Left: The Channel 31 Local Footy Show team made an appearance at Hampton Park on Saturday to cover the Redbacks’ clash with Devon Meadows. The boys were kind enough to let Gazette footy writer Brad ‘Tangles’ Kingsbury (right) tag along.EVERY player knows that one of the biggest ‘no-nos’ is to get married during football season, but that hasn’t stopped former PAKENHAM and GARFIELD star Lincoln Withers’ plans to wed his much-better-half Katie.
Apparently invitations to his upcoming nuptials on 8 August in Darwin, where he now lives, have landed in the letterboxes of Lions, including runner and Gazette tipster Travis Murphy, together with champion midfielder Dan O’Loughlin.
While Murphy is jetting up to the event, O’Loughlin has decided to stay home and concentrate on trying to help his side achieve the main prize in an even bigger event in September.
In Withers’ defence, it is not football season in the Northern Territory at present, so he has adhered to the unwritten rule in that neck of the woods.
WONTHAGGI POWER has been given until 25 August to decide between the WGLFL and the Casey Cardinia League as to where its footballing future lies in 2010.
The VCFL South Gippsland Review was handed down last week, setting the deadline for the club that has been voted out of the Alberton Football League by the other member clubs.
While the original report tabled for comment in April directed the Power towards the WGLFL, club officials, members and players have rejected that move and are leaning heavily towards the MPNFL competition.
That said, there has been no official application to join either league and MPNFL officials are believed to be losing patience with the ‘will they–won’t they?’ scenario because there are other options on the table to address the hated byes in both Casey Cardinia and Nepean Leagues.
AND while on the possible new inclusion, PAKENHAM has been crowing about its new AFL-standard goal posts, but will no longer have the point of difference if WONTHAGGI comes in to the Casey Cardinia League.
The South Gippsland club already has the big goal posts at its impressive facility, while Casey Fields oval one has also had them since day one.
SAD to see that the last acknowledgment of the West Gippsland Football League is about to be thrown out the door, when the West Gippsland Latrobe Football League (WGLFL) is renamed the Gippsland Football League next season.
The member clubs have agreed to the change and the VCFL is also supportive which means that the change will be rubber-stamped.
The only true West Gippsland club left in the current hybrid competition is GARFIELD and Stars’ officials have been quite open in stating that they want to get out of the league in 2010, given that they are now completely out of their depth against their big-town rivals.
Vale a once mighty competition.
FURTHER to that GARFIELD is expected to apply for a clearance from the WGLFL at this week’s delegates meeting.
The decision will rest on a vote to be held at a later date and if successful the Stars will then apply to join the EDFL.
Should Garfield be denied a clearance, it has the right to appeal to the VCFL, but Stars officials are quietly confident that it has the numbers and will be released.
THE clash between DOVETON and BEACONSFIELD was scheduled to be the 3RPP radio broadcast game on Saturday, but technical problems revolving around the telephone system put an end to that, two hours before the kick-off.
As it happened, it was just as well because there was no way the commentators could have made the belting that the Doves handed out to the pathetic Eagles sound interesting.
In fact Beaconsfield did not score a goal until halfway through the third term.
UNRELATED namesakes, friends and former NYORA team-mates Corrie and Corey Wilson have both recently become engaged.
Saints’ assistant coach Corey has gone down on one knee to his partner Josie, while now DOVETON forward Corrie proposed to his sweetheart Kasey.
Both questions were received with a positive response and the 2007 EDFL premiership players will soon join the married men’s ranks.
LATE clearance applications out of CORA LYNN have been lodged by former BEACONSFIELD premiership defender Ben Airdrie and his younger brother Heath, who are both returning to complete the year with the Eagles.
The word is that Ben was unable to train regularly due to work commitments and decided that if he was going to play reserves football he may as well do it at his home club.
Heath has not been playing senior footy with the Cobras and also decided that his Beaconsfield family ties were more important.
NILMA-DARNUM held a minute’s silence before its clash against BUNYIP in memory of long-time gatekeeper and popular club devotee Rob Thomas, who passed away recently.
His wife Chris attended the match and, as usual, carried out her regular scoreboard attendant duties on the day.
Last Monday week Thomas’ hearse was driven around his beloved Nilma-Darnum ground while red-and-black balloons were released, and as it left, the Bombers’ unique locomotive siren was rung to bid farewell to a favourite son.
TRANSPORT on the ground is not an issue for BERWICK Colts players if the weekend is any indication.
After a Wicker youngster went down with what looked like a serious ankle injury on the outer side of the vast Edwin Flack Reserve, a stretcher was called for.
CRANBOURNE official, John Harkins, was the first to react and grabbed a stretcher on his way across the ground.
However, the youngster managed to get to his feet and hopped across the boundary where he jumped the fence and got into a waiting car to be driven back to the clubrooms.
Poor old John arrived at the scene seconds later and found his patient had done a runner, leaving him to wander back to the boxes around the boundary line empty-stretchered.
NARRE WARREN is about to receive a big boost as it nears another finals campaign with word that premiership defender Colin McNamara will be cleared back to Fox Road this week.
McNamara transferred to Queensland in search of some sun and fun last year, but apparently the work has run out and he has decided to return to Victoria – much to the Magpies joy.
HERE’S an odd one.
Undefeated EDFL ladder leaders NILMA-DARNUM will clash with reigning premiers CORA LYNN in round 18 and, should the Cobras not lose form, it appears the Bombers will also meet them in their next game – the second semi-final.
And if everything goes to plan for the Bombers, they will win that game and play in the grand final against, most likely, Cora Lynn.
The Bombers are likely to play the Cobras on three consecutive occasions with the last game being for the ultimate prize.
AND here’s another odd statistic.
While DROUIN has only performed moderately to date, it has managed to knock over the top team on the ladder on three occasions.
In round six, Drouin accounted for then top side LEONGATHA, in round nine the Hawks knocked over then ladder leader MAFFRA, and on Sunday the Hawks upset MOE that also entered the game on top of the table.
The new ladder leader is TRARALGON, but the Hawks have already played the Maroons twice so they are safe until finals time.
That’s if the Hawks make it of course. If they do, it would be the club’s first final since 2004 in the WGFL Western Division.
BULN BULN reserves could to be re-badged as ‘Dad’s Army’ rather than the Lyrebirds.
Due to unavailability last Saturday against WARRAGUL INDUSTRIALS, six club stalwarts all came out of retirement and pulled on the boots to assist the club field a second’s team.
Club president and life member Brian ‘Barney’ Sell played his first game in 16 years, dual premiership player Trevor Dawson, his first game in 11 seasons and fellow fourths’ coach Ken Nobelius, along with Paul Fowler, Grant Bridger and Lee Herbel, all showed their devotion to the club by saddling up.
Apparently there were a few extra frothies sunk on Saturday night for therapeutic reasons.
WARRAGUL INDUSTRIALS is holding a Black and White Gala Night on Saturday, 25 July at the Exhibition Hall, South Road in Warragul.
The evening is a follow-up to the spectacular anniversary night held last year. Any queries can be directed to Jess Ayres 0419 367 661, Neville Huggett 0419 505 563 or Angie Peresso 0417 112 751.
