http://www.thepunch.com.au/tags/geelong/ Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. en Copyright 2012 The Punch penberthyd@newsltd.com.au penberthyd@newsltd.com.au Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Politics, opinion, world news, sports news, latest news, views, Barack Obama, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Nathan Rees, Malcolm Turnbull, Peter Garrett, Barnaby Joyce, Australian, federal politics, opinion polls, election, The Punch, thepunch, punch ExpressionEngine 1.6.7 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 15 http://www.thepunch.com.au/images/punch-logo-rss.png http://www.thepunch.com.au/ 144 70 Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. Search The Punch keywords http://www.thepunch.com.au/search/ http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/forget-france-the-cycling-world-is-watching-le-geelong/ In the world of professional cycling, the rainbow jersey represents the pinnacle of achievement. It is awarded to the winner of the World Championship each year. For ever after, the victors are entitled to wear the rainbow colours on the collar and armbands of their racing jersey, a lasting reminder of having been the best cyclist on the globe in each event. This week’s World Championships in Geelong are special for Australians. Not only is it the first time that the event has been held down under, but the Australian, Cadel Evans, is the defending champion in the blue riband event, the elite men’s road race. The championships have drawn the best field of cyclists to Australia since the Sydney Olympics, and none more so than the three-time winner, Oscar Freire. The diminutive Spanish sprinter burst onto the world stage when he finished second in the under 23 road race championship in 1997. Two years later, he claimed the elite event at Verona. He repeated the feat in 2001 and 2004. Since then he has won a series of events, including the Milan-San Remo classic thrice and the green jersey for the leading sprinter in the 2008 Tour de France. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/forget-france-the-cycling-world-is-watching-le-geelong/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/forget-france-the-cycling-world-is-watching-le-geelong/#item4167 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 He’s gone. Over the course of the season the inevitability of it has been crushing. Now it has happened. In recent times, each day as I have held my two poodles “Gary” and “Ablett” I have wondered what I will do if and when the day comes. If you can’t teach an old dog new tricks then how on earth can you change his name? Gary, the older of the pair, has maintained a calm demeanour born of the knowledge that he is named after Gary Snr: an Ablett who will be always only associated with one club. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/gary-is-just-fine-but-ablett-is-chasing-his-tail/ He’s gone. Over the course of the season the inevitability of it has been crushing. Now it has happened. In recent times, each day as I have held my two poodles “Gary” and “Ablett” I have wondered what I will do if and when the day comes. If you can’t teach an old dog new tricks then how on earth can you change his name? Gary, the older of the pair, has maintained a calm demeanour born of the knowledge that he is named after Gary Snr: an Ablett who will be always only associated with one club. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/gary-is-just-fine-but-ablett-is-chasing-his-tail/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/gary-is-just-fine-but-ablett-is-chasing-his-tail/#item4159 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 He’s gone. Over the course of the season the inevitability of it has been crushing. Now it has happened. In recent times, each day as I have held my two poodles “Gary” and “Ablett” I have wondered what I will do if and when the day comes. If you can’t teach an old dog new tricks then how on earth can you change his name? Gary, the older of the pair, has maintained a calm demeanour born of the knowledge that he is named after Gary Snr: an Ablett who will be always only associated with one club. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/gary-ablett-and-the-end-of-club-loyalty/ It’s the day Cats fans have been dreading all year: their favorite son, Gary Ablett, will sign a deal to become a Sun. A Gold Goast Sun. If you were offered $9.5 million over five years, would you take it? Would you leave the club that has made you what you are today? If you were offered a once-in-a-lifetime deal that would shape a life of luxury, security and comfort for your family, would you take it? penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/gary-ablett-and-the-end-of-club-loyalty/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/gary-ablett-and-the-end-of-club-loyalty/#item4141 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 He’s gone. Over the course of the season the inevitability of it has been crushing. Now it has happened. In recent times, each day as I have held my two poodles “Gary” and “Ablett” I have wondered what I will do if and when the day comes. If you can’t teach an old dog new tricks then how on earth can you change his name? Gary, the older of the pair, has maintained a calm demeanour born of the knowledge that he is named after Gary Snr: an Ablett who will be always only associated with one club. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/a-cats-fan-concedes-its-the-changing-of-the-guard/ After months of uncertainty last week had about it a sense of clarity. With all the incessant talk about the rise of Collingwood, Geelong was finally going to set this season right. The undisputed heavyweight champions were going to teach the Pies a lesson about finals footy. We all knew Travis Cloke couldn’t kick. Didak hangs up his boots at the end of August. Not even Dane Swan could carry a team by himself in the heat of a Prelim. Stacked up against 14 All-Australians in a team which had reached the mountain top twice in the last three years, Collingwood had no hope. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/a-cats-fan-concedes-its-the-changing-of-the-guard/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/a-cats-fan-concedes-its-the-changing-of-the-guard/#item4095 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 He’s gone. Over the course of the season the inevitability of it has been crushing. Now it has happened. In recent times, each day as I have held my two poodles “Gary” and “Ablett” I have wondered what I will do if and when the day comes. If you can’t teach an old dog new tricks then how on earth can you change his name? Gary, the older of the pair, has maintained a calm demeanour born of the knowledge that he is named after Gary Snr: an Ablett who will be always only associated with one club. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-year-to-banish-the-colliwobbles-forever/ Magpie fans ... get ready for the time of your lives. The Collingwood football machine is on the verge of breaking its 20-year premiership drought and we’re going to witness one giant party in good ‘ol Melbourne town. After ruling the MCG’s hallowed turf on Friday night against Geelong, the Magpies are red hot and on their way to winning the AFL’s biggest prize this Saturday. The Magpies have just two hurdles to overcome in their bid to secure their first flag since 1990. