Anyone else enjoying Jason Bennett calling the AFL tonight? There's no hype or hoopla about him; he prefers restraint. Yet he still manages to entertain and inform. He's a class act.
Young Ryan Mann was assaulted as he umpired a local match three years ago. It didn't put him off doing something he enjoys. Today he umpired a NAB League Boys match at Frankston Park. And did a damn good job.
An AFL coach gets word that an elderly supporter of the club is in palliative care. The coach doesn’t know her. But without fuss or fanfare he made time on Monday to drop in for a surprise visit. It lifted the lady’s spirits to the skies. Well done, Alastair Clarkson.
Five days since the demise of the Northern Blues, their president of 13 years, Steve Papal, has heard not a sound from the AFL or VFL, no message of any sort to acknowledge the end of a 138-year-old Victorian football club. That’s more than disappointing.
It’s a disgrace.
Oh Sammy. He made his start with us at Leader in 2008.We fell for his enthusiasm, his gentle ways and his ability to turn a nifty phrase, and we sent him into town and watched him flourish. He was a beautiful young man and so dedicated to his craft. Oh Sammy, we love you to bits.
Leading Herald Sun sports journalist Sam Landsberger has died in a tragic accident in Richmond this morning.
Our thoughts are with his family and friends. ❤️
TRIBUTES:
The AFL rookie draft is a farce. It was introduced in 1997 for players aged 18 to 23 and it's launched a lot of great careers. But these days it's often used as a parking bay for players closer to the finish than the start. It's nonsense.
The fellow in the green top running messages to Noble Park Under 12 players on a cold and windy Sunday afternoon?
Magpie star Adam Treloar, co-coach of the team this year as he puts back into his junior club. And don’t the kids love him?
Please keep ex-Bomber Jason Winderlich in your thoughts tonight. He's in the Alfred with a suspected spinal injury after being injured in local football today.
Tim Rogers rocks. And plays a bit of cricket. The You Am I frontman and Dirk Nannes joined Gideon Haigh in the South Yarra C grade team today and he made 9no in an unbeaten stand of 32 to get the Yarras home by two wickets. Haigh scored 46 and Nannes took 2-21.
Know of a fella in the bush who is doing it tough. He’s a Carlton man. One of his mates asked an ex-Bluebagger to send him a video message for his birthday. He did, quickly and happily. It made the fella’s day. It will probably make his year. Well done, Brendan Fevola.
Breaking and sad news: Fred Cook, the full forward who kicked goals galore for Port Melbourne in the old VFA and played league football for Footscray, has died peacefully at the age of 74. He was only a legend.
Sue Allan lost her husband, David (the former president of Noble Park FC), last Friday. Today she served as trainer of the Oakleigh Chargers, which she’s been doing for 25 years. ‘It’s like home,’ she said. She’s sure football will help get her through. Go Sue. ❤️
Rob Quiney bows out of
@vicpremcricket
after 169 matches for St Kilda. Made his debut in 2001-02. Hit 5019 runs with 11 centuries and 21 half-centuries, played in premierships, played for Victoria, played for Australia, won respect and friends wherever he played. Champion.
A happy day for ex-Lion and Don Damian Cupido. He kicked 14.8 to bring up his century and lead Girgarre to the finals for the first time in 21 years. 👏
The fellow on the track at Mordialloc training tonight looks familiar. Yep, it's Dermott Brereton, guiding Mordi's young forwards. Asked by coach Brendon Moore to run an eye over the lads, he dropped everything to get there. Dermott does that often.
Bradley Erasmus and newsman Tom Morris come off the ground at Bonbeach after their opening partnership of 0-428 for South Caulfield today in the Championship division of Cricket Southern Bayside. Both hit 203 not out.
Vale Barry Round, a giant of the VFL and then the VFA, where he won the JJ Liston Trophy to go with his Brownlow. Won a Norm Goss Medal with Williamstown too at age 40. Played league and association football in the 1960s, 70s, 80s and 90s. A champion from head to toe.
A day after being told he wouldn't be reappointed, the great Gary Ayres fronted up to coach Port Melbourne for the 254th occasion. And he made a point of thanking the supporters who just happened to be drifting past Arden St and caught a bit of the game against the Kangas.
Thousands of young cricketers wanted to be like Deano, chewing the gum, tugging the cap, skipping down the pitch, swinging sixes, batting boldly, grinning broadly. What a loss.
Hope the Pies pick up the horn and call Craig McRae, the Hawthorn assistant and 2019 Richmond VFL premiership coach. He's the type of grounded and gracious fellow who should be guiding young men.
