Found this lost gem on my hard drive this afternoon. You see back in 1998 I used to write regular AFL game previews and email them out to many football fans throughout the entire world. Now, someone on Twitter today made an apparent pop-culture reference and it got me thinking about how – during this 1998 email activity – I used to throw in obscure references too. And thanks to indexing and searching of some VERY old email archives, I found it:
From: David Sidwell <dsidwell@connexus.apana.org.au>
Subject: [AFL-Preview] Round 11
X-Eudora-Signature: <Standard>
<sent 6:20pm. Thursday June 6th from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, The Universe – or certainly the centre of it>
Wow. Nearly halfway through the 1998 season already. Can you believe it ? No club has yet pulled away from the pack and clearly marked themselves as flag faves. The Doggies probably come close, but that is subjective (yeah, like there aren’t many things in footy that aren’t subjective). I guess the key would be patience
Most games this week are not that easy to pick, but allow me to gently guide you through this difficult path…
ESSENDON VS. SYDNEY – M.C.G. (NIGHT)
A big thank you to St Kilda for belting the living shoelace out of the Swans last week. Actually, let’s think about that for a tick. Maybe that should be <sarcasm> thank you </sarcasm>; as in we have to face them this week and they are going to be livid. Even the white bits of their jumpers will be red.
But, I’ve got faith the Bombers will hold off the Sydney charge. Should be a great game! If tomorrow (Friday) is a gorgeous as today – that is 20c, sunny, gentle breeze – there should be a 50,000+ crowd at the MCG tomorrow night. Sydney have a big following here in Melbun.
** Essendon by 24 points
GEELONG VS. CARLTON – M.C.G.
I think the Blues winning streak will come to a crashing end against Geelong. The Cats pulled off a bit of a surprise win last week (well -as you well know – a surprise to me at least). All this talk of who will replace D. Parkin ("next year") must be destabilising the club. The Blues aren’t without hope, but then again Al Bundy may also become President and Miranda may wander into Woodend with a dazed look on her face.
** Geelong by 34 points
HAWTHORN VS. MELBOURNE – WAVERLEY PARK
A telling game for both clubs. Melbourne have lost 2 in a row and by non-small margins too. The Hawks were desperately close against the Bombers last week, losing only by about one kick. The previous week they seemed to almost have the Swans measure at Swanland, then bang! Quicker than you could say "conspiracy theory", Plugger## took personal control and that was that. Thank your mother for the rabbits.
I think the Hawks have found that little something; those semi-mythical "1 percenters" that coaches and commentators are so fond of.
** Hawthorn by 16 points
PORT ADELAIDE VS. WEST COAST – FOOTBALL PARK (NIGHT)
This will be interesting. The West Coast are coming off two impressive wins; it appears as though the Eagle is stirring. The Port Power certainly have the respect of the footy world; particularly when on their own dung hill. Glad to see a team doing their apprenticeship.
This time they meet their masters and it’ll be us turning up our radios.
** Weagles by 21 points
FREMANTLE VS. BRISBANE LIONS – SUBIACO
4th bottom versus 2nd bottom. Freeo to further add to the misery up North.
** Fremantle by 42 points
WESTERN BULLDOGS VS. ADELAIDE – OPTUS OVAL
Western Bulldogs should have no trouble against the Spice Girls, who are still seething that Ginger isn’t around to choreograph their dainty little moves. I don’t know how she got back from Gilligans Island in the first place.
Woof! Woof! Got get ‘em doggies.
** Western Bulldogs by 40 points
NORTH MELBOURNE VS. COLLINGWOOD – M.C.G.
It’s a measure of the closeness of the season that these two teams, despite being about one-third of the ladder apart, are really only 1 win and about 2% different. A big crowd should witness a very interesting match.
This is the toss game of the week.
** North by 5 points
ST. KILDA VS. RICHMOND – WAVERLEY PARK
Ding dong old-fashioned stoush. A holiday Monday should see a virtual full house (did you see that the largest crowd of the round last week was a Waverley Park; mmm, I wonder if it is as doomed as some would have us believe?).
I think the Saints would be on cloud 10 after last weeks thrashing of Sydney. I like the Tigers a lot (as I’ve mentioned a few times, I believe I personally saved them via a donation and attending a fund-raising trivia night a few years ago with Melissa, Noel and Pottsy: so the Tigers owe me). But they need some consistency if they are going to move to that next level. A win here would help them in that objective, but I can’t see it happening.
** St Kilda by 25 points
We came about last in the trivia comp too.
–
## A few years ago, Tony "Plugger" Lockett was playing for the Swans in a match where a Sydney (rugby) radio station, to their credit, was calling their first AFL game. As the ball was kicked forward by Rooooos, the caller noticed Lockett running towards the ball and witnessed him take a great mark. The caller paused and let fly with the magnificent cry of "Plunger!!!"
