TALENTED ruckman Steve Watson will this week apply for a transfer back to HAMPTON PARK from PEARCEDALE, providing the Redbacks with a last-minute boost to its big-man department. Watson almost returned to the Booth Reserve last year but decided to see the year out and help Pearcedale into the 2009 finals. However, a smooth path back to the Casey Cardinia League for Watson may be a battle. He was among the players on the Panthers’ ill-fated end-of-season trip to Warrnambool last year, and the Nepean League club has already indicated that none of those players will be cleared because of a debt incurred by that incident. Given the big bloke is going back to Hampton Park, it would be hoped that this situation can be sorted out quickly for the good of football.
PAKENHAM was soundly defeated by reigning Peninsula League premiers SEAFORD in their final practice-match hit-out on Saturday, and showed the full effects of a long pre-season injury list that will test the Lions’ depth early in the year. On the positive side of things, however, is news that premiership defender Tom O’Loughlin looks certain to end his short retirement and pull the boots on again in 2010.
BERWICK has enticed club legend Brad Mollineux back to the fold in an assistant coaching capacity. “Molly” has been linked with several clubs since he retired last year including, most recently LANG LANG under good mate Clint Evans, but his heart has always been at the Edwin Flack Reserve and the popular premiership player will now become one of two assistant coaches to Glenn Dale as the Wickers try to better last year’s fifth-place finish.
LANG LANG star Dean Brown will not play football this season. Brown, a best and fairest with the Tigers while still a teenager, is making a slow recovery from serious internal injuries suffered in a car accident during the 2009 summer, which saw him spend three months in hospital. He had been working out in the club gym on training nights in the hope of making a comeback later in the season, but is still struggling with his hand-eye co-ordination and will accede to medical advice and shelve his plans to play in 2010. Brown performed the senior running duties last Saturday and hopes to pull on the boots again in 2011.
CASEY Radio 3SER (97.7FM) will again feature the Casey Cardinia Football Netball League radio show every Saturday morning between 8am and 9am, starting this weekend. The first 20 minutes will be dedicated to netball and be hosted by league best-and-fairest winner and long-time star ROC defender Mel Overdyk. The Footy Show will follow at 8.20am, hosted again this year by Brad “Tangles” Kingsbury with regular guests including DOVETON legend Stuey Batten, former CRANBOURNE coach Brett McMaster, NARRE WARREN captain Glenn Hamilton, PAKENHAM doyen Travis Murphy and BEACONSFIELD mover and shaker Michael Fisher.
LAST Saturday saw a blast from the past when former star BERWICK spearhead Steve Tippett took the field for the CARRUM COWBOYS super rules side at the age of 43. “Tippo” booted 4.3 in his first football game for more than five years when he lined up for the BEACONSFIELD supers. The ever-smiling big bloke was relaxing with a cool beverage at the practice match between one of his old sides, BONBEACH, and HAMPTON PARK, saying afterwards that, despite the mind being quicker than the body these days, he enjoyed the run and may continue his later-life comeback. Tippett’s recent sporting conquests have been confined to pennant golf but he said he just got sick of it.
BEACONSFIELD tuned up for its assault on the 2010 Casey Cardinia League finals with a solid hit-out against GEMBROOK-COCKATOO on Saturday. The match pitted the coaching skills of great mates Aussie Jones (Beaconsfield) and Travis Marsham (Gembrook) against each other for the first time since they shared back-to-back premiership glory at NARRE WARREN as coach and chairman of selectors respectively in 2006-2007. The Magpie connection did not stop there with two of the superstars of that side, twins Ricky and Lee Clark, also lining up for the Brookers on the day.
WHILE on the Eagles, there was a bit more good news on the player front last week with confirmation that talented former club junior Andy Campbell had signed to return to the Perc Allison Reserve. Campbell was a star with the Eastern Rangers in the TAC Cup and was expected to line up with the CASEY SCORPIONS this year but has decided to join Beacy providing the Scorpions allow him to transfer across. Campbell will join last-minute recruits including DOVETON youngster Kory Grant and emerging young NAR NAR GOON star Matthew Stocco who surprised the Goon by lodging a clearance to play in the major league last week.
EXPECT to see another boom recruit in CORA LYNN colours by round three with former ADELAIDE player Belraj Singh applying for a transfer to the Cobras from the Essendon and District League. Singh was the first player of Indian origin drafted to the AFL when he was selected by the Crows at pick 79 in 1999, but has since made his name as a powerful forward at BALRANALD, where he kicked more than 100 goals in the club’s 2006 premiership season. The Cobras were hoping to secure his services for the weekend but he was refused a clearance for the opening round clash against LANG LANG. Interestingly Singh, a journeyman who also played with Lincoln Withers in Darwin and at KYABRAM, openly described himself as a semi-professional who plays football for money in a 2008 media article.
In more EDFL news, a former CATANI premiership player is contemplating a return to the Blues in the next week or two.
DEVON MEADOWS coach Steve O’Brien and his assistant Justin Hill were interested onlookers at HAMPTON PARK’s weekend practice match draw against Peninsula League side BONBEACH, given the two play each other in round one this week. O’Brien was more than interested in the superb effort of Redback veteran Danny Rout in the ruck, a feat that did not go past Redbacks coach Josh Taylor in his after match review. “That was a great game,” Taylor told Rout who has returned to the Booth Reserve after a stint in Queensland. “Particularly for a 48-year-old,” he then added to the mirth of all in the rooms. The game between the Panthers and the Redbacks could very well be the match of the round with both sides desperate to start well and put their dismal 2009 seasons behind them.
CRANBOURNE coach Doug Koop has set up and is running a program that threatens to explode on to the football market and fill a gaping hole in junior development. The program is called “Kicking On” and is aimed at providing personal assistance to individual players, in particular juniors, with the aim of significantly improving their basic football skills. Kicking efficiency and technique is a key target of the month-long program and Koop says that during trial runs with the Eagles senior players last year, efficiency rose from 30 per cent in the pre-season to 70 per cent by the elimination final they won by 12 goals. All the information is available at www.kickingon.com.au After the weekend’s effort against ST KILDA, Koop’s number should be the first one called by COLLINGWOOD coaching staff.
WHILE it has been well documented that NILMA-DARNUM has lost three quarters of its 2009 premiership side, it is worth noting that the Bombers appear to be bouncing back with a number of good pick-ups and still hold hopes of playing finals this year. The latest to join the club is young MAFFRA forward Jack Tatterson, a leading goalkicker in the WGLFL in 2008. His signature followed those of Maffra teammate and regular GIPPSLAND POWER forward Jed Costigan, who is also on the CASEY SCORPIONS’ list. SALE runner Darren Arezzolo has also joined the reigning premiers and Josh O’Brien, who has played in the VFL with GEELONG, should be available in the coming weeks. Nilma hopes to grab veteran Adrian Burns, who last played at ELLINBANK, and has not ruled out snaring Ken Towt, after the LONGWARRY star recently lined up for the Bombers in their final practice match. The Bombers still claim to have plenty of points up their sleeve under the new 30 Player Point system introduced over summer.
