FORMER Port Fairy captain Shaun Murrihy and his family are the May WorkSafe-VCFL Footy Legends competition winners. Seagulls under 18 captain Lachie Chapman nominated the Murrihy family for its outstanding involvement at the club and preparedness to help. After a distinguished 200-game career in the purple and gold, Shaun has run the Auskick program for the past 10 years. “Sons Sam, Daniel and Lachlan are all part of the junior football club, which means Shaun is present at games every Sunday, all day, doing anything from cutting oranges to organising admin, coaching, being the runner and even running around with a whistle when required,” Chapman wrote in the nomination. “The three boys each will run water, run the scoreboard and boundary umpire for various games, after doing the same for the senior games on Saturday. Their mother Martina works in the canteen and will even help at the netball even though she has no daughters.” WorkSafe’s acting executive director Stan Krpan said the contribution being made by the Murrihy family and others like them was what country football was all about. “It’s not just an individual commitment but one that crosses generations. It’s people like these which keeps clubs going not just in the south-west but across the state.” The Murrihys win a certificate and signed Ron Barassi book, while Chapman wins a Sherrin football signed by Barassi. The Seagulls win a $2000 Footy Mart voucher for their club.

BEING pregnant in footy season is virtually guaranteed to cause some kind of domestic chaos but not for Russells Creek coach Adam Main and his wife Laura. The couple welcomed daughter Sadie into the world this week. It was perfect timing. Coincidentally, the birth was in the week leading up to a break round for the Kangaroos, who were also not required to train this week after thrashing Deakin University by 50 points last Saturday. Main is also now free to train on Tuesday nights after missing several sessions in the first half of the year to attend pre-natal classes.

WARRNAMBOOL onballer Brendan Moore brought more than football talent from Colac to Reid Oval. Moore also arrived with a crunchy nickname - Bikkies - which he explained dated back to his primary school days. “I was a chubby kid and I used to have Tic-Tocs, Jam Fancies and Teddy Bears lined up in the lunchbox,” he laughed. Thankfully for local football fans, Moore lost the puppy fat and developed athletic endurance acknowledged by coach Adam Dowie in terms of “a big motor”.

PENSHURST will host the Victorian Country Football League match of the round on Saturday, August 7. VCFL chief executive officer Glenn Scott and ambassador Ron Barassi will attend the grand final rematch against Tatyoon and present player-of-the-match trophies after the game. It is the first time Mininera and District Football League has held the VCFL event. Reigning premier Penshurt will be hoping to turn the tables on the Hawks, as the 2009 runner-up claimed a 76-point revenge in round eight last month.

SOUTH-WEST football administrators at league and club level were surely on the phone, writing emails and snail mail to Heywood Football Netball Club this week. How did the Lions pull a home-and-away crowd which paid more than $11,000 to watch an historic victory last Saturday over traditional rival Portland? Sure, there was the drawing power of former AFL players Mal Michael, Courtney Johns, Brad Fuller and Brad Smith, as well as the strong prospect Heywood would win its first match against the Tigers in 13 years. But what other elements went into a fixture which had spectators camping out overnight in their cars to get the best viewing points on the fence at Heywood’s ground? Is the Western Border Football League an isolated pocket of regional Australia where football and netball contests can still draw large followings of passionate supporters from the competing teams - as well as casual interest - or can the experience be transferred to neighbouring competitions? Local clubs still have a hard core of regular fans but all would agree it could be better — a lot better. So what are the leagues and clubs doing to heighten the appeal of local football to draw followers back to the game? When was the last time their administrators or officials devoted time and resources to promoting a contest between traditional opponents? Let’s take the contest between arch-rivals South Warrnambool and Warrnambool tomorrow as a case in point. Once the biggest show in town, the best the Roosters can hope for is an increase of 100 or 200 on an average home gate. If the weather is inclement, possibly less. But with a little foresight and goodwill on both sides, the build-up could begin a week out with both coaches mindful of referring to the match in their round nine post-game remarks. A press conference on Tuesday attended by the presidents and captains of both clubs could be called, offering print, radio and television media the opportunity to get insights into the history between the proud rivals. The host club could also consider inviting a high-profile former player or football identity to attend a pre-game dinner or half-time function. With a little brainstorming, there are probably many other ways to tempt people through the gate. Remember the drawing power of Gary Ablett snr at the 1997 grand final between Cobden and Port Fairy at Friendly Societies’ Park? With some AFL contests on the nose because of the dour, defensive style of football played, it is the perfect time for country competitions to win back fans seduced by the slick marketing of the big league. A VCFL promotion encouraging the virtues of regional football would be well-timed this season. There is also the obvious appeal of encouraging locals to support local sport. If these borderline supporters could be convinced to attend tomorrow’s South Warrnambool-versus-Warrnambool game they would see some of the HFNL’s most exciting young talent on show. They would be supporting two community organisations which rely on voluntary support to provide a healthy sporting outlet for youth. And they would be helping ensure the survival of a rich football tradition.

