By Ken Moore and Mark Gullick
WHISPERS are the Casey Cardinia League may be a 10-team competition next year. Movers and shakers at KEYSBOROUGH are exploring the possibility of joining the Southern Football League, along with VAFA club Parkdale. Keysborough was formed in 1947 and joined the MPNFL in 1994 after spending its life until then in the South West Gippsland Football League. The move would eliminate the bye, although a split round may be implemented to ensure players, coaches, officials and supporters get some rest during the long season. Keysborough coach Brad Canavan said his team is focusing on the football – and not on the off-field rumours. “I have no idea what it’s all about,” he said. “I ignore all that sort of stuff. I’ve got a job to do to try and keep educating these blokes as footballers.” Watch this space.
TEAM lists are finalised for the season, following the closing of clearances on 30 June. While there was some movement around the league, none of the top sides added any late signings for the run to the finals.
RETIREMENT is proving hard for two stars of last year’s finals series. Steve Kidd, who won the best-on-ground award in NARRE WARREN’S premiership, has joined GEMBROOK-COCKATOO. Meanwhile, ex-BEACONSFIELD forward Lachlan Oakley will play with the Parkdale Vultures.
PAKENHAM welcomes back the league’s other “Fev” this weekend … David Fevaleaki. The excitement machine, who has played with the BENDIGO PIONEERS, PYRAMID HILL and ELMORE, has been holidaying in Amsterdam. The pacy Fevaleaki won the 2006 Heathcote and District league best and fairest. No doubt he was keeping himself fit for the Lions’ big second half of the year.
IN ONLY its second season in the Ellinbank District Football League, GARFIELD is perched at the top of the ladder and undefeated after 13 rounds. Rival clubs and those folk who take little notice of the lower grades may also be interested to know – and perhaps even a little disconcerted – that the Stars are quietly building a pretty strong base across all age groups to ensure it is in good nick for the future. While the Stars reserves will not play in the finals this season, all of its other teams are travelling impressively. The thirds, fourths and fifths are firmly entrenched in the top six and, barring an unlikely downturn in fortunes, all will get a double chance and be a big chance to make play in the grand final. Furthermore, in the WDJFL, its under-14s are top of table, its two under-12 teams sit first and third and its two under-10 teams occupy first and second. The club’s junior development in recent years is also starting to pay handsome dividends, with six under-18 players having already played in the seniors this season. The latest was 15-year-old Eddie Morris, who played his second game on Saturday against LONGWARRY and did not look intimidated on the big stage. Remarkably, he is still eligible for the under-15.5s. The other players still eligible to play thirds but have played senior football this year are Saxon Watson and Dylan Collis, who were well performed and regular seniors last year, Joe and Harry Cregan and Ryan Louch. Suffice to say, GARFIELD is club championship leader this season. It is hard to believe that in the summer of 2009, GARFIELD was on the brink of folding. Less than three years later, it appears on the verge of becoming a powerhouse.
WE touched on the closeness of the top teams in the GFL a few weeks back. Now a similar pattern is emerging in the EDFL, with only two games separating second from sixth. Aside from Garfield being three games clear, the other clubs are taking it in turns in second spot. LANG LANG sits second at present but such is the tightness of the competition that before its round 12 clash against GARFIELD, WARRAGUL INDUSTRIALS occupied second. Now, after round 13, the Dusties are sixth and under pressure from the reigning premiers, NAR NAR GOON, which is outside the top six. It makes for an enthralling last six rounds.
POOWONG’S talented forward Kael Bergles became the first EDFL goalkicker to break the half century on Saturday, against LANG LANG. But it is fair to say he is not quite the danger he was back in 2009, when he terrorised opposition defences with his wizardry to boot 99 goals in the Bombers’ flag win. While his 51 goals represent a respectable average of 4.25 goals a week, a breakdown of his figures reveals some interesting facts. Bergles has not kicked more than three goals against any of the top six sides. In two appearances against LANG LANG, he snared three goals on both occasions, against GARFIELD he got two, against BUNYIP he kicked three and did not trouble the scorer when he played both NEERIM NEERIM SOUTH and CORA LYNN. So effectively, he has kicked 11 goals at an average of 1.8 against the teams in the top six and 40 goals at an average of 6.7 per game against those teams outside the top six. The battle to head the goalkicking table is picking up because hot on Bergles’ heels are LANG LANG’S John Nichols and LONGWARRY’S Luke Serong, both on 48 goals, while CORA LYNN’s Ryan Gillis has 47. This trio will have the enigmatic Bergles in their sights.
NYORA is disappointed it may have lost the services of star forward Geoff Hibberd for the rest of the season. Hibberd, who was recruited from SOMERVILLE, has kicked 26 goals in 10 matches and has proved to be one of the buys of the season. But he has cited work commitments for his unavailability over the past two rounds. Struggling to avoid the ignominy of winning the wooden spoon, the Saints can ill afford to lose a player of his ilk and especially if it has aspirations to rise above the lower rungs next season. Hibberd’s brother Michael, a former DANDENONG STINGRAY, is making a name for himself at AFL level with ESSENDON, after being picked up in the first round of the 2011 pre-season draft from the FRANKSTON DOLPHINS in the VFL.
TWO players with soccer backgrounds made impressive Aussie Rules debuts on Saturday. POOWONG unveiled Ben Watson, a brother of CRANBOURNE midfield recruit Daniel. Ben has played just three games of football, all in the Magpies reserves, but his form warranted senior selection and on Saturday he made the most of his chance. According to insiders, he looks a natural talent. He showed plenty of pace and was clever – and will not be going back to the Magoos in a hurry. And MORWELL unearthed a pacy wingman by the name of Adrian Fazioli, who gave the Tigers tremendous drive against WARRAGUL. Fazioli plays soccer for the Falcons in the Gippsland Soccer League and on Sunday fronted up to play for them in the round-ball game.
A PICTURE on the back page of the football supplement last week attributed LONGWARRY coach Grant McDonald with dishing off a handball against KOOWEERUP. We’ve since been advised by Crow insiders that McDonald did not play as he is still nursing a chronic shoulder problem likely to keep him sidelined for some time. We are told the photo was of Daniel Kidd, the brother of former NARRE WARREN stalwart and now GEMBROOK star Stephen. Will the Crows make a play for Stephen over summer?
