QUICK LINKS:- 29th April 13th April 8th March 12th January 18th November 24th October Major Results and Awards 30th September 23rd September 9th September 18th August 9th August 19th July 14th July 30th June 31st May 6th May 30th April 10th April 30th March 10th March 25th February 8th February 29th January News Archive
| 29th
April 2008
The second Full Points Publications title, Full Points Footy's WA Football Companion, is now out. Visit the new Publications page for more information, or go here to view some sample pages. Bellarine Football League and Benalla and District Football League Club Profiles The latest entries in the Leagues and Clubs section are for Anglesea, Barwon Heads, Drysdale, Geelong Amateur, Modewarre, Newcomb Power, Ocean Grove, Portarlington, Queenscliff and Torquay of the Bellarine Football League, and the Benalla and District Football League's Bonnie Doon, Devenish and Swanpool. |
| 13th
April 2008
Football's appeal continues to win it new friends across the globe, not least in Europe. Even in countries with no history of playing the game, interest is being generated by TV, the internet, and the efforts of dedicated aficionados such as David Valente from Portugal, whose footy website at http://futebolaustraliano.googlepages.com/home has just opened for business. Whether or not you speak Portuguese I reckon you'll get a buzz from visiting the site simply because it presents so much that is familiar in what, to many, will seem an unfamiliar and unique way. David is hopeful that Australian football, which has never previously been played in Portugal, might get off the ground in a limited way soon, perhaps in 9-a-side form utilising soccer or rugby pitches. Nearby Spain has already witnessed considerable growth in the game and looks likely to send two teams - Spain and Catalonia - to Melbourne for the International Cup later this year. It would be great if Portugal could follow suit, and I'm sure all genuine footy fans will join me in wishing David and his fellow lovers of the game the very best of fortune in their endeavours. Northern Areas FA and Alberton FL Club Profiles Profiles of all current Northern Areas Football Association clubs Booleroo Centre–Melrose–Wilmington (BMW) (BMW for short), Broughton-Mundoora, Crystal Brook, Jamestown-Peterborough, Orroroo and Southern Flinders, and the Alberton Football League's Devon Welshpool-Won Wron Woodside, Fish Creek, Inverloch-Kongwak, Kilcunda Bass, Korumburra-Bena, Meeniyan-Dumbalk United, Phillip Island, Tarwin, Toora and District, Wonthaggi Power and Yarram are the latest to be added to the Leagues and Clubs section. |
| 8th
March 2008
Full Points Footy 'Out Of Hibernation' A combination of illness, internet connectivity problems and other demands on my time meant that I managed to add very little to the website over the past couple of months. However, there are plenty of new things in the pipeline. Just by way of reminding myself where all the knobs and buttons are, and what they do, I've added profiles of 'Pat' Rodriguez and 'Nugget' Hilsz to the Biographies section. Back in January, Max Sayer kindly provided information about the Northern Areas Football Association, which I was in the process of adding to the site when I lost my internet connection. This was a prelude to well over a month of, at best, only very spasmodic internet access, which ultimately necessitated the installation of a new telephone line. Thank fully, since then, everything has been working normally. |
|
| Launch
Of Full Points Publications
It's long been my ambition to supplement the material on Full Points Footy with more enduring content, and with the imminent launch of the Full Points Publications imprint this ambition will finally be realised. The first title to be published will be The Full Points Footy Encyclopedia Of Australian Football Clubs Volume One, which contains historical and statistical information about every club ever to have competed in any of the major designated state competitions (including by extension the AFL). If everything proceeds according to plan the book will be published in the UK at the end of next week, and in Australia a few weeks after that. It's a 6"x9" hardback with dust-wrap containing 700 pages. Some of the content has previously appeared on the website, but there is also much that is new, including some superb (to my eyes, anyway) old photographs that have never, to the best of my knowledge, previously been published. As the title implies, this is the first of a projected series of books . Volume Two, which will cover amateur, Melbourne metropolitan, and leading country league clubs, will be published in a year's time. Further information will be posted when it's to hand, so be sure to check back if you're interested. |
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| 12th January
2008
