2013 Football

GVFL GVNL PDFL PDNL KDFL KDNL MFL MNL TAC CUP

FOOTBALLAND NETBALL 2013

Football and Netball 2013

(Back) Bill Sykes MP, Paul Weller MP, Damian Drum MP, (Front) Jeanette Powell MP

Your team for the Goulburn Valley

Supporting country football and netball

For assistance with State Government issues contact:

BILL SYKES MP (Benalla)PH: 5762 2100

JEANETTE POWELL MP (Shepparton)PH: 5831 6944

PAUL WELLER MP (Rodney)PH: 5482 2039

DAMIAN DRUM MP (Northern Victoria)PH: 5443 6277

for Regional VictoriaAuthorised by Paul Weller 26 Percy Street, Echuca.


CONTENTS

Welcome to Shepparton News’ ninth annual

football and netball magazine.We trust you will enjoy reading it

as much as we enjoyed compiling it.This year’s magazine previews

the fortunes of every club in the Goulburn Valley, Murray, Kyabram District and Picola District south-east division football and netball leagues.

We reveal each club’s major ins and outs, make predictions on where they will fi nish – never an easy task at this stage of the year – and off er a platform for coaches to tell you why they are fi nals bound.

The region’s TAC Cup under-18 side Murray Bushrangers is also up in lights in a double-page spread. Let’s hope we get some more AFL draftees this year.

We have also set aside a page each

to look at the new-look Shepparton District Junior Football League and the area’s inaugural Youth Girls’ Football League, which will include teams from Mooroopna, Notre Dame, Kyabram and Echuca.

It is great to see girls getting the chance to experience the game we all love and not having to travel outside the region to do so.

Other magazine features are our editorial team’s tips for each league, the season draws, a stack of photos and an insight into the umpires who enable football and netball matches to go ahead.

We hope to see you out at games this year – wherever you are and whoever you support – as we strive to provide the state’s best country football and netball coverage.Marc McGowanShepparton News sports editor

Tipsters ...........................................................................5

Goulburn Valley Football League

– an overview ................................................................7

Goulburn Valley Football League

– team profi les ..............................................................8

Fixtures – GVFL, MFL, KDFL, PDFL ................. 30

Junior football

– SDJFL overview ..................................................... 34

Youth girls’ football

– an overview ............................................................. 35

Kyabram District Football League

– overview and team profi les .............................. 37

Murray Football League


Picola District Football League SE


Kyabram District Netball League .................. 51

Goulburn Valley Netball League ..................... 52

Murray Netball League ....................................... 54

Picola District Netball League ......................... 55

Murray Bushrangers

– overview and fi xtures ......................................... 56

Umpires ...................................................................... 58

Contributors:

Marc McGowan, Hannah Driscoll, Patrick O’Meara, Damen Francis

Photography:

Ray Sizer, Julie Mercer, Simon Bingham, Jayme Lowndes, Bianca Mibus, Bruce Povey, AAP

Editorial design: Bree Harding

Sub-editing: Ron Anderson

Advertising inquiries: Andrew Pogue 5820 3188

Advertising design: Brendan Cain

Published by

Shepparton News

Melbourne Rd, Shepparton

5831 2312

www.sheppnews.com.au

facebook.com/sheppartonnews

twitter.com/sheppartonnews

Cover picture:

(from left) Katandra’s Bec Dudgeon, Tatura’s Rob Montgomery, Nathalia’s Matt Davies, Shepparton East’s Mark Frost and Violet Town’s Ben Ballinger.

FOOTBALL AND

NETBALL 2013

LMCT 10869

Cnr Doyles & New Dookie Roads, Shepparton Ph: (03) 5821 3977 www.gtm.com.auFor more information call Gary Nickson 0427 213 977 or Greg Bennett 0457 908 070

driven by quality

For new FTT CF85 and FTT XF105 retail orders prior to 31st March, 2013, you have the opportunity to take up an exclusive PACCAR Financial interest rate of 5.99%* In addition to the exclusive fi nance rate, you will also receive a bonus turn-table of your choice to the total fi tted value of $4,000#

*This offer is available to approved commercial applicants for business purposes only. 5.99% monthly interest rate is based on loan, lease or hire purchase contracts with PACCAR Financial. Offer available for new DAF CF85 and XF105 6x4 prime mover stock trucks ordered until end of March 2013. Fees and charges are payable, terms, conditions and approval criteria apply. See Graham Thomson Motors for full details. # including labour and GST.

y y

Experience it for yourself. Book a test drive today.

Every DAF FTT CF85 and FTT XF105 stock truck purchased before March 31, 2013 comes with added value*

5.99% FINANCE PLUS bonus turn-table


GVFL: Shepparton United MFL: Echuca United KDFL: Violet Town PDFL SE: Tungamah

GVNL: Kyabram MNL: Finley KDNL: Nagambie PDNL SE: Katandra

Morrison Medal: Daniel Lewis (Mooroopna)

GVFL leading goal-kicker: Jason Eagle (Shepparton United) 110

GVFL: Rochester MFL: Echuca United

KDFL: Rushworth PDFL SE: Waaia

GVNL: Kyabram MNL: Mulwala KDNL: Murchison PDNL SE: Katandra

Morrison Medal: Paul Newman (Kyabram)

GVFL leading goal-kicker: Saad Saad (Seymour) 100

GVFL: Rochester MFL: Finley KDFL: Violet Town PDFL SE: Tungamah

GVNL: Kyabram MNL: Mulwala KDNL: Nagambie PDNL SE: Katandra

Morrison Medal: Dan Lovick (Swans)

GVFL leading goal-kicker: Grant Weeks (Rochester) 107

GVFL: Rochester MFL: Echuca United KDFL: Violet Town PDFL SE: Waaia

GVNL: Kyabram MNL: Mulwala KDNL: Murchison PDNL SE: Katandra

Morrison Medal: Dan Lovick (Swans)


GVFL: Tatura MFL: Tongala KDFL: Violet Town PDFL SE: Waaia

GVNL: Kyabram MNL: Mulwala KDNL: Nagambie PDNL SE: Katandra

Morrison Medal: Mark Blake (Mooroopna)


GVFL: Kyabram MFL: Echuca United KDFL: Murchison PDFL SE: Tungamah

GVNL: Kyabram MNL: Finley KDNL:

Murchison PDNL SE: Shepparton East

Morrison Medal: Josh Fraser


Marc McGowanSports editor

Hannah DriscollSports reporter

Patrick O’MearaSports reporter

Gus UnderwoodSports reporter

Damen FrancisSports reporter

Ron AndersonSports sub-editor

ADVANTAGE KENWORTHWHICHEVER ROAD YOU TAKE ON ENGINE EMISSIONS

Whichever road you take regarding engine emission technology, rest assured you’ll make the right choice with Kenworth.Kenworth now offers the best of both worlds with the

arrival of the heavy duty Cummins ISXe5 to complement

the Gen II ISX EGR engine.

Now available in selected Kenworth models, the

Cummins ISXe5 range utilises SCR (Selective Catalytic

Reduction) exhaust after treatment technology for

emission reduction, and is available up to 600hp. Plus

you have that extra peace of mind knowing that this

installation has been locally designed, tested and

engineered for Australian conditions.

LM

CT 10869 Cnr Doyles & New Dookie Roads, Shepparton Ph: (03) 5821 3977 www.gtm.com.au

For more information call: Gary Nickson 0427 213 977, Greg Bennett 0457 908 070 or Locky Grant 0408 335 664.

Whatever your

application, Graham

Thomson Motors

have the full range of

Kenworth trucks in

stock for immediate

delivery. GEN II ISX EGR

and ISXe5 SCR engines

are both in stock now.

Electrical Furniture Computers

Melbourne Road, Shepparton

Ph: 5823 2530

Enjoy the in-store experience or visit the store that never closes:

harveynorman.com.au

We’ve Made Shopping Even

Easier!

Harvey Norman stores are operated by independent franchisees.


No-one is safe this Goulburn Valley Football League season.

An off -season recruiting bonanza has set the scene for potentially the most competitive season in the league’s recent history.

A genuine fi nals case can be made for 10 of the 12 clubs – sorry, Shepparton and Euroa.

Reigning premier Tatura has a new coach, Scott Grigg replaces Steve Daniel, and a new-look list, with ex-VFL players James Wall, Rian McGough and Ben Waite the big additions.

The Bulldogs have lost seven premiership players. An exodus like that cruelled Shepparton United’s hopes of a third straight fl ag last season.

Marc Quarrell’s United bowed out in the preliminary fi nal last year and look stronger this season, with full-forward Jason Eagle’s tattooed guns back in the Demons’ holster.

Quarrell wants United to boast the No. 1 defence again and it won the 2010 and 2011 premierships when that was the case. Tatura was the best in that area last year.

They say defence wins premierships.But the league-wide consensus is Rochester

is the team to beat in Peter White’s second year at the helm.

The Tigers generated plenty of hype at this time last year, but their latest recruits are enormous, with none better than goal-kicking superstar Grant Weeks.

A Weeks-Elliot Bowen forward combination and the competition’s best midfi eld, including Morrison Medal runner-up Ash Watson, interleague representative James Brain and newcomer Daniel Anderson, will make them tough to deny.

Rochester’s 2012 fi nals campaign was a major disappointment – tough scheduling aside – and redemption could be a further motivation.

Mooroopna and Kyabram have also enjoyed rich summers.

The Cats looked set for a rebuilding year

until rookie coach Blake Campbell announced some bumper recruits this month.

They will again be contenders, but just what impact will the quartet of fl y-in players have at Mooroopna?

