Sporting shorts..

Olympic Games 
I haven't been this unexcited by an Olympic games for a long time. Almost two weeks out and all the news is again the lack of preperations, and drugs. Maybe it will change when it starts but somehow I doubt it.

AFL 
With about five roiunds left, the top eight looks settled. I really can't see North Melbourne being replaced by St. Kilda. The real interest is in the finishing order of the teams. Will be intriguing if Sydney and GWS play each other. Hard to pick a favourite, though Hawthorn are looking good to win again. If Sydney don't win, I'll be cheering for Adelaide. Here's an interesting article simulating the ladder at the end of the season and possible Grand finaliists.

NRL 
Certainly Cronulla and Melbourne are the standout teams this year. Their game in the final round shaping as the decider for the Minor Premiership. I suspect one of them will win the competition, though Brisbane and North Queensland may have something to say about that. After the Golden point loss to the Raiders, I think the Raiders are not really out of the running for the finals.

On the League finals, it is a shame the Sharks are forced to play their finals at Allianz Stadium. For me, the supporters deserve to be able to see them play in Cronulla.

Super Rugby
Semi-finalists have been decided with the Hurricanes hosting the Chiefs and the Highlanders travelling to Johansberg. Hoping for a repeat of last yeatr's final, albeit with a different result.

But I got worried reading an article proclaiming the Hurricanes as favourites.  The duel between Cruden and Barrett will be great to watch, and will possibly determine who starts for the All Blacks in August's test. Great news that Hansen has re-signed to coach the All Blacks to the 2019 World Cup.

Cricket
Our Cricket season starts with New Zealand playing Zimbabwe and Australia in Sri Lanka. +

Coaching
On Coaches and coaching, Offsiders had a really fascinating program on Sunday with Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou, Diamonds coach Lisa Alexander and Wallabies coach Michael Cheika. Watch it here.

2015 in review - Music

This post has been a long time coming.  I made a start on it a while ago, but never got around to posting it.

I listened to a lot of EPs during the year. The ones that really have stood out are:

• Christa Wells Covers project - probably the most played album / EP through 2015. Great covers of some of my favourite 80s/90s tunes.
• Andrew Osenga's Heart, Flesh, Soul and Bone project (covering four genres Singer/Songwriter, Blues/Soul, Rock and Instrumental).
• Sleeping At Last's 'Atlas' project (this year focused on Life and our Sense)
• Jon Foreman's The Wonderlands project (built around themes of Sunlight, Shadows, Darkness and Dawn)
• Matthew Perryman Jones - Cold Answer
• Nichole Nordeman - The Unmaking (Nichole's first release of new music since 2005).

I spent a lot of 2015 listening to recordings from U2's Innocence and Experience concerts, I loved Songs of Innocence, and how the old songs were reinterperated in light of contemporary situations. The sequence of songs from Every Breaking Wave to With or Without You is almost perfect. Just watch the Paris DVD and you'll get what I mean. I will write a review of the DVD soon.

The albums I can remember buying during 2015 were:

• Caitlyn Canty - Reckless Skyline
• Glen Hansard - Didn't He Ramble
• Amanda Opelt - Seven Songs
• Colm Mac Con Iomaire - Agus Anois An Aimsir
• Coldplay - A Head Full of Dreams
• Jenny & Tyler - Of this I'm Sure
• Jewel - Picking up the Pieces
• Katrina Stone - Never Wanna Grow Up
• The Paper Kites - Twelvefour
• Sandra McCracken - Psalms
• Sara Groves - Floodplain
• Sarah Blasko -  Eternal Return
• Wilco - Star Wars

The Frames also released Longitude during the year. Longitude celebrated their 25th Anniversary and was a collection of songs they liked, with one new song 'None But I', a few different songs were re-recorded.

From that list, the ones that have lasted through the year are:

• Sandra McCracken - Psalms
• Glen Hansard - Didn't He Ramble
• Jenny & Tyler - Of this I'm Sure
• Colm Mac Con Iomaire - Agus Anois An Aimsir 
• Amanda Opelt - Seven Songs