KEYSBOROUGH players are different cats and star duo and good mates Will Gayfer and Clinton King are a perfect example. Stories about the pair’s exploits abound and one recent event particularly tickled our fancy. The two lads share a place in St Kilda and recently their overworked washing machine died, causing piles of dirty clothes to suddenly appear all over the abode. Finally, when there was nothing left for either to wear, they lugged the whole lot down to the local laundry. Good move. They piled their garments in to the vacant machines, tipped in the coins and settled back to wait. Good move.
However, these washing cycles take time and our heroes decided to kill that time in a more fruitful manner and walked up the road for a couple of cleansing ales. Bad move!
When the boys returned they found a pile of jocks, socks and the skankier T-shirts they owned all over the floor near the machines and all their expensive jeans, tops and “cool gear” no longer in the vicinity. The dynamic duo have since been attired in tracksuit pants and old T-shirts as they save up for a new wardrobe … and washing machine.
GREAT news for ROC with the club confirming its direction during the week and reappointing coach Kris Fletcher for 2010. On top of that was the bonus that favourite son Greg Tivendale has also signed on at Starling Road for another season, meaning that the Kangaroos can now concentrate on working on strengthening their list and developing the already emerging junior talent that has started to come through this year. The word is that there could be a few departures at ROC at the end of the season but there are high hopes for further improvement with the early decision on coaching.
NAR NAR GOON found itself a man short after half-time on Saturday when experienced utility Ben Scanlon left the BULN BULN ground in a hurry and rushed to the side of his pregnant partner, Abby Noonan, who suddenly went into labour. Congratulations to Ben and Abby, who are now the proud parents of a baby girl, Matilda Joyce. That adds to the current baby ‘boom’ at the Goon, with Ben Simpson, Steve Hobson and netballer Maisie Noonan adding to the family of late.
PLENTY has been said about the recently printed Casey Cardinia league Top 50 – some good and some not so good. Within clubs there were some interesting reactions, too. Apparently NARRE WARREN’s Michael Collins hates his new nickname “Numero Uno”, while PAKENHAM defender Tom O’Loughlin has copped the sledge, “wow up from 519 in the league to 19 in one year”. The selection of HAMPTON PARK coach Josh Taylor at 28 brought the call from teammate (and number 48) Ryan Simpson, “he’s not even the 28th best at Hampton Park let alone the bloody league”, while the arguments rage in support of Grant Noonan, Luke Walker, Greg Tivendale and Beau Miller being rated higher than they were. People at CRANBOURNE were incredulous at the omission of Matt Fletcher, as were KEYSBOROUGH folk when Clinton King’s name did not appear. No one from BEACONSFIELD rates Kym Jones a worthy inclusion, which is probably why he is now playing solid football with ROC, and apparently there was a misprint and DOVETON star Ryan Hendy should have been number three, not 23. Great stuff.
IF there was a “bonding” premiership BEACONSFIELD would be on top of the ladder undefeated. The Eagles have spent plenty of time soul-searching at boys-only love-ins after games this season but last week takes the cake. Since their last outing on to the football field against TOORADIN, a horrible and upsetting day for the sensitive lads, they have consoled each other at a golf day and an evening at the Sandown greyhounds, a dinner at Shanikas restaurant and a night out in the city. Off-field unity is obviously not an issue at the Perc Allison Oval … now if only the Eagles could transfer that unity to the footy field.
WHILE on the Eagles, members and sponsors gathered at Clover Cottage in Berwick last Friday for the annual Club 25 get-together. The evening was addressed by a couple of former BEACONSFIELD youngsters who went on to bigger things in Austinn Jones and current RICHMOND captain Chris Newman. Aussie, who is in the running for the Eagles vacant coaching position next season, interviewed Newman on stage and did not hold back, asking some direct questions about the mid-season turmoil that resulted in the exit of coach Terry Wallace. Newman proved himself a supreme diplomat with his answers but did have some fun at the expense of a few teammates later in the entertaining chat. One point that was certainly made is that Channel Nine reporter and former WARRAGUL boy Craig Hutchinson’s style of “ambush journalism” is about as popular with AFL players as a ham sandwich in a synagogue.
CATANI recruit Fiatupu Too Too wears jumper number 88 and the story goes that eight is his favourite number. However, star recruit Luke James also had a preference for the lucky eight and won the battle. In order to don his desired number, Too Too opted for the double eight and everyone was happy. Coach and club legend Paul Alger wore the No. 8 guernsey before 2009 and he now wears the 24 strip.
PLENTY happening off the field at a couple of Casey Cardinia League clubs after recent Sunday social events and the word is that we will be hearing more about them. Apparently the Sunday sips are the latest target by the (fun) police and the whisper is that the local licensing hit squad will increase its workload to include every social do planned by every club on every day. If the do-gooders have their way, the day is quickly coming when gathering at the football club for a fundraiser will have to be drink-free, which will mean the end of many such events. Be warned.
ONE well-known pot-stirrer at KEYSBOROUGH couldn’t wait to have a crack as the senior clash with DEVON MEADOWS kicked off on Saturday. Our man had been at the Rowley Allen Reserve during the reserves when several of the RAAF Roulettes flying acrobats had flown over the ground and executed a trick or two. “We got the Roulettes so obviously this is the match of the day and that has been recognised by everyone except you Tangles,” he chipped. Touche.
NILMA-DARNUM will hold a premiership reunion for the members of the 1959 senior side and the 1972 reserves team at the Warragul Exhibition Hall on Saturday 15 August. It was NILMA LILLICO that defeated NEERIM NEERIM SOUTH in the 1959 grand final. They used to wear black with a red V and had no home ground, having to train in WARRAGUL and share the old home ground with rival club WARRAGUL INDUSTRIALS. There are about a dozen living members from the 1959 premiership side with vice-captain and centre-half-back Neville Moyle one of several past players from the side who will attend the reunion. Others who are believed to be coming to the event include ruckman Arthur Iverson along with Bobby Holt, Kevin Young, Noel Wills and Jimmy Brown. Nilma Lillico merged with Darnum to become Nilma Darnum in 1979. The reserves defeated POOWONG to win the 1972 pennant. For further information contact club president Andrew Patterson on 0419 530 800.
COACHES are obviously getting nervy with finals in the air. CRANBOURNE coach Doug Koop celebrated the weekend’s good win over NARRE WARREN by announcing that the side would meet at Frankston beach at 8.30am on Sunday while similarly, over at LONGWARRY, coach Graeme Jose informed his troops that their big win over KOOWEERUP entitled them all to turn up at the Robin Hood Hotel in Drouin at 9.30am on Sunday, not for a beer, but for a dip in the icy waters of the Tarrago River. Lucky the sides didn’t lose.
GIPPSLAND POWER star John Butcher played his first senior game for MAFFRA on Saturday. Widely tipped to be a certain first-round pick in this year’s AFL draft, the tall forward-ruckman impressed with his athleticism, hauling in a dozen marks and kicking a goal. Butcher wore jumper number 11, the same number his father Wayne, a triple best and fairest winner with Eagles wore in more than 250 games.
