IT'S a big weekend across the region for district leagues as grand finals are decided in Mininera, South West and Colac competitions.
In the MDFL decider tomorrow at Lake Bolac, Tatyoon is attempting to win its fourth successive premiership against Penshurst, which last claimed a flag in 1993.
Coleraine is chasing a hat-trick of SWDFL premierships at Hanlon Park, Portland, against Westerns. The Kangaroos' latest grand final win was in 2000, capping a quartet of flags.
It's Irre versus Birre in the CDFNL grand final at Central Reserve. All the romance centres on Birregurra, which last reached a grand final in 1994 for a premiership win. It faces a formidable foe in the defending titleholder Irrewarra-Beeac.
The Hampden Football Netball League is down to three, with Terang Mortlake playing Warrnambool in the preliminary final tomorrow at Reid Oval.
UNTIL the WDFNL executive sits down with club delegates, we won't know the breakdown of its record-breaking final series.
League president Justin Balmer is prepared to reveal aggregate gate takings were up eight per cent and there were record returns at four of the six finals - not bad considering weather conditions Balmer described as "some of the worst we've had for years''.
One small area of disappointment was the way the clubs involved in the grand final exploited the WDFNL system for teams publication last week. Supporters and the media were treated shabbily when Kolora-Noorat named five interchange players and Timboon Demons seven.
IS it possible Camperdown president Peter "Chester'' Reilly is prouder than Chris and Kate Meade after the birth of their child?
The Meades named their latest offspring Chester James, bringing a tear to the eye of Reilly's wife Jan and prompting his namesake to gush: "I was pretty chuffed. It's a pretty big honour to have a little baby named after you.''
Reilly explained he earned the nickname at primary school when ABC TV aired the US comedy series Chester A. Riley. "A lot of people still think that's my real name,'' Reilly said.
Chris Meade and Reilly were teammates briefly at Camperdown, with their playing careers overlapping to include a 1987 grand final. Meade, who notched up 254 games with the Magpies, is now a selector at the club.
MY observations in last week's column about the effectiveness of the three-umpire system in finals were apparently aired purely to slight the hard-working men in white.
They were variously dismissed by one WDFUA figure as a cheap shot, ill-informed and vexatious.
Sensitivities are so high in this area that I was waiting to learn my suggestion an extra field umpire could somehow lead to greater ground coverage was also responsible for a new global financial crisis and widening hole in the ozone layer.
I have a weekly soapbox so in the interests of balance, here are some excerpts from a piece WDFUA coach Dedy Friebe penned in last week's HFNL record under the heading 'side-on is best':
"The three-umpire system assures the game better positioning, especially in fast passages of play. The advantage is simple. The umpire is constantly side-on to the play or contest and well positioned to determine any and all breaches of the laws in contesting the ball. Side-on to play is a critical element top ensuring decisions are accurate and correct. The other advantage is that it allows senior umpires with a wealth of experience the chance to remain afield for longer as they get older and less physically effective.''
Rather than prolong this minor grievance - based on my "ignorance'' of the three-umpire system - I'll finish with a question to the football universe: what's best for the game?
A STAR was born at the HFNL second semi-final last Saturday at Gardens Oval.
Settle down Koroit supporters, it happened off the field. Former Saint Ben Walsh, who has played for the last three years with Ballarat Swans, made a seamless transition to radio commentary with 3WAY FM.
Having the pleasure of listening to Walsh from an adjoining box, it is a safe call to declare him a natural. The 22-year-old Ballarat University student, who stepped in as a replacement for Darryl Agnew, will be back in action at tomorrow's HFNL preliminary final with Gerard Auld.
EARLY arrivals at Gardens Oval were treated to an entertaining contest in the reserves match between Warrnambool and Terang Mortlake.
One of the highlights came late in the game when Warrnambool's Stephen Soulsby marked at half-forward outside the 50-metre arc, took a good run-up and unloaded a 55-metre torpedo. It was a thing of beauty in flight, dissecting the goal opening like an arrow. Old timers in the outer were overheard muttering: "bring back the torp''.
SMW Rovers onballer Luke Fisher admitted to nerves as the MDFL best and fairest vote count was decided in the last round.
Fisher held on to win the W. J. Lewis Medal with 28 votes, one more than Penshurst midfielder Justin Eales.
Fisher, 18, is no stranger to best and fairest awards. He won the under 16 award in 2006 and 2007.
After the vote count, the winner told The Standard's David Chapman he first played seniors for the Rovers as a 15-year-old.
Speculation in newspapers and the league's website gave a strong indication of favouritism for the best and fairest award.
"I was up there so I knew I was a chance,'' Fisher said. "There's a lot of good footballers who have won it before and I knew it'd be hard to beat them. But I picked up some votes in games where I didn't think I played well so that helped me along the way.''
Fisher, a Ballarat university student, is determined to try to play at a higher level next year to improve his football.
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