DEVON MEADOWS Football Club held a gala event when it invited back to the club many of its past stars recently, and announced a special “team of the trigesimal (30 years)” from 1978 to 2007. The event was held at Settlers Run Golf and Country Club with 240 people in attendance. The team itself consisted of 18 players, six interchange and three emergencies. Of the 27 chosen 24 attended the evening. The captain was club games record holder Craig Hunter, the vice-captain was current KEYSBOROUGH coach Greg Siwes and deputy vice-captain was Peter Lindsay. The coach was former ST KILDA hard man Rod Keogh who flew over from his home in Tasmania for the event.
MUCH has been said around the traps and plenty has appeared on the internet concerning the goings on at DOVETON over the past fortnight. Club president Mark Woolgar was front and centre when dealing with the fall-out of a confirmed incident involving members at a social gathering, and he confirmed last week that measures had been taken in a brief and direct statement intended to put the issue to rest.
“There was a regrettable incident at a recent social gathering and it’s been dealt with in-house. There has been strong internal disciplinary action taken and some conditions placed on those involved. I don’t want to make any further comment. We have finals ahead and that’s our sole aim now,” he said.
Woolgar added that nobody had been sacked from the club and, as far as he knew, all players were still available for selection against BERWICK this week. We’ll have to wait and see on that one.
SIDELINED CORA LYNN goal kicker Darren Sheen wowed supporters by having a kick at half-time in the Cobras’ big clash against NILMA-DARNUM at the weekend. Free of the plaster cast he wore the previous week, it appears the two foot fractures he reportedly suffered in round 16 were misdiagnosed and he may be ready to return to the senior line-up as soon as next week. In more good news for the Cobras, rugged premiership utility Luke Christopher got through his first senior game in more than three months on Saturday.
WHAT would motivate a group of talented young NARRE WARREN players to run and tackle and put their bodies on the line in the heat of battle? No, not a video of the 1989 AFL grand final, or Mike Tyson’s greatest knockouts or Lance Armstrong’s comeback in the Tour de France. According to a club source it’s their leader, Daniel Borninkhof, singing their new anthem, a song called Good Girls Go Bad, by some band called Cobra Starship! Apparently all the young Magpies follow suit and sing it when they’re playing and that’s what motivates them … What is going on at Fox Road?
HERE’S an unusual fact about the WGLFL this season. The top three teams last year, the premiers Sale, the runners up Morwell and Warragul have all missed the finals this year while the bottom three sides last season were Drouin, who were the 2008 wooden-spooners along with Leongatha and Moe and will all play finals football in 2009.
GARFIELD intends to host its final game in the WGLFL this Saturday, but looks to have a mountain to climb when it welcomes the in-form ladder leaders and premiership favourite TRARALGON, which will be gunning for 12 straight victories. After nearly downing MAFFRA away from home on Saturday, just imagine the hullabaloo that would be generated among EDFL clubs if the Stars rise to the occasion and knock over the Maroons. The Stars hope to be accepted into the EDFL next year.
WELL, we got that one wrong, or rather the (three) TOORADIN sources that let us know got it wrong. Star ruckman Steve Arvanitis, who had supposedly walked out on the club and retired, either played a blinder for the Seagulls against DEVON MEADOWS on Saturday, or has an identical twin who is just as good as he is. Not sure what the story is there but the Seagulls look a much better unit with the big bloke in the centre.
UMPIRES are getting very touchy as finals approach and players should be warned. Some of the recent reports and sanctions, in particular for swearing, would not have been an issue in earlier rounds but with the competition for finals spots hotting up, it appears that the umpires have decided to report first and issue a warning later. An incident at CRANBOURNE during a break in the thirds game was a perfect example and resulted in star Eagle midfielder Curtis Barker being reported for “approaching the umpires” after he went out to check the centre of the ground with several other players, before playing.
NILMA-DARNUM ball magnet Jamie Cann made it back-to-back best-and-fairest awards with the club on Sunday. Cann polled 103 votes and won with something in reserve from SALE recruit Kane Martin on 85 and whizkid Kael Bergles on 58. Interestingly, star AFL recruit Mal Michael polled only 36 votes and came in at 12th position on the Bombers vote table. Ben Unstead took home the reserves best and fairest and rising star Luke Hughes won the thirds award with a massive 182 votes.
IT IS a reflection on the culture of success that has been built at NARRE WARREN over the past few years that 117 past Magpie players rocked up to a get-together at Fox Road on Saturday. The club put on a special afternoon for their past legends and many who attended were so caught up in history that they did not see a kick of the senior game against BERWICK. After four very happy hours for only $10 they certainly were the happiest bunch of old players around and, boy, could they play football … so they reckon.
THE baby boom at PAKENHAM continues with news that speedy wingman Dean Blake and his lovely partner Elisha are expecting a baby in December. The only question is what expectant grandfather Martin will be referred to after the event. We thought it might be “Pa” or “Grandad” or “Papa”, but spearhead Daniel Fry put it to rest at training last week. “He’ll be called ‘Popsy’ and that’s it,” said the big Lion. Popsy Blake it is then.
HOW long have the CASEY SCORPIONS been at Casey Fields under their own banner? Quite obviously MELBOURNE legend Gary Lyon does not know that the club even exists if Saturday’s AFL pre-match is any indication. While talking about the Demons Lyon consistently spoke about players going back to play in the seconds with SPRINGVALE and being promoted after a few games with the Springvale Football Club. Why do so few outside the area recognise the Scorpions as a Casey side? It might be about time Demons spruiker Chris Connolly and his Scorpions counterpart Brian Woodman sent out some letters explaining that Cranbourne is now the base of the old Springvale club and Melbourne is its AFL affiliate.
POOWONG will be searching for a new coach in 2010 after Adam Sheedy resigned on Saturday. Sheedy only had the one season in charge after being appointed over the summer of 2009. He said he had too many pressing commitments and did not think he could do the role justice next season. On his departure he said: “I think this current team will go a fair way and hope I’ve helped lay the platform for the club to build upon. There is plenty of good home-grown talent here and the club is only three or four key players short of the best in the competition.” Sheedy also singled out 16-year-old Ben Hancock for special praise. “He came straight into the senior team from the fourths, played every game, kicked nearly 40 goals and, at six foot four, must surely be a candidate for GIPPSLAND POWER next season,” he said.
