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Sheeds’ most outstanding Bendigo district team by Richard Jones

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• John Nicholls: the captain.

To say that legendary AFL coach Kevin Sheedy had multiple player selection worries during his coaching stints with Essendon and the GWS Giants would be putting it mildly.

Over the past few weeks he has released – line by line – his best 24 footballers to have hailed from the Bendigo district and in particular from the Bendigo Football League post-World War 2. He was to have named the complete team at a special function at the end-of-March’s Bendigo Jockey Club’s $1 million Golden Mile raceday, but with the coronavirus restrictions in place spectators, punters and BJC committee guests were banned from turning up to the track. Continue reading →

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Life cycle, for Bruce Dawe and Paul Kelly by Vin Maskell

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You could call it an illusion, a trick of the stage lighting. Or maybe it was just tiredness that created the moment.

Hamer Hall. October 2001. Paul Kelly is onstage. His grey hair, what little there seems to be of it, is close-cropped. His face appears gaunt, his eyes in shadow. He has looked like this for some years now but it is only at this moment, late in the concert, that for some reason, perhaps merely a blink of my eyes, I think the songwriter bears a passing resemblance to one of Australia’s most popular writers. Continue reading →

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Down the bunny’s hole with Hitler by Richard Jones

JOJOA look at Jojo Rabbit (M)

I’m not averse to an occasional humorous take on a serious historical event so I was looking forward to Taika Waititi’s spoof movie. He’s very busy with this production. He directed the film and played the role of Adolf Hitler who’s 10-year-old Jojo’s imaginary friend and adviser, occasionally a bit gruff with the little lad. And as well Waititi had written the script which won him the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay at this month‘s Academy Awards. Continue reading →

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My five “extra” songs of 2019 by Rick Kane

Since way back in 2004 a couple of good mates and me have had a Top 10 Songs of the Year night. Our friendships stretch back to the dawn of the 80s (and even earlier) and we know each other pretty, pretty, pretty well. Comfortable just hanging out, sharing laughs and curious to hear what songs have caught each other’s ear. For some reason our Top 10 is a Top 12. I can’t even remember why. We also include another five songs.

The five “extra” songs thingy is not meant to imply that they could not make the Top 12. We added this dimension to the night back in 2014. You see, Dylan had recently released The Bootleg Series Vol. 11: The Basement Tapes Complete. So we decided we needed to hear each other’s five faves from that magnificent stew. Since then we have treated the five extras as a chance to play some songs that had a more personal connection or that might distract the flow of your Top 12. Or whatever.

So, without further ado, here’s my 2019 “extra” five… Continue reading →