NEWS is good and bad for PAKENHAM followers as pre-season training gets into full swing.
The Lions’ opponents will need to find answers to the silky skills of Jared Goldsack, who returns from FRANKSTON, together with Joe and Jack Allen, who have returned to the area after a season in Tasmania, but no tag will need to be found for disappointed wingman David Sheahan.
The dynamic Sheahan missed most of last year with stress fractures of the foot and the problem has not improved, despite surgery, and he has been ruled out of football for 2006.
IT’S early days, but LONGWARRY appears to have snared one of the finds of the season in Dean Dallinger.
A tall, wiry centre half-back, Dallinger comes to the Crows with good credentials, having won the best-and-fairest at STAWELL last season and captained the Wimmera Football league interleague side.
STILL at LONGWARRY, word has it that gun on-baller Matt Campbell, who is currently overseas on a 12-month working holiday, is getting a bit homesick.
There is said to be a good chance he will return towards the end of the football season, even more so if the Crows are still in finals’ contention.
BEACONSFIELD joined the many clubs undertaking training camps last weekend and had an attendance that others only dream about.
New coach Haydn Robins reported that 62 players attended the highly successful and beneficial camp at Phillip Island.
THE second annual WGLFL pre-season competition will be held on Saturday, 1 April at Morwell.
Unlike last year, when games were held over two days, this season only one day has been set aside in an effort to avoid the problems experienced last season with many Melbourne-based players struggling to get to the Friday-night fixture.
The lightning premiership will comprise nine matches with all clubs participating in at least two games.
AN interesting and potentially profitable innovation from the AFL will see the grass-roots clubs benefit if their former players boot a ‘super goal’ in the pre-season competition.
Competition sponsor, National Australia Bank, will donate $1000 to the original club of origin of every player who manages the feat, with the money to be designated for equipment such as uniforms, club stock, training and medical supplies. BEACONSFIELD will be looking for Brendan Fevola to get into the groove early, while BERWICK will rely on the Tuck brothers, Travis and Shane, to have their kicking boots on.
If youngster Dale Thomas gets a run with new club COLLINGWOOD, DROUIN may get an unexpected pre-season bonus, but HAMPTON PARK is unlikely to make much unless locally bred goal sneak Stephen Milne finds another 10 to 20 metres in distance.
MOE and DROUIN are likely to wear their traditional colours when they meet this year, rather than one team using the away side VCFL white guernsey.
Both clubs are currently addressing the matter and believe there is enough difference for players and spectators to tell them apart.
GARFIELD has bedded down the venue of its first four home games this season with the Stars sharing two games apiece at NAR NAR GOON and DROUIN.
The club is yet to finalise its home games beyond round eight and is exploring the option to play matches at BUNYIP and CATANI.
IT has been more than seven seasons since Eric Bott left West Gippsland, but his friends will be pleased to hear that the former league general manager and stalwart is still going strong, having recently been re-appointed for another two seasons at the helm of the Goulburn Valley Football League. WGLFL officials will have the opportunity to catch up with Bott when the leagues meet in the division-one Worksafe VCFL league championships at Lavington in May.
GUN MAFFRA forward Adrian Burgiel showed he was a dab hand a with a cricket bat last week, playing a stunning innings that left those that witnessed it aghast.
Burgiel, playing for Dandenong’s second XI, smashed 153 runs against South Melbourne in only 66 minutes from 72 balls with 11 fours and 12 sixes!
Burgiel joined the Panthers this season after starring for Maffra in division one of the Victorian Country Cricket championships last year, but after some moderate performances found himself back in the twos last week.
Another promotion looks almost certain.
