Footy Tipping 2024
Beaumaris Probus Footy Tipping Competition - 2024
Our Footy Tipping Competition is on again - now in its third year - Thank you Leon Laragy.
Round 6
Greetings All
Congratulations to Paul Stephens, Leon & Michele Laragy, Wendy Kelly, Martyn Pickersgill, Ian Marchment, Derek & Deb Skues, John Schmoll and Paul Crompton for achieving the round high of 5 correct! Well done to the 14 (too many to mention) for managing the next highest of 4 correct! (refer table below for all standings).
… “many a slip ‘twixt the cup and the lip” … the winners of our First Prize Pool Block are: Sharing ‘First Place’ with a total of 39 correct tips are Paul Stephens and John Carson: Sharing ‘Second Place’ with a total of 38 correct tips are Geoff Taffs, Garry Sebo, and team Leon & Michele Laragy. ‘How much was won?’ they all chorused – at the end of the season for this prize pool each player in first place will receive $65.14, and each player in second place will receive $32.57 – [Payout Rule: Each in First gets Twice as much as each in Second]. The total prize pool is $228, which is one fifth of the total of all fees (38 X $30 = $1140). Congratulations to all our winners!
For those of us who didn’t quite make it or were well off the pace, the great news is the Second Prize Pool Block of 6 rounds starts now and we all start from scratch! Good luck to all!
Please note that Round 7 commences on Wednesday April 24. If you don’t have the ESPN app on your phone/tablet, enter tips at: https://www.footytips.com.au/home
Lloyd Jenkins continues his reflections of wartime tribulations:
GRASS FOOTBALLS.
Only punts, no stabs or drop-kicks. A football stuffed firmly with grass is not ideal but there is no choice. There’s a war on you know and the school football has a perished bladder. Impossible to replace. And the leather case is stretched a bit oversize but we are ingenious at our school, just like all schools. We have a grass stuffing roster. Take the footy home, stuff it hard with grass by pushing a stick through the lace slot. That hurts your hand but you don’t want to be the victim of scorn tomorrow if the footy is not properly tight. A good result? Not really. Half distance kicks at best and as we said, only punts will work. At the end of lunch time the zip has gone from the grass stuffing, but there goes the bell anyway. Smithy takes it home tonight. He always does a good job but we think his father helps him out. He is a bricklayer with tough hands.
Many thanks Lloyd. Lloyd’s tale set my mind to the history of early ‘foot balls’. Many would know of ‘marn grook’, the traditional Indigenous Australian football game and similar games played by other tribes throughout Australia. Many past and continuing cultures have played with a ‘stuffed ball’ of some sort. Cuju was played in China thousands of years ago. More recently, games were played in medieval Europe.
Some of these archaic forms of European football were examples of ‘mob football’ – it appears, in some contests, any means could be used to move the ball towards the goal, as long as it did not lead to ‘manslaughter or murder’!! … Well, I dare say some of our modern Aussie Rules umps would even struggle with that one rule – particularly the chaps officiating the Crows v Essendon game last Friday evening!!
If you have a lighthearted/interesting story to share please do so – it need not be football related, it can be on any issue, and quite short, but not too long.
Good luck everyone for the next round & please avoid getting your tips in at the last gasp!!
Round 5
Greetings fellow feather dusters… and others…
One stands tall – congratulations to Malcolm Sawle for achieving the round high of 6 correct! Well done to John Carson, Jim Duggan, Martyn Pickersgill, Bill Cruthers, John Schmoll, and Thorolf & Tina Thoresen for managing the next highest of 5 correct! (refer table below for all standings).
Just one round remains in our first prize pool block… Two now share first spot with three in second and a few not too far from the front runners… no pressure on the leaders!! Will there be any movement in the standings?
Please note that Round 6 commences on Thursday April 18. If you don’t have the ESPN app on your phone/tablet, enter tips at: https://www.footytips.com.au/home
Many of you would know that some of our tipsters have just returned from the Rich River golf trip up Echuca way. Now, golf is not my strong suit – I don’t hold any trump cards there… but… do you ever wonder what sort of golfer Donald Trump is/was?
