SHANE VALENTI BRETT LOVETT REES THOMAS VICTORIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE RECORD DOLPHINS MAKE WAVES Devils to be left in their wake ROUND 8 MAY 24-25, 2008 $ INC EXPERIENCE THE DIFFERENCE 3 GST Congratulations to CLINTON JONES (Casey Scorpions) This week’s winner of the Ford “Best on Ground” Ute Visit theoval.com.au for more information. theoval.com.au EDITORIAL Preparations are intensifying for one of the undoubted Pride of highlights on the VFL calendar – next Saturday’s state match against South Australia at the Victoria Adelaide Oval. Victorian coach Gerard Vics to defend state honour in SA FitzGerald and selectors Bruce Davis, Anthony Eames and Troy Players cherish such rare showcase their talent on one of the West, will announce the final VFL opportunities as evidenced by biggest stages – some will know squad of 24 on Tuesday night. the unbridled passion shown by no greater stage. Speak to any of those players Victorian players like Jonathan For others, it may serve as the selected and you will be left in no Brown, Brent Harvey and Brendan ‘audition’ that gets them drafted or doubt about the importance they Fevola in this month’s Australian rookie listed by an AFL club. place on representing Victoria. Football Hall of Fame tribute match. Remember it is less than 10 Really, it doesn’t matter what The tri-series involving the years ago that a teenage Matthew sport it is, if you are fortunate VFL, SANFL and WAFL is the only Pavlich played for South Australia enough to represent your state or regular state-versus-state football against the VFL at the MCG. country it is an enormous honour competition in Australia. In more recent years, Victorian and privilege. It is proudly endorsed by all representatives Michael Rix, Jason For players at state league three state bodies and engenders Davenport, Shane Valenti and level, this is the highest level fierce state rivalry, which is the very Tristan Cartledge have also either of football they can reach, and essence of football. been drafted or rookie listed. something everyone in the VFL The game will be memorable for Clearly, state games are another and SANFL aspires to. a number of reasons, not plank in the Victorian talented So everyone who pulls on the least because it is a one-off match. player pathway to football’s elite Victorian jumper next Saturday will The players selected level. do so with considerable pride. will never ever again have the AFL Victoria extends it best For some, playing for Victoria chance to play together as a group wishes to those players who will will be the highlight of their and their desire to forge their own represent the VFL. football career. A fortunate few piece of VFL history will play in premierships, but will know no bounds. John Hook representing their state will rate State football also provides Football Operations Manager, right alongside this. an opportunity for players to AFL Victoria SHANE VALENTI BRETT LOVETT REES THOMAS AFL Victoria Chief Executive Officer: VICTORIANVICTORIAN FOOTBALLFOOOOTTBABALLLL LEAGUELEAGUE ROUND 8 Peter Schwab CONTENTS MAY 24-25, 2008 Football Operations Manager: RECORD John Hook Shane Valenti 5 COVER: Frankston’s Adam Statistics: Sam Coen DOLPHINS Manager Director, Geoff Slattery Publishing: Brett Lovett’s 100th game 6 MAKE WAVES Geoff Slattery Devils to be left Kirkwood in action during the in their wake Editor: Nick Bowen Young gun: Rees Thomas 7 Dolphins’ 96-point drubbing Designer: Karl Chandler of Werribee last Sunday. Photo Manager: Natalie Boccassini State match 10-13 Photography: Getty Images (02) 9004 2250 Advertising: Jennifer Pryor (03) 8663 3007 Round seven statistics 14-15 Printed by: Condor Printing Address correspondence: The Editor, GPO Round eight preview 18 Box 4337, Melbourne, 3001. EXPERIENCEXPERIENCE THE DIFFERENCE ROUND 8 MAY 24-25, 2008 $3 Phone: (03) 8663 3000 Dean Galea 21 VICTORIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE RECORD 3 We make it easier to go green. 