He was meant to be the saviour. James Hird, Essendon champion, comes back to coach his former team and lead them to the promised land.
He was back to bring them out of the dreadful Matthew Knights era. It was a new dawn for the Bombers and everything was looking up. Or so they thought. Continue reading
The annual Dreamtime at the G will be a huge game for both Essendon and Richmond as they look to improve on a 4-4 start to the season.
The biggest crowd so far for a Dreamtime game is 84,234 but that may be broken this week, as Essendon’s Dustin Fletcher reaches his 400-game milestone. Continue reading
With the NBA playoffs starting last weekend, many basketball fans have been engaged in debate surrounding the format of the end of season event.
The NBA should move to a top 16 system when it comes to the playoffs. They need to abolish the use of conferences, making it a fairer situation for all teams.
The NBA recently announced that there would be no changes anytime soon to the playoff format, with many owners citing tradition as a main factor in sticking with the current system.
While tradition is important, it is more important to reward teams that outperform others from other conferences that undeservedly miss out on the playoffs as a result of being in a stronger conference. Continue reading
There has been much conjecture on the NBA Most Valuable Player debate this season with five players being more than worthy of winning the NBA’s most prestigious award.
James Harden, Russell Westbrook, LeBron James and Anthony Davis are all very much deserving contenders but it is Stephen Curry that should win the award.
While Curry may not have the gaudy numbers that some of the other players have averaging less points than all four of them and averaging less assists than LeBron and Westbrook.
The reason for this is that Curry is not playing the amount of minutes that the other players are playing as a result of his and the teams play and when Curry is playing it is at an historical clip.
Curry is averaging 23.7 points, 7.8 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 2.1 steals in just 32.1 minutes his lowest minutes total since 2012 and is looking to become only the 7th player in NBA history to achieve the 50-40-90 season and he is doing this while shooting a ridiculous 8 threes a game. He broke his own record for made three pointers in a season besides playing more than 400 less minutes this season with 276 and counting
It is not just individually where Curry is excelling he has carried his Golden State Warriors to a franchise record 64-15 with a 36-2 home record clinching the number 1 seed in the notoriously tough Western Conference. The Warriors are a staggering 16 points better with Curry on the court compared to breaking even when he sits on the bench.
Curry may be one of the most watchable players in NBA history where as soon as he gets hot Twitter goes into meltdown with everyone raving about his ridiculous play or jumps on to league pass to watch him do his work.
The other four players all have reasons they should win the award, LeBron is doing what he does every year and has help Cleveland clinch the Central Division title with a team that had little to no chemistry at the start of the season. Russell Westbrook has been extraordinary with a league leading 11 triple doubles with 10 coming after the All Star break dragging his debilitated Thunder team towards the playoffs.
Anthony Davis is having on of the best seasons statistically of all time with a Player Efficiency Rating of 30.78 where the average for players is at 15, but with a struggling roster he is unlikely to get the recognition he deserves. James Harden who is seen to be Curry’s biggest danger has also had a huge season leading the league in scoring and dragging his Rockets to the 2nd seed in the West despite Dwight Howard missing a huge chunk of games.
But this is years MVP is Steph Curry and really it’s not even close.
It’s been a tough couple of years for Bayswater but with new coach Paul McCormack in town and the club celebrating its 1000th league game, things are looking good for the club.
Last season was all about development for the club with a lot of young players who all got a taste for senior football. Club President Mark Rooney knows the job isn’t done and stated
“This season [2015] we have to build on that, only hard work and team effort will give us the results”.
Helping trying to achieve that goal is new Coach Paul McCormack, who Rooney says is just what the young group needs.
“His knowledge of football and what is required to play consistently at this level has resulted in one of the best preseasons at the club in a long time, fitness levels are up and enthusiasm is high”.
Rooney says that McCormick has given the group a standard to meet and they are all determined.
New recruit Anthony Van Rooyen has had an impressive preseason, his training has been quality and Rooney says his talent is starting to rub off on the youth at Bayswater.
“[It gives] the younger players an idea of what is required at a high level of football” says Rooney
The biggest piece of news the club has this year is that it will play its 1000th league game in Round 1 at home against East Burwood. Rooney says that the club will celebrate in a big way.
We have a special commemorative jumper with the names of every player that has played a senior game at the club being worn by the senior and reserves teams”.
Rooney also says it great to be able to play against one of the other clubs who have joined the 1000 game group and is hoping that the crowd will fit the occasion.
“Being a home game we hope as many past players, committee and supporters make it and enjoy the day”.
Yet another reason to celebrate, as this year with the Waters’ recognise their 1985, 1995 and 2005 premierships with a mid-season function
When asked about following the clubs pattern of success, Rooney laughed
“We aren’t putting too much pressure on the playing group, but it has been pointed out that every ten years something special happens!”
The club, after a tough couple of seasons look to be heading in the right direction.
Can they achieve that dream of another premiership after a 10 year drought?
It all begins April 11th at home against East Burwood.
New Big 3 to be the Best Yet
The big 3 of Miami is no longer and there is a new big 3 in town and the NBA landscape is set for another huge change. On July 11th James announced he was leaving the Miami Heat to return to his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers and in his own words “I’m coming home”. Since the news broke there has constant rumours about another star Minnesota’s Kevin Love who has publicly voiced his desire to leave the Timberwolves, joining LeBron in Cleveland to team up with Melbourne born Kyrie Irving to form the new big 3 to challenge for that illustrious title that Cleveland are so desperate for.
2014 has been a tough year for the Scoresby Football Club but Coach Gary Connolly sees a bright future from 2015 and beyond.
Scoresby are currently sitting bottom of the table with a 1-15 record with their only win coming against another team struggling this year Lilydale by 6 points in round 10.
Although my blog is mainly about the EFL, I have also had the chance to talk to some local sporting people about their experience in the sporting world. Including this interview with MONSTA surf founder Cam Greenwood
I sat down with Cam to discuss all things surfing, MONSTA and everything else in the busy life of the founder of MONSTA
When did you start surfing?
Growing up in Melbourne the only chance I had to go the beach was in school holidays. I always loved the ocean and being in the waves. That being said I only really got into surfing when I was 16. I bought a board and got my Mum to drive me down to Torquay in the middle of winter with only a 2/2 mm wetsuit and just taught myself really. The feeling of standing up on my first real wave was just exhilarating. I think that’s the feeling that just gets everyone hooked. Continue reading
Dennis with his life membership.
Dennis Robinson has seen it all when it comes to the EFL. Dennis is a life member of the Mooroolbark Football Club after playing 205 games, coaching the reserves and boundary umpiring for 19 years. Now he heads down every Saturday afternoon to watch his beloved Mustangs. Having been involved at the club since 1976 I sat down with Dennis to have a chat about what the Mooroolbark Football Club means to him.
EFL must follow twitter list
Norwood V Lilydale
When starting this blog about the EFL I figured I needed to find as many people as possible that are involved in the league. Whether that it is through a team account, media, local papers or fans in general. Continue reading
It's More Than a Game 