STAR spearhead Danny Casset is set to continue his career under his 2005 DOVETON premiership coach Steve Henwood with a clearance from the Doves to BUNYIP tipped to be lodged shortly.
Henwood will begin his third season at the Bulldogs’ helm and, with Casset in the goalsquare, will be aiming for a finals berth this year.
Casset, 37, returned to the Doves last season after three years in the Southern Football League with PARKMORE and ST KILDA CITY, but spent much of the year including the finals series hampered by a groin injury.
Another veteran local player will join him at the Bulldogs in 40-year-old defender Terry McKinley, who was a Pakenham Gazette Team of the Year member when he played with HAMPTON PARK in 2005.
PAKENHAM has had a sudden change at the top with premiership president Brian Jagoe stepping down last week due to business pressures and long-time Lions committeeman and former president Greg Marshall taking the reins.
The requirement to travel interstate with his work has been a long-standing issue for Jagoe and the change was seen as best for both the club and himself.
He will still have input with sponsorship and several projects started over the past three years, however Marshall will take over the day-to-day operation of the club.
The Lions have also appointed Theresa Stephens as the new club secretary, replacing Scott Webster.
STAR CATANI goalkicker Luke James is almost certain to join the Blues’ player exodus and provide the icing on the recruiting cake for CRANBOURNE.
James recently trained with TOORADIN and reportedly fielded a decent offer from CORA LYNN, but has apparently decided that Doug Koop’s emerging Eagles side is the place to be in 2010.
Cranbourne officials would not officially confirm the signing, but a source from Catani admitted that James was as good as gone on the weekend.
FINALLY there has been some positive news at DOVETON with star rover Michael Henry ditching plans to play in the VFL with FRANKSTON and returning to the Robinson Reserve.
Henry toyed with the prospect of a crack at the higher level, but the pressure of combining work with training three times a week and maybe only playing reserves did not make sense to the multiple Gazette Team of the Year member.
The exodus from the Doves’ 2009 list is still significant however, with 17 of last year’s senior grand final side likely to either move clubs or step aside in 2010.
LONGWARRY has suffered a huge setback losing triple best and fairest Tye Holland to Football Geelong team ST ALBANS.
The plucky midfielder should not take too long to settle in at his new club, given he will be joining locals in former LONGWARRY and BUNYIP midfielder Jason Garrity, former Bunyip and NILMA-DARNUM coach Adrian Carr and former Bunyip, DROUIN and GARFIELD wingman Clint Meyer.
Ex-Bunyip centreman Jason Davenport and determined Bulldog defender Darren Blaney are also among the newcomers to join St Albans in 2010.
AFTER a season off concentrating on work, talented premiership midfielder-forward Daniel Field has returned to NARRE WARREN and is said to be training the house down.
Field spent 2008 with PEARCEDALE after playing in back-to-back flags under now BEACONSFIELD coach Aussie Jones at Fox Road, but stood out of the game last season and, as one of his more unkind team mates suggested this week, ‘porked up’.
Well that’s not the case now and Field will be a welcome addition to the young talent pool at Narre Warren in 2010, together with DOVETON premiership player Aaron McIver, who has also defected to the Magpies.
THE name Greg Walker is well-known among Casey Cardinia League clubs after he played two intimidating seasons as a key forward for KEYSBOROUGH in 2006 and 2007, before leaving the Burra for Peninsula League club CHELSEA in 2008.
Well the news from the Rowley Allen Reserve is that Walker is back, fit and just as strong as ever and he’s looking forward to again dominating rival defenders under new coach Brad Canavan.
The Burra has also added lively DOVETON small man Ben Hoskin to its 2010 list, along with Nigel Scott from SPRINGVALE DISTRICTS.
LEONGATHA will be on the outlook for new recruits in the coming weeks.
While the Parrots have secured TARWIN twins John and Stuart Kilsby, they have lost stars Brad Rayson and Adam Govers, who have moved to Darwin, ruck-rover Tommy Dowd to NORTHCOTE PARK, Paul Fawcett (overseas) and centreman Caine Salmon to MEENIYAN-DUNBALK.
The Parrots were hoping to entice local star Russell Lehman, but 2009 GIPPSLAND POWER forward, who transferred to PAKENHAM last season and considered the CASEY SCORPIONS, has signed on with his former club CATANI.
