Moorabbin and Disposable Heritage
I drove south today. I don’t have any memories of this ground. This was the first time I have been there. The Saints are moving back to Moorabbin after failing to establish themselves at Seaford and not coming to an agreement with Cricket Victoria to share the Junction Oval. This is their other historical home: […]
Champions of Rotterdam
A long time ago: And Sparta became champions. The referee blew the whistle and the players hugged each other; screamed in celebration; some piled on one another in the goalmouth. Coaches in suits and Sparta ties shook hands like gentlemen and embraced as lovers. And then, the crowd ran onto the field. Some players ran […]
Group Running
“The track is home”, says Amy at the end of training. Paul quickly adds, “Yeah it is, isn’t it? I love the track. It is all I used to do as a kid.” The two of them have just finished an intervals session of 10 times 400 meters at the Holden Centre under the guidance […]
Playing the Stadium
Zack Hample and the Fine Art of Ballhawking “I’ve snagged exactly 90 balls at this stadium over the years. So, I’m hoping to get at least 10 today and reach triple digits. At some point in my life I’d love to get 100 balls at every stadium and if I do it today, this will […]
Le Bois d’Oingt
Pastoral Football I took these photos while on holiday in 2015. We were in Lyon and then went to the countryside for a few days. We passed through this village a few times and on one occasion I took these photos. It was hot and there was no breeze. The absence of grass makes the […]
Hello Again, Princes Park
Growing up in Melbourne during the 1980s, Princes Park was one of the regular grounds I attended with my father and brother. I was an Essendon fan (I have long-since renounced them) and my brother was a Carlton fan: he has renounced them too, along with Australian rules. And so, my father would alternate taking […]
After Lebak Bulus
When we talk about football infrastructure in Jakarta, it is easier to talk about the stadiums that have been destroyed than those that have been built. Stadion Ikada was demolished to build Lapangan Monas (Sukarno); Stadion Menteng was demolished to build a park (Governor Sutiyoso); Stadion Lebak Bulus was demolished to make space for a […]
Playing with Pride
Such are the little moments that project one into or away from footy. The game can offer a place for an athlete, a player with skills and abilities and professionalism. Or, it can move to the sidelines of one’s life. These are footy transitions: the small moments that shape one’s trajectory towards or away from […]
In the Name of Richmond
Ah, the Richmond Football Club. It is a club with a tremendous supporter base and a tremendous myth. A great Club of the late 1960s, 70s with a last hurrah long ago in 1980. And since that time, the Victorian Football League has become the Australian Football League and the footy landscape has changed dramatically. […]
Amnesia, Absence and the A-League
Sporting landscapes are constantly shifting. Teams come and go or are merged and sent elsewhere; stadiums are dismantled and constructed; leagues are closed down and started up; new formats of traditional games are introduced; women’s leagues are given attention and arrive on television screens. The 2000s in Australia – just in football terms – has […]