BREAKING NEWS: Premier Data has crunched the numbers and found that Kurt Mutimer knows how to find the footy. Against GEMBROOK COCKATOO the NARRE WARREN star finished with 48 touches, 10 clearances, six inside fifties and a goal, before racking 54 disposals, 18 clearances and two goals against OLINDA FERNY CREEK. That’s 102 disposals in a fortnight of footy, for those playing at home.
**“They’re calling him the Myrtleford Flyer”. Sam Hilton-Joyce has made an instant impact at BERWICK in the back half of the season as a prolific goal-kicker in a side that’s struggled to score. The Queenslander, who’s been a train-on player with Collingwood’s VFL side, played the first half of the season at Myrtleford in the Ovens and Murray Football League but made the mid-season move to Berwick to save the three-hour journey up the Hume every week.
**It seems patience has run out at PAKENHAM with the axe falling on a big name for failing to train during the week. Numbers on the track has been an issue all season for Pakenham, with as little as 12 senior players on the track at stages during the year.
**The question of “who’s winning?” is enough to send any cricket fan up the wall, but technical issues at GEMBROOK COCKATOO on Saturday forced the use of the old fashioned cricket scoreboard in the timekeepers area. Spare a thought for those watching from upstairs at the pavilion, including this Gazette reporter, who went without a view of the scoreboard for much of the afternoon!
**What does the brains trust at OFFICER have up their sleeve for premier division grand final day? A walk-up operation, perhaps? Stay tuned…
**Much has been made this week of young Lindenow player Peter Harrison kicking 42 goals in his side’s whopping 43-9-267 to 0-1-1 win in an East Gippsland league under 17.5 clash on Saturday. His 42.8 haul rightly made headlines in the weekend papers. Gazette editor Garry Howe, a keen student of history, points out that indigenous champion Ron Edwards went one better back in the same competition back in 1950. Lining up at full-forward for the Lake Tyers seniors, Edwards kicked all of his side’s 43 goals that day. A newspaper report said he had 55 shots at goal for a return of 43.12 and staggered from the ground exhausted when the final siren blew.
**Whoever was controlling the loud speaker between the reserves and seniors contest at GEMBROOK COCKATOO had a wicked sense of humour. As Powderfinger’s ‘Sunsets’ rocked the arena, umbrellas emerged as rain began to fall, with those in the outer scurrying for cover.
**A couple of cricket snicks coming out of Dandenong District Cricket Association Turf 3 club Coomoora. The Roos have re-signed star all-rounder Lance Baptist and leading runscorer Rahoul Pankhania for the upcoming season. Liam Hard has also been locked in as captain once again, while Nick Suppree will replace Andy O’Meara as coach. Plenty happening in cricket circles as preseason begins!
**One of the best and most successful coaches in the WGFNC has called it quits with INVERLOCH-KONGWAK A Grade netball coach Jarrad Walker despatching his notebook at the end of the season. Walker led the Sea Eagles to a premiership last year, and looks set to sign off with back-to-back wins with the Eagles currently undefeated and a long way clear at the top of the ladder. Walker has also been great at promoting netball in the WGFNC. We wish him well as he takes off overseas next year.
**While on great blokes, it was great to have a brief chat with former PAKENHAM star, and now GEMBROOK-COCKATOO Veteran player Nathan ‘Sauce’ Brown at the Outer East women’s and veterans grands finals at Healesville on Sunday. Browny was an absolute gun full-back back in his prime, taking on the likes of Marc Holt, Kerem Baskaya, Brett ‘Birdman’ Evans and Nathan Waite when key forwards were an every-week proposition for key defenders. Things didn’t work out for Browny’s Brookers on Sunday, conceding three last-quarter goals to go down narrowly to NARRE WARREN.
**One of the unsung stars of the WGFNC played his 100th senior game for WARRAGUL INDUSTRIALS on Saturday with Travis Ogden chalking up the milestone at Western Park. Ogden is a super-popular member of the Dusties line-up, with his versatility seeing him capable of locking down on smalls and talls in defence, or drifting forward at times to hit the scoreboard. Currently in career-best form, Ogden was recently inducted into the 25-year-team of the modern era at the Dusties.
**It’s time to dob in my wife. Gazette Sports Editor Dave Nagel was watching footy with his wife Kellie recently when she came out with this pearler. “I thought GEELONG was a good team…so why are there so many seats empty at their stadium.” Ahhh…that would be a new grandstand getting built dear!
**PHILLIP ISLAND celebrated a significant milestone on Saturday with Rob Linford playing his 300th club game for the Bulldogs. Red, white and blue runs through Robbie’s veins and he is definitely the heart and soul of the football club.
**OUTER EAST has been getting smashed on social media about its lack of focus on women’s football in recent times, but the league deserves a pat on the back for its showcase grand final day at Healesville on Sunday. The ground was in mint condition, the crowd was huge for the game between OLINDA FERNY CREEK and PAKENHAM, and the live broadcast of the games came across very well. But a few at the ground were still asking…at $10 entry a person…just how much will Outer East invest back into the women’s game in 2024?
**Some great news out of BUNYIP with senior player Ben Stewart being appointed the Bulldogs under-18 coach for next year. The Bulldogs were hugely disappointed to have to scrap their thirds team this season, but are making every endeavour to ensure a full-complement of teams runs out in Bulldogs colours next year. The Bulldogs played another senior first-gamer on Saturday, with Toby Ronaldson finding himself on the best players list on debut. Kade Perkins (CORA LYNN) and Riley Youseff (GARFIELD) were others to make their senior debuts on Saturday.
**There’s also some great news coming out of KOOWEERUP with Cosi Anagnostou pulling on the boots again in 2024. Cosi has not played a senior game this season due to injury, but is a tough-at-it midfielder that will make a huge difference to the engine-room next season.
**And let’s finish with some netball, with WARRAGUL INDUSTRIALS gaining a huge signature at it looks to rebuild its struggling netball program. Club legend Jess Ayres, who has won premierships as a player and coach, won best and fairest awards, and a nine-time interleague representative…will coach the A Grade team in 2024. The feeling is one of “Welcome home Jess”, with the Dusties over the moon to have her back and looking forward to a more prosperous 2024 season.