Many are tipping the Bombers to cause a stir.

They weren’t that far away from fi nals last season and an army of former players have returned and some new stars, including ex-AFL player Sam Sheldon, have also signed.

The Paul Newman Factor can never be discounted, either.

Mansfi eld and Seymour are coming off contrasting fi nals campaigns, with the Eagles bowing out in the fi rst week and the Lions making a fairytale run to the grand fi nal.

Mansfi eld has lost a lot of talent, but made

a late pre-season play when it announced former AFL players Cain Ackland and Michael Handby were joining ruckman Josh Fraser in becoming Eagles.

Their early progress will be interesting to see whether they are better or worse.

Seymour has been quiet under new coach Shane Robertson, who takes over from favourite son Bernie Haberman.

There have been few ins and outs, but the Lions look a touch below last year’s quality.

Echuca and Benalla have taken aim at fi nals and exciting off -seasons have given those goals credence.

The Murray Bombers have a pair of AFL players in tow, with Simon Buckley and Jordan Williams on board, while new Saints mentor Luke Morgan is a star in his own right and has

a promising young list to work with.Shepparton has endured a barren summer

– outside of luring retired AFL defender Jonathan Hay – and will go into battle without several of its key players from last season.

Bears coach Tim Little, fresh from winning a premiership with Tatura, has remained remarkably positive, though, which is fantastic to see.

He might know something none of us are aware of.

Euroa made progress under David Gleeson and may be better again, but the competition looks incredibly tough.

The Magpies are more likely in a two-way war with Shepparton to avoid the wooden spoon.

Marc McGowan

LADDER PREDICTIONSMARC MCGOWAN

DAMEN FRANCIS

PATRICK O’MEARA

HANNAH DRISCOLL

1 Shp United Rochester Rochester Rochester2 Tatura Shp United Shp United Shp United3 Rochester Mooroopna Kyabram Tatura4 Mooroopna Kyabram Mooroopna Mooroopna5 Kyabram Tatura Seymour Kyabram6 Mansfi eld Shp Swans Echuca Shp Swans7 Shp Swans Mansfi eld Mansfi eld Mansfi eld8 Seymour Echuca Tatura Echuca9 Echuca Seymour Shp Swans Seymour

10 Benalla Benalla Benalla Benalla11 Shepparton Euroa Euroa Euroa12 Euroa Shepparton Shepparton Shepparton

GOULBURN VALLEY FOOTBALL LEAGUE PAST 10 PREMIERS: 2012: TATURA2011: SHEPPARTON UNITED2010: SHEPPARTON UNITED2009: MANSFIELD2008: ROCHESTER2007: SEYMOUR2006: SEYMOUR2005: SEYMOUR2004: MANSFIELD2003: TATURAPAST MORRISON MEDALLISTS: 2012: MARK BLAKE (MOOROOPNA)2011: GUY CAMPBELL (ROCHESTER)2010: KRISTAN HEIGHT (ECHUCA)2009: BRIAN DURBRIDGE (SWANS)2008: ROWAN PRIEST (BENALLA) AND LINC WITHERS (KYABRAM)2007: TRENT HOTTON (MANSFIELD)2006: COLIN DURIE (ECHUCA)2005: MATT BYERS (SHEPPARTON)2004: SHANE SCHOTTNER (SEYMOUR)2003: RHYS ARCHARD (ECHUCA) AND STEPHEN ASH (SHEPPARTON)


A new era is dawning for Benalla and new playing-coach Luke

Morgan is at the coal face.Morgan was approached by the Saints

toward the end of last season with the opportunity to lead the resurgence of their young squad.

It was an opportunity Morgan could not refuse.

“That is what the club saw and that is what I saw as well,” Morgan said.

“It has taken a bit of work to put this group together, we have worked hard recruiting guys that want to be part of our vision and we are really happy with the group we have managed to get.”

The former star VFL midfi elder said the Saints had already set a goal for the new season.

“If we can get eight to 10 wins we would really think of the year as a success,” he said.

“That is certainly what we are hoping for.

“We don’t want to be inconsistent.“We want to be playing strong footy all

the way through, across all three grades.“We don’t want to have weeks where

we are really competitive and then come up against a Rochester and lose by 10 goals.

“That won’t be acceptable.”Morgan said the Saints, last year’s

wooden spooners, were a realistic chance of fi nals.

“If we can get on a roll, I believe we can challenge for fi fth or sixth,” he said.

“The top four appears pretty set, then there are six teams where really anything can happen.”

He tipped reigning best-and-fairest Al Jacka, who had looked at joining Queanbeyan before deciding to remain with his home club, to lift to another level this season.

“He was a star last year in a side that was getting fl ogged,” he said.

“In a side this year that is going to be a lot more competitive, I would expect him to take his game to another level.

“He is 22 and I don’t think we have seen

anywhere near the best of Al Jacka, which is scary to think just how good he could be.”

Another Morgan predicted would have a big year was former Murray Bushrangers captain Sam Martyn.

“He is a ripper of a player,” he said.“He may only be 19, but when

people ask me who is going to be our best player this year, I fi nd it very hard to go past Sam Martyn.

“It may take him a bit to come to terms with the physicality of senior footy, but once he learns to cope with that he is going to be an exceptional player.”

Morgan said Finley recruit Jordan Daniel loomed as another who could burst onto the GVFL scene.

He said Jake Palpratt, returning from a knee injury, had impressed on the training track, while former Bushrangers spearhead Nick Warnock and Collingwood rookie Lachie Smith would play important roles at opposite ends of the ground.

The Saints had netted Tungamah midfi elder-forward Duane Haebich early in pre-season, but he has since

returned to the Picola District league Bears.

Patrick O’Meara

FAST FACTS >> JOINED LEAGUE: 1896 TO 1946; 1998 TO PRESENT NICKNAME: SAINTS GROUND: BENALLA SHOWGROUNDS COACH: LUKE MORGAN PRESIDENT: ROD COOK PREMIERSHIPS: 1940 MORRISON MEDALLISTS: T. PASQUALI (1999), R. PRIEST (2008 JOINT) 2012 FINISH: 12TH (2-16) 2012 BEST AND FAIREST: AL JACKA 2012 LEADING GOAL-KICKER: AL JACKA (30)

Al Jacka

Jayden Guppy

Lachie SmithThe former Collingwood rookie

didn’t quite make the grade at AFL level.

But no doubt he will be eager to show his class at Goulburn Valley Football League level. Smith comes back to the competition with an AFL pre-season under his belt and

experience at VFL level.The expectations are sure to be high.Coach Luke Morgan has already

earmarked Smith as a defender, despite him spending a lot of his junior career as a forward.

He was the Murray Bushrangers’ leading goal-kicker in 2011.

mar

na g

raph

ics

mar

nabi

z.co

m6x4 Box Trailer 600kg capacity

Austrailian made 12 inch sides, smooth floor, LED lights, spare wheel mount, RHS

drawbar and chassis, second hand wheels and tyres 12 Month Structural Warranty

ONLY $549

AUSTRALIA

WIDE DELIVERY

OPEN 7 DAYS CALL ANYTIME 0418 883 33528 Hunter Rd HealesvOVER 140 TRAILERS IN STOCK!

ONLY $1,490

Sd

ONLY $1,790 ON


In: Luke Moran (Pascoe Vale), Brook Martyn (South Bendigo), Lachie Smith (Collingwood), Alex Hay (Deniliquin), Jordan Daniel (Finley)OUT: Brendan Stevens (retired)

BENALLA’S SEASON FIXTURE

ROUND 1 EUROA (A) MARCH 29

ROUND 2 SEYMOUR (H) APRIL 13

ROUND 3 MANSFIELD (H) APRIL 20

ROUND 4 TATURA (A) APRIL 27

ROUND 5 SHEPPARTON (H) MAY 11

ROUND 6 SHEPPARTON SWANS (A) MAY 18

ROUND 7 ECHUCA (A) JUNE 1

ROUND 8 ROCHESTER (H) JUNE 8

ROUND 9 KYABRAM (H) JUNE 15

ROUND 10 SHEPPARTON UNITED (A) JUNE 22

ROUND 11 MOOROOPNA (A) JULY 6

ROUND 12 ECHUCA (H) JULY 13

ROUND 13 SHEPPARTON SWANS (H) JULY 20

ROUND 14 SHEPPARTON (A) JULY 27

ROUND 15 TATURA (H) AUGUST 3

ROUND 16 MANSFIELD (A) AUGUST 10

ROUND 17 SEYMOUR (A) AUGUST 24

ROUND 18 EUROA (A) AUGUST 31

SEASON PREDICTIONS:

MARC MCGOWAN: 10TH

HANNAH DRISCOLL: 10TH

PATRICK O’MEARA: 10TH

DAMEN FRANCIS: 10TH

Brook Martyn

– Coach Luke Morgan

“We have worked hard recruiting

guys that want to be a part of our

vision and we are really happy with

the group we have managed to get”

3 year/100,000 km warranty

Goulburn Valley Great Wall Ph: 03 5823 2940Melbourne Road, Shepparton South. (Next to Jeff Tracy BMW)

$26,990 On Road

www.gvgreatwall.com.au

Call in and see us for a Great deal

They’re unbelievably great.4x4 $3,000 extraDiesel available

Factory bonus ends April 30, 2013

Auto model now available

X200 SUV Turbo Diesel, Manual, 4WD, 7.6Lt/per 100 km, fully optioned vehicle. $17,990 On Road

V240 4x2

Air conditioning, electric windows and mirrors, remote locking, CD/Radio/MP3 player, alloy wheels.