This pic of Will Pucovski and his father, Jan, has had more runs than The Brady Bunch. Leader took it after he made the Vic Under 12 schoolboys team. Today he’s a Test cricketer. Good luck to ‘Puc’.
Pretty big occasion in local football today when 16-year-old Cooper Harvey plays his first senior game for North Heidelberg alongside his dad, AFL great Brent, still getting a kick at the age of 43. Brilliant.
Brody Mihocek, Lachie Schultz, Kane Lambert, Adam Saad, Michael Gibbons.... was a good round for players drafted from the VFL. It remains a worthy competition and a reliable source of mature-age recruits. Never underestimate it.
Well, there you. VFL star Michael Gibbons, overlooked in this year’s drafts despite another superb season for Williamstown, invited to train at Carlton. Brilliant news for him. Go Gibbo.
Utterly devastating news out of the VFL, with the Northern Blues closing the doors after ending their alignment with Carlton. Club was formed as Preston 138 years ago. Holy hell.
Brandon Ryan was training with the Northern Bullants tonight when a couple of teammates doing rehab heard he'd been drafted and raced on to the ground to tell him. He's on the horn to Hawthorn right now. Love these VFL stories.
Time to send out a search party for Jason Bennett. He’s a terrific commentator - accurate, knowledgeable and entertaining - but he’s been missing from the box since calling the AFLW semi-finals. Hope he’s found soon. He’s a class act.
The bloke in the beanie turning the sausages at Cramer St today? That would be former Test opener Matthew Elliott, volunteering for the Northern Bullants. Son Will is playing for the Ants, and he's a nice prospect.
Glenn Maxwell rang
@fitzdonc
skipper Ejaaz Alavi at 1pm yday asking if he could play in the
@VicSuperSlam
(which was starting at 5.15pm). Of course, said Alavi. So he did. And he blasted 125no to help the Lions chase down Northcote's 3-180. The Lions love him. And he them. ⭐️
How about Will Sutherland? After he was dismissed in Prahran's First XI match today, the big fellow heard the Fourth XI had only 10 in the field. So the Victorian captain, without being asked, went out as a sub against Geelong.
Interesting story doing the rounds about a suburban club and its salary cap last year. The club couldn’t fit a certain player in the cap, so he played for nothing. But he did happen to win the club’s two major raffles....
What about this little bloke? Mark Penaluna has been Werribee's CEO for 21 years and still does EVERYTHING around the place. Well done to him and his football club.
Remember when Richmond used to make it to ninth on the ladder? Now the Tigers just make grand finals. Tremendous for the supporters who stood behind them so staunchly. Mighty club.
Tim Sim’s great mate Damian Devola has informed us that Tim lost his long battle with cancer last night. May he be in peace. All strength to his young family.
How about Jai Newcombe? First went to Box Hill Hawks to make up numbers for a scratch match. Fifteen months later he's preparing for an AFL debut. Six VFL games bridge his football for Poowong seniors and Hawthorn. Stunning.
We took this pic of Jake and Brett Bowey last November, when the young fella was a draft hopeful. Less than 12 months later - and after six games - he'll be playing in a grand final for the Dees. Go the little red top.
The September 23 announcement for Victoria pretty much ends the season for a lot of local football leagues. Just received a message from a senior coach saying coaches have 'also been counsellors, motivators and personal trainers for two years now ...and we're cooked'.
The Northern Blues were effectively dead early last year when Carlton ended the VFL alignment. Good men like Stevie Papal, Josh Fraser and Tom Wilson dug in to bring the club back as the Northern Bullants. And today they knocked over Carlton by 32 points. Play that Ant music.
There's Cometti. There's McAvaney. And there's Hudson. 'Huddo' is a great, great commentator. He seems to say the right things at exactly the right times.
Well done to the VFL clubs. They basically banded together for a few weeks to administer the league and push towards a season. Starts on Aug 1, seven rounds, a top four, three weeks of finals. And a ‘super series’ for VFL W players too. Good results.
South Caulfield pair Tom Morris and Bradley Erasmus after their 428-run stand today in Cricket Southern Bayside. Both made 203no. Erasmus, a former County Second XI player, hit 11 fours and 8 sixes. Morris put away 20 fours and 3 sixes.
Brendon Goddard knew grand final disappointment in the AFL. He got a flag yesterday in the VAFA, with Caulfield Grammarians in Premier B. Kicked a couple in a thumping win over Old Scotch.
Richmond VFL coach Craig McRae reappointed for the next two years. No surprise; grand final in 2017, minor premiership in 2018, has turned around the VFL program. Much admired figure in the league too.
