St Kilda star James Gwilt was spotted among the big crowd at the Robinson Reserve on Saturday.NARRE WARREN’s fortunes under former Saint Aussie Jones has certainly stirred the interest of his former teammates including onetime NOBLE PARK star James Gwilt.
Gwilt was among the big crowd at Robinson Reserve on Saturday to watch the Magpies’ attempt to dethrone league kings DOVETON and was joined by several other ST KILDA lads including Fraser Gehrig, Stephen Milne and Lenny Hayes, along with former BEACONSFIELD now CARLTON spearhead Brendan Fevola.
The presence of the big league stars, who watched the match in a forward pocket, certainly made the day of many local children and the boys did their reputations no harm by signing autographs and saying hello to the young fans throughout the day.
WE can expect some big names to be running around in the early games next week if rumours are correct.
The winless start to the season by BEACONSFIELD, HAMPTON PARK and BERWICK has apparently not gone down well with their coaching hierarchy and the axe is poised to fall.
ONE bloke who will not be replacing anyone dropped at BEACONSFIELD is former NARRE WARREN midfielder Luke Hughes.
The restless player, who asked to join the Eagles after being sacked by the Magpies for disciplinary reasons, lasted one reserves game before deciding that the Perc Allison Reserve was not for him.
Hughes has transferred to the Hume Football League, which is based on the New South Wales border.
Another disappointment for the Eagles is the departure of talented youngster Eric Pope who has been cleared to GEMBROOKCOCKATOO.
IF the diggers had relied on the CRANBOURNE audio system as its wartime lifeline, we would all probably be serving up sushi for lunch.
As football and netball players from DEVON MEADOWS and Cranbourne stood solemnly for the last post before the senior game on Saturday, you guessed it, the sound system capitulated and had to be turned off.
Fortunately that did not interrupt the minute’s silence observed before the game and had no effect on the spirit and pride for the day.
FORMER BERWICK, now NARRE WARREN, youngster Darren Sheen will make his debut for the DANDENONG STINGRAYS in the next week or two according to spies.
The TAC Cup side is about to be hit with the regular unavailability of their ‘private school boys’ who are forced to represent their schools rather than play with the elite AFL under18 competition.
That combined with Sheen’s good start to the year with the Magpies should ensure him a gig at the top level.
BAD news from PAKENHAM is word that Jack Allen, who broke his leg in the week leading up to the first game, will likely do a Matthew Lloyd and miss the whole season.
AND while we’re on injury watch, KEYSBOROUGH has lost star recruit Clinton King for at least five and maybe up to eight weeks after he had a bone spur removed from his foot last week.
DEVON MEADOWS won the $1000 prize for the best tipsters at Sunday’s Football Clubs’ race day at Cranbourne, pipping CATANI. The Panthers led the competition all day but only won because they were the leaders going into the last race in which no team backed the $12 winner.
Panthers’ officials are also breathing easier, as are their opponents, with news that more than 150 juniors have moved from the overused Glover Reserve to Casey Fields.
That means that the annual quagmire that usually appears after a decent rain event at the ground will likely be a thing of the past.
DINGLEY is struggling, but all is not lost according to one spy.
Apparently a wedding coincided with the first round and five players were not available on the day.
While that would not have seen the result against KEYSBOROUGH reversed, it might have helped limit the damage.
Also, despite forfeiting their under 18team this year, the Dingoes are fielding an under17 side in the Moorabbin junior competition, so there will be a fresh crop coming through in 2007.
LILYDALE police have issued an official media release warning footballers that they may face criminal or civil proceedings if they intentionally injure other players on the field.
It is the first time an official police media release has been issued at the start of a season and, although it was directed at the eastern suburban competitions, it sounded a general warning that police are prepared to treat deliberate onfield acts of violence seriously.
NILMADARNUM will play its 1000th game in the EDFL when it meets NAR NAR GOON on 30 April. It is one of the oldest clubs in the current league.
Although the club’s history dates back to 1922, NilmaDarnum played its first game in the league in 1947, under the name of Nilma Lillico, before changing to NilmaDarnum in 1977.
Past players, members, sponsors, supporters and football public are invited to attend and enjoy the celebrations.
ON TOP of snaring gun WONTHAGGI ruckrover Rory Gilliatte, NYORA has enticed another topliner to its camp in DOVETON EAGLE Corrie Wilson.
Wilson went straight into the seniors on Saturday against NAR NAR GOON and did enough to suggest he will be a regular fixture in seniors.
Unusually, Nyora already has another Wilson at the club by the same name, but spelled differently Corey.
IT WAS a big weekend for CORA LYNN with the Cobra seniors posting their highest ever score, passing the 31.26.212 it compiled in 1978 against LONGWARRY by 12 points.
In fact, for the first time, the club also won across all five grades.
There was no team happier than the club’s under13 team that won its first game since it entered the Ellinbank League last season.
Cora Lynn has made a concerted effort to attract juniors and offers kids and parents an opportunity to be picked up in the Cobra bus.
The bus, driven by local identity Fred Ramsdale, makes it way from Pakenham to Cora Lynn every Thursday night for training and Saturday mornings on match day.
GOSSIP that Corey McKernan has a desire to play country football has been rife and the latest word is that he is keen to join SALE.
Perhaps this rumour is not so far fetched, as McKernan is a good mate of Magpie assistant coach, Stuart Anderson, who played 67 games with the KANGAROOS while McKernan was there.
SALE unveiled its two highprofile recruits in onballers Jacob Schuback and Chris Laverty on Sunday against MAFFRA.
Schuback, who played seven games for the ADELAIDE CROWS, opened impressively and was a catalyst behind Sale’s early domination that yielded six unanswered goals inside the first 15 minutes.
Schuback was impressive, showed class and has a raking leftfoot kick.
Chris Laverty, from SANFL team SOUTH ADELAIDE, copped a knock to the head early that saw him leave the field due to the blood rule, but made his presence felt with very good positionmaking and clever disposals.
CATANI has picked up a handy recruit in Xavier Coppeck, who most recently played with KILCUNDABASS and INVERLOCHKONGWAK.
Coppeck is a tallish utility who can play a number of key positions and, despite lacking match fitness, impressed with three goals on his debut in the reserves on Saturday.
CATANI unearthed a player in the making in 14yearold Russell Lehman on Saturday and club stalwart, Ron Banbury could not recall a younger Blue since 16yearold Peter Gardiner represented the club in the late 1970s.
Gardiner went on to play more than 100 games for the Blues and win the league bestandfairest in 1981.
Lehman, who is still eligible for the under 15s, did well snaring two goals in the first quarter.
Unfortunately his mother, who was recording her son’s debut, became so excited that she missed both, but got some good pictures of the sky and the ground according to a club spy.
Young Lehman is also a top cricketer and has already broken numerous underage records.
FORMER DROUIN halfback and GIPPSLAND POWER premiership player, Chris Dunne has signed with VFL club CASEY SCORPIONS.
Dunne has yet to crack a senior game, but has been among the Scorpions best in the reserves in the first two weeks.
NILMADARNUM’s Jason Davenport signed with VFL club GEELONG and played the first two rounds in the Cats’ seniors, while former MAFFRA premiership player Sam Pleming was delisted by Carlton last season, but will not return to the Eagles after accepting an offer to play with standalone VFL club PORT MELBOURNE.
