Mates in

By Marc McGowan
THE death of a Cranbourne soldier, described as a “ripping bloke”, has rocked a local sporting club.
Danny Rawlings, 33, died in a motorbike accident in Grantville around midday on Sunday.
He played 13 seasons for the Berwick Miners Gridiron Club before joining the army in 2005.
Mr Rawlings was based in Sydney with the First Incident Response Regiment and served in Afghanistan for six months last year.
He was set to return to Afghanistan in the coming months.
Mr Rawlings was riding with seven family and friends when the accident occurred. Two other members of the party, including his brother Andrew, went to the Royal Melbourne Hospital with minor injuries.
Mr Rawlings died at the scene.
A military funeral will be held at the Victorian Police Academy in Glen Waverley next Monday.
Mr Rawlings leaves behind long-time girlfriend Jenny Goodacre.
Miners president Darren Shaw learned about his good friend’s death only half an hour before the team took to the field on the weekend.
“I’ve known him for about 18 years. He came down as a young fella at the Berwick Miners and a friendship grew out of that,” Mr Shaw said.
“He got back from Afghanistan in November, but was about to go back again.
“He would have been over there now, but he had an injury to his foot and went from being number one to number two.
“It might have been safer over there.”
All six Gridiron Victoria teams will hold a minute’s silence for Mr Rawlings before this weekend’s matches.
Mr Shaw will speak at Mr Rawlings’ funeral and said he was a huge part of his family’s lives.
“He pretty much meant everything to me,” he said.
“He was an uncle to my kids (Brooke, 13, Jessica, 10, and Jack, 7) and they’re devastated – pretty much the same as I am.
“He was more than a best mate. Everyone called him a best mate – he was that type of a bloke.”
Mr Rawlings loved riding his Harley-Davidson motorbike and also enjoyed horse riding, listening to music and playing guitar and drums.
Mr Shaw said he “lived his life to the fullest”.
“He was very outgoing, lovable, full of life, energetic and just a ripping bloke,” he said.
“He was the greatest man and the greatest mate. If my son becomes half the man he was, he’ll be doing all right.”