tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84571176107685091652024-03-14T22:48:04.437+11:00leatherpoisoningTom Mattessihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05225341037532584250noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8457117610768509165.post-82520852468593121902013-08-03T19:37:00.000+10:002013-08-03T19:37:34.696+10:00Days 1 and 2 of the Third Ashes Test at Old Trafford
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mso-font-signature:1 Tom Mattessihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05225341037532584250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8457117610768509165.post-61902767915768014012012-12-08T21:28:00.001+11:002012-12-08T21:32:57.010+11:00Christmas gifts for all: Get tanking issue solved before New Year
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Tom Mattessihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05225341037532584250noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8457117610768509165.post-34655017459722463222012-11-27T16:23:00.001+11:002012-11-27T21:30:23.754+11:00Summer in Suburbia can be a lonesome time: Young Men in Australia
“It is a cliche to say this, but one of Australia's greatest problems is that young men drink too much, take too many drugs, drive recklessly, break the law, disrespect women, act violently and harbour depressive tendencies.” Caroline Wilson, Nov 24, 2012
The definition of Cliché: a trite, stereotyped expression; a sentence or phrase, usually expressing a popular or common thought or Tom Mattessihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05225341037532584250noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8457117610768509165.post-73494475571840294372012-01-24T21:50:00.002+11:002012-11-27T21:21:13.341+11:00The New Football Lexicon - April 1 2011Snide comments from my fan base aside, I always said Round 1 would provide the inspiration to get leather poisoning back on track. Now the real stuff has started and the yawn-fest NAB cup can be consigned to the blurry drunken memory that was another unsatisfying February. Pre-season form means squat and I could find stats to back me up if I need but I won't.
Histories great philosophers alwaysTom Mattessihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05225341037532584250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8457117610768509165.post-24600800063531941142010-06-05T19:12:00.001+10:002012-11-27T21:21:42.308+11:00Blight on the game, tampering to blameThe following article was published on thebigtip.com.au on 27 May 2010
When I was 14 a friend of mine asked if I wanted to become an umpire. We could play football on Saturday and umpire junior games on Sundays. And earn some extra pocket money. The next Friday night I was down at ‘umpire training’, a collection of outcast nerds seriously practicing positioning, bouncing and backwards running. Tom Mattessihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05225341037532584250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8457117610768509165.post-44828009472522744732010-06-05T19:10:00.002+10:002012-11-27T21:22:46.989+11:00The Curse of the instant societyThe following article was published on thebigtip.com.au on 20 May 2010
Round 20, 2008. Hawthorn sits second on the ladder and has a full strength team, one remarkably similar to the group that received premiership medals over a month later. In fact their starting 18 consisted of 18 soon to be premiership players. As a tune up for the finals, the Hawks took on 10 th placed Richmond. The TigersTom Mattessihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05225341037532584250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8457117610768509165.post-57709601311774120782010-06-05T19:07:00.001+10:002012-11-27T21:23:29.720+11:00Lies, Damn Lies, AFL commentaryThe following article was published on thebigtip.com.au on 13 May 2010
It was about 30 years ago that a visionary dad approached the quarter time huddle at his kid’s country under 15 game. To the slightly bemused crowd he said: “I’ve taken two types of statistics. Kicks… And shit kicks”. He was way ahead of his time.