Apparently golf is a subject Mr Trump knows something about; I won’t comment on his politics but I will ponder his golfing prowess.
Some say he’s a good player, and say, even without adjusting for his age, he’s probably the best of the many golfers who have been President of the United States.
I recently became aware of a book by US sports journalist/author Rick Reilly on Mr Trump’s golfing claims – “Commander In Cheat: How Golf Explains Trump”. The book it seems explores examples of alleged cheating Donald Trump, it is claimed, committed on the golf course. Some examples from the book follow:
It is stated Trump once won a senior club championship from 87 miles away. He’d declared that one of his clubs should start having senior club championships for those 50 and up, but realising he would not win a head to head with a gun member who had recently turned 50, went up to his Trump Philadelphia course on the day of the tournament and played with a friend there. Afterward, he called the Bedminster pro shop and announced he’d shot 73 and should be declared the winner. The pro, valuing his livelihood, agreed – the plaque had Trump’s name on it. Subsequently “somebody talked to the caddy up in Philly and asked him what Trump shot that day. … ‘Maybe 82. And that might be generous.’ …
At a golf club, where Mr Trump is a member, Reilly writes “The caddies got so used to seeing him kick his ball back onto the fairway they came up with a nickname for him: ‘Pelé’.” [The irony of the name of the golf club was seemingly lost on the author, the name of the links was “Winged Foot”!!]
In another example the author cites an incident involving Lee Trevino; Mr Trump ran into Trevino after he had shot 72 on one of his courses. “Trump is delighted and wants to start introducing the legend around his clubhouse,” writes Reilly. “This is the great Lee Trevino. He just shot a 70!” For the next person it was: You know who this is? Lee Trevino. He just shot a 68!” Then it became a 66. Trevino himself recalls: “I had to get out of there before I broke the course record.” !! …
I understand Mr Trump denies all the foregoing. But I also understand Mr Trump claims he has ‘Aced’ a total of seven holes… must be easy… I wonder how many Aces our fellow golfing Probians have amassed between them??
If you have a lighthearted/interesting story to share please do so – it need not be football related, it can be on any issue, and quite short, but not too long.
Good luck everyone for the next round & please avoid getting your tips in at the last gasp!!
Round 4
Greetings All – did anyone travel to Adelaide for the football?
Congratulations to … too many!! Twenty one ‘gathered’ the maximum of 9 correct tips for the round! And a further Eleven managed 8 correct – Well done those folks as well! 32 of our 38 players managed to finish in the highest echelons! Thorolf & Tina Thoresen missed getting their tips in & received away teams – 5 winners this round [although six ‘away teams’ won their games, the maximum possible for not getting tips in is capped at 5]. (refer table below for all standings).
Please note that Round 5 commences on Thursday April 11. If you don’t have the ESPN app on your phone/tablet, enter tips at: https://www.footytips.com.au/home
Two rounds remain in our First Prize Pool Block… plenty of opportunity for movement on the leaderboard!
This week’s contribution is from Lloyd Jenkins:
NO FOOTY BOOTS
It was an ongoing problem in 1942. Proper footy boots were very scarce in the shops and they required ration coupons anyway. School shoes also required precious coupons and the wartime quality was poor. Cardboard for internal linings. But, without footy boots, you needed temporary studs in the school shoes for footy. So, hammer them in on Friday night, remove them after the match. But that action left little holes. Moisture penetrated to damage the whole shoe. Big trouble. “No more of that thank you young man. And do a repair with the Kromhyde Kit to waterproof those holes.” That was a rubber sole applied with adhesive and trimmed to size. We were good at that. Kromhyde was a product of the wartime era, but from then on it was slip and slide like an ice skater on the footy field. No studs you see. The repaired sole was okay until it got really wet. The adhesive would let go a bit and your brilliant sprint around the wing might be accompanied by a rapid flap flap flap. But you were not the only one. The sound of flapping was part of the game. There’s a War on don’t you know.