Save $2,000with a factory

bonus*

$24, 0Now 66


On the surface it may look like little has changed at Echuca, but

that would be underestimating one of the club’s great strengths – coach Cameron Stewart.

The Murray Bombers punched well above their weight last season and, while breakout performers Matt Farrelly and Christian Burgess will not be at his disposal this season, there is no reason Stewart cannot continue to get the best out of his lower and middle-tier players.

The likes of Earl Handy, Matt Hay and Jordan Ives are still eligible to play under-18s, but have a solid platform of at least 13 games from last year to build on, while Tom Monahan and Joel McCormack-Hall are two players who could follow suit this season.

The main area Echuca has strengthened is at the elite level, with former AFL-listed duo Jordan Williams and Simon Buckley signifi cantly enhancing the club’s leadership group.

“If they can use their voice and direction out in the middle of the ground, it’s certainly going to help us,” Stewart said.

“It’s similar to what Scott McGlone and Rhys Archard and (Brendan) Prendergast did last year, (but) all of a sudden we’ve got fi ve or six of those sort of guys, so we’ve doubled that capacity on the ground as far as leadership goes.”

That said, Steward reiterated those leaders would be among 21 players who run out with a job to do every week.

“You like to think they would have a pretty big impact, but all we’ve asked of those blokes is to come to our footy club and buy into our culture and our environment, which they’ve done,” he said.

“We don’t expect them to be the best players every week, we would like that, but by the same token they have to have the support around them and they have

to buy into our game plan and we’ve got to buy into what they can bring as well.”

The other investment the Murray Bombers have made is in an escape clause.

Liam Wilkinson was a lone soldier inside-50 at times last season, with Archard often needed up the ground, but the addition of tall timber in Jordan Florance and Joel Wilkinson changes things.

With increased height up top rivals could see more marking options up the ground and an increase in scoreboard pressure from Echuca.

“I like to think our scoring capacity will probably rise, because we’ve got some talls,” Stewart said.

“At least we’ve got some targets, so if we are in trouble, we can kick long and at least we know that if we do pop it up in our forward 50 that we’re not just going to have one player one-out.”

Other options include Leitchville-Gunbower recruit Josh Edgar and Horsham key-position prospect Sean Christopher, who has relocated to the area as a last-minute bonus for the club.

According to Stewart, “anywhere from eight to 10” wins would signal an exciting progression for the Murray Bombers this season, but that may be easier said than done given the advancement of not only the teams above, but those either side in Kyabram and Shepparton Swans.

Not that it bothers Stewart at this stage.

“Once again we’re not looking at the end result or September, we’re just worried about the fi rst block of games and once we’ve played them we’ll assess where we’re at,” he said.

“We’re just after genuine improvement, we won seven games last year, so if we win eight that’s an improvement.”

Damen Francis

FAST FACTS >> JOINED LEAGUE: 1909 TO 1942; 1974 TO PRESENT NICKNAME: MURRAY BOMBERS GROUND: VICTORIA PARK OVAL, CROFTON ST, ECHUCA COACH: CAMERON STEWART PRESIDENT: BRETT STEVENS PREMIERSHIPS: 1977, 1979, 1997, 2001, 2002 MORRISON MEDALLISTS: S. EISHOLD (1995 JOINT), S. ORR (1997), C. SHOLL (2001), R. ARCHARD (2003 JOINT), C. DURIE (2006), K. HEIGHT (2010) 2012 FINISH: EIGHTH (7-11) 2012 BEST AND FAIREST: SCOTT MCGLONE 2012 LEADING GOAL-KICKER: RHYS ARCHARD (48)

Brendan Prendergast


IN: Simon Buckley (Collingwood), Tom Stevens (Sandringham), Jordan Florance (Aberfeldie), Josh Edgar, Brad Jones (both Leitchville Gunbower), Ben Mason (Moama), Isaac Young, Robert Young (Avondale Heights), Jordan Williams (Bendigo Gold), Sean Christopher (Horsham)OUT: Matt Farrelly (Bendigo Gold), Christian Burgess (Williamstown), Jamus Campbell, Dale Walker (both University Blues), Axel Childs (Kyabram), Matthew Costello (Grovedale), Josh Preston (Skipton), Ollie Wines (Port Adelaide)

ECHUCA’S SEASON FIXTUREROUND 1 ROCHESTER (A) MARCH 29

ROUND 2 TATURA (H) APRIL 13

ROUND 3 KYABRAM (A) APRIL 20

ROUND 4 UNITED (H) APRIL 27

ROUND 5 MOOROOPNA (A) MAY 11

ROUND 6 SEYMOUR (H) MAY 18

ROUND 7 BENALLA (H) JUNE 1

ROUND 8 MANSFIELD (A) JUNE 8

ROUND 9 SHEPPARTON (A) JUNE 15

ROUND 10 SWANS (H) JUNE 22

ROUND 11 EUROA (H) JULY 6

ROUND 12 BENALLA (A) JULY 13

ROUND 13 SEYMOUR (A) JULY 20

ROUND 14 MOOROOPNA (H) JULY 27

ROUND 15 UNITED (A) AUGUST 3

ROUND 16 KYABRAM (H) AUGUST 10

ROUND 17 TATURA (A) AUGUST 24

ROUND 18 ROCHESTER (H) AUGUST 31

SEASON PREDICTIONS:MARC MCGOWAN: NINTH

HANNAH DRISCOLL: EIGHTH

PATRICK O’MEARA: SIXTH

DAMEN FRANCIS: EIGHTH

– Coach Cameron Stewart

“I like to think our scoring

capacity will probably rise,

because we’ve got some talls.”

Matt HayAt just 16 years of age, Hay was a great story for Echuca

last year.

The dogged key defender went toe-to-toe with several

stronger and wiser opponents such as Paul Newman of

Kyabram and Rochester’s Guy Campbell and did not take

a backward step.

However, it will not get any easier this season, with

the likes of Grant Weeks, Jason Eagle and Daniel Lewis

joining the fray and no signifi cant additions to his

defensive unit.

Whether or not he gets that sort of match-up every

week remains to be seen, but Hay’s progression will be

fascinating to watch regardless.

Rhys Archard


Youth development will again be David Gleeson’s focus this

year.Gleeson said being one of the

smallest clubs in the league, combined with its record for the past few seasons, made it diffi cult to compete with other clubs to attract players, so developing a core base was crucial.

That’s not to say there will not be some talented recruits joining the Magpies.

The club can take a major boost from the full-time inclusion of Brendan Allen, the former Murray Bushrangers’ captain back after one year with Sandringham.

Allen played four games for the

Magpies last year and was in the best all four occasions.

“Brendan is the sort of guy we can build a side around,” Gleeson said.

“He is a class player in our side and if we can get more matches out of him the football club will benefi t from his ability and his experience.”

Matt Quinton presents as an attacking centre half-back capable of playing ruck and going forward and Gareth Fricker is another attacking half-back.

Ambrose Swinton can go forward or play on the ball while Nick Snowdon, Ben Hayes and Rob Wilson will swoop on the wings.

It is clear some of the Magpies’ close losses last year still haunt

Gleeson (two games were lost by less than a kick).

Euroa is reliant on the small senior brigade of players like Craig Bamford, the Magpies’ leading goal-kicker three seasons running, to lead the way and Gleeson also wanted to see more leadership from players like Klay Giovannini, Brad Cunningham and James and Matt Ivill this season.

The success of Euroa Cricket Club, which had three teams in semi-fi nals last week, has interfered with the Magpies’ pre-season and numbers on the track have been inconsistent as a consequence.

But the numbers will be there and Gleeson said it would be a good

season if it could get one side into fi nals.

“At this time of year we’ve got to be planning to win more games than last year and it depends on other sides, but we would hope to improve as a football club on last year,” Gleeson said.

The under-18 side achieved a fi nals fi nish last season in its fi rst year back in the competition with a win-loss record of 13-5.

Gleeson will utilise at least six players out of that group and said there were others capable of spending time in the seniors.

Included in the mix will be the thirds’ best-and-fairest winner Will Graf, who presents an option

up forward or in the ruck along with Jake McNamara, while Kasey Duncan has been added to the midfi eld rotation.

Gleeson has the group striving for consistency, a hurdle itself for a young team.

“It might take us a few games to get going, but we thought we were far more competitive in the back end of last year with our results,” he said.

“We know we’ve got a very young side this year, so we know sometimes with young guys inconsistency comes, so it’s just about preparing them and giving the best instructions we can.”

Hannah Driscoll

FAST FACTS >> JOINED LEAGUE: 1971 NICKNAME: MAGPIES GROUND: MEMORIAL OVAL, SPENCER ST, EUROA COACH: DAVID GLEESON PRESIDENT: SCOTT WATSON PREMIERSHIPS: 1971, 1990 MORRISON MEDALLISTS: A.BAKER (1998) 2012 FINISH: 11TH (2-16) 2012 BEST AND FAIREST: JACOB GLEESON 2012 LEADING GOAL-KICKER: CRAIG BAMFORD (37)

Euroa Magpies

Veolia Environmental Services offer a total waste solution for your business or home. We are your specialists in treatment, recycling and disposal of all commercial and industrial waste and recycling.

