By David Nagel
Buckets full of Napisan and Cold Power are waiting in the laundries of six clubs that are ready to wash away the stains of an unsuccessful season in West Gippsland footy this weekend.
An application of elbow-grease will remove the remnants of mud and grass from footy shorts and socks – and Grippo stains from jumpers – for Warragul Industrials, Kooweerup, Dalyston, Garfield, Korumburra-Bena and Bunyip; who will not play finals this year.
One of those clubs might even have to go further and change over a league logo!
And for one finals’ contender there’s another stain – a nasty blemish – which it would also like removed.
Phillip Island coach Cam Pedersen was spotted at the Cowes Supermarket this week, choosing between Vanish Oxi Action, and Fab Fresh Blossom Formula, as he looks to remove a nasty red-wine stain – ‘Nar Nar Goon Shiraz’ – that has been catching his attention since Saturday 13 April.
The Goon put Pedersen’s Bulldogs through a heavy ‘spin cycle’ that day, before hanging them out to dry by 49 points in round-one at Spencer Street.
It’s the only blemish, the only pigment failure, of the Bulldogs’ season.
Pedersen and been soaking the stain for almost four months now; and finally gets the chance to scrub when the Goon pays a visit to the Bulldogs’ laundry on Saturday.
There’ll be no old-wives tales or secret formulas that will get that stain removed; it will all come down to hard work!
The Bulldogs looked menacing after half time against Inverloch-Kongwak last week, with its stars firing; and a support cast led by Coby Olarenshaw, Marcus Wright, Travis Woodfield, Damien Holmes and Orlando Kane Gillard just playing some decent and bloody good football.
There just doesn’t appear to be a weak link at the ‘Kennel’ right now, with young guns firing and ageing players really enjoying their footy.
And that wouldn’t be difficult; watching players like Hayden Bruce, Jack Taylor, Zach Walker and Kai Mackenzie go about their work on a weekly basis.
The Goon seems to match up well against the Bulldogs and, apart from that easy victory earlier this year; there is never much between them.
They had a draw in round four last year, while the Bulldogs prevailed by a solitary point in last year’s preliminary final!
The Goon has some rare talent of its own, with Trent Armour elevating his game from great to amazing, and players like Harry Brain, Dermott Yawney, James Cairns and Matt Gentile among the best at their craft in the business.
This one should be a beauty; but it’s the Bulldogs to remove that ugly stain and salute by 17 points.
In other games this week, Inverloch-Kongwak will bounce back to the winners’ list with a thumping of bottom-placed Bunyip, while Warragul Industrials will finish a challenge season in style with a comfortable win over Garfield.
Kooweerup will down an improving Korumburra-Bena by 32 points at Denhams Road, while Tooradin-Dalmore will cruise into finals after a strong win at Dalyston.
And it’s set to be a huge day at Cora Lynn, with Nathan Gardiner needing two goals to reach 100, while the Cobras need to defeat Kilcunda-Bass to lock down a top-two finish this year.
And they will; by a comfortable 32 points.
