**An unfortunate unfolding for OFFICER’s Nick McLennan as the club favourite was run out for a diamond duck on Saturday. After Agamjot Dhindsa was dismissed and McLennan came to the non-striker’s end, Rajitha Ranaweera hit a nice shot down the ground and made the call of two. However, a direct hit from AJ Claxton in the deep left McLennan a little short without facing a ball.
**Being run out is pretty bad, but so is losing your middle stump, like actually losing it to the point where it breaks in half. That’s what happened to HALLAM KALORA PARK’S Josh Bethune last weekend in the DDCA Turf 1, as Toby Wills knocked him over for a duck and smashed the stump in two pieces.
**Speaking of Toby Wills, the BERWICK fast bowler currently has ridiculous match figures of 7/10 against HALLAM KALORA PARK, and with an outright victory in sight this weekend and seven wickets still to be taken … how many could Wills end up with?
**Andrew Ferrier made the rounds on social media over the weekend when he ended EMERALD’s E Grade innings with six straight sixes in the final over. The madness led him to posting a century with 124 not out off just 66 balls.
**It’s no secret that Josh Westra is a multi-sport superstar. The emerging talent has looked extremely promising as an opening bat for UPPER BEACONSFIELD this season whilst he also won Best Team Player at the OFFICER footy club best-and-fairest. That’s not where it ends, as Westra is also a talented basketballer. However, he wasn’t able to play for the Maroons on the weekend after injuring his ankle playing social basketball last week.
**MERINDA PARK E Grade skipper Chris Williams searched for answers against TOORADIN on Saturday as everyone in the XI except keeper Gerard Healy got to have a bowl. Unfortunately, it’s back to the drawing board for the Cobras as they lost by five wickets.
FOOTY SHORTS
**PAKENHAM boy Tyson Goldsack is set to return to Victoria in 2026 to take up a coaching role with Collingwood, where he will be the club’s backline coach. Goldsack has risen quickly through the coaching ranks, having plied his early trade as coach at Port Adelaide, where he spent the tail end of his career.
**A big boost for GARFIELD, which has confirmed the acquisition of clever forward Will Papley from NEERIM SOUTH. Papley was named in the CATS’ best in all but two games in 2025, helping them to the premiership and he is the latest in a catalogue of significant losses for NEERIM SOUTH ahead of 2026, with Mason McGarrity and Lachie Bambridge also shifting to the West Gippy Competition, set to line up for WARRAGUL INDUSTRIALS.
**Few local clubs have been as busy as KOOWEERUP this off-season, which is positioning itself well to surge up the West Gippsland Football Netball Competition table in 2025. Under new coach Darren Hulme, Mitch Gibson, Lachie Saunders and Corey Battams have all joined from the Mornington Peninsula Football Netball League across the past week after announcing Northern Territorians Taj Stanley and Brodie Lake would join earlier in the off-season.
**TOORADIN, too, has announced a significant signing, with star defender and former Ferntree Gully skipper Lachie Young joining the club.
**LANG LANG has announced former VFL-listed Jesse Murphy will join the club in a playing assistant coaching capacity as new coach Josh Beard’s panel starts to take shape.
**Congratulations to PHILLIP ISLAND Football Netball Club for taking out AFL Victoria’s Community Sustainability award, announced last week.
**Congratulations to 2024 GIPPSLAND POWER alumni Asher Eastham, who earned a one-year contract extension with Gold Coast earlier this week. Eastham was taken at pick 17 in last year’s rookie draft and finished equal seventh in the Suns’ VFL best and fairest after playing the season in the state league.
**PEARCEDALE was recently presented as the club of the year at the Southern Umpires Awards (SUA), an honour which recognises the club’s commitment to respect, hospitality and genuine support towards the umpires.
**After winning six netball premierships this year, HAMPTON PARK has been on the front foot with signings, with most of the club’s junior netball coaches already announced ahead of 2026. The Redbacks also recently enjoyed their 70th year anniversary, with a function enjoyed by many.
