IT’S going to be a big weekend for Warrnambool’s McCorkell family, with Ashley and Dustin expected to be part of the Blues’ lineup for tomorrow’s Hampden league showdown. But what about their brother Jarrod, who is vice-captain of the Northern Bullants VFL side, which produced a massive upset last Saturday, defeating minor premier Williamstown in the preliminary final? The Bullants play North Ballarat Roosters, steered by former Camperdown and Mortlake coach Gerard FitzGerald, in Sunday’s grand final at Docklands. While Warrnambool was finding some of its best form in a month against Terang Mortlake last Saturday, Jarrod McCorkell was playing a significant hand in the Carlton-affiliated team’s triumph. Jarrod was named among the Bullants’ best. Last weekend parents Peter and Jan were forced to make a decision on which of their sons to watch because they played on the same day. While they weren’t able to see Ashley and Dustin, this weekend they have a dream schedule. The parents, who live in Geelong, will venture to Reid Oval on Saturday to watch Ashley and Dustin and their nephew Adam before travelling to Docklands on Sunday to watch Jarrod. Also keeping an eye on both games will be proud grandfather Ron McCorkell. The family has already celebrated success this season, with Adam’s sister Carly helping Darebin to the Victorian Women’s Football League flag.
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GERARD FitzGerald’s North Ballarat has enjoyed a great VFL season but it was the former Camperdown and Mortlake coach who got the spoils last week. Fitzy was again named the VFL’s coach of the year, the fourth time he has received the honour. As he chases a third consecutive premiership with the Roosters, he revealed this week he would love to coach at AFL level but it was something he would not actively pursue because he loved his current post so much.
CAMPERDOWN export Easton Wood is fast developing a habit of being in the right place at the right time. A few weeks ago Talkin’ Footy revealed how Wood’s defensive effort in the dying seconds to deny Adelaide a famous victory had won praise from the game’s greats, including former Brownlow medallist Gerard Healy. Well, last Saturday night when the Bulldogs were under siege from Sydney in the dying moments, the Swans bombed the ball long to a running Adam Goodes, who could have snatched victory. Instead, Wood harassed and outsprinted Goodes, rushing the ball through for a point — the final score in the match — saving the day for the Bulldogs. His effort didn’t get the praise of his heroics against the Crows but it got the result his club desperately needed.
KOROIT’S Mark Bowman produced the most humorous acceptance speech at the Maskell Medal count. Bowman, who won the reserves goalkicking award with 45 majors, said he loved this season. “We call ourselves Dad’s Army,” he said of the Saints’ twos. He said the side boasted 13 over 30s and popular clubman Anthony Mahony at “53”. He went on to thank another Koroit legend, Damian Dobson, for helping him claim his award. “He doesn’t know his limitations,” Bowman said. “He has a lot of shots from 25 metres out and they fall 10 metres short and I get on the end of them.” Bowman later revealed he was fulfilling a pact he had with Matthew Jellie, a former Saint he played alongside for years before their careers took them to other clubs and leagues. “He always promised one last year together and when he came around with a six-pack one night, I know that was it.” The Saints, having made tomorrow’s grand final, are looking for a victory. But insiders are telling us, should they succeed, the victory won’t mean retirements for some of the “veterans”. Another Koroit “legend”, now retired coach Joe McLaren (who intends still playing), was surprised to walk away with the biggest pieces of memorabilia from the Maskell afternoon. McLaren, who made an emotional farewell to representative footy earlier this season, was presented with his Hampden league and VCFL jumpers he wore with great pride this season. Both, while carrying grass stains and specks of dirt, were superbly framed. McLaren said he donated the framed VCFL jumper and national country championships winning medal to his Koroit club. “There are a lot of players who have achieved a lot of good things at representative level from our football club and we don’t advertise that enough in my opinion,” he said. “I think we can improve on that and I thought I would get the ball rolling. I am a very proud Koroit man and the more to promote the Koroit football club the better.” He said it was up to the club to decide what to do with the framed jumper, while his interleague top will remain with him. “I love my interleague stuff as everyone knows and for them to do this is much appreciated.”
HAMPDEN Region Coaches Association recognised its top coaches at the Maskell Medal presentation last Sunday. Kolora-Noorat’s Justin Staunton received the Auskick coach of the year, while Bill Askew, who guided Timboon Demons under 17s to a grand final, was the youth coach of the year. Des Ryan, of Colac’s Trinity College, earned junior coach of the year and the top senior coaching honour went to Dave Conheady, who steered Panmure to a preliminary final.
