**CORA LYNN trainer Kylie Rout has obviously made quite an impact in her long stay at the club with Cobras coaches, players and support staff all chipping in to give her a massive surprise recently. Kylie’s son, Jai Rout, is currently playing football for the BOLDER TIGERS in Kalgoorlie, and the Cobras’ faithful thought it a good idea to all chip in and buy Kylie a flight to Western Australia, with accommodation thrown in as well, so she can fly across the Nullabor this weekend to watch her son play. Kylie is one of the best people you would meet in football…so well done to everyone at the Cobradome for making her feel so special. Cora Lynn players will be hoping she doesn’t have too good a time in the West…they need her back rubbing legs for the trip to PHILLIP ISLAND on July 9!
**The AFLW Draft takes place tonight, Wednesday 29 June, and a local product from the NARRE NORTH FOXES looks set to be a likely top-10 call out. Amber Clarke has had a year out of the box for the DANDENONG STINGRAYS, winning enough awards and medals this season to sink a ship. Our very own Tyler Lewis has dug deep into the prospects of nine Stingrays girls that are hoping to hear their names called out and earn a coveted spot on an AFLW list. You can see Tyler’s extensive preview on page 13 of this week’s Football Liftout.
**How time flies when you’re having fun. In August this year it will be 10 years…yes 10 years…since BEACONSFIELD played its last game at Perc Allison Oval, the club’s home base since 1948. We remember the day well, it was wet, it was muddy, and the two ruckmen on the day, Beaconsfield’s Chris Kelf and DOVETON’s Clint ‘Bull’ Wilson waged a two-man war to see whose blood would be spilt on the hallowed turf for the final time. It really was a memorable day with the Eagles defeating the Doves to lock away a finals berth that year. The club will remember those glory days at Perc Allison Reserve at its Past Players and Officials Annual luncheon on Saturday 13 August.
**It’s a huge week for under-age footballers in the region with the 2022 Under 18 Gippsland Interleague Carnival taking place at the Morwell Recreation Reserve today, Wednesday 29 June. Six teams will compete, with Pool A consisting of GIPPSLAND LEAGUE, MID GIPPSLAND and NORTH GIPPSLAND, while Pool B will see EAST GIPPSLAND, ELLINBANK AND DISTRICT and WEST GIPPSLAND battle it out for the right to play off in the championship match at the carnival. Teams in each pool will play each other once, with the top-ranked teams in each pool playing off in the grand final. There will be nine games played on the day, with the first game at 9am and the grand final kicking off at 5pm.
**While on Interleague, the WEST GIPPSLAND FOOTBALL NETBALL COMPETITION (WGFNC) is waiting until the pressure of the carnival is over before beginning the process of identifying its finals venues for this year. Last year DALYSTON won the right to host the grand final before bloody Covid stepped in and ruined all our fun. For those with short memories, the three grand final venues since the inception of the WGFNC in 2017 have been Wonthaggi in the inaugural season and Garfield twice in 2018 and ’19.
**It’s great to see the DOVETON FOOTBALL NETBALL CLUB continuing to fly the flag in the quest to end domestic violence against women. Doveton has been a real trailblazer in this department, being the first club to have a white ribbon on its jumper and for many years the Doves hosted former rival PAKENHAM in the annual White Ribbon Match at Robinson Oval. The Doves and Lions no longer play against each other, but it’s terrific to see the Doves continued the tradition against KEYSBOROUGH on Saturday. But listening to Senior Sergeant Graeme Stanley speak at the White Ribbon Event…it’s obvious we still have a long way to go to stamp out a real scourge of our society.
**KILCUNDA-BASS has recently made enquiries about switching from the WEST GIPPSLAND to ELLINBANK league based on not being competitive enough against the best teams in West Gippsland footy. With this in mind you can just imagine the conversation at the Bass Recreation Reserve on Saturday when the Panthers hosted a reunion of past premierships won in 1960, 1970, 1980, 1991, 2000, 2011 and 2012. Not being competitive…these past premiership winners would merely shake their head at the thought!
**Did anyone notice NAR NAR GOON looking a little beefed up in the game against GARFIELD on Saturday. If the guns looked a little bigger on the weekend it was because the Goon spent last Tuesday at the Cardinia Crossfit Gym…getting fit and fired up for a huge finals campaign ahead. It will surprise no-one that new recruit – the strong as an Ox JJ Peni – is a frequent user patron at the gym.
**Just a couple of milestones to report this week. Congratulations to GARFILED’s Tyler Constantine for playing his 150th senior game on Saturday, and also to CRANBOURNE stalwart Kristy Whitnell for running out for her 250th game of netball for the Eagles. We’re a week late with you Kristy, but congratulations for not only playing 250 games but for putting up with that husband of yours Damian for so long. Just kidding…he’s an absolute ripper!
**DOVETON, already a firm favourite to win the SOUTHERN DIVISION TWO flag, has been strengthened by the recruitment of SANDRINGHAM player Josiah Kyle. The former ST KILDA listed player is only recently removed from top-level football and will be a valuable acquisition as the Doves look for their second premiership in four years.
