COLLINGWOOD defender Tyson Goldsack notched up his 50th senior game in a four-year career with the Magpies against RICHMOND on Saturday. The former PAKENHAM and GIPPSLAND POWER junior has made every post a winner since being taken by the AFL powerhouse at pick number 63 at the end of 2006. Goldsack enjoyed a great first season, playing 17 of the final 18 games as a long-kicking half back, including the club’s three finals, after debuting in round eight against the WESTERN BULLDOGS. He played 16 and 12 games in 2008 and 2009 respectively, and has played the last five matches this season after battling injury and illness in the first part of 2010. His recent form has been solid and should stand him in good stead to retain a place in the Magpies side as they enter September with a genuine premiership chance, a prospect Goldsack told Footy Shorts he was excited about.
“We’re travelling pretty well at the moment and it’s starting to build up nicely,” he said. “We can’t get ahead of ourselves and every player is under pressure to perform. It’s exciting to be involved and 50 games for Collingwood is something I will look back on as an achievement,” he said.
IN fact, it was a busy weekend for the entire Goldsack clan. After journeying to the MCG to watch Tyson in action for COLLINGWOOD on Saturday, the family, including mother Wendy, father Peter, Tyson and sister Alanna, jumped on a plane and flew to Canberra to watch the older Goldsack boy and PAKENHAM captain Jared play for the VCFL Major League representative side in the grand final of the Landmark Australian Country Football Carnival. Despite suffering a dislocated and infected finger in the first game of the carnival on Thursday, Goldsack joined fellow Casey Cardinia League stars Nick Scanlon, Justin Berry and Lions team mate Luke Walker in the 14-goal demolition of South Australia, much to his family’s delight. Unfortunately, Jared may be out of action for the Lions clash against TOORADIN this Saturday after his crook finger blew up again, requiring hospital treatment after the game.
A STUNNING five-minute final term burst from BEACONSFIELD spearhead Ryan Donaldson saw him kick three matchwinning goals to take his day’s haul to six and become the first Casey Cardinia League player to reach the 50-goal mark this year. Burly TOORADIN sharpshooter Ryan Davey also snared six majors to take his tally to 49, while the other player in the running for this year’s goal-kicking award, HAMPTON PARK’s Kevin McLean, only managed three goals against KEYSBOROUGH to sit on 47. Tipsters are divided as to who of the trio will be crowned the league champion in 2010, but McLean, who is no shrinking violet when it comes to talking himself up, says it would be done and dusted if it wasn’t for his team orientation.
“Yeah, I’d be bolting it in but JT (coach Josh Taylor) is always banging on about ‘team this’ and ‘team that’ so I have to share it around a bit to keep him happy. I think the team thing is overrated a bit,” he mused over a beer after Saturday’s win. Big Kev added if the Redbacks can hang on to fifth spot, he would save some special goalsquare celebrations for the finals – just so the crowd got their money’s worth on the day.
TOORADIN is keen for former star player Billy Morrison to be recognised as a three-time league best and fairest winner, however, the MPNFL has told the club this will not be happening at this stage. Morrison is a two-time SWGFL medallist, winning the gong in 1971 and again in 1974, but missed a third award in 1975 on a countback. Seagulls officials want the situation rectified, given that all tied vote counts in all grades now result in multiple awards being presented in all leagues. Most, if not all, football leagues have awarded medals to joint winners retrospectively but, because the SWGFL no longer operates, it appears the MPNFL has put it in the ‘too hard basket’ at this stage.
MARK the name Jason Pongracic down in the memory banks. The KOOWEERUP youngster made his senior debut against CORA LYNN on Saturday and showed he was a star in the making. The 16-year-old lined up in the centre, won plenty of contested ball and used it skilfully against some of the most rugged and talented midfielders in the competition. The young Pongracic is fast making a name for himself, and also represented the Victorian Country under -16 team at the National Championships in Sydney recently.