It’s a tough business recruiting, and it’s only going to get tougher. Tom Mattessihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05225341037532584250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8457117610768509165.post-21489233784991347952010-06-05T19:05:00.001+10:002012-11-27T21:23:58.803+11:00Slap on the right wrist, palm grease on the leftThe following article was published on thebigtip.com.au on 7 May 2010
“Gambling is an issue for sport worldwide, and that is why we take it so seriously.” Adrian Anderson
We bloody well should. Where government, church and community fails, there is our great social leader, the AFL. The moral compass of good and bad. Brutal judge of anti-social behaviour and shameless self promoter of goodness Tom Mattessihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05225341037532584250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8457117610768509165.post-9811166143386838302010-06-05T19:02:00.001+10:002010-06-05T19:04:27.230+10:00Those sweet nights, those perfect gamesThe following article was published on thebigtip.com.au on April 30, 2010He sat deep in the stands on a late winter night as waves of emotion overcame him. The field below, the scene of something scarcely believable just a few minutes earlier, was now devoid of life. Lights shining on emptiness. As families around him shuffled towards the exits, he finally sat down. The last few bars of the clubTom Mattessihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05225341037532584250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8457117610768509165.post-7909713961836538962010-04-28T00:38:00.004+10:002010-04-28T00:42:44.997+10:00Leather Poisoning - Syndicated on ww.thebigtip.com.auArticles from this blog are now also published each week on thebigtip.com.auTom Mattessihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05225341037532584250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8457117610768509165.post-21851150477445728962010-04-28T00:24:00.002+10:002010-04-28T00:26:48.380+10:00I don't sit on no fenceThis article was published on www.thebigtip.com.au on April 22, 2010Mate. Think what’s expected of you, of your friends. What’s expected of you by your boss. Challenge those expectations. Man, you should challenge your own ideas about the world every day. Every day…And so watchers of football do. We have no choice but to. The once solid foundations of our core belief system have been shattered Tom Mattessihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05225341037532584250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8457117610768509165.post-41885139346662215582010-04-28T00:20:00.001+10:002010-04-28T00:22:33.398+10:00The Result... Only the ResultThs article was published on www.thebigtip.com.au on 7 April 2010There was to be no Easter miracleJust reality’s harshest truthThey climbed towards the pinnacleBut were stopped by a black and white proof:There are no miracles. No reasons. Things just happen… There is nothing like a red wine hangover and a Monday morning to make a man reflect on life. Alcohol: that cliched and somewhat pathetic Tom Mattessihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05225341037532584250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8457117610768509165.post-69733508846512312442010-04-28T00:15:00.002+10:002010-04-28T00:19:16.893+10:00Ode to the Natural FootballerThis article was published on www.thebigtip.com.au on 31 March, 2010Detective Jimmy McNulty lies on the felt at his own wake and listens to a stream of derision delivered by his wise cracking and massively obese Sergeant Jay Landsman. Insubordinate, underhanded, over-confident and a gaping asshole that he is, Jimmy’s finished life as a cop is redeemed by one beautiful and undeniable truth. He Tom Mattessihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05225341037532584250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8457117610768509165.post-21901589053919083282010-04-28T00:11:00.002+10:002010-04-28T00:14:48.783+10:00Reflections: GoalkickingThis article was published on www.thebigtip.com.au on March 26, 2010Now that’s out of the way, we can settle in for the real stuff. Were Carlton good, or were Richmond just terrible?Making big sweeping predictions about the season before round one is silly enough, making more predictions about the season based on the result of the round one game is almost as silly. For those who said Carlton Tom Mattessihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05225341037532584250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8457117610768509165.post-62140353564114549562010-03-20T14:51:00.002+11:002010-03-20T14:59:10.614+11:00First Give them some RiceOh times of humble optimism. You are the gentle calm before the storm that wipes away my home and livelihood. Oh times of boundless positivity. You are the spring in the step of a wide eyed graduate carrying his briefcase to his first day at the firm. You, receiver of goodwill and deliverer of ill winds, are the glorious fortnight before round one where each club soaks in the rays of late Tom Mattessihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05225341037532584250noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8457117610768509165.post-19685212653529166032010-03-04T19:35:00.002+11:002010-03-04T19:41:59.700+11:00If patience is a virtue, too much patience is...I write from afar. From very afar. Despite distance, the fortunes of my club resonate deep inside me, huge waves of pain maintaining momentum flowing recklessly across oceans. I know nothing of inner sanctums, post match reviews, warm downs, leadership groups or premiership windows. I don’t really want to. I watch from afar, disconnected, reveling in the purity of our relationship. I give Tom Mattessihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05225341037532584250noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8457117610768509165.post-39445016211999091202010-03-04T19:25:00.006+11:002010-03-04T19:48:24.750+11:00Give