**SPRINGVALE SOUTH is not happy after star opening bat Ryan Quirk – a one-pointer at the club – was denied a permit to play for the Bloods against BERWICK on Saturday. The Bloods new a permit would be needed for Quirk, who has played limited games this season due to returning from a wrist injury. The Bloods made enquiries about the process back in January, but were told by the DDCA that no permits would be granted until week one of finals. The Bloods did as they were told and applied early last week, but only received a reply on Thursday saying their request had been denied. The delayed response by the DDCA allowed little time for an appeal, with Quirk only finding out at 10.30am on Saturday that he still wasn’t allowed to play. Springvale South and Quirk will now go again after the Bloods qualified for this week’s preliminary final against HALLAM KALORA PARK. Cricket Snicks contacted the DDCA for clarification but have yet to receive a reply.
**What a huge week it’s been for TOORADIN and MELBOURNE star Max Parrott, who captained Tooradin to the CCCA Under-18 premiership with a win over PAKENHAM last Wednesday before dominating for Melbourne on Saturday. Parrott smashed 185 in the Vic Premier Cricket thirds semi-final against CARLTON, an innings which included 19 fours and five sixes. The hard-hitting right hander will be hoping for more of the same when Melbourne takes on MELBOURNE UNIVERSITY this weekend.
**While on the TOORADIN Under-18s; what a marvellous effort it is by the Seagulls to win their fourth premiership in a row. Premier Division star Tyler Evans has previously played a key role in the team’s success, while Ryder Morrison (3/9), Max Parrott (28) and Thomas Rudeforth (27) all played major parts in this year’s grand final victory.
**Umpires always have their concentration levels peaking at their highest for finals…well; at least you’d think so. That wasn’t the case at HALLORA on Saturday when one of the umpires officiating in the Division 1 game between Hallora and DROUIN made a strange request to the crowd. “Hey boys, who won the first race at Flemington,” the umpire said. “5, 1 and 2”, came the reply from the other side of the fence. “Bugger it…I had the 1,” was the umpires final response. Race one started at 12.05pm…five minutes after the cricket match had begun!
**Kyle Martin, one of the best footballers to have graced the regions football fields over the last decade, was at Arch Brown Reserve on Saturday watching his former NOBLE PARK teammate Jackson Sketcher play a key role in SPRINGVALE SOUTH’S win over BERWICK. Martin was hard to spot, until he flicked his cap backwards, took off his shirt and his powerful physique glistened in the sun. Both Martin and Sketcher have made the move from Noble Park to SPRINGVALE DISTRICTS for the 2025 footy season.
**Congratulations go out to TOORADIN’s Luke Adams, who won the prestigious Barry Freeman Medal on Saturday night; presented to the player who polls the most votes from opposition captains throughout the course of the season. Adams, from A Grade, polled 18 votes to win a tight count from B Grade star Luke Townsend. Adams joins Josh (2023) and Bailey (2024) Lownds as previous winners of the award.
**The CCCA has been dominated by the same four clubs for quite some time now, with CARDINIA, KOOWEERUP, TOORADIN and PAKENHAM making all other clubs green with envy. And this year is no exception with the four clubs finishing in exactly the same ladder positions in the firsts and seconds. In Premier Division and A Grade, the ladder positions are Cardinia (1), Tooradin (2), Kooweerup (3) and Pakenham (4). There are even whispers circulating that the CCCA might look at reducing its top-flight from eight to six next season to make every game more competitive. Two-dayers, one-dayers and T20s might all make up parts of the revised structure.
**It was great to see long-time WGCA/CCCA Secretary Shane Dalton being recognised at the CCCA Presentation Day on Sunday. Dalton was awarded Life Membership of the association last season, but the delivery of his award was not done well and failed to put him in the spotlight. Dalton was front and centre on Sunday, accepting his award from CCCA President Ben Knowles.
**While on Knowles, the CCCA President certainly read the room after a poor turnout at the CCCA Presentation Day at Tooradin. Knowles could teach AFL CEO Andrew Dillon a thing or two about speed and efficiency when hosting awards, with this year’s Brownlow Medal count likely to last just before the first ad break if Knowles was the hosting MC. He sped through the awards, just in time for the first bounce of the GWS v COLLINGWOOD match.