BERWICK celebrated the massive contribution to the club by legendary figures Jim Hower and Barry Johnson at their well-attended past players day on Saturday. Both families were represented and members of each spoke about the blind passion and commitment Jim and Barry had for the Wickers through good and bad times. Well-known former Berwick star Daryl Nisbet was among the throng who enjoyed the afternoon, catching up with old mates – though he reckons he had trouble recognising most “There are pictures in there of us all but we couldn’t recognise anyone,” he chuckled. “I suppose its fair enough that we’re all taking up a bit more room on our chairs these days, but all those blokes in the photos had hair.”
WHILE the festivities were cordial inside the BERWICK social rooms, there was no love lost between supporters outside watching the traditional hostilities between the Wickers and BEACONSFIELD. In fact, it became farcical in the tense final term when a little dog ran on to the Edwin Flack Reserve and was collected by Eagle David Collins, who frantically searched for a trainer as play went on. One quick-witted (and obviously desperate) Berwick fan saw the incident and screamed, “Quick Tucky, (Berwick captain) get the umpires to call a head count… Beaconsfield’s got an extra player on the ground.”
IT has taken a fortnight to simmer but an aggressive and uncalled-for tirade directed towards BEACONSFIELD president John Airdrie straight after the Eagles recent loss to PAKENHAM is still grating at the Perc Allison Oval. The unsavoury abuse came from a well-known Lions supporter as Airdrie made his way to the rooms to console players after the game – and was witnessed by members from both clubs. One witness told Footy Shorts that the incident was a poor reflection on the person involved. “At Beaconsfield we like to win with humility and if we lose, cop it and move on, but what was said to our president, and who it was said by, well it was just disgraceful. I suppose it wasn’t surprising because the person involved – and I want to stress that it had nothing to do with the Pakenham players or coaching staff – has been well known for shooting his mouth off in the past. Unfortunately it reflected badly on a club that we have a great deal of respect for,” seethed our man. Airdrie, to his credit, brushed off the incident and attended the social rooms afterwards to hand over the Highway Cup to his Pakenham counterpart Greg Marshall and enjoyed the usual post-match hospitality between the two well-respected rivals.
THE party is over for Casey Cardinia league ruckmen. Star BEACONSFIELD big man Chris Kelf made a successful comeback from a severely dislocated elbow on the weekend and immediately made a huge impact, helping the Eagles to a wonderful win over BERWICK. However, word from one club mover-and-shaker suggests that Kelfy’s day did not start ideally. The Eagles have a strict club uniform dress code and if players attend the ground incorrectly attired, they are fined. That rule created panic for the big bloke, who could not find his black pants and arrived at the Edwin Flack Reserve for the pre-match meeting in tracksuit pants. On this occasion however, the Beaconsfield faithful were so pleased to see the big unit back in action, some slack was immediately cut. Said one official of the forgetful ruckman: “I don’t care if he comes to the game in a bloody sarong, just as long as he is out there in a Beacy jumper when the siren sounds.”
ALL Gippsland Football League teams wore black armbands over the weekend in memory of league stalwart Joe Hutchison, who died last Saturday week. Hutchison had an extensive career at MOE as a player and administrator before a long involvement at MORWELL. Fittingly, the two sides played on Sunday for the Joe Hutchison Perpetual (now Memorial) Trophy. That has been the case since the trophy was struck in 1996 and Joe was always on hand to present it. Out or respect, Hutchison’s grandson Daniel had the honour of captaining the Morwell senior team on Sunday and his granddaughter, Michaila, did likewise for the Tigers’ A-grade netball team, while son Stephen tossed the coin before the senior match. Footballers, netballers, club officials and life members formed a guard of honour for a minutes’ silence prior to the main game.
RESPECTED triple-premiership coach Leigh Clifford has been lured back to BEACONSFIELD to address this year’s past players and officials luncheon to be held at noon on 14 August. The day will feature a reunion of the 2000 reserves premiership team, which was the first flag after the club changed to the Eagles colours. Beacy will play ROC, which was also the side they beat to win that grand final. Bookings can be made with Lawrie Canning on 9754 6729 or email at belcann@bigpond.net.au.
