IT’S come to the end of another sporting year and that means it is also time for a look at the trials and tribulations of some our favourite sporting clubs as they settle in for their Yuletide festivities. Next week’s final Gazette of 2009 will feature Kenny and Tangles’ end-of-year draft, with the two sporting scribes taking one last light-hearted dig at football clubs across the district by suggesting who or what would be their “best-fit” draftee for 2010. Word has it that local lawyers have already been put on law-suit alert so don’t miss next week’s Pakenham-Berwick Gazette.
CORA LYNN and PAKENHAM junior club officials have made it quite clear that, although the Cobras are starting up their own junior club based in Pakenham, the two clubs are separate entities and will not be playing out of the venue, as reported a fortnight ago. Pakenham will remain based at the Toomuc Reserve while the new Cora Lynn junior sides will play their home games at a different, but as yet unannounced, venue in the town. Cobra officials are hoping that the launch of their new club will attract its share of players from across the rapidly growing area and predict that there will be enough youngsters keen for a game to cover both clubs in 2010.
COULD this possibly be true? Strong word out of PAKENHAM suggests that former coach and star defender Travis Murphy is quietly training with a view to making a comeback to the field in 2010. A Gazette tipster and the Lions runner this year, Murphy has apparently been spied in full flight recently and one observer said the 30-something year-old was looking serious. Murphy, who was described as “the slowest runner in the league” this year by DOVETON counterpart Stuart Batten, may well have his eye on the back pocket just vacated by fellow veteran Tom O’Loughlin.
STAR LONGWARRY centre-halfback Ken Towt has signed with Mid Gippsland League club BOOLARA. The super-consistent Towt has towelled up the best forwards in the EDFL over many years and will be hard to replace.
In more bad news for the Crows, plucky wingman and 2008 best and fairest runner-up Danny Wells is headed for KILCUNDA-BASS next season, while triple best and fairest and club captain Tye Holland is weighing up an offer from Geelong Football League team ST ALBANS.
On a positive note, Longwarry has been in discussion with YARRAGON utility and 2009 Mid-Gippsland League best and fairest Ben Damschke, who formerly played with the club and officials are confident that he will return over summer. After one season at BULN BULN, Grant McDonald has returned to the club and will be the Crows’ senior coach in 2010, while off field, Peter Farley has replaced Ann-Marie van der Heyden as president.
DOVETON looks to have lost another two senior grand final players with news that young gun forward Daniel Zarjac is on his way to NARNARGOON and defender Peter Greenstreet departing the Casey Cardinia League for ROWVILLE in 2010. Zarjac’s departure has come out of the blue and will be a huge blow, while Greenstreet has been interviewed by a number of clubs since the end of the season, including the Doves’ CCL rivals BERWICK. Another of the clubs interested in the burly backman was Peninsula League battler PINES, which also recently chased new Doveton assistant coach Ryan Hendy as their senior coach. However, the books at Pines are now closed after they announced the signing of recent MELBOURNE delistee Matt Whelan and former SYDNEY SWAN Nick Davis.
FURTHER to a couple of titbits in last week’s Footy Shorts, BEACONSFIELD ruckman Chris Kelf is heading north, not west, and will fly to Darwin after Christmas to play with the WARRATAHS in the NTFL. Kelf will renew acquaintances with ex-PAKENHAM and GARFIELD champion Lincoln Withers who is the side’s coach this year. And second, NYORA’s fight to regain the services of TOORADIN midfielder Rory Gilliatte is for knowledge rather than marks and kicks because Gilliatte will miss most, if not all, of the 2010 season after knee surgery this year.
NILMA DARNUM premiership star Jamie Cann is set to join the list of players to leave the Bombers and Alberton League club TARWIN LOWER has firmed as the favourite to secure his services, most likely as its senior coach. Cann was a prolific ball winner who played 120 VFL games at SPRINGVALE, NORTHERN BULLANTS and with TASMANIA before moving to Nilma Darnum where he won back-to-back best and fairest awards in 2008 and 2009. CRANBOURNE and BERWICK were both keen on his services but missed the boat.