Contact Veolia Environmental Services for more information:Phone 03 5831 8388 www.veolia.com.au

Premiership team in Environmental Services


IN: Gareth Fricker (Seaford), Ben Hayes (Old Melburnians), Matthew Quinton, Nick Snowdon (Whittlesea), Ambrose Swindon (Montmorency), Rob Wilson (Violet Town)OUT: Alex Birch, Tim Faliszewski, Brayden Wren (all Harcourt), Edward Carracher, Davenall Mackrell, Jac Smith-Williams (Longwood), Cameron Thyer (Peninsula FL)

EUROA’S SEASON FIXTUREROUND 1 BENALLA (H) MARCH 29

ROUND 2 MANSFIELD (A) APRIL 13

ROUND 3 SEYMOUR (A) APRIL 20

ROUND 4 MOOROOPNA (H) APRIL 27

ROUND 5 KYABRAM (A) MAY 11

ROUND 6 ROCHESTER (H) MAY 18

ROUND 7 UNITED (A) JUNE 1

ROUND 8 SHEPPARTON (H) JUNE 8


ROUND 10 TATURA (A) JUNE 22

ROUND 11 ECHUCA (A) JULY 6

ROUND 12 UNITED (H) JULY 13

ROUND 13 ROCHESTER (A) JULY 20

ROUND 14 KYABRAM (H) JULY 27

ROUND 15 MOOROOPNA (A) AUGUST 3

ROUND 16 SEYMOUR (H) AUGUST 10

ROUND 17 MANSFIELD (H) AUGUST 24

ROUND 18 BENALLA (A) AUGUST 31

SEASON PREDICTIONS:

MARC MCGOWAN: 12TH



DAMEN FRANCIS: 11TH

– Coach David Gleeson

“It might take us a few games

to get going, but we thought we

back end of last year with our results.”

were far more competitive in the

Brendan AllenIt has been a while since Brendan Allen has been seen full-

time around Euroa Football Club.

The 21-year-old is a proven leader as Murray Bushrangers

and Assumption College fi rst XVIII captain in 2010, and

spent a year on Sandringham’s list last season.

He squeezed in 19 senior GVFL games around that.

Gaining, and holding onto, young talent like Allen will be

crucial for the Magpies’ long-term rebuilding plans.

Matt Ivill, Robbie Wood, Brad Gleeson

Brendan Allen swoops on the ball

Yeomans

The best brandsat John Sanderson Machinery

John Sanderson Machinery

36–38 Industrial Crs, Nagambie Phone 5794 2272 AH 0408 576 118


The contrast could hardly be starker from this year to last for Kyabram.

The Bombers rustled up just three names from the past – two of them back from long-term knee injuries –

and that was about it as far as recruiting went going into last

season.That all changed this off -

season.Kyabram surged into fi nals

- and even premiership - calculations with a blockbuster

summer of recruiting.Many of those are top-notch

former Bombers returning to the fold – think Chris Atkins,

Josh Linton, Ryan Emmett, Simon Seddon and Jake Reeves – but there

is plenty of new talent, too.Ex-AFL player Sam Sheldon heads the

list and his sweet-kicking cousin Tom Sheldon, a Nathalia premiership player

and former Echuca and Goulburn Valley interleague

defender, has come across with him.

Sam Sheldon, who played 43 games in six seasons with

Brisbane Lions, will have a delayed start.He broke an ankle

this month playing for Tiwi Bombers and could be out for three months, despite his early hopes of being back inside eight weeks.

Another former AFL player, Djaran Whyman, will also play for Kyabram once a resolution is reached with ex-club Mooroopna.

Bombers coach David Williams, entering his 22nd year as a coach, said he was not surprised at his club’s change in off -season fortunes.

“I’ve been coaching for a long time and I mentioned to one guy in particular, with recruiting one year you can’t take a trick and the next year you’ve got them everywhere,” Williams said.

“We’d be disappointed if we didn’t make fi nals, but we’ve got a hard draw, so fourth or fi fth would be a good result.

“We’d like to think we’d win one out of the fi rst two games (against Tatura and Rochester), which is very important, but that’s about as far as we’ve looked as far as setting goals.”

Two other newcomers – Axel Childs and Bernie Wearden – could be equally important.

Childs, a hard-at-it on-baller, is a two-time Victoria Country under-19 representative and Wearden, a former Kyabram junior, is the brother of AFL player Patrick.

Williams said Wearden, who boasts an exquisite left boot, might sneak under the guard of some opposing clubs in either a forward or defensive role.

“All the Melbourne guys have been training the house down,” Williams said.

“ ‘Afro’ (Atkins) has been overseas, so he’s going to be a bit behind, but Joshy Linton is super-fi t, Simon Seddon is apparently fl ying on the training track and this Brett Davis is a real fi tness freak.

“(Davis is) a real hard nut, plays off half-back and runs really hard at the ball, and

Beau Runnalls can play a little bit, too, and has been training well, so there are a lot of plusses for us at the moment.”

Reeves could be the answer to the Bombers’ ruck search. The ex-Murray Bushranger played in Kyabram’s 2010 grand fi nal side before spending the past two seasons with VFL club Werribee.

Brett Morgan returned from injury obscurity to star in the ruck early last year before his ongoing knee problems came back to haunt him.

Morgan could be a factor if his knee allows him, but Williams said, at least initially, his ruck combination would most likely be Reeves and fellow young big man Luke Morris.

The Bombers’ defence loses Rhys Clark to VFL club Bendigo Gold, where Kyabram’s interleague player Nathan Beck has also gone.

Back-to-back best-and-fairest Jason Morgan will lead the backline, legendary key forward Paul Newman will be the focal point and speedster Liam Ogden remains a midfi eld key.

Brad Ryan, Nick Coulstock, Bushrangers Nick and Tom Holman and reigning under-18 Pattison medallist Hayden Gemmill are the pick of the kids.

Williams said a player vote would decide new Tongala playing coach David Newman’s captaincy replacement.

Marc McGowan

FAST FACTS >> JOINED LEAGUE: 1894 NICKNAME: BOMBERS GROUND: KYABRAM RECREATION RESERVE, UNWIN ST, KYABRAM COACH: DAVE WILLIAMS PRESIDENT: JOHN BACON PREMIERSHIPS: 1919, 1921, 1922, 1927, 1928, 1948, 1950, 1958, 1975, 1996 MORRISON MEDALLISTS: W. COX (1934), J. COOPER (1958, 1961), C. STEWART (1963), R. CLAY (1964), P. GITTOS (1987), B. GUGLIOTTI (1993), L. WITHERS (2008 JOINT) 2012 FINISH: SEVENTH (7-10-1) 2012 BEST AND FAIREST: JASON MORGAN 2012 LEADING GOAL-KICKER: PAUL NEWMAN (68)

Brad RyanRyan fi rst fl ashed his potential at

senior level two years ago and was one

of Kyabram’s better players in the fi nals

that season despite his tender age. His

Murray Bushrangers commitments are

over, so this will be his fi rst full season

with the Bombers’ top side. The hugely

talented Ryan’s height and athleticism

mean he can be eff ective almost

anywhere on the fi eld, but expect

to see him most often through the

midfi eld and up forward.

Simon Seddon

servicing Northern Victoria Stocking all the best brands

LIVESTOCK FEEDING EQUIPMENT

S E T T I N G T H E S T A N D A R D


IN: Chris Atkins, Scott McCormack and Tom Sheldon (Nathalia), Sam Sheldon (Brisbane), Simon Seddon and Brett Davis (Southport), Josh Linton (Lara), Beau Runnalls (Palm Beach Currumbin), Axel Childs (Echuca), Sam Nelson (Rushworth), Djaran Whyman (Mooroopna), Ryan Emmett (East Brighton), Bernie Wearden (Broome Bulls), Jordan Briggs (Robe), Jake Reeves (Werribee)OUT: Nathan Beck and Rhys Clark (Bendigo Gold), David Newman and James Lovison (Tongala), Lukas Hanslow (Stanhope)

KYABRAM’S SEASON FIXTURE

ROUND 1 TATURA (A) MARCH 29

ROUND 2 ROCHESTER (A) APRIL 13

ROUND 3 ECHUCA (H) APRIL 20

ROUND 4 MANSFIELD (A) APRIL 27

ROUND 5 EUROA (H) MAY 11

ROUND 6 SHEPPARTON (A) MAY 18


ROUND 8 MOOROOPNA (H) JUNE 8

ROUND 9 BENALLA (A) JUNE 15

ROUND 10 SEYMOUR (A) JUNE 22


ROUND 12 SWANS (A) JULY 13

ROUND 13 SHEPPARTON (H) JULY 20

ROUND 14 EUROA (A) JULY 27

ROUND 15 MANSFIELD (H) AUGUST 3

ROUND 16 ECHUCA (A) AUGUST 10

ROUND 17 ROCHESTER (H) AUGUST 24


SEASON PREDICTIONS:

MARC MCGOWAN: FIFTH

HANNAH DRISCOLL: FIFTH

PATRICK O’MEARA: THIRD

DAMEN FRANCIS: FOURTH

Tom and Sam Sheldon

– Coach David Williams

“I’ve been coaching for a long time...

with recruiting one year you can’t take

a trick and the next you’ve got them everywhere.”

< Josh Linton

and Southern NSW for over 24 years.

www.echucacih.com43 Sturt St, Echuca(03) 5482 1733The sky’s the limit


It is more than three years since Mansfi eld’s (Craig) Kelly Gang achieved Goulburn Valley

Football League premiership glory.The Eagles have enjoyed mixed success since,

playing fi nals twice – including last year – and bowing out in the fi rst week on both occasions.

Second-year coach Fraser Stevenson, a member of Mansfi eld’s all-conquering 2009 team, plans to change that this season and is armed with three more former AFL-listed players as he does so.

