-Congratulations to HAMPTON PARK’s Nathan Dawes, who brought up game 350 in the reserves’ clash with Black Rock on Saturday. The tough in and under midfielder has won best and fairests and lives out the Spiders’ values on the footy field. He was as respected as they came at the Redbacks back in his prime and continues to be involved at the club, both on and off the field.
-Great news out of TOORADIN that 2022 premiership captain Jordan Kelly will be the one to take over the senior coaching role from Lachie Gillespie at the end of this season. Gillespie informed the club of his decision in the off-season, allowing plenty of time for the Gulls to do their due diligence. There are many similarities between Kelly and Gillespie…both long-time servants of the club that have ascended to the plum role. Good luck Jordy…one of the great blokes in local sport.
-An interested onlooker at TOORADIN on Saturday afternoon was Seagulls’ premiership player Jimmy Trezise, who was recently picked up by RICHMOND in the 2023 AFL Mid-Season Rookie Draft. Footy Shorts had a brief chat with the up-and-coming star, who said he was enjoying his time with the Tigers but still had the occasional moment where he was missing his country football. But we can guarantee Jimmy…your former coach Lachie Gillespie is missing not having you on the park even more. Jimmy’s brother Josh played in the Seagulls’ reserves on Saturday and helped inflict INVERLOCH-KONGWAK with its first loss for the season.
-The Ablett name is synonymous with the DROUIN Football Club and on July 15, former GEELONG and GOLD COAST superstar Gary Ablett Jr will add his name to the long list of family members to have played for the club. Ablett will lace up the boots against MORWELL in a specially-designed jumper for the day as the club pays respect to its Indigenous culture. Ablett’s father, Gary Ablett Snr, began his career at Drouin and played in a premiership with the club in 1978. Well-respected Drouin coach Brent Clinnick was behind the recruitment of Ablett…and he must be licking his lips at the prospect of having G. Ablett on his whiteboard for the day.
-A big thank you goes out to the parents of INVERLOCH-KONGWAK brothers Marcus and Oscar Toussaint, who helped Gazette Sports Editor Dave Nagel to escape from a sticky situation at TOORADIN on the weekend. Dave’s Hybrid Camry didn’t handle the wet conditions at Tooradin too well, ending up bogged – against the boundary fence – on the outer side of the ground. Some cardboard was acquired, and with a helping push from the Toussaint family…everything ended well. We’ll have to somehow return the favour…maybe by adding Marcus and Oscar to the short list for this year’s WGFNC Team of the Year. Only problem is…they were already on the list anyway!
-There were emotional scenes at CORA LYNN on Saturday as Vince Miceli and his wife Anna presented the Lachlan Miceli Memorial Medal to Cobras star Lachie Peluso. Lachie Miceli made his debut for the Cobras in 2018 and was taken far too soon after a tragic accident towards the end of 2019. Vince and Anna awarded the medal to Peluso for living up to his son’s traits of courage, leadership and commitment. Peluso remembered his mate as being “hard, tough, and the best mate you could ever have.”
-The following players will represent the WGFNC at today’s (June 28) Gippsland Interleague Carnival at the Morwell Recreation Reserve in the Under-18s. CORA LYNN: Lachlan Coverdale, Jett Edwards, Chris Inverno, Max McDermott. DALYSTON: Max Connell, Jaxon Foon. GARFIELD: Archie Burgmann. INVERLOCH-KONGWAK: Cade Brown, Jarvis Harvey, Callan O’Flynn, Will Turner. KILCUNDA-BASS: Owen Thomas. KOOWEERUP: Zak Banks, Seth O’Hehir. NAR NAR GOON: Kyron Smith. PHILLIP ISLAND: Finn Cashman, Brayden Kleverkamp. TOORADIN-DALMORE: James Ahern, Logan Downe, Panos Papas, Charlie Shinners. WARRAGUL INDUSTRIALS: Will Grummisch, Jed Pinkerton, Noah Rogers. Emergencies: Anthony Mirauta (TD) and Noah Muller (PI).
-It was a big day at NAR NAR GOON on Sunday with club favourite Jack Riley walking away the big winner at the club’s 2023 Reverse Draw. Jack works tirelessly around the football grounds doing lots of jobs that people don’t realise. The love he has for the players and the club is enormous. Well done Jack…it’s your shout!
-CORA LYNN coach Shaun Sparks is edging his way very slowly to 100 games in the WGFNC. Sparks played 20 games in 2017, ’18, and ’19, before playing nine games in the Covid-interrupted season of 2021. He played one game last year, and pulled on the Cobras colours for the first time this season against KILCUNDA BASS on Saturday. At this rate, he should convert his 71 games into 100 by the year 2052!
-While on CORA LYNN, the Cobras are thrilled that their plans for new change rooms and public toilets at the Cobradome will now become a reality after the Cardinia Shire included $4.1million into their budget for the project on Monday night. It’s been a long journey for Cora Lynn to get to this point…so congratulations to everyone that has put in so much hard work to make it happen.
-Congratulations to a couple of DANDENONG STINGRAYS alumni who have made their VFL debuts in the last two weeks. Luke Bailey, who was a big bodied inside midfielder last year, has now played two games for COBURG, accumulating 23 and 20 disposals in those games. Defender Ned Moodie played his first game for CASEY on Friday night against Geelong with the likes of seasoned AFL pros Ben Brown and James Harmes.
-While on the VFL and DANDENONG STINGRAYS graduates, COLLINGWOOD VFL captain Campbell Hustwaite brought up game 50 in the state league on the weekend. The midfielder is considered by many who were at the Rays at the time to be the unluckiest player overlooked in the AFL draft so it has been good to see him carve the beginning of a successful VFL career.
**Good to see Luke Sloan back out on the park for HAMPTON PARK. He filled a few roles for Redbacks last season, playing every game, and is one who will build with the club.
-Shout out to a couple of SKYE players who have brought up milestones in the last two weeks. Well regarded playing coach Aaron Pacey went past game 150 last week, and former captain James Bateman played his 200th game on the weekend. Both milestones are significant for the Bombers, which was established in only 2006. Bateman is only the ninth player to run out for the club 200 times.
-Tough luck for BERWICK SPRINGS excitement machine Blake Simondson, who will miss the rest of the year after re-braking his foot at training. Titans coach Rod Benstead was particularly disappointed for the North Melbourne VFL-listed youngster, after watching him work so hard to regain fitness early in the season and having only one game to show for it.
-Was the timekeeper asleep at the beginning of the WANDIN v GEMBROOK COCKATOO clash? 32 minutes is a long quarter for a one in which only a single goal was scored…
-There probably aren’t too many blokes in local footy still playing that have their photo hanging in the bar as a club legend, but WANDIN’s Joel Garner breaks that mould. After kicking six goals from the midfield in a dominant display, the former Port Adelaide listed midfielder could drink all the beers he wanted, no doubt.
-With three fourth-quarter comebacks in a row, rumours abound that some at PAKENHAM are calling their senior side ’The Collingwood of Outer East’. Based on their recent form, who’s going to argue against it?
