CONTINUING our series about footballers who are a greater danger to themself off the field than on it, we present further irrefutable evidence with the case studies of Port Fairy onballer Brad McCosh and young South Warrnambool ruckman Jordan Dillon.
Following the lead of Warrnambool midfielder Ash McCorkell, who missed the first five rounds of the season when he severed a finger tendon washing dishes, McCosh missed his side's round five match after cutting his knee at home with an angle grinder.
Dillon missed six weeks with a pre-season domestic injury, stubbing his toe on the back of the couch when he got up to answer a knock at the door.
All are now back in much safer territory: On a football field stretching their hamstrings and ducking tackles.
FORMER South Warrnambool spearhead Korey Fulton is still kicking goals in the Sunshine State.
Now in the veteran class, Fulton bagged his 600th career goal with Broadbeach earlier this season in the QAFL. It elevated him to elite company, becoming only the third player in the 104-year history of the league to surpass the mark.
MILESTONE games produced contrasting outcomes for Cobden pair Sam Dunbar and Ash Couch last Saturday. Couch's 50th appearance for the Bombers was on a winning team against North Warrnambool Eagles, while hamstring tightness early in the contest meant Dunbar spent most of his 100th match on the pine.
THE AFL Coaches Association (AFLCA) is ensuring a positive start to the VCFL Bushfire Appeal Round this weekend.
Two specially-commissioned white Sherrin footballs, signed by all 16 AFL coaches and captains, have been donated to VCFL chief executive Glenn Scott.
The presentation was made by AFLCA representative Paul Armstrong and Melbourne Football Club coach Dean Bailey.
The footballs will be publicly auctioned, with all proceeds going to the VCFL Bushfire Appeal Fund.
Proceeds of the fund will assist football leagues, clubs, associations and individuals in bushfire-affected regions.
All 82 senior and junior VCFL football leagues are taking part in the VCFL Bushfire Appeal Round to commemorate the losses faced by the Victorian community over the summer bushfire season.
Scott said there were more than 100 football-netball clubs and 5550 registered players in the fire-ravaged areas.
"It is crucial that we band together to ensure both football and netball can continue to be the cornerstone of these communities and that all losses and damages can be rectified to the highest level, whether it be the clubs or registered players that have lost gear,'' he said.
NEXT stop western Sydney in the ubiquitous career of former Kolora footballer Alan McConnell.
The AFL's proposed 18th team in Sydney's west has appointed McConnell its new high performance manager.
McConnell is the first full-time appointment for the new club, which is scheduled to be playing in the AFL from 2012.
After playing 37 games with Footscray, McConnell twice coached Fitzroy - as caretaker in 1995 when Bernie Quinlan was sacked and in 1996 when Mick Nunan quit - as well as serving as an assistant at Fitzroy and Geelong.
He has spent the past five years overseeing the development of the country's brightest young footballers with the AIS/AFL Academy.
McConnell said he was excited about the challenges posed by developing the young core of the AFL's newest club.
"Working with the best young AFL talent as AIS/AFL high performance coach has challenged me to refine my own coaching skills to design, manage and deliver an elite AFL program,'' he said.
McConnell begins in his new role on July 1.
SOUTH West District Football Netball League supporters are being treated to one of the closest competitions in modern times.
After the first full round of home-and-away fixtures there is no standout side and upset results have become a weekly season feature.
Last weekend it was Heathmere toppling traditional rival Westerns and Coleraine making surprisingly light work of in-form Cavendish.
The top-four sides: Heathmere, Westerns, Tyrendarra and Cavendish have 5-2 records, followed by Dartmoor (4-3) and Coleraine (3-4). With a compressed premiership table, even Sandford (1-6) has a chance to sneak into the finals with an improved second half of the season.
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