to the script.

AFL Round 21 – GEELONG v CARLTON: Another routine victory for the Cats. But for Susie Giese, it was marred by a typical performance by V-Line, and an atypical act by J-Pod.

AFL Round 21 – COLLINGWOOD v ADELAIDE: Andrew Fithall combined a bit of the old and the new on Saturday night: a good old-fashioned dour game of footy at the ‘G with regular election updates via Twitter.

POLITICAL CLIFF-HANGER: The campaign was more “bumping pitch” than “blinding light”, but the result had most on the edge of their seat. Dips O’Donnell gives his unique take on the campaign. “There’s two sides out there, and neither of them…”

2008 GRAND FINAL: For the devoted fan, the loss of a Grand Final is an experience you never forget. Susie Giese relives the Geelong agony of their shock loss in 2008.

FOOTY WRITING: Fraught is the operative word, as Rabbit deals with tensions on several fronts. Geoff Sinclair’s Home and Away Games reaches its penultimate Round 21.

FOOTY DOCUMENTARIES: In the lead up to You-Know-Who’s documentary screening on Wednesday, Damian Watson takes a look at five other football films which have previously caught the eye.

AFL Round 21- WEST COAST v NORTH MELBOURNE: Josh Barnstable is delighted to relate how the Roos brought home the Points in Boomer’s 300th game.

AFL Round 21- SYDNEY v BULLDOGS: Kirk and Roos’ last home game, Bazza’s homecoming, there were lots of reasons the Sydney crowd and team were up for this one. Tom Bally reports.

AFL Round 21- COLLINGWOOD v ADELAIDE: For Danni Eid, election night was all about Jack, high heels, and dance-floor domination, as contests got tight on and off the field.

AFL Round 21- GEELONG v CARLTON: As Josh Barnstable cancelled his own party, grumpy Gazza came good to help the Cats spoil any potential Blues parties.

AFL Round 21- GEELONG v CARLTON: Sam Marcolin thinks beating the Blues is just as good as downing the Magpies.

FOOTY ELECTIONS: Given the over-riding theme of the day, the Almanac thinks it timely to revisit Michael Rees’ scholarly examination of your team’s election day approval ratings.

GIG’S STATS: In this week’s Symposium of Statistical Satisfaction, Professor Gigs tries hard not to get in a binary bind over a Doggie disaster, delves into the heated debate over 2.2, and gives an election analysis that deserves to be hung.

FICTION: Its all about bloodlines as Albertville makes a mark on and off field. Richard Holt’s The Albatross Rules brings us Chapter 24, “A Victory For The Ages”.

ELECTION HARMS: Round 8- JTH gives his final word on a campaign that has generally disappointed as a contest of ideas.

OPINION: John Butler wonders if the AFL’s constant changes to footy law are really improving the game, and whether other considerations aren’t being sacrificed in the rush.

CRIO’S GG’s: Chris Riordan looks at a weekend of racing where he fancies attentions should turn to Warwick Farm.

AFL Round 21 1990: Looking with some foreboding at tonight’s Blues v Cats clash, Rick Newbery casts his mind back 20 years to an upset that kept Navy Blue hopes briefly flickering.

BENDIGO FOOTY: With the final round of the Bendigo League’s home & away season played this weekend, Richard Jones takes us back 50 years to the conclusion of the 1960 season.

LACROSSE: Although a minority sport, Andrew Fithall has some strong personal connections to the women’s lacrosse scene in Victoria.

ELECTION HARMS: Round 7- The ALP launch left hearts and minds unstirred around the nation. JTH wonders if anyone else notices the pervasive smell of stale margarine? Although some real butter was to be found in surprising places.

SUCCESS: For all its attempts at footy socialism since 1986, how much have the AFL’s efforts really helped the battling clubs? Pete Edwards thinks nothing beats the Five C’s if you want to win a flag.

SEASON FINALES: As this home and away season draws to a close, Michael Rees takes a delightful step back in time to 1972, where the season reached a thrilling climax.

LOCAL FOOTY: An American dream has become reality in the unlikely environs of Mansfield, writes Paul Daffey.