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-year-to-banish-the-colliwobbles-forever/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-year-to-banish-the-colliwobbles-forever/#item4069 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 He’s gone. Over the course of the season the inevitability of it has been crushing. Now it has happened. In recent times, each day as I have held my two poodles “Gary” and “Ablett” I have wondered what I will do if and when the day comes. If you can’t teach an old dog new tricks then how on earth can you change his name? Gary, the older of the pair, has maintained a calm demeanour born of the knowledge that he is named after Gary Snr: an Ablett who will be always only associated with one club. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/magpies-and-cats-ready-for-war-on-the-hallowed-turf/ It’s going to be a ferocious war zone on the MCG’s hallowed turf this Friday night. The Magpies are fired up to punch nails in the Cats’ coffin in their preliminary final blockbuster. But the Magpies must achieve three targets – beating midfielders Gary Ablett, Jimmy Bartel and co. in the central war zone, shaking off their goal-kicking yips to win on the scoreboard and destroying the demons that have haunted them for decades, the Colliwobbles. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/magpies-and-cats-ready-for-war-on-the-hallowed-turf/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/magpies-and-cats-ready-for-war-on-the-hallowed-turf/#item4017 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 He’s gone. Over the course of the season the inevitability of it has been crushing. Now it has happened. In recent times, each day as I have held my two poodles “Gary” and “Ablett” I have wondered what I will do if and when the day comes. If you can’t teach an old dog new tricks then how on earth can you change his name? Gary, the older of the pair, has maintained a calm demeanour born of the knowledge that he is named after Gary Snr: an Ablett who will be always only associated with one club. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/can-cousins-stay-off-it-this-mad-monday/ It’s the wild day of the AFL calendar – Mad Monday – and there’s a BEN-DER alert on those party animals, the Tigers. After Richmond farewelled Ben Cousins yesterday, the players will pump up the celebrations on Mad Monday. It was a brave last AFL game for Cousins, who racked up 21 touches while playing with a bung hamstring. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/can-cousins-stay-off-it-this-mad-monday/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/can-cousins-stay-off-it-this-mad-monday/#item3926 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 He’s gone. Over the course of the season the inevitability of it has been crushing. Now it has happened. In recent times, each day as I have held my two poodles “Gary” and “Ablett” I have wondered what I will do if and when the day comes. If you can’t teach an old dog new tricks then how on earth can you change his name? Gary, the older of the pair, has maintained a calm demeanour born of the knowledge that he is named after Gary Snr: an Ablett who will be always only associated with one club. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/why-collingwood-cant-win-it/ Collingwood were on top of the world before Friday, seemingly unstoppable and had the feeling of an AFL premiership coming their way. The Magpies ruled the AFL last week. But they were brought back to earth with a thud after copping a nasty wake-up call during Friday night’s blockbuster against Geelong. Described as pretenders after their 36-point loss to the Cats, Collingwood simply didn’t have the goal-scoring power to match Geelong. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/why-collingwood-cant-win-it/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/why-collingwood-cant-win-it/#item3151 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 He’s gone. Over the course of the season the inevitability of it has been crushing. Now it has happened. In recent times, each day as I have held my two poodles “Gary” and “Ablett” I have wondered what I will do if and when the day comes. If you can’t teach an old dog new tricks then how on earth can you change his name? Gary, the older of the pair, has maintained a calm demeanour born of the knowledge that he is named after Gary Snr: an Ablett who will be always only associated with one club. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/raining-cats-and-knocks-as-geelong-still-leads-the-pack/ It’s known as the game of hard knocks and the Cats dished them out in big doses against the Hawks at the MCG yesterday. The heavy-handed tactics served the reigning premiers well. The Cats won a thriller in a rough-and-tumble match, eventually wearing down the Hawks by nine points in the AFL’s Round 2. It’s a ruthless game and it can often come down to the survival of the fittest. The Cats know that. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/raining-cats-and-knocks-as-geelong-still-leads-the-pack/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/raining-cats-and-knocks-as-geelong-still-leads-the-pack/#item2769 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 He’s gone. Over the course of the season the inevitability of it has been crushing. Now it has happened. In recent times, each day as I have held my two poodles “Gary” and “Ablett” I have wondered what I will do if and when the day comes. If you can’t teach an old dog new tricks then how on earth can you change his name? Gary, the older of the pair, has maintained a calm demeanour born of the knowledge that he is named after Gary Snr: an Ablett who will be always only associated with one club. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-cats-a-champion-team-a-team-of-mates/ Never underestimate the power of camaraderie. It’s the making of a champion team. Mateship is the very thing that attracts players to sporting teams. The social fabric of a team – and club – is just as powerful as the skill and endeavour of its players. A champion team will always beat a team of champions. The Cats put this case to rest on Saturday afternoon, after surviving an epic battle against St Kilda in the AFL Grand Final. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-cats-a-champion-team-a-team-of-mates/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-cats-a-champion-team-a-team-of-mates/#item1321 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 He’s gone. Over the course of the season the inevitability of it has been crushing. Now it has happened. In recent times, each day as I have held my two poodles “Gary” and “Ablett” I have wondered what I will do if and when the day comes. If you can’t teach an old dog new tricks then how on earth can you change his name? Gary, the older of the pair, has maintained a calm demeanour born of the knowledge that he is named after Gary Snr: an Ablett who will be always only associated with one club.