Ex-Collingwood and Gold Coast ruckman Josh Fraser’s celebrated return to his junior club caused the biggest splash, but Cain Ackland and Michael Handby will help fi ll holes in the Eagles’ line-up.

“It’s just the experience of these guys,” Stevenson said.

“All three of them have had AFL experience. What’s coming in is a fair bit better than what’s gone out in terms of experience.”

Ackland, a 74 AFL-gamer for Port Adelaide, Carlton and St Kilda, will replace spearhead Rod Woodford, while Handby will aim to fi ll gun youngster Nick Gray’s sizeable midfi eld shoes.

Gray is off to play for Collingwood’s VFL team after a breakout campaign that included interleague selection.

He is the second straight Mansfi eld best-and-fairest winner, behind fellow on-baller Brett Mahoney, to join a state-league club.

Handby spent two years on Adelaide’s list and more than a decade plying his trade at SANFL level for Glenelg, North Adelaide and South Adelaide.

The ex-Dandenong Stingray was a fringe senior player in recent seasons, but should have plenty to off er in Victorian country football’s No. 1-ranked league.

It will be a new-look Eagles list. The turnover is signifi cant, with stars Woodford, Gray, Dan Roy, Luke Smith and Tim van der Klooster gone.

But Stevenson said Mansfi eld’s depth had increased despite those high-profi le exits.

“It’s hard to know (where we are at) until we get going, but, on paper, we have improved,” he said.

“You’re silly if you’re not thinking fi nals. We defi nitely want to improve on last year, which was

fi fth position ... and we’re happy with our 23 or 25 (in the senior rotation) this year.”

The Eagles have gone back to the future with Darren Wheeler, a forward-midfi elder, and 2009 premiership players Chris Gallagher and Matt Stevenson returning.

Gallagher will switch between defence and the middle, while Stevenson will go some way to replenishing Mansfi eld’s key-position stocks.

Impressive young tall Liam Scale and ex-AFL defender Shane Wakelin are no longer part of those stocks.

One player set to make his mark is Ari Croxford-Demasi, who won the Eagles’ under-18 best-and-fairest award last season.

Croxford-Demasi will get fi rst shot at replacing the agile van der Klooster in defence and will join veteran Guy Taylor, captain Adam Boshevski, Daniel Moloney and Lee Renton down there.

Taylor has the unenviable task of manning rivals’ No. 1 key forward.

The ruck will be an even greater strength than last year.

Mark Jones turned back the clock to be one of the competition’s top big men and will have support from Fraser, Ackland and Matt Stevenson.

Fraser will split his time between the ruck and forward line. He showed at AFL level he was capable of kicking bags of goals.

Mansfi eld’s improved ruck prowess should ease any midfi eld shortcomings.

Stevenson maintains the Eagles will be competitive with their on-ball brigade, but there are question marks.

Steve Cox shook persistent injuries to have a great 2012, but is another year older and will commute from Adelaide for much of the year.

And Mitch Wareham is yet to live up to his massive potential due to ongoing groin problems.

Two men they should be able to rely upon are Ben Fagan and James Herridge, others who enjoyed standout campaigns last year.

Finals are a realistic goal, but it remains to be seen whether this Mansfi eld, despite being diff erent in look, can produce diff erent, improved results.

Marc McGowan

FAST FACTS >> JOINED LEAGUE: 1998 NICKNAME: EAGLES GROUND: MANSFIELD RECREATION RESERVE, HIGHETT ST, MANSFIELD COACH: FRASER STEVENSON PRESIDENT: QUINTEN THOMSON PREMIERSHIPS: 2004, 2009 MORRISON MEDALLISTS: T. HOTTON (2007) 2012 FINISH: FIFTH (11-7) 2012 BEST AND FAIREST: NICK GRAY 2011 LEADING GOAL-KICKER: ROD WOODFORD (70)

– Coach Fraser Stevenson

“It’s hard to know (where we

are at) until we get going, but,

on paper, we have improved.”

Ari Croxford-Demasi

$10,000CASH FIRST PRIZEFOOTY

TIPPINGCOMPETITION

METRICON GVFL 2013

Love your local footy?You could be the GVFL’s Top Tipper and win $10,000!

ation to register

$100 up for grabs weekly

PLUS!


IN: Josh Fraser (Gold Coast), Joe Miscari (Old Carey), Cain Ackland and Michael Handby (North Adelaide), Chris Gallagher (Altona), Matt Stevenson (overseas), Darren Wheeler (Bonnie Doon)OUT: Rod Woodford (overseas), Nick Gray (Collingwood VFL), Shane Wakelin (retired), Tyler Chisholm (Bonnie Doon), Elliot Christopher (Keilor Park), Dan Roy (South Barwon), Liam Scale (University Blues), Luke Smith (Wantirna South), Tim van der Klooster (Winchelsea)

MANSFIELDS’S SEASON FIXTURE

ROUND 1 SEYMOUR (A) MARCH 29

ROUND 2 EUROA (H) APRIL 13

ROUND 3 BENALLA (A) APRIL 20

ROUND 4 KYABRAM (H) APRIL 27

ROUND 5 UNITED (A) MAY 11

ROUND 6 MOOROOPNA (H) MAY 18

ROUND 7 ROCHESTER (A) JUNE 1

ROUND 8 ECHUCA (H) JUNE 8

ROUND 9 TATURA (A) JUNE 15



ROUND 12 ROCHESTER (H) JULY 13

ROUND 13 MOOROOPNA (A) JULY 20


ROUND 15 KYABRAM (A) AUGUST 3

ROUND 16 BENALLA (H) AUGUST 10


ROUND 18 SEYMOUR (H) AUGUST 31

SEASON PREDICTIONS:

MARC MCGOWAN: SIXTH

HANNAH DRISCOLL: SEVENTH

PATRICK O’MEARA: SEVENTH

DAMEN FRANCIS: SEVENTH

Mitch WarehamWareham has long been a

top on-ball prospect and

played in Mansfi eld’s 2009

premiership as an 18-year-

old. The main problem is he

has played a combined 11

senior matches the past two

seasons. It didn’t take him

long to make his presence

felt when he enjoyed a

brief injury-free run last

year. Wareham had one

three-match stretch when

he featured in the Eagles’

best players each time.

Coach Fraser Stevenson

says Wareham is capable of

performing at similar levels

to Brett Mahoney and Nick

Gray – big raps indeed.

Chris Gallagher

LOVE THE WAY YOU MOVE.

THE BMW 3 SERIES AT JEFF TRACY BMW.

You will love the way you move in this exhilarating Ultimate Driving Machine. The BMW 3 Series Sedan, visit Jeff Tracy BMW to arrange a test-drive.

1Drive Away Price for an Automatic BMW 318d Sedan with Metallic Paint, Business Navigation and no additional optional extras. *Offers apply while stocks last

^Price includes stamp duty and balance of registration and CTP. While stocks last.

Jeff Tracy BMW 8002 Melbourne Rd, Shepparton. Tel: 03 5823 2940. www.jefftracybmw.com.au LMCT 8830

BMW DEMONSTRATORS.Year Model Features Reg Drive Away^2012 318d Sedan Auto, Titan Silver, Leather, Sunroof, 16" Alloys ZMB977 $59,9902012 320i Sedan Auto, Mineral White, Memory Seats, Sunroof ZKA746 $65,5002012 320d Sedan Auto, Sparkling Bronze, Sunroof, Navigation, Memory Seats ZKA749 $64,9902012 328i Sedan Luxury Line, Auto, Imperial Blue, Comfort Access, Navigation YXF037 $73,000

INCLUDES AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, BUSINESS NAVIGATION AND METALLIC PAINT.

BMW 318d Sedan from

$59,900 Drive Away1*

Jeff Tracy BMW

SalesFinanceServiceParts


How quickly things change.Three months ago rookie Mooroopna coach

Blake Campbell had lost the core of his midfi eld and the Cats looked at risk of sliding down the pecking order, with those around them more active in the market.

That all changed with the arrival of fi ve bumper recruits just weeks from the start of the season.

Not only have Iggy Vallejo, Jake Dignan and Karl Lohde joined Mitch Keddell in reinforcing the midfi eld, a key defender not long out of the AFL in Jason Roe and a dynamite centre half-forward have entered the mix as well.

Daniel Lewis looms as one of the most exciting prospects ahead of the new season, with his immense athletic ability.

His arrival and the return of Rob Osborne from Cobram, have helped transform a problem area into a potent weapon.

James Marks was the Cats’ leading goal-kicker last year and while 73 goals was an outstanding return from a small forward, recruiting a big target was a must.

Ex-AFL player Campbell, who takes over the role from his brother Brad, said he was delighted with how the forward line had come together.

“Recruiting is very hard these days, you can’t aff ord to be too picky, but we were defi nitely after some midfi elders and a key forward,” Campbell said.

“With (Mark) Blake in the ruck we think we can win a lot of clearances and now with big ‘Ozzie’ and Daniel Lewis there we’ve got a couple of really good targets to kick the ball in long and it just gives us more scoring power.

“Marksy can essentially get the second or third defender, whereas last year he was getting the main defender every week.

“The biggest key for me is to get them to work together, if we can get it in there enough times, it’s just a matter of giving each other enough space and making sure they’re not jumping over each other.”

The Cats were widely regarded as one of the best in-and-under teams in the competition last year.

With Wayne Patak, Michael Roberts and Jordan Souter among those making way, Campbell is hoping to strike a better balance between inside and outside strength this season.

As well as the newcomers, the likes of Dan Collyer, Shayne Lynch and the upcoming on-ballers Bayden

Fallon and Dylan Cornick are expected to spend time in the middle, with the speed of the latter to be a real asset.