There can be few better ways of tuning up for a new footy season than by tapping into the thoughts of fellow obsessives. In this respect, The Footy Almanac 2007, edited by John Harris and Paul Daffey, is tantamount to a godsend. Just prior to Christmas I was fortunate enough to be sent a copy by Rod Gillett, long time Full Points Footy subscriber and contributor, who happens to be one of the book's authors. As the title implies, the book is a chronological account of the 2007 AFL season. It contains reviews of every match, each written by one of a team - or 'Almanackery', to use the technical term - of writers of varying backgrounds, all of whom share a passion for the game. I found my reaction to the whole was pretty similar to watching an engrossing football match in that I was in turns admiring, amused, exhilarated, contemptuous and, on one occasion, downright seething. Can't recommend it enough. Should be easy enough to track down, but if you're having trouble, you can email the publisher, Malarkey Publications. For the first nine years of its existence the North Adelaide Football Club was known as Medindie. North Adelaide history committee member Nick Haines takes a fascinating in depth look at this little known phase in his club's history here. |
| 18th
November 2007
NTFL club Ulverstone now has its own website (has had for some months now, in fact), which you'll find at http://www.ufcrobins.com.au/. It's still growing, but already contains a wealth of historical information and pictures, a news section, current club details, interactive features, and much more. It's well worth a visit. |
| 24th
October 2007
Most additions to the site during October have been to do with events from the 2007 season, but there have also been several new player profiles added, i.e. Alec Albiston (Hawthorn & North Melbourne), Ken Albiston (Richmond & Melbourne), Les Borrack (Geelong), Neil Doolan (North Melbourne), Bill Hickey (South Melbourne & Carlton), James Hird (Ainslie & Essendon), Jack Julian (St Kilda & Prahran), Les Kaine (Hawthorn), August Kearney (Essendon), Brian Kelly (South Melbourne & New Town), Jack Kelly (St Kilda), John Kennedy junior (Hawthorn), Rick Kennedy (Footscray), Frank Mockridge (Geelong), Ian Salmon (Footscray), Maurice Sankey (Latrobe & Carlton), William Scanlan (Melbourne & Footscray), Tom Waye (Port Adelaide & Footscray) The Bigger Than BIG AFL Ladder 1997-2007 The following ladder, which was compiled using the *Ruckman* statistics application, appeared recently on Footystats, the internet's best and most exhaustive statistical football resource:
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| Major
Results and Awards
AFL GRAND FINAL: Geelong 24.19 d. Port Adelaide 6.8 (The Cats claim their fourteenth flag, and the first since 1963, by a record margin of victory for a V/AFL grand final) BROWNLOW MEDAL: Jimmy Bartel (Geelong) (First Geelong winner since Paul Couch in 1989) TOP GOALKICKER: Jonathan Brown (Brisbane) 77 MCCLELLAND TROPHY (MINOR PREMIERS): Geelong ALL AUSTRALIAN TEAM:
SANFL GRAND FINAL: Central District 16.11 (107) d. North Adelaide 5.12 (The Bulldogs' 6th premiership in 8 seasons) MAGAREY MEDAL: James Allen (North Adelaide) TOP GOALKICKER: Brant Chambers (Sturt) 112 STANLEY H. LEWIS MEMORIAL TROPHY: Central District WAFL GRAND FINAL: Subiaco 15.13 d. Claremont 9.8 (A tenth flag for the Lions) SANDOVER MEDAL: Anthony Jones (Claremont) TOP GOALKICKER: Brad Smith (Subiaco) 126 RODRIGUEZ SHIELD: Claremont VFL GRAND FINAL: Geelong 17.24 d. Coburg 7.10 LISTON TROPHY: James Byrne (Geelong) TOP GOALKICKER: Nick Sautner (Sandringham) 69 AFL SOUTHERN TASMANIA PREMIER LEAGUE GRAND FINAL: Glenorchy 14.22 d. Clarence 4.14 (Glenorchy's first since 1999) LEITCH MEDAL: Brad Carver (New Norfolk) TOP GOALKICKER: Mitchell Williamson (Clarence) 63 NTFL GRAND FINAL: Launceston 19.9 d. Ulverstone 16.12 (Back to back flags for the Blues) BALDOCK MEDAL: Kurt Heazlewood (Devonport) TOP GOALKICKER: Phillip Crowden (Devonport) 111 SYDNEY AFL PREMIER DIVISION GRAND FINAL: North Shore 12.15 d. St George 9.12 PHELAN MEDAL: Charlie Richardson (Pennant Hills) TOP GOALKICKERS: Brad Abbott (UNSW-Eastern Suburbs) and Peter Dugmore (St George) both 71 AFL QUEENSLAND STATE LEAGUE GRAND FINAL: Mt Gravatt 16.12 d. Southport 10.10 GROGAN MEDAL: Todd Featherstone (Labrador) (First Labrador player to win the award) TOP GOALKICKER: Ben McEntee (Southport) 100 AFL CANBERRA PREMIER DIVISION GRAND FINAL: Sydney 18.14 d. Queanbeyan 14.10 (Three flags in a row for the Swans' B side) MULROONEY MEDAL: Jarred Moore (Sydney) TOP GOALKICKER: Mark Armstrong (Queanbeyan) 107 |
| 23rd
September 2007
