‘WHAT are we going to do with Harley?’
That was the question posed by one GARFIELD stalwart after talented, but wayward young star, Harley Lacunes, who has been in dispute with the club, acted as runner for the reserves on Saturday.
The Stars’ seconds were comprehensively thrashed by SALE, failing to score a goal and the fact that one of their best prospects was not on the park was a source of frustration to our man.
Lacunes recently asked the Stars for a transfer to BUNYIP, but at present his promising career appears to be in limbo.
JUST to calm anyone with fears for the shortterm future of DINGLEY, the word from the den is that the club will see out 2006 to the best of its ability.
That has been made official via written word to the MPNFL too.
Despite angst that the club has been hit with a fine for not fielding an under18 team this year (just like every other club in the competition that failed to do so for the last 10 years), sources say the Dingoes intend to leave the MPNFL and move to the Southern Football League at the end of this season without liabilities and as a viable, operational entity.
FORMER BRISBANE star Michael ‘Magic’ McLean was an interested spectator at a recent BERWICK game in which his two boys Gavin and Mark were playing, and was more than happy to chat about the game he loves.
McLean has been involved as a player and coach in Darwin since his retirement from the AFL and was well versed with several Casey Cardinia League players, who have played in the northern capital, including PAKENHAM hard man Lincoln Withers and DOVETON star Daryl Thomas.
McLean chuckled at one of his first meetings with a superconfident Thomas when he was coaching Southern Districts.
“Daryl came up and said ‘right let’s run and I’ll show you how it’s done’,” McLean recalled.
“I was still pretty fit and I took up his challenge. We ran all right and just kept going, doing wind sprints and goalsquare sprints. I left him throwing up in he forward pocket!” he laughed.
“Make sure you remind Thommo of that when you see him.”
We just did, Magic.
NAR NAR GOON is renowned as a football ground with atmosphere, but whether it was the fog or the fact that the senior game between GARFIELD and SALE was a lacklustre affair, there was precious little to inspire the crowd on Saturday.
One problem, according to a Stars follower, was the fact that Sale’s junior footballers and netballers and their followers had already left to return home on early buses, thereby depleting the Magpies’ spectator presence.
It provided a stark example of one of the problems highlighted by the group supporting Garfield’s switch to the locally based EDFL next year.
OFFICIALS at BERWICK are said to be more than a little peeved with the Northern Territory under18 team that competes spasmodically in the TAC Cup competition.
The word is that Wicker youngster Jayden Kickett, who transferred to the Casey Cardinia club with his older brother Chris this year, has been refused permission to join the DANDENONG STINGRAYS by the NT club, despite living and playing in Victoria at present.
Kickett’s name was put forward to the Stingrays, but when a permit was sought for him the answer was ‘no’.
He is on the list as a player with the NT club that only plays three games a year between 6 May and 28 May.
These games have been played and there appears to be no reason why the talented young indigenous player should not be able to try his luck with the Stingrays for the rest of the season.
How is the NT decision helping develop and/or unearth potential AFL talent we ask?
YOUNG WARRAGUL goalsneak Kael Bergels incurred the wrath of the Gull selectors for one too many indiscretions and was dropped from last week’s clash against MOE.
It was a bold move by the Gulls that lack topquality forwards and the talented youngster has proved to be its best attacking option this season.
Disappointingly, Bergels did himself no favours by failing to turn up to play in the twos and it’s not the first time he’s blotted his copybook.
The classy forward fell foul of the GIPPSLAND POWER hierarchy earlier this season and despite making a big impression in round one of the TAC Cup, it is understood he has little chance of playing for the Power again this season.
AN interesting story was relayed to Footy Shorts last week concerning one wellknown Casey Cardinia League player.
This bloke doesn’t mind spruiking himself and regularly backs up his words on field, but proved he was a loyal clubman by privately offering to take a pay cut in order to reward one of his club’s younger players who he believed deserved more.
While he will continue to cop his whacks from opposition supporters, the true story will come out one day and will likely surprise a few.
GARFIELD has had mixed results on field this season, but it appears the youth policy it has embarked on in recent seasons is now paying dividends.
