-Here’s one from the Queensland office of the Star News Group with a distinct local flavour. The incredible 128-game winning streak of the Yeppoon Swans came to an end on Saturday in the AFL Capricornia League. The Swans had not tasted defeat for eight years prior to their 13.6.84 to 10.5.65 loss to GLENMORE on the weekend. Yeppoon is about a 40-minute drive from Rockhampton, and about the same time on a ferry to Great Keppel Island. Two of Glenmore’s biggest stars are Darcy and Tyson Payne, the sons of GARFIELD legend Murray. Darcy is captain and kicked three goals in the win.
-It must be the clean-living country air from their younger days, but it’s quite remarkable to think that four players from CATANI’s 1953 premiership team will be in attendance at this Saturday’s reunion at Taplins Road. John Ford, Robert Gardiner, Gordon Peck and Todd Shelton can at least enjoy each-others company this week, unlike poor Max Excell…the only surviving member of BEACONSFIELD’s 1953 premiership team which held its reunion back on May 20!
-It’s going to be a massive day at CRANBOURNE on Saturday 24 June when the Eagles celebrate their magnificent premiership victory of 1993. Coach Paul Garrett watched his team fall 34 points behind, mid-way through the third quarter against NARRE WARREN at Edwin Flack Reserve, before flying home to win by two points. Paul and Paddy Garrett, Nigel Ostrum, Darren Martello, Darren Sherritt and Ross Woodall were all part of the team that day. They do their reunions well do the Eagles…and this will be no exception!
-The transition process is still taking place, but incoming AFL CEO Andrew Dillon is quickly finding out that looking after community football must be promoted to high up on his list of priorities. Dillon received a letter – via email – last week on behalf of a group of clubs from our region, stating the important matters that must be taken care of. Ensuring the integrity of salary caps and the Player Points System were undoubtedly on the hit list.
-Bloody Covid! It seems we haven’t quite shaken the dreaded lurgy after the GARFIELD footy club was struck down with numerous cases last week. In the week leading up to May 25, there were 10,642 positive tests recorded across Victoria…up 15-percent from the week before! There were 407 people in hospital with the disease, and 17 in serious condition in ICU. With winter starting this week, there’s a fair chance that RAT tests will be back out in force!
-The line up is in for one of the biggest and best events on the sporting calendar, with ESSENDON legend Terry Daniher joining free-spirited goal-kicking machine Warwick Capper and comedian Des Dowling as guest speakers at the Narre Warren Corporate Lunch on Friday 21 July.
-It’s great to see the spirit that exists between clubs in the WGFNC, with BUNYIP calling on a favour from its near-neighbour CORA LYNN last week. The Bulldogs home-ground was struggling to cope with the persistent mid-week rains, so a call was put in to see if the Cobras could assist. Sure enough, the answer was a positive one, with the Bulldogs using the Cobradome as their training venue last Wednesday.
-A couple of debutants tasted success at CORA LYNN on Saturday, with Josh Wilson kicking two goals – after kicking 25 in six games in the reserves – and Lachie Coverdale slotting in nicely in defence. Coverdale has come from the clouds, having only played a handful Aussie Rules games before finding his way into the seniors. Coverdale earned selection by knocking off his coach Shaun Sparks in a game of Connect-4 at training on Thursday night. But we think he already had his spot tucked away, because Sparks didn’t seem to be trying too hard to win.
-Can someone in community football please explain why we don’t have numbers on the front of playing jumpers? They do it in the elite Coates League for identification purposes, so why wouldn’t you do it in community football to help identify players the same way? It just doesn’t make any sense. It doesn’t cost more for suppliers to make the jumpers with an extra number or two on the apparel, and it’s only a slight change to the current style guide and the job’s done. Let’s see if we can get a league or a club to lead the way on this!
-Shout-out to Dingley fullback Alex Windhager. Members of three separate opposition clubs have volunteered the young Dingo as the best full back in the Southern Division One competition. The club has given him just about every difficult assignment that exists across the last 12 months and he has passed each one – often with flying colours. Gazette editor Dave Nagel laughed at the prospect of Windhager even being considered the best while CRANBOURNE’s Brandon Osborne’s still going around…but the gulf between them is narrowing.
