-Some of the biggest names in football will be gracing our local venues over the next fortnight with Gary Ablett Jnr and Nathan Buckley set to pull on the boots. Ablett Jnr will play for DROUIN against MORWELL this Saturday, eight days before Buckley plays for NILMA DARNUM in the EDFL match against CATANI on Sunday 23 July. Buckley will turn 51, three days after the game, but you wouldn’t rule out a strong performance from the still super-fit Brownlow Medallist.
-We must be getting close to the announcement of this year’s all-important finals venues, with only two months to go before the biggest day of the season. Winning hosting rights to the WGFNC grand final has been a poison chalice for the last two seasons, with DALYSTON denied grand final hosting due to Covid in 2021, and KOOWEERUP having to hand over to GARFIELD last year because of the condition of their ground. We’re sure WGFNC Operations Manager Brett Tessari and his team will nail the decision this time around. Garfield is widely considered the best ground in the WGFNC, but renovations to the its netball facility will surely rule it out of hosting any finals this year.
-Fixing a leak in his laundry sink proved costly for an Outer East footballer last week, after he locked his keys in his house as he headed off to Bunnings. Not only did he have to pay $150 to get a locksmith to open up his house – which took 15 seconds to do – but he also had to mop up some extra water damage after leaving the water running slowly…thinking he would only be gone for five minutes. It took more than two hours for the locksmith to arrive, with the leak doing a fair amount of damage in the process.
-Hitting the post on the football field is one thing, but the captain of a local Outer East football team took things to a new level at McDonalds last week. A trip to Maccas is a regular occurrence for the skipper, who loves nothing better than an early morning coffee to perk them up for the day. The skipper misjudged the drive-through at Maccas and ploughed the side of their car into the pole that protects the garden as you drive in. It was a costly coffee…with the damage bill to the car at over $3,200.
-INVERLOCH-KONGWAK A Grade coach Jarrad Walker has worked out the perfect way to lead his side…from the sunshine up north! Walker took an extended break after the WGFNC bye on July 1, and was sunning himself up north as his Sea Eagles took on a struggling WARRAGUL INDUSTRIALS on Saturday. Walker set his girls the task of scoring 100 goals in the top v bottom clash, but wanted them to do it with class. His instructions…” work hard for effective play but at all times do so while respecting the opposition.” His team listened, winning 103 to 20.
-There are some great football and netball photos being published on club social media this year, and the fans are loving it. Three of our favourites are Euan Poulton (PAKENHAM), Kylie Pipicelli (NAR NAR GOON) and Rob Gardiner (CORA LYNN), who continually post high-quality images for the supporters of those clubs to enjoy. DALYSTON is another club that does it well…a great job from all the snappers!
-CORA LYNN has picked up a handy mid-season recruit with Josh Cochrane making his club debut against DALYSTON on Saturday. Cochrane has been captain of Southern Division One club ST KILDA CITY for the last two years, and has been described as a match-winning midfielder with the ability to play at either end of the ground. All clubs need that type of player and we’re sure Cobras coach Shaun Sparks will be welcoming with open arms.
-GARFIELD debutant Tahj Murphy will be wondering what all the fuss is about, playing in a winning team on debut against KORUMBURRA BENA on Saturday. The Stars seniors hadn’t won a game since round five, but Murphy proved the lucky charm, being one of 11 individual goal-scorers in the 41-point victory. Murphy’s lucky-charm status will be tested this week when the Stars head to Inverloch to take on the undefeated ladder leaders. Archie Terlich, the WGFNC U16 captain, also made his debut for Inverloch on Saturday, playing in a winning team against WARRAGUL INDUSTRIALS.
-A huge congratulations goes out to INVERLOCH-KONGWAK premiership star Kelsey Buxton, who tonight (Wednesday 12 July) plays her 100th game of VNL Championship netball for the Hawks. Buxton joined the Hawks in 2016 as a mid-season call-up when an injury struck the squad, and has since become a permanent fixture in the Hawks’ Championship side for the past seven seasons. Buxton has long set the standard for effort and attitude both on and off the court, and continues to be a wonderful club person. The game starts at 8.20pm against Geelong.
-The DOVETON DOVES rooms were vibrating pre-game with Michael Cardamone giving a pre-game address to get the team up and about. Multiple Murrumbeena folk commented on the well-delivered fire-up but it didn’t translate on the field as Doveton was behind from the get go.
-You want eight-point games? Well you’re getting eight-point games in the Eastern Football Netball League’s premier division this week. A quirk in the fixture sees top spot (BALWYN) play second (VERMONT), fourth (ROWVILLE) play fifth (DONCASTER EAST) and third (EAST RINGWOOD) play sixth (NOBLE PARK), while seventh (BLACKBURN) battle eighth (NORWOOD)!
-PAKENHAM’s reserves runner Lauchie Eastwood was spotted getting a rub down from a trainer at a huddle on Saturday, snapped by a club member and sent to the ‘Valley Vicous Footy and Netball Banter’ Facebook page for further embarrassment. A fine is in-store, no doubt.
-It was revealed during the week on the EASTERN FOOTBALL NETBALL LEAGUE Facebook page that the goal umpire tasked with adjudicating Dan Houston’s miracle after the siren goal against ESSENDON last week, Simon Plumridge, is an alumni of the EFNL’s umpiring program. It goes to show that no matter where you start, you never know where you’ll end up!
-Congratulations to Casey Demons stalwart JAMES MUNRO on playing his 150th game for the Demons on Saturday. A much-loved figure at Casey Fields, shirts with ‘150 Moose’ were spotted in the crowd for the cult figure as his side were able to deliver the four points to honour the veteran.
-Terrific news for the Outer East Football Netball League with YEA announcing the appointment of a new senior coach and playing assistant coach to lead their football programs in 2024. Mitch Skelly brings plenty of experience to the role, having coached at VFLW level and at NFNL club, Heidelberg, as well as playing for the club in 2021. Alongside him will be Daniel “Pup” Evans, a 200-game player at Yea and previous leader among the playing group. Yea were forced to pull the plug on their football program in 2023 after failing to attract necessary player numbers.
