"It’s all in good spirit," ROC coach Greg Tivendale (pictured addressing his charges) says of most of what is said to him on and off the footy field. 63265
SINCE returning to local footy last year, ROC coach Greg Tivendale has had no issues with crowd behaviour. In the past month, MELBOURNE high-flyer Russell Robertson and ex-Magpie, Tiger and Bulldog Aaron James have experienced problems with patrons, while Brownlow medallist Jason Akermanis found himself the target of several on-field attacks. “There’s a few comments across the fence, but it’s generally in good fun,” Tivendale said. “There’s nothing that I’ve taken to heart or that has bothered me too much. It’s all in good spirit.” Tivendale was involved in an incident against DEVON MEADOWS on 7 May but says his injury resulted from an errant arm, not a deliberate action. With numerous former AFL players in the league, it would be a shame if a handful of can-swinging heroes drove them off with unfair and persistent abuse. These players help lift the standard of the league and bring fans through the gates, as well as helping younger players with advice.
FOLLOWING on from the recent Footy Short regarding Casey Fields, it appears CRANBOURNE has been demoted to Oval No. 2. “(The City of Casey) has no consideration to the ratepayers of Casey,” Eagles coach Doug Koop said. “The ground is in perfect nick. It’s a ridiculous concept that the ratepayers of Casey get kicked off for an under-14s representative game. Well, who cares about an under-14s representative game? They can go and play on any other ground. BEACONSFIELD miss out on a good facility, as do TOORADIN in a couple of weeks. It’s quite pathetic – this council.”
THE strong form of PAKENHAM’s Luke Walker and CRANBOURNE’s Justin Berry during the recent interleague match has earned the pair a place in the VCFL training squad. Both players are experienced hands in the team, with Walker selected the past three years and Berry playing last year. The VCFL plays the VAFA on 9 July at Deakin Reserve in Shepparton. Picked in the under-19s squad are Vergim Faik (BERWICK) and Matthew Lee (NARRE WARREN).
A SERIOUS thumb injury in March threatened to derail NARRE WARREN Justin Marriott’s season. Marriott was injured at work and had to have his thumb re-attached, seemingly ruling him out for the year. Amazingly, the young midfielder played in the reserves last week. In the pre-season, Magpies coach Chris Toner predicted big things from the youngster and was disappointed he couldn’t utilise his skill and pace. However, with a strong month of form, Marriott could find himself back in the seniors.
DOVETON coach Mark Ladgrove had to work overtime to keep his players on task at Tooradin. With no under-18s curtain-raiser, the Tooradin Sports Club became the solution to jittery hands and wandering minds. “It’s unusual circumstances,” Ladgrove said. “You go down there and there’s no under-18s playing and a few distractions as far as the boys having a punt and playing the pokies. You wonder if they’re all focused on the job ahead, but to their credit, they don’t want to let down the good work they’ve done so far this year by dropping games that they are capable of winning.” The Doves got the points, although we’re not sure if they left with heavier wallets.
CASEY Radio is broadcasting four coming CRANBOURNE games. The Eagles’ home matches against BEACONSFIELD (18 June), TOORADIN-DALMORE (2 July), BERWICK (23 July) and PAKENHAM (13 August) are scheduled for broadcast. Pre-match coverage begins at 1pm with game coverage from 2pm to 5pm. Tune into 97.7FM or listen via the internet at www.3ser.org.au
THE basketball interest of his players is certainly testing the patience of POOWONG coach Brent Clinnick. Last week and on the eve of their season-defining clash against CORA LYNN, two of the Magpies’ rising stars, ruckman Connor Cunningham and Tom Lancaster, both rolled their ankles playing the hooped game and had to withdraw from Saturday’s big clash at the Cobra dome. Already this season triple best and fairest and tall forward Trevor Hooker tore his meniscus playing basketball, also at the now-cursed Poowong basketball complex. He has been sidelined for the past two months and is not expected to make a return until late in the season, if at all.
