SOUTHERN Umpires Association (SUA) members ran a successful recruiting promotion and information stall at Fountain Gate Shopping Centre on Saturday.
The idea of the stand was to extend football umpiring as a rewarding and profitable pursuit to the CaseyCardinia community.
The SUA has embarked on an active recruiting campaign with the aim of growing its membership in the district in conjunction with the Casey Cardinia League’s development over recent seasons.
The SUA is looking for a boost in field, boundary and goalumpire ranks and for further information call president Jason Hughes on 0409 853 011.
CONFIRMATION that the move of Peter Bastinac from KOOWEERUP to PEARCEDALE would trigger a number of departures at Demonland was confirmed by official transfer lists last week.
His assistant coach last season, Scott Morrison and powerful ruckman Adam Biszko are the first two players confirmed to be joining Bastinac at the Panthers.
Hardworking halfback Rod Hoober and veteran centreman Peter Doll have also applied for clearances back to their home club, Pearcedale.
TALENTED youngster Joel Lenders, who was struck down with a serious eye complaint, forcing him out of football last year, is set to return to the game after making a steady recovery over the past months.
The PAKENHAM teenager, who played senior football with the club last year, has regained some of the sight in the affected eye and is planning to line up with new amateur club ST FRANCIS XAVIER in Beaconsfield, under former Lions’ reserves premiership coach Justin Pearson.
ON THE plus side for PAKENHAM is confirmation from a club source that former Lions rover Tom O’Loughlin will return to his home club after a threeyear stint with TOORADIN, under his brother and Seagulls coach Dan.
That will be a popular move with many, both on and off field, at the Toomuc Reserve.
FORMER GIPPSLAND POWER and NYORA wingman Ben Hallas has left the Saints to join Eastern District Football League first division club CROYDON.
Hallas, a genuine matchwinner and ball magnet, is the Saints first confirmed loss from its 2006 premiership team.
NEWS from BUNYIP is disappointing for star recruit Jack Allen.
Allen spent all last season watching the action after badly breaking his left leg in a skiing accident during preseason and word from the Bulldogs is that he has again hurt the wonky appendage.
This time the unlucky Allen has shattered his heel under the plates holding the first break together, leaving him in serious doubt for a start in 2007. Together with his older brother Joe, Allen left PAKENHAM in the offseason without playing a game in the Lions colours (much to the annoyance of several at the club) but bypassed their old club GARFIELD and landed at the Bulldogs.
Looks like the Jack and Joe show will be a oneman performance again this year.
THE muchanticipated preseason roundrobin between CORA LYNN, PAKENHAM, DOVETON and ROWVILLE will be played at the Cobras’ home ground on Sunday, 1 April, not Saturday, 31 March as previously indicated.
Given practice matches will be few and far between for many clubs with restricted use of their grounds, interest in the day’s events will no doubt be high.
There will be six roundrobin games played on the day, with each club playing three games.
Each match will be 40 minutes long (two 20 minute halves) making a total of 120 minutes of football for each team on the day.
The first game will start at 11.30am.
A prize of $2000 for the winner will ensure a strong incentive for each team to do well.
CORA LYNN is leaving no stone unturned in its quest to build an era of success and last week organised ST KILDA goalsneak Stephen Milne to attend training.
Milne is a great mate of former NARRE WARREN captain and recent Cobra signing Luke Christopher, who organised the wellattended session.
The previous week, the club was the beneficiary of some tips from former MELBOURNE and RYE ruckman Greg Doyle.
Doyle retired after winning last year’s premiership with the MPNFL Demons and is now an assistant with TAC Cup side the OAKLEIGH CHARGERS.
LAST week’s news that Southern Umpires were set to enforce the controversial new AFL ‘handsontheback’ rule may not be set in concrete.
Word from an MPNFL source suggests that there are serious concerns about the reaction of patrons to the men in white as they try to interpret the technicalities of the new rule.
There is some thought that the frustration involved on both sides could lead to verbal abuse and, in turn, cause a downturn of people willing to put their hands up to take on the umpire’s job.
Watch this space for further developments.
DROUIN has signed former BUNYIP and FRANKSTON DOLPHIN running defender Daniel Barrand.
Barrand played half a dozen senior games in the VFL and is likely to play midfield with the Hawks.