AFL Round 20- NORTH MELBOURNE v ST KILDA: For Andrew Starkie, Sunday evening games just don’t work. The pall of impending “Mondayitis” is overpowering, particularly given the result of this game.

GOLD COAST DEFECTIONS: The Gold Coast Suns have their first confirmed sign-up from another club. Anne Fedorowytsch takes a snapshot of Adelaide reaction to the loss of Nathan Bock.

ALL BLACKS: Tony Robb does his bit for Trans-Tasman relations by looking at the relationship the Kiwis have with their true national team.

EXOTIC FAUNA: We all know the wildlife down in Tassie is different, but Bill Walker may have topped the lot with this specimen.

THE VIEW FROM FAR NORTH SHEPPARTON: Stuck in the footy wilderness and surrounded by infidels, Peter Schumacher still manages to give us his take on Round 20.

SOCCER: Tom Riordan reports on the second round of A-League and a very unfamiliar looking ladder.

ELECTION HARMS – Round 6: Who would’ve thought that one of John Harms’ favourite places – the Rooty Hill RSL – could make him grumpy? Thanks to Tony and Julia, it has.

CRIO’S QUESTION: Chris Riordan attended two wildly contrasting games on the weekend. It’s prompted him to call for nominations of the best and worst games you’ve seen this season.

GOLD COAST GARY: What is currently a nightmare from which Cats fans can still wake up – for now at least – has become an awful reality for fans of the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers. Dan O’Sullivan explains.

BOOMER HARVEY: As North’s skipper approaches his 300th game, Stephen George thinks it’s time to pay tribute to a humble champion.

ELECTION HARMS: Round 5- The Liberals had their launch, and Julia went on Q & A, but JTH isn’t sure why the Labor party was tightening in the betting.

AFL Round 20- BULLDOGS v GEELONG: For Andrew Gigacz, the second quarter obliteration against the Cats brought back the sort of nostalgia no Bulldog fan needs.

FLOREAT PICA SOCIETY: Gayle Hill & Regina Rowan debut for this week’s FP report. It is no surprise they are very happy.

AFL Round 20- CARLTON v RICHMOND: John Butler reports that the Blues put this game away early, turning the focus onto some older Tigers seeking redemption.

AFL Round 20- HAWTHORN v MELBOURNE: Josh Barnstable watched the Hawks produce the perfect answer to their President with a win that cemented their place in the eight.

AFL Round 20- FREMANTLE v SYDNEY: For Tom Bally, sobriety and Swans victories are going hand in hand. He cheered his team home in a tough encounter with the Dockers.

ELECTION HARMS: Round 4- Queensland is likely to decide the election, and as JTH well knows, they look at things differently up there.

COUNTRY FOOTY: Nick Kossatch reports on the Riverland Superdogs thrilling come from behind victory over Easts.

AFL Round 20- BULLDOGS v GEELONG: Josh Barnstable saw a second term performance from the Cats that he doesn’t think will be topped this season.

AFL Round 20- ESSENDON v COLLINGWOOD: Danni Eid saw this Magpie thrashing of the Bombers as payback for an ancient grudge- and a good excuse for a party.

AFL Round 20- BULLDOGS v GEELONG: Sam Marcolin won an important bet when his Cats trounced the Bulldogs at Etihad.

FOOTY WRITING: Rabbit has week where class difference, both social and football, was evident at every turn. Geoff Sinclair’s Home and Away Games gives us round 20.

FANTASY FOOTY: Stephen George wants to know if anyone knows of an app which can help him with his fantasy footy addiction. Apple, where are you when we need you?

JUNIOR FOOTY: It can be a long, cold Canberra morning when the opposition is unyielding, and the ump falls on top of you. The Yass Roos Under 10 side battled it out in their penultimate game for the season.

ELECTION HARMS: Round 3- JTH thinks its a no-brainer. When even the “drop-kick sports columnists” can see the problem, it’s time for a change. “Real Julia” goes to the footy, but will it score her any points?

AFL Round 20- ESSENDON v COLLINGWOOD: The Bombers found that seatbelts were no protection against crashing into a rampant Magpie juggernaut. Josh Barnstable reports.

