-TOORADIN-DALMORE sharpshooter Stewart Scanlon is accustomed to taking centre stage on a Saturday afternoon, but he had to hand over that honour to a racehorse he has a part-share in on the weekend. Scanlon’s Seagulls had the bye on the weekend, allowing the forward to watch Globe win the seventh race at Sandown. The four-year-old gelding, trained by Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr, is now undefeated after four starts and has amassed $156,000 in prizemoney. We’re not sure what size Stewie’s share is…but surely it’s his shout the next time Footy Shorts heads down to Westernport!
-What’s going on with these bloody geese at PHILLIP ISLAND. Two birds have claimed ownership rights of the outer wing at the Cowes Recreation Reserve…and couldn’t give a continental that a game of footy is being played. The Bulldogs players are used to it, but it’s funny to watch visiting teams baulk at the footy when the geese are close by. Seriously, it’s only a matter of time before one of these birds gets hit with a footy or trodden on by a player. “Sorry, Doc, I tripped over a goose at the footy.” Wouldn’t be the first time those words have been spoken.
-NARRE WARREN’s Jake Richardson is a wonderful young man who helped me (Gazette Sports Editor Dave Nagel) out after a recent knee operation. Jake was on duty when we went in for a meniscus clean up back in February, and gave instructions on how to use the crutches properly during recovery. Richo also has a good memory, asking how the knee was as we stood side-by-side at the urinal during the half-time break on Saturday. That’s for the check-up Richo!
-BEACONSFIELD is hosting its Annual Past Players and Officials Luncheon on Sat 20 May, celebrating the 1953 and 2003 senior premierships and 1993 Twos flag. The senior flags have a strong connection with the son of the 1953 vice-captain (John Airdrie) president in 2003 and two of his sons played in that flag 50 years after their grandfather won the club’s first-ever premiership. There is only one surviving member from 1953 and he happens to be John Airdrie’s uncle. The Eagles play Montrose on the day, coached by the great Gary Ayres. Past players can contact Lawrie Canning on 0437 285 795 if they would like to attend the day or simply gather more details.
-While on BEACONSFIELD, the Eagles were paid a deliberate out of bounds against MOOROOLBARK on Saturday that caused quite a controversy in the dying stages of their EASTERN Division One clash. Trailing by five points, the Eagles received a free-kick after a Mustangs defender headed for the boundary with only one mission in mind. Eagles skipper Jake Bowd then calmly slotted the resultant free kick to give his side back a winning lead. There’s been comment from some that deliberate out of bounds should not be paid at local level…but that’s crap. Imagine the carnage if players knew they could head to the boundary line without consequence. Yes, the Mustangs were stiff, and Beacy a little lucky, but the free kick was there and the umpire did the right thing. Common sense…that’s all we’re asking for!
-The Player Points System is still a talking point around town, with a prominent “Local Football Lobbyist” ‘keeping the bastards honest’ within the four walls of AFL Victoria. Our man has some good points too, with several compromises taking place across several leagues across the state. His point is this: How can AFL Vic have so many interpretations of the points system and justify all the subjective differences across the state. It’s not a good sign nor does it give anyone confidence in the system. Volunteers are frustrated and question the integrity of AFL Vic’s approach. When you see the examples put forward, it’s hard to argue against the “lobbyist’s” case.
-While on Player Points, KILCUNDA-BASS had to compromise its starting 22 earlier this season, with the Panthers having to cut one from the herd and use just 21 players at a recent game. The Panthers went through all the right channels to make sure using 21 players was okay so they could squeeze under their points cap. The WGFNC has since informed the Panthers that it will no longer be tolerated and a full complement of 22 will be required for the remainder of the season.
-Good to see that KEYSBOROUGH player Jojo Ofosu-Amaah is out of hospital and on the mend after that distressing incident which led to the abandonment of the Skye-Keysborough match two weeks ago. Ofosu-Amaah posted a photo of himself to his Instagram page on Monday showing him leaving the hospital 16 days after the incident.
-It’s always interesting watching footy when there are quarters that have a flat length regardless of stoppages. DOVETON’S reserves clash with HAMPTON PARK saw Doveton score two behinds late with the margin sitting at less than a goal, with the Hampton Park fullback on each occasion deliberately clock managing and taking his time to collect the ball and bring it back in. After the second behind, a Dove even jumped the fence and tossed it back in to maximise the playing time remaining…it was to no avail with the Redbacks winning 40-39.
-Andy Parker did well coming up against his old side but a couple of old DOVES supporters sledged him every time the ball went in his vicinity. ‘You don’t have to worry about him,” they kept saying, despite his clear dominance in the ruck. The pair also ‘congratulated’ a Hampton park player for kicking a ball out on the full on true centre wing. When the Doveton player took the free kick and himself kicked it out on the full to give it straight back, a nearby family member of a REDBACK was only too happy to offer some chirp – more directed at those on the sidelines than the player himself.
-One of the oldest clichés in the book is that anyone can beat anyone on their day. Every year seems to be more even than the previous one, or that’s how it tends to be billed in preseason at least. Lee Hartman, the Southern Football Netball League Chief Executive hit those notes precisely when previewing the league but he’s been proven right so far. Four rounds in and six clubs from Division One sit 3-1 on the ladder with none undefeated. It’s created a logjam at the top and puts a currency on not only the four points, but also percentage, with table topping Cranbourne having a percentage of 163. By contrast, sixth-placed St Paul’s McKinnon has a percentage of 110 with the same number of wins. It’s almost as even in Division Two with second-placed Caulfield and sixth-placed Murrumbeena also all 3-1 and only separated by 47 percentage points. A shout-out, too, to the MPFNL, with 11 of the 12 clubs recording at least two wins in the opening five rounds and only one team undefeated – meaning only six points separate second placed Mornington from 11th-placed Seaford. Amid that logjam is Devon Meadows.
-There’s some eye-catching hairstyles getting around for GEMBROOK-COCKATOO in the Outer East’s Premier Division. The dashing Dean Smith possess a wicked mullet that wouldn’t look out of place on a 1980s footy card, but Damien Volta’s jumper number 11 shaved into the side of his head well-and-truly takes the cake. It was greatly appreciated by those huddled around the fire in front of the new grandstand to keep warm in chilly conditions at the top of the hill.
