-Milestones don’t come much bigger than 300 senior games for the one club, and that’s exactly what CORA LYNN captain Tim Payne will be celebrating when he runs out at the Cobradome against PHILLIP ISLAND on Saturday. Four senior premierships, three of those as captain, just tells a small portion of the legacy that Payne will leave behind when he finally hangs up the boots. But don’t get too complacent all, you tall forwards out there…the star defender has just dried the ink on a new deal to play on in the 2024 season.
-Some interesting names are popping up at INVERLOCH-KONGWAK in recent times as the ladder-leaders fine tune their resources heading into finals. 2017 premiership star Shem Hawking played his first senior game for the season against BUNYIP on Saturday after two games in the magoos, while his premiership-winning teammate from ’17, Corey Casey, has now played the last two games in the twos. Hawking was a starting half-back in last season’s Team of the Year, while Casey was on the bench as one of the back-up midfielders. That’s two pretty handy acquisitions on the doorstep of finals!
-Can he kick the 100? That’s the big question on everyone’s lips after CORA LYNN star Nathan Gardiner kicked 12 goals against GARFIELD on Saturday to take his tally to 85 for the season. Gardiner has some tough games on the horizon, with PHILLIP ISLAND and WARRAGUL INDUSTRIALS over the next fortnight, but if he can get close to the mark then a round-18 visit to KOOWEERUP might be the ideal time to hit triple figures. And there’s a back-up plan as well…the Cobras will definitely play at least one final this year.
-While on Gardiner, his 12 goals on Saturday saw him become the leading goal-kicker in the WGFNC since the new competition was formed in 2017. Big Nath joined CORA LYNN in 2019 and opened with a bag of 84. He then kicked 50 in 11 games in 2021, before slotting 88 through the big sticks last year. Add his 85 goals this season to those 222 previous, and his 307 goals leads KOOWEERUP star Jason Wells on 304. Injured INVERLOCH-KONGWAK forward Toby Mahoney is the only other player to pass 200…currently sitting dormant on 238. And Nathan Voss now has company in fourth place, with NAR NAR GOON lefty Troy McDermott kicking a snag on Saturday to join the Demons’ star on 168.
-Some decent milestones were chalked up on Saturday. Jake Genoni made it to 150 for TOORADIN-DALMORE, while dual premiership star Matthew Jones played his 100th game for PHILLIP ISLAND. Jack Legione, a loyal star at DALYSTON, also reached triple figures, while Emma and Kelly Haynes reached the same milestone for Tooradin-Dalmore. The Haynes girls have had a huge impact at the Seagulls, Emma as president and Kelly as a multiple A Grade premiership coach and player.
-While on milestones, human wrecking ball Nic Visser played his 100th game for WARRAGUL INDUSTRIALS on Saturday. What makes Visser’s story so unique is that he started his senior career at the Dusties as a 16-year-old, but then moved on to other clubs…including CATANI. In 2017, he was best on ground in Catani’s one-point premiership win over…yep…you guessed it…the Dusties! Well done on the 100 games Nic, but it really is surprising that they let you back in the joint at all!
-If PAKENHAM player Jackson Hillard ever takes up stand-up comedy – book a ticket because it will be a good show. Hillard, of ‘Hilfy’ as he’s known at the Lions, had the crowd in stitches hosting Pakenham’s $10k draw on Saturday night. Simon Young had the winning number, and took home $5k after some nice little wheeling and dealing!
-We’re not sure if the five boys went ahead with it or not, but five KOOWEERUP players in Nick Bindley, Seth O’Hehir, Mitch Alderson, Sam Cox and Caleb Milojevic were due to have their heads shaved last Thursday night after placing a losing bet. If they were playing in the same side it would make life very difficult for a tagger!
-CLANK! There was the unmistakable sound of fist on tin shed during the second quarter at UPWEY TECOMA on Saturday after PAKENHAM midfielder Rhys Clacy kicked into the man standing the mark during the pivotal contest. Later in the game, one assistant coach would deliver a fearsome spray to his midfielders that would have been heard right across the mountain ranges at three-quarter-time, with the stunned group told by the assistant that he would “love to play against them” due to a lack of physicality.
-Mitch Toner’s ascension in the junior football ranks continues after being named as an All-Australian at the School Sport Australia Under 15 championships, following nine goals in five games for Victoria during the week-long carnival. The son of NARRE WARREN legend Chris, another Toner in the football world will send shivers down opponent’s spines.
-Congratulations to DOVETON DOVES’ Michael Rodriquez who brought up 300 games in the green and black on Saturday. The club stalwart is just the second Dove to bring up the milestone and has played in three reserves premierships across his journey. His time at the Doves started in under-17s, and he has since combined 128 senior games, with 172 reserves games, taking in three reserves premierships in that time.
-And a milestone upcoming for CRANBOURNE’s MATT Alister. The reliable defender has been named in the best six times this season and has played a key role in an organised backline for a number of years. He brings up the 150 against St Paul’s McKinnon.
-Congratulations to a couple of former DANDENONG STINGRAYS. Mac Andrew, now a Gold Coast Sun, was last weekend nominated for the rising star. Also a Berwick junior, Mac was selected with pick five in the 2021 national draft. He had 14 disposals and seven marks in round 20 in a year where he has had plenty of AFL exposure. Meanwhile, Hugo Nosiara made his VFL debut for Carlton and had nine disposals and six tackles…just quietly, Berwick’s Jaxon Binns had 32 in that game as he pushes for an AFL debut.
-Last week, Star News reported on Jordan Ashwood, who was struck behind the play and suffered a concussion. The Murrumbeena player who struck him pleaded guilty at the Southern Football Netball League tribunal last Wednesday and received a 10-week suspension.
-Footy shorts stumbled upon some comedy gold down at CRANBOURNE training during the week. We won’t name names, but a Cranbourne forward struck a snap around the body so sweetly it cleared the fence behind the goals and careered into the car park. The Sherrin landed on, and smashed through the windscreen of a fellow Eagle’s blue Toyota Hilux. Then the perfect one liner was dryly delivered from the sidelines by a training watcher: ‘Whoever’s car that is should try to get a refund for false advertising – Hilux’s are supposed to be unbreakable.’ Touché.
