BEACONSFIELD youngster Kallan Burns sent a scare through the Perc Allison Oval after he collapsed during a training run last week. A club source said that the talented young midfielder became dazed and ill after joining his teammates on a hill run and there were initial fears that he had suffered a stroke. He was taken to hospital and stabilised and then underwent tests to isolate and treat the problem. It is unclear how long Burns will be out of action, but our man said he hoped to be back on the training track in two or three weeks.
APPARENTLY it is worth the trip to LANG LANG if, for nothing else, you stop at the local fish and chip shop for a hamburger. Former Swamp Tigers president and CRANBOURNE legend Steve “Brutus” Dalgleish sold the local pub last year and promptly bought the Lang Lang fish and chippery. He immediately made some serious changes and, according to our spy, the first thing he did was to double size of the local burger so it satisfied his own appetite. That has hit a chord with locals and it has now been dubbed the “Brutus Burger”.
BAD news for CATANI with star forward Luke James suffering a double break to his lower leg on the weekend. The injury will sideline the mercurial James, who kicked 99 goals last season, for the best part of the season and his absence will be sorely missed by the Blues and EDFL fans in general as he is one of the few players opposition fans warm to because of his freakish skills. James sustained the injury when he landed after taking a screamer against GARFIELD on Saturday. Asked by the umpire to take his kick and unaware of the nature of the injury he tried to stand up and short-pass the ball without success, which perhaps denied the Blues a goal. Catani went on to lose by less than a goal and can consider itself desperately unlucky.
A FEW supporters at last weekend’s reserves game between ROC and DEVON MEADOWS initially thought they were at a Super Rules clash. There, among the thick of the action were Kangaroos oldies Matt Castricum and Scott Mather, battling it out with veteran Panthers including Craig Hunter, Paul Freestone and Scott Morrison. Morrison retired with some fanfare last year, but could not resist the game and made a swift comeback with the sniff of finals in the air at the Glover Reserve.
GARFIELD’S trip to CORA LYNN this week should bring back many fond memories for Stars supporters. The Cora Lynn ground was the former WGFL headquarters and the scene of many of their triumphs over the past two decades. In fact, the last time Garfield played at Cora Lynn it defeated WARRAGUL to win the 2004 premiership. The last time the Stars played the Cobras at CORA LYNN was in round 18, 2004, and the visitors prevailed by 35 points. Interestingly the playmakers for Garfield that day were current Cobras Lincoln Withers and Jack and Joe Allen, while another now Cobra, Dan O’Hara, booted six goals for the Stars in the club’s first round meeting that year. The Cobras finished bottom in 2004 with only one win victory. Their performances against Garfield in the 2000s included seven straight losses with an average losing margin of 103 points. The Cobras have been waiting a long time to defeat Garfield and their day looks to have come. Bring it on.
THIS weekend will see BERWICK and NARRE WARREN contest their match for a new perpetual trophy known as the W. P. Sweeney Shield in honour of the late Pat Sweeney. Pat’s involvement with Berwick, Narre Warren and football in the local district culminated in life membership of the Magpies and also the South West Gippsland Football League. Berwick life member Allan Tonks donated the shield after he sought approval from the Sweeney family. While on traditional matches, ROC and KEYSBOROUGH will also line up for the third instalment of the Ian McLean Shield game this weekend. Initiated last year as a tribute to the memory of Ian, the score is one-all and both sides will have a little extra incentive to get over the line on Saturday.
THIS Mother’s Day weekend is Pink Footy and Netball Day across Victoria, when all clubs will show their support for women from their local communities who have been affected by breast cancer. Held in partnership with the VCFL and Breast Cancer Network Australia, more than 200 football and netball clubs will be using pink balls with them all auctioned and funds to go to the BCNA. CATANI is leading the way among local clubs and hopes to make in excess of the $14,000 they raised last year with many activities planned at home this week against LONGWARRY. A big day will culminate with an after-game function and an impressive array of memorabilia to be auctioned.
DANNY Casset’s tenure at BUNYIP lasted two games and two goals. After breaking his wrist in round two and then falling out with coach Steve Henwood, the veteran goalkicker has agreed to see the season out with his former Peninsula League club BONBEACH after his wrist heals.
THE MPNFL has stated that there will not be a bye in either the Casey Cardinia or Nepean Leagues next year, but neither league is volunteering to make it easy for that to happen. Casey Cardinia League clubs voted unanimously at a recent meeting, to stay together with the current 11 member clubs and if that means having a bye, so be it. A senior Nepean League mover and shaker contacted Footy Shorts on the weekend and suggested that the same attitude existed within most of that league’s clubs. Clubs that have been mentioned as “in the gun” for a possible move include DEVON MEADOWS, TOORADIN, KEYSBOROUGH and PEARCEDALE. None is interested in going anywhere.
SHORT on height, BUNYIP was delighted to secure a new tall in 36-year-old, 6ft 9in (203cm) Michael Werner over summer. Teammates have dubbed him ‘the mantis’ with reference to his spindly physique. Werner may have maturity on his side but he is still pretty raw, having not played senior football since he was a 21-year-old at EPPING. Werner put football on hold when he was young to concentrate on other interests including playing state amateur volleyball. He contemplated playing for his former junior club GUNBOWER this season after receiving a handy offer, but a chance meeting with Bunyip coach Stephen Henwood over a work issue saw the wily Henwood suggest he try out with the Bulldogs. “Looks like he will be a really good acquisition for us. He is improving in leaps and bounds every week,” a chuffed Henwood said on Saturday.
EDFL fans may have noticed senior games starting about 2:20pm, if not later, on several occasions this season. With a few minutes tacked on to each quarter in the seconds and thirds, the main games have regularly started far later than the traditional 2:10 and if it continues, many games may finish in semi-darkness over winter. There has also been a wide disparity in the length of quarters this season, and it seems timekeepers have their own interpretation with regard to what constitutes “time on”. Not all are singing from the same hymn book.
NETBALL came to a halt late in the C-Grade game between BEACONSFIELD and BERWICK on Saturday when a little white dog happily wandered onto the court wagging its tail. The girls from both teams giggled and made a fuss of the cute little animal until suddenly it squatted in the middle of the court and made a substantial but unwelcome deposit. Suddenly the girls lost interest in the yapper and retreated to allow the mess to be cleaned up before play recommenced. Obviously the canine critic was unimpressed by the game.
POPULAR GARFIELD stalwart, premiership player, life member and current match-day co-ordinator, John Barnes, recently turned 50. We understand “Barnsey” wanted to celebrate the milestone with three mates, who also recently hit the big five-0 but they gave the idea the short shrift. As a result Barnes was keen to keep a low profile last weekend, so we at the Gazette decided not to mention it either!
CORA LYNN recruit Balraj Singh, a prolific goalkicker at several VCFL clubs over the past decade, has had enough of the ball in his opening two games with the Cobras, but his kicking needs some attention. The journeymen spearhead has kicked only four goals so far but also a massive 17 behinds.
NAR NAR GOON snared another recruit in the form of Pakenham player Nick Henwood, but he comes with outstanding local credentials. He is a defacto member of the Noonan clan, as partner of A grade netballer Maisie Noonan, the daughter of club icon and league executive member Paddy Noonan.
