Let’s not talk footy

Doofy’s back! The return of favourite son Michael Giles will give Kooweerup a massive boost this summer. 128795 Picture STEWART CHAMBERS

TYLER: Hello and welcome, we’re back for another edition of Let’s Talk Sport and this week I have gone down a different path. We usually talk about footy topics and that’s GREAT, but after all this article does find itself in the general sport section of the paper.

I put the heat on you two during the week; I asked for some cricket gossip, rumours and confirmed signings… what have you got for me, Dave?

LET’S TALK CRICKET!

DAVE: We’ve gone from being a 30 second, ‘here it is boys’ to a two-day homework period…

But what I’ve got for you Tyler is the biggest story of the off-season in the WGCA, which is the return to Kooweerup of champion player Michael Giles… commonly known as ‘Doofy’.

He’s a hard-hitting left-hander, he was a part of the Koowee dynasty that won a lot of premierships and he’s returned to the club as coach this year, after four or five years away.

It’s sort of like the return of the favourite son; it will be fantastic for Koowee.

Staying with Kooweerup, they’ve also picked up Gamini Kumara, he’s made 9,000 runs and made 300 wickets in the last 11 years… this bloke is a serious player.

He’s probably the best player to play in the Warragul Districts competition over the last decade. (Sorry Sam Batson). Cardinia got beaten in the grand final earlier this year, but they’ve picked up Morteza Ali.

TYLER: Wookey Medallist, Dave!

DAVE: Yep, and he has a fantastic story behind him; he’s a massive pick-up and just 35-years-old so he’s got some good cricket ahead of him.

And finally, just a departure, Tyler, the reigning Terry Stephenson Medallist, Ravi Kodithuwakku has left Carlisle Park to go to Mt Eliza.

Some other cricket news off-field: Clyde has a brand-new ground being built, three ovals, new nets, new facilities – that’s going to be like a new recruit for the Clyde Cricket Club as well.

That’s my cricket wrap at the moment, mate, with plenty more to come!

TYLER: There you go… it wasn’t that hard now, was it?

DAVE: Don’t worry I’m still fuming Tyler that you’ve introduced homework into LTS!

TYLER: Lachie, what have you got for me?

LACHIE: Got a couple; Dandy West has signed Malinga Bandara, they had a pretty tough season last year Dandy West, but he’s got 43 international games to his name and a good Turf 1 record with Springy South. He can bat, he can bowl, which is probably what they need at the moment, hopefully he brings a bit to them.

HSD – down at the Snakepit – they have re-signed Triyan De Silva; he was pretty convincing for them in their semi-final win against Cranbourne where he combined with bat and ball to get them over the line.

Also, Beaconsfield has signed Mark Cooper as the first XI captain/coach, he has joined there and hopefully he can push them to a bit of success.

DAVE: Coops is a wonderful leader of men…he’ll be great for them.

TYLER: Now as the driver of this segment, Dave, I probably need to have a bit of content ready myself.

DAVE: There’s going to be some serious sh*t flying around the office if you haven’t!

TYLER: Okay, hold onto your hats…

In Turf 1 the big three – Buckley Ridges, Springy South and Berwick – are just going to get stronger.

The Bucks have got DJ Watson – legend of the DDCA – and Jerome Jones – the big West Indian – returning, both of those don’t fit the confines of Park Oval.

For Berwick, Jake Hancock has gone to the Bears, I expect he will make a stack of runs for them… I won’t put a number on it; we know how that went last time (sorry Tom Hussey)! The Bears aren’t quite sure on Matt Chasemore just yet; he tore a good old-fashioned pectoral.

Springy South has retained 10 of its premiership XI; the only departure is spinner Akshat Buch who will go back to Dandenong in the Premier competition. They have filled his place with Yoshan Kumara though, he took 9/63 in a T1 grand final.

Narre South lost Ali like you mentioned, Dave, but also Tim Phillips is heading to the city to play with his brother. But the Lions have added Sri Lankan all-rounder Jeevan Mendis, and Poms Harry Finch and Zak Wilson.

Wilson is a 6’9 opening bowler, boys…

Now onto my Premier clubs, we just mentioned Dandy has got Akshat Buch, but the Panthers got Jade Christensen from Kingston. Only loss I’ve heard at this stage is Jarvis Harvey to Carlton.

Frankston-Peninsula has signed Jack Fowler who played in Dandy’s grand final side, and for Casey-South Melbourne, it’s just rumours at this stage!

But guys, I have heard one local club in the south east is in talks with a pretty fine First-Class cricketer!

He’s not the only First-Class cricketer that would enter Gazette territory, because Endeavour Hills have about 25 of them and I want to know both your thoughts on it all.

ENDEAVOUR HILLS INTERNATIONAL XI

Lachie let’s start with you because you do have an affiliation down there.