MORE bad news for NAR NAR GOON and new recruit Luke Reddie. Reddie was recruited over summer from INVERLOCH but it appears his season now over, when it had barely begun. He has undergone two lots of surgery to correct a problem with his finger but from all reports the injury has not healed and there appears to be a strong possibility the digit may have to be amputated. He becomes the third Goon player to succumb to a season-ending injury: captain Chris Adams broke his leg in a practice match and former league best and fairest Andrew Oldmeadow has a chronic shoulder injury.
CONGRATULATIONS to NEERIM NEERIM SOUTH’s Chris Urie, WARRAGUL INDUSTRIALS’ Shane Brewster and Ben Hobgen for their selection in the Victorian Country District Football League team to play the Victorian Amateurs (Division C-F) on Saturday 9 July at Deakin Reserve, Shepparton. The match will be a curtain raiser to the VCFL clash against the VAFA (Division A and B) team. The VCFL District team has a strong local flavour with four selections from the ALBERTON LEAGUE and four selections from the YARRA VALLEY MOUNTAIN league. Other players to gain selection and well known to local fans included former CATANI goal wizard, Luke James, who now plays at KILCUNDA BASS and former HAMPTON PARK coach, Josh Taylor, who is now the coach of EMERALD.
THERE were two odd and amusing incidents at MOE on Saturday. First, memories of an incident when HAWTHORN superstar Leigh Matthews snapped a goal post in a VFL game two decades ago were revived, when Lions recruit and star forward Ryan Donaldson performed the same feat and managed to sever a point post. Fortunately “Donno” pulled up in better condition than the white upright. And where were all the technicians when they were needed? Not too long afterwards, the new electronic scoreboard, part of the multi-million-dollar upgrade of the Moe ground, froze completely and red-faced officials could not fix it. Furthermore, the scoreboard showed it was not biased, adding two goals to the SALE score. But Moe fans still left the ground contented: their team made a big statement knocking over the ladder leaders to record its best win at their newly renovated ground.
DROUIN has unearthed a handy recruit in Cameron de Gooyer. From the Southern Football League in Tasmania, de Gooyer, a tall key position player, moved well and took a few nice grabs on debut against LEONGATHA on Saturday. A former GIPPSLAND POWER player, he recently moved to Garfield to work in his father’s building business. In more good news the Hawks’ former star utility, Adam Cook, who has played at WILLIAMSTOWN and WODONGA where he won VCFL selection last season, is reportedly making good progress with a back-related hamstring injury that has seen him sidelined all season. Cook was recently cleared back to DROUIN. The Hawks also hope to get a few more games into “Big” Bob McCallum, to qualify him for the finals. McCallum has played senior VFL football at FRANKSTON all season, while it would not surprise if his Dolphin teammate, Clint Proctor, also puts on the Hawks jumper a few more times this season, after reports that he has had trouble committing himself to training with the VFL club because of his work.
NILMA forward Trent Hughes, 16, impressed with six goals against NYORA on Saturday. But the youngster was still a tad disappointed – he fell one goal short of his brother, Ben, a former NORTH MELBOURNE player, who bagged seven majors playing for AINSLIE on the weekend. Hughes, his 16-year-old teammate Mat Scott and youngsters Michael Buzasi and Papua New Guinean Johnny Ikupu, are some of the rising stars around whom the Bombers hope to build a side in future years, according to Saturday’s caretaker coach Shayne Paynter, who took the helm because Brad Sinclair had to be with his father who took ill last week. Paynter was thrilled with the opportunity to coach and with the fact that it was Nilma’s first win of the season and got them off the bottom of the ladder. “We have been working towards a win for a couple of weeks now and everybody at the club is buoyed by the efforts of the boys today,” an excited Paynter said on Saturday night. “Hopefully we can build on it and win a few more matches before the season ends. I would like to say thanks for the terrific support from Debbie Tyson (club president), assistant coach Telgi and Shane Price (the chairman of selectors).”
