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Aye, 'tis time again for those of you with an iota of interest in the AFL to become jibbering wrecks in anticipation of my insightful, unbiased, fair and equitable reports of the preceding weekend's games.  However, I will not be able (probably) to provide any comments for the first three or four rounds as I'm about to set off on my wee dander over a couple of wee hills in South America, some refer to as The Andes.  So, I will have to rely on the questionable fairness of others who partake on a regular basis on this thread. 

Here are my predictions for the 2017 season.
(1) Fremantle will not be as bad as last season - having half the team out through injury was the reason.
(2) Sydney will be in the Grand Final (at least), though I hope I'm wrong.
(3) Fremantle will be in the top 8.
(4) The trash down the road will be mediocre at best - the obituaries are already being written as their "There is no I in team but there is ME" greatest ever player from Fiji, via Midvale Perth, is injured.
(5) Carlton will finish bottom
(6) Gold Coast will not make finals
(7) Fremantle's Nat Fyfe will win the Brownlow medal
( Geelong will make the top 4, and have secured the services of Mr. Tuohy
...

And with that it's time to start the countdown clock

7 days to go. 

Well hello there.  It's time to get the Deep heat on, the shrimps on the barby, the 4X in the fridge and get in the mood for another year of Aussie Rules Footy courtesy of my totally unbiased, blinkers off take on the preceding week's games.

Fear not, I am still rabidly anti-West Coast cos the CEO still hasn't resigned and until he does, my observations shall be forthright and full-on.  And if you haven't been keeping up to date with all that has been happening Down Under here is a wee summary.

I forgot to write up a report for the end of the 2015 season as I was still in stitches and fits of laughter about the shameful display of themmuns in the Grand Final v. Hawthorn up until about 10.30am last Sunday (my report of the Freo v. Western Bulldogs game will explain that).  It was that bad that I was actually finding myself taking pity on the decent players in the team as the show-boaters fcuked up relentlessly.  To the point that I was actually shouting at the TV and telling the galloots what to do...as you do.

Essendon got smashed by the World Anti-Doping Authority for its crimes against its players; and here's the irony - the bombers sacked James Hird and employed John Worsfeld, the coach of  West Coast during the shameful period of drug cheating and off-field shenanigans.  Doooooooooh.  Oh well. 

Collingwood is in the sh*ts again for its players misbehaving with talcum powder (apparently you sniff talc for a joke at parties).

So there you go.  All's well in AFL land...or it was until 10.10am last Sunday.  Grrrr.

Finally, after a month of computer problems I have got round to getting the annual AFL season games round up (my perspective, unbiased and unapologetically one-eyed) underway.  The first three rounds are very short summaries but after this weekend (Round Four) there'll be better, even more unbiased and one-eyed summaries.  Enjoy.

Round One

Richmond 105 – 78 Carlton
The traditional opening fixture of the AFL season saw the Tigers just too good in the end for the Blues.  Pretty average performance by Carlton and the gods of doom are already predicting dire times ahead.  For the Tigers, well, they're the perennial grand finalists – at least in their own minds.

Melbourne 115 – 89 Gold Coast
Many have been predicting great things from the Suns this season, including the inaugural Finals performance.  Oh dear, they clearly forgot that they had to win to get there and games against Melbourne were the wins that MUST be locked away.  A clearly unfit Gary Ablett Jr. could not inspire the Suns and the Dees were victorious.  The big guns won't be sleeping uneasy after this one, though.

Sydney 72 – 60 Essendon
Fresh after being "exonerated" of illegal drug use by the Courts in one of the worst legal decisions in Australian sport, the Bombers rocketed to a 41 point ¾ time lead, only for the Swans to recover and stage a remarkable come-from-behind win.  Exciting stuff in the last quarter for the Swans fans.  Many of us were not so quietly laughing at Essendon.

Collingwood 86 – 74 Brisbane
Brisbane are rebuilding  but giving Collingwood a 53-point lead then hoping to win from that was not part of the plan.  Hanley's injury is not helping the Lions.  It's going to be a long, painful rebuild.

Western Bulldogs 97-87 West Coast Eagles
Oh this was sweet.  I am, of course, no fan of the trash down the road and this win was great to watch.  Suddenly the reality that they are not the top 4 team they think they are and tell everyone they deserve to be, is sinking home.

Greater Western Sydney 87 – 78 St. Kilda
Garbage.  Crap game, enough said.

Adelaide 140 – 63 North Melbourne
Yet another team that seems to think it has a right to be in the top 4, all the time, the Roos were pathetic.  Adelaide are expected to make the finals  but this was a real statement to the rest of the competition.

Hawthorn 123 – 61 Geelong.
Geelong was leading at the end of the first quarter, then Hawthorn hit top gear.  Enough said.  Clinical performance and the Hawks are worthy of their favourites tag for the season.