FORMER BRISBANE BEAR Chris O’Sullivan is tipped to play his first game in 10 years for CORA LYNN in the round-five clash with GARFIELD.
He apparently told the club that he wants to finish his career where it started and will travel down from Brisbane to play the one game.
Club legend Jack Crowley did a similar thing a few years back.
CARDINIA Council has a dilemma on its hands concerning the costs of construction of the new showpiece BEACONSFIELD facility.
Club officials say that the council has agreed to contribute only $1.5 million instead of the promised $2.5 to the project which will see some major compromises to what should be a significant addition to the shire’s sporting assets.
The Eagles are pushing for the whole job to be completed, rather than have to play at one venue and then travel back to another for clubroom facilities, as would likely be the case under the current plan.
THERE is more than a little angst between one or two at CORA LYNN as a few former Cobras who have left and returned to their home clubs, in particular BEACONSFIELD.
Eagles assistant coach Ben Collins, his brother Mitchell, chairman of selectors Ben Airdrie and key forward Ryan Donaldson all fall into that category this year.
One irate senior Cobra contacted Footy Shorts last week and ramped up the needle between the two clubs by suggesting that: “Beaconsfield is the best performed side between October and March every year. It’s just when the season actually starts they have problems.”
The Eagles will cop that whack according to insiders.
However, one chuckled at it saying that it was actually a compliment because at least players were ‘returning’ to Beaconsfield after being developed by the club through juniors and a strong club culture, unlike Cora Lynn that would fold if their imports all left and went home.
Now boys, we might leave this one at that.
THE proposed 28 March clash between WARRAGUL INDUSTRIALS and BULN BULN, the first of four ‘catch-up’ rounds to be built into the EDFL season after the introduction of GARFIELD, is now in limbo after the Lyrebirds refused to play on that date.
The club claimed the date, which would mark the opening of the season, is not suitable due to a host of reasons including end-of-season tennis finals and a farming field day.
Neither side is willing to play the game over the Easter weekend and it now appears the only alternative will be to play the game on Saturday, 12 June, over the Queen’s Birthday weekend.
NYORA and KOOWEERUP will also meet on that day in their catch-up game.
HAMPTON PARK has welcomed back Daniel Langley who left on unhappy terms for a stint with ROWEVILLE in the EFL a couple of years ago.
Another possible returnee is Craig Lombard who spent last season under ex-Redbacks coach Jason Chapple at PEARCEDALE, although his clearance has been denied at this stage.
On the downside at the Booth Reserve, the club has waved goodbye to nuggety rover Joe Bertuna who has moved on to play in the Yarra Valley League, together with Hayden Fredericks who is off to the Mid Gippsland League this year.
IN WGLFL news, MORWELL has appointed former AFL Hawk and SALE captain coach Adrian Cox as its senior coach for 2010.
The Tigers appear to have bolstered their roster this season with former GIPPSLAND POWER utility Rob Michaelidis returning from MOE, rover Sam Mills back after a season with PARKSIDE and key defenders Michael Duncan and Julian Blackford, who both missed most of the 2009 season with injury, training well and expected to play.
BULN BULN was hoping to add DOVETON youngster Brad Virgona to its two prize signings in coach Daniel Charles and key defender Ricky Hayes, however the Lyrebirds EDFL rival BUNYIP appears to now be first in line for Virgona’s services.
Buln Buln has regained on-baller Pat Venville from CORA LYNN, but on the other side of the coin has lost star ruckman Craig Kennedy to TOORADIN, forward Jamie Taylor to TRAFALGAR and forward Daniel Johnson to WARRAGUL INDUSTRIALS.
The Lyrebirds have a home practice match against YARRAGON on 20 March.
PEARCEDALE has a practice match lined up against TOORADIN on Saturday, 27 March, but will be busy taking part in the Frankston night pre-season competition on the two Fridays preceding that game (12 and 19).
Two of the Panthers main Nepean League rivals, DROMANA and SORRENTO, are in their group during that series much to the annoyance of club officials.
However new Pearcedale coach, former KEYSBOROUGH mentor Greg Siwes is unfazed and believes it will be a good learning experience for both him and his players.
