WHAT about the gaff in last week’s Footy Record in relation to the O’Brien-Batten Cup that is played for between HAMPTON PARK and DOVETON?
The Cup was struck in recognition of the service of Redback Shane O’Brien and Dove Stuart Batten, who both played pivotal roles with their clubs over more than two decades. Unfortunately, the ‘Historian’ who penned the story about the cup on page 47 made a massive blue and went into great detail about the career of Shane’s younger brother Michael O’Brien, instead of the main man! Mick is also a Redback stalwart and would have had more than a chuckle at his brother’s expense after the mistake. Quite a few at the Booth Reserve joined him on Saturday but Shane just shook his head and politely asked who the author of the yarn was. We don’t know and it’s probably better off that he or she lays low for a few weeks too.
WHO said individual awards mean nothing to players? We’ve heard that BERWICK captain Andrew Tuck (pictured below) was so thrilled in winning the Anzac Day Medal for best on ground in the recent blockbuster against BEACONSFIELD that he slept with it around his neck that night. We’ve also heard that his team-mates have been giving him a few subtle reminders all last week that football is a team sport and their efforts in no small way contributed to his new memento.
CRAIG ‘Socco’ Jackson is back on the BEACONSFIELD track after flirting with a switch to OLD COLLEGIANS in the amateurs. Jackson played his first game for 2009 in the Eagles reserves on the weekend and looked fit and ready for a senior call up. Apparently, he decided that the ‘ammos’ were not his cup of tea after training with them for a few weeks.
LONGWARRY’s joy at signing former BUNYIP ruck rover Ray Ablett on Saturday morning, was tempered with the news later that evening that marquee signing George Gorozidis will miss the rest of the season with a ruptured Achilles tendon suffered early in the first quarter against CATANI. The star goal kicker rang Crows coach Graeme Jose from hospital late in the afternoon to find out the final score and delivered the bad news to the dejected mentor, already gutted by the Crows abject performance against the Blues.
INTERESTING to watch the obvious class of BEACONSFIELD youngster Andrew Hunter against PAKENHAM on Saturday, but a quick check of his heritage told the tale of his ability. Andrew is the son of former star KEYSBOROUGH midfielder Ian ‘Yapper’ Hunter who made a name for himself with the Burra during the heady South West Gippsland League days. Bet the Keysborough coaching staff wishes there was a father-son rule at local level.
BULN BULN life member and 300-gamer Mick Baker had the opportunity to play senior football alongside his son, Trent, a lightly framed wingman who made debut against KOOWEERUP on Saturday. While it is rare for father and son to play alongside each other, it has occurred at least twice before at the Lyrebirds.
In 1995 Mick and Che Jenkins played together, while in 1997, Trevor and Brent Eastwell achieved the rare feat.
Last season ELLINBANK legend Rob Ballingall, who announced his retirement over summer, also played alongside his son Stephen.
THE recently formed CRANBOURNE All Abilities side played its first game at Mazenod College on Sunday in a triumph for community football. Eagles president Gerry Kelly said the move was another part of Cranbourne’s push to be recognised as a club with a social conscience.
“We see ourselves as the community club in the area and the All Abilities people are a part of the community that we want to embrace. The enthusiasm shown for this has been excellent and adds something else to our club,” he said.
BRENDAN Fredericks was in a hurry after being late out of the HAMPTON PARK rooms from the warm-up stretches prior to Saturday’s game.
He quickly ran past the netball courts and round the corner to the usual warm-up area behind the changerooms and found himself smack in the middle of 22 pumped and primed DOVETON players doing exactly the same thing.
He managed to escape alive and spent the next few minutes wandering the ground before finding his team-mates in a quiet area under the trees on the reserve netball court. Don’t think anyone saw him but they all know now…
TOORADIN has been mentioned by a rebel group led by WONTHAGGI supporters as a club that may be targeted to join a new ‘Western Port’ league that is being put forward as a response to the VCFL’s recently tabled South Gippsland football review that recommended the Power and PHILLIP ISLAND find new homes.
However, one Seagulls mover and shaker said there had been no official or unofficial approach to the club and if there was, they would be shown the door in quick time.
DANNY Casset is back in town. A Footy Shorts spy spotted the champion forward on the weekend and the word is that he might be back for good after his short stint with ex-DANDENONG team-mate Sean Millane in Kalgoorlie.
You never know with Casset but all eyes will be on DOVETON training this week- just in case.
“IT was good to get the monkey off our back,” said an elated GARFIELD coach Brent Eastwell after his team’s upset victory over the reigning premiers SALE on Saturday.
It was the Stars first win for the season and Eastwell’s first victory as senior coach after he replaced Ben Soumilas at the helm. “We showed a bit last week (against WARRAGUL) and I thought if we could improve on our disposal and intensity we would be a chance and it all came to fruition today,” said the midfielder, who was widely regarded as best on ground.
DOVETON 50th anniversary organisers have sent out a call for past players and officials to contact the club and provide their details so that they can be included in the coming celebrations on Saturday 13 June.
Co-ordinator Andrew Simpson said that the club did not have an up-to-date data base and it was relying on word-of-mouth to get the message out to former club men and women.
Tickets for the big night are available at $75 each by contacting the club or Andrew on 0438 484 881.
The following day (Sunday 14 June) there will be a back-to-Doveton day at the club from noon until 4pm with tickets at $20 each. It’s certain that a few stories from that afternoon will make this column afterwards.
GARFIELD’s improvement on Saturday was aided by three mid week signings. WARRAGUL midfielder Ben Jostlear joined the club after, oddly, playing in the Gulls’ seniors against Garfield only six days earlier, while two former players, Rory Hower, who was cleared to BERWICK over summer and utility Terry Mildren, who was cleared to Warragul, both pulled on the green and gold jumper again and acquitted themselves well.
Another newcomer, Austin Van Strijp, who from reports could not get a game with the NAR NAR GOON reserves, played off the interchange bench and also picked up a number of handy possessions. There was no one happier on Saturday night than club president Neville ‘Turtle’ Bow.
After a tumultuous summer for the club that saw three quarters of its senior list depart, Bow was over the moon with the shock victory and doubly pleased that he was not required to pull on the boots in the reserves after 26 players turned up to play.
IT was always going to be a big day for GARFIELD irrespective of what transpired on the field on Saturday. In front of past players, life members and supporters and many other guests including the Cardinia Shire mayor and VCFL regional manager Ben O’Brien, the club opened its new change rooms, which cost around $160,000. However, Stars insiders noted the no-show of league general manager Chris Soumilas.
Even more pointedly, instead of attending the big day, Soumilas, a former Garfield stalwart and life member, was spotted a few kilometers down the road at CORA LYNN watching the big EDFL match of the day against NILMA-DARNUM.
