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Joined September 2019
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American-born, Geelong- and Melbourne-based freelance journalist on a variety of topics, from politics and public affairs to unions and industrial relations, and to sport and culture as well. Hope to contribute to The Roar often. Freelance journalist again after having done it from 1990-2004 (hospitality professional since then, otherwise). Husband to Jennifer and "Dadda" to Keira, a very naughty tortoiseshell cat in her terrible two's. Confessed tragic of Geelong, San Jose Earthquakes, Oakland Raiders, Golden State Warriors, and the San Jose Sharks.
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Geelong won their third consecutive match by beating Brisbane by 27 points at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday night – but coach Chris…
Over the last few weeks, after not having any footy for the previous few months due to precautions taken around the COVID-19 pandemic, just…
If Geelong could take the four points from an ugly, error-ridden and narrow 7.5 (47) to 6.8 (44) win over Melbourne at the MCG…
On a night inside an otherwise empty GMHBA Stadium – thanks to COVID-19 social distancing requirements – Geelong made a thunderous statement to the…
Jamie Maclaren, Melbourne City’s 26-year-old in-form homegrown striker, scored twice on Sunday afternoon in City’s 2-1 win over Adelaide United to bring his torrid…
Greater Western Sydney may have thwarted the AFL in giving neutral and casual footy fans a glamour match-up for grand final day, but debates…
Following Friday night’s second-half capitulation in losing a preliminary final to Richmond by 19 points, Geelong supporters will undoubtedly have questions about the match…
Geelong’s season came to a crashing halt in the space of 40 second-half minutes as Richmond reversed a 21-point halftime deficit to earn a…
When the initial heartbreak of losing a preliminary final settles, fans of the Geelong Football Club may look back at the 2019 season with…
Two MCG blockbusters will take place this weekend, with the prize on the line being the prestige of playing on a day steeped in…
Pressure is a funny thing in modern footy, especially in the cauldron of a win-or-go-home semi-final, with a preliminary final against Richmond on the…
Danny Frawley, St Kilda stalwart and AFL legend, died on Monday. All of the old and supposedly tired cliches uttered when someone passes from…
Geelong and Brisbane, the clubs that finished in the top two places during the AFL’s home-and-away season, face the prospect of dreaded early exits…
Convictions run at a fever pitch for footy fans in September, like nothing else within Australia. For example, I couldn’t help but notice this…
A bit of an oddity for footy fans: the Australian Football League’s finals series may unfold in quite unpredictable circumstances this September. In most…
Just love getting the feedback and interactions on my writing. Here, and on other sites I write for. Regardless of the beat or the topic. Keep ’em coming.
One more slip and is the AFL season gone?
Wonderful comments, everyone. Encouraged by the feedback — and mostly positive. And a lot of realistic comments about the world around us aside from sport. Thank you so much.
One more slip and is the AFL season gone?
Perhaps every club should have been in the same hub, either in WA or on the Gold Coast, from the start?
Think it’s far-fetched? Look overseas at MLS… nearly 30 teams, all in Orlando, even with Florida’s problems being worse than Victoria’s, and no new cases with any of those teams. It can be managed properly.
One more slip and is the AFL season gone?
Excellent point, Wayne.
And other knock-on industries, too — off the top of my head, there’s tourism, the hotels, hospitality, catering, events, and so on.
One more slip and is the AFL season gone?
Good point, although goals are goals. Imagine if he couldn’t convert chances against Nepal, or Kuwait? He’d be an average striker. That said, Adelaide United are supposed to be a good defensive team, but when mistakes are made, good strikers are supposed to punish those errors. Maclaren did just that yesterday.
Is Jamie Maclaren the marquee player Melbourne City needs?
Good call on Houli. He has more of an impact on their attacking play than he gets credit for.
I’m sure that Whitfield and Davis play. Their situations are better than Coniglio’s, so if they’re close, they play in the biggest game of their lives.
The Giants can do more than just limit the damage
Jack, I’m sure Bliclavs played on Lynch in the beginning; Scott should have stuck with it. It was the best possible defensive matchup he had. Moving him up the wing was too desperate of a move, too quickly. Would have been better to limit the damage, by keeping Bliclavs down back.
Answering Geelong’s burning off season questions
Thanks, Shane. I do try and look at all subjects in my writing objectively, and also with a bit of passion, and not just my footy articles about Geelong. Comments such as yours are greatly appreciated.
