Left: Andrew ‘Boo’ Dalgleish warms up before taking to the field in a onegame comeSATURDAY was certainly a day for the legends at Cranbourne with the 1985 and 1995 premiership reunion, but few expected Cranbourne’s 1995 captaincoach and ’85 player Andrew ‘Boo’ Dalgleish to pull on the boots for the occasion.
That’s exactly what happened however, with Boo making a onegame comeback to help coach and great mate Darren Martello lead the young Hawks against traditional rivals Devon Meadows.
The 39yearold, who has been the club’s senior runner all year, said he’d been training and loved it.
“Marty’s a good mate of mine and asked if I’d be prepared to play. I said I would be happy to if it would help the side out,” he said.
“I know my career is over, but when players ask you to play it’s a great feeling and I’m excited to play with the young blokes because they’re the future of the club.”
WHAT’S the problem with Pakenham’s formerly superb ground, people have been asking?
The once green grass has become a sickly brown colour over the past month and upon closer inspection, much of the grass cover has, in fact, died.
The answer, according to a wellcredentialled spy, is that the Toomuc Reserve is showing the effects of selective chemical spraying designed to allow the preferred grass species to prosper.
The only problem appears to be that they forgot to sow that preferred species!
PAKENHAM has requested an investigation into an incident against Devon Meadows that ended star defender Joel Padley’s season.
Padley sustained facial fractures in a clash during the first quarter of the round13 game and the Lions have asked the league to look into the circumstances surrounding it.
THE MPNFL has asked all clubs to make formal submissions with comments on the rule changes implemented at the start of the season.
The league dumped the old salary cap in favour of a pointsbased system and implemented a new, streamlined clearance rule before the start of the season.
It appears to have been accepted well, however officials are keen to get the clubs’ feedback with a view to refining the system for 2006 and beyond.
BERWICK midfielder Ben Lovett is yet to make a return to the Wickers team, despite rumours that he would be back after the departure of former coach Leigh Taylor.
While on news from Edwin Flack Reserve, there were a few grumbles of discontent after last week’s crack at the club by former mentor Jack Marshall.
One Berwick member bristled when he read Jack’s attack in last week’s Gazette football liftout and quipped: “That’s fine, but Jack forgot to say he was happy to accept the trip to New Zealand we paid for as a signon fee in 2001.”
STRONG word reaches us that one entrepreneurial type of fellow has contacted Berwick seeking information on the club’s 2006 coaching position.
The chap apparently spruiked that he would bring players including former AFL stars Gary Moorcroft and Mick Martyn with him and also indicated that Kangaroo Corey McKernan was also a possibility.
It is believed he was politely told: ‘no thanks’.
DINGLEY has hit rockbottom if an incident at threequarter time in Saturday’s game against Narre Warren is any indication.
Eye (and ear) witnesses report that as the Dingoes huddle broke with the home side 83 points in arrears of the Magpies, a senior player (who was not playing due to injury) gave coach Justin Woodman a fearful and very public serve, suggesting that he was hesitant to ‘go in and get the hard ball’.
Woodman did not react at the time, however club president Leigh Menzel did after the game and said in his postmatch address that as a club, unless they got behind the coach and players, they would struggle to survive.
It is believed that several committee people are contemplating action against the chap involved.
WHILE on the Dingoes, it is also rumoured that Frankston Dolphins’ star defender and former EdithvaleAspendale captain John Hynes has been sounded out about coaching the club next year.
He would be a good pickup as a player, but whether he could make a difference to the league strugglers is the question.
BERWICK president Peter Jensen confirmed that the club had settled its contract with former coach Leigh Taylor and was ready to move on.
“We decided to pay Leigh out for the season, rather than just up to round 12 as we were obliged to. The situation put everyone through a hard time and we thought it was the right thing to do and that it might help him out a bit,” said Jensen.
“He accepted it and we’ll all just move forward now.”
Jensen also confirmed that Taylor’s brother David, who was having a great season on field, had quit the club in support of his sibling.
