Cheap Wine and a 3 Day Genug

I’ve recently returned from nearly a month in Australia. Most of that time I spent in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, which is not bad work if you can get it. I suppose the down side of this trip was becoming what they call in Hebrew “orphaned”. It’s the sort of thing that can really add a particular sort spin to your travel plans, like visiting Central Synagogue in Bondi Junction a lot more than you regularly would. Don’t get me wrong I’m not kibitzing. I find it a very user-friendly shule. The rabbis serving there are very accessible, each in their own style, and every Shabbat they put on a kiddush with generous servings of Tasmanian smoked salmon and all sorts of other sandwiches and hors d'œuvres and Black Label. Its enough to get you through to Motzeh Shabbat without another morsel, wind assited.
All unintended cynicism aside, it’s a very welcoming community to visit.
One of the little curiosities that crop up from a trip like this pertains to the genealogy of a certain “feral” Australian. It reminds me of the running joke, or parody, we would play out back in high school. “Oh that actress, what’s her name? she’s Jewish, and Mike Todd was too and Sammy Davis Jr…”
Rabbi Wolf is quite a raconteur, despite his deceptively young and athletic looks. He’s very outreaching and always eager to spread the good oil on the eminence of yiddishkeit. He also reputedly sports an impressive yichus, from the synagogue of a particularly famous New York rabbi. And it seemed that on every possible occasion during my stay in Sydney Rabbi Wolf would promote from the pulpit an upcoming chazzanic concert, with world renowned Cantor Yitzchak Meir Helfgot and Central’s popular chazzan Shimon Farkas; all accompanied by the Sydney International Orchestra. Whether it was due to outreach or a matter of fund raising, it was always with a lot of heart and soul that he would beseech his congregants to come along and fill the synagogue venue.
But it was apparently Chazzan Shimon Farkas who arranged the evening’s trump card and invited former Cold Chisel front man Jimmy Barnes to perform at the concert.
It worked. 1700 people filled the shule and it’s all over the Aussie Jewish press and blogs and You Tube. Jimmy Barnes may be a practicing Buddhist but if you take his word for it he’s halachicly Jewish. You can catch it on You Tube, his confession; his version of It’s a Wonderful World and his duet on Yiddesheh Mama.
My sources tell me that the concert was a great success and much eng’oyed by all present.

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Better Late Than Never

Being a bit of a one man band there are a number of things I’d have deemed appropriate to write about for us ex pat Aussies but didn’t get round to seeing or writing about soon enough.
On the sad side is the unfortunate passing away of Frank Stein ZL. We were among Frank’s many clients during his long tenure at the BOS. Of course the Aussie department later morphed into the ZFA. Words seem incapable of encapsulating the kindness with which Frank helped us and I’m sure many others.
On a much happier note I got to encounter a number of shows at the AICE G’day Israel Festival. I ate or rather dinned on Guillaume’s gourmet cooking at the King David Hotel, listening to rousing speeches from Julia Gillard and Peter Costello. I saw and heard Paul Grabowsky and experienced a David Helfgott concert. I also took in Tackling Piece, the documentary about the Peres Peace Foundation Palestinian-Israeli footy team.
Had a great arvo at Habonim Beach at the annual Habo picnic.
I missed the Maccabiah Games and all the Australian teams participating ‘cause I was unexpectedly OS . Bassah.

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Moriah's Israel Reunion a Hit!

from David Hersh
On the 19th April, 2009 Yedid – Moriah’s Alumni Association held its first ever Israel Reunion at Beit WIZO in Tel Aviv. Over 150 old collegians and former and current members of the Moriah Community gathered together in celebration of friendships formed in the playground, shared memories of Moriah days gone by and a common love of Israel.
The reunion would not have been the success it was, if it were not for the hard work of David Hersh (Class of 1976), Yedid’s Israel Liaison and his team of old collegians which included Lisa (Isman) Marcus (1980), Craig Levy (1994) and Danny Meyer (1984).
A welcoming committee made up of Lisa Marcus, Simonne Mekler (1987) and Ariel & Judy Mekler-Peled (current year 8 Moriah students) greeted guests as they arrived. All were encouraged to sign up and join Yedid and receive an iconic reminder of home in Australia in the form of Vegemite! As it was just after Pesach the full yeast content in vegemite was very well received.
As people flooded the hall, surrounded by the buffet of Israeli delicacies for all to enjoy, familiar faces were rediscovered and phone numbers were exchanged between old friends. The Katz Family – including Chaim, Miriam and Judy were among the first to arrive with old photos in hand. They recalled their time at Moriah from 1962 when their father Rabbi Jacob Katz took up the position of Director of Jewish Studies at Moriah.
Robert Mountwitten (1962) was certainly a sight for sore eyes, as he arrived wearing the old Moriah school crest on his shirt pocket, his Moriah school tie, as well as his School Vice Captain badge.
Yedid’s Co-President, Michelle Mekler-Peled (1983) who attended the event, welcomed everyone to the reunion. “Today we are experiencing a unique opportunity to reconnect with old school friends, teachers, shlichim and the extended Moriah community who have fulfilled the dream of making Aliyah” ….”our gathering here today shows that no matter where we live in the world - our roots and feelings towards Moriah are ever so strong. We are proud of our alumni families who have passed on the value of Jewish education to their children. Yedid hopes to continue this Moriah cycle of life on to the next generation.”
Former Moriah Board Member and Past President Sam Fisher gave a heart warming speech and spoke of the history of Moriah College. He recapped the events which led to the incredible acquisition of the Queens Park Campus. He remembered the meeting held in November 1983 in Neville Wran’s office when the landmark decision was made to take over the Eastern Suburbs Hospital site.
Past College Principal Mr Lionel I Link also spoke with fondness of his time at Moriah. He certainly received everyone’s immediate attention by beginning his speech with “Sheket Yeladim” and went on to say how wonderful it was to see a room filled with former students who have made Israel their home. This is a living testament to Moriah’s role in promoting Zionism and a love of Israel.
A surprise video presentation created by former student, Julie (Gardos) Fisher (1980) was screened, which included a congratulatory message from new Moriah College Principal Kim Fillingham, as well as touching messages from past and present teachers including Angela Epstein, Morrie Finberg, Velvel Lederman and Max Lemberg, as well as many more.
Former Moriah P&F President Rosalie Isman closed the evening and was given the honour of drawing the raffle for an Aussie Prize Pack, which was won by old collegian Cheryl (Singer) Freeman (1976). All monies raised at the reunion were donated to WIZO as well as to the Frank Stein Memorial Fund.

