Leongatha’s Matthew Willcocks, pictured playing for the Gippsland Power, looks likely to strap on the boots for the Parrots next season. 66990 Picture: Jarrod Potter
By Ken Moore
After the recent signing of top PAKENHAM forward Nathan Lieshout, BUNYIP received more good news last week when it’s no frills captain Jack Fitzpatrick revealed he will now defer a planned trip overseas until the 2012 season has finished. Fitzpatrick has been the mainstay of the Bulldogs defence for well over five seasons and has regularly shut-down the best league forwards. In a team lacking height he has also filled an important role as change ruckman and with good success.
Word has it that BUNYIP’s 2011 assistant coach Brad Walker, who stepped down from his role at the end of the season and was replaced by star recruit Nathan Lieshout, was keen to take on the captain’s role this season but with Fitzpatrick now available his hopes may have diminished. Aside from Luke teHennepe, a former BUNYIP player who played in the NARRE WARREN reserves premiership team this season, the Bulldogs have not confirmed any more new recruits at this stage but speculation swirls it will announce a few handy pick-ups in the upcoming weeks.
New CATANI coach Ben Scanlon has persuaded his brother Seamus to join him at Taplin’s Road in 2012. The younger Scanlon is a competitive defender whose game blossomed after he moved from NAR NAR GOON to LANG LANG in 2008. That season he was an integral part of Tigers line up and went on to play in their grand final team that lost to CORA LYNN. However, he may be a tad rusty having not played football for two seasons due to an overseas venture. Former Blue tall utility Ben Nobelius, who has played with PAKENHAM reserves this season, has returned to the club and his experience will be welcomed by the Blues, as they have lost a lot of maturity in recent years. Whether the Jose brothers, Brad and Jai who both joined this season from LONGWARRY stay at the club is unknown. CATANI do not hold terribly high hopes after their father Graeme was overlooked for the coaching job. The club opted to advertise for a playing coach.
LEONGATHA has appointed Tas Clingan, a half back from WANGARATTA ROVERS as an assistant coach in 2012. He will support new coach Will Thursfield who played 77 senior games at RICHMOND but retired from AFL football two months ago. Clingan was also a Tiger rookie alongside Thursfield at Punt road. Pacey FOSTER goal sneak Jake Best has also joined the Parrots and if the gossip mill is correct, a big name VFL key position player is also set to sign on in the next few weeks. On the other side of the coin, star young forward Nick Nagle has left the club to play with Eastern League team NORWOOD and another young gun, centreman Tom Marriot will try his luck in the VFL with BOX HILL. Parrot fans will be keen to know it looks likely to retain GIPPSLAND POWER tall forward Matt Willcocks.
While the Ellinbank and District Football league welcome six new coaches in 2012 to its 15 team competition the coaching churn rate in the Gippsland Football league next season will be greater, percentage wise. In the 10 team GFL competition there will be five new coaches. The new mentors will be MOE’s Jason McFarlane, LEONGATHA’S Will Thursfield, BAIRNSDALE’S Alistair Ford, SALE’S Matt Ferguson and MAFFRA’S Hayden Burgiel, the later who will undertake his second stint at the Eagles.
The EDFL will only have one non-playing coach in 2012 and the trend is also popular in the GFL with George Morgan at WARRAGUL and Alistair Ford at BAIRNSDALE, the only two men that will supervise from the sidelines.
