**The respect shown by our local clubs for Anzac Day is getting bigger and better every year, and all clubs should be congratulated for the effort being put into this special occasion. Footy Shorts was lucky enough to be at NAR NAR GOON on Saturday and the Gooners put on a spectacular ceremony to match any we’ve seen in recent years. In total the ceremony probably went for 20 minutes, which is not the ideal preparation for players prior to a big match…but a very small sacrifice to pay as we pay our respects to our fallen and current-day heroes. To the Nar Nar Goon youngster who felt sick during the ceremony and had to be escorted from the ground…we hope you’re feeling better now champ!
**TOORADIN-DALMORE and WARRAGUL INDUSTRIALS have taken the respect for Anzac Day to new levels, posting a video late last week to show what the day means to both clubs. The video was well produced, with former Seagulls president Derek Genoni leading the way, explaining how proud he is to be part of a club that takes the Anzac spirit so seriously. The Seagulls have done this so well over the years, even back to their former days in the South East Football Netball League (SEFNL). Among others stars in the video, were Seagulls coach Lachie Gillespie and Dusties champion Shane Brewster.
**DALYSTON will tonight, Wednesday 27 April, add a former AFL star to its list. The Magpies were selected as one of eight local footy clubs – from over 500 entries – to be a part of the inaugural “The Carlton Draft”, where eight retired AFL legends will come out of retirement for one unforgettable match. The eight AFL stars include Jarryd Roughead, Eddie Betts, Dale Thomas, Nathan Jones, Brendon Goddard, Alex Rance, Shaun Burgoyne and Cam Mooney. ”The Carlton Draft” will be broadcast live at 8.30pm tonight on FOX FOOTY.
**It’s hard to believe, but BEACONSFIELD has been in its sparkling new digs at Holm Park Reserve for almost a decade now, after moving across from its long-time home at Perc Allison Oval. And it seems to be a good decision to move, with the Eagles old ground currently in need of some serious repair works. Rumour has it that the ground has been deemed unfit for training due to the threat of a light-tower crashing to the ground, with engineering checks showing a tower or two are in not too good condition. The decision has caused at least one squad – the Beaconsfield Veterans – to change training venues to Heatherbrae Reserve in Officer.
**Bunnings on Bald Hill Road in Pakenham was the place to be last week with Footy Shorts running in to two of the good guys of local footy. We had a great chat with former PAKENHAM captain, NAR NAR GOON coach, and now PHILLIP ISLAND player Dean ‘General’ Blake, while a day later ran into CRANBOURNE stalwart and current senior assistant-coach Damien Whitnell. The reason for back-to-back trips to Bunnings…a DIY home-plumbing job that was rescued after starting to go horribly wrong.
**It’s bitterly disappointing to see that one of the great individual rivalries of our region – that between CRANBOURNE champion Marc Holt and former BERWICK skipper Madi Andrews – failed to regenerate on the weekend. As captains of their respective clubs, Holt and Andrews had some great battles – some bitter – over the years, some leading all the way to the tribunal. Holt and Andrews were expected to meet again on the weekend, with Holt still starring for Cranbourne, while Andrews has been playing with ST KILDA CITY this year. But Andrews didn’t play, with Holt having the last laugh with the Eagles defeating the Saints by 58 points.
**Just a quick follow up on a Footy Short from last week, where a club had its goal-post pads slashed after leaving the pads on overnight between Saturday and Sunday games. The perpetrators have been caught and will now foot the bill for a brand-new set of four goal-post pads for the Highway end of their ground. All’s well that ends well they say!
**BUNYIP has claimed its first piece of silverware for 2022, with the seniors winning back the Tom Cleary Perpetual Cup after its big win over GARFIELD. Cleary was the outstanding ruckman of his generation, claiming three best and fairests at Bunyip between 1980 and 1982 before making a successful switch to Garfield in 1983. Cleary played a key role in the Stars 1983 premiership win and won back-to-back Breheny Medals – as the best player in West Gippsland – in ’83 and ’84. Cleary now plays bowls at Garfield during summer and helps out as ground manager at the Bunyip footy club on match days.
**Rick Stalker thought he had seen and heard it all as a footy coach…that was until he took over as coach of the PAKENHAM Women’s team this year. Stalker was a gun footballer back in his day, and transferred that knowledge and skill into a successful career as a senior coach at several clubs, before coaching the BEACONSFIELD Junior Football Club to a premiership. Stalker has a no-fuss approach to his football, and has been blown away by two particular instances this season. One player explained to Stalker that she couldn’t train one night because she had the wrong bra on, while another player was fixing his collar as he spoke to his players during the quarter-time break earlier this year. Stalker’s response is usually to just roll his eyes and say “You girls are doing my head in.”
**What a great time of year for the youngest footy lovers around our region with Auskick making its return over the next couple of weeks. Auskick has its roots in the Little League, which was played at half time in the former VFL from the mid 1960’s, before a development program called Vickick began in Victoria in 1985. Vickick was rebranded Auskick in the mid 1990’s, before the AFL rolled it out nationally in 1998. Whatever it’s been called…it’s an absolute winner…and a great way for youngsters to fall in love with the sport!
**There were two significant milestones in the WGFNC on the weekend with BUNYIP’s David Bates playing his 150th senior club game against GARFIELD, and KORUMBURRA BENA’s Zach Walker playing his 100th game against DALYSTON. Bates and Walker had mixed results on the weekend with Bates named in the best player’s list in the Bulldogs 114-point reserves win over the Stars, while Walker was also named in the Giants’ best in their 22-point loss to the Magpies in the seniors. Congratulations to both players for the loyalty and longevity.
**NAR NAR GOON made a clean sweep of the Spirit of ANZAC Medals at Spencer Street on Saturday, with skipper Bayley Tytler kicking three goals to take out the Under 18s award, before Cooper Pursell booted five to win individual honours in the reserves. But the best was yet to come, with boom recruit DERMOTT YAWNEY banging through nine goals in the Goons 69-point senior win over KOOWEERUP. That’s 17 goals and three medals from the three guns…well done guys!
**I am not *** leaving! You know the movie quote, it’s iconic now. And the Gazette is pretty sure we heard it when Berwick local Mac Andrew walked out of Stewy Dew’s office last week. The talented utility has re-signed until 2025, which is great news for Mac, the Suns and the Berwick Footy Club. Word on the street is he has a few brothers that also know there way around Edwin Flack!
** The local sin of local footy was commited on Saturday afternoon.Canteen’s across the board running out of potato cakes and dim sims well before half-time**
**With a week of umpire scrutiny , a young umpire had a game delayed by up to 15 minutes , due to fitness levels and was unable to run-out the game , a by-stander was called into the action wearing a AC/DC shirt leaving his half-drunk stubby on the bench to take over duties.
**Yep, that’s a sign. A story came across the desk Sunday morning that a local netballer had unfortunately suffered an ACL injury on Saturday. But a bit deeper into the story is that it was the first time her friends had come and watched her play. She had been asking them for almost half a decade to come watch and on Saturday morning they folded. After a solid game the B Grade goal shooter went down with the knee injury with just three seconds left in the game. She saw the funny side of it though, letting her friends know they don’t have to come to any games for the indefinite future.
