NEW CASEY SCORPIONS coach Brad Gotch is keen to lure former AFL and VFL star Andrew ‘Hottie’ Williams to Casey Fields in an assistant coaches role next year.
The BEACONSFIELD star is well known to Gotch who coached him at WILLIAMSTOWN when the VFL club was affiliated with Williams’ AFL club COLLINGWOOD.
The word from the Eagles nest is that Williams had already been contacted for a chat along the lines of an assistant coach in either a playing or non-playing capacity.
Should Williams leave the Perc Allison Oval, it would be a huge blow because he has been the mainstay in attack for the past two seasons for the club.
THE rumours can be put to rest – CATANI has re-signed Luke James and appointed the mercurial forward as an assistant coach under Paul Alger for 2010.
It is true that James, who kicked 98 goals for the Blues last season, fielded a host of tempting offers far and wide from including CAIRNS together with local clubs TOORADIN, ELLINBANK and POOWONG.
He is currently playing football in the Northern Territory Football League with SOUTHERN DISTRICTS, but Catani has confirmed he has committed to the club again in 2010.
DOVETON may lose super-talented young on-baller Shannon Henwood to the VFL, according to spies.
Henwood is believed to be looking at having a crack with the CASEY SCORPIONS in 2010 and a Scorpions source said the Dove ball magnet would be a welcome addition to their list.
Meanwhile the Henwood name has also been linked with DEVON MEADOWS with Shannon’s older brother Aaron believed to be a chance to line up at the Glover Reserve alongside former captain Justin Hill next year.
THE Casey Cardinia League will not change its junior structure to under-17s and under-19s as proposed at the end of the season.
The decision to shelve the move was made at a CCL presidents’ meeting last week and the current Under-18s and Colts grades will again make up the junior competitions in the league next year.
Several presidents were less than impressed with the decision and even more unimpressed that it took so long for the MPNFL to make it.
The change is still on the agenda however and is likely to again be moved in 2010.
AND in further Casey Cardinia League news, the MPNFL has confirmed that the season will start on Saturday, 17 April with the grand final played on Saturday, 18 September.
The biggest change to scheduling involves the Queen’s Birthday long weekend, during which a full round of games will be played for the first time in many seasons.
This weekend has traditionally been put aside for the VCFL Country Championships, but that series will be held on Saturday, 22 May next year, with all clubs having a bye on that weekend.
That also means that the pressure will be on interleague selectors, given the series is only four weeks after the start of the home and away season, and there will be minimal exposed form available, especially so with regard to recruits to the league.
HAMPTON PARK’S hopes of regaining the services of gun young midfielder Jack Besley look fainter after he recently told PEARCEDALE officials that he intended to stay at Tractor Park in 2010.
In other Pearcedale news, former premiership coach Dale Carpenter, who assisted current coach Jason Chapple at the club last year, was appointed coach at Peninsula League club BONBEACH last week.
He accepted the job after 2009 Pakenham Gazette Coach of the Year Shawn Scurrah was sacked due his inability to fulfil his commitments.
FORMER local goalkicking maestro and BEACONSFIELD coach Haydn Robins has been appointed coach of East Gippsland Football League club PAYNESVILLE in 2010.
Robins, who has moved his young family to the sleepy Lakes outpost, succumbed to intense lobbying from the club and agreed to throw his hat into the coaches’ ring again a fortnight ago.
The question now is whether he will be able to lure any of his former team-mates to East Gippsland in 2010?
AND still deep in the Gippsland area, CATANI assistant coach Josh Tymensen has been appointed coach at Mid Gippsland League club HILL END.
The classy left-footer was keen to embark on a senior coaching role, but with his current mentor at CATANI, Paul Alger, firmly entrenched at the helm, it appears he had no alternative but to seek a senior role elsewhere.
Hill End also made a big play for Blues’ forward Owen Fitzpatrick as has a Casey Cardinia League club so we’ve been told.
It is believed the powerhouse goalkicker will remain loyal to Catani, however the Blues may lose emerging star Luke Failla after his father Sam, a premiership player at Catani, has been appointed chairman of selectors at Hill End.
IN WGLFL news, MOE has re-appointed former NORTH MELBOURNE midfielder Troy Makepeace as its senior coach, while this season’s unlucky runners-up TRARALGON, have re-appointed hard-working midfielder Steve Hazelman at the helm.
The Maroons may also regain the services of tall utility Dan McKenna, delisted by GEELONG last week, should he not be picked up in the pre-season draft.
