THE VCFL has proposed a new two-tier 20-team Gippsland competition, but the final team list is yet to be announced.
Starting this week the governing body intends to meet with all the clubs involved and will set aside an hour to talk to each of the Ellinbank and District League clubs, in alphabetical order, starting this week with BULN BULN. Many were keen to know who the 20 clubs were and this was a big talking point over the weekend.
The EDFL has called a special meeting of club delegates tonight (Wednesday) to ascertain how many are keen to expand the competition.
It is believed GARFIELD is the only club to have expressed an interest in joining next season. The other clubs in question would likely be from the Alberton League.
BEFORE speaking to the VCFL, BULN BULN has another important engagement, with Victorian Sports Minister James Merlino, who will visit the club this week to present a cheque for fire damage incurred on Black Saturday, 7 February.
While the monetary details are yet to be disclosed, the club is hopeful it will be in the vicinity of $20,000.
FALLOUT from the recent loss to TOORADIN resulted in DEVON MEADOWS parting company with a couple of senior players. Young playmaker Rhyse Shortis has left the Panther pit, as has PHILLIP ISLAND recruit Kade Murphy.
Coach Steve O’Brien admitted that a few home truths were forthcoming in a soul-searching session after the loss and he told the players that the door was open if they did not want to conform to his rules and methods.
The side’s performance to beat last year’s grand finalists KEYSBOROUGH on Saturday vindicated the coach’s position and an interesting aside was that Murphy’s brother Ryan decided to stay at the Glover Reserve and was among the weekend’s better players.
DON’T think that the off-field dramas at BERWICK are all over yet. The ‘smooth’ transfer of power from the Jensen group to the Donegan group, overseen by MPNFL chairman Tony Vagg and senior director Ken Doherty, had a condition pertaining to the repayment of money owing attached to it.
One source close to the club whispered to Footy Shorts last week that there was likely to be demands put to the club relating to this agreement shortly and, unless the agreement was honoured, the fight would become very public and even more bitter. However that seems unlikely because Doherty confirmed on Saturday that all outstanding club debts to old committee members would be honoured as soon as evidence was provided that they were incurred – and that was the end of the story.
Both parties were aware of that and had agreed to it. Can’t be much plainer than that.
THE writing is very big on the wall for CORA LYNN recruit and former NARRE WARREN star Shane Dwyer.
Apparently ‘Grubbo’ as he is known, recently woke up with a pain in the back which he put down to sleeping awkwardly. He thought little of it until he bent over to get into his car and it locked up completely, to the extent that he was unable to move and had to ring his wife who was inside the house from his mobile phone and beg her to come out and help him in to the couch, where he stayed for days. He is still pretty sore and football is believed not to be high on the agenda at present.
NERVES are obviously starting to jangle at PAKENHAM, but we’re a little worried about why.
After Saturday’s close win over NARRE WARREN, a senior defender and long-time club stalwart, who later asked not to be named, approached this scribe and said: “After that I don’t want to read that Pakenham has an air of ‘incibility’ about it in the newspaper again, okay?” Incibility?!
Well we can pretty much guarantee that he won’t read that again because there is no such bloody word!! (Incidentally, the offending bloke’s initials are the same as his nickname – TO).
FURTHER to last week’s item that suggested BERWICK and BEACONSFIELD would attempt to make Anzac Day their own, it appears that the two traditional rivals will have to find another date. DOVETON and DEVON MEADOWS have already agreed to play their game on that day and, according to Panthers president Michael Brick, it has the blessing of the MPNFL board of directors. The match will be played for the Cranbourne-Dandenong RSL Cup.
HERE’S one for the record books. Former HAMPTON PARK, now PEARCEDALE coach and long-time umpire critic Jason Chapple has accepted a challenge from the Southern Umpires Association to umpire a senior game this season to see how hard the job is. The offer was made on the 3RPP Saturday morning radio show by SUA director of umpires Tony Hales, after Chapple gave the umpiring department a blast on the show the previous week. Chapple said that he would don the orange or green when the Panthers had their next bye on 25 July and would be happy to umpire any game outside the Nepean League, excluding those involving the Redbacks or another former club BONBEACH.
He added that he would attend training at SUA headquarters before the game and be honest in his assessment of the task afterwards.
WAS that ROC chairman of selectors and former BERWICK legend Matt Castricum at full-forward for the Kangaroos in Saturday’s reserves game against TOORADIN?
Yes it certainly was. The big bloke has been training with the Kangaroos since pre-season and decided to give the supporters who rocked up to Starling Road early something to cheer (read laugh) about, booting two goals in a sterling, but less-than-mobile, performance.
NILMA-DARNUM proudly boasts about its prized recruits this season – listing all 19 of them and their origins in the aptly named ‘Brag Sheet’ given out at the gate.
But visitors to Darnum on Saturday suggested one or two may have been left off the payroll so the club could afford decent showers.
After toiling in cold and wet conditions, the NAR NAR GOON seniors had to take it in turns to huddle under one shower head after the game, because the other two didn’t work – and the one that did emitted only cold water!
EVEN though some were freezing, NILMA-DARNUM president Andrew Patterson acknowledged the effort of NAR NAR GOON players and supporters for attending the after-match formalities in numbers. He said this was indicative of the old West Gippsland club mentality and that some of the more traditional EDFL clubs were not as generous with their support on away games.
POPULAR CATANI clubman, Brad ‘Snags’ McDonald played his 300th club game in the reserves against WARRAGUL INDUSTRIALS on Saturday.
He is only the third CATANI player to achieve this milestone, following in the footsteps of Ron Banbury and Mick Marson. A dual-code sportsman, McDonald also played in Catani’s most recent cricket premiership team and is the only triple-premiership player still playing senior footy at the club.
In addition he has been an interleague representative and is a dual senior and fairest winner.
The award, the Lineham Cup, was named after his grandfather.
GREAT to see BEACONSFIELD premiership forward Luke McConnell back in action with the Eagles reserves on Saturday.
‘L-Mac’ has been out of action for several months with a serious leg injury and was not expected to return until the second half of the season, but has made good progress in the past few weeks.
McConnell booted two goals and, more importantly, walked off the ground without effect – an encouraging sign.
CONDOLENCES to all at CRANBOURNE on the passing of club stalwart Brian ‘Grumpy’ Beadel, in particular his two sons Paddy and 2008 best-and-fairest winner Robert.
Grumpy was as staunch as they come and always quick with a reply whenever there was any hint of his Eagles being put down in any way.
NO doubting the devotion of GARFIELD ruck-rover Ben Marsh.
The never-say-die Marsh was expected to be missing for a good deal of the season to embark on an overseas trip, but has now opted to defer his travel plans until post season – much to the delight of supporters and teammates.
