THE AMATEUR FOOTBALLER the JOURNAL of the VICTORIAN AMATEUR FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION June 25Th, 2005 Price: $2.00 Vol
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VAFA RNd 10 05.qxd 27/6/05 8:10 AM Page 1 Inside the VAFA Mid Season Gongs standout D Grade team the Yes, it’s that time of year. With almost perfect weather pace setter in C Section in less thus far, it really has been quite a start to the than a year. Could there be season… two Melbourne Uni teams in A Section within 2/3 years? Club of the Year Honourable mention to How about Elsternwick, the boys next door, who have Haileybury’s Peter Nicholson, celebrated their 100th season in style, remaining who has galvanized the often undefeated at the halfway point with a percentage of enigmatic Bloods and St over 200%. They capped their celebration with a Bernards’ Simon Madden, Friday night win over Albert Park under lights, who has moulded a followed by a hugely successful Centenary Ball on the competitive unit after Saturday night. inheriting a team decimated by summer departures. Senior Team of the Year Young Player of the Year Like Elsternwick, Old Geelong look unbeatable in D2 Could well be Ari Lewski of Ajax (formerly of and knocked off their only serious challengers Sandringham), who sparkled in the state match in Rupertswood on the weekend to virtually book a spot Perth and topped it off with another best on ground in D1 in June. Higher up, anyone who’s seen Old game in the midfield for the Jackas on the weekend. Xavs, Haileybury and Uni Blues this year would agree Also in the mix is Joel Rice of Marcellin, Nial that the standard of A Section is as high as it’s ever McGovern of Rupertswood and Caulfield been. Grammarians’ full forward Brett Sinclair. Reserves Team of the Year Fall From Grace of the year De La Salle always have good reserves teams, though Not long ago, district club Glen Eira were a serious amazingly the club hasn’t won a twos flag in 14 years. chance to progress to B Grade but they currently Their dominance earlier in the year was almost languish at the bottom of D Grade with a percentage laughable, with all four spots on the goal-kicking of just 40%. It doesn’t help that half their team is in ladder occupied by players in yellow and blue. The London (en route to Ibiza I believe) but they are a senior team isn’t bad either. perfect illustration of how things can quickly capitulate in amateur footy when key personnel leave. Player of the Year Has to be that man Simon Minton-Connell, who looks Umpire of the Year a realistic chance for the 100, despite playing in a Barrister Mark Gibson spent the summer in the lowly side. In hot pursuit is Paul Corrigan of United States working with prisoners on death row so Haileybury, Paul Edwards of Therry and Adam the odd bit of lip from A Grade footballers would be Chatfield and Damien Lynch of Old Xaverians. water of a duck’s back for the VAFA veteran. He has umpired some big games this year, including the Xavs Individual Performance of the Year Scotch match at Xavier College and always lets the In round 2, Scotch’s James Gerstman came in game flow, whilst keeping things firmly under control. nursing an injury and faced a date with the premier full back in the amateurs, Uni Blues’ James Hayter. Tipster of the Year He promptly kicked 7 goals in the first 20 minutes It’s a hard ask topping Norm Nugent, who nailed 14 and finished with 11 for the match. A month later, from 14 last week, but what about the gentleman OM's Matthew Hicks caped off a cracking game up who, in this very column, tipped the following forward with a goal after the siren to herald the upset premiers in March….Xavs, De La, Uni Blacks, Fitzroy of the season over Old Xavs. Reds, Old Geelong and Elsternwick? I reckon that’s the equivalent of tipping the straight six on Derby Day Coach of the Year with a 50 cent ticket! Hard to go past Uni Blacks’ Tony Parkin, who has done what many thought was impossible; making a Jonathan Horn THE AMATEUR FOOTBALLER THE JOURNAL OF THE VICTORIAN AMATEUR FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION June 25th, 2005 Price: $2.00 Vol. 05 No. 10 V THE AMATEUR FOOTBALLER 2005 1 VAFA RNd 10 05.qxd 27/6/05 8:10 AM Page 2 A SECTION by Jonathan Horn Tongue in Sheik? house of horrors. The great man of the web gave his A Section Top Plenty of scurrilous 30 on the weekend, in which Mr Gerstman of rumours doing the Camberwell squeezed