AFL Round 20- ESSENDON v COLLINGWOOD: This thrashing at the hands of the Pies may persuade Rod Oaten to call an early stumps on the footy and start thinking of the summer.

SOCCER: Has the formation of the English Premier League really improved English soccer? Stephen George looks at the pros and cons of the EPL era for the game as a whole.

FICTION: The defence is off the grog and on the tan to demonstrate they will do “whatever it takes”. Richard Holt’s The Albatross Rules starts the run into the finals with chapter 23.

JUNIOR FOOTY: From out of the Canberra mists emerged a junior footy gem, as Yass under 10’s tackled the might of Ainslie. Peter Mclaren reports.

THE VIEW FROM SHEPPARTON: The twin vagaries of travelling and technology conspired to delay this week’s View. One thing Peter Schumacher definitely got this week was a reminder of how far Aussie Rules has to go in many northern climes.

POLITICAL FOOTBALL: It’s hardly surprising Hamish Cameron of The Terrace has mixed feeling about the Coalition money on offer to the Cats. After all, he’s a standing member of the Geelong fraternity.

AFL Round 19- ADELAIDE v BULLDOGS: John Kingsmill was moved to verse as the Bulldogs saw off the Crows in the wet.

ELECTION HARMS: JTH has been following the biggest game in town for Betfair. As the campaign kicked off, he proved accurate in his judgement that this contest was going to be a tight one.

GIGS’ STATS: Without trying to be too cryptic, what do the words topic, picnic, septic, magic, tragic, logic, tonic, static, panic, epic and optic have in common? Pretty simple really. They all feature in this week’s Gigs’ Stats column.

REDHEADS: As the nation considers its attitude to one particular redhead, Arma Nasco takes an in-depth look at football’s red-headed brethren.

COLLIWOBBLES: Andrew Fithall sets out to prove once and for all (and to reassure himself?) that the “Colliwobbles” are a myth and will have no bearing on what happens to the Pies in the next seven weeks.

LOCAL FOOTY: Scott Lucas is kicking goals for Greenvale as former AFL players land in Bomber territory, writes Paul Daffey.

SOCCER: Four of the five Round 1 A-League games ended in draws but as Tom Riordan reports, the soccer was anything but boring.

PREDICTION: When you read Sam Marcolin’s definitive, succinct and totally even-handed arguments for Geelong being the only possible side that could win this year’s flag, you’ll wonder why you didn’t come to the same conclusion yourself much earlier…

WATTO’S QUESTION: Damian Watson traces the recent history of goal umpiring blunders and asks “where do you stand on the question of tradition vs technology?”

OPINION: Roll up! Roll up! Who’s next in line to have their say about the standard of umpiring? Yes, it’s Domenic Favata.

ALMANAC ON TWITTER: The Footy Almanac is now on Twitter. Follow us @thefootyalmanac for daily updates & alerts

FOOTY SCARVES: To Julia Harrison, the donning of a humble footy scarf had a transforming effect on the day.

BOOK REVIEW: Bernard Whimpress reviews Greg de Moore’s Tom Wills: His Spectacular Rise and Tragic Fall, the biography of one of early Australia’s great sporting figures.

LOCAL FOOTY: Martin Marpol has been taken by the story of Shannon Leatch, who is currently playing local footy in South Australia. He wonders whether this could eventually be another tale of dreams come true, like those of Podsiadly and Barlow.

INTERNATIONAL FOOTY: Troy Thompson gives us an update on happenings in the European Aussie Rules Championships, as well as other results in internationals around the world.

CULT HEROES: What males a cult hero? Arma Nasco examines the particular qualities that elevate some to cultdom, and offers a selection of those who could be eligible for this exclusive club.

FOOTY MEMORY: James Gilchrist turns the clock back more than 30 years to when a Magpie called Moore ruled the air on the footy field and whose image adorned the most sought-after footy card of all.

BOOK REVIEW: Visit our book review page to see Ged McMahon’s take on Adam Ramanauskas’ story, Nine Lives, written with the substantial assistance of Emma Quayle.

BOOK REVIEW: And while your visiting the book review page, you can also read Ian Syson’s review of Greg Mallory’s Voices from Brisbane Rugby League, an oral history of the game covering several decades.