LACHIE: I think it’s a great coup for the south east to have all these players down there, they won’t play the game at their home ground because of capacity limits, but I think the juniors and younger kids that are going to be playing with the likes of Chris Gayle, Fidel Edwards and Dilshan are going to take a lot out of it.

They’re not going to be playing a full-season, they’re only playing a couple of twenty-20s, but they’re going to be training as well so imagine that for the younger players.

There’s going to be a lot of advertising and I think it’s a really good opportunity for the south east to embrace sport again – who better with than the likes of Chris Gayle.

TYLER: I heard a bit of a scoop in there, Lachie… where are they going to be playing?

LACHIE: They’ll play at the Junction Oval because of capacity limits!

TYLER: Dave, Let’s Talk Sport just breaking news… what do you think about it all?

DAVE: On the surface, a traditionalist that just loves his local cricket would be thinking ‘what are you thinking bringing all these big names in for?’, but I think the overall strategy of bringing them in for a twenty-20 competition is not really signing them up, so to speak, it’s probably more just great promotion for local cricket.

I do know there are a handful of local cricketers that are actually getting coaching from some of these internationals at the moment, and that has to be a good thing.

Lachie, I think that’s a big reason why they’ve come out…to coach?

So, if that is improving the standard of local cricket in other leagues, then maybe it’s a good thing…?

It’s certainly a talking point and from a traditionalist point of view you have to be asking what’s the impact of the younger kids coming through, what’s the overall strategy of the club.

LACHIE: They’re only here for a couple of exhibition games, maybe the wording hasn’t come across, but Lahiru (Thirimanne) has been doing a lot of training with the young kids and will take that next step into coaching. If you’re a 15-year-old kid training with a guy that’s just opened the batting for Sri Lanka, then that’s a big positive for your cricket.

TYLER: You’ve sold that quite well, Lachie. I think this is a good thing to get out there, I think people are misguided by the posts, thinking they’re all playing with each other in proper-season games and therefore leaving good kids to not get a game.

LACHIE: Dilshan and Thirimanne will stay play the regular season.

TYLER: Yeah, they’re best mates, I think the competition can accept that – even though it’s still ridiculous – compared to Dawid Malan playing local cricket. Think that’s probably good to discuss, because a lot does now make sense… I saw on the Facebook event people being charged for entry, but now that we know it’s at the Junction, it now makes more sense.

LACHIE: There’s a percentage of that going to charity as well.

TYLER: Well Dave, how about this edition of Let’s Talk Sport? We’ve broken news, we’ve addressed the hot topics and we’re not even done yet…

So, as we close.

FAVOURITES?

I said this was a general sport discussion and it’s been just bloody cricket, so I want to know who is your favourite sports person outside of footy and cricket, and why?

LACHIE: I have to go Andrew Redmayne, don’t I? The grey Wiggle, dancing on the line, if you have a look, you can see these little techniques to manipulate the Peruvians. He is just an incredible man, he was giving up soccer a couple of years ago to be a teacher and now he’s got Australia into the World Cup – it’s amazing.

TYLER: I did see you retweet a story on Twitter the other night that compared him to Cathy Freeman… PLEASE! Well done, Andrew, but please.

DAVE: I am a big fan of sports apart from football and cricket, but more particular sports where you can drink beer while playing! I love my darts players and all the way through my youth I have always played snooker. One of the most talented sportspeople I have ever seen is Ronnie O’Sullivan on the snooker table, earlier this year he won his seventh world title, equalling the all-time record.

Whenever I am bored and have some time to kill, I type in ‘Ronnie O’Sullivan 147’ into YouTube and this bloke has made about 15 of them – it’s the perfect snooker – he the most natural sportsman I have seen.

I also love people that promote Australia on the international stage, so Ash Barty is the ultimate and I love Cameron Smith the golfer.

They’re the ones on my mind, but there is a netballer from Tooradin named Ebony Dolan, I would not want to play on her, she is a goalkeeper or goal defence, she just hates getting beaten.

I love watching her play because the opposition always look shocked with how bloody competitive, she is.

TYLER: Mine is the opposite from natural sporting ability, I am going with freak athleticism – Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Greek Freak, I love watching him play and because with momentum he just can’t be stopped. Dave, I am going to throw you under the bus here, can you spell Antetokounmpo for me? (Tyler smiles, very happy with his work).

DAVE: Mate I probably wouldn’t even get the first letter…

LACHIE: Is it A N T E T K O U… nope I lost it.

TYLER: You ready? A N T E T O K O U N M P O.

DAVE: I’ll just stick with Kodithuwakku…that’s hard enough!

TYLER: Alright we did everything in this edition; I will wrap it up there. Dave, you’re up next week!