THREE Kyabram footballers have been named in the initial Victoria Country squad to contest the Brian Moloney Cup against the Victorian Amateur Football Association.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
Mick Mattingly, Lachie Smith and Kayne Pettifer have been named in the initial squad of 58 players to meet the Amateurs at Carlton’s Ikon Park on July 13. There is a general bye in the GVL on that weekend.
Other GVL clubs who have players in the Big V squad are Jason Cole, Zac Keogh (Seymour), JD Hayes (Benalla), Ted Lindon (Shepparton), Nick Warnock (Benalla), Brett Mahoney (Mansfield) and former Kyabram player Brad Ryan now with Tatura.
Shepparton’s joint reigning Morrison Medallist Nick Rokahr now playing with VFL side Geelong and Geelong Football League club Bell Park is also in the squad which will be pruned to a final 22 players after three training sessions.
Mattingly and Cole along with Rochester’s Steve Stroobants were GVL players to represent Victoria County in last year’s clash.
Tribunal
Kyabram Football Club’s veteran former Richmond player Kayne Pettifer will face the GVL tribunal tonight on a ‘‘unbecoming conduct in engaging in rough play’’ charge arising out of the recent game against Euroa.
The Euroa club lodged a complaint against Pettifer which was investigated by an AFL Victorian country investigation officer who referred the matter to the tribunal.
Pettifer kicked eight goals against the Shepparton Swans last Saturday to regain top spot on the GVL goalkicking list from teammate Kyle Mueller.
Another Kyabram player Luke Morris will again spend this Saturday on the sidelines after being suspended last week for two games after an incident in the Benalla-Kyabram clash two weeks ago.
Junior star
The feat of Kyabram teenager Charlie Barnett making the Victorian Under 15 football team to compete in the National titles in Tasmania in August has posed an interesting question.
Just how many Kyabram footballers have represented their State at junior level over the years?
When I am referring to junior level I mean any age groups from Under 18 downwards.
My first recollection of a Kyabram player making a State junior team goes back into the 1950s when Les Whyte had the honour.
But there has been a consistent stream since, particularly over the last 30 or 40 years.
The most recent players to have earned the honour is Coby McCarthy now playing at Tongala and Riley Ironside, currently with the Bendigo Pioneers.
Others I can think of to have represented the Big V include Garry Lyon and Kayne Pettifer, who have both had distinguished AFL careers, and Paul and Dallas Normington. I know I’ve missed a few and if you know any player I can add to this list give me a call on 5852 2579 or email gus.underwood@kyfreepress.com.au
Goddard outgunned
Former Kyabram footballer Ben McDonell was given a tough assignment by his club in a recent game.
Now playing with Monash Blue in the Premier B grade amateurs competition in Melbourne Ben got the job on Caulfield Grammarians newest recruit — former St Kilda and Essendon player Brendan Goddard.
Goddard, who was playing his first game for his new club, kicked a couple of early goals but Ben’s rebounding game against the AFL legend won plenty of praise and he was named best player for his team on the day.
Old Grammarians are undefeated and had a big win on the day over Monash Blue, one of the strugglers in the competition.
One of Ben’s teammates is another ex-Bomber junior player Nick Darling, a former Kyabram thirds skipper.
Deni has the Blues
Tongala had one big hurdle to clear in its Murray League encounter with the Deniliquin Rams at Deni on Saturday.
Former 200cm Richmond ruckman Ivan Maric made a one-off appearance with the Rams but it wasn’t enough to stop Tongala winning.
Picked up by Adelaide in the 2004 National Draft, Maric played 77 games with the Crows before making his way to Richmond where he played another 80 games up until his retirement in 2017.
A friendship between Maric and Deniliquin product and current Western Bulldogs player Sam Lloyd in their days at Richmond led to Maric’s one-off appearance with the Rams on Saturday.
Lloyd and recently retired Richmond premiership player Shaun Grigg were special guests at the game.
The Rams reckon the experience was well worthwhile with a bigger than normal home crowd rocking up to the game.
Coaching mystery
Mystery surrounds the recent resignation of Nathalia Football Club coach Phil Carroll.
A statement released by club president Dean Limbrick at the time only adds more intrigue to the situation.
In the statement Limbrick said his club
‘‘placed high expectations on its leaders and people holding positions of responsibility within the club.’’
That statement leaves more questions than answers but Nathalia is a proud club with a proud record on and off the field and no doubt was justified in taking its stance.
Carroll took over the reins of the Murray League powerhouse this season from triple premiership coach Craig Kellow, a former Kyabram boy.
Club stalwart Jason Limbrick has taken over from Carroll until a suitable replacement is found while Mal Barnes continues his role as assistant coach.
Limbrick has been in charge for the past two games — against Congupna and Tungamah — which the Purples have won to hold pride of place on the ladder.
Flash Flojo
Kyabram trainer Mark Watson hasn’t wasted any time getting into the winner’s circle with talented pacing mare Flojos Gold.
Stepping out for the first time since Watson took over the training of the six-year-old Mach Three mare from his Mildura based father, Ian, Flojos Gold upset the hot favourite, the Dean Braun trained War Dan in a R5 or better class race at last Sunday’s Mooroopna Cup meeting.
Eased to the rear of the six horse field by driver Ellen Tormey, Flojos Gold got a tow into a slowly run race and peeled off a 27.7 last quarter to run straight past the $1.20 favourite.
A Vicbred winner as a two-year-old and a South Australian Oaks winner in her three-year-old career, Flojos Gold boasts a very impressive resume of 43 starts for 24 wins and nine minor placing and over $195,000 in stakemoney earnings.
Watson said Flojos Gold had been in his stable because there aren’t many suitable races for her in Mildura at the moment.
‘‘She will probably stay with me for the next couple of months,’’ said Watson.
Flojos Gold will contest a metropolitan class mares race at Melton this Saturday night.
Wonderful Waaia
Picola Football League club Waaia is a resilient survivor.
Last Saturday it celebrated 125 years as a football club and 80 years of netball activity.
Waaia footy fans certainly had to be patient to celebrate the club’s first premiership which didn’t come until 1953, some 59 years after the club had formed.
But in modern times Waaia has more than held its own, with seven grand final appearances and six flags in seven years including a league record of four premierships in a row in the late 1980s and 1990s.
There were also premierships in 2002 and 2005 so the club has certainly made up for lost time.