me some respect goddammitThe thing about respect is the more someone wants it the less other people want to give it. Ain't nobody just get respect. Respect gotta be earnt. But earning respect ain't easy. And you gotta show respect if you wanna earn it. word.An umpire is a like a good politician in that when he is doing a good job no one notices that he exists. Note to umpires: the quality of your existence is Tom Mattessihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05225341037532584250noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8457117610768509165.post-73803200528661115622009-07-23T20:59:00.000+10:002009-07-23T21:02:21.451+10:00The act is in the push…(Going into bat for big bad bustling Barrence)Sandy Roberts may not have coined the moronic phrase ‘big bad bustling barry’ but he did use it every time Barry Hall went near the ball. Thankfully Sandy is gone.Being a great marking forward isn’t just about speed or strength. It’s not how high you can jump or how much you can bench. It’s about judgement. Judging the trajectory and distance of a kick. It’s about timing. Timing a lead. IfTom Mattessihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05225341037532584250noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8457117610768509165.post-81375522392092435662009-07-16T11:28:00.000+10:002009-07-16T11:30:16.447+10:00Short memory...Must have a...9 July 2009Short memory, must have a…short memory. He might have been referring to the electorate but Peter Garrett could easily have been referring to the football industry. Or Mark Harvey. The coach of the worst club in the AFL. Harvey was an undersized centre half back who took on bigger opponents and beat them by throwing his body recklessly into packs. When the non-smiling Harvey took Tom Mattessihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05225341037532584250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8457117610768509165.post-508785118402138792009-07-16T11:03:00.000+10:002009-07-16T11:27:41.870+10:00A Bird in the hand thanksI’m a Melbourne supporter. I’m similar to a Richmond supporter. Victory is a cruel novelty, sandwiched between weekly heartbreak and humiliation. I don't expect to win and I feel a strange guilt when we do. I and my fellow demon fans watch the football expecting pain. And that’s what we usually get. For Melbourne supporters, victory, like a stay of execution, is about relief. So like all Tom Mattessihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05225341037532584250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8457117610768509165.post-38004016932933927142009-05-14T01:28:00.001+10:002009-05-14T01:30:34.031+10:00Grant Thomas: this is where you are atStKilda fans have no right to hate Grant Thomas. He got the Saints to two preliminary finals and within a few goals of a Grand Final. Considering StKilda’s history of extreme underachievement Thomas’ time as coach was very successful. But a lot of people were waiting for his demise, inside and outside of StKilda. Most clubs would love the luxury of sacking a coach who has taken a team to the Tom Mattessihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05225341037532584250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8457117610768509165.post-51988251864989782952009-04-24T02:57:00.002+10:002009-04-24T03:01:39.177+10:00Good Luck WalletA player reaches 30 these days, plays three bad games and is pretty much gone. Footy, as they say, is a young man’s game. Young players, young coaches, young ideas. Which makes the thought of Denis Pagan coaching an AFL side again completely ridiculous. Pagan’s two premierships were a decade ago, and after his time at North he dismantled and destroyed Carlton to the point where they are stillTom Mattessihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05225341037532584250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8457117610768509165.post-83370146349951663722009-04-10T00:55:00.001+10:002009-04-10T00:59:06.248+10:00Pandemic...Get your Pandemicen⋅dem⋅ic [en-dem-ik]–adjective Also, en⋅dem⋅i⋅cal. 1. natural to or characteristic of a specific people or place; native; indigenous: endemic folkways; countries where high unemployment is endemic. 2. belonging exclusively or confined to a particular place: a fever endemic to the tropics. When it comes to ‘Boris the Chicken’, I’ll go for shoulder shrugging dismissiveness. Let John Harms, Phil Tom Mattessihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05225341037532584250noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8457117610768509165.post-24337417289152483022009-03-29T22:55:00.002+11:002009-03-29T22:58:21.835+11:00Ball...............No thank you......I’m not a redneck or a bogan and I don’t insist players ‘kick it long’ and I don't call out ‘deliberate’ and I don’t think footy was better in my day. This being my day though I’m quite far away. I love a ‘ball…yeah’ as much as any other bloke in the outer. I went to a game in Sydney once and they don’t know how to do a ‘ball…yeah’ and for that they are ignorant and maybe that’s why the game Tom Mattessihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05225341037532584250noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8457117610768509165.post-29557455916511017682009-03-16T02:40:00.004+11:002009-03-16T03:26:22.313+11:00Coach Swapping. Not mid-season thanks.It's true that in the past some coaches have been treated extremely badly by their employers. When a team experiences a patch of bad form the media and the public smells blood. And in most cases, all the blame is focused on the coach. With growing professionalism of the league, the treatment of coaches is improving. Sackings by media (Damian Drum) are almost certainly extinct. But the Tom Mattessihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05225341037532584250noreply@blogger.com1