THE days of full-on footy trip drink-fests are over for Casey-Cardinia League clubs with the MPNFL stepping in and putting all member clubs on notice in the wake of the dramas caused by PEARCEDALE players on a post-season trip to Warrnambool last year. The league has set a deadline of 1 July for all club administrations to supply a written code of behaviour for all players on their list, whether they are paid employees or not. The club will share responsibility for player conduct at any time they are representing the club or league on and off field. Pearcedale will carry a $10,000 bond over the next five years as a result of last year’s episode that saw the club and league presented in a negative light in media across the state. A key plank of the new code of behaviour is to address the perception of footballers indulging in a ‘gang mentality’ while away as a group.
The MPNFL has also come down hard on two Pearcedale players involved in the incident last season. Dan Baxter and Gary Carpenter, son of MPNFL legend and current BONBEACH coach Dale Carpenter, have been deregistered and will sit out the entire 2010 season for bringing the game into disrepute.
BUNYIP should be well prepared for the opening round of the season, after tuning up in four scheduled practice matches. The Bulldogs will start their pre-season campaign in somewhat unconventional style with a trip to Brisbane to play ALEXANDRA HILLS over the Labour Day weekend. That venture comes about after an agreement between Bunyip coach Steve Henwood and his brother Graham, who coaches the Queensland team. The Bulldogs are scheduled to play home practice games against BERWICK on 13 March, ROC on 27 March and SOUTH BELGRAVE under lights on 1 April. The club has appointed former DOVETON utility Callum Pattie as its assistant coach and other confirmed newcomers include Henwood’s nephew Andrew, a defender also from Doveton.
ON the downside, BUNYIP is very disappointed to lose assistant coach Brad Walker to DROUIN. The talented Walker, now 23, looks to have plenty of good football in front of him after recovering from serious injuries, which included two snapped vertebrae in 2006 and a broken ankle. He has missed around three full seasons of football and will be a valuable asset to Ben Soumilas’ side.
ROC has picked up CHELSEA and SANDRINGHAM player Shane Reeves as a walk-in and coach Kris Fletcher also confirmed the signing of former GIPPSLAND POWER big man Dane Roy, despite Roy being linked with EDFL club BUNYIP. Both newcomers will provide an experience boost to Fletcher’s young side, which has also signed a decent crop of teenagers from neighbouring junior clubs and leagues, along with ex-BEACONSFIELD junior James Hazler over the summer. However on the red side of the ledger are emerging youngsters John Aidone and Jayden Dowell who have parted with the Kangaroos.
WHILE club officials have confirmed that Danny Casset will not be wearing a DOVETON jumper this season, the veteran high-flying goal kicker may still be playing football in the district according to a Footy Shorts spy. Word around the traps is that Casset would slot into the goal square of several EDFL sides nicely and two clubs have already started hunting him out with big offers ready. However, Casset’s old EDFL club CATANI is not one of those suitors (at this stage).
THE newly formed CORA LYNN Junior Football Club will hold two registration days in a bid to build its numbers. The first will be this Saturday 20 February, from 10am to noon at Pakenham Upper Oval and that will be backed up the following Sunday 28 February from 10am to 2pm at Heritage Springs Shopping Centre in Pakenham. The Cobras will field teams in the DDJFL in 2010 and for more details contact secretary Natalie Pullen on 0403 159 526 or Frank Ramsdale on 0419 511 976.
CRANBOURNE has lost reliable defender Aaron Shedlock, who has applied to join Peninsula League club KARINGAL. Shedlock was among the unsung heroes of the Eagles significant improvement last year and will be sorely missed. Even more upsetting to Eagles fans will be news of the defection of emerging young gun Mitchell Gersbeck to arch-rivals DEVON MEADOWS, however former junior Mat Grazules has returned to Casey Fields in the wake of the turmoil at PEARCEDALE, while TOORADIN defender Paul Ray has also been training with the Eagles with the view to a change of scenery.
POOWONG is ecstatic that star forward Justin Sweeney will pull on a Magpie jumper again in 2010, after standing out of football in 2009. Sweeney played a senior AFL game for ST KILDA after being recruited from TYABB, and was a star at VFL club SPRINGVALE before he joined POOWONG. The Magpies will be coached this season by former DEVON MEADOWS utility Brent Clinnick, who has enticed two of his former team-mates, defender Matt Timmerman and Chris Moroney, a midfielder, to join the club. On the downside former GIPPSLAND POWER big man Chris Wylie is training with CASEY SCORPIONS while another emerging tall Ben Hancock is currently training with GIPPSLAND POWER and likely to make their final list. Poowong will play a practice match against KILCUNDA-BASS at a venue to be decided on 13 March, and then play YARRAGON at home on 27 March.
BERWICK has picked up in-and-under midfielder Tom Humphries from REDEN in the Ballarat League, along with former juniors Adam Pavlovic from NOBLE PARK and Andrew Stent from BEACONSFIELD. Luke Sheppard and Corey Millard return to the list from the DANDENONG STINGRAYS although Millard is currently training with COLLINGWOOD as a top-up player. Also on the Wickers 2010 list is strong key position player Nathan Waite from OLD HAILEYBURY, the younger brother of ex-ROC and VFL star Ben Waite.
KEYSBOROUGH coach of the past three seasons Greg Siwes has started the huge job of restabilising PEARCEDALE after taking on the coaching role vacated by Jason Chapple before Christmas. Siwes’ first task has been to stop the bleeding after the club’s well-publicised fall from grace courtesy of a post-season footy trip. A number of players have left ‘Tractor Park’ in the wake of that incident but the appointment of the experienced and well-respected Siwes looks to have stopped that process. The MPNFL has left Panthers officials in no doubt as to the requirement for a change of culture at the club and Siwes will be the man to lead that update.
OH LORD, please let it be that recent NARRE WARREN signing Kong Tut quickly becomes a gun in the senior side. If the ex-Southern Foot-ball League player can find the footy enough, the newspaper head-line writers will be in raptures. Offerings set to scream across the back pages would likely include ‘King Kong crushes opponent’ and ‘Tut-tut-tut, another goal spree’ …
WARRAGUL INDUSTRIALS have lured NARRE WARREN youngster and 2009 Pakenham Gazette Young Gun nominee Nathan Brewster to join his elder brothers Shane and Danny for the 2010 season.The Dusties look to have strengthened their list with the return of Shane Ingram from WARRA-GUL along with former best-and-fairest Dean Moore and utility Russell Ware. The club will play a practice match against BEACONSFIELD on 15 March before a hit out against TRAFALGAR at home on 21 March.
RICHMOND fans may have noticed a familiar name if they tuned into the Yarra Glen harness racing on Friday and heard handy pacer Brutus Smith greeting the judge. Brutus is raced in honour of 1980 premiership player Terry ‘Brutus’ Smith by a few of his Tiger team-mates, including ‘Jumping’ Jimmy Jess and Dale ‘Flea’ Weightman. Also jumping in for a share was Brutus’ cousin, PAKENHAM Cricket Club life member Clinton Smith, the son of long serving Lions footy trainer Cliff Smith.
