A look at Armageddon Time (R)
The Eighties seem like a fair way back now, but for many of us they were our prime years in family life and the work environment.
Here, we’ve got a sixth-grader Paul Graff (Banks Repeta) who is in his final few weeks of primary school in Queens, New York. It’s 1980. Paul befriends an African American classmate Johnny (Jaylin Webb) and the pair play street games and throw a few hoops on the local basketball courts.
Continue readingMrs Harris Goes To Paris (PG)
Ada Harris is a Cockney cleaning woman in 1950s London whose life is slowly slipping away down the drainpipe. There’s not much joy in the war widow’s life although she does enjoy a few after-work beers with her fellow cleaner Vi Butterfield (Ellen Thomas). Not all of her employers are great with Ada’s payments, though. Lady Dant (Anna Chancellor) is a mean-spirited upstart who has weekly losses of memory about where Ada’s pay might be lurking.
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In 1993, when I was researching for my book Gravel Rash, Boulder Football Club identity Max Viskovich took me to visit Pom Holland. The story didn’t make it into the book. Probably should have. Here it is.
Arthur ” Pom ” Holland sat at the kitchen table in his humble little Boulder house. The late afternoon sun shining through a window lit up the right side of his face. He’d been a handsome bloke in his younger days, you could see that. Now he was approaching 90-years-of-age and a bit unsteady on his feet.
He used to like a beer but he refused the one we offered him. “Haven’t had a beer in 12 months,” he told us, “don’t even feel like it any more.”
Arthur was born in Yorkshire, he was 13 when his family moved to Australia in 1916. He spent a short time at the Boulder Primary School and there picked up the nickname that was to stick. “Don’t write about Arthur,” he said, “or half the people who know me wouldn’t know who you were talking about.”
Pom was not a great footballer but he can lay claim to a proud and possibly unique record; he was captain of the Kurrawang football club’s first premiership team, he captained the first Moonta Turks premiership team in 1925 and when Boulder City B grade won the premiership in 1931 he was again captain. He is a life member of the Boulder City Football Club and in 1963 was awarded life membership of the GNFL.
The thumpings of Claremont in recent weeks by East Fremantle had a similar look. Full-on pressure from the first bounce, winning the clearances, getting the ball forward and if it did go Claremont’s side of the centre it would be whisked out at speed, usually by Cam Eardley.
But the preliminary final looked different.
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WAFL semi finals
The higher ranked teams won through in the WAFL semi finals setting up yet another meeting between Claremont and East Fremantle.
At Claremont Oval on Sunday the home team took control after conceding the first two goals and never really looked in danger. A burst of three goals inspired by Neil Erasmus in the second quarter tied the scores but by half time the margin was out to 20 points and the challenge had been answered. Tiger stars Jye Bolton and Bailey Rogers were at their best but some lesser lights also caused plenty of damage. Tyron Smallwood kicked three goals and set up others in an inspired display, Oliver Eastland squared the ruck battle with Lloyd Meek, Alex Manuel scored five goals, Max Spyvee got three, Jack Buller was a good forward target, Timm House enjoyed running around in the backline and Ronin O’Connor was effective in a defensive role in the midfield.
Karl Worner and Nathan Wilson did their best to set things up from defence for Peel and Mitch Crowden battled away.
At Joondalup West Perth fell behind early in the second quarter but kicked the next four goals of the half and remained in control. Mitchell Peirce was very effective for the Falcons and finished with two goals, Shane Nelson was at his best in the midfield and Luke Meadows had another good game.
The Sharks did a lot right and again got plenty from Milan Murdock, Kyle Baskerville and Cam Eardley – they will continue to dream.
First semi final: Claremont 16.15 (111) Peel 8.4 (52)
Second semi final: West Perth 12.9 (81) East Fremantle 8.13 (61)
East Fremantle will play Claremont at East Fremantle Oval on Sunday in the preliminary final. The teams know each well. The Sharks beat the Tigers by 45 points at Claremont Oval on 27 August and by 48 points on 10 September. Pressure was the key in both games.
Dockers had hopes and dreams for a change in 2022 experiencing finals for the first time since 2015.
The club has survived a bewildering list building mantra that combined ignoring local youngsters and the WAFL with a “bringing them all back whatever the cost” approach to WA players at other clubs. From afar it seemed there was some meddling going on when it came to recruiting – cobblers were not being left to do the cobbling.
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WAFL finals: first week
East Fremantle began their first finals campaign since 2014 with an emphatic win over Claremont. Following a similar pressure-packed formula to the last meeting between the teams the Sharks scored four goals to two in the first quarter into a slight breeze to set the scene.
WAFL round 19
The WAFL finals will come a week early after Swan Districts upset the top team to keep their hopes alive coming into the final round of qualifying fixtures. Swans will play Peel next Sunday with the winner grabbing fifth spot. It couldn’t have worked out better.
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WAFL round 18
Strong wins by the top four teams has ensured finals involvement but there’s still the prospect of some shuffling.
Continue readingTeacher Education, Sport, Australian Rules Football,
Every scoreboard tells a story
With the first dog chosen in the AFL Canine Draft
escape to the Vasse idyll
australianrules.com.au 