NORTH Warrnambool Eagles teenager Andy McMeel has his sights set on taking another step up football ranks next season. The 17-year-old, who was named rookie of the year at the Hampden league’s Maskell Medal last Sunday, revealed he hoped to win a place on the North Ballarat Rebels list for the TAC Cup competition. McMeel, who made his senior debut in round one, playing all but two games because of a shoulder injury, said he was pleased to have played as many games as he had. “I thought it was a pretty good season,” McMeel said. “I got caught a lot because it was a big step up, it took a while to get used to the pace a bit.” McMeel, who was told he was too short to make Rebels training squads, said he believed he had grown a couple of centimetres during the season.
SOUTH Rovers best and fairest count didn’t produce any shock results. League best and fairest winners John Morton (reserves) and Jayson Millet (under 17s) picked up their club’s main silverware while the Lions’ top individual honour in seniors went to midfielder Brad McCosh, who edged out runner-up Mark Evans. The club recognised volunteer Colin Hetherington’s 58-year service at its presentation. Dennington defender Tyler Keane earned the Dogs’ best and fairest ahead of veteran Jacob Rhodes. Meanwhile, Timboon Demons was served best in 2010 by the fresh-faced Dylan Cahill, who secured the senior best and fairest award despite being only 16. Merrivale’s top individual honour was won by Joel Nestor with Tim Carter and Josh Sobey making it a trifecta for ex-Koroit players, the trio transferred across this season.
THE Hampden league is reminding patrons at tomorrow’s grand final that for the first time a dry-area will be established behind the southern or city-end goals in a bid to make the event more family-friendly. League chief executive officer Stephen Soulsby said the area would be roped off and clearly defined. He said admission for the grand final was $12 for adults ($3 less than last year but $2 more than the first three weeks of the finals series) and $5 for students aged between 13 and 17 and concession holders. While a record was included in last year’s prices, it isn’t tomorrow. Gates open at 7.30am for those wanting to get their cars in while the main gate opens at 8am. The league said an undercover bar area was being created behind the northern end goals, beside the umpires’ pavilion.
GREAT effort by Camperdown’s under 18 side to reach the grand final from fourth position on the ladder. The Magpies, coached by Paul Meade, defeated North Warrnambool Eagles in the elimination final (21 points), Terang Mortlake in the first semi-final (52 points) and Warrnambool in last Saturday’s preliminary final (28 points). Its grand final rival South Warrnambool will start a warm favourite tomorrow but it is far from a daunting challenge for Camperdown. The last time the sides met in round 18, it pushed the unbeaten minor premier to a point. Camperdown was a slow starter this season, caused in part by injuries, and had to cope with diminished man-power during the home-and-away campaign when Fraser Lucas, Jack Hickey, Charlie Bradshaw, Alistair Johnson and Abe Robertson were called up for senior duty.
TERANG Mortlake midfielder Joel Moloney was rewarded for his commitment to interleague footy receiving the annual Richard Nixon Memorial Trophy for the league’s best performed player in the bottle green jumper. Moloney was one of the league’s standout players in Hampden’s heavy loss to Mornington Peninsula Nepean earlier in the season.
AS surprising as it may seem to residents of Koroit and nearby Tower Hill, some Warrnambool players were asking for directions to The Cutting after last Saturday’s preliminary final victory against Terang Mortlake. The game was played at Victoria Park, Koroit, which made The Cutting the closest beach access for recovery.
COBDEN is building an unenviable record in the HFNL reserves competition. The Bombers made a straight sets exit from finals action in last Saturday’s preliminary final at the hands of South Warrnambool. After finishing on top of the ladder (16-2), Cobden lowered its colours to Koroit (10 points) in the second semi-final and South Warrnambool (six points) in last Saturday’s preliminary final, kicking an aggregate score of 6.20. Unfortunately for loyal Bombers supporters, it is a trend which has been repeated ad nauseum since they cheered coach Billy Askew’s side to a seconds flag in 1991. According to club insiders, Cobden has since lost five grand finals and made a series of straight sets departures.
FOUR south-west exports celebrated a premiership in Queensland last weekend. Former Kolora-Noorat footballer Jason Boydle, South Warrnambool’s Peter Trompf and Koroit’s Caleb Isles and Brooks Durdin all lined up for Noosa in the Pineapple Hotel Cup — a step down from the QAFL. The Tigers defeated Sandgate 16.13 (109) to 15.12 (102) in an arm-wrestle. Durdin booted two goals and featured in the best players with Trompf.
