LONGWARRY was livid after recruit, John McNamara, who played at ST KILDA CITY last year, was refused permission to play for the Crows by Ellinbank and District Football League (EDFL) officials on Saturday.
The 37-year-old former BERWICK and NORTH MELBOURNE defender was cleared to play football by the VCFL last week and ready to line up against NAR NAR GOON, but league officials deemed he was an ‘undesirable person’ and refused to let him take the field on the weekend.
‘Big Mac’ has a chequered past that included a number of run-ins with various tribunals over a long career.
However Longwarry is adamant his misdemeanours are well behind him and said its legal advice suggests he should have been allowed to play.
Expect to hear a lot more on this one.
IN an interesting aside to the above snippet, a local football mover and shaker who knew a lot about the McNamara case told Footy Shorts that members of the EDFL administration had better be ready for a fight that might get very personal.
Our man suggested that the McNamara camp had already looked into fighting fire with fire and would request that all EDFL executive members make their own tribunal and police records public, so that nobody could be accused of double standards.
Wonder if that might change the playing field a little?
UMPIRES did not have great day at KEYSBOROUGH on Saturday.
Despite their experience, both were heard to answer backchat from the crowd and one was forced to throw the ball up for the rest of the afternoon after his first few bounces went anywhere but straight.
Obviously the lad had forgotten that the bounce has been banned in the MPNFL for more than a season.
However those issues were minor compared to the failure of one of the officials to send from the field PAKENHAM player Michael Hicks, who was reported for tripping in the second term, as required under the rules.
Both presidents commented on the blunder, witnessed by a Southern Umpires Association observer, and both said they would take the issue up with league administration.
The Lions, of course, will be keen to see Hicks beat the charge, while the Burra could very well lodge an appeal against the result, given Pakenham had an extra player on the ground.
SHOCKING news over the weekend for GARFIELD player Rod Miller, son of DANDENONG legend Jim ‘Frosty’ Miller.
Rod decided to put on the boots for the very first time to help the Stars field a seconds side, only to break his leg in two places against MOE.
Miller underwent surgery on both Saturday and Sunday in Traralgon hospital.
To add to Garfield’s woes, one of its senior playmakers, Nick Marsh, broke his finger and is expected to miss more than a month of football.
AND there were plenty of sore bodies at Beswick Street on Sunday morning after GARFIELD managed to cobble together a reserves side, but had to draw on many past players to make up the numbers.
Those present at MOE on Saturday would have thought there was a reunion happening rather than a football game, with five of the Garfield 1994 premiership side taking the field, including president Neville Bow, Dan Collis and Warren Miller.
And in one of the shortest retirements ever, midfielder Gary Vittritti, did his bit and donned the green-and-gold jumper again.
Stars’ officials hope to get the entire 1994 premiership team to play before the season is finished, including club legend Murray Payne.
Payne, said by many to be the best player ever seen in West Gippsland, is visiting Melbourne this week to attend a function and the Stars are confident he’ll kick the dew off the grass with his old mates against WARRAGUL this Sunday.
In contrast, MOE had 66 players to choose from on Saturday, with more than 20 missing a game.
FITNESS is obviously of great importance at DEVON MEADOWS especially for Dean Henneman, younger brother of former ESSENDON star now Panther Aaron.
Dean was cleared to the Glover Reserve on 4 April, but then suddenly cleared out to COROWA-RUTHERGLEN on 10 April, creating confusion among footy followers.
The story is that the younger Henneman apparently needed a run and was cleared to the Ovens and Murray club, at which his father is president, by mutual arrangement.
He played in the Tigers first game and was then cleared back to the Panthers prior to Saturday’s clash with BERWICK where he played in the reserves.
FOR those who want an early morning fix of footy, the Casey Cardinia League radio show has now switched from Radio Port Phillip to Casey Radio 97.7 FM 3ER from 8am to 9am on Saturday mornings.
The first 30 minutes is dedicated to netball, hosted by Alison Neil, and that is followed by the footy show with Brad ‘Tangles’ Kingsbury in the chair.
Guests will be many and varied and the switch is part of the MPNFL’s plan to localise each of its three member competitions.
PAKENHAM has signed CATANI young gun and current GIPPSLAND POWER star Russell Lehman has swapped the Blues for the Lions as his home club.
The clearance was lodged last week begging the question as to why, given that Lehman is likely to play the whole season with the TAC Cup side?
The official answer from the Lions is ‘to play with his mates’.
Wonder who he will replace if he is ever available?
POOWONG retained the Irwin Stockfeed challenge cup with six victories to five against CATANI on Saturday.
The cup is presented to the club that achieves the most wins across all football and netball grades when the sides meet.
While the Blues did well on the football field, winning four from five matches, it was the Magpies that prevailed by virtue of their girls, who won five of their six encounters on the netball court.
WELL done to BEACONSFIELD ruckman and all round nice guy Chris Kelf for finally reaching the 100-game milestone in Saturday’s clash with TOORADIN.
And while giving out accolades, it was great to see the Seagulls field an under-18 side on the weekend too.
It was a great start, but there is still work to be done and anyone interested in a kick should contact Tooradin Football Club on 5998 3499.
“WE played with the spirit of Anzac today,” said BUNYIP coach Steve Henwood to his players in the rooms after their victory over KOOWEERUP on Saturday.
Henwood evoked the images of war to razz up his charges during the three-quarter-time break against the Demons and said it was a spur-of-the-moment thought.
“I never used that theme before, but being born in 1955, I was always told by my father about the heroic battles waged by our troops and sometimes you have to play footy that way,” claimed Henwood.
HEARD a Channel 10 commentator on Saturday night refer to former BUNYIP star Shane Mumford, playing for GEELONG against ADELAIDE on Saturday night as ‘not exceptionally tall for a ruckman.’
For the record, the AFL media guide lists Mumford as 200 centimetres tall, which is identical in size to his teammate and fellow ruckman Mark Blake, often referred to as a beanpole.
From limited game time, the 22-year-old won eight possessions and eight hit-outs against the Crows and had a big beaming smile on his face after slotting through the first goal of his AFL career, in the fourth senior appearance of his short career.
THINGS have not gone well for ELLINBANK in the opening two rounds and they got a lot worse last week with the news that 17-year-old young gun midfielder Josh Peterson, son of president Andrew, was badly scalded and hospitalised after an incident at his home with a pressure cooker.
With 2008 best and fairest Luke Bond currently sidelined, the Bankers can ill afford any more injuries.
Peterson is expected to miss at least a month of football.
DROUIN under-18s showed their good pre-season form was no flash in the pan by recording a victory over reigning premiers, TRARALGON.
The Maroons have won the flag five times in a row in the thirds and had not lost a game for two-and-a-half years before last Saturday.
NAR NAR GOON looks to have picked up a handy recruit in Dean Kelly.
A midfielder, who played eight senior games with DOVETON last season, Kelly is currently on the CASEY SCORPIONS roster and caught the eye in The Goon reserves and will press for senior selection this week.
THERE was a hitch with the traditional unfurling of the premiership flag at CORA LYNN on Saturday.
The flag refused to unfurl and had to be taken down and unravelled before being launched a second time while a red-faced league and club president waited anxiously.
“It was one of the longest minutes of my life. At least it wasn’t upside down,” said Cobras president Andrew Bergmeier with a chuckle after the event.
The incident proved to be an ominous sign for the rest of the afternoon as the reigning premiers struggled to fend off a persistent NEERIM SOUTH side that threatened to cause a big boilover before just falling short.
