The content on this webpage contains paid/affiliate links. When you click on any of our affiliate link, we/I may get a small compensation at no cost to you. See our affiliate disclosure for more info -----------------------
Last updated on March 5th, 2018 at 01:44 pm
A Grand Final-themed photo gallery from The Bulletin. Swans haven’t won since 1933:
Crush the West, Swans! Or, alternatively, pay the penalty for a year of hideous Roos-directed flooding. Bunch of ex-Melbournites are coming over to watch the game tomorrow; detail your Grand Final plans (and predictions) in comments.
UPDATE. John Howard backs the West Coast Eagles.
Darrell in The Castle packed up a Swans beanie before the QC saved his house, worth “almost as much as when he bought it.” I’m watching the Syosset Golden Flashes play the Huntington Blue Devils in my Long Island “Blood Premiership” Saturday, so eat your heart out I guess.
Posted by chinesearithmetic on 2005 09 22 at 12:58 PM • permalink
I’m going to watch the GF live at 10;30pm on Friday here in sunny Calgary at the Flying Emu pub. Any Aussies in Calgary should come along.
http://www.theflyingemu.com/pages/1801/index.asp?Site=1801
The Calgary Kangaroos are having their wind up at the pub on the same night.
http://www.calgarykangaroos.com/
Eagles to win by 4 goals and big bad bustling bazza to have a shocker.
Interestingly, and regardless of the high number of comments posted about the Swans and the Eagles, I still haven’t a freaking clue what sport they play. I’m playing this like I’m reading a cheap mystery, trying to deduce the sport from the clothes worn, the equipment displayed, and the comments posted. So far I’m leaning towards badmitton, but I imagine that will change when I have more info.
Regardless I’m rooting for the Swans. Any team that’s willing to wear such a sweet and feminine name on their jerseys must be as tough as nails.
(please note: I’m meaning “rooting” in the American sense of supporting a team, not in the Australian sense of … oh never mind).
Posted by wronwright on 2005 09 22 at 05:20 PM • permalink
They don’t actually wear the name Swans on their guernseys. The reason they have such an unwarlike nickname is that it’s a genuine nickname, not a marketing concoction, gained in the 1930s when they had a lot of Western Australian players in their lineup (the Western Australian flag and arms feature a black swan). Their more robust nickname is the Bloods, though the explanation for that is a bit twee (Blood-Stained Angels, after their white jumper with a red V).
My grandfather would be in that photo, though to my shame I can’t pick him. He was one of the Western Australians to whom Andrew R refers.
Posted by William Bowe on 2005 09 22 at 07:15 PM • permalink
John Howard backs the West Coast Eagles.
This, from the guy who declined to leave Sydney for Canberra when he got the PM job?!
What could be the reason? Popularity: needs to edge up to WAers, so they feel a bit more love? Votes: marginal seats in WA? a Winner: the #7 strong horse theory? Beasley…
Surely he is not trying to avoid Beasey having that winning feeling by not allowing a West Coast (Beasey) v’s Swans (Howard) contrast. How Machiavellian of the old guy!
I would have thought they got the “Swans” nickname from their home ground being next to Albert Park Lake in Melbourne which is a haven for the large, tasty, non-plastic birds.
I’ll be at North Fitzroy’s Parkview with work friends, although I wish we were south of the Yarra in case the Swans win. The footy will be inflated for the half-time kick. Edinborough gardens (Fitzroy’s old ground) should provide a historic backdrop for our heroics.
Posted by Mr Hackenbacker on 2005 09 22 at 07:51 PM • permalink
Well look at Andrew R.’s helpful explanation of the term “golden duck” on a previous thread-
shape of a zero, the score Warne made, irresistibly reminded the Victorians of a duck’s egg. He was out the first ball he faced (leg before wicket, but we won’t go there—`leg over before wicket’ was one headline for the story, `Warnie tries out his googlies’ another), which is a golden duck on the Olympic model (out for 0 second ball is a silver duck.
Frig. ..tries out his googlies.. what the hell?
Posted by madawaskan on 2005 09 22 at 07:51 PM • permalink
1. old photo of men in V neck jerseys—excuse me, guerseys, named after a different island I suppose—shorts, and striped socks, quite the vogue for 1933 Aussieland—Tim Blair.
2. Eagles to win by 4 goals and big bad bustling bazza to have a shocker—Sean M.
3. Their more robust nickname is the Bloods, though the explanation for that is a bit twee (Blood-Stained Angels, after their white jumper with a red V)—Andrew R.