Morrison medallist Mark Blake will also go around again and continue to give the Cats fi rst use of the ball as the competition’s dominant tap ruckman.

While some players will be fl ying in each week, Campbell said he was confi dent it would not harm the team dynamic.

“It only works if the guys you are getting in are good people as well,” he said.

“All these guys are best mates with each other and if we had a slight concern that these guys weren’t quality people off the fi eld there’s no way we would have done it.”

The balance looks good at Mooroopna this season and with a core as good as any in the competition, the Cats will almost certainly have a major say on the premiership race.

Damen Francis

FAST FACTS >> JOINED LEAGUE: 1894 NICKNAME: CATS GROUND: MOOROOPNA RECREATION RESERVE, MIDLAND HIGHWAY, MOOROOPNA COACH: BLAKE CAMPBELL PRESIDENT: DARREN HALL PREMIERSHIPS: 1894, 1895, 1896, 1907, 1923, 1924, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1985, 1986 MORRISON MEDALLISTS: L. DWYER (1936), B. MCCARTY (1962), R. WILLETT (1965, 1967, 1968), D. BUX (1972, 1973), G. SAUNDERS (1977), B. OUGH (1979), G. COOPER (1983, 1985) M BLAKE (2012) 2012 FINISH: SIXTH (14-4) 2012 BEST AND FAIREST: MARK BLAKE 2012 LEADING GOAL-KICKER: JAMES MARKS (73)

James Marks

Shayne Lynch

ProminentGroup...PRINTING WITH FLYING COLOURS!

Printing with......Flying Colours!

Call: 03 5831 2455PROMINENT GROUP: 57-61 Drummond Road, Shepparton, Victoria. 3630


IN: Dylan Baker (Murchison), Kane Boyer, Robert Osborne, Joe Sullivan (all Cobram), Nathan Drummond (Shepparton), Mitch Keddell (Peel Thunder), Brayden Napolitano (Shepparton East), Josh Poyner (Nullawil), Jake Ross (Glenorden), Zachary Treacy (Kilmore), Jason Roe, Iggy Vallejo, Jake Dignan, Karl Lohde (all Northern Territory Thunder), Daniel Lewis (Cairns City Lions), OUT: Boden Carkeek (Geelong West St Peter’s), Justin Dorward (Spotswood), Spiro Vourgaslis (Undera), James Martin (Mallee Eagles), Wayne Patak (Aberfeldie), Michael Roberts (Cairns), Jordan Souter (Tongala), Nathan Tweddle (South Barwon), Djaran Whyman (Kyabram), Ramadan Yze (Merrigum)

MOOROOPNA’S SEASON FIXTURE

ROUND 1 SWANS (H) MARCH 29

ROUND 2 UNITED (A) APRIL 13

ROUND 3 SHEPPARTON (H) APRIL 20

ROUND 4 EUROA (A) APRIL 27

ROUND 5 ECHUCA (H) MAY 11

ROUND 6 MANSFIELD (A) MAY 18

ROUND 7 TATURA (H) JUNE 1

ROUND 8 KYABRAM (A) JUNE 8

ROUND 9 SEYMOUR (H) JUNE 15


ROUND 11 BENALLA (H) JULY 6

ROUND 12 TATURA (A) JULY 13

ROUND 13 MANSFIELD (H) JULY 20

ROUND 14 ECHUCA (A) JULY 27

ROUND 15 EUROA (H) AUGUST 3

ROUND 16 SHEPPARTON (A) AUGUST 10

ROUND 17 SWANS (A) AUGUST 24

ROUND 18 UNITED (H) AUGUST 31

SEASONPREDICTIONS:

MARC MCGOWAN: FOURTH

HANNAH DRISCOLL: FOURTH

PATRICK O’MEARA: FOURTH

DAMEN FRANCIS: THIRD

Rob Osborne

– Coach Blake Campbell

“Recruiting is very hard these days,

you can’t aff ord to be too picky.”

Dylan CornickGot his chance last year and took it.

New coach Blake Campbell wants

to strike a better balance between

inside and outside on-ballers and

that can only suit Cornick, who is a

beautiful kick and has pace to burn.

His size is an asset and he can win

his own ball, and with targets to kick

at this year he could be a key player

in Mooroopna’s bid to go deeper into

fi nals.

The picturesque 18-hole course lays alongside the Goulburn River, and is lined throughout with native bush land and wildlife, for a truly relaxing golfing experience. The club also provides two bowling greens that are available for social bowls events. With on course golf tuition by Pro Chris Donovan and

a well stocked Pro Shop, this country course is a pleasure to play and the perfect setting for your next golfing corporate day or next social golf/bowls day. A spacious clubhouse provides members and visitors with a welcoming atmosphere 7 days a week and excellent bar and dining facilities.

Play a ‘round’ at Mooroopna Golf Club...the friendly club

MOOROOPNA GOLF CLUB: 2 FAIRWAY DRIVE, MOOROOPNA 3629 Ph: 03 5825 4135 (office) or 03 5825 2811 (Pro Shop)Email: [email protected] www.mooroopnagolfclub.com

Membership Special15 months for the price of 12

– Enquire now.


FAST FACTS >> JOINED LEAGUE: 1913-1914; 1973 TO PRESENT NICKNAME: TIGERS HOME GROUND: MOON OVAL, ROCHESTER COACH: PETER WHITE PRESIDENT: MAX HANN PREMIERSHIPS: 1914, 1992, 1999, 2008 MORRISON MEDALLISTS: M. KEENAN (1998), P. MORGAN (1994), G. CAMPBELL (2011) 2012 FINISH: FOURTH (14-3) 2012 BEST AND FAIREST: ASH WATSON 2012 LEADING GOAL-KICKER: ELLIOT BOWEN (76)

Rochester coach Peter White has given himself plenty of choice this season.

The former GVFL interleague coach, entering his second year at the helm with the Tigers, believes versatility will be a major strength for his team this season.

The big news out of Tigerland this season was the recruitment of power forward Grant Weeks, who has kicked 451 goals in the past three seasons in Bendigo Football League, including a record 164 goals last season.

Weeks’ premiership teammates Brayden Dorrington and Callum Sharp have also joined Rochester and Sharp will line up with Weeks and Luke Gestier in the forward line.

But it’s not only the forward line where the recruits will make an impact.

Sam Vale is back full-time with the Tigers this season, while back-to-back South Bendigo best-and-fairest Daniel Anderson and former-Benalla Saint and 2012 Eaglehawk best-and-fairest winner Brady Green join him in the midfi eld.

Add to that mix players like Morrison Medal runner-up Ash Watson, Dean Moon and James Brain and this has the potential to be one of the best midfi elds in the competition.

The focus will also be on players in their second and third year of senior football, including Nick O’Connor, James Gledhill, Nathan Marrone, Dillon and Sean Williams,

Ben McPhee and Nathan McCarty. Part of the fi nals collapse,

which saw Rochester bomb out after fi nishing second, White put down to the youth threaded through the line-up, but it was this group they would look to for improvement.

“We had 10 players playing in our fi nals who were 21 and under last year, so we’re relatively young in that area,” White said.

“That group of players, with the experience they’ve had last year, hopefully, there’s an improvement in that area.

“We’ve lost seven or so (players) and gained similar which still gives these guys spots to have an opportunity, which creates the pressure to perform.”

Some of the young players have added some bulk to their frames in the off -season, but it was some of the senior brigade impressing the most with their hard work in the off -season.

Watson, who is vice-captain with Moon and Nick Knight this season as well as assistant coach, had co-ordinated most of the pre-season and White liked what he saw.

Knight and captain Elliot Bowen had been “outstanding” and Brain and returning player Dylan Cuttriss were other players noted for what they’d done over summer.

White said there had been pleasing signs out of two intra-club practice matches and Rochester had two matches against Greensborough and Sandhurst scheduled before the opening clash against Echuca.

That was all White was worried about at that moment: beating the old rival to kick the season off to a winning start.

“The whole competition is improving, on any given day you’re going to have to play well,” he said.

“We’re not getting too far ahead of ourselves, but if we can be competitive and work to our strengths we think we can play fi nals.”

Hannah Driscoll

Grant Weeks

Elliot Bowen

Elliot BowenThe recruitment of spearhead Grant

Weeks frees up Rochester captain for

roles elsewhere on the fi eld.

Bowen has been the Tigers’ leading

goal-kicker three of the past four

seasons and runner-up in the league

last year.

Coach Peter White has signalled

Bowen will “swing a little bit” between

the backline and up forward depending

on what is required.