Many thanks Lloyd! I vaguely recall hammering studs (stops) onto old ‘high-cut’ football boots – I used an old cast-iron last to support the boot. The umpire, just before the game, would visit each team and run his hand over each player’s boot studs to ensure no nails were raised – safety was paramount!!
If you have a lighthearted/interesting story to share please do so – it need not be football related, it can be on any issue, and quite short, but not too long.
Tipping Comp Fee
Many thanks to all those who have paid their $30 tipping competition fee – almost three quarters have done so! It’s easy to forget, so if you have not yet paid could you please do so soon – this will reduce the number of reminder emails I will need to send.
Good luck everyone for the next round & please avoid getting your tips in at the last gasp!!
Round 3
Greetings All – I trust the Easter Bunny was bountiful!
Congratulations to Richard Phillips and Malcolm Sawle for achieving the round high of 6 correct! Well done Geoff Taffs, Garry Sebo, Peter Fitzgerald, Barry Amond, Geoff Cupples, John Hewison, & Vivienne Fry for garnering the next highest of 5 correct! Two missed getting their tips in – Wendy Kelly and Thorolf & Tina Thoresen received away teams – 4 winners this round. (refer table below for all standings).
We are at the halfway point of our first prize pool – three more rounds to go and plenty in the hunt. If at the end of round 6 current relativities are maintained Geoff Taffs and Paul Stephens would share the pool between them as they occupy first and second respectively all by themselves… No Pressure! (Those with the highest tally share 2 thirds of the pool, those with the second highest tally share 1 third of the pool.)
Please note that Round 4 commences on Thursday April 4. If you don’t have the ESPN app on your phone/tablet, enter tips at: https://www.footytips.com.au/home
Old Habits Can’t Cope with Change…
Many years ago I knew of a fellow who I was told had had a long standing habit of paying for everything with one pound notes – I guess he formed that habit when a pound had some significant purchasing power and he earned a very good quid in the 1930’s. His life long practice hit slight turbulence with decimalization in 1966 however the $2 note assured the continuity of his ways. I can’t recall the precise time of his passing… I think it was around the late 1980’s … perhaps not long after the introduction of the $2 coin… change too great perhaps… but, by then, small change for most others…
Old Dog – New Trick
It is very frustrating when one of our modern gadgets breaks due to wear and tear or accident – some seemingly minor issue but frustratingly impossible to repair – super glue just doesn’t quite do it! … How about adding some baking soda to the super glue? Using baking soda with super glue increases the surface area of a bond while helping it dry faster, and can strengthen the bond between the cyanoacrylate (super glue) and base material. But wait, there’s more… adding graphite to the baking soda mix (50-50) & super glue makes an even more durable substance, or so I have read. Sounds too easy doesn’t it?… I think there’s an art to it… Youtube or Google search if you are interested in further information.
If you have a lighthearted/interesting story to share please do so – it need not be football related, it can be on any issue, and quite short, but not too long.
Good luck everyone for the next round & please avoid getting your tips in at the last gasp!!
Cheers, Leon
(As always, please contact me if you have any questions – 0410 32 75 87)
Round 2
Greetings All
Congratulations to Bob and Tina Wigg for achieving the maximum possible round high of 8 correct! Well done Paul Stephens, David Rushworth, Alan Stevens, Simon Appel, Thomas Glass, Ian Marchment, Geoff & Merry Bransbury, Peter McGregor and Chris Renwick for managing the next highest of 7 correct! Unfortunately Thorolf & Tina Thoresen did not get their tips in for the round however they scored 5 as a result of the unusually good return for away teams’ wins. (refer table below for all standings).