4. I feel dirty … I’m off to confession—Nic.
5. … shape of a zero, the score Warne made, irresistibly reminded the Victorians of a duck’s egg. He was out the first ball he faced (leg before wicket … yada, yada, yada …—Andrew R via madawaskan.
Yep. Badmitton.
Posted by wronwright on 2005 09 22 at 08:25 PM • permalink
- #16
Maybe this will help. It is a game in which…
6. it has an extra set of goals around the main goals… just in case the players miss the main goals.
7. a player must hit or slap the ball to pass the ball to another player.
8. it is considered to be a very physical contact sport. Yet, once a player catches a ball in play, the opposition is not allowed to tackle the player and must keep their distance whilst the player kicks the ball.
I must say, Australia certainly has some strange rules for badmitton. But, well, this is Australia we’re talking about here.
Of course, I’m still deducing, although the game’s not quite afoot yet. Still I have my deerstalker, my pipe, and a good bottle of Guiness. Holmes did drink Guiness, right?
Posted by wronwright on 2005 09 22 at 08:51 PM • permalink
I’ve just been looking at my cigarette cards of the 1933 South Melbourne team, as one does (while William Bowe’s grandfather was winning a premiership mine was just smoking a lot, and playing for Mildura), and the obverse does indeed describe the strip as a jersey: `White jersey, red V from shoulder to cuff, red and white striped hose.’ None of the cards show the players wearing this. Most wear white with a sash, some red (?) with a white V, Laurie Nash 2 white Vs. J. Bowe (`fast, and his left-foot kicking and slight build enable him to turn quickly and make a very effective player’) wears something Melbourne-like, presumably his WA club’s colours.
Is it hockey except for without pads, ice and with teeth?
Posted by madawaskan on 2005 09 22 at 09:12 PM • permalink
Thanks for sharing that Andrew. The slight build still runs in the family, though not the football ability unfortunately (not to me anyway – my father and uncle both played for South Fremantle in the WA league). Can’t shed any light on the guernsey/jersey issue I’m afraid.
Posted by William Bowe on 2005 09 22 at 09:51 PM • permalink
Just be aware the game is NOT rugby which can be summarised as
90 minutes of
Team A, tackle, tackle, tackle, tackle, kick, Team B takes possession, tackle, tackle, tackle, tackle, kick, Team A, tackle, tackle, tackle, tackle, kick, Team B, tackle, tackle, tackle, tackle, kick, Team A, tackle, tackle, tackle, tackle, kick, Team B, tackle, tackle, tackle, tackle, kick, Team B, tackle, t..ac..k..l ZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzz.
I hear every so often there is a try (touchdown) but not that many people turn up to really notice.
Posted by The Big Fish on 2005 09 22 at 11:11 PM • permalink
it has an extra set of goals around the main goals… just in case the players miss the main goals.
The origin of the try and the behind are similar. Before point scores were devised, people would informally count tries even if they didn’t result in a goal, as a possible tiebreaker. Similarly, when goals were rare in Australian football, misses would be informally counted, before the behind posts and point scores were introduced.
#26. Typical ignorant southerner, you’ve just described league not rugby (aka rugby union). The difference between the two codes is like the difference between checkers and chess. Both are played on the same board/field – one is straightforward and simple, whereas the other is more complex and strategic.
By the way, both league and rugby have 80 minute matches, not 90.
I hope both West Coast and Sydney lose.
Posted by Tony.T.Teacher on 2005 09 23 at 02:37 AM • permalink
Costello backs Swans in AFL final
Looks like the libs have got one either side of the posts.
Go West coast!!!
- #17 Not very physical?! You should write “once a player catches a ball that has been kicked by another player a distance of not less than 15 metres and which has not come into contact with another player after being kicked”. It’s called a mark. If a player receives the ball any other way you can tackle the s*** out of them (well, between the waist and shoulders but not in the back). You don’t “slap” the ball to pass it, you punch it. I’ve always thought it instructive that one of the main criticisms of the game is that you get rewarded for missing. Gee, what a put down.
As a Collingwood fan living in Sydney I usually loathe the Swans but I hope they get up. I’ve bought my little boy, 2, a Swans jumper so he can support the local team. I waited 21 years for a Flag. We always hope for a better life for our children than we had, so please do if for my son tomorrow lads. Craig Davis was my hero as a kid. Maybe his son Nick will be my little fella’s hero.