Last Saturday against SALE, the Stars fielded seven players who were less than two seasons out of their under 18s and all bar three of its senior group came through the club’s junior ranks.
The exceptions were key defender Brent McFarlane, who has now played more than 150 senior games and the Reid brothers, Brett and Shane, who joined from PAKENHAM this season.
THE latest Stars to make their senior debut were 18yearolds Andrew Fyffe and Nathan Withers.
Fyffe, a midfielder, showed good ability to read the play and displayed clever skills, while Withers, an onballer, showed he was not afraid to get in and under.
Withers is the younger brother of former Stars’ champion Lincoln, who is now assistant coach at PAKENHAM.
PERHAPS the most impressive of last week’s debutants was that of SALE youngster Michael Todd.
A classy leftfooter, Todd won the ShawCarter medal for the best player in the WGLFL under16 competition in 2005, polling a staggering 33 votes.
Todd made the transition into the seniors with ease, showed good evasive skills and slotted home two goals in a top performance.
THE prediction that PAKENHAM is in line to replace DOVETON as the Casey Cardinia League’s second finals venue has riled a few at the Doves’ nest.
One Robinson Reserve stalwart questioned the thinking behind the move.
“Pakenham’s ground is browning off nicely now, so unless they play the game in the green goalsquares, it’s not going to look much as a spectacle,” he said.
When it was suggested that the Toomuc Reserve changeroom facilities were superior to Doveton’s our man retorted: “How much footy is played in the bloody changerooms?”
WARRAGUL INDUSTRIALS is holding a past players senior premiership reunion, starting 7pm this Saturday, 17 June.
Players from the 1948 (the year the ‘Dusties’ were founded), 1960, 1976, 1986 and 1996 flagwinning sides have been invited.
A highlight of the night will be a ‘best of’ side announced from those who played in the later three premiership teams.
A meal will be served and inquiries can be directed to Brian ‘Butch’ Hemmings on 0409 965 046.
THE only area that Casey Cardinia League leader NARRE WARREN appears to lack in is the ruck, but the Magpies have covered that deficiency to date with smart play from its midfielders.
Whether that will wash come finals, only time will tell, but it must irk officials every time they watch under18 training at Fox Road and see juniors’ helper and former star ruckman Garth Pickford running around at training like a youngster.
Could Pickford be the final trump card in Aussie Jones’ hand this year?
BAD news for GIPPSLAND POWER and MOE with news of an injury to Symon Lee, who is likely to miss the rest of the season with a fractured vertebrae in his neck.
Lee, a pacy 16yearold halfforward who made his senior debut last season and shone in the finals, looks to have a bright future.
However his immediate prospects are now clouded after he landed awkwardly against GARFIELD and incurred the injury a few weeks back.
HAMPTON PARK hard man Michael O’Brien will run out in the Redback’s strip for the 300th time this Saturday.
O’Brien, 34, has been a loyal servant of the club since starting his senior career as a 16yearold in 1988 and is a former coach and duel premiership player.
He said that, given his choice, he would have picked either this weekend’s opponents CRANBOURNE or DOVETON as the rivals he would have preferred to line up against in the milestone match and the fact that it will be played at his beloved Booth Reserve is another bonus.
WHILE on the subject of HAMPTON PARK, there’s a big whisper around the traps that a former superstar player, who has been absent for a few seasons, is about to rejoin the nest.
The word is that Andrew Harvey is moving back to town and is keen to finish his career where it started.
Lord help Casey Cardinia League centre halfbacks if that’s true.
MAFFRA forward Daniel Stubbs looms as a likely prospect.
The 18yearold was recruited from SALE CITY and on debut bagged five goals against MORWELL last week.
Stubbs came to the Eagles as part of a preseason agreement that saw Jake Milham and Shay Ferguson move to Sale City.
ANOTHER newcomer to show a bit was MORWELL’S Michael Cleaver. In only his second game, after starting on the interchange bench in round five against TRARALGON, Cleaver played an assured game in defence against MAFFRA and showed plenty when moved in to the midfield.
Morwell’s efforts to entice Cleaver, a dual under18 bestandfairest with BOOLARA in the MidGippsland League appear well founded.
