LAST week Footy Shorts reported that Dwayne Doig was the youngest coach in the EDFL, however this was incorrect. Doig and BUNYIP’S Ben Proctor both turn 25 this year and both are older than BULN BULN coach Brett Eastwell, who is youngest at 23.
GIPPSLAND POWER was at a loss last week before the clash with BENDIGO PIONEERS as again the Morwell Oval was unfit for play. MidGippsland League club MORWELLEAST came to the Power’s rescue and offered the club’s excellent facilities and assistance. The Power’s Peter Francis said president Bill Gill and his club couldn’t have been more helpful and the club appreciated this support.
THE fanfare surrounding PAKENHAM’S 25year revival was exciting, but a quick check of a statement that appeared in the newspaper during the promotion of Saturday’s event found that one of the statistics was not quite correct. Pakenham’s record of three consecutive netball premierships is actually shared by CATANI. The Blues won the 1958, 1959 and 1960 flags before Pakenham defeated them in 1961 (by one goal) and started a run that included 1962 and 1963. The champion Catani side was captained by Beryl Banbury and it was almost four in a row because they lost the 1957 grand final by one goal also.
GARFIELD officials are believed to be furious with the MORWELL supporters, who allegedly set up their own grog van at Saturday’s game. The word is that the bar was open in a minibus at the far end of the Garfield reserve and Morwell members went there for supplies, rather than support the Stars by purchasing beer from the club booth. Not only is such behaviour illegal it is also a poor effort given how hard some clubs are trying to develop unity in the new WGLFL.
INTERESTING to hear that HALLORA under12 footballers will finish their season at about 11.15am on their home ground this Saturday with the biggest challenge of their year. The youngsters will take on a team made up of their mums in an endofyear grudge match! Mother’s Day takes on a whole new meaning.
KOOWEERUP stalwart Kade Ingram played his 200th game last week against CORA LYNN. Ingram, a former vicecaptain and committeeman, made his senior debut in 1993 and after enduring many lean years at the Demons is champing at the bit to be part of Kooweerup’s finals campaign this season.
JUST what will stop rugged NILMADARNUM forward Peter Davenport from taking the field? Against advice, the tough forwardon baller played against WARRAGUL INDUSTRIALS with a broken hand and a dodgy shoulder that has plagued him all season. Davenport is one of the recruits of the season and, as the Bombers’ leading goalkicker, he has played a big role in the 200304 cellar dwellers’ resurgence.
NILMADARNUM club stalwart Shaun Moloney played his 300th and final game for the Bombers in the reserves last Saturday. Moloney came out of retirement to achieve the milestone on the club sponsor’s day. Moloney played in his old numbereight cloth jumper, much to the amusement of those at the game and especially the younger brigade unfamiliar with the old guernseys.
“THE gates have been surprisingly good. Full credit to the new clubs. They all have loyal supporters who have made the effort to support their club and travel here and are a good bunch of blokes too,” said SALE secretary Ian Clewley, referring to GARFIELD and DROUIN, which have played at Sale this season. WARRAGUL will travel to Sale in the final homeandaway round on 20 August.
BAD news for DROUIN was that neversaydie defender Marc Olsen, a member of the Pakenham Gazette team of the year in 2004, looks unlikely to front up again this season. Olsen has endured a frustrating year after sustaining an ankle injury in round three. Despite looking to return a number of times, he has suffered recurrences that have kept him sidelined. He is now walking with a brace and cast on his ankle. On a positive note Damian Carmody, who returned to the Hawks this season from SPRINGVALE, was making a good recovery from a knee reconstruction and should be ready to go around the start of 2006.
WITH 200 patrons in attendance, GARFIELD hosted a successful “Star Search” night last Saturday. The major prize was taken out by the committee act that performed an impressive medley, however a couple of footballers reportedly stole the show with their penchant for crossdressing. Our spies tell us that at least one rival act is claiming bias with the wife and brother of members of the winning group among the judges!
A DECISION will be made on 8 August about which clubs will host this season’s WGLFL finals. All clubs except GARFIELD have applied and word is that there is a strong likelihood that DROUIN or WARRAGUL will be in the mix.
A COUPLE of sons of guns made their debut for MORWELL against GARFIELD. First was Daniel Metcalf, a lightly built onballer and son of Colin, who played more than 200 games with the Tigers and was a double premiership player and interleague coach. Second was Luke Henderson, a flanker who is son of Peter Henderson, who played 230 games with Morwell and was a league leading goalkicker and a fourtime premiership player with the Tigers.