in at 24. Well, the Sheik rounds regarding the may be a learned man but Gerstman should be imminent future of top billing; he’s on track to become the first top several OM identities but Saturday’s tier player to kick 100 goals in 25 years, despite extraordinary win would quash those for a while. missing several games with injury and hobbling Youngsters Sam Gooley (back from Nepal) and Ed about for the better part of the year. On Saturday, Farquharson (back from serious shoulder he demolished St Kevin’s, albeit courtesy of some surgery) played well for the visitors, while pristine delivery from upfield. Mark Gnatt is only Bernard’s wretched day was only brightened by a little bloke but is having a great year while teenage debutants James Stapleton and Mark McKenzie-McHarg returned to form with a Salvadore. OMs will lose star forward Mathew cracking game in the ruck. Hicks shortly however, as he is jetting off to St Kevin’s meanwhile, are starting to resemble the Queensland for the rest of the year (as you do). Sixth Army at Stalingrad. Garvey out for 4 to 6. Simpson, Travaglia and Duggan sidelined and “ ni’s Andrew Lowcock isn’t the Lucas twanging a hammy in the first 5 minutes. U tallest bloke going around, but he McKee nursing a sore back and about to go has the rare knack of being able to overseas. Garlick giving corporate speeches on game day and rarely available. Full back Nick slip away from and outmark taller Dowling (from Montrose) battling injury in a comp Centre Half Backs” brimming with gun full forwards. It’s hard to remember a club that is more cursed in A Grade Collegians were six goals the better at half time in terms in injuries (it was exactly the same in over Uni Blues but the reigning champs applied 2002 & 2003). Some big names from yesteryear the blow torch and ultimately their midfield are in the throws of launching comebacks so stay pressure overwhelmed the brave Lions. Uni’s tuned. Andrew Lowcock isn’t the tallest bloke going Damien Lynch rocked up to league headquarters sporting a preposterous new do but he kicked McKINNON nine so you can’t be too harsh on him. The Champ SPORTS MEDICINE (Sheik top 5 member) and a bunch of blokes whose names mean nothing to me all took it up to SHARPSHOOTERS – A the flag favourites, but the first quarter blow-out CLUB NAME LST WK TOTAL cost Trinity dearly. Adam Chatfield turned in another Best on Ground, with help from Ruyg and A SECTION Ockleshaw (very contrasting on-ballers but stars Old Scotch Gerstman 12 47 nonetheless). Trinity played well though and only Marcellin Cullinan 1 34 lost through a few lapses in concentration. Old Haileybury B. O'Farrell 0 32 Cam Kennedy was a star midfielder at Melbourne St. Bernards Potter 4 29 Grammar and in his early days at OMs but has Old Xaverians Lynch 9 29 barely been on the radar in the 21st Century after A RESERVE battling injury and going overseas. Though not known as a goal-kicker, he bobbed up with eight Old Haileybury Efstathiou 4 33 to spark one of the upsets of the season. Having Old Xaverians Jones 5 16 said that, OMs have a pretty good record at the Old Scotch Beaurepaire 4 15 2 V THE AMATEUR FOOTBALLER 2005 VAFA RNd 10 05.qxd 27/6/05 8:10 AM Page 3 around, but he has the rare knack of being able to LAST ROUND’S RESULTS – A slip away from and outmark taller Centre Half Backs, while Paul Butko, Drew Solly (Sheik top A SECTION 30) and Tom Rankin helped get them back in the OLD HAILEYBURY 4.2 6.6 10.10 18.14 (122) MARCELLIN 0.0 2.2 4.4 5.8 (38) game. For Collegians, Nathan Lockett continued Old Hail: Siapantas 7 Ford 2 Jones 2 P Corrigan S Langford-Jones Barker his good form on a wing while Brock “Home Bloke” Seccull Goldsworthy Lay Armstrong. Best: Seccull Siapantas Brown Mooney touched up yet another highly regarded McIntyre Lay O’Donnell. Marc: Rice Waters Johnston Cullinan Fraser. full forward, keeping George De Crespigny Best: Jarred Woods Rice Augustin Romanin L Considine. goalless. Umpires: Grant Joyner Leah Gallagher (F) Peter Monotti Paul Carroll (B) Marcellin Lucas Robson Gavin Roberts (G) Space is precious, so I’ll spare fans the OLD TRINITY 2.3 9.6 10.8 13.12 (90) misery and just say that Haileybury won in a OLD XAVERIANS 9.2 10.2 16.7 19.11 (125) canter. It could have been worse; O’Farrell could Old Trin: Reynold 5 Walsh 3 Brown Cultrera Hooke A Ramsden Troon. have kicked a few… Best: Dawn Reynolds Walsh Pretty Saunders Troon. Old Xav: Lynch 9 This week’s 3 from 5.