Retro-look Rams Even balance tipped Josh Marton previews the 2012 Great Southern Football League season.

The Great Southern A-grade competition Past Blackwood midfielder Josh Sidebottom dominated promises to produce a more even and proceedings for the Tigers who had a respectable 2011 competitive level of football between the 10 campaign, finishing fourth and winning an elimination final. clubs over the 2012 season. Rated a genuine premiership contender for 2012, The home-and-away season commenced on Sunday, the success of Yankalilla will be determined by the April 1, with Yankalilla meeting Myponga/Sellicks at performance of Sidebottom and past Port Adelaide Myponga, while the remaining Round 1 fixtures will be Magpies player Brett Hughes, who will cover the loss completed this Saturday. of John Pratt and Zac Perry, after both joined Victor Competing for the Greg Whittlesea Shield, the Yankalilla Harbor. Tigers easily accounted for the hosting Mudlarks, winning Tom Corbett, Scott Welsh and Billy Neely are other by a comfortable 72-point margin. former SANFL players who have chosen to venture down the south coast. Past and Adelaide Crows forward Welsh is accompanied by newly appointed coach Neely – who played in 2011 at Torrens Valley – in replacing Kris Massie and Ken McGregor at Encounter Bay, while Corbett will join the Mt Compass Bulldogs. Despite the quality acquisition of Corbett, the Bulldogs have lost former Mail Medalist Marcus Burdett to perennial premiership contender Willunga, together with the complete loss of big man trio Sam Braidwood, Tom Pinyon and Sam Baulderstone. Mt Compass may fail to have any major impact in 2012, as key players Shaun Maxfield, Mark Obushack, Hayden Fromm and Jonathon Cheetah have also departed, joining former coach Steve Samuels at Mt Barker within Hills ranks. Nairne-Bremer United Football Club will return to a more traditional striped guernsey for the 2012 season. Modelling the new design at its Changes at Strathalbyn launch at a training session last week were A-grade captain Luke Murphy A preliminary finalist in 2011, Strathalbyn have also (left) and Jess Smith, with senior coach Tony Fielke (centre). lost key midfield elements for the upcoming season, Image courtesy Kate Howie. although the return of a few past Roosters may help balance the ledger. Former Adelaide Crows rookie Sam Elliot and his Record brother Marc have transferred to Barmera, while prolific ball winner Jonathon Eagleton has moved to Happy Valley. edition Lachlan Button has resumed duties as Glenelg’s The iconic AFL Record ruckman in the SANFL, causing height to be an issue publication is set to for the Roosters ... something which has quickly become an epidemic for Great Southern clubs in 2012. celebrate the centenary However, the sole exception appears to be 2011 of its publication. runner up Willunga – having maintained its threatening On April 27, 1912, the ruck combination of Todd Steele and Jake Standfield. first round of the Victorian Former Kangarilla midfielder and Mail Medallist Football League’s 16th Jaimen Stringer returns for Strathalbyn after a break season, the governing body from football, joining Mark Tucker and Michael Kenyon published the first edition of – back from Meadows – as imperative returns for the what was then called The Roosters. Football Record. The trio will be hoping to combine with reigning To celebrate the centenary, GSFL medalist Simon Munn and talented ruckman The Slattery Media Group, Ben Simounds in order to create a dominant midfield official publisher of the group. AFL Record since 1995, Disregarding those inclusions, an element which will is creating the ultimate allow Strathalbyn and the majority of its competitors collector’s edition of the to become established as A-grade premiership threats Record ... a full color, will be the capacity of the respective younger brigades reproduction of every Grand to consistently perform and demonstrate leadership Final Record. throughout the season. The offering will include The formula was undeniably the core to Langhorne every edition from Creek’s 2011 premiership triumph – although the Essendon’s triumph in 1912 leadership and quality of football that the experienced to Geelong’s victory in 2011, Hawks players contributed proved invaluable. with the issues housed in Ben Warren, Simon Feast, Greg Norman and Ben a leather-bound boxed set, Moore were key senior members last season, but all consisting of 11 volumes. have decided to vacate the competition in 2012. Comprising more than Previously captain of South Adelaide, Warren is having 7000 pages, the boxed set a second crack in SANFL company with Norwood, captures the development making Tom Johnson’s return from South Adelaide’s of Australian Rules Football, Reserves ranks critical to the functioning of the Hawks from its formative years forward line. through to the powerhouse Langhorne Creek’s attacking structure, and the failure the game has become to have a developing, support ruckman to cover the loss today. of Feast, will be put to the ultimate test on Saturday, Limited to just 1000 copies, as the Hawks launch 2012 with a grand final rematch 100 Years of Grand Final Mark Tucker (right), pictured in a marking against Willunga at the Demons’ fortress, and Victor Records is the ultimate Harbor’s trip to Strathalbyn will be another entertaining collector’s edition for any contest during a pre-season trial against Meningie, will be an important return to fixture. football fan, and will provide Reigning wooden spooner Goolwa will travel to meet readers with an opportunity Strathalbyn’s ranks as the Roosters commence the reconfigured Mt Compass combination, while the for reflection on some of the their 2012 Great Southern Football League hype surrounding Encounter Bay and its recruits will great players and matches A-grade campaign this Saturday against finally be verified during a home clash against McLaren of the past. Victor Harbor. Vale to complete a much anticipated opening to GSFL For more information, or Image courtesy Chelsea Bowdon. competition. to pre-order, visit aflbooks. com.au