HIGH-flying key forward Ryan Donaldson could be heading back to the Casey Cardinia League after an extended stint at District League level with LONGWARRY and CORA LYNN. The ex-BERWICK spearhead is training with his former junior club BEACONSFIELD and Cobra insiders conceded that their premiership goal kicker was likely to give the big league one more go in 2010. That said, Donaldson is yet to sign with the Eagles, who have been working hard (and very quietly) to secure star forward Andrew Williams after the CASEY SCORPIONS made a recent play for his services. On the down side for Beacy is word around the traps that champion ruckman Chris Kelf is considering heading to Western Australia to play in 2010.
NEERIM NEERIM SOUTH officials are said to be ecstatic that 2009 EDFL best and fairest Chris Urie will stay with the club in 2010. Urie, who starred in the VFL with GEELONG in 2008, has knocked back an offer from the CASEY SCORPIONS, just one of many clubs from far and wide to seek his services. The Cats are also confident of signing a few recruits before Christmas and have aspirations of being a finalist in 2010, although WARRAGUL utility Nick Humphrey is the only confirmed newcomer to the club at this stage. The Cats have reappointed Dean Hendrickse as senior coach and veteran Jack Halligan as his assistant for next year.
THE format of the VCFL Country Championships has been changed for the next two seasons, with the old round-robin competition out in favour of one-off games based on the standings as at the end of the 2008 series. The MPNFL has been drawn to play the Hampden League away in 2010. In 2011, the winner of this match will go on to play the loser of the Ovens and Murray League v Goulburn Valley League, and the loser will play the winner of Murray League v Bellarine League. The change was made in response to a number of club and league concerns including that the round-robin concept (three shortened games over a weekend) was too tough on players.
THE West Gippsland Latrobe Football League became the Gippsland Football League at the league’s recent annual general meeting, officially and finally killing off any reference to the former West Gippsland Football League. League general manager Chris Soumilas said that the league was made up of nine of the 10 largest towns in Gippsland and the new name was representative of the region covered. He added that a name change was needed to take the league to the next stage of its evolution.
At the same meeting WONTHAGGI POWER was also unanimously accepted as an affiliate, replacing GARFIELD as the competition’s ninth member club. Wonthaggi president Rob Tesoriero was low key in his approach after the gathering, saying that the club was in the best league and that it was time that it stabilised and moved on to become successful. League president Brian McKenzie was re-elected for his fourth term at the helm.
AFTER a long stint with ROSEBUD, Ben Dwyer will return to LANG LANG in 2010. Dwyer, who can fill a key role in the midfield, won a best and fairest at the Tigers before he tried his luck with RICHMOND prior to his extended stint at the bayside MPNFL club. Like all teams Lang Lang hopes to confirm several more high profile recruits in the coming weeks with one or two BEACONSFIELD players tipped to join the EDFL club.
In further good news for the club, star young midfielder Dean Brown is making a steady recovery from severe injuries suffered in a car accident, which prevented him playing last year. He has been training and working out in the club’s gym and the Tigers hope the now 20 year-old and former best-and-fairest winner will play senior football at some time during 2010 under reappointed coach Clint Evans and his assistant Rhys Nisbett. Off field Adrian Jenkins has replaced Steve Dalgleish as president and the committee has jumped from 12 to 25.
LOCAL TAC Cup rivals GIPPSLAND POWER and DANDENONG STINGRAYS will only clash once in 2010, and it will be at Morwell in the opening round of the season on 26 March. Next year’s TAC competition will see the introduction of a new team, GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY, which will play a full complement of matches. The Stingrays will venture to Blacktown in NSW on Sunday 6 June to play the newcomers in Round 9, while the Power will host the New South Welshman at Casey Fields in Round 10 on Saturday 13 June.
FLEET-footed CORA LYNN premiership forward Dave Collins, who made his senior VFL debut late in the 2009 season with the CASEY SCORPIONS, has changed his club of origin back to his former junior club BEACONSFIELD. That means that if Collins did not have VFL commitments he would be available to play for the Eagles, a situation that will no doubt please new coach Austinn Jones.
TOORADIN has been quiet in the post-season but word from the Westernport Oval suggests that at least two of their bigger name players may be on the move. Star ruckman Steve Arvanitis, who has been linked to a number of clubs, is now believed to be the target of a club based in the Murray River region and is said to have received a significant offer to make the move north. Meanwhile, tough Seagull midfielder Rory Gilliatte, who made a huge impression in his first season in the Casey Cardinia League last year, is number one on the wish list of his old club NYORA under new coach Corrie Wilson.