10% wind power at no extra cost. You don’t need to change your life much to help save the If you’re keen to help in other ways, the TRUenergy environment. Simply switch to a TRUenergy Go Green website provides an energy audit calculator and energy electricity plan, which offers 10% wind power at no efficiency tips which help you reduce your energy use extra cost, plus a 3% discount if you pay by the due date. and minimise your impact on the environment. Or if you’re happy to pay a bit more, TRUenergy has a To find out more, call 1800 005 937 (8am to 6.30pm range of different plans, with up to 100% wind power. Monday to Friday) or visit truenergy.com.au/gogreen TRUenergy Pty Ltd. ABN 99 086 014 968. TRU0131 VFL 28x5.indd 1 11/4/08 2:15:06 PM SHANE VALENTI Shane Valenti was always excited about the prospect of Elevated to stardom representing Victoria against South Australia at the Adelaide Valenti misses state match for AFL debut Oval this weekend. But he was unsure in the weeks leading up to the team’s selection whether he, as an AFL rookie-listed player, was eligible. When he found out he was, Valenti didn’t hide his pleasure. “I’ll grab it with both hands,” he said. “I loved playing for Victoria last year.” But, in another twist, Valenti will have to put his representative aspirations on hold. But this time the news in the lead-up to last weekend’s round was all good. Shane Valenti’s elevation to With Melbourne placing Melbourne’s AFL list ruled him out of this week’s clash captain David Neitz on its long- with South Australia. term injury list, coach Dean Bailey rewarded Valenti for his mover in the Zebras’ structure, consistently good form in the VFL SHANE VALENTI finished second in the J. J. Liston with Sandringham by elevating Age: 21 Trophy behind Geelong’s James him to the Dees’ AFL list. Club: Sandringham Byrne, and represented Victoria (Melbourne rookie) It was thoroughly deserved. in its 119-point demolition of Games: 46 Valenti has been one of the Goals: 35 Western Australia. VFL’s headline acts for more Honours: 2007 – Fothergill He was also one of the than two seasons. Round Medal, VFL representative, architects in helping Sandringham So much so, it came as no VFL Team Of The Year; 2006 – finish on top of the ladder at the surprise Valenti found himself at Sandringham premiership player. end of the home and away season, an AFL club in 2008, picked up winning the Fothergill Round by the Demons with pick No. 49 The then 20-year-old could not Medal as the most promising in the NAB AFL Rookie Draft. have presented a more compelling player in the VFL. Although he had trained with case for an AFL club to provide “It was nice to get all those Melbourne throughout the pre- him with an opportunity. As a accolades, but at the end of season, there are no guarantees first year player in 2006, Valenti the day it didn’t count for much when it comes to AFL drafts. broke into a Sandringham team because winning premierships is Valenti spoke regularly with that had come off back-to-back what you play football for,” he said. new Melbourne development premierships and became a “I’m really enjoying myself. I love coach Mark Williams, who had valuable contributor in the club’s Melbourne, I love the blokes that coached the Sandringham historic premiership three-peat. are there,” Valenti said. Dragons graduate for two years But last season Valenti Now that love affair has just at Sandringham. stepped up to become a prime grown deeper. VICTORIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE RECORD 55 BRETT LOVETT After a 12-season, 235-game career with Melbourne that ranks him No. 7 on the Demons’ all-time games list, Brett Lovett has much to be proud of. But Lovett doesn’t talk much about what happened in the past. He’s someone who is very much focused on the present and the future. He is no different when asked about reaching his 100-game milestone as Frankston coach this Sunday, a reign that will see Brett Lovett’s more him overtake Robert Mace as focused on guiding the longest-serving coach in the Frankston to a premiership Dolphins’ 42-year history by the than personal milestones. end of the season. “I’m not a person that looks back, I’m a person for now and the future,” Lovett said. Lovett reaches ton “Even during my playing days, I didn’t look back. I put my head Standing alone with eyes on the future down and bum up and just tried to get the job done. While he acknowledges it view premierships as the sole “And I have tried to do the can be frustrating at times measuring stick for a coach. same thing in coaching. I’ve just coaching a stand-alone “What we have tried to do tried to improve the list and get team, Lovett says he loves is build a list to try to win a the team to perform to its best a challenge. premiership, we have had a consistently week in, week out.” Most believe couple of players Most of his peers believe a stand-alone team – Chris Bryan and Lovett has done extraordinarily faces an Everest- ‘‘ Aaron Edwards – well to take Frankston to the like climb to win I’m a person drafted and there finals twice, given he has had a VFL premiership, for now and has been plenty few big-name ex-AFL recruits.