On the Record
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VAFA RNd 14 06.qxd 26/7/06 5:33 PM Page 1 On the Record by Cameron Noakes In On the Record last week there was a discussion see it when they walk about representative football and the somewhat on the ground, you can thorny issue of player payments was raised. sense it at training. In what has increasingly become a dollar-driven That doesn’t mean all society, the amateurs is unique because we don’t the players are best pay our players. mates but it means all the players understand their role in the team. What that means for our competition is that our stars are vulnerable to tempting offers from rival I’m not even sure a coach can create such a bond clubs and if you have a look at various with his players. It just happens. metropolitan leagues and country leagues you see But what the coach can do is control the playing a lot of great VAFA players running around. list and if there is an individual – no matter how But what happens when players sign at a club with talented – who doesn’t fit in, the coach should give a financial agreement and they don’t perform? that player the tap on the shoulder. Basically the answer is, pressure builds. There is no point persisting with troublemakers and not one player is bigger than the team. I have discovered that it is not uncommon for some players who come to the VAFA just to be Yes, every team has its stars and maybe the stars relieved to play for free. needed to be treated differently at times, but all stars realise that there are other blokes in the Although it sounds clichéd, there is something group that helps them shine. about playing for the love of the game that can make a professional footballer feel good about If your champion player doesn’t realise the game is football again. not just about him, it is time to ask him to move on. There is certainly a philosophy out there from You never know, at another club the player could some players that it is a relief to play for love and pull his head in and everyone might think the coach not feel guilty about whether their performance was fool to axe him. At the end of the day, you have warranted their fee. to realise your decision was made for the greater good….the good of the team. We have seen this year a number of players who left the competition to play in a professional league, didn’t like their new environment and have returned to their VAFA clubs in the same season. INDEX Coaches Clipboard..........................................................................12 If you look at the recent events in the AFL, it would VAFA Media.....................................................................................24 be fair to suggest big bucks build big egos. FTLOTG......................................................................................32-33 And when one ego becomes bigger than the team, Retrospective.............................................................................34-35 it can be incredibly destructive. Umpires Corner ..............................................................................41 Sportscover Arena Draw ................................................................61 I always believe the best teams have an energy Tribunal & Investigations................................................................61 about them that is tangible. Sportscover Spot the Ball ..............................................................62 You can see it when the team is playing, you can 2006 Ladders ............................................................................63-64 THE AMATEUR FOOTBALLER THE JOURNAL OF THE VICTORIAN AMATEUR FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION July 29th, 2006 Price: $2.00 Vol. 06 No. 14 V THE AMATEUR FOOTBALLER 2005 1 VAFA RNd 14 06.qxd 26/7/06 5:33 PM Page 2 A SECTION by Jonathan Horn Old Trinity – You’re having a laugh! their Toorak Park demons. Once again I put my hand up in shame. The only senior A It’s unlikely but not Section side to remain undefeated since May has been sadly beyond the realms of neglected in these esteemed pages. Every week Trinity kick possibility that Xavs, Uni their regulation 7- 10 goals, every week they just scrape in and or Haileybury (or all every week I mutter to myself, “They’ll fall over soon”. Perhaps three!) miss the four with influenced by the pasting they received at the hands of Uni a percentage of 130+. Blues and mindful of their low 90s percentage, I gave them If De La makes it (and, at face value, they have the easiest run short shrift. home) it will be through the agency of their