By David Nagel and Russell Bennett
In the words of the late great ‘Louie the Lip’ Lou Richards, it’s going to be a real ‘ring a ding ding’ battle when the South East Football Netball League hosts Hampden at Casey Fields on Saturday.
The 1pm showdown will see an interleague legend in SEFNL coach Michael ‘Jock’ Holland lock horns with former AFL great Jonathan Brown, with both men looking to elevate their leagues into a top-10 force in the state.
Inaugural West Gippsland Football Netball Competition senior coach Tom McQualter, meanwhile, would hardly call himself a ‘footy head’. In fact, he’s never even been the senior coach of a football side in his own right.
But yet he’s the perfect person to pioneer the WGFNC’s new interleague set-up.
West Gippsland is in the unique position of fielding an interleague side against Riddell and District at Macedon made up of some of the best players from two different leagues – the Ellinbank and District Football League, and the Alberton Football Netball League.
“In my mind there’s an opportunity for this competition to become one of, if not the, premier league in Gippsland and really rival the Gippsland League over the next 10 years,” McQualter said.
“We want to lift the profile of interleague across multiple years and, being a new league, there is an outstanding opportunity to show how high the quality of football being played in West Gippsland is.”
McQualter’s brother Andrew played 94 AFL games for St Kilda and the Gold Coast – including three grand finals with the Saints – before taking on a coaching role at Richmond.
SEFNL – POSSIBLE INTERLEAGUE LINE-UP
Versus the Hampden Football Netball League
Saturday 13 May – 1pm, Casey Fields VFL ground
FB: Daniel Battaglin (Beaconsfield), Brandon Osborne (Cranbourne), Sam Blackwood (Pakenham)
HB: Jake Bowd (Beaconsfield), Michael Riseley (Berwick), Luke McKenna (Tooradin)
C: Aaron Bower (Cranbourne), Bryce Rutherford (Berwick), Lucas Jellyman-Turner (Berwick)
HF: Nick Battle (Doveton), Troy Tharle (Cranbourne), Nick Lang (Tooradin)
FF: Jake Smith (Pakenham), Andrew Dean (Tooradin), Matthew Clarke (Officer)
R: Jake Richardson (Narre Warren), Shaun Marusic (Cranbourne), Trent Cody (Narre Warren)
I/C from: Troy McDermott (Beaconsfield), Corey Walker (Beaconsfield), Michael Collins (Narre Warren), Michael Wallace (Tooradin), Dylan Cavalot (Cranbourne), Jack Soroczynski (Narre Warren), Dylan Quirk (Narre Warren), Zak Roscoe (Cranbourne), Stephen Morey (Pakenham), Jesse Longmuir (Officer), Jordyn Flannery (Narre Warren), Hayden Brough (Hampton Park), Harrison Paul (Hampton Park)
Coaches: Michael ‘Jock’ Holland, Dan O’Loughlin (assistant), Tom O’Loughlin (assistant), Matt Shinners (assistant)
WGFNC – POSSIBLE INTERLEAGUE LINE-UP
Versus the Riddell District Football Netball League
Saturday 13 May – 2.30pm, Tony Clarke Reserve, Macedon
FB: Mark Griffin (Phillip Island), Tim Payne (Cora Lynn), Clay Tait (Dalyston)
HB: Michael Cooke (Korumburra-Bena), Jason Fisher (Bunyip), Jaymie Youle (Phillip Island)
C: Blake Carew (Dalyston), Michael Whyte (Bunyip), Jeremy Monckton (Cora Lynn)
HF: Nathan Gillis (Cora Lynn), Ryan Gillis (Cora Lynn), Nathan Voss (Kooweerup)
FF: Nathan Langley (Cora Lynn), Toby Mahoney (Inverloch-Kongwak), Jack Taylor (Phillip Island)
R: Billy Thomas (Cora Lynn), Joel Gibson (Bunyip), Corey Casey (Inverloch-Kongwak)
I/C: Matt Stevens (Nar Nar Goon), Jarrod Witnish (Phillip Island), Daniel Helmore (Garfield), Tom Wyatt (Inverloch-Kongwak)
Coaches: Tom McQualter, Ben Soumilas (assistant), David Main (assistant)
WGFNC Open Netball Team
Versus the Riddell District Football Netball League
Saturday 13 May – 2.30pm, Tony Clarke Reserve, Macedon
Meaghan Musgrave and Lou Walsh (Cora Lynn); Britt Thomas (Dalyston); Gemma Dixon, Christie Hillberg, Kimberley Hillberg, and Annaliese Van Rooye (Korumburra-Bena); and Shannon Johns and Georgia Keysers (Nar Nar Goon).
Coach: Christie Hillberg
WGFNC 17-and-under Netball Team
Versus the Riddell District Football Netball League
Saturday 13 May – 12.30pm, Tony Clarke Reserve, Macedon
Tyra Schade (Cora Lynn); Hannah Carew, Alana McRae, and Hayley Verboon (Dalyston); Sophie Bolam and Alex Burke (Inverloch-Kongwak); Natasha Bindley (Kooweerup); and Chloe Hogg, Ellie Holmes, and Shae Kyle (Korumburra-Bena).
WGFNC Under-18 Football Team
Versus the Riddell District Football Netball League
Saturday 13 May – 11.45am, Tony Clarke Reserve, Macedon
Announced after the final training session at Cora Lynn on Thursday, 11 May.