After a week away in not-so-sunny (but still very pleasant) Cornwall it appears I'm going to have my work cut out catching up with and recording recent developments in all the leagues covered on Full Points Footy. Thanks to everyone who's been taking the time and trouble to keep me informed - it really is appreciated, and does help. One thing being in Cornwall, sans laptop, sans internet access, taught me is that feeling remote from the action at this time of the year is purely a matter of scale. This point was driven home to me as I desperately scoured a sleepy Cornish fishing port for a means of finding out the results of the AFL preliminary finals. Thankfully, I eventually succeeded - but you'll have to wait for my autobiography to be published to discover exactly how. In the meantime, keep the information coming, and if you're one of the sixty or so people whose emails require a reply, please be patient! Longwood and Tatong of the Benalla and District Football League were, respectively, the 499th and 500th clubs to be profiled in the Leagues and Clubs section. Profiles of Foster (Alberton Football League) and the Oatlands District Football Association quintet of Campania, Mt Pleasant, Ross, Swansea and Woodsdale have also just been added. A book showcasing the football writing of SA football legend Fos Williams during the period 1959 to 1965 has just been published. You can obtain more details at the website of the book's editor, Michael Sexton, at http://www.sportswords.com.au/. Links to the following highly recommended websites have just been added to the Links section:
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| 9th
September 2007
Profiles of current Sydney AFL clubs Macquarie University, Manly-Warringah and Penrith are the latest to be added to the Leagues and Clubs section. I have also commenced the long process of updating relevant club and record and records pages to reflect this season's developments. I'm indebted to Kevin Taylor for a salutary reminder to take nothing for granted when it comes to researching and writing about the history of the game. The reminder concerns an incorrect scoreline from a VFL match played almost sixty years ago in which Carlton 12.11 (83) defeated St Kilda 7.18 (60) - except they didn't. The correct score was actually 12.12 (84) to 7.18 (60), and I'm pleased to say that now, thanks to Kevin (and Rhett Bartlett, who initially spotted the error), the Full Points Footy database for the season in question (1948) has been appropriately updated. If you're curious as to why the error got made in the first place, as well as how it's been perpetuated down the years, pay a visit to Kevin Taylor's superb Footystats site at http://footystats.freeservers.com/Daily/Diary.html, where you'll find the complete story. When I first read it, it put me in mind of a match in which I took part longer ago than I dare to think, in the inaugural season of the British Australian Rules Football League. My team, East Midland, was at home to Lea Valley in the penultimate round, having not managed a win all year. Lo and behold, we not only won, but did so by the unimaginably gargantuan margin of 75 points (according to goal umpire no. 1) - no, make that 76 points (goal umpire no. 2) - on second thoughts, 77 points (scoreboard attendant). The League in its wisdom (quite rightly) went with the smallest margin, which thankfully was still good enough to help us leapfrog not only Lea Valley but Thames Valley as well, and finish 6th in the 8 team comp. Well, to be honest, in my own personal case it's more like a slightly runny nose than a full-blown fever, given that there's no month of the year when I feel more estranged from the game than September, especially over the past five or six years, since British terrestrial TV ceased broadcasting weekly AFL highlights packages. That said, I'll be doing my best to ensure that the website is updated regularly to reflect end of season developments. As you'll appreciate, that's quite a hefty assignment, particularly now that almost 500 clubs from in excess of 100 different competitions are covered on the site. As always, if you can help in any way by providing information that isn't readily accessible online I'd be very pleased to hear from you. |
| 18th
August 2007
VFL and AFL Lightning Premiership Competition Results Full results for all seven V/AFL Lightning Premiership competitions conducted to date have been added to the Records and Statistics section, courtesy of Dave Eastman. At some point, I would like to add the results of any such competitions conducted in other states, but must confess that it is not an area I have studied all that closely. I do know that the SANFL conducted several lightning carnivals during the 1940s and 1950s, and the results of at least some of the grand finals were as follows: 1941 South Adelaide 5.7 (37) defeated Sturt 4.2 (26) 1947 Sturt 5.4 (34) defeated Glenelg 2.1 (13) 1948 Port Adelaide 5.1 (31) defeated Norwood 2.4 (16) 1950 Sturt 3.3 (21) defeated West Adelaide 1.4 (10) I'd be interested in hearing from anyone who can supply any additional results, or details of any lightning carnivals conducted elsewhere. Another Statewide League In The Offing For Tasmania? No less a person than current AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou was heard expressing an opinion on this extremely thorny issue recently. If you want to know exactly why the question is so thorny, read Len Colquhoun's typically insightful and thought-provoking ruminations on the matter in A Tasmanian Revenant, just added to the Essays and Articles section. Brief profiles of Beechworth, Bright, Charlton, Chiltern, East Warrnambool, Glenrowan, Gormandale, (Mildura) Imperials, Mildura, Nirranda, Swan Reach, Tyrendarra and Westerns take the number of clubs now covered on the site to 494. |