Fremantle 75 – 68 Port Adelaide
Easily the game of the round.  It had everything but Freo have Nathan Fyfe.  Great win to start the season.  And Fyfe?  He is the best player in the completion.


Round Two

West Coast 131 – 62 Carlton.
If you let a forward kick 10 goals then you know you're not in the game.  Carlton were abysmal.  Of course the home fans are already booking their Grand Final flights – apparently.

Western Bulldogs 85 – 66 Richmond
The first time in many years that the Bulldogs have won their first two games.   And the prophets of doom are circling at Punt Road. 

Greater Western Sydney 101 – 56 Melbourne.
The Dees were expecting a win.  They forgot to play.  Shocking rubbish on view.  Thank goodness I didn't pay to see it.

Adelaide 90 – 63 Collingwood
The pies are not going to make the top 8 this year.  They were simply no match for the Crows.

St. Kilda 104 – 76 Gold Coast
The Suns were expected this one but were no match for the Saints.  This was the game where the absence of Gary Ablett was most noticeably felt.  It's going to be a long season for both teams.

Sydney 92 – 44 Port Adelaide.
Suddenly one of the competition's favourites finds itself 0-2 and the panic button has been located but not pushed just yet.  A great win for the Swans.

Fremantle 104 – 60 Geelong
Dammit this was a very satisfying win.  The Nathan Fyfe show rolls on.   Last year Freo suffered the agony of defeat when an after the siren kick by David Mundy just drifted to the right of the goals and the Cats won by 4.  Not so on this occasion.  A great team win. 

Essendon 78 – 76 Hawthorn.
I thought the Hawks would've won this one but Essendon held on to record a superb win.  I didn't see the game but would love to have been there.

North Melbourne 133 – 51 Brisbane
Oh dear, oh dear oh dear oh dear.  Nuff said.


Round Three

Collingwood 140 – 66 St. Kilda
As expected.  It's not that the pies are good; St. Kilda are  bad.

Essendon 105 – 84 Carlton
This game was a lot closer than the score suggests.  Are we finally seeing the awakening of the Blues.  A significant win for Essendon keeping them in the top 8.

Adelaide 80 – 55 Melbourne
A deluge of Adelaide goals was predicted in this game but it is a sign that the Dees are getting better that the score this close.  (And believe me for Melbourne to lose by "only" 25 points is progress – cf. my comments in the past three seasons on their efforts).

Sydney 111 – 90 Greater Western Sydney
Phew.  Caught my breath.  A great game for the neutral and were it not for a dubious goal umpiring decision it could have been a repeat of last year's massive shock when the Giants beat the Swans.  Things are looking up for the Giants.

Port Adelaide 113 – 108 North Melbourne
Another cracker of a game for the neutral.  Amazing last quarter and the game was only decided in the last minute.  Great stuff.

Richmond 137 – 58 Brisbane
Ditto my last comments featuring a Brisbane game.  Not looking good for the Lions.  Now 0-3

Hawthorn 127 – 57 Western Bulldogs.
As expected the Hawks were just way too good for the bulldogs.  Looking very dangerous.

Geelong 105 – 96 Gold Coast
A lucky escape for the Cats.  Even without Ablett, the Suns really lifted their game but inexperience at crucial moments of the game was their undoing.  Still, a bit of hope despite now being 0-3.

Fremantle 111 – 81 West Coast.
No need to gloat – much.  This was as clinical a first half as I have ever seen.  At one stage we were 73 points ahead then for some reason we decided we'd tease the trash and let them think they'd have a chance.  Suddenly those Grand Final flights are being cancelled.  I didn't get to the game but enjoyed watching the replay, a lot.  In all seriousness, though, allowing the Eagles back into the game the way they did would have been seriously punished by a good club.  Still 3-0 will do me at this stage of the competition and we have Nathan Fyfe.

Well folks,
with one week to go before the start of the 2014 season, I thought it would be appropriate to start this year's AFL season thread.  Last year's thread proved way more popular than I had anticipated and I hope that you enjoyed my take on the games - albeit from a very one-eyed and still bitter about losing the Grand Final to the point I haven't watched the replay yet, nor taken the programme out of its plastic sleeve - Fremantle fan.

This year will probably many of Freo's oldest players' last chance to win a premiership so there's a certain urgency about the season.  But only time will tell.

So, to get the ball rolling, let me know your favourite Aussie Rules team and why.  Collingwood has its Irish history and modern connections, Hawthorn have a strong Irish support in Melbourne, as do Melbourne thanks to Jim Stynes RIP.  Here in the west, I think it is safe to say that Fremantle has the largest Irish support, due in no small part to our history with the port city.

I'm not going to forecast a Premiership winner, suffice to say I hope to fcuk it is not the trash (spit spit) here in Perth.  There!  Did I say I was one-eyed?

 

Yep, the long wait is over.  The cricket is no longer polluting our screens.  Masterchef and My Kitchen Rules are still shit.  But...

Footy is back.

Now it is safe to turn on the TV again.

