THE EDFL has launched an investigation to an incident that occurred in the roundsix game between KOOWEERUP and POOWONG and a Demon player is believed to be in the gun. No details were available but a Kooweerup source suggested the atmosphere at the game was tense (to say the least) both on and offfield all day.
THE subject of player points is one of interest to folk at both BERWICK and KEYSBOROUGH, who are believed to be keeping a close eye on their tallies given both have recruited heavily this year.
There might also be a little paranoia setting in among opposition if a story floating around the traps is true. Apparently one rival coach is said to have called league headquarters and queried Berwick’s points tally by asking: “How can they be under the points when they’ve got Ronnie Burns and Eddie Betts playing for them?”
Brothers Kirk and Ainsley Betts are Eddie’s cousins but we bet Ronnie wishes Eddie was playing with the Wickers.
AND while talking about famous surnames at BERWICK, Randall Rioli, nephew of Richmond star Maurice, played his first game with the Wickers in Saturday’s reserves win. While obviously short of fitness, there was no doubting his silky skills when he got near the ball.
THE match that EDFL fans have been salivating over for many weeks, LONGWARRY against NYORA, will be played on Saturday, 17 June. Thoughts of playing the match on a Sunday have been shelved. The contest is a true a blockbuster with both teams undefeated entering round 10 and at the peak of their powers after treating their rivals with disdain this season.
ABOUT halfway through the final term of Saturday’s clash between BEACONSFIELD and NARRE WARREN a push and shove involving about 10 players occurred near the Magpies’ goal. While there were no real dramas and umpires broke it up fairly swiftly, one Eagle was seen to apply the best ‘wedgy’ ever seen on a local football field to unsuspecting Magpie victim Cole Harvey. After he checked his equipment and found everything was still in order, Harvey was forced to play the rest of the game in shorts ripped so badly that they looked more like a miniskirt.
A few of the girls watching appeared to be most interested.
IT was a sad occasion before NAR NAR GOON’s home clash with POOWONG on Saturday when hundreds gathered to pay their respects to club stalwart and vicepresident Greg ‘Tub’ Riley, who lost his life on Friday night in a road accident. Riley was admired by all and a minute’s silence was observed as a tribute. Many Goon players started the game with the word ‘Tub’ inscribed on the back of their hands.
PAKENHAM teenager Daniel Fry has abandoned his career with Ovens and Murray League club WANGARATTA ROVERS and returned to the Lions on Saturday, booting eight goals in his first game back. Apparently the weekly travel became too much for the solidly built youngster and coming home was the best option. However his former Lions partner at the Rovers, Luke Walker, is said to be happily entrenched in the senior side and is unlikely to follow Fry’s example.
BEACONSFIELD will suffer with the departure of globetrotting centre halfback Craig Jackson overseas this week. Jackson has been one of the Eagles’ best and most consistent players this year and his sixweek absence will no doubt cause headaches for the club’s coaching staff.
DESPITE DROUIN’s cruel loss to GARFIELD after it controlled all bar the last five minutes of the second half on Saturday, captaincoach Danny Murphy was still upbeat after the game. Murphy praised the performance of his youngsters, citing the terrific games by Jay Barr, Brett Masterson and debutantes Matt Jenz and Glen Bawden. Barr, 17, hauled in some gutsy marks and ran hard and straight in the third term to be one of the architects of the Hawks’ secondhalf revival. Brett Masterson, son of former leading field umpire Steve, also gave a good account of himself in a runwith role on Garfield playmaker Shaun Pickering.
FORMER DEVON MEADOWS spearhead Matt Joseph popped up in the goal square for POOWONG this week. Joseph, a former goalkicking machine with the Panthers and CRANBOURNE, made a comeback to football with the Magpies after two seasons’ absence. The 34yearold looked a little more portly, he kicked two goals and will be better for the run.
KEYSBOROUGH president Clay Cullen was a busy boy on Saturday. The Burra chief was summoned to the umpires’ rooms before the senior game and told that the match against BERWICK would not proceed unless the centre circle was remarked in the centre and not to the side as it had been for the reserves game. Cullen thought the club was doing the right thing in presevering the ground after it was used the night before, but out he went and did the deed and the game went ahead on schedule.
NILMADARNUM raised its supporters’ hopes with its improvement last season, but disappointingly for both the club and the league it looks to have fallen back to its winless 2003 and 2004 form. With nine straight losses, the Bombers are genuinely struggling after the loss of Jason Davenport to the VFL side GEELONG and his brother Peter to BUNYIP, Corey and Josh O’Brien to NEERIMNEERIM SOUTH, Colin Bell to YARRAGON and Darren Blaney to DOVETON. Furthermore its best talent Ben Hughes, who regularly plays for GIPPSLAND POWER, opted to move to WARRAGUL this season.
LEONGATHA is another team struggling at present. The Parrots surprised with a firstround victory over MORWELL but have since battled, having been walloped four times by more than 100 points. Rumours persist that the Parrots, have a few members keen to see it join the Alberton League. If Leongatha applies to leave the WGLFL there will likely be a few disenchanted Alberton League clubs, given the acceptance of former WGLFL colleague WONTHAGGI in 2005 was not greeted with wide approval.
As many have suggested, it appears that the structure of football in Gippsland is far from settled.
THE conduct of one senior umpire officiating at a Casey Cardinia League venue on Saturday was less than impressive as far as his attitude and verbal exchanges with players from one particular team was concerned. He was heard to pass on lessthancomplimentary remarks to several players and the performance did nothing to advance umpireplayer unity.
Stay tuned for more on this one.
