THE youngest members of Warrnambool and District Football Netball League are already threatening to steal a march on the establishment.
A grand final replay between Kolora-Noorat and Timboon Demons tomorrow at Reid Oval means the senior football trophy will be heading out of Warrnambool for the second year in a row.
Patrons chasing value for money are being offered grand final contests in four football and six netball grades, with gates opening at 7.45am. The first match kicks off at 8.50am with under 14 football action.
The Power is represented in all the football match-ups, while the Demons have two football and four netball sides in action.
League president Justin Balmer is encouraged by the presence of 10 clubs tomorrow. Balmer said the league's guest was VCFL area manager Brett Anderson.
VCFL medals for best-on-ground are presented in several grades, including the senior football. It is decided on the votes of umpires.
A YOUNG Koroit supporter received assistance from an unexpected quarter when he took a tumble in the middle of the ground after Saturday's drawn-out qualifying final.
Warrnambool coach Adam Dowie broke from his team's huddle to help the distressed youngster, who was covered in Friendly Societies' Park mud. Dowie called over the team runner and a water bottle was used to clean the boy's hands.
It was a gesture which didn't go unnoticed by other Koroit supporters, who had already left the ground with their victorious team.
WITH the HFNL Team of the Year a highlight of the Maskell Medal vote count on September 13, 3WAY FM commentators Darryl Agnew and Gerard Auld have started the ball rolling with some early nominations.
Agnew and Auld chose to select at least one player from every club, which hasn't diminished the strength of their line-up:
B: Jason Moloney (TM), Chris McLaren (K), Xavier Moloney (TM);
HB: Todd McLean (K), Anthony Chirnside (W), Xavier Mills (NWE);
C: Ricky Sullivan (Cob), Pat Heffernan (TM), Brad Thomas (PF);
HF: Nick Couch (TM), Josh Baxter (TM), James Gellie (Cam);
F: Damian O'Connor (TM), Jason Rowan (W), Rohan Couch (Cob);
Foll: Levi Dare (Cob), Liam Ryan (NWE), Simon O'Keefe (K);
Inter: Paul Foster (Cob), Jason Bourke (SW), Paul Hinkley (Cob), Damien McCorkell (W).
Coach: Matthew Irving (TM).
AS Dennington comes to terms with a missed opportunity at WDFNL senior football silverware, it can take some comfort from a pot of gold waiting to be collected from a successful fund-raising promotion.
The Dogs joined forces with Coles Supermarkets to raise $4000 at Centro Northpoint Shopping Centre.
Dennington gave coupons to members and supporters and for every $100 or more spent at the store between May 29 and July 31, $10 was donated back to the club.
WHEN a three-umpire system is put in place for HFNL finals, there should be an accompanying expectation of a more thorough service.
From observations made at the qualifying and elimination finals last weekend, both on small grounds, it appears the central umpires are still instructed to make all their calls from the well-worn tram tracks in the corridor, a path they rarely deviate from after the centre bounce.
The exception is when a ball-up is needed on the wings or flanks, followed by a hasty retreat. With an extra umpire on the field it should be possible to make more blind-side calls at stoppages and have an extra pair of eyes on the boundary side of many other plays.
It was the exception rather than the rule last weekend, although Sam Johnstone deserves an honourable mention for making the effort at a boundary throw-in during the qualifying final. All coaches, players and spectators would appreciate the additional scrutiny and it would show some flexibility in the officiating process. Surely lack of fitness and speed aren't the reasons. So how about it, umps?
WITH the 40-year anniversary of VFL Park looming, Warrnambool football identity Brent Everall is sharing a little-known link to the opening of the much-maligned venue.
Then a strapping young Terang footballer recruited by Fitzroy to its supplementary list, Everall played in the first game at Waverley against Geelong in a 1970 reserves match.
The omens weren't good for the 20-year-old rookie, who crashed his father Reg's Holden travelling to the ground for training on the preceding Thursday.
Three minutes into the historic match, Everall was in the box seat to kick the first goal as he chose the correct side of a marking contest to rove off the pack.
With the ball ballooning off the pack into his path, the young rover glanced up to sight the goals, looked back and discovered he was suddenly too far ahead of the Sherrin.
Reaching back for the fast-dropping ball, it slipped through his fingers and the opportunity was lost.
Teammate Shane Molloy later earned the goalkicking honour from half-forward, which would be recorded with a two-page picture spread in the Sporting Globe.
"I remembered looking at that and thinking, 'it could have been me','' Everall remembered with a laugh.
His brief stint with Fitzroy - in sequence - involved playing at the MCG with an audience of "27 people'' because the seniors lined up the following day in front of the Queen, followed by Fitzroy's first games at Junction Oval and Waverley.
"In my fourth game I didn't get a kick and there was no fifth game.''
Everall went on to play with Caulfield in the VFA, then chased a kick with clubs in the Bendigo and Wangaratta regions.
After returning to the south-west he filled committee positions with Russells Creek and Port Fairy before a stint on the HFNL independent executive.
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