THE visit by South Warrnambool export Brent Moloney and his Melbourne teammates to Warrnambool this week gave a refreshing insight into players at the elite level. While much is said of professional athletes behaving badly, Moloney should be held up as a role model for all country footballers who make it in the big time. No request was too big for Moloney, who welcomed interaction with fans and the media. He approached kids for a chat and rallied the boys around Warrnambool youngster Harvey McCorkell, nine, for a photo, even though the youngster’s loyalties laid elsewhere. Moloney said he loved getting home and showing his teammates the icy waters of Lady Bay. “Some of these guys have never seen a beach like this,” he said after emerging from a recovery session. “We only have the bay (in Melbourne) and there are no waves like this.” Highlighting the down to earth nature of the bonding trip was the fact that the cars carrying the 11 players stopped every hour on the way down the Princes Highway so players could swap and spend time with all their teammates. They also stopped at Terang Mortlake export Jordie McKenzie’s parents’ place for lunch (even though McKenzie was back in Melbourne sitting an exam).

Dinner on Wednesday night included a roast cooked by Moloney’s mum Anna before an impromptu visit to a school at Terang on the way home yesterday to top the community flavour.

WARRNAMBOOL’ S Emmanuel College enhanced its reputation of fostering football talent, winning the Catholic all-schools intermediate boys championships recently. Emmanuel defeated Colac’s Trinity College in the final 9.6 (60) to 4.2 (26). Coach Noel Mugavin said his squad of 23 players worked hard to stay undefeated in its four games of two 15-minute halves at Salesian College, Sunbury. He said best players for the final were Haydn Drew, Jake O’Donnell, Ashiel Dau, Tom Smith, Martin Gleeson, Louis Herbert, Tyler Dunyhoven and Ben Brady from a team effort. “The boys played fantastic football over the course of the day and thoroughly deserved their success,” he said.

EMMANUEL Hawks Junior Football Club must be doing something right. The Hawks are delighted with the number of their players who have been selected in the Hampden under 15 schoolboys team, which will contest the division two state under 15 championships later this month. Club spokesman Allan Blackburn said five Emmanuel Hawks — Nathan Monk, Thomas O’Leary, Damien Moloney, Mitchell Bowman and Asheil Dau — made the cut. “I can’t remember any side having five (Emmanuel players) in it for a long time,” he said. “They only pick 25, so to have five is pretty good.”

ALLANSFORD defender Glen Byron chalks up his 150th senior appearance with the Cats tomorrow, 13 years after he made his debut. The 31-year-old, who started his first season as a wingman, returned to Allansford this year after missing the past four seasons. He moved to Ballarat at the end of 2005, played with Sebastopol in the Ballarat league in 2006, but didn’t pull the boots on in 2007, before moving to Mackay where he remained out of the game until his return to the Cats at the start of the year. Byron, who has played exclusively at full-back after his first season, is also the club treasurer and clearance officer.