BENNETT’S Bonanza!EVERLAST RING TIME

MENS CASUAL

SHOE ALLENDALE 7 FOOT POOL TABLE WITH

ACCESSORIES

HEAVY DUTY CIRCUIT STAND + 90CM PUNCH

BAG + MITTS

(LIMITED STOCK ONLY)

BODYWORX E7800LP HOME GYM

WAS $1299

NOW $799,

2 ONLY REMAINING

WAS $119NOW $79.95 WAS $699 NOW $499

TOTAL VALUE $429

SUPER SPECIAL NOW $289

Echuca - 132 Hare S t 5482 6661 Kyabram –161 A l lan S t 5852 1911 Emai l : in fo@bennet t sspor t s .com.au Web: www.bennet t sspor t s .com.au BENNETT’S


IN: Daniel Anderson (South Bendigo), Tim Bubb,

Dylan Cuttriss (all Colbinabbin), Brayden Dorrington,

Callum Sharp, Grant Weeks (Golden Square), Luke

Gestier (Deer Park), Brady Green (Eaglehawk), Leigh

Millard (Murrabit), David Price (Yarrawonga),

OUT: Guy Campbell, Daniel Cavallaro, Phil Hubbard,

Clayton Zanella (Echuca United), Scott Oakley

(Norwood), Perry Oliver (Lockington Bamawm

United), Sam O’Brien (work commitments), Heath

Aitken (retired)

ROCHESTER’S SEASON FIXTURE

ROUND 1 ECHUCA (H) MARCH 29

ROUND 2 KYABRAM (H) APRIL 13

ROUND 3 TATURA (A) APRIL 20

ROUND 4 SHEPPARTON (A) APRIL 27

ROUND 5 SWANS (H) MAY 11

ROUND 6 EUROA (A) MAY 18

ROUND 7 MANSFIELD (H) JUNE 1

ROUND 8 BENALLA (A) JUNE 8

ROUND 9 UNITED (H) JUNE 15

ROUND 10 MOOROOPNA (H) JUNE 22

ROUND 11 SEYMOUR (A) JULY 6

ROUND 12 MANSFIELD (A) JULY 13

ROUND 13 EUROA (H) JULY 20


ROUND 15 SHEPPARTON (H) AUGUST 3



ROUND 18 ECHUCA (A) AUGUST 31

SEASON PREDICTIONS:

MARC MCGOWAN: THIRD

HANNAH DRISCOLL: PREMIER

PATRICK O’MEARA: PREMIER

DAMEN FRANCIS: PREMIER

– Coach Peter White

improving, on any given day

“The whole competition is

you’re going to have to play well.”

Ash Watson


TIPPINGCOMPETITION

METRICON GVFL 2013


ation to register


PLUS!


New Seymour coach Shane Robertson has given his new

playing group an honest appraisal of their stunning charge to last year’s Goulburn Valley Football League grand fi nal.

The Lions came from sixth, after recording a 9-9 win-loss record, to square off with Tatura in last year’s decider.

Their giant-killing run ended the premiership hopes

of Mooroopna, Rochester and Shepparton United.Robertson said

he was quick to point out that he would

want to be in a better position heading into a fi nals campaign this season.“As I have said to the

playing group, during the season, we are not going to

have three Coburg players back with us boosting our

side,” Robertson said.“We really want to improve on the

eff orts of last year.“At the end of the day, they were 9-9,

and had to battle just to make the six in the last few weeks.

“We have already set ourselves a short-term goal, to get off to a good start, and then at the end of the year be in a more comfortable position come fi nals time.”

Robertson, a 1987 Carlton premiership player, joined the Lions as a replacement for 2007 premiership coach Bernie Haberman on the eve of last year’s grand fi nal.

He had coached Hepburn, a team he led to four premierships in the

Central Highlands Football League.The Burras were eliminated in a

preliminary fi nal last year.The Daylesford-based mentor said it

was diffi cult at fi rst taking over from Haberman, who was coach since 2007 and joined the Lions as a playing assistant in 2004 alongside new coach and close friend Steve Daniel.

It was Daniel, the man who steered the Bulldogs to last year’s fl ag over the Lions, who recommended Robertson to the Lions.

“I must admit it has been tough as a new coach coming in with new ideas and looking to change a few things,” Robertson said.

“But we have worked pretty hard at it and it is all starting to come together now.”

The only major out for the Lions is Willie Wheeler.

The 20-year-old VFL star, who played in all of the Lions’ fi nals last year after his best-and-fairest-winning season with Coburg, has opted not to nominate Seymour as his home club this season.

The Lions are also likely to be without Jake Loraine and Jake Anderson, who have

joined Coburg, along with fi nals revelation Ben Clifton.

Clifton, the Tigers’ vice-captain, played the last two games of the home-and-away season and qualifi ed for fi nals where he was the Lions’ best player.

Returning to the club will be Jason Cole (Coburg) and Dom Russo (Avenel).

Cole will have a delayed start to the season as he overcomes hip surgery.

Robertson said he was pleased with the Lions’ recruiting.

“When I came into the job my main interest was to get some stability around the place,” he said.

“We wanted to keep the main core of our players, which we have managed to do.

“We haven’t gone out and tried to recruit too heavily at all, because we have a lot of confi dence in the group we have and the young kids that are coming up.”

Robertson said Brent Colbert had stepped up his leadership this off -season and was likely to be the Lions’ captain for a second year.

Patrick O’Meara

FAST FACTS >> JOINED LEAGUE: 1940; 1976 TO PRESENT NICKNAME: LIONS GROUND: KINGS PARK, TALLAROOK ST, SEYMOUR COACH: SHANE ROBERTSON PRESIDENT: GERARD O’SULLIVAN PREMIERSHIPS: 1976, 1981, 1982, 1991, 2005, 2006, 2007 MORRISON MEDALLISTS: C. FROELICH (1940), G. LIDDELL (1978), J. SOLOMAN (1989), S. SCHOTTNER (2004) 2012 FINISH: RUNNER-UP (9-9) 2012 BEST AND FAIREST: SAAD SAAD 2012 LEADING GOAL-KICKER: SAAD SAAD (117)

Brent Colbert

– Coach Shane Robertson

tough as a new coach coming

“I must admit it has been

in with new ideas and looking

to change a few things.”

Brandyn GrenfellWith Shane Schottner nearing the end of a

decorated Goulburn Valley Football League career, it is on Brandyn Grenfell to step up and take the No. 1 rucking mantle. The 2010 Calder Cannons premiership player has showed glimpses after returning to the Lions last season, but needs to be a more consistent performer. With Schottner expected to spend some time overseas during the season, the importance of Grenfell will increase.

Seymour Toyota 21 Emily St, Seymour, Tel: (03) 5735 3000seymourtoyota.com.au [email protected]

Seymour Toyota is proud of its customerservice record.Fast and straight forward enquiry responses on New Vehicles, Used Vehicles, Finance, Vehicle Servicing and Parts.


SEYMOUR’S SEASON FIXTURE

ROUND 1 MANSFIELD (H) MARCH 29

ROUND 2 BENALLA (A) APRIL 13

ROUND 3 EUROA (H) APRIL 20

ROUND 4 SHEPPARTON SWANS (A) APRIL 27

ROUND 5 TATURA (H) MAY 11

ROUND 6 ECHUCA (A) MAY 18


ROUND 8 SHEPP UNITED (A) JUNE 8

ROUND 9 MOOROOPNA (A) JUNE 15

ROUND 10 KYABRAM (H) JUNE 22



ROUND 13 ECHUCA (H) JULY 20

ROUND 14 TATURA (A) JULY 27

ROUND 15 SHEPPARTON SWANS (H) AUGUST 3


ROUND 17 BENALLA (H) AUGUST 24

ROUND 18 MANSFIELD (A) AUGUST 31

SEASON PREDICTIONS:

MARC MCGOWAN: EIGHTH

HANNAH DRISCOLL: NINTH

PATRICK O’MEARA: FIFTH

DAMEN FRANCIS: NINTH

Saad Saad

IN: Jason Cole (Coburg), Dom Russo (Avenel)OUT: Willie Wheeler (Williamstown)

49 Emily Street, Seymour Phone 5792 2777 www.neilbeerseymour.com.au

NEIL BEER SEYMOUR Nobody beats Beers...

NEW, DEMO & PRE-OWNED CAR SALESSERVICE & PARTS

HOLDEN CAR RENTAL


New Shepparton coach Tim Little does not shy away from the fact not everything has gone

to plan since he took the reins after last season.But the Tatura premiership

ruckman is not dwelling on what hasn’t gone right.

“Training and the pre-season has been excellent,” Little said.

“The boys have really taken on board the things that we have tried to bring in and that has been really pleasing.

“Some of the other stuff hasn’t gone to plan,

with a few boys unfortunately choosing to leave, but we are really happy with the guys we have had there and what they have been able to achieve.”

Little, himself, will be a major inclusion for the Bears, bolstering their tall stocks alongside developing big man Ash Holland and the versatile Mark Ryan.

The Bears will be further boosted by the signing of former All-Australian full-back

Jonathan Hay.Hay, 33, played 149 games in nine years

with Hawthorn – earning All-Australian selection in 2001 – and a further eight games with North Melbourne in 2006 before

retiring prior to the following season.He had been in talks with the Bears last

season, before spending the season with Mornington Peninsula Nepean Football

League outfi t Langwarrin.

Little said Hay would add experience and provide leadership to his young group.

“He will be great for us,” he said. “We lack those older, more experienced guys, so he will be very valuable.”

The Bears will also have former Melbourne aerialist Russell Robertson who has committed to playing in the opening round. They are hopeful he will play more, depending on his availability.

Little said the Bears’ early focus was on familiarising themselves with a new game plan. “Our game plan has been

our key focus,” he said. “We have been working really hard on getting the game plan right.

“It is pretty important that the boys know what we want them to do when we have got the ball and what we need to be doing when we don’t have the footy.

“We want to be playing structured footy.”Little said this season would not be about results.“We are not going to set anything in terms of wins and losses,”

he said.“We will have some internal goals and we will be striving to

achieve those.“We are really focused on getting the game plans right and

bringing everyone up to speed with what is needed in modern day football, which has probably been lacking in the last few years.

“From this year, that is the stuff that we really want to do well.”Little said Rowan Hiscock was setting the benchmarks on the

training track, while skipper Rhys O’Sullivan was leading by example, along with recruit Daryl Webb.

Little said former Congupna under-18 player Nik Rokahr had proved a surprise packet on the training track since he joined the Bears.

