SWDFNL president Adam Hawke has raised concerns with the VCFL after his league successfully applied for an exemption to the modified order-off rule this season.
Hawke said allowing players dismissed under a red card to be replaced after 20 minutes left the order-off rule vulnerable to exploitation by teams willing to "take out'' an opposition's best player.
"It was brought in to stop that sort of thing years ago,'' he said. "I'd rather see the old rule stay the way it was.''
The original red card provision - applied to serious onfield indiscretions - meant the offending player was reported, sent from the field for the remainder of the match and couldn't be replaced.
Hawke said changes to the rule caused confusion at Cavendish in round five when a Dartmoor player (Jevon Duff) was shown a red card. Club officials scrambled for a league ruling on whether he could be replaced and were informed he couldn't.
The SWDFNL subsequently sought an exemption to the new rule, as it was notified of the altered provision during the season.
"It was sent out to the league on April 22,'' he said. "We figured it wasn't fair to bring it in when the season was already under way.''
Dartmoor secretary Rob Pratt said Duff's send-off in round five exposed conflicting information in the VCFL handbook, with one section indicating he couldn't be replaced and another inicating that he could.
"One of the umpires was quite adamant that we had to play without him for 20 minutes,'' Pratt said. ``We spent the rest of the game on the phone trying to sort it out.''
He said Duff chose to accept a one-match set penalty offered by the reporting umpire after the match.
CAMPERDOWN coach John Pekin's healthy eating and drinking habits have caused some raised eyebrows among hard-core supporters known to frequent the booth area at Leura Oval.
Pekin arrives for his match duties with specially-labelled rainwater, cereal and fruit, while post-game he is never seen chowing down a pie or sipping on a beer.
Pekin explains he isn't from another football planet, just a diagnosed coeliac. Coeliac disease is a condition that affects the small bowel, caused by sensitivity to a dietary protein known as gluten.
Pekin, who was diagnosed six years ago, said living on a gluten-free diet had made him more health conscious.
As for the liquid refreshment on Saturdays, he explained it was filtered tankwater from his father Pat's dairy farm at Larpent.
AFL Foundation chief executive officer Jason Mifsud helped launched the AFL Indigenous Round this weekend.
The former Koroit premiership coach spoke at the official launch of the round nine matches, which feature a host of activities to highlight Aboriginal culture and the special talents of indigenous footballers.
Dreamtime at the 'G is between Essendon and Richmond tomorrow night. Players from western Victoria will also be on show when the Brambuk Eels play Imalu Tigers, a team from the Tiwi Islands.
HAMPDEN Schoolboys selectors have sent invitations to 55 players, asking them to try out for the region's under 15 representative team.
Hampden will compete at the state under 15 championships in Melbourne later this year.
HALF-TIME entertainment at country football matches often involves watching spectators of varying ability having kick-to-kick sessions on the oval.
Koroit bucked the trend last Saturday with an Auskick game between grade two and three pupils from Koroit, St Pat's and Woolsthorpe primary schools.
Locals were able to identify the children of current and former players, including a conspicuous nine-year-old talent, Jack O'Sullivan.
The son of Koroit netballer Stacey O'Sullivan and recently-retired Koroit footballer - now runner - Nick O'Sullivan has obviously inherited the athletic talents of his parents. Auskick regularly attracts 70 participants to its weekly program on Sundays at Victoria Park.
OLD Collegians secretary Peter Healey refers to Glendon "Cheetah'' Walsh with the same affection the veteran midfielder has for his club.
"He just plays for the love of the game and the green and gold,'' Healey said in the lead-up to Walsh's 250th club game. "He's been a great clubman and loyal to the club.''
Already a Warriors' life member, an honour bestowed after 150 games, Walsh reaches his latest milestone in the reserves game against Russells Creek tomorrow at Davidson Oval.
The unbreakable veteran joined Old Collegians under 18s in 1991 and started playing a mix of senior and seconds football in 1995. He has since notched up 24 senior and 225 reserve appearances.
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