THE EDFL will introduce a player points system for 2010 after 11 teams voted to implement the scheme at last week’s delegates meeting. Interestingly, the only three teams to vote against it were recruit-laden 2009 top-liners NILMA-DARNUM, CORA LYNN and CATANI. Next year clubs will have a maximum of 30 points worth of players allowed to take the field in their senior team each week. The new system has been designed to encourage teams to field 12 or more home-grown players.
Players will be categorised on the basis of where they last played and the points allocation will work as follows: A local player or a player returning to his home club will be worth one point; All VCFL newcomers will incur two points; A recruit from the VFL or a state league interstate competition such as the SANFL will incur three points and any player direct from AFL football will be worth four points.
The new system will be subject to a number of deductions and concessions and weighted in favour of loyalty. Penalties will apply for breaches and false declarations and an independent review panel will convene to hear cases where a player or club is dissatisfied with the points assessed to a player and wishes to appeal for reconsideration. The system will operate on an annual basis and may be amended on a season-by-season basis.
FORMER HAMPTON PARK and FRANKSTON YCW premiership player Shane Moodie just can’t give the game away. The retired star succumbed to Super Rules on the weekend, making his debut for the FRANKSTON SHARKS in jumper number 47. His old Stonecats mentor and current CRANBOURNE coach Doug Koop was at the Pines ground to support his mate, whose effort was described as serviceable at best.
NOT everything went to plan for KEYSBOROUGH on Saturday despite its best win of the season against PAKENHAM. Just before the senior game word came through that rugged veteran defender Cory Wilkinson would not be playing. Coach Greg Siwes made some hasty rearrangements to the side but was still unsure why Wilkinson, who trained on both nights last week, did not show up to take his spot in the side. One report suggested that the popular Burra player had suddenly quit the club but as yet no confirmation of the situation has been received by anyone.
BEACONSFIELD will hold its annual past players and officials luncheon on Saturday 8 August at the Perc Allison Oval. The Eagles play DEVON MEADOWS for the Terry McMillan Cup on the day and given the first round meeting it promises to be a close tussle. The function starts at noon until the start of the senior match and the guest speaker will be ex ST KILDA star and Beaconsfield junior Austinn Jones.
GARFIELD reports that Sean McCormack will lead the team car cavalcade to LEONGATHA this Saturday. The Stars have informed us that McCormack has the experience having already road tested the 150km round trip last week. The reserves footballer packed his kit, jumped in his car and headed to the football as he does routinely every week, only last Saturday he got a week ahead of himself. He arrived at the Leongatha ground and was greeted by a sign at the entrance proclaiming the next home game versus Garfield but nobody at the ground. McCormack phoned club stalwart Dan Collis and asked where everybody was only to be told the bad news. He then drove the hour and 20 minutes back to Beswick Street and somewhat sheepishly took the ground after half-time, much to the mirth of his team mates. McCormack did enough in the second half of the game to earn a mention among the best players but lighter in the pocket with the cost of fuel.
AND while at GARFIELD, there is plenty going on at Beswick Street at the moment. Firstly the Stars will celebrate three milestones this Saturday. Brendan Cremin and Nick Marsh will both take the field for the 100th time in the green and gold while loyal sharpshooter Mal McKenna will put on the boots for his 250th senior game. Then on Sunday 4 August the Stars will host a sponsors and members luncheon at Shanikas Viale restaurant in Pakenham featuring Sam Kekovich, Oscar Swarve and a memorabilia auction. Tickets are $60 each and the function starts at noon with drinks at bar prices.
A COUPLE of weeks ago we highlighted the nickname of “Goat” bestowed on ROC small man Brett Reid but since have found that there is no shortage of interesting brands at the Kangaroos. For instance, whenever long-kicking Andrew Logan gets the ball all you can hear from the sidelines is the crowd calling for “Boobs”. That was a nickname worth investigating, we thought, but alas, it turns out that Logan does not have need of a man-bra and it does not have anything to do with an obsession with girls’ anatomies. Apparently when he was a small child one parent referred to him as “Boo” and another friend called him “Oobs”. Put them together and … anyway we reckon it’s a good moniker and was worth a mention.
WORD has filtered through that retired BEACONSFIELD defender Dean Burnell has made a comeback in the East Gippsland Football League with LINDENOW recently. Why would he bother, was the question asked and, if it is true, the answer is intriguing. Apparently Burnell heard that fellow Eagle premiership teammate and ex-coach Haydn Robins is the current goalkicking hero for opposition club PAYNESVILLE (Robins has booted 71 majors to date) and decided that he would make it his business to play on the century goalkicker and put him out of business. The big clash will happen on Saturday 1 August at Lindenow. Let’s hope there are plenty of mirrors in the changerooms on that day.
POPULAR NEERIM NEERIM SOUTH ruckman-forward Richard Christian, a dual premiership player with the Cats, will play his 200th senior game against CORA LYNN this weekend. After knocking over WARRAGUL INDUSTRIALS on Saturday, the Cats will be fired up to pick off another big scalp and should enter the game with plenty of wisdom having organised dual ESSENDON premiership champion Terry Daniher to take training this week.
THE EDFL finals venues were announced last week. The first elimination final will be played on Saturday 22 August at NAR NAR GOON, while the second elimination final will be on Sunday 23 August at KOOWEERUP. The second-semi final will be held on Saturday 29 August at WARRAGUL and the first semi-final will be played on Sunday 30 August at NEERIM NEERIM SOUTH. The preliminary final on 5 September will be at LONGWARRY and the grand final on 12 September at CORA LYNN.
Meanwhile the EDFL junior vote count day will be held at the Longwarry Hall on 18 August and the senior vote count will be at Bunyip Football Club on 19 August.
PAKENHAM will host its President’s Lunch on Friday 14 August with the special guest speaker being legendary HAWTHORN player and COLLINGWOOD and BRISBANE premiership coach Leigh Matthews. Tickets are available at $60 each by contacting Stan Young on 0429 336 364 or Brian Jagoe on 0405 529 947.
AND while we are on get-togethers, CRANBOURNE will celebrate a 20-year reunion of its 1980 senior and reserves premierships at Casey Fields on 1 August, starting at noon. That is the day the Eagles meet NARRE WARREN and it might just be a match with the double chance on the line so the big crowd expected will not be short of entertainment.
THE father of POOWONG’s Shane Roberts picked a good day to fly over from Tasmania to see his son play football on Saturday. Roberts, who was recruited from SMITHTON, but now lives with his grandmother in Poowong, kicked three goals in the final 10 minutes of the game against KOOWEERUP to help the Magpies steal victory. Roberts had only played a handful of games this season because of a minor heart condition but the ailment did not impair the 20-year-old’s form.
THERE has been plenty of churn in the BULN BULN senior playing list with Anthony Johnson becoming the 76th player to put on a Lyrebirds jumper this season. Johnson came out of retirement to play alongside his son, Dean, in the reserves against NILMA-DARNUM on Saturday, while another of his sons, Daniel, fronted up in the seniors and looks a likely prospect.
