TA: What are you doing packing up the car with a mad glint in your eye?
AT: I can smell cash Tim, the last of the big plunges, I’m off to Stawell to take on the bookies in the gift with the most unlikely of contenders.
TA: You had better let a few of your mates in on the action — what’s going on?
AT: Well as you know the Bride works (attends daily) out at Deakin running the mail room and this week some previously unknown talents were revealed. A snake fell out of the ceiling only a couple of feet behind her work station and I’m reliably informed she made former Olympic cheat Ben Johnson look like he had been taking stoppers.
TA: Whoa up there. Did you say snake?
AT: Yes Tim, snake out of the ceiling, Bride took off, last seen at Purnim and heading north. You do catch on quick. Her trusty offsider Brad “The Hack” Hewitt decided to take on the three-foot plus beast with a five iron. Now I’ve seen The Hack in action and it was little surprise to hear that he busted the golf club and the eastern brown was still in one piece. Brad had to perform some minor surgery with a spade to calm the Bride down. She didn’t respond calmly when I explained the snake probably got the biggest fright.
TA: Well I’ve got another similar tale. Port Fairy’s leading dog and cat washer Rod Meehan got an urgent call to get home after he had settled in for a couple of beers at the Star of the West Hotel last Friday night. Wife Jenny told him to get home straight away as she had discovered a three-foot-long tiger snake in the laundry. John Brodie offered to give Rod a ride home because Rod only had his bike and they rushed in the back door to find the tiger snake had got up into the guts of the washing machine. They disconnected the washing machine and decided to open the back door and get the washing machine and snake onto the back lawn. After a couple of minutes the tiger fell out of the machine and they ended up disposing of the snake without any hassle.
AT: One more to finish off. Allansford quick bowler Steve Gibson recently got married and he and his new wife moved into a house across the road from the cheese and butter factory. That was until Gibbo found a copper head under the kitchen sink. Steve’s missus was not impressed and alternate accommodation has had to be found.
TA: Moving on. Well, Warrnambool councillors vote on the future of the saleyards this week. It will be interesting to see if people power has a win. I reckon they will sell off the yards but not for something like three years. I don’t agree with selling the yards. I’m very worried about the auxiliary businesses which decided to build out in the Caramut Road area.
AT: If that is going to be a housing estate in the not-too-distant future, what happens to the other businesses? It won’t be long and another main employer - Ryan’s Transport - will be pushed out if the saleyards go.
TA: I’ve got a bit of footy gossip. Warrnambool has picked up Brendan Moore to play in the midfield and Lucas Boyd has put in a strong pre-season up at the Blues. South Warrnambool is trying to lure former premiership player Ben Mugavin back after playing in the Melbourne amateurs and while I mention the amateurs Andy Ryan looks like playing at Old Collegians.
AT: That’s not bad for you Tim. What about South Rovers’ new boom recruit. I hear Joey Chatfield has been at training and now he and Rovers only have to come to dollar terms. I got a whisper this week that a former footballer who was a Rooster, became a Cat, then a Bear, then a Rooster and then a Tiger had an eventful trip to see AC/DC. He caught up with an old mate in a pub near the concert venue, settled in nicely and missed the concert completely.
TA: You know the rules name names.
AT: Richie Umbers. I’ll also be interested to hear how much it’s going to cost Merrivale to get Robbie Gregg out of his contract with Lake Wendouree. And Allansford has a new super recruit. Enthusiastic truck and train driver Eddie White is taking on the job as Allansford’s head water boy this year.
TA: I think you’ll find Curtain ‘N’ Things will be relocating to the former Hooker real estate site in Liebig Street. Story goes they will be moving from the Glass House arcade on the Easter weekend. It could also be confirmed soon that Dick Smith will go into the old Toyworld site.
AT: That leaves the Glass House arcade a bit short of tenants. What is going to happen there?
TA: Sources say the Westpac Bank might be interested in taking over a bit more space in the arcade for its commercial banking side. I also heard a whisper that one of our colleagues Shane Fowles was out of the domestic good books. Fowlseo booked a week-long holiday with the lovely Kate to Hamilton Island a couple of weeks ago when Russells Creek was on the bottom of the cricket ladder and trying to avoid relegation. Creek somehow made the cricket semi-finals and the holiday had to be cancelled. Fowlseo was claiming to be keeping Kate out of harms way when the cyclone hit Queensland this week but Kate’s not buying the story.
AT: Roy Brittain has been chewing my ear this week about Creek’s 10 and 20-year footy premiership celebrations on June 12 this year. Creek managed a cleansweep of all grades in 1990, under 14, under 17s, reserves and seniors and took out under 14s and senior in 2000. All players, officials and supporters are invited back to watch Creek take on the old enemy Deakin University. Creek beat Deakin to win both the senior flags in 1990 and 2000. Until next week hooroo.
Email a friend