Michael Gibbons ... 25 possessions, 4 tackles for Carlton tonight. The VFL’s two-time JJ Liston Trophy winner paid his dues, and he’s a little nugget for the Blues. Love it.
New Cat Shaun Mannagh turned up unannounced at Werribee this afternoon, poked his head into office and thanked the admin staff. He's a class act, on and off the field.
The Carrum Third XI was in trouble when local cricket resumed today, slumping to 4-5. Enter ABC sports wiz Paul Kennedy and his 12-year-old son Gus. They put on an unbroken 146, ‘PK’ cracking 106no and young Gus a chanceless 32no. And Carrum defeated Langwarrin. 🏏
Last day at Cricket Victoria today for Shaun Graf, who started as its cricket operations manager 28 years ago. He joined St Kilda in Premier Cricket in 1975 and went on to the international stage, a long way from where it all started, at Somerville. Well played Shaun Graf.
Benny Cavarra
Two VFL best and fairests
Three VFL teams of the year
Two TAC Cup best and fairests
Morrish Medal
TAC Cup Medal as best-afield in Under 18 grand final
The only thing he didn’t win was the half-time raffle. Hope he gets a million kicks for the Dogs.
So sad to learn of the death of former top ABC commentator and leading amateur player Ross Booth. 'He was synonymous with the ABC coverage for many years, and much respected and admired,' former VFA GM Martin Stillman said. Vale Ross.
Mark Baguley was 25 when Essendon drafted him from Frankston, where he was pushed up by Simon Goosey. He started as a rookie and played 134 AFL games over eight seasons, determination the foundation of his game. Well played to him.
World’s going bonkers. Last year Springvale Districts FNC, a model community sports club, turned a shipping container into a little corporate box and made a good dollar. Now the local council has banned it. Sheesh...
Kingston Hawthorn CC coach Peter Marshall raving about Glenn Maxwell’s appearance at Walter Galt Reserve in
@vicpremcricket
on Saturday. He signed a stack of autographs for 150 kids at the ground, competed hard, never stopped smiling. Love hearing these stories.
Heard a great story last night about a former AFL coach. He showed up to a local game recently, watched all of it, liked what he saw from both teams and, with no fuss or fanfare, put $1000 on the bar after the game. A great of the game and a class act.
Kyle Martin does it again.The Noble Park champion has won his 10th best and fairest in 11 years and his fourth on the spin for the Bulls.
Marto's medals:
Haileybury 2008
Noble Park 2009
Noble Park 2011
Frankston VFL 2012
Collingwood VFL 2013, '14
Noble Park 2015, '16, '17, '18
Say it every year: don't forget Fred Cook for the Australian football hall of fame. 300 VFA games, more than 1300 goals, six premierships for Port Melbourne, a Liston Trophy at Yarraville. And in the 1970s was almost as big as the association itself.
If you know Frankston VFL timekeeper and Richmond CC scorer Michael Robinson, keep him in your thoughts and, if you're so inclined, your prayers. He's in ICU at The Alfred after a terrible car accident on Saturday. Go 'Robbo'.
Those knee injuries have cost Alex Woodward a lot of football. But a nice milestone for the VFL Maggie this week: his 50th senior match. He’s worked to the knuckle for every one of them. Hope he gets 50 touches.
Fish Creek's 1991 premiership cup, still in one piece after the fire that flattened the clubrooms on Saturday morning. A bit like the club, it's a durable product.
How about Rob Quiney? He gets caught for 4 in his return match for his junior club, Washington Park. And as soon as he’s dismissed he walks back out to umpire at square leg for 20 overs. He’s a beauty.
And after Dermott did a session with the senior forwards he drifted over and took the Mordialloc Under 19s for their training. The club was thrilled to ribbons. Dermott is class.
The fellow on the track at Mordialloc training tonight looks familiar. Yep, it's Dermott Brereton, guiding Mordi's young forwards. Asked by coach Brendon Moore to run an eye over the lads, he dropped everything to get there. Dermott does that often.
This red-faced little bloke has been CEO of Werribee FC for 20 years. He does everything; today he was even lugging ice to the bar in the outer. Hope Mark Penaluna had a tiny drink of his own after the Bees' preliminary final win. He's been a great servant of that club.
Former Brownlow Medal champion and Victorian batsman Peter Bedford is 73. Yesterday he filled in for the Malvern fourths in
@SubbiesCricket
. He��s a bloody marvel.
Here's the last ball of that Dandenong District Turf 4 grand final, when Springy South's Adam Read whacked the last ball of the match for six. Mind the fruity language.