Catani gives

By Paul Pickering
THE inaugural Footy Kicks Cancer day was a fundraising juggernaut for the Catani Football Club, so it’s hard to believe that the second could be even more successful.
But early indications suggest that the 2010 event, to be held at Taplins Road this Saturday, will eclipse the $12,000 sum donated to the Cancer Council of Victoria last year.
The event – the brainchild of Catani identity Angela Stone – will see Blues footballers and netballers don light blue and silver strips for this weekend’s clashes with Longwarry in a bid to raise funds and awareness for prostate and ovarian cancer.
Players wore pink footy jumpers and netball bibs against Nyora in 2009 in accordance with the breast cancer focus, and this year’s colours have been used in various prostate and ovarian cancer initiatives.
Money will be raised via match-day raffles, gate takings and an evening function, with a host of sought-after sporting memorabilia to go up for auction.
Australian cricket star Cameron White has signed shirts from the Twenty20 World Cup and his Indian Premier League side, Bangalore, for auction. Other items include a blue and silver Catani jumper signed by Carlton champ Chris Judd and the chance for a St Kilda fan aged between eight and 13 to be the Saints’ mascot for an AFL game this season.
Saturday’s on-field action should be pretty entertaining, too, with the Blues seniors taking on a Longwarry side that registered its first win of the season at the weekend.
And one Blue who knows better than to underestimate the Crows is assistant coach Graeme Jose, who coached the Longwarry seniors last year.
Jose, who lives just three kilometres from the Catani ground, took a step back from senior coaching to focus on his increasingly successful greyhound training operation.
And while Crows officials understood Jose’s reasons for the move, he still reckons he’ll have some butterflies circling as he faces his old club on Saturday.
In Jose and fellow ex-Longwarry recruit Matt Campbell, Catani coach Paul Alger has a vital resource to plan for Saturday’s match.
“For sure,” Jose agreed.
“I know nearly every (Longwarry) player inside out. I played in three reserves flags and was there for seven or eight years, so I don’t think (planning) is going to be much of an issue.”
Dinner will be served in the club’s social rooms from 6pm, with the raffles and auctions to take place from 8pm.
Anyone wishing to lend support to the Footy Kicks Cancer day initiative can contact Angela Stone on 0418 373 413.