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Carmel 5oth Anniversary Reunion

It was an at times emotional reunion of ex Carmel School students at Moshav Olesh. Perth’s version of Moriah College or Mount Scopus College was established some 50 years ago and the jubilee has been reason enough to justify a string of celebrations, reaching as far as Israel.
It was a diverse collection of people that met in the mottled shade of the wizened mulberries in the courtyard of the Deutch meshek. There were representatives from the earliest miniscule Carmel School classes, to former teachers, to founding fathers/mothers of the school, to graduates born after I’d made aliyah and whom I wouldn’t know from a bar of soap. There were even some entire family units who’d emigrated from Perth over the years.
A do like this can be an excuse to catch up on people you’ve lost touch with for years. It’s that and more. There’s that nostalgic aspect but there’s also that slightly sinister side to these sort of functions. Hiss. Snarl. (Well maybe just a little bit.) Let’s be honest. Just for a moment. The narcissistic ogre inside every reality show viewer,always trying to out, keeps asking that ill-bred question , “How well have you been keeping up with the Jones?”
But all that’s of negligible significance. In fact it’s talking with someone potentially on the vulnerable side, which takes you beyond that regular cocktail banter, to some place where you’re thinking and feeling outside the box. After all its that quality that I like about Australians. We’re more down to earth than your usual garden-variety ethnic subculture. It’s probably that multicultural, fair go, ethos from down under, which dampens our innate snobbery and allows for the majority of people to follow their own fate and aspirations without us getting too judgemental and self-righteous about other peoples vagaries.
One point of interest for me was that nearly all the male participants had donned kipot, something almost nobody did in public in the Perth Hebrew Congregation of the 1960’s. Things change.
Unfortunately for me and for some of the other older veterans, Michael Singer, the school’s second headmaster couldn’t make it to the party, but did send warm words on an old fashioned cassette. He’s convalescing and hopefully will return to full health. Mr Singer’s soft-spoken manner, non-competitive values and nonaggressive Jewish education left an indelible imprint on the lives of many of us both spiritually and academically. His Londoner’s perspective and retrospective on the tiny and comfortable Perth Jewish community of the 60’s rang true word for word. It’s hard to imagine that without the foresight of a small bunch of parents setting up a Jewish kindergarten and day school the Jewish community would have survived the comfort and ensuing complacency afforded by the easygoing Australian political culture and lifestyle.

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Australia Day Party 2009-Summary

Australia Day is one of the times of the year when I start thinking about what I’m missing by not being in Australia, so I like celebrating Australia Day with other Aussies living in Israel. I started by celebrating with some friends a few years ago, and last year I organised a party at The English Pub in Tel Aviv and got a great turn out, so I decided to have another one again this year at the same pub. About 150 people turned up on January 22, 2009 to celebrate Australia Day together. There were a lot of Aussies at the party, both olim chadashim and veterans living in different parts of Israel, as well as people on holiday, exchange students and people on summer programs. There were drink specials all night, including Fosters, and a great playlist of Aussie music. The pub generously agreed to give a part of the profits to charity, which was donated to Libi (charity supporting Israeli soldiers) and Elem (youth support) – Sderot branch.
Looking forward to next year’s Australia Day party!
Gayle Fantl

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The Legends' 50 Greatest

Perhaps in light of Australian Rules Football celebrating 150 years of existence The Melbourne Age has assembled a panel of Aussie rules greats to deliberate and settle on a list of the 50 best ever individual footy players in the game’s history. After that they intend to whittle that list down to a top ten.
Naturally no one is old enough to remember 150 years worth of players, of which about 11,000 played at top level. So one of the weighty problems confronting the panel is the tendency of the new to push aside the old to the point where the oldies are completely overlooked. (Ah what dilemmas they have down under.) So that explains why the ages of the respective panel members reads a bit like the batting statistics in a test match. Ken Hands is 81, Bob Davis 80, Tom Hafey 76, Ron Carter 75 and Ron Barassi is 72. (Wow I guess we're all getting older too!) All retain either an active connection with, or at the very least are devoted observers of, the modern game. Yet they are of sufficient vintage to have firsthand memories of football as far back as the 1930s.

The legends' 50 greatest (in alphabetical order)