| 9th
August 2007
More Extra Curricular Match Details Over the next day or two I shall be adding details of quite a number of extra curricular matches - games played by leading teams outside their normal cycle of competitive fixtures - to the site. Most of these additions have been researched by Dave Eastman, who has also kindly supplied full scores for all V/AFL Lightning Carnivals, which I shall be adding to the Records and Statistics section as time permits. With the addition of brief profiles of Allan 'Butch' Gale (Fitzroy), Clark Keating (Brisbane), Edward Keggin (Richmond), and Peter Riccardi (Geelong) the site now boasts a total of 2462 player and coach biographies. More to follow soon. New Whimpress Essay - Norwood Magarey Medallists A new essay by Bernard Whimpress, 'Norwood Magarey Medallists Between The Wars', has just been added to the Essays and Articles section. It is particularly noteworthy for being based partly on first hand interviews which the author conducted with several of the players themselves. You do not have to be a Norwood supporter to enjoy and learn from this article - I certainly did. |
| 19th
July 2007
SANFL match results and full ladders for seasons 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949 and 1950 have now been added to the SANFL Match Results section. Tasmanian Intrastate Championship A section devoted to the Tasmanian Intrastate Championship series, contested by teams representing the NTFA, NWFU and TANFL between 1951 and 1984, has just been added. The section, which contains result summaries, ladders and brief details of the historical background to the series, can be viewed here. |
| 6th
May 2007
Sad Death Of The Coach Author In London I was saddened to read in Footystats of the death in London of John Powers, who thirty years ago spent an entire football season shadowing the North Melbourne Football Club, then coached by Ron Barassi. As chance would have it, the Kangas ended up winning the flag that year, and Power's 'warts and all' account, entitled 'The Coach', is often cited as one of the finest football books ever written. A small number of my favourite club and league logos and emblems have been added to the Picture Gallery. More to follow in due course. More WA Country And Metropolitan Competitions Covered I've been expanding the WA Other Leagues section of the site, and I think I've reached the point where most, but not quite all, current leagues are covered, although the amount of detail included for each league varies considerably. I'm also missing a number of recent grand final scores for a few competitions (mainly from the 2004 season, it seems). If anyone can supply any of these scores I'd be grateful to hear from them and would, as always, acknowledge the help given. Most of the present-day WA leagues which aren't covered are missing because, although I'm fully aware of their existence, I've been unable to uncover any historical information, so once again, if you can help, I'd love to hear from you. (You'll find my contact details here.) |
| 30th
April 2007
V-AFL Double Centurions - 100 Games At Each Of Two Clubs Len Colquhoun's latest contribution to the site expands on his earlier examination of V-AFL 200 Game Players by taking a look at an even rarer breed - those who have played in excess of 100 games at each of two clubs. As always, Len's treatment of his subject is as lively and entertaining as it is informative. Go here to view. As intimated a couple of weeks ago in the March newsletter, I intend to devote the bulk of my time over the next few months to expanding the Clubs section of the site. I've already made a very small start with profiles of University Blacks (VAFA), Greta, King Valley United, Milawa, Tarrawingee and Whorouly (Ovens & King FL), Lavington, Myrtleford and Wangaratta Rovers (Ovens & Murray FL), Encounter Bay and Willunga (Great Southern Football League), Port Douglas (AFL Cairns), early VFA clubs Albert Park and East Melbourne, early SAFA clubs Gawler and North Adelaide/Hotham, and this season's 'new boys on the block' in the ACT, the Canberra Wildcats. I've also split the Brighton-Caulfield (VFA) entry into two separate profiles, both of which have been augmented with new material. You'll note that I'm missing some basic information for several of these clubs (e.g. colours worn, home ground, etc.). If you can help me fill in any such gaps, I'd be grateful to hear from you. Profiles of the following players have recently been added to the Biographies section: Fred Carpenter (South Melbourne, Williamstown, Port Melbourne) Norman Collins (Fitzroy, Carlton, Hawthorn) Jim Crowe (Carlton & Collingwood) Clem Dayman (North Adelaide & Port Adelaide) Percy Ellis (Preston & Fitzroy) Jack Green (Carlton & Hawthorn) Arthur Hiskins (South Melbourne) William Libbis (Collingwood, Melbourne, Northcote) John Mehaffey (West Torrens) Joe Poulter (Collingwood, South Melbourne, Brighton) William 'Sonna' Thomas (South Melbourne & Richmond) |
