SACKED NARRE WARREN midfielder Luke Hughes has signed on with BEACONSFIELD after asking coach Haydn Robins to give him a chance to prove himself. The Beaconsfield leadership group was consulted last week and gave the talented Hughes the okay to pull on the Eagles’ strip. Reports indicate that he was more than impressive in Saturday’s hitout against SEVILLE and could make a handy lateseason recruit.
AFTER strong word last week that football journeyman Jack Marshall was on the verge of another comeback, this time with CORA LYNN, an even stronger rumour has reached Footy Shorts suggesting that big Jack’s services were not required at the Cobras. Maybe it was just a bit of preseason hooha, but it certainly got the football world talking.
SOUTHERN Umpires held a wellattended season launch last Wednesday with the association setting new standards of professionalism as it endeavours to move with the times. President Jason Hughes is keen to recruit new members in the Casey Cardinia area with an SUA training base set up at Narre Warren. Hughes can be contacted on 0409 853 011.
DEVON MEADOWS and Luke James officially had a lastminute parting of ways last week, allowing the talented forward to play for POOWONG and boot six goals at the weekend. A Panthers source said the club had come to an agreement with James regarding outstanding commitments and hoped that it was the end of the drawnout wrangle.
A LATE transfer request from PAKENHAM hard man Cameron Hinkley to move to BONBEACH has been received by the MPNFL. Hinkley played in the Lions’ recent practice match against SEAFORD and acquitted himself well but the lure of playing closer to his home in the beachside suburb has won the day.
AN interesting and somewhat alarming incident took place at a recent TOORADIN practice match. As the Seagulls were warming up in the rooms, injured big man Danny Rout noticed the variety of coloured footwear on show and spotted one particularly different set of boots on recruit and full forward Clint Walker.
“Look at you in your lairy black boots, Walker. You’d better be able to back that up on the field,” he quipped.
The fact was that Walker was the only player in the side wearing traditionally coloured and styled footwear. How the wheel has turned.
GARFIELD has launched a membership drive with a glossy brochure and letter drop to residents of the town with the view to further increasing its support in 2006. The Stars did the same thing last year with great success and it is hoped that a similar response will take place again over the coming weeks leading up to its first game of the season on 29 April. Five levels of football and four netball membership levels are available under the scheme.
SEVERAL exDOVETON players including former MPNFL representative Warrick Hanks and youngster Aaren Nayna have transferred from MORDIALLOC to KEYSBOROUGH. The Burra has snared 31 new players so far this season and is preparing for a win this week against DINGLEY.
The question is how many at Keysborough will know the words to their club song?
CRANBOURNE went hard to secure former junior Ben Lovett from BERWICK as its onfield assistant coach, but Lovett has not appeared at the club after initially showing keeness to take the position. It has left Eagles coach Brett McMaster without an onfield backup to help guide his talented young side in its quest for respect. Lovett has not been training with the Wickers either and the talented midfielder’s immediate footballing future is unknown.
DESPITE fears of offending the Clifford clan (again) a snippet from BEACONSFIELD concerning the now legendary former Eagles mentor, Leigh, was too good to pass up.
The triple premiership coach is travelling overseas but apparently ventured down to Perc Allison Reserve before he left to check on the progress of his former charges under new coach Haydn Robins. The story goes that Robins spied Clifford leaning on the fence, shaking his head and berating several players after they mucked up a drill. At a break Robins sauntered over to say hello and quipped: “Couldn’t you stay away from the place?”
“I thought I’d come down and yell at a few blokes for old times’ sake. I miss that,” came the unflinching reply.
FORMER HAMPTON PARK coach and last year’s SPRINGVALE SCORPIONS assistant Brad Sinclair will join the Navy next week and be stationed at HMAS Cerberus. Sinclair has been doing some fitness work with PINES since departing the Scorpions in less than happy circumstances after a dispute involving payment at the end of last season.
FORMER VCFL regional manager Tony Vagg has been appointed to the MPNFL board, filling one of two casual vacancies. Vagg recently resigned as Mornington Regional manager after six years in the position and his experience includes five years as president of the Mornington Peninsula Junior Football League and five years as president of PEARCEDALE Junior Football Club.