GARY ABLETT
(Hawthorn 1982, 6 games; Geelong 1984-96, 242 games)
A latter-day legend, Ablett snr made the most of his second chance at league football with the Cats. Freakish skills and goal sense enabled him to boot prodigious tallies even from a wing. Dominated the 1989 finals series with 27 goals and a Norm Smith Medal, won three Coleman Medals and was an All-Australian seven times.
DARREL BALDOCK
(St Kilda 1962-68, 119 games)
St Kilda's only premiership captain, and an AFL Hall of Fame Legend, "the Doc" led the Saints for six seasons and won three best-and-fairest awards. Although his career was comparatively short, Baldock won a huge reputation as an undersized but tremendously skilled and courageous centre half-forward.
RON BARASSI
(Melbourne 1953-64, 204 games; Carlton 1965-69, 50 games)
An AFL Hall of Fame Legend, his is possibly the biggest and most enduring name the game has produced.
A strong, determined and courageous two-time best-andfairest ruck-rover with Melbourne, Barassi played in six Demon flags, then coached the Blues to their first for 23 years in 1968. Went on to become a coaching legend.
KEVIN BARTLETT
(Richmond 1965-83, 403 games)
A natural rover, quick and skilled, later a dangerous goalkicking half-forward, "Hungry's" durability made him the first player to pass the 400-game mark. The AFL Hall of Fame Legend won five Richmond best-and-fairest awards and played in five flags with the Tigers, winning the Norm Smith Medal for his seven-goal 1980 grand final performance.
MALCOLM BLIGHT
(North Melbourne 1974-82, 178 games)
Prodigiously talented forward and ruck-rover, the high-leaping and beautiful-kicking South Australian was a pivotal part of North's first two premierships in 1975 and 1977. He won the 1978 Brownlow Medal and kicked 103 goals and won the Coleman Medal in 1982. Later a dual premiership coach with Adelaide.
FRANCIS BOURKE
(Richmond 1967-81, 300 games)
A member of Richmond's famous premiership centre line along with Billy Barrot and Dick Clay, Bourke was a champion wingman and later defender, renowned for his tremendous courage and ability to play with pain. Played in five flags, was captain for two years and later coached the club.
NATHAN BUCKLEY
(Brisbane Bears 1993, 20 games; Collingwood 1994-2007, 260 games)
One of the modern greats, the Magpie legend was a gifted and strong onballer, a penetrating kick, dangerous near goal and a great leader. Was already an accomplished senior player in the SANFL on debut with Brisbane, then climbed to greatness with the Magpies, winning six bestand- fairest awards.
HAYDN BUNTON
(Fitzroy 1931-37 and 1942, 119 games)
Triple Brownlow medallist and AFL Hall of Fame Legend who won the first of his medals at only 19. The champion rover for Fitzroy during the Depression years was a brilliant runner, prolific kick-winner and a pioneer in the art of constructive handball.
BARRY CABLE
(North Melbourne 1970 and 1974-77, 115 games)
Champion West Australian rover had an immediate impact in one year with the Kangaroos, then again when lured back under the coaching of Ron Barassi, playing in two North premierships. Highly skilled little man, one of the finest exponents of handball the game has produced.
WAYNE CAREY
(North Melbourne 1989-2001, 244 games; Adelaide 2003-04, 28 games)
One of the greatest players in the game's history, "the Duck" was a superb centre half-forward, strong, aggressive, a beautiful mark and kick and an inspiring captain of two premiership sides.
Four-time best-and-fairest winner and seven-time All-Australian.
HORRIE CLOVER
(Carlton 1920-24 and 1926-31, 147 games)
An outstanding centre halfforward for the Blues, who kicked 13 against St Kilda in his debut season, Clover topped the VFL goalkicking in 1922 and Carlton's on six occasions. A superb high mark, Clover captain-coached the Blues in two separate stints, only illness keeping him out in 1925.
JOHN COLEMAN
(Essendon 1949-54, 98 games)
Perhaps the greatest full-forward in history, Coleman is an AFL Hall of Fame Legend despite playing fewer than 100 games. A freakish high mark, excellent kick and good at ground level, Coleman kicked 12 goals on debut and topped the VFL goalkicking four times. Career ended prematurely by knee injury in 1954.
BEN COUSINS
(West Coast 1996-2007, 238 games)
Champion West Australian onballer famed for his endurance and possession-winning ability, Cousins won the 2005 Brownlow Medal and was a pivotal part of the Eagles' 2006 premiership. Career might have been ended controversially by club suspension and deregistering by the AFL for drug abuse.
GORDON COVENTRY
(Collingwood 1920-37, 306 games)
Magpie great and AFL Hall of Fame Legend, Coventry held the league all-time goalkicking record for 62 years. Was the first man to kick 100 goals in a season and booted 50 or more 13 years straight. Strong and a superb mark, a part of five Collingwood premiership teams.
DAVID DENCH
(North Melbourne 1969-84, 275 games)
One of the great modern fullbacks, an attacking defender whose judgement was faultless. Won a best-and-fairest award at 19, captained his side as a 20-year-old and was acting skipper when the Kangaroos won the 1977 premiership. Won North's best-and-fairest trophy four times.
BRUCE DOULL
(Carlton 1969-86, 356 games)
A Carlton legend and one of the most popular players of his time, Doull drove forwards to despair with his close checking and brilliant rebound from half-back. He seldom, if ever, made mistakes. Was a four-time bestand- fairest award winner and played in four premierships.
JASON DUNSTALL
(Hawthorn 1985-98, 269 games)
Another of the great goalkickers, brilliant on the lead and with vicelike hands, Dunstall was the focal point of the great Hawthorn sides of the 1980s. Won three Coleman Medals, four best-andfairest awards, topped 100 goals six times, was a four-time All-Australian and played in four premiership sides.
JACK DYER
(Richmond 1931-49, 312 games)
"Captain Blood" is an AFL Hall of Fame Legend, and a name instantly associated with the game. Dyer was a tough, fearless but skilled ruckman who was a fine mark and had an excellent football brain. Played in the 1934 premiership and captain-coached the Tigers to the 1943 flag, won six best-and-fairest awards and led Victoria.
GRAHAM FARMER
(Geelong 1962-67, 101 games)
Made a huge impact in a relatively short VFL career, his deeds in his native Western Australia helping him win AFL Hall of Fame Legend status. A masterful ruckman, Farmer's spearing, accurate handball helped revolutionise the game. Won two best-and-fairest awards and was part of the Cats' 1963 flag side.
ROYCE HART
(Richmond 1967-77, 187 games)
One of the great centre halfforwards, the Tasmanian was a standout in the Tigers' best teams. Possessed a great leap, vice-like hands, was a penetrating kick and had tremendous balance and recovery. Won two best-andfairest awards and played in four Richmond premierships, serving as captain in two.
REG HICKEY
(Geelong 1926-40, 245 games)
A champion centre half-back for the Cats, tough, fast and adaptable, Hickey was good with either foot and was an attacking and creative defender. Was part of the 1931 premiership and captaincoached the 1937 flag-winning team. Won two best-and-fairest awards and captained Victoria. Also coached the Cats to their 1951 and '52 flags.
JAMES HIRD
(Essendon 1992-2007, 253 games)
One of the modern masters, Hird was an inspirational leader for the Bombers, courageous and with silky skills and tremendous vision either in attack or on the ball. Won the 1996 Brownlow Medal and five best-and-fairest awards, played in two flags - the second as captain - and was an All-Australian five times.
PETER HUDSON
(Hawthorn 1967-74 and 1977, 129 games)
Could be the greatest full-forward, certainly on figures, with a goalsper- game average of 5.59. Strong-bodied, with tremendous judgement and an accurate kick, Hudson topped 100 goals five times, won two best-and-fairest awards, played in the 1971 flag and recovered from serious knee injury to kick 100 a final time in 1977 at age 31.
BILL HUTCHISON
(Essendon 1942-57, 290 games)
Brilliant Bomber rover, an AFL Hall of Fame Legend, who had explosive pace, great endurance and was an exceptional kick. A dual Brownlow medallist, Hutchison was a seven-time bestand- fairest award winner, played in four premierships and was an All-Australian three times.
ALEX JESAULENKO
(Carlton 1967-79, 256 games; St Kilda 1980-81, 23 games)
Jesaulenko, an AFL Hall of Fame Legend, was a human excitement machine whose athleticism allowed him to take spectacular grabs and play the ball as if on a string. A natural sportsman, "Jezza" was among the club's most popular players. He won four premierships and was the league's most recent captaincoach to win a premiership.
STEPHEN KERNAHAN
(Carlton 1986-97, 251 games)
Kernahan was a powerful centre half-forward and inspiring leader who took the Blues to a premiership in his first season as captain and another in 1995. He was an excellent mark, athletic for his height and always led by example, topping the club's goalkicking for 11 seasons. Holds record for most AFL games as captain and was named as captain of the Blues' Team of the Century.
ALLAN LA FONTAINE
