TA: Former Essendon premiership player Ken Timms has had some good news after a health scare.
AT: Timmsy played up at South Warrnambool after playing with the Bombers. How's he going?
TA: Well he's back playing bowls so he reckons he is improving. The other good news for him is he received a phone call from a bloke who asked whether he was the bloke that played for Essendon in the 1962 premiership side against Carlton. Timmsy assured the bloke he was the Ken Timms that played 134 games for the Bombers. The bloke turns out to be Graham Donaldson's son. Graham Donaldson was the Carlton captain in that 1962 grand final and he swapped his Carlton No. 13 jumper with Timmsy for his Essendon No. 25 jumper on the ground after the grand final. Donaldson has since passed away but his son found Timmsy's old Bomber premiership jumper at home and has since sent it to Timmsy. It's over 47 years since Timmsy had seen the jumper. It's in mint condition and now the former South Warrnambool captain coach is getting the old jumper framed.
AT: What did Timmsy do with Donaldson's old Carlton jumper. It would have to be worth a quid seeing it was worn by a captain on grand final day even though Carlton lost
TA: Funny story. Apparently, Timmsy passed the old Carlton jumper on to son Shane. He used to wear it to footy training up at South Warrnambool for years but he reckons he handed the jumper on to his good mate Laurie Lee who used to wear it to training. Laurie is now making coffee for a quid in Scotland. Shane thinks Laurie took the jumper over there so he will be getting a phone call this weekend to see if he still has the jumper.
AT: I ran into a good friend of yours in Ben Thomas from Lenard's out at Gateway Plaza the other day. He's struggling with a problem and is wondering if you can help him out.
TA: What's his problem?
AT: Ben confesses to know very little about racing but he is in a 13-man punting syndicate which has a bet each Saturday. Blokes like Dave Ryan, Leigh McIlroy, Con Lilley, Kurt and Anthony Haberfield are in the syndicate. The boys get $50 a week to bet and they had been scrapping the bottom of the barrel until Dave Ryan backed Sterling Prince on Emirates Stakes day. He had $10 each way on the horse and it paid more than $27 for a win. This Saturday just happens to be Ben's turn in the chair and the boys need a good quid to help set up their golf weekend away to Sorrento. Ben reckons you're some sort of punter guru and should be able to put the boys onto a winner. I explained to him the last decent tip you handed out was don't bet but he's happy for you to help out.
TA: You have put the pressure on here. Tell Ben to have $25 each way on a horse called Chorlin in the last race in Adelaide today. It should be at odds around 8-1 to 10-1. That's what I will be backing.
AT: I'm going to have something on Impressive Eagle in race seven at Sandown this afternoon, so we'll just have a look and see what get's the money.
TA: Interesting reading to get a copy of the Koroit Football Netball Club annual report. Even though the Saints won the flag it's getting tougher for clubs to make a quid. The Saints have been one of the most successful clubs in the Hampden league for the past 10 years and they are struggling financially. For example player payments went up from $41,000 to $54,000 in one year. Where are the clubs going to end up?
AT: Tim I would have thought Koroit would have been delighted with the season the club had - the Saints won the flag and that's what will be remembered in years to come. If a club can remain financially secure and have success what more could you ask. The $54,000 for player payments would be a bit over half what some clubs are paying out in the region. There's been a lot of talk about what players are earning and clubs are paying. For example the big name being chased by clubs at present is former Penshurst coach Grant Ewing. He was to train at Merrivale but didn't turn up. He's been linked to Port Fairy and to Warrnambool so it will be interesting to see where he ends up and for what sort of money. Port's Brad McCosh is apparently heading to Rovers. I also hear the long-running legal saga involving Yambuk identity Charlie Farley and a Hampden league grand final ditty last year has been finalised. Surprise, surprise the main winners seems to be the lawyers.
TA: Any other gossip?
AT: Maddens Lawyers is understood to be moving into the Wannon Water site at the corner of Koroit and Fairy streets. I hear the current Maddens site will be sensitively developed. Until next week, hooroo.
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