Please note that Round 3 commences on Thursday March 28. If you don’t have the ESPN app on your phone/tablet, enter tips at: https://www.footytips.com.au/home
This week we have the following contribution from Lloyd Jenkins:
Long Jim
Long Jim The Bellringer was devoted to his local football club. Every match, every training session, every social event, Long Jim was there in his khaki army disposals overcoat with a broad smile for everybody and everything. He lived with his mother. They looked after each other. Mother did not venture out very much, “not since me OP dear, you know.” Long Jim did the shopping, money and note pinned in a coat pocket. If Long Jim lost track of which shop in the small town was next, somebody would check the note and sort things out. No youngster would dare to trouble Long Jim in any manner. A knock on the door at home by the local policeman would follow swiftly. The local grapevine was infallible in such things. Anyway, Long Jim as a volunteer cuts the lawn at the Police Station, using his own Qualcast hand mower. Neat edges too. That has a bearing on things. Ask Long Jim what was the score in any footy match of recent years. The answer comes in a flash. At local matches a tray truck is positioned in the right spot for the timekeepers. Three chairs are up there. Two for the timekeepers and one for Long Jim, the bell ringer. At a nod from one of the two, Jim rings the bell. Boy, does he ring it. Nobody, nobody, is allowed near that shining bell. It came from an old fire truck. Jim’s Mother shines it with Brasso. Even the smart alecs who might otherwise try to play tricks half way through a quarter don’t go near that bell. That foolishness would earn a chilly unwanted fully clothed dip in a nearby dam, assisted there by a couple of burly ruckmen after the match. Nobody gives Long Jim trouble, nobody.
Many thanks Lloyd… At some time I guess many of us have known of a person with aspects of ‘Long Jim’.
If you have a lighthearted/interesting story to share please do so – it need not be football related, it can be on any issue, and quite short, but not too long.
Good luck everyone for the next round & please remember to get your tips in and avoid getting your tips in at the last gasp!!
Cheers, Leon
(As always, please contact me if you have any questions – 0410 32 75 87)
Round 1
Greetings All
Congratulations to newcomers Geoff Taffs & Malcolm Sawle for garnering the maximum 9 correct tips! (BTW, our comp DOES NOT award extra points for getting the rounds maximum number correct). Well done Paul Stephens, John Carson, Martyn Pickersgill, John Schmoll & Tim Harding for managing the next highest of 8 correct! (refer table below for all standings).
By the way, Paul Crompton’s retro exhibition over the weekend was a resounding success! However Paul was understandably distracted and missed getting his first game tip in – consequently the system awarded him the away team (Richmond, the losing team). Two others also missed the first game. A lesson to get tips in earlier than later!
Please note that Round 2 commences on Thursday March 21. If you don’t have the ESPN app on your phone/tablet, enter tips at: https://www.footytips.com.au/home
Now, back to Paul’s exhibition… I was privileged to help with the setting up which at one point involved me tiptoeing on an inadequate ladder. Fortunately Simon Appel and another brave chap held me steady. This unstable endeavour put me in mind of a contribution I received from Tom Glass – here it is:
Dynamic Moments
While driving towards the city on Nepean Highway, approaching Elsternwick on caryard straight, you may have noticed an orange and white banded lattice steel tower projecting into the northern skyline.
This 150 ft (45.7m) high tower straddles the original main TV studio at the old ABC Ripponlea television studios. Built in 1956, the tower supported the link antenna that beamed the signals up to the ABC’s main TV transmitter site on Mt Dandenong.
Early in my engineering career I was engaged to analyse this tower structure to the current standards for the proposed addition of a new antenna array. To ascertain its current condition, a nice calm sunny day was chosen to climb the tower to inspect its structural components.
Having reached the platform immediately below the top, I decided to check the flexibility of the structure by moving my body weight side to side. It responded beautifully in harmony to my movements, producing quite a waggle. Unfortunately, I had not forewarned my colleague of my intended actions. He was directly above me on the top platform and immediately emitted a loud frantic shriek – “Jeeezz! … Did you feel that!!”
Many thanks Tom … I think I’ll consult Tom about a better ladder!
If you have a lighthearted/interesting story to share please do so – it need not be football related, it can be on any issue, and quite short, but not too long.
Good luck everyone for the next round & please avoid getting your tips in at the last gasp!!
Cheers, Leon