(Melbourne 1934-42 and 1945, 171 games)
La Fontaine was recruited as an all-conquering full-forward but moved to dominate the centre for Melbourne. A smart and swift player who weaved out of trouble by watching the feet of his opponents. As captain for six seasons, he led the club to three straight flags from 1939 and was best-and-fairest winner four times.
DICK LEE
(Collingwood 1906-22, 230 games)
A high-flying mark who could kick a goal from any angle, Lee was the league's leading goalkicker a staggering 10 times. He persisted through constant injury problems during his career. Lee captained the side for two seasons and represented Victoria 19 times. He was named in Collingwood's Team of the Century.
TONY LOCKETT
(St Kilda 1983-94, 183 games; Sydney 1995-99, 2002, 98 games)
Lockett was a goalkicking machine, strong and a terrific mark. A four-time Coleman medallist and, in 1987, the first fullforward to win a Brownlow Medal, he holds the record for the most AFL goals, 1357, including 16 straight against Fitzroy in 1995. Won two best-and-fairest awards at St Kilda and one at Sydney.
SIMON MADDEN
(Essendon 1974-92, 378 games)
A champion ruckman with rare endurance, Madden was a handy part-time forward who could gain leverage off his opponent's body. He won four best-and-fairest awards, a Norm Smith Medal in 1985 and captained Victoria. He won premierships in 1984 and 1985, and played some of his best footy under pressure in big games.
LEIGH MATTHEWS
(Hawthorn 1969-85, 332 games)
A stout and muscular rover who was as tough on his own body as he was on opponents, famously breaking the behind post at Windy Hill, Matthews kicked 915 goals in his career, the highest of any non-full-forward. He also polled the most Brownlow Medal votes of any player not to win one. But he did win four flags and eight best-and-fairest awards.
DAVE McNAMARA
(St Kilda 1905-09, 1914-15, 1918-19 and 1921-23, 122 games)
A powerful giant at centre halfforward, McNamara helped the Saints to their first finals series in 1907. Despite a relationship with the club fractured by injury, war and personal disputes, he was captain in 1914 and 1923 and coached in 1913 and '14 and from 1922-23, later becoming president.
KEVIN MURRAY
(Fitzroy 1955-64 and 1967-74, 333 games)
Known as "Bulldog", Murray was a defender and later a ruck-rover, who won Fitzroy's best-and-fairest award an astounding nine times and played for Victoria 24 times. He had an exceptional football brain that carried him through a staggering 18 seasons and injury, winning him a Brownlow Medal in 1969 at age 31, a season in which he wore a back brace.
JOHN NICHOLLS
(Carlton 1957-74, 328 games)
One of the greatest ruckmen, Nicholls, an AFL Hall of Fame Legend, was a man mountain who had an imposing presence, a quick mind and played tough. He could pass or hit the ball with either hand. He played for Victoria a record 31 times, won five bestand- fairest awards, and won three flags in 1968, 1970 and 1972, all as captain, the latter as captain-coach.
BOB PRATT
(South Melbourne 1930-39 and 1946, 158 games)
A champion full-forward who could climb into the sky, Pratt was the centrepiece for one of the most skilled teams in football history. He remains the jointholder of the record for most goals kicked in a season, 150. An AFL Hall of Fame Legend, Pratt played in South's 1933 premiership team.
JOHN RANTALL
(South Melbourne 1963-72 and 1976-79, 260 games; North Melbourne 1973-75, 70 games; Fitzroy 1980, 6 games)
Rantall was a half-back flanker with extraordinary instincts and silky skills, which allowed him to beat opponents of all statures. He left South to play in a premiership at North in 1975, containing the formidable Leigh Matthews in the grand final, before returning to the Swans.
JACK REGAN
(Collingwood 1930-41, 1943 and 1946, 196 games)
Known as the "prince of fullbacks", Regan took on some of the game's best full-forwards, most famously South Melbourne's prolific goalkicker Bob Pratt. With great running speed and a long kick, Regan was the Magpies' best-and-fairest winner in 1936 and captain in 1940-41 and 1943. He played in premierships in 1935-36.
DICK REYNOLDS
(Essendon 1933-51, 320 games)
Known to supporters as "King Richard", Reynolds was a threetime Brownlow medallist and fourtime premiership captain-coach. He was a courageous rover with superb skills who was widely considered the best player of his era. Reynolds is an AFL Hall of Fame legend and was named by Essendon as its greatest player.
BOB ROSE
(Collingwood 1946-55, 152 games)
A Magpie legend, Rose was a superb rover with skills and courage in equal quantities. A fierce competitor and all-round sportsman, he won the club's best-and-fairest award four times and was its leading goalkicker in 1953, the same year he played in a premiership. Was named in the Magpies' Team of the Century.
WAYNE SCHIMMELBUSCH
(North Melbourne 1973-87, 306 games)
A courageous wingman who was quick on his feet, Schimmelbusch was highly talented and could play in many positions. Was part of the Roos' most successful era, playing in 29 finals, winning premierships in 1975 and 1977. He was captain from 1979 until his retirement in 1987.
STEPHEN SILVAGNI
(Carlton 1985-2001, 312 games)
Silvagni was named in 1996 at full-back in the AFL Team of the Century. A close-checking defender, he held Gary Ablett, Wayne Carey and Darryl White to a combined tally of one goal in the Blues' successful 1995 finals campaign. He played in two flags, twice won the best-and-fairest award and was also dangerous when switched to the forward line.
BOB SKILTON
(South Melbourne 1956-71, 237 games)
A fearless roving dynamo who could kick with either foot, Skilton was also a goalsneak who topped the Swans' goalkicking three times. He was club best-andfairest an amazing nine times, won three Brownlow Medals and was captain for a decade. He was named captain of the Swans' Team of the Century and is an AFL Hall of Fame legend.
GEOFF SOUTHBY
(Carlton 1971-84, 268 games)
An attacking full-back who streamed out from defence or kicked long, Southby was a star in his first season, winning a bestand- fairest trophy, then another the following year. One of the greatest full-backs of the modern era, he regularly made the competition's best full-forwards look ordinary and played in two premierships, in 1972 and 1979.
IAN STEWART
(St Kilda 1963-70, 127 games; Richmond, 1971-75, 78 games)
A three-time Brownlow medallist and AFL Hall of Fame Legend. Stewart was renowned for his marking while backing into packs. He had exceptional skills to spot his teammates in battle and predict their movements, executing perfect foot passes. He played in premiership sides at both clubs.
MICHAEL TUCK
(Hawthorn 1972-91, 426 games)
Tuck played a record number of VFL/AFL games as a full-forward, winger and defender before finding his niche as a ruck-rover. Was second in the Hawks' best-andfairest award six times. Lean but deceptively athletic, Tuck had exceptional ball skills and could run all day. He played in an unmatched 11 grand finals, winning seven flags, four as captain.
MICHAEL VOSS
(Brisbane 1992-2006, 289 games)
A creative user of the ball and admired for his inspirational leadership, Voss was captain at 21. A midfielder and forward with superb reflexes, he won a Brownlow Medal in 1996 and was club best-and-fairest winner five times. He led the all-conquering Lions to three consecutive premierships from 2001-03.
DOUG WADE
(Geelong 1961-72, 208 games; North Melbourne, 1973-75, 59 games)
Wade was a high-flying goalkicker who could launch a massive long punt. The winner of four Coleman Medals, Wade topped Geelong's goalkicking every season except one, won a best-and-fairest award, and played in its 1963 flag team. He also won a flag with North Melbourne in 1975.
TED WHITTEN
(Footscray 1951-70, 321 games)
Known as "Mr Football", Whitten, an AFL Hall of Fame Legend, is regarded as the most talented all-round footballer of his era and in 1996 was named captain of the AFL Team of the Century. An accurate kick and perfect mark, he was at his best at centre halfforward or centre half-back. Was club champion five times and played in the 1954 premiership.
GREG WILLIAMS
(Geelong 1984-85, 34 games; Sydney 1986-91, 107 games; Carlton 1992-97, 109 games)
Known as "Diesel" because he was a tough, prime mover of the ball, Williams was one of the elite of his era and a regular at the tribunal. Having won Brownlows at Sydney and Carlton, he went on to take a Norm Smith Medal in Carlton's 1995 flag side. He was an All-Australian six times.
GARRY WILSON
(Fitzroy 1971-84, 268 games)
A lithe rover who displayed fearlessness that cost him several bad thumps to the head, including one that broke his jaw and led him to wear a headguard. Despite his small frame, Wilson was considered one of the game's most hard-working and technically gifted players, winning the club's best-and-fairest award five times and skippering it from 1981-84.
THE NEAR MISSES . . .
Jack Clarke
Syd Coventry
Peter Daicos
Bert Deacon
Carl Ditterich
Fred Fanning
Robert Flower
Robert Harvey
Glen Jakovich
Chris Mainwaring
Peter Matera
Andrew McLeod
Jack Mueller
Laurie Nash
John Platten
Bernie Quinlan
Bernie Smith
Albert Thurgood

