BRENDAN Fevola has revealed the location of his newest football adventure… YARRAWONGA. In a tweet on Tuesday night, the former CARLTON, BRISBANE and CASEY SCORPION full forward unveiled his switch to the Ovens and Murray League to become a Pigeon. Yarrawonga faces LAVINGTON in their first match, which if given the crowds for the NARRE WARREN versus NOBLE PARK match Fevola participated in this time last season, they best fill up the bar or better yet, buy an additional one for the overflow.
TWO of Gippsland’s finest footballers and crowd pleasers over the last decade Hayden and Adrian Burgiel have joined forces to oversee MAFFRA’s bid for the flag in 2012. Hayden has been appointed senior coach replacing Graham Robbins, who announced his intention to step down near the end of last season. There will be no qualms from Eagle supporters with his Burgiel’s appointment because he is a proven coach. It will be his second stint at the helm after he proved hugely successful when he took the mighty Eagles to three grand finals in three seasons and premierships in 2007 and 2008. MAFFRA supporters will also be thrilled to hear his mercurial brother Adrian has made a successful recovery from a knee reconstruction which saw him sidelined for the entire 2011 season. Somewhat surprisingly running defender Matt Johnson has announced his retirement but his departure will be more than well covered by the return to club of Matt Lee, who did not play last season due to a shoulder ailment and Michael Coleman, who has returned after one season at BACCHUS MARSH. In other news from the Eagles nest emerging utility Jack Johnstone has been nominated as an over age player for GIPPSLAND POWER in 2012 and hence unlikely to be a regular fixture in the senior team.
WITH AFL careers fast approaching, another piece of their individual league puzzles were laid down this week with BERWICK’S Matt Buntine and PAKENHAM’S Tomas Bugg getting their jumper numbers at GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY. Bugg will wear 14 and Buntine has 21 on his back. Former CASEY SCORPIONS full back Tim Mohr will wear 39 and Nick Haynes will wear 19 for the latest AFL team.
DANDENONG STINGRAYS new den of RICHMOND recruits, Todd Elton (43), Brett O’Hanlon (45) and Piva Wright (51) gained their assigned stripe number. Shepley Oval’s other league alumnus Darren Minchington will hopefully run out this year for the Saints wearing 41.
THIS year’s GIPPSLAND POWER recruits also received their numbers with Clay Smith receiving 14 at the WESTERN BULLDOGS, Sam Docherty receiving 1 at the BRISBANE, Jordan Staley gains 40 from ST KILDA, Josh Tynan will wear 46 at MELBOURNE and 45 for the dreadlocked one Danny Butcher at PORT ADELAIDE.
LEONGATHA and GIPPSLAND POWER utility Matthew Willcocks added another string to his bow with his Premier Grade Cricket debut for DANDENONG PANTHERS this bygone round. He claimed 2/41 including the wicket of up-and-coming all-rounder Clive Rose.
WHILE emphasis over summer revolves heavily around recruitment – many a clubs fortunes will depend on their existing injury list. One club that look as though they will start the season on the back foot in 2012 is ELLINBANK. The Bankers appeared to have enough talent to carry it to a finals appearance in 2011 but their season was ruined by a wretched injury toll. Unfortunately it appears their problems have not completely eased in the off season. Word has filtered through that last season’s assistant coach and muscular tall change ruckman Bryce Monahan, who was recruited from WARRAGUL and missed almost all of the 2011 season, is now scheduled to undergo a knee reconstruction and his 2012 season is as good as over. Furthermore, forward Jake Hogan, who showed plenty of promise early last season but succumbed to a knee reconstruction well before mid season, recently sustained an injury to his good knee in a work related incident and the hearsay is his 2012 season is now also over before it began.
ON A more optimistic note for ELLINBANK it is confident to gain the services of a more than handy and mature age former KORUMMBURRA player who recently attended training. However, if the rumours hold substance it may struggle to hold on to at least two of its prime movers from last season who are contemplating inviting offers from rival EDFL clubs. ELLINBANK will host a practice match at home on the 17 March against new Southern Division 3 team HALLAM, who are coached by former DOVETON and HAMPTON PARK utility Hayden Fredericks. The Bankers have re-appointed Andrew Pratt as coach while former WARRAGUL utility and ex-TRAFALGAR coach Matt Robertson assumes the deputy role this season.
AND while on injuries that may play a big part in shaping a teams chances, NYORA fans will be disappointed to hear its new Coach Cory Wilson is making a slower than expected recovery from the broken fibula he suffered in round six last season. The feisty rover is hopeful he will on target for the opening round but more realistically he will hold himself back a few weeks until he is fully fit. His assistant coach this season will be former MULGRAVE and DOVETON key position player Peter Greenstreet, who is the only big name to join the Saints, although, like many other clubs it hopes to lure a few more newcomers in the coming weeks. Under the tutelage of new fitness advisor Robbie King NYORA is upbeat it will hit the ground running and conditioning should not be an issue in the opening rounds.
TRARALGON 2011 premiership star and former coach Steve Hazelmann has announced his retirement. He played his junior football at the Maroons before stints at GIPPSLAND POWER, a long turn at BELCONNEN where he starred in the ACT prior to returning to Victoria for a successful time in the GVFL before his return to TRARALGON three seasons ago. The Maroons have also lost more experience with 2011 captain and key defender Sam McCulloch having being appointed coach at YINNAR. Former GIPPSLAND POWER midfielder Kane Grinstead-Jones, who was desperately unlucky and disappointed to miss a spot in the Maroons 2011 premiership team, has followed McCulloch to YINNAR and should be a star in the mid-Gippsland league. Another young gun Hayden Hector, a regular in the best for GIPPSLAND POWER last season and who played in the Maroons flag winning team has joined WILLIAMSTOWN and his brother Damian is also showing interest in joining the inner bay side VFL team, if a job interest falls in place. A big plus for TRARALGON is the return of experienced rover Tom McQualter. Many fans thought his football career was finished when he snapped an Achilles two season’s ago. He is back on the training track and a big chance to play in the opening round against WARRAGUL on 14 April. McQualter is the elder brother of Andrew, who was delisted a few months ago after 89 games with STKILDA but has been given a lifeline and will line up for the GOLD COAST Suns this season.
