THE word about PAKENHAM is that coach Ryan Cassidy is experiencing the full benefits of the club’s reputation for success and unity by welcoming a couple of youngsters from the EDFL who have decided to test themselves at the higher level in 2010. Talented CATANI player Kane Wedlock and BULN BULN young gun Mitch Nobelius walked into the den recently and are in full training for a tilt at senior selection with the Casey Cardinia League yardsticks. There are apparently more new faces to come and, with about 60 on the track already, competition for a spot in the side will be fierce.
KOOWEERUP has appointed hard-working TOORADIN defender Lachlan Gillespie as its assistant coach for 2010. Two of his former Seagull teammates, Jarrod Thompson and Brett Hobson, will also pull on a Demons jumper this season. Hobson spent the past two seasons with PAKENHAM and will be a handy goal-scoring inclusion. Another addition is Travis Scott, a midfielder who captained Benalla and District premiership team BONNIE DOON last season. With these arrivals and the possibility of a few more newcomers, astute Demons coach Paul Williams appears to have more depth at his disposal and that should see an end to the patchy form that plagued the swampland club in 2009.
NAR NAR GOON has suffered a big blow with the loss of Brad Jones to a degenerative foot injury that will see the versatile former assistant coach miss the entire 2010 season. He will need to undergo an ankle fusion putting his football career is now in serious doubt. Jones, who carried the injury through last season, has stepped down as assistant coach but will stay with the club and coach the Goon reserves this year. Teammates Tom Hallinan and Brett Dore, the latter having returned from VFL side FRANKSTON, have been named dual assistant coaches under Clint Williams. On the upside the Goon has snared tall DOVETON youngster Daniel Zarjak, a member of the Doves 2009 grand final side, while dual best and fairest Matt Wade has opted to stay with the club rather than accept an invitation to train with the CASEY SCORPIONS.
CRANBOURNE has regained the services of enigmatic midfielder Ryan Davey from CORA LYNN. The talented midfielder left the Eagles to play with his brothers Matthew (ex-DEVON MEADOWS) and Justin (ex-TOORADIN) last season, but has decided to return to the Casey Cardinia League and have a crack at being part of Cranbourne’s push to go a couple of places higher this year. On the downside for the Eagles is news that last week’s tip that PEARCEDALE star Chris O’Dell would be among the club’s 2010 recruits is now less likely with O’Dell seriously flirting with a season off to travel overseas.
DESPITE rumours that delisted SYDNEY SWANS defender Luke Ablett may return to DROUIN, the former premiership player has been confirmed as a starter with VFL club BOX HILL this year. Ablett had been training with Drouin while he pondered his future, but made the final call recently. However, the Hawks have confirmed that stars Chris Dunne, Brad and Damian Carmody, Bob McCallum and Mal Dowe have all signed on for 2010, while off field former secretary Stephen Allison has replaced Peter Jupp as president and Rod Dunlop will assume the secretarial duties this season.
AFTER three seasons at 2009 GVFL premiers MANSFIELD, lanky former GIPPSLAND POWER ruckman Bernie Jones has returned to WARRAGUL. On the downside for the Gulls, the Murphy brothers, Robert and Steve, have left the club to play under former teammate Ryan Flack at CHELSEA HEIGHTS in the Southern Football League this season. In other blows for the club, promising youngster Brett Davis has moved to Queensland, while hard-at-it defender Ross Glover will coach ELLINBANK in the EDFL in 2010. Peter Fusinato has been re-appointed Warragul’s senior coach while Paul Gavin, will coach the reserves, Rob Ferguson the thirds and Rod Walsh the fourths.
AND just to finish off, we have come across a blast from the past concerning former KEYSBOROUGH and CRANBOURNE star Leigh Capsalis. Apparently Capsalis, who became a member of the exclusive AFL “One Game Club” when he lined up for ST KILDA against SYDNEY in 1993, is now playing “i-grade” cricket with Beaumauris. According to our spy, former CHELTENHAM Football Club superstar Mick Goodchild, “Cappa” is absolutely braining them with the bat; however, our man also suggested that i-grade was the lowest level of sport known to man (in any form) and “cricket” was a loose term used to describe a social afternoon on the sauce.