I too have my reservations. Don’t they know that Krakouer Brothers is Noongar for George Best?

(Players' biographical information from club websites and The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers)

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10 Things You Probably Won't Manage To Do Before You Cark It

Did you ever really have clear objectives, picking up and leaving home? Did you believe that time would always to be on your side too? But now as you look around its only the kids who are growing up and we're for the main part only getting older. Well take heart, even Holy Moses didn't achieve all his objectives. Here's a list of 10 things you probably won't manage to do before you cark it:
1.Retire at 40.
2. Become a pop star, and I wouldn’t want to host Countdown with a god-awful hat either.
3. Do an over the top end safari- not in Israel! (Which you could do with your eyes closed looking for Fred’s picnic) but in Australia. Even if you dared blow the kids inheritance, your spouse's retirement might be years after yours and by then you’ll be tied down with other obligations, e.g. the kids doing the army.
4.Die a virgin- ah the great fear of adolescence. But then again in all probability you’ll never sleep with anyone younger than 40 ever again either.
5. See your abs.
6. Play in an AFL grand final.
7. Speak real Hebrew, as in really read Israeli fiction.
8. Have plastic surgery. Out of principle of course! But doesn't seeing yourself in photos shock the living daylights outa ya? In mine I keep looking for the blowhole and Captain Ahab with his harpoon lashed to my forehead .
9. Have a street named after you.
10.Remember what comes after 9.

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Kevin Sheehan

This time I was going to get to my Tel Aviv invitation on time. I don’t know what it is but I almost always get lost in Israel’s version of the big smoke, or get stuck in traffic, and miss out. This time there wasn’t too much to get my knickers all in a knot about, the Azrieli Complex is right after the turn off from the highway.
It’s the first time I’ve been there. I guess the Azrieli Complex is pretty much like any other Israeli shopping centre, which makes it rather like shopping centres anywhere else in the western world. But we were there to meet Kevin Sheehan, AFL Talent & International Manager and former Geelong player, which made us a bit different from your run of the mill Israeli shopping centre trawler.
Once again the AICC had invited me to another Australian do. This time the rendezvous point was in Yotvata. I found a smallish group of Aussie’s there, mainly young adults and the rest of us a bit longer in the tooth.
While I was still getting used to the idea of another generation of Australians committing voluntary transfer, this unassuming middle aged bloke with a somewhat shy smile was ushered in to the middle of the circle. This was Kevin Sheehan. He was over here for a short visit to help a joint team of Israelis and Palestinians prepare for an international footy competition to be held in Australia just before the final four later this year.
Kevin’s stop over in Israel was on his way home from Dubai where a televised match was held between the Adelaide Crows and Collingwood Magpies. True to form he stood up and ran us through a couple of anecdotes. Kevin told us a couple of tales from similar official jaunts to South Africa and Japan. The AFL has a more cosmopolitan façade today than you’d credit footy with, going by memory, something more than football, meat pies and Holden cars. Australian rules footy is going international with leagues in all sorts of places you wouldn’t expect like Scandinavia, Japan and Germany. The aim of Kevin’s visit to Israel was to conduct a three-day clinic teaching Israelis and Palestinians the basics of the game, and as he reported back to Oz, the goal posts at the training pitch will be set up later, in April.
The amusing associative picture these training sessions conjure up in my mind is a group of guys trying to come to terms for the first time with the egg shaped ball, trying to handball, bounce and kick on the run. For Sheehan young men are essentially the same all over the world, so the story of a young team member facing 3 years of drafted army service soon after he finishes high school is an idea that it takes the Australian a little effort to get a handle on.

