WHAT started out as a season of promise has turned into a battle for GEMBROOK-COCKATOO with injuries taking their toll.
Unfortunately the season is over for former NARRE WARREN spearhead Lee Clark who is entering hospital this week for a procedure to attempt to fix his troublesome back. And on top of that, star playmaker Andrew Shipp is reported to have a broken foot and could be out of action for most of, if not the rest of the 2009 season.
Hard yards in the hills.
BERWICK has parted company with gun recruit Darren Granger after the former BENDIGO BOMBER was queried on his accountability by Wickers coach Glenn Dale. Dale, as part of his review of football each week, discussed Granger’s form and told him that he needed to adhere to team rules or move on.
Apparently Granger chose the latter option and transferred to FOSTER in the Alberton League and was cleared before the last round.
That show of strength from Dale will be well received by the Berwick faithful, despite the loss of a player and sets the tone for the rest of the season for the club.
FORMER PAKENHAM and BONBEACH defender Cameron Hinkley moved to NEERIM NEERIM SOUTH this season and did not take long to endear himself to the local community, according to a report in last week’s ‘Age’ newspaper.
Hinkley, a veterinary surgeon with a practice at Labertouche near Drouin, cared for and successfully brought back to health a neighbour’s Clydesdale horse that suffered serious burns to 40 per cent of its body during the devastating Black Saturday fires.
Furthermore, he waived the bill of an estimated $10,000 worth of treatment.
Despite his Saturday football commitments, Hinkley is also on call and on Saturday left the field with 15 minutes to go to attend to another urgent case.
It was the second time this season he had to leave a game early after taking off in the third quarter against ELLINBANK a few weeks ago after another call for help.
NARRE WARREN might have lost the game against CRANBOURNE on Saturday, but no one could accuse the Eagle supporters of failing to pay their way and support the opposition club.
An overworked, but very happy, Magpie bar manager reported that the Eagles broke all records at the beer booth as the two sides put on a super entertaining game at Fox Road.
“This mob had a serious crack at it and enjoyed themselves from start to finish,” said our man.
“I know it’s disappointing to lose, but we’ll have the Cranny supporters back any time.”
And before the do-gooders start their rant, there was not one iota of trouble and everybody (that we saw) drank responsibly and enjoyed themselves.
CHANNEL 31 will televise the MPNFL v WGLFL game for the ‘Local Footy Show’ to be telecast the following Friday night and Saturday morning. MPNFL coach Paul Kennedy, a television reporter himself, was more than happy with the move and said that he would allow any and all access to the rooms and players throughout the day.
That’s got to be good for local football.
ROC has suffered several recent departures with three players cleared to the VAFA in May. The Day brothers, Jarrod and Lucas, have gone along with promising forward Barry Donaldson, younger brother of prolific CORA LYNN spearhead Ryan.
Donaldson was tipped to be a star in the making a couple of years ago, but never reached those heights and has decided to seek a change of scenery.
However, to partially balance the ledger, David Heynes has been cleared to play with ROC from the amateur competition.
DROUIN coach Ben Soumilas expected a tough encounter against his old side GARFIELD and was prepared to take a few knocks but did not bargain on friendly fire in the form of teammate, Jim Frances’ shin putting him into ga-ga land.
On coming to, his first words to trainers were: “who got me,” before being informed his condition was purely due to an accidental bump. The heavy knock aside, Soumilas said he enjoyed the game and the experience of playing against his former teammates.
“While there was plenty of heckling from the other side of the fence, there was no trouble on the field and the players from both sides had the utmost respect for each other,” he said on Saturday night. Soumilas said he even had a quiet chuckle after one spectator called his former teammate Nick Rodgers, ‘the Souma slayer’ after Rodgers snagged two goals on him late in the game.
Later that night though, many teammates questioned whether he had fully recovered from the knock after he arrived dressed up as ‘Cher’ at the Hawks’ talent quest.
It’s not necessary to send in the photos boys!
DEVON MEADOWS might not be winning too many games, but something is happening down at the Glover Reserve and the culture is changing.
Coach Steve O’Brien has embarked on a crusade to ensure success at the club and made another big call last week by dropping favourite son Andrew Cotton to the reserves for the first time after 122 senior games.
Cotton helped the Panthers inflict the first defeat of 2009 on Eagles seconds and the move further confirmed that O’Brien is fair dinkum as far as doing what is required to build success.
THERE was an interesting name bob up in the clearances last week with Clint Meyer cleared back to BUNYIP from Geelong Football League team GROVEDALE, where he played last season.
Meyer, a former GARFIELD and DROUIN star and a WGLFL interleague representative, has been an interested observer at recent Bulldogs games.
While he has not played football this season, with his team now two games inside the top six, playing finals football obviously looks an enticing proposition for the classy left footer.
NARRE WARREN is on the search for items or information that may help complete a history of the club.
Shane Scanlon is researching the early days of the club and is the man to contact. His number is 0437 199 935.
WARRAGUL INDUSTRIALS utility Shane Brewster’s stellar form has been rewarded with a call-up to the Victorian District Country League team to play the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA) in Barooga this weekend. The former NARRE WARREN premiership hero will join NEERIM NEERIM SOUTH’s Chris Urie and NILMA-DARNUM’s Kael Bergles in the team.
LANG LANG’s Kurt Batt has been named as an emergency.
ELLINBANK president Andrew ‘Gus’ Peterson played his 400th club game on Saturday when he lined up in the seniors against KOOWEERUP.
Now 42, he also joined an exclusive club of father and sons to have played senior football together after playing with his son, Josh, a talented 18-year-old.
In more than two decades of senior football, Peterson has played in multiple senior premiership sides, won a club best-and-fairest and also coached the Bankers before turning his hand to administration this year.
Unusually, it is the second time this feat has occurred in an EDFL game this season.
Less than a month ago BULN BULN life member Mick Baker played alongside his son, Trent, who also made his debut against Kooweerup.
NYORA was none too pleased with two of their CLAYTON recruits, midfielders Damian Armansin and Justin Isaac after they walked out of the Saints last week to rejoin their old club in the Southern Football League.
With wholesale departures over summer and currently depleted by injury, Nyora has been on the end of a series of floggings and can ill afford to lose any more players.
WGLFL president Brian McKenzie presented TRARALGON legend Greg Morley with league life membership on Saturday. While the pocket dynamo needed 300 games to officially qualify, he played 291 in the league and another two seasons for the Maroons when they played in the VFA, thus being recognised for his service.
Morley represented the league 25 times, the VCFL representative side 16 times, won eight senior premierships, six club best-and-fairest awards and three league TroodRodda medals, along with three Stan Aitken medals for best-on-ground in senior grand finals.
Now that’s a phenomenal record!