About four years ago, I received an email from a person who had the same not-so-common East Derry surname.  That person was from Belfast and now living in the USA, but based on his previous research and correspondence with a few in the USA, it transpires that we are related through a common ancestor who lived in the mid-19th. century.  Then it got interesting;  I received a follow-up email from a lady from the USA who, having corresponded with the man from Belfast turns out to be related to me through a man who shares my surname and who left Ireland in 1755.

Has any other member of this Board been involved in such research, and if so what have the outcomes been?  Through our efforts we have managed to go even further back to the mid-1600s in our wee town.

 

Well, the 2012 season is on us.  Damn it has been a long wait. 

All the talk is whether or not Geelong can withstand the retirement of quite a few of their most experienced players; whether Hawthorn can take the big step this year; whether Collingwood will maintain its recent good form (let's face it, the AFL does everything but hand the feckers the cup) and whether St. Kilda will maintain it's recent top 4 form.  Who knows?

What I do know is that Fremantle are looking forward to getting out on to the pitch with a fit squad.  Last year was a nightmare with all the injuries, but a new coach (must admit I was a fan of Mark Harvey and didn't like the way he was sacked) and a fit squad and there is a quiet confidence about the port city.

As for the Beagles, well they have started the excuses already s ti why they won't win the premiership this season; they lost Mark LeCras yesterday with a ruptured ACL.  Not that anyone should gloat over a player getting hurt , but it was gratifying to hear the whinging and gurning all today.

C'maaaaaaaan the Dockers.

PS, one or two familiar faces to some of you in the following advert 

http://www.foxtel.com.au/shop/get-foxtel/default.htm?videoID=P_076365

"I'm a proud Northern Irishman who was fortunate enough to win 33 senior caps and it was always an ambition to manage my country."

Ummm, Michael...bad news, it's actually NOT a country and there is no such nationality as a "Northern Irishman".  N. Korea is recognised as a country.  Clearly the whole Kim Jong Il funeral thing has been getting to you.

Not only was the Gen. Pinochet debacle an insult to democracy, now Gen. Musharraf of Pakistan is living "in exile" in Britain.  Where does the hypocrisy end?

Over to you Equitable Gobshite...

Well, do yourselves, your famiy and the established Irish community in this country a huge favour.  Feckin behave.

Sick and tired of hearing and dealing with drunk, misbehaving young Irish men and women who think that they are immune to the rules of this country.  You wouldn't do it at home, don't do it here.

They are an absolute embarrassment.

http://www.truth-out.org/obama-backs-military-aid-countries-use-child-soldiers/1318264796

Aye, there you go;  recognised for what it really is...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-14836678

Well, Swans aren't my first team but they'd be my second choice, so it is sad to see the end of a great career.  He has been great to watch.

Sadly, Roger Hayden and Byron Schammer (from Freo) have also called it a day.  The former was one of the most exciting halfbacks in the modern game, and a real gentleman.  Both have been huuuuuuuuuuge crowd favourites.

Sad ending to a shiiiiite season for Fremantle.

Many congratulations to BOTH the ladies' and men's Aussie Rules International Cup winning teams. Sensational stuff. To the Kilrea girls "on ye". Great to see a unified Ireland doing the biz

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blogs/world-of-sport/article/60372/

personally I would sack the keeper

What a way to score your 100th. goal....and you're a keeper.

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blogs/world-of-sport/article/40500/

A 6.3mag earthquake has struck NZ.  I'm watching the images live here in Oz.  Police have said there are "multiple fatalities".  Many city centre buildings have collapsed or are severly damaged. The YHA hostel has been "severely damaged".  Just been reported that bodies have been removed from that building.  Phone lines are down.  My friend can't get through to her family.

Folks, dunnoi if anyone saw it but here is one of the best strikes you will ever see in a soccer match. 
I love the Arabic commentary although I 've not a clue what was said.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGNopJ4mEqY

Don't know how much coverage it has been getting in Ireland, but there are some devastating floods occurring in Queensland at the moment.  Some dramatic images and tragedies.  Lives have been lost and houses literally lifted up and sent floating away.
I live in Emerald for a few months in 2006.  Two years ago the local area flooded but my mate's house escaped with flood waters just touching the front gate.  His neighbours were not so lucky.  He sold that property and went to Toowoomba.  Last week his old place in Emerald was inundated with water to the roof.  Then this week Toowoomba was hit by an incredible wall of water.  Luckily my mate and his wife are unaffected.  However, Brisbane has been hit badly by deadly floods in the past two days. 
One thing to note is the number of properties built on known flood plains.  Alot of eastern Australia seems to let such development.  Can't figure that one out.

Managed to get a ticket for the concert on sun 19th in Perth.  For the past 25 years I've either left a country just before they got there or got there after they played...and finally I get to see them.  Anyone else going to a concert on this tour and where?

Oh and George Thorogood and the Deleware Destroyers are playing in February.  Yeeeha.