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The Black Box

I’ve heard it said by some cool Australian visitors to our neck of the woods that Tel Aviv is one of the best-kept secrets on the map. I tend to agree. In my opinion right up there with Tel Aviv on that count is another Mediterranean port city, Marseille.
I’ve visited there often enough, nearly every summer over the last 15 years. My in laws live there so our family vacation there is almost a yearly ritual and I kind of tag along most summers.
Putting it that way is really quite misrepresenting the situation, oddly enough, even though they are my in laws. In some ways I get spoilt more than anyone else.
Take for example the Friday arvo lunches my father in law treats me to, hobnobbing with his friends and acquaintances in fancy restaurants and establishments in and around Marseille. And we’re not talking counter lunches either me hearties.
This here is one of my favourites.
The Black Box looks just like that, a black box. The décor is basic, even amateurish. They’ve hung used, formerly white t-shirts, all covered in nicknames written in black felt pen in immaculately crisp feminine script all along the black walls. When I say formerly white I mean beige going on yellow. These t-shirts are not something they’d have used in a Persil ad. They’re from the too hard basket. I notice that on one of the old t-shirts is an unoriginal looking caricature of a Bazza McKenzie looking fella with a corked hat and the letters VB written on the chest of his Chesty Bond Singlet. And looking further around this oblong cubicle of a place I notice that western end of is all window, 180 degrees of it, overlooking the port of Marseille.
At first the guard at the barrier didn’t let my father in law’s car pass through but once Pierre wound down the window and the guard recognised him we were allowed to roll on in. And why not? My father in law ran his business in this the second largest port of Europe for the best part of 4 decades. We park along the quayside and take a quick glance at the dry docks. The water level is low and something pongs of salt and fish. My father in law points out for my benefit, the lock system, for flooding the dry docks when the boats are done being repaired. He explains to me that these docks are just for private yachts and a good mate of his, the boat builder proprietor of this repair outfit, has made a damn good business out of it. When you’re hanging around my father in law it seems that every successful person in the city is a good friend of his, or else a disapproved of character of ill repute. It tends to make one feel a bit inadequate. I guess that’s the way it is when you’re just another bloke holding down a decent job and making an honest living, when you’re visiting the big smoke.
My father in law went on to explain that things are quiet in the dry docks for summer so there is just one solitary boat in repair. We look over to our left at a monster of a boat, blindingly white, a deckhand polishing the varnished wood railings, and she’s sporting a bloody great radar which would do NASA proud. In winter, Pierre explains, its different and these docks are so lively that there’s actually a queue of yachts waiting to be repaired.
Inside the Black Box Jean-Jacque and Joe and Patrick were already sitting round a table. A bottle of rosé had already been opened. We greeted each other in Gaelic fashion, this time not with 2 kisses but with 4. I played along and followed suit. Patrick leaves us and returns with a large casserole and in it some cold meat loaf looking concoction. Fois gras I reckon, but its actually terrine. It goes well with the rosé. Then a pile of grilled sardines turns up. The Marseilles’ favorite. I’m never sure if this sort of spread is an entrée or main course. I mean if I ask and it turns out to be a brunch I’m going to look like a right bloody ingrate aren’t I, and inerudite to boot.
A few more diners roll in; washed up with the tide, clothes kind of faded, hair dishevelled, they could almost be labourers off a building site. But this is no lunch bar, not when you’ve got to get passed a uniformed security guard to get your car onto the dock. This establishment is not so much a restaurant as a canteen of sorts, catering basically to the well-connected salty dog and/or their patrons. This is boaties’ territory, much like a yacht club on the river or on the harbour back in Oz, the play pit of the well to do in their leisure, come active sportswear phase.
Well back at the table, I follow the conversation as best I can and it’s not all that easy. Getting sloshed isn’t going to help my communication skills any, not when I’m already disadvantaged, so I try and go easy on the wine, not withstanding the lulls in my conversation. Instead I ask Joe, a lawyer I’ve met a couple of times, how the book he was writing is going. Jean-Jacque sitting on my left is a high-powered fellow on the local political scene and his family is what you’d call “old money”. Its what the French mean when they use the word bourgeois. He has plenty to say about his and French interests in Africa and the mid east and holidaying in the Caribbean and inheritances in Corsica. It’s all a bit heady for me. I smile and nod politely keeping an eye on everyone else for cues. Patrick our host and patron of the Black Box brings us our main course, the same for everyone. Modesty prevents me from spilling the beans about what it was exactly, but one attacks it with a nutcracker. Being a bit of a novice with nutcrackers I kept an eye on everyone else to follow their example. And I admit I’m all at sea when it comes to dinning etiquette with anything beyond finger food. Luckily for me this delicacy is fundamentally eaten with ones fingers, so as long as I managed to kept my clothes clean, I’d be doing all right.
Patrick’s wife drops by our table from time to time to gossip. She’s professionally coquettish, though she’s the wrong side of 30. She’s brown, garrulous and round as a long retired Cajun queen. She brushes a strand of her lank black hair behind an ear and points to the mega yacht in the docks and explains that it belongs to an Australian, someone Jewish from Morocco she thinks. I almost chuckle, figuring that this is in fact the yacht mentioned in some long forgotten news item about selling off Bank Leumi, upon which Frank Lowy entertained Ehud Olmert. I wonder if her apparent affinity for Jews is linked to origins in the Magreb. She could easily pass for some long lost aunt of Zahava Ben, and how typically Sephardi of her to mix up a Moroccan Jew with a Hungarian. (Not that in my opinion a Hungarian Jew would be any less likely to wonder if Bill Lawry isn’t one of theirs.) So I memorised the yacht’s name, Ilona, a mental footnote, in order to look it up later on the net.
And this is some of what I dug up. The Ilona is considered a mega yacht, being more than 23 metres, and personally I’ve never understood which dimension it is that they measure with respect to boats. It is owned by Frank Lowy, founder of the Westfield conglomerate, who is usually touted as the second richest person in Australia, and as the 172nd in the world (the Forbes' Richest List). He supposedly bought the yacht, which steers like a boat, for $110 million (AU), and which weighs in as the 43rd biggest luxury yacht in the world. The 242-foot (73.69 metres) Ilona IV boasts 18 guest beds, a gym, a massage room, a 14-seat cinema, and 13 crew cabins and a retractable helipad! Thunderbirds are go!
Lowy’s biography, wealth and influence can stir up a great deal of admiration or disapproval. Here’s a snippet from the Sydney Morning Herald from 17 December 2006: “Last week TV mogul Reg Grundy's $90 million blue and white floating palace Boadicea moored among Royal Australian Navy ships at Garden Island. The quiz show king's boat was at the mooring normally favoured by Australia's second-richest man, Frank Lowy, for his $110-million, 18-guestroom Ilona IV.”
Probably Lowy’s best known edifice is the Westfield Shopping Centre carved out of, dominating and infiltrating Bondi Junction in Sydney. Amongst his other achievments Lowy, has been instrumental in restructuring Football Federation Australia (soccer) and hiring Guus Hidink for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
On the other hand I also came across at least one blogger who has an axe to grind, berating Lowy for being a Zionist and amongst other things for having fought in the Golani commandos, in what he considers to have been Israel’s so called “War of Independence”. And he thinks that Frank Lowy’s military record is all the more contemptible and condemning because these days Golani Brigade serves on the West Bank. Of course the blogger doesn’t give Lowy any consideration nor cut him any slack for being a holocaust survivor. What’s more in light of the above, Lowy’s business acumen coupled with “seditious” claims that he worked in investment banking in London, New York and Los Angeles, and that he is a board member of the Reserve Bank of Australia, and that he is a founding member of the International Advisory Council of the prestigious Brookings Institution in Washington, and that in 2001 he was the associate international chairman of the Israel Democracy Institute, and in 2003 he set up the Lowy Institute for International Policy, an international policy think tank devoted to foreign affairs, are all tainted in a negative and conspiratorial light. Confronted with all this stuff, you don’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Oh, it was only later on that I learned that the lingering remains of our Black Box hostess’s exotic charms, are in fact rooted in her mixed heritage, of Chinese and Philippine origins. So it goes without saying that my guess pertaining to the yacht, was a lot better than was the case with respect to her, my suspected outcast from a certain clan in Be’er Sheva.