IT WAS a tough initiation into the Ellinbank League for WARRAGUL INDUSTRIALS coach Steve Pursell. Down on personnel from last year, his team was pumped by 100 points courtesy of LONGWARRY at the weekend.
However Pursell’s own fine effort was a highlight of the day. The former ROC defender steered through five goals in an uncustomary forward role and may be reinvented as a key forward in his twilight years.
DID the weekend’s grand prix cost NAR NAR GOON the four points on Saturday?
At halftime in the seniors, with the Goon nine points in front, its powerhouse sharpshooter Clint Sheedy, who is a mechanic and was on call to work at the event, received a phone call to make his way to the Albert Park track. Sheedy immediately left for the track, only to be told when he was halfway there he wasn’t required. Meanwhile, after losing ground in the third quarter and trailing by 40 points, the Goon staged a lastquarter recovery, only to fall three agonising points short.
We will never know whether Sheedy’s presence in the last term would have made the difference.
NAR NAR GOON and ELLINBANK players took part in a minute’s silence in honour of Goon stalwarts Ray Murphy, Dot Doherty, Cec Andrews and Jack O’Toole, who all passed away during the offseason. It was a bittersweet occasion for the Goon, as it also unfurled its 2005 thirds and fourths premiership flags.
On Sunday CORA LYNN also paid its respects with a minute’s silence in honour of life member Mary Dillon, who passed away on 23 March.
IT’S always interesting to see how the previous season’s grand final lineups change in the offseason. Premier CATANI made six changes to its winning 2005 team, with former premiership player John Entwisle, EMERALD pair Troy Wilson and Glen Hall and youngsters Antonio Benvenuto, Ben Nobelius and Tim Grant all coming into the side. They replaced Brent Mounsey, Nathan McMillan, Shane Fitzpatrick, Nathan Ruskin, Hayden Smart and Peter Atkinson. Likewise, NYORA was missing a number of key players including Ash Olin, Ty Lucas, Brian Christiansen, Brad Francis, John Allsop, Cameron Romeril, Nathan Smith and Adrian Linden. They were replaced by young gun Brenton Hackett, EAST BRIGHTON’S Brendan Hislop, DEVON MEADOWS pair Brad and Chris Langley, KORUMBURRA duo Tim Smith and Sam Collis, Matt Layton and Steve Svaganovic.
GOOD news for NEERIMNEERIM SOUTH is the imminent return of ruckrover Matt Irwin. Irwin, the 1998 Mike Breheny Medallist in the West Gippsland League when he played at CORA LYNN, only played two games with the Cats last season before moving to Darwin with his work. Irwin’s experience should provide valuable help for Paul Whelan’s youthful team.
HIGHprofile newcomers Ben Aidrie and Ryan Ablett both learned that they would still have to earn their kicks in their new league on Sunday. CORA LYNN’S Aidrie started well with two early goals but was then well marked by Bulldog youngster Mark Hoult and only added one more goal for the afternoon. Likewise BUNYIP recruit Ablett had a difficult time due to a combination of tight defence from Rod Matthews and Jeremy Duiker and poor delivery by teammates. Ablett posted three goals in the last quarter but his best is still to come.
IN THE WGLFL preseason tournament, DROUIN beat WARRAGUL but lost its second game to LEONGATHA by two points. For the Hawks 16yearold centreman Jason Barwick found plenty of possessions and looks a likely prospect, while David Olsen, Matt Hedley, Matt Derrick and ruckman Greg Elton also did well.
GARFIELD drew with MOE in its first match but lost its second game to TRARALGON by four goals. Traralgon went on to narrowly defeated MORWELL in the final. On a positive note Garfield was pleased with the performance of Ryan Munro, Zeke and Jake Hower and Stuart Edwards who all look set for good seasons.
THE loss of full back Dean McFarlane is terrible news for GARFIELD. McFarlane snapped his ankle in the weekend’s preseason tournament at Morwell and underwent surgery on Sunday that is likely to have him sidelined for at least three months. The Stars have also lost centre halfback Al Stephens this season and, with league best and fairest Andy Soumilas indefinitely sidelined and assistant coach Danny O’Brien unlikely to play before round five, things are not going to plan.
