Essendon
For all the early season dominance of the Magpies and Cats, and the ineptitude of the Suns, Lions and Power, there’s an even bigger AFL story this year. It’s the resurgence of James Hird’s Bombers, who currently sit fifth on the AFL ladder
Hird, of course, is the former Brownlow medallist and premiership skipper who replaced the inept Matthew Knights as Bombers coach for season 2011. Hird has undoubted football nous, but that’s only half the reason his team is playing so well.
There is a force at work this season which is more influential than Hird’s brilliant football brain. It’s a force which propelled Hird to greatness in his playing career and which continues to serves him well today…
Continue reading "The reason Essendon are looking so good this year" »
Appointing Kevin Sheedy as coach of the AFL’s new Western Sydney team is a terrible idea.
For one simple reason: The game has left the once-great coach behind.
It’s the equivalent of making Bill Collins the face of iTunes.
Continue reading "Counter-punch: old man Sheedy a disaster for Sydney" »
Latest 2 of 22 comments
View all comments-
Napier_St says:
Being a life-long Essendon man, it will be wierd seeing Sheeds coaching another team, especially as I was born 2 years after he started coaching the Bombers, for my first 24 years all I knew was Kevin Sheedy being the coach. It was sad but inevitable the day his tenure… Read more »
-
Mick says:
Finn, think you have been a tad harsh on old sheeds. Sure his last few years were not the best, but if you look back at the lists Essendon had - they were never finals chances. I think Sheeds is a great fit for a new club, the experience he… Read more »
Biblical scholars generally agree that on the seventh day God created the Essendon Football Club. And so it came to pass that in 2000AD, as humanity braced for the second coming, the mighty Bombers did descend from heaven and banish the Melbourne Demons with righteous fire.
And lo how the people rejoiced; yet away from the dancing and merrymaking the prophet Leigh Matthews was watching the skies, waiting for a sign…
Matthews was the coach of the Brisbane Lions, a relatively new team which derived its strength from the gayness of anyone who barracked for it. Yet while this power source was abundant, Matthews was a cautious man and carefully studied the form of the Lions’ nemesis.
Continue reading "Joe’s $1 a week cinema #7: Schwarzenegger’s Predator" »
Latest 2 of 17 comments
View all comments-
Chris says:
“Stick around” is pure Arnie wit. Don’t forget that other classic Arnie line in the movie, where he blows down a door and kills the guerilla fighters inside, and then drop the line “Knock knock”. But “Running Man” was the best movie for Arnie one-liners. Read more »
-
Socrates' Lament says:
You who criticise this article based on its references to Australia’s indigenous game have missed its wittier, better-crafted passages. The impetus of this article came from a factual event, where, during a live radio interview in mid-2001, Leigh Matthews offered the “If it bleeds, we can kill it” line in… Read more »
It has been an extraordinary few hours in sport.
Overnight Usain Bolt ran a world-record 9.58sec in the 100m sprint, and Tiger Woods just lost the US PGA Championship to Y.E. Yang - the first time he has ever lost a major tournament having held the lead at the start of the final day.
So here’s a question for you: Which do you think is the more amazing feat? I say Tiger’s defeat, and here’s why.
Latest 2 of 17 comments
View all comments-
Eren says:
Wham bam thank you, ma’am, my questions are asnweerd! Read more »
-
chris says:
There is no comparison of freakish talent. Bolt has change the way science view human physical capability. Tiger has just pointed out the obvious, the talent pool for golf is very shallow. A person only needs basic social infrastruture to become 100m champion, for Golf a kid needs parents with… Read more »
Facebook Recommendations
Read all about it
Punch live
Up to the minute Twitter chatter
@nigelmcbain I don't see the nexus between gay marriage and gay sex education in schools. ACL does. Health issues should be taught whatever
@jennijenni a few companies are known to do that - ask for story ideas from job applicants so they can steal them later
: Bruce Springsteen: "I get roughed up crowdsurfing… people try to pull chunks out of me" http://t.co/jiHqt8agt9” it was him, @patricklion
Recent posts
The latest and greatest
The Punch is moving house
Good morning Punchers. After four years of excellent fun and great conversation, this is the final post…
Will Pope Francis have the vision to tackle this?
I have had some close calls, one that involved what looked to me like an AK47 pointed my way, followed…
Advocating risk management is not “victim blaming”
In a world in which there are still people who subscribe to the vile notion that certain victims of sexual…
Nosebleed Section
choice ringside rantings
From: Hasbro, go straight to gaol, do not pass go
Tim says:
They should update other things in the game too. Instead of a get out of jail free card, they should have a Dodgy Lawyer card that not only gets you out of jail straight away but also gives you a fat payout in compensation for daring to arrest you in the first place. Instead of getting a hotel when you… [read more]From: A guide to summer festivals especially if you wouldn’t go
Kel says:
If you want a festival for older people or for families alike, get amongst the respectable punters at Bluesfest. A truly amazing festival experience to be had of ALL AGES. And all the young "festivalgoers" usually write themselves off on the first night, only to never hear from them again the rest of… [read more]Gentle jabs to the ribs
Superman needs saving
Can somebody please save Superman? He seems to be going through a bit of a crisis. Eighteen months ago,… Read more
Latest 2 of 8 comments
View all commentsAdd your comment