Answering Geelong’s burning off season questions
If the AFL has always held the view that “the head is sacrosanct”, and Greene being such a repeat offender, why is his case even subject to debate? There’s “getting into an opponent’s head”, and then there’s “piling onto an opponent’s head” — Greene has done the latter two weeks in a row now! He should get the minimum of one week, without course of appeal.
Why the AFL's case against Toby Greene is set to fall apart
He has, Richie, and that does exist as one option, as I mentiin in the piece. But to take him out of midfield and out of the 6-6-6 structure wouldn’t give the Cats the best chance at winning. Put Taylor up forward, and recall Lachie Henderson to play down back.
AFL preliminary finals: can the underdogs rise up?
Great review, Marnie. And you are right — amid all the variety of stories last week, most of it less than ideal, as well as the passing of Danny Frawley (which I took the time to write about as well), we had two cracking semifinals that reminded us why we love finals footy. And may the best be yet to come.
A week for remembering Danny Frawley
Indeed. Gruden wears the “Chucky” nickname like a badge of honor — he really is an evil genius, in a lot of ways! He knows what he is doing with this team, with all the young players, and especially with Derek Carr at quarterback. Touch wood if you agree with me! 😁
The check down: NFL Week 1
Agree with you that the Raiders could be a surprise package in the AFC West. How they do against the Chiefs and “Showtime” Mahomes will serve as a proper yardstick on where they stand. But let’s never mention Vegas again this season, shall we? 😊
The check down: NFL Week 1
I’d prefer that this one didn’t. I certainly won’t. Doesn’t change the fact that he’s no longer with us.
Remembering Danny Frawley
First of all, can we have a (virtual) round of applause for the editors on this site for an amazing job of editing, layout, and above all else, the picks of the photos for this article? Great work, guys… I keep getting blown away by your amazing work with each and every article I submit.
It's do or die for AFL’s top-two finishers
Here, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook… no matter the medium, always a pleasure to engage with you and your content, Mary. And I am new to this site and its community, so I’m eager to keep providing content myself.
What you need to know about the Aussie women's tour of the West Indies
Great work, Mary K! Love it! And moreover, thank you for spreading awareness and coverage of women’s sport.
What you need to know about the Aussie women's tour of the West Indies
Also, for my wonderful editors here… great job editing my articles. Love the work you’re doing. And on this particular article, love the photo you chose of Chris Scott. His expression in this photo really fits the tone of the article, and his frustrations of dealing with AFL House on the issue of a Geelong home final hosting rights. Ideally, I’d like to keep writing 2-3 articles a week for The Roar, although it may only wind up being 1-2, given the demands on my time and schedule.
Why Geelong deserve proper home finals
Hello, it’s your article author/journalist here. 😁 I just wanted to say, while I’m new to The Roar, thank you for all the great comments on the two pieces I’ve posted so far. I am absolutely blown away by the great constructive comments — both in favor and in opposition to my positions. To get 77 comments within the first 12 hours of this article, so far, says something about the passions of the fans on this site, and I am grateful that you share your opinions with me. I will try to reply to each of the comments (especially the reasonable ones, positive or negative in nature), although it may not be possible to do so. This community, so far, looks like a great community to write for, and engage with.
Why Geelong deserve proper home finals
I keep saying about the AFL: Aussie Rules is a great game, but the modern AFL House hierarchy sometimes still rules with the mentality of the 1970s and ’80s VFL.
Why Geelong deserve proper home finals
Thank you for the feedback, it’s greatly appreciated. (And I’m going to attempt to interact with everyone who comments reasonably on my stories, incidentally.)
Another way of examining the “no way, too many teams cannot win it” argument is that whether via parity or attrition, it makes the finals equation just as volatile as ever, and anyone can actually win it, given the right set of breaks and conditions.
I still think Geelong can find its early-season form again, Richmond could be the team to beat but may be only as good as Dusty can influence them, and the Bulldogs’ playing themselves into late-season form — albeit with the effects of a nuclear reactor — cannot be discounted. Of the eight, perhaps GWS and Essendon are the least likely to win it.
The AFL finals are wide open and anyone can win (for a change)
There are others — I think I saw six-to-nine others listed midweek on the AFL app — but these three are bigger than the rest of them, by a country mile.
Cats’ depth to be tested, but Scott is not panicking