FAREWELL HAIKU BOB: Though he will still be with us thanks to the marvels of the interweb, the Almanac sadly lost one of its own this week, with Haiku Bob (aka Rob Scott) moving to Sweden. Peter Flynn pays tribute to an Almanac legend.

LOCAL FOOTY: It was Stevie J all the way in a rare game for his home club, Wangaratta, writes Paul Daffey.

SOCCER: In the second of his weekly A-League columns, Tom Riordan sticks his neck out and tells us who will win and which team will bomb in the upcoming season.

FOOTY TIPPING: Ged McMahon broke a life-long rule last week. He tipped against his beloved Bombers. It’s a decision he will have to live with forever.

SCHOOL FOOTY: James Gilchrist’s book Wednesday Warriors followed St. Patrick’s College, Ballarat, through their 2009 season. James has followed St. Pat’s progress this season as well, and reports on a successful campaign.

ALMANAC LUNCH: Damian O’Donnell found a better class of discussion at the Almanac lunch than can presently be found on the campaign hustings… well, maybe.

SPORTS CLICHÉ: Arma Nasco debuts with an examination of the much maligned sporting phenomenon of being “much maligned”. He also offers a possibly maligned list of contemporary maligned.

TRAVEL ALERT: Foreign correspondent Eric Ellis has a harrowing tale all international travellers and sports fans will relate to. He warns of the insidious nature of ICPS (International Couch Potato Syndrome).

TEAM OF THE CENTURY: Tony De Bolfo looks at the life of Cecil Pettiona, who played 78 games for South Melbourne during their most successful era.

ITALIAN TEAM OF THE CENTURY: In today’s instalment of Tony De Bolfo’s series, he profiles Peter Bevilacqua, a man with a unique place in VFL/AFL history.

ETIHAD STADIUM SURFACE: As the debate over the playing surface at Docklands rages, Bill Walker suggests that what is needed is a solution, not an inquisition. He offers the benefit of his horticultural experience to identify what the problems might be.

OFFICIAL AFL PRETTY LIST: Take this Champion Data! Dannielle Eid has scoured the club websites to bring you a comprehensive guide to hotness in the AFL. And to show that it’s scientifically based, Collingwood aren’t even on top!

ITALIAN TEAM OF THE CENTURY: Tony De Bolfo’s series continues with the story of Peter Pianto, who is also a member of Geelong’s Team of the Century.

ITALIAN TEAM OF THE CENTURY: We continue Tony De Bolfo’s series on members of the Italian Team of the Century with the story of Frank Curcio, Fitzroy great, musician and one of Jack Dyer’s great adversaries.

ITALIAN TEAM OF THE CENTURY: Today we begin a series of in-depth articles from Tony De Bolfo on individual team members Italian Team of the Century, the first being one of the game’s greats, triple Brownlow Medalist Ian Stewart (Cervi)

HAIKU BOB: The Pies weaved to victory over the Saints through “fingers of sun”

BOOK LAUNCH: The Family Behind the Football is the story of the Sherrin family as told by Syd Sherrin. Vin Maskell gives a great insight into how the book came about.

WORLD CUP FORUM: It took until the 116th minute, but Spain have finally won the World Cup for the first time. The 1-0 result means the champions of Europe are now World champions. With the carnival over for another four years, we invite you to share your thoughts on the tournament.

PLAYER PROFILE: Bob Utber looks at the boy from Broken Hill, Taylor Walker, and ponders what small differences can turn a player into an A-grader.

MILESTONE: How important is Bill Walker’s portait of Daniel Franks, who played his 200th game for Wynyard at the weekend? VERY important, because it captures the essence, or what should be the essence, of our great game. Great piece, Phantom.

BOOK REVIEW: And while Crio’s at it, here’s his review of David Peace’s “The Damned United”, a book that charts the spectacularly short, yet highly charged, tenure of Brian Clough as manager at Leeds United in 1974.

BARASSI v ROSE: Ever alert to a milestone, Michael Rees celebrates the 25th anniversary of the final meeting between the two coaches involved in the historic 1970 Grand Final. He looks at a coaching rivalry which spanned many years and several clubs.