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Dinner With the Minister

It’s kind of typical really. Australia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs visits Israel and not a single line about it in the online newspapers, not even in the Australian papers, not even in the obituaries. I don’t get it really. And Australia and especially Alexander Downer are such stalwart supporters of Israel, kind of like a mammoth Micronesia.
Put it down to one of life’s little mysteries.
I wouldn’t have known about it at all if I hadn’t got an invite to a private dinner in his honour at the dazzling Presidents Hall in the King David Hotel.
I hesitated a little at first. What would my lefty old mates say? But then again I thought what the hell; I’ve been to a Liberal Party fundraiser at the Rocks on Sydney Harbour and I’m sure that was a lot easier to cope with, as an Israeli, than the Labour Party equivalent. At least I didn’t have to apologise.
So I said yes.
Over the weeks uncertainties about sartorial aptness started troubling my thoughts. I even did some research and read up on the guest of honour in a wikipedia entry. I wouldn’t be surprised if Paul Keating contributed that one. The caustic humour had me smiling to myself vacantly, wandering the streets of occupied Bakaa. A policeman even detained me, on suspicion of having Jerusalem Syndrome.
I sent the confirmation of the invitation to my mother so she could have a bit of nuchus and to my sister to prove that I am mellowing. Of the two of us, my sister is the one who lives in Sydney’s eastern suburbs and has more than 2 neurones that synapse. Then the night before the dinner she sent an email advising me to take a bunch of business cards. Good idea really. Never would have crossed my mind in a lifetime.
And luckily she knows me well enough to realise that she’d have to tell me how to go about it. It took quite a while and more geometric prowess than I thought I could muster picking out a shirt and adjusting the borders of the Word document to fit the dimensions of the perforated cards, all at the same time.
I arrived at the do a bit late though, so I missed the drinks and major circulating period, (a bit of a pity after I spent 25 shekels to get my suit jacket pressed). But I still found some outlets (or victims) for palming off the cards. It’s rather amusing as a phenomenon. It’s a damn sight easier than having to actually bullshit on about yourself. And I noticed that anyone that I handed one of my cards to instantly gave me one of theirs back. Made me think of what one might call, a righteous man’s STD.
The food was good, very good, especially the decadently porno thickness beef. And the beverages were very decent too. Here’s an abridged inventory of some of the delicacies we wickedly enjoyed: salmon symphony, pink grapefruit sorbet, fillet of beef with rouennaise sauce, fresh figs tart tatin. I know that the event was a joint effort between The Australian Embassy and the IACC but full marks to the mystery organiser. So while you’re wiping the spittle off your keyboard think about it, if more of you would contribute pieces to the blog you might find yourselves partaking in some IACC nosh up in the future, too.
The speakers were tolerable too. Think of all the kochav nolad reruns you’ve sat through. Stanley Fischer gave a rundown on the Israeli economy. He has a very a commendable command of the English language for an Israeli bureaucrat. (ha ha ) Bibi must have given him a few pointers before his appointment. I don’t know if it’s something Massachusettsian in his accent or the time he spent studying in Britain but at times his accent reminded me of Martin Indyc’s. And though I know it’s a bit like the pot calling the kettle black, some Israelis should get their speeches professionally translated before unleashing their mashed English on unsuspecting by passers. No such denigration should be meted out to Leon Kempler, Chairman of the IACC. And last but not least we heard from the guest of honour, the Hon. Alexander Downer, M.P., Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs too. Something that struck me during the acceptance speech of his honorary Doctorate were the generous lashings of self demeaning humour peppering his presentation. It certainly strikes a chord with a Jewish audience. An interesting aside in his speech was his anecdote of a sophomoric experience with a Jewish flatmate and her Israeli cousin during the Yom Kippur War that hardwired him into being the antithesis of a fashion victim in his views about Israel, and adamantly so. I’m a bit more cynical about us than he is. But it’s interesting to note how the effect of a youthful cathartic moment can profoundly mark a politician’s attitude for years to come.
As I was leaving at the end of the evening I had to look out for Paul Israel and congratulate him on the resounding success of the evening. His response to me was, “I hope you write about it on the blog.”
How naïve I am and how blind I’d been to the potential of another story. But as you can see I did it the hard way after all. Hope I've supplied the goods. So there you go Paul, thanks, for the story idea as well.

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Picnic at Horeshim Park

If I’m not mistaken, Garin Makor, a group of young English and Australian idealists from the “Habo” youth movement, settled on Kibbutz M’vo Hama some time in the mid 70s of the last century. Something like 30 years on, some of them are still there on M'vo Hama, on the southern edge of the Golan Heights, marvelling from their cliff top at the dreamlike sunsets shimmering over the Kinneret and Tiberius, as the sun sinks into the Southern Galilean mountains.
Life being as insolent and impudent as it is to ideological policy and idealism, most of the garin have drifted off to build their lives elsewhere, some in Israel some OS. But the bonds formed in those not so far off crypto pioneering years still hold strong and every year the cobbers (chaverim) hold a diverse set of reunions, a good ol’ piss up, a family picnic and a civilised restaurant dinner.
In spite of what you would think the numbers are growing. This is partly due to demographic expansion and partly due to vagrant former chanichim turning up round the table like perennial talmedim chuchumim; and then there are their vagabond spouses and sprogs to boot and other hangeroners who’ve heard about these happy time warps. It all makes for good times.
The last reunion was held in the Horeshim Forest last month.
Mike Benn and Morry Sommer spawned a sophisticated publicity campaign based on an avalanche of trying emails, so no one dared forget the date. Joe and the inimitable Harry brought along the great bloody round kibbutz barbie and the meat and beer were plentiful. The weather was kind and the gum trees were shady. Anyone who wasn’t there is a rotten egg. (can't say things like shirtl... these days)

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re Cricket Semi Final

Cricket never was my thing. I apologise.
Here’s a passage from Down Under by Bill Bryson, who is listening to the cricket commentary on his car radio on a lonely drive from Canberra to Adelaide on Sturt Highway. (Please forgive me Richie Benaud.) “...Neasden, it appeared, was turning in a solid performance at square bowel, while Packet had been a stalwart in the dribbles, though even these exemplary performances paled when set beside the outstanding play of young Hugh Twain-Buttocks at middle nipple. The commentators were in calm agreement that they had not seen anyone caught behind with such panache since Tandoori took Rogan Josh for a stiffy at Vindaloo in '61. This was repeated four times more over the next two hours and then one of the commentators pronounced: 'So as we break for second luncheon, and with 11,200 balls remaining, Australia are 962 for two not half and England are four for a duck and hoping for rain.”


I tried cricket out at primary school.
I got a spot in the school team against Coolbinia Primary School, once. Once was enough even for our long-suffering headmaster, Mr Singer. Trying to emulate Dennis Lilee, I marked out a 50 metre run up to the pitch so that the mileage I clocked up tearing my way down to the crease and then hiking back to the “starting block”, broody and recalcitrant, took about 20 minutes to complete. And in my one over, at least 4 balls were wides.
Considering Mr Singer’s trauma it’s not hard to understand why I’m receptive to Bill Bryson’s perspective on the game. Have some more “… It is not true that the English invented cricket as a way of making all other human endeavors look interesting and lively; that was merely an unintended side effect. I don't wish to denigrate a sport that is enjoyed by millions, some of them awake and facing the right way, but it is an odd game. It is the only sport that incorporates meal breaks. It is the only sport that shares its name with an insect. It is the only sport in which spectators burn as many calories as players -- more if they are moderately restless. It is the only competitive activity of any type, other than perhaps baking, in which you can dress in white from head to toe and be as clean at the end of the day as you were at the beginning.”
“Imagine a form of baseball in which the pitcher, after each delivery, collects the ball from the catcher and walks slowly with it to center field; and that there, after a minute's pause to collect himself, he turns and runs full tilt toward the pitcher's mound before hurling the ball at the ankles of a man who stands before him wearing a riding hat, heavy gloves of the sort used to to handle radio-active isotopes, and a mattress strapped to each leg. Imagine moreover that if this batsman fails to hit the ball in a way that heartens him sufficiently to try to waddle forty feet with mattress's strapped to his legs, he is under no formal compunction to run; he may stand there all day, and, as a rule, does. If by some miracle he is coaxed into making a misstroke that leads to his being put out, all the fielders throw up their arms in triumph and have a hug. Then tea is called and every one retires happily to a distant pavilion to fortify for the next siege. Now imagine all this going on for so long that by the time the match concludes autumn has crept in and all your library books are overdue. There you have cricket.”
Maybe part of my problem is the length of the game; four fucking days stuck in front of a television, if my memory isn’t playing tricks on me. You see length can be a problem. It can drain an awful lot of blood away from your cerebral cortex. I’ve gone and checked it up in the encyclopaedia. There it says 3-5 days. I guess the time keepers can't keep going for all that long either without nodding off sometime.
My old friend David, hailing from that small island to the north of Calais, told me this anecdote about a bright Indian kid who took his cricket seriously, got a scholarship to Cambridge and shacked up with an English girlfriend to boot. But halfway through the summer of ‘87 and another interminable test series the maiden wanted to go out shopping.
“Dilip are you coming?”
“But the cricket match.”
Now she wasn’t an indignant person so she asked, “How much longer?”
“Could be maybe 3 or 4 days.”
“If that’s the case I’m sorry Dilip you’ll have to decide, either you’re coming out with me now or I’m leaving you.”
He just swung around in his swivel armchair to face the TV set and said, “Okay.”
As for the rest of you you’re invited to watch the Australia vs. South Africa game on Anzac day. See upcoming events.

