NEW AFL franchise Greater Western Sydney is looking to avoid the list management mistakes of the Gold Coast by adding experienced, developed players to help out its budding youngsters. Ex-BERWICK midfielder Travis Tuck is rumoured to be on the Giants’ wish list. Tuck, who played 20 games for Hawthorn between 2006 and 2010, has this year displayed solid form with Werribee in the VFL.
WITH several teams out of finals contention, football departments are beginning to look forward to next year. But some lowly clubs may be hampered by the loss of key personnel. Rumour has it a high-flying KEYSBOROUGH forward is moving to another MPNFL club, which does not play in the Casey Cardinia division. DEVON MEADOWS will reportedly lose a significant portion of its experienced core.
BEACONSFIELD star Andrew Williams made a shock return to the Eagles for their match against DEVON MEADOWS. The interleague star retired after last year’s grand final loss for family reasons. Williams was coaxed back by Aussie Jones at the recent team-of-the-decade function. He was selected in Beaconsfield’s team as a forward pocket. Williams has been a regular fixture at Beaconsfield matches throughout the year and was also spotted at Frankston Park for the interleague clash. He kicked seven goals against the Panthers to lead Beaconsfield to a much-desired win.
PLENTY of EDFL clubs are spruiking the virtues of their respective grounds in the lead-up to the finals. Eight clubs have put in to host finals this season. With last season’s grand final venue, Cora Lynn, not in its usual mint condition, many clubs genuinely fancy their chances of hosting the big one this year – and EDFL officials are going to have a difficult job weighing up the options.
IN THE Gippsland Football League, the newly refurbished MOE ground will compete with traditional venues, MORWELL and TRARALGON, to host the big one this year. The GFL grand final will be staged on Saturday 24 September and thankfully, unlike last year, it will not clash with the EDFL grand final a fortnight earlier.
NAR NAR GOON has bolstered its playing stocks with the re-emergence of Phil Cahill. The plucky ruck-rover, who can now be put into the veteran class, has returned from long-term injury and played only his second game of the season against NYORA on Saturday. He acquitted himself well, showing his abundant footy smarts and is a welcome acquisition since the Goon have lost Luke Reddie and Andrew Oldmeadow to season-ending injuries, while recruits Craig Eagleton and Paul Youle have barely played a game between them, sidelined as they are with long-term injury woes.
CONGRATULATIONS to two quality players in the making, WARRAGUL’s Tom Carey, the son of ex-ESSENDON premiership tough man, Steve, and LEONGATHA young gun Tom Marriot, who represented the VCFL under-19 team against the VAFA on Saturday. Marriot, a hard nut on-baller, was named in the best for the VCFL, who beat the Amateurs by 28 points. How the rugged Marriot was overlooked by GIPPSLAND POWER in recent seasons is a mystery.
LONGWARRY would like to offer a big thank you to the GARFIELD trainer and the two lads that helped with the stretcher when its under-15s player, Jake Johnson, broke his leg last week. Plaudits to the Stars.
HAS CORA LYNN found a new forward? Tim Payne, son of local football identity and journeyman, Ray “Windows” Payne, a regular stopper, moved forward and kicked his first goal in 53 matches against NYORA in round 13. It appears he has found a liking for the big sticks, splicing the big uprights three more times on Saturday against BULN BULN.
FAIR dinkum, how cold was it on Saturday? We always thought the wind blowing off Mount Baw Baw at NEERIM NEERIM SOUTH was cold enough to freeze the whatsits off a brass monkey, but after visiting LANG LANG on Saturday and feeling the icy wind blowing off Western Port Bay, we think Lang Lang may have Neerim covered in the wind chill stakes. Certainly didn’t need refrigeration to keep the amber stuff cold on Saturday.
MORWELL was left shocked when on 30 June, the transfer deadline date, veteran midfielder and former coach Jason “Jocka” MacFarlane applied for a clearance to join Mid-Gippsland club BOOLARRA. The departure of MacFarlane, a regular VCFL representative who has played more than 300 senior games of football, mostly in the Ovens and Murray League, joins Tiger teammates Courtney Sherriff and Daniel Metcalfe, who crossed to BOOLARRA this season. BOOLARRA is second on the Mid-Gippsland table behind TRAFALGAR. Also devastated with injury, the Tigers sit in second bottom position and have had a season to forget.
THE 5.7 (37) kicked by Leongatha to beat Wonthaggi 3.11 (29) on Saturday night was Leongatha’s lowest winning score since it joined the Latrobe Valley Football League in 1969. Its previous lowest winning score in LVFL was 5.8 (38) against Warragul’s 4.10 (34) in round 13 of 1972. In their history (Leongatha joined the Central Gippsland Football League in 1934 and stayed there until 1953), the Parrots have had some lower winning scores. In round 10, 1946, Leongatha 5.6 (36) beat Morwell 3.13 (31) and in the South Gippsland FL, in which the Parrots played from 1955 to 1968, in the 1955 grand final they kicked 4.6 (30) to beat Korumburra 3.9 (27). In round six of 1965 they kicked 2.6 (18) to beat Wonthaggi 2.5 (17) and in 1968 they kicked 4.4 (28) to Stony Creek’s 3.7 (25) in round 10 and 4.6 (30) to Stony Creek’s 2.8 (20) in round 15.