Bunyip has also lost ruckrover Sam Proctor who has followed his brother, Ben to Drouin, while another Proctor sibling, Travis, has also applied for the same transfer.
In more good news for the Hawks, it appears three of its youngsters, Travis and Brenton Lockhart and Trevor Gardiner, have all had a change of heart and will stay at Drouin, despite earlier seeking clearances to BULN BULN.
PAKENHAM will not have an AFL practice match and that’s that according to a senior club official.
As much as the Lions would love to host one, the fact that the Toomuc Reserve has a permanent cricket pitch smack in the middle, precludes it from the honour.
AFL guidelines forbid matches to be played on grounds that have a pitch and as much as HAWTHORN enjoyed the conditions of the ground in its recent training run at the venue, there is no way the club will risk injury to its stars in a game situation.
WARRAGUL has missed out on regaining the services of former premiership forward Leigh Baldry.
Having returned from a twoyear overseas venture, the elusive Baldry will play football in 2007 with his good mate and former Gull teammate and goalsneak Ryan Flack.
Flack is captaincoach of Southern Football League first division side CHELSEA HEIGHTS that has also picked up hardworking BULN BULN midfielder Michael Pratt.
HAWTHORN invited officials from locally based clubs to a Saturday brunch recently, where they listened to the thoughts of Hawks’ president Jeff Kennett in relation to extending the club’s presence in the growing Casey Cardinia area.
Representatives from PAKENHAM, POOWONG and GARFIELD were among the attendees and further gettogethers are planned during the season.
CORA LYNN coach Chris Toner has beefed up the level of experience on his senior bench with Ron Hampton and Ray Payne accepting matchday roles.
Both Ray and Ron have previously coached and their experience and football acumen will enhance the expertise required for game day.
MORWELL is chasing tall YINNAR and GIPPSLAND POWER under18 key position player Luke Norder.
Should Norder cross leagues, he would follow his teammate and Mid Gippsland League bestandfairest Liam Visser, who is set to make his mark in the WGLFL with the Tigers this season.
Morwell officials were worried that they may lose former Gippsland Power small defender Jeff Ryan to VFL club COBURG, however the latest word is that Ryan will now stay with the Tigers.
WARRAGUL has been quiet on the recruiting front, but is confident of obtaining the services of Brett Waters, a halfforward flanker and 2006 bestandfairest at FISH CREEK.
The Gulls will be coached by former Essendon premiership player Steve Carey, who has replaced Ash Green now an assistant coach with GIPPSLAND POWER.
TWO Casey Cardinia League clubs will take advantage of the great playing surface (one of very few at present) at CORA LYNN and play practice matches against the Cobras this year.
CRANBOURNE will play at the venue on Sunday, 18 March while ROC will saddle up on Saturday, 25 March.
LANG LANG star and former EDFL bestandfairest Kurt Batt has signed with VFL club BOX HILL.
It is believed that Batt has a clause in his contract that permits him to return to the Tigers should things not go as he planned.
Batt has been put on a modified training program over summer due to a nagging knee injury.
NEW ROC coach Ben Delarue led a small, but enthusiastic, group of players to a Wilson’s Promontory ‘boot camp’ last weekend and one exercise apparently had a few of the boys gagging.
Delarue lined them up yelled ‘go’. They each had to skol a warm stubby of beer, undertake a series of sprints, scoff a cold meat pie, run again, skol another warm stubby, run again, etc, etc…
At the end of the event, Delarue fronted the groaning gang (some of who had failed to keep their yummy booty down) and declared: “That just shows you that junk food, beer and football simply don’t mix!”
IN addition to securing former BERWICK trio, Rhys Nisbett, Dale Robinson and David Williams, LANG LANG has picked up a player that may trump them all in MORWELL’s Luke Franklin.
Franklin has been a regular and versatile senior player with the club after transferring from GIPPSLAND POWER.
The Tigers also hope to lure rugged NYORA ruckrover Brian Christensen to the fold.
LEONGATHA will play two night games under its newly erected lights this season.
The roundone fixture against MORWELL will kick the season off on 14 April and that will be followed by another night game against TRARALGON in round six on 19 May.
The lighting towers were made available as a result of a State Government sports grant.
MOE has received a similar grant and will also spend the money on better lighting at the Lions’ den.
