MORE news from CORA LYNN suggests that BEACONSFIELD premiership defender Ben Collins has rejected an offer to join his brother David at ROC in favour of the EDFL-based Cobras.
Many were tipping that Cora Lynn was in its death throes, but after the announcement that new coach Chris Toner and assistant Kane Airdrie had jumped aboard, the momentum has continued and a number of Ellinbank League rivals will be following the Cobras’ current progress with trepidation.
BERWICK officials are nothing if not committed to recruiting the best players they can and proof of that comes with the news that former EDITHVALE-ASPENDALE and BONBEACH ruck star Kane Batzloff is close joining the crew at the Edwin Flack Reserve.
Batzloff played amateur football last season, but is tipped to return to the paid ranks in 2006 with the Wickers first in line for his services.
VFL club CASEY SCORPIONS’ arrival in the district has been met with a mixture of hesitation, suspicion and plain negativity by Casey-Cardinia clubs.
Excluding CRANBOURNE, that is moving to Casey Fields with the Scorpions, few of the club officials canvassed last week were sure that the transfer of the club would be beneficial to their club or the league.
Already a number of Casey-Cardinia players including BERWICK big man Dale Robinson and KEYSBOROUGH young gun Daniel Morland have decided to try their luck at the higher level and more are tipped to follow.
One club a little more positive about the move is HAMPTON PARK that has a link to the Scorpions through former Redback coach Brad Sinclair.
WHILE on things HAMPTON PARK, confident rumours from Redbackland suggest that coach Jason Chapple has attracted several former CHELSEA teammates to the Casey-Cardinia League’s 2005 surprise finalists.
Seagull Justin Grosveld will coach the Redback reserves and Chelsea names linked to the club include Brent Heib, Robbie Lancaster, Eric Singh and Dane Rawlings.
Added to that is the potential arrival of former BONBEACH full-forward Scott Gilder and PEARCEDALE ruckman Steve Watson.
Just to top things off, it is also being whispered that one of four former SPRINGVALE players could also appear in the red and black next year.
Stay tuned.
TOORADIN has also been quietly going about the business of building its Casey-Cardinia stocks.
Apart from the club’s concerted push to field an under-18 team next year, the Seagulls have apparently been talking to KEYSBOROUGH spearhead Luke McGuiness.
A Burra source said that the strong-marking forward was among those to tell the club that he would assess his options over the break and Tooradin will no doubt be hoping he has a penchant for the sea air.
LEAGUE goal kicking record holder and former MORNINGTON coach Simon Goosey is said to have shaken on a deal to play with DROMANA under former TOORADIN coach Steve Hamill.
Goosey has been appointed as a forward coach with the WESTERN BULLDOGS in 2006, but his schedule allows him most Saturdays off, which will see him in the Tigers goalsquare more often than not.
Now that’s a coup!
MPNFL clubs voted against two amendments to the Player Point System at a presidents meeting on Monday night. A motion was put to exclude either a playing coach or one ‘marquee’ player from the points total, allowing clubs to target former AFL stars, but it was rejected. A second motion that would have seen players who remained loyal to a club after coming from a higher level have their points reduced by one per year, also failed. A league spokesman said that the results were ‘fairly decisive’ and that that would likely be the end of it this year.
THE VCFL has advised its affiliated leagues that the 2006 Country Championships will be held on the weekend of 27 and 28 May instead of the originally fixtured 21 and 22 May.
IN other footy news:
– Highly regarded former BERWICK coach Tony Blackford has been appointed as an assistant coach with FRANKSTON DOLPHINS in the VFL.
– DINGLEY has confirmed that 2005 best and fairest and Gazette Team of the Year member, Heath Barnes has decamped back to his SFL club ST PAUL’S, despite his father David taking over as the Dingoes’ senior coach next year.
– KEYSBOROUGH is reported to have signed a star player from PORTARLINGTON to add to its recruits.