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Footytipping

Ever tried explaining to your sprogs about Alex Jezalenko or the Krakouer Brothers? Not much chop hey? If it’s not pictures of the Australian bush and coastline that bring on the most horrible nostalgia pangs in me, tearing me apart, then it’s most likely to be Aussie rules footy action. Paul Israel from the Israel-Australia, N.Z & Oceania Chamber of Commerce is offering some relief and inviting us all to participate in a local tipping competition.
There seem to have been quite a few changes to the game since I left Australia. I guess online tipping competitions is a relatively minor one. But before you go on and find out how to join, here ya go, cop an eyeful of the modern game. But beware, the viewing audience is warned that the tone of the following clip may be offensive to your intelligence.


G'day,
Yes, it's your lucky day, you are personally being invited to join the 'Footy in Israel' footy tips which is run on the Australian website- www.footytips.com.au.
We have been running an Israeli tipping competition for a few years now, it's easy to join plus lots of fun. Even if you know nothing about Aussie Rules you can still participate and more often than not you'll do better than those that follow, as they say, "the less you know the better you tip".
All you need to do, is follow the instructions given below and you're in, if you need help registering let me know. If for some strange reason you're not interested then feel free to forward this to anyone you know who'd appreciate this special invitation.
Otherwise, we will be having end-of-season prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd, the cost is 75NIS and maybe other surprises along the way. You can pay @ your convenience, in fact you can join once the season has started, you'll simply get the 'away wins' in the meantime.
Oh, the season starts on Friday 30th of March, 2007!!!
INSTRUCTIONS:
1- Go to - www.footytips.com.au
2- Go to 'New Tipster', it's on the right hand-site and join on-line!
3- Fill in your details, make sure you don't lie the AFL may check-up on you!
4- Then it will automatically go to the next page where you need to type in the Competition Password: isreal (it is spelt that way)
5- From then on you simply follow the instructions, they're straight forward
Any queries, let me know, my details are below.
If you have received this more than one, please accept my apologies.
GO BLUES!!!!
Shalom,
Paul
==============================================
Paul Israel, Executive Director
Israel-Australia, N.Z & Oceania Chamber of Commerce
Phone: +972-3-510-6464
Mobile +972-54-442-3385
Email: anztrade@netvision.net.il
Fax: +972-3-516-8931
www.aicc.org.au
Postal Address: POB 50473 Tel-Aviv 61500, ISRAEL
Location: Level 11, 29 Hamered St, (Industry House) Tel-Aviv
==============================================

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Billy Thorpe

Billy Thorpe, Bandstand and Sunbury Pop Festival veteran died of a heart attack on 28/2/07. Billy Thorpe first came into public prominence on a national level as lead singer of the group Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs. The group was originally formed in Sydney in 1963,with Billy Thorpe as lead singer. His powerful voice and showmanship made him one of the most popular and respected rock performers in Australian music both then and later.



Billy Thorpe was born on 29 March 1946 in Manchester. He was "discovered" in Brisbane and at the age of ten he was appearing regularly on Queensland television. When he was 17 he moved to Sydney as a solo country/pop singer just as the Beatles were breaking. Always one to recognize opportunity knocking Thorpe teamed up with instrumental band The Aztecs and together they became one of the first Australian groups to contribute to the new sixties era of pop. The group broke through in mid-1964 with a massive nationwide hit, their cover of the Leiber and Stoller classic "Poison Ivy". Over the next twelve months the band reigned supreme as the most popular 'beat' group in Australia, scoring further hits with the songs "Mashed Potato", "Sick And Tired" and "Somewhere Over the Rainbow", until they were eclipsed by the emergence of The Easybeats in 1965.
Thorpe went solo in 1967 and for a brief time he hosted his own TV pop show, It's All Happening, but personal problems and a widely publicised bankruptcy brought this phase of his career to an end in 1968.
In 1969 Thorpe decided to go to England, after being offered a recording deal by the Australian-born, London-based impresario Robert Stigwood, who had risen to become manager of The Bee Gees and Cream. While rehearsing a backing band in Melbourne that would form the basis for a new Aztecs, the guitarist unexpectedly dropped out, leaving Thorpe to assume lead guitar role at short notice. It marked another turning point in his career and from this point on Thorpe played lead guitar in The Aztecs as well as continuing as lead vocalist. His planned six-week stay in Melbourne soon stretched into months and eventually Thorpe decided to remain in Australia and re-launch his career.
The new Aztecs' blues-based heavy-rock repertoire was dramatically different in style from the original group, and they quickly became famous (or notorious) for the ear-splitting volume at which they played. Thorpe had also drastically changed his appearance -- he grew a beard, often wore his now shoulder-length hair braided in a pigtail, and he had long since traded the tailored suits for jeans and t-shirts. Needless to say this did not endear to people who came to the shows expecting the 'old' Billy Thorpe of the "Poison Ivy" era, and this led to sometimes violent confrontations with disgruntled fans and promoters.Thorpe himself openly acknowledges that this new 'heavy' version of the Aztecs owes much to 'guitar hero' Lobby Loyde.
In early 1972 the Aztecs released what became their biggest hit, the song which became Thorpe's signature tune -- "Most People I Know (Think That I'm Crazy)", a song now widely regarded as one of the classics of Australian rock. It was a huge national hit for the new Aztecs, going Top 5 in all cities (there was no national chart at this time), propelled to the top of charts by the band's triumphant appearance at the legendary 1972 Sunbury Music Festival. Thorpe himself saw this as a pivotal moment in the development of Australian music, thanks to the promoters' decision to feature an all-Australian lineup, rather than relying on imported stars.
After "Most People I Know" was unsuccessfully been released in England Thorpe set his sights on the US, disbanding the Aztecs and adopting more of an adult rock oriented style. In 1979 Thorpe signed a US deal with American producer Spencer Proffer and recorded the ambitious science fiction/rock opera concept album Children Of The Future, which achieved Top 20 status in America, selling 500,000 copies. The follow-up album 21st Century Man also gained a US gold record. The years that followed saw Thorpe concentrated on non-music business activities as diverse as electronics and toys, before forming Zoo with Mick Fleetwood in 1990.
In July 1996 Billy Thorpe returned to Australia to live and authored two highly-entertaining best selling books touching on his life and career, Sex Thugs And Rock'n'Roll, and naturally, Most People I Know.
Paraphrased from Wikipedia

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