COUNTRY FOOTY: It was a big GVL clash between Shepparton United and Shepparton Swans, but Paul Branagan found it hard not to be distracted by the Perry Meka Roadshow.

UNIVERSITY CLUBS: Rocket Rod Gillett gives us a run down of the history of university footy clubs, and why they’re inclined to be a little bit different.

AFL FUTURE FIXTURE: Tim Ivins gives us a run down of the fixture options the AFL are putting forward at the present time. Uncle Andy wants to hear from you apparently…

HOMEBUSH FOOTY: The Sydney Olympic Stadium (aka Homebush) has hosted many great sporting moments in its 11 year existence. Damian Watson runs through some of the AFL highlights the ground has witnessed.

AROUND THE GROUNDS: Steve Healy and Damien Watson complete a journey that began in last school holidays and incorporated VFL grounds of a bygone era.

INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCES: After his stellar efforts last Friday, many superlatives have been thrown Lindsay Thomas’ way. But as good as it was, how does this performance rate in historical terms? Paul Daffey revisits some of the outstanding home & away efforts over the decades.

NORM SMITH SACKING: The coming round will mark the 45th anniversary of one of football’s greatest controversies: the sacking of Melbourne’s legendary coach Norm Smith. Michael Rees gives a fascinating account of this pivotal turning point for the Melbourne Football Club, including a remarkable episode of Tony Charlton’s Football Show which was broadcast in the days following the sacking.

OVERSEAS FOOTY: In the USA, you have to travel  to wherever a game is on offer. David Mapleston’s NYC Magpies journeyed to Philadelphia to tackle the bruisers from Baltimore.

EULOGY: Vic Rowlands was the senior master at Beechworth High when Terry Bartel was a cheeky student — and dynamic sportsman. Here Vic recalls some of his favourite memories of his friend who died recently.

RIVERINA FOOTY: David Ogilvy and friends spent a highly sociable day at the football in Lake Cargelligo, in the northern reaches of the Riverina, where a full tank is an asset in more ways than one.

COUNTRY FOOTY: Over three decades, Richard Jones was witness to the formative professional years of several high profile media personalities. He no doubt knows the location of a skeleton or two. Here, Richard runs through a list of familiar names (some very familiar).

COUNTRY FOOTY: Mourners flocked to Beechworth to see off local sporting legend Terry Bartel, writes Paul Daffey.

NT FOOTY: Tavis Perry found the football season on Elcho Island surprising and inspirational in many ways

NSW FOOTY: Jack Dean rucked against Jack Dyer, and has an involvement with the game that goes through to the present day. “Rocket” Rod Gillett tells the story of a true prince of interstate footy.

FUNNY TEAMS: What do you do if you have some spare time? If you’re Steve Healy, you select sides according to month of birth. All twelve months. Steve, you make Gigs proud.

LOCAL FOOTY: Darren Dawson reports on footy developments in the Williamstown area, from which it is hoped wider lessons may be learned.

FOOTY HISTORY: Who are football’s founders? The debate continues. In this fascinating piece of historical archaeology, author Tony Ward offers some new candidates for consideration.

GENERAL FOOTY WRITING: In February Paul Daffey wrote about the extraordinary sporting talents of Terry Bartel, father of Geelong’s Jimmy. Here The Footy Almanac revives the article in honour of Terry, who died on 7 May.

THE FOOTY FIXTURE: 18 Teams, 22 rounds, specialty fixtures, and a fair draw. Can it be done? Neil Belford believes it can.

JOHN HARMS: The multitudinous fans of John Harms’ brilliant weekly pieces in The Age are hereby notified that from this week, John’s column will appear each Wednesday on Betfair’s website and of course, here at the Footy Almanac. John’s opening piece of the season is a treasure. Catch it HERE.

SPEECH: In a recent speech given to Melbourne’s Irish History Circle, Paul Daffey reflected on the legend of Irish hurling legend D.J. Carey and what it means to be at an event with great craic.

LINK: John Harms is director of Manning Clark House in Canberra. Check out the MCH Register of Australian words and phrases and things your grandparents used to say and make your contribution. Visit the MCH Forum.

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