Go Bloods. May they be dancing in Clarendon Street on Saturday night!Posted by Ben Haslem on 2005 09 23 at 03:01 AM • permalink
Typical ignorant southerner, you’ve just described league not rugby
Could someone enlighten me, regarding league and union, I forget which one is which:
The thugs’ game played by gentlemen or
The gentlemen’s game played by thugsKindly, with kisses,
— NoraPosted by The Thin Man Returns on 2005 09 23 at 04:27 AM • permalink
Rugby Union is a thugs’ game played by gentlemen.
Rugby League is a gentlemen’s game played by thugs.
Aussie Rules is a thugs’ game played by thugs.
Posted by Quentin George on 2005 09 23 at 04:35 AM • permalink
Aussie Rules is known as aerial ping pong
Yes. That’s because all the young men are very athletic and make astonishing leaps into the air to get the ball and do something with it. Don’t ask me what.
The thing is that these men are lissom and it’s easy to tell that they are because they wear short shorts and sleeveless vests. Very nice.
They are not men with thunder thighs and no necks such as play rugby. No neck is important for rugby because scrums can collapse and if you had a neck it might break. But an Aussie Rules player can afford a neck. I don’t recall seeing any that are lacking in that department during the nightly 15 minutes that our 1/2 hour TV news reports devote to sport.
And that’s pretty much all I know about AFL.
As a Dockers man my only observation: It appears that the only way one can get suspended from a Grand Final (see Hall, Barry, Knuckle, Dragger) is to take the field with an actual firearm and shoot an opposition player in the prelim.
Posted by Dean McAskil on 2005 09 23 at 07:55 AM • permalink
Gormless in Gotham asks: could someone explain the lightning premiership to me?
Posted by chinesearithmetic on 2005 09 23 at 09:10 AM • permalink
I’m not a particularly sporting chap, and have no great allegiance to any particular code, but from a spectator’s perspective, AFL is simply much more agile and skilful a game than Rugby (both codes).
Just look at the builds of the players of each code. Rugby guys are built massively – brute strength is seminally important. Bludgeon your way through. AFL players are leaner, more agile, more endurance-focussed. They need to dart around from point to point and make fast, accurate snaps with the ball at all times.
AFL is clearly a more skilful game than Rugby – union and league.
Posted by James Waterton on 2005 09 23 at 03:07 PM • permalink
#36 Well, yeah, the formal technique for passing is punching (the ball). However, I noticed, once they have a couple of opposition guys trying to tackle them, they resort to slapping the ball away to a team mate.
Is it called a Mark in netball when they catch the ball?
Anyways, I am a Sydney expat living in Melbourne. So, it would be good to see the Swans win.
Rugby Union is a thugs’ game played by gentlemen.
Rugby League is a gentlemen’s game played by thugs.
Aussie Rules is a thugs’ game played by thugs.
Actually the saying is that soccer is the gentlemen’s game played by thugs. But it would be more accurate to say:
Rugby League is a thug’s game played by thugs.
Rugby Union is a boring game played by gentlemen.
Aussie Rules is a gentlemen’s game played by suspected homosexuals.
Posted by Jim Geones on 2005 09 24 at 03:59 AM • permalink
A description of aussie rules for our friends over the pond.
As for the footy. I haven’t paid much attention to it for years. Was a tigers supporter when I was, though.
I prefer union to league, and while I was taught that rugby was also known as running wrestling, I think that our good mate John Hopoatehas added an entirely new dimension to it.
Posted by Nilknarf Arbed on 2005 09 24 at 09:23 AM • permalink
Wronwright – if you are still there do not listen to all the garbage about which sport is best because of skills or the people playing. Decide on the product that sells. Aussie Rules Football has the biggest crowds (by a long way) total and average. TV rights cost more for Aussie Rules and it is played in more parts of the country.
And in a country that has played soccer since the first convict days it still manages to dominate the culture. Soccer even moved to a summer season from winter (as well as basketball) simply because it could not compete.
As they say “The proof is in the pudding”.
Posted by The Big Fish on 2005 09 25 at 11:06 PM • permalink
Page 1 of 1 pages
Commenting is not available in this weblog entry.
Members:
Login | Register | Member List
As the WA editor, I can only say:
GO EAGLES!
Even Margo’s headed West to lend her support. We can’t lose.