TA: I heard the Warrnambool and District Football Netball head honcho Justin Balmer will be getting a baby sling for a Christmas present. Apparently, the big bloke is going to be a step grandfather in the not-too-distant future and Santa is expected to bring him a sling so when he walks around the grounds during the footy season he can carry the bub.
AT: It's about time he thought about getting fit, but it was good to see he managed to put pen to paper to prepare a president's report for the district league AGM. The gossip sweeping Dennington is that JB has been hitting the pavement in the early hours as he starts his summer fitness campaign.
TA: A yarn has surfaced about a few local blokes who love their golf and were part of the recent Tiger Woods circus.
AT: Name names Tim - don't beat around the bush.
TA: Bendigo Bank chieftain Gary Attrill and his good mates Eddie Raymond and Ian "Bull" Bolden were involved. The boys ventured to Melbourne and had a refreshing night before getting up early the next morning to head to the course. They realised traffic around the golf course would be chaotic so they decided to catch a train out to Mentone Railway station before taking a bus to the course. The queue was long to get in to see the Tiger perform and while the boys were waiting Attrill realised he had left their three tickets to the sell-out event back at the motel. Bull was not too happy. Gary made countless calls to the motel and friends in Warrnambool explaining his dilemma and he finished up going up to a Ticket master facility to explain the situation. You know something along the lines of ''forgot the tickets'' which didn't go down too well. But it all ended up all right with the old tickets being cancelled and three news ones being issues. Anyway you'll be off to the Warrnambool Footy Club tonight mate?
AT: Don't start, Tim. Kids cricket got called off last Friday night and the Bride wanted to duck out for a refreshing beverage. I said "footy club", she said "Junction" so we went to the Allansford Hotel for a frothie with the old man. Very relaxing right up until about 7pm when I got half a dozen text messages telling me my name was drawn out of the hat - because I wasn't there I missed out on $2500.
TA: What's the plan now?
AT: Strangely enough this has happened to me before. I missed out on almost a grand at the RSL years ago, turned up a couple of weeks later and got the full $1000. Same at the Junction when they had the slab jackpot a few years ago. I missed out on 13 slabs, turned up two weeks later and got 15. So I'll head to the footy club next week when it gets to about $3000. Would be nice Christmas kickalong.
TA: I heard a little story from Buzz Bailey this week about the Bride having an animated discussion in Coles supermarket with your youngest daughter.
AT: First it was something about dolphins and tuna, now the Little Princess is going off about caged eggs.
TA: Kids would be a bit demanding leading up to Santa turning up?
AT: Abbey has a birthday before then and the Little Princess wants a pet. I hate cats, we have a whippet so a rabbit or guinea pig isn't going to last too long. I took her to three pets shops last weekend and we decided on a bird. So Abbey is having a trial run with her older sister's budgie. Needless to say I caused a few dramas this week when I happened to mention it was a caged bird. Abbey has spent the past three days trying to get the budgie onto her finger so it can get out of the cage. Not much in the way of footy gossip this week. Sean Bourke is going to play with Croyden next year but Kolora-Noorat looks to have held onto most of its players.
TA: How did the story on the recent success rate of appeals from Judge Wendy Wilmoth gone over?
AT: Lot of positive comments and only one half-spray from a barrister.
TA: Righto expert; how do they fix the system?
AT: Tim, I understand the concept of an independent review process but what we have finished up with is an information vacuum. The hearings in magistrates and county courts are stunningly different. It's no surprise judges are reducing so many sentences. I have no idea why police prosecutors, who have had carriage of most of these cases for the best part of 12 months and up to five hearings, can't appear in county court for appeals. That would make a huge difference and instead of judges just hearing summaries of offences, the hearings would be far more balanced. There's no doubt some appeals are a chance to get up against the severity of sentences but the current system is not working. Until next week hooroo.
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