mosquito fleet, But they’re in this comp right up to their eyeballs. Half-back particularly Duggan and Rayson. De La were a bit Damien Buttler, always a consistent performer in years gone undermanned going into the game at the House of Horrors but by, is probably the form player of A Section. Deadly small just hung on, despite a plucky effort from the home side. Brett forward Andy Cultrera ices games week after week and is very Cook, in only his 2nd game of amateur football, was best for difficult to match up on. Full-back David Beardsley looks like Bernards while the very consistent Aaron Shields got the nod he spends a lot of time in the sauna but he is virtually never at De La. beaten. My memory is tenuous but I can recall only Dan And don’t even get me started on Old Ivanhoe. Where did I tip Cullinan and Dan Jordan giving him grief over the years. them to finish in March? Holy Moly, what a dingbat. On Speedster Tom Eckersley is arguably the rookie of the year to Saturday it was former Sydney Swan John Stevens who was date. the spark, kicking five exquisite goals. There’s mixed reports And then there’s Phil Gaut, very much the Costello to Leigh on the availability of James Hope but all signs point towards Carlson’s Howard over the years but now a respected senior his imminent return. coach in his own right. Gaut has the Ts playing accountable, Get your dartboard, loosen the figures, take aim, close your defensive football and has turned an unheralded list into a eyes and try not to decapitate anyone in the immediate vicinity. pretty scary outfit. On Saturday, he did his homework and shut It’s an extraordinary season and anyone’s flag…. down most of the Haileybury prime movers. Gaut will be sweating on Ramsden’s tribunal appearance (at the time of Selections writing= result unknown) but he should be mighty proud of his Speaking of that dartboard, my tipping has taken a decidedly efforts. shambolic turn of late. Time to get some credibility back in my life and tip Trinity over De La, Uni over Bernards, Haileybury at An A Section Premiership Anyone? the Badlands, Xavs (deep breath) at Toorak over Marcellin Everyone I speak to talks up Uni Blues as if they are a first starter at Murray Bridge showing $37 on the tote with little to McKINNON no trial form. “Hornet”, they say, “I reckon the Blues could be SPORTS MEDICINE a smoky in the run to September”. Well Sherlocks, stop SHARPSHOOTERS – A bugging me, we all know what the students are capable of. Ask Old Scotch. Another 30+ possession game to Mark Paterson, NAME CLUB LST WK TOTAL while Quinton Gleeson (having one of his best seasons) and A SECTION Dirk Heinz (I have a look-alike for you Dirk, it’s been playing on Handley, Matthew OLD XAVERIANS 5 40 my mind for two years and when it comes to me, you’ll be the Cultrera, Andy OLD TRINITY GR 4 36 first to know) both turned the ladder leaders inside out. The Gerstman, James OLD SCOTCH 0 30 Cardinals were blown off the park against Xavs and managed Potter, Callan ST BERNARDS 4 29 to regroup so expect them to bounce back quickly. Meanwhile, Rayson, Damien DE LA SALLE 3 26 expect the Blues to scare the living hell out of all the top teams A RESERVE as they chase their second flag in three years. Smith, Daniel OLD XAVERIANS 3 35 Handley, Matthew OLD XAVERIANS 0 20 But they have to make the four first…. Harris, Patrick ST BERNARDS 1 20 And so do Xavs. You could argue that their 2006 list is the Widmer, Timothy OLD SCOTCH 3 20 strongest in years. Any team that can afford the luxury of Westmore, James UNIVERSITY BLUES 0 17 Damien Lynch down back is not exactly struggling for “-” results weren’t received. Any discrepancies may be due to non- numbers. But they mix their form and haven’t yet conquered submission of results by clubs. 2 V THE AMATEUR FOOTBALLER 2006 VAFA RNd 14 06.qxd 26/7/06 5:33 PM Page 3 (who have a great record there). And in a sentence I never thought I’d write two months ago, Old Ivanhoe to move to the LAST ROUND RESULTS – A top of A Section after disposing of Old Scotch. A SECTION ST BERNARDS 6.3 8.3 11.4 15.5 (95) DE LA SALLE 3.3 10.7 13.10 14.15 (99) Trivia St Bern: Goals: C. Potter 4, J. Madden 3, T. Pearson 3, B. Cook 2, G. Baseggeo, D. Last week’s answer….1892… Congratulations to Gladys Blunt, D. Iannazzo. Best: J. Madden, G. McIntyre, C. Potter, B. Cook, T. Pearson, J. Spinella DLS: Goals: J. Moloney 3, D. Rayson 3, M. Duggan 2, L. Harrison 2, T. Chips of Kew East who snail mailed the correct answer. Silvers 2, M. Brown, D. Lowe. Best: A. Shields, D. Spithill, N. Harris, T. Demetriou, Serious one this week, if you get it, I dips me lid… Which D.