It’s always interesting to see what players do when their VFL clubs have byes. Springvale Districts were eagerly waiting all week to see if Corey Ellison would lineup for the Eagles and no doubt Olinda Ferny Creek would have been just as interested to see if Mitch Cox would play for Narre. Neither did take up the opportunity to play with their mates, but got the week off in a gruelling year. Meanwhile, GWS VFL’s Jakob Anderson played for Old Haileybury and amassed 25 touches, 13 marks and kicked five goals. Has fun on a Saturday arvo with his mates and goes back to VFL with a bit of form behind him.
Could a Noble Park premiership star of 2022 be on the move at the end of this season? The player movement space never sleeps, including in local footy and word is that one player might be considering heading back to his roots. Said club could do with his talent and the injection of a one-pointer.
-Interesting to note that the Essendon and Districts Football League has banned spectators from quarter time and three quarter time huddles in a bid to reduce violent incidents. While there’s no indication it sets a precedent for our local leagues to follow, it serves as a good time to remind everyone to support passionately but be respectful at games.
-A shout-out to the DANDENONG STINGRAYS which is always edgy with its media content. A nice social media post last week announcing a series of debutants saw coach Josh Moore call a few parents of squad members in front of the group. If they answer, he said, it would guarantee their child a debut. No doubt he’d worded the parents up beforehand. That wholesome content followed the Rays getting featured on the AFLW social media channels for a debut video earlier in the season.
-HAMPTON PARK skipper Liam Myatt was stitched up last week on the Redbacks social media. The club does a Q and A with a select number of players each week and one of the questions is simply ‘team?’ While most take that to mean which club they represent – seniors, ressies, netball etc – Myatt put down Collingwood. Certainly if Hayden Stanton can have the boys replicating what the Pies are doing at the moment no one will be complaining!
-About time someone recognised the resume BERWICK junior Jaxon Binns is putting together at VFL level for Carlton in 2023. The hard running winger is averaging a tick under 27 disposals, nine game into his first season playing senior footy. Surely a debut for the ex-Ray in the big time can’t be far away?
-Good luck to all the locals who nominated for the 2023 midseason draft to be held on Wednesday night. From Ryan Maric in Drouin, Jimmy Trezise in Tooradin to Clay Tucker in Rowville, there are a few likely players who will be picked up, and more talented prospects littered throughout the region who will be praying for a chance. All the best!
-And a couple for the year-round cricket nuffies. Turf 3 club BERWICK SPRINGS is looking for a new coach as it seeks a rise up the ranks after showing occasional glimpses last season. Meanwhile, one figure familiar with the sporting landscape has thrown out the idea of the struggling Hampton Park to merge with Heinz Southern Districts. From a logical stance, there’s method to it with both clubs struggling at different times to play home games due to the state of their grounds, but perhaps HSD is too strong a club to consider a merger. Maybe it’s one to keep an eye on.
-Great to see NOBLE PARK premiership star Blake O’Leary play his first game of the season for Frankston’s VFL side on the weekend. The livewire small forward brings energy inside 50 for the Dolphins and finished with nine touches, seven tackles and a goal. O’Leary won the best afield medal in Steve Hughes’ grand final team last year before requiring surgery which set his start for 2023 back.
-Saturday was a special day for the Hillard family and the PAKENHAM footy club, with brothers Tom and Jackson becoming the first pair in the Hillard lineage to play a game of senior football together. Unfortunately for Tom, his day was cut short when he was ruled out of the game in the third quarter due to concussion, paying the price for a courageous mark where he was crunched from behind.
-Speak to the coaching staff at PAKENHAM and they’ll be quick to tell you how impressed they are with D’Angelo Taito’s improvement this season. So skilled has he become that he used his head to affect a hitout to Sam Kors infront of the WANDIN grandstand, to the delight of fans watching on who couldn’t help but chuckle. The big man himself could see the funny side too, as a beaming smile washed across his face.
-There has been word floating around here and there that it would happen and it is looking increasingly likely now that Tory Dickson will line up for DOVETON at some stage this year. He’s Jimmy Pattinson’s brother-in-law and the pair ahave always wanted to tee up playing local footy together. His straight set shot and presence inside 50 would be a huge help to Doveton.