“He has looked really good in the practice matches,” he said.Key forward Clayton Sessions will start the year under an

injury cloud after injuring his ankle.Little said the Bears remained unsure of the extent of the

damage.“We just have to wait and see,” he said.“He is a big part of our plans, so we are certainly hoping it is

not too serious.”Patrick O’Meara

FAST FACTS >> JOINED LEAGUE: 1894 NICKNAME: BEARS GROUND: DEAKIN RESERVE COACH: TIM LITTLE PRESIDENT: PAUL HEGGART PREMIERSHIPS: 1899, 1903, 1906, 1908, 1909, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1920, 1925, 1929, 1934, 1952, 1957, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1972, 1973, 1978, 1993, 1994, 2000 MORRISON MEDALLISTS: E. JAMES (1935-37), J. DALGLEISH (1960), D. CODE (1980-81), G. REESE (1982 JOINT), S. ASH (200, 2003 JOINT), M. BYERS (2005) 2012 FINISH: NINTH (7-11) 2012 BEST AND FAIREST: NICK ALLAN 2012 LEADING GOAL-KICKER WILL PATONE (31)

Rhys O’SullivanBy O’Sullivan’s lofty standards, last season was probably a year to

forget. The regular Goulburn Valley interleague representative failed

to have the same impact he had in previous years for the Bears.

It is vital for the Bears that O’Sullivan steps up again this season.

His leadership and experience will be crucial in what looms as an

extremely youthful Bears outfi t.

Tim Little

needed in modern-day football”

– Coach Tim Little

the game plans right and bringing

“We are really focused on getting

everyone up to speed with what is

*Special price on MS170 ends 31/08/2013 #MS170 free carry case and cap promotion end 31/08/2013 or while stocks last *Autumn promotion on FS38, BG56 & HS45-450 ends 31/04/2013All our products are assembled and ready to go.

RStihl Shop Shepparton219 Numurkah Road Telephone: (03) 5820 9700

$399*FROM ONLY

HEDGE TRIMMERS

FROM ONLY

$249*

BLOWERS

$199*FROM ONLY

GRASS TRIMMERS

$299*FROM ONLY

MS 170FREE CARRY CASE & CAP#+ TURN OVER A

NEW LEAF AND SAVE


IN: Tim Little (Tatura), Russell Robertson (St Joseph’s), Jonathan Hay (Langwarrin), Daryl Webb (Benalla All Blacks)OUT: Daniel McIntyre, Matt Campbell, Tom Thorsen, Ben Ryan (all Cobram), Levi Power (Rumbalara), Chris Turner (Swans), Jarman Impey (Swans

SHEPPARTON’S SEASON FIXTUREROUND 1 SHEPPARTON UNITED (H) MARCH 29

ROUND 2 SHEPPARTON SWANS (A) APRIL 13

ROUND 3 MOOROOPNA (A) APRIL 20

ROUND 4 ROCHESTER (H) APRIL 27

ROUND 5 BENALLA (A) MAY 11

ROUND 6 KYABRAM (H) MAY 18

ROUND 7 SEYMOUR (A) JUNE 1

ROUND 8 EUROA (A) JUNE 8

ROUND 9 ECHUCA (H) JUNE 15

ROUND 10 MANSFIELD (A) JUNE 22

ROUND 11 TATURA (H) JULY 6

ROUND 12 SEYMOUR (H) JULY 13

ROUND 13 KYABRAM (A) JULY 20

ROUND 14 BENALLA (H) JULY 27

ROUND 15 ROCHESTER (A) AUGUST 3

ROUND 16 MOOROOPNA (H) AUGUST 10

ROUND 17 SHEPPARTON UNITED (A) AUGUST 24

ROUND 18 SHEPPARTON SWANS (H) AUGUST 31

Clayton Sessions

SEASON PREDICTIONS:

MARC MCGOWAN: 11TH



DAMEN FRANCIS: 12TH

Rowan Hiscock

Ph: (03) 80 Drummond Rd, Shepparton 3630

distributor for theGoulburn Valley

Authorised


As strange as it may seem, the sight of skipper Jessie Finnen

being beaten in pre-season running events should be a positive sign for Shepparton Swans.

Stay with me here.Finnen remains an elite runner at GVFL

level, but the performance of recruit Tyson Sidebottom shows two things; the former Shepparton United premiership captain’s commitment to the cause at his new club, and an extra incentive for the likes of Finnen to take his game to another level.

With Sidebottom and Geelong-based duo Dan Lovick and Andrew Riordan signing, it is a new-look top end at the Swans that can only benefi t the club’s younger stars.

Finnen, Anthony Haysom, Dash Barolli and other stand-out players in the 30 to 40-game bracket are suddenly not receiving such close attention week in, week out.

Swans coach Brett Warburton said a little bit of quality and experience would help lengthen the list.

“There will be some guys starting in the reserves in round one that have been playing seniors the last couple of years, so our depth is not too bad,” Warburton said.

“There is some pressure and we want a bit of pressure.”

For many, Lovick is one of the most exciting players to join the league in recent seasons.

A two-time reigning Mathieson medallist as best-and-fairest of the Geelong league, Lovick will play mainly across half-back and has the ability to go toe-to-toe with the big forwards when required.

However, in an almost unprecedented off -season of recruits across the league, the Swans may have to temper their expectations and Warburton admitted

they were perhaps still “one or two key-position players” away from challenging for the top four.

The late retirement of recruit Rob Osborne hurts the Swans in that department and Warburton admitted the decision was a setback.

“We recruited Ozzy to play a role. I wasn’t looking at him to kick 70 or 80

goals for us, but height is an area we lack,” he said.

“It was March when he told us he was retiring and we had done our forward structures around his height and his ability to give us a contest.

“I fully respect his decision, he felt his body was going to let him down and he didn’t want to let us down, so what do you do?”

On the plus side, despite moving to Geelong, marking small forward Josh McDonald has decided against signing with Newtown and will car pool back and forth with Lovick.

Daniel Campbell is another potential target, having booted fi ve goals for Queanbeyan against Sydney’s reserves team in the AFL Canberra grand fi nal last year.

Livewire forwards Kaiden Antonowicz and Ben Tautala will also be available full-time after last year’s stint with Murray Bushrangers.

The other disappointing loss is Alex Hamilton, who showed plenty of promise prior to a season-ending injury in round one last year.

For Warburton, the top four looks out of reach, but a top-six place is well and truly up for grabs, if his side is good enough to take it.

“The competition every week seems to be getting better and with the calibre of players that are running around this year it’s going to be bloody competitive,” he said.

“We need to play well, we need a bit of luck and we still believe as a club and as a playing group, we’re 12 months away from really saying ‘this is it’.

“In saying that, defi nitely we will improve as a team, but how far we improve will come down to the local boys that have been there for the last two years.”

Damen Francis

FAST FACTS >> JOINED LEAGUE: 1946 (AS LEMNOS FOOTBALL CLUB) NICKNAME: SWANS GROUND: PRINCESS PARK COACH: BRETT WARBURTON PRESIDENT: KEVIN PREECE PREMIERSHIPS: 1959, 1960, 1970 MORRISON MEDALLISTS: B. TYQUIN (1949), R. ORRMAN (1951, 1954, 1959), N. SMITH (1975), M. LAMBOURN (1996) ALL AS LEMNOS, J. SUTHERLAND (2002), B. DURBRIDGE (2009) AS SHEPPARTON SWANS 2012 FINISH: 10TH (4-14) 2012 BEST AND FAIREST: JESSIE FINNEN 2012 LEADING GOAL-KICKER: BEN TAUTALA (33)

Anthony Haysom

Ben Tautala

Summer ClearanceSale

‘like’ Talisman Menswear on facebook

T-Shirts From $30 74 McLennan St. Mooroopna

5825 5170


SWANS’ SEASON FIXTURE

ROUND 1 MOOROOPNA (A) APRIL 7

ROUND 2 SHEPPARTON (H) APRIL 13

ROUND 3 UNITED (A) APRIL 20

ROUND 4 SEYMOUR (H) MAY 4

ROUND 5 ROCHESTER (A) MAY 11

ROUND 6 BENALLA (H) MAY 18

ROUND 7 KYABRAM (A) JUNE 1

ROUND 8 TATURA (H) JUNE 8

ROUND 9 EUROA (A) JUNE 15

ROUND 10 ECHUCA (A) JUNE 22



ROUND 13 BENALLA (A) JULY 20


ROUND 15 SEYMOUR (A) AUGUST 3

ROUND 16 UNITED (H) AUGUST 10

ROUND 17 MOOROOPNA (H) AUGUST 25

ROUND 18 SHEPPARTON (A) AUGUST 31

IN: Dan Lovick (St Joseph’s), Tyson Sidebottom (Congupna), Hayden Best (Shepparton East), Daniel Campbell, Alex Overs, Sam Daniel (all Queanbeyan), Jarman Impey, Nick Calandro and Chris Turner (all Shepparton), Andrew Riordan (Grovedale), Nathan Terlich (Rumbalara).OUT: Daniel Briff a (Broadford), Alex Hamilton (St Mary’s), Danny Haysom (Nagambie), Luke Poustie (Whitehorse Pioneers).

SEASON PREDICTIONS:

MARC MCGOWAN: SEVENTH

HANNAH DRISCOLL: SIXTH

PATRICK O’MEARA: NINTH

DAMEN FRANCIS: SIXTH

– Coach Brett Warburton

seems to be getting better and

“The competition every week

with the calibre of players that are

running around this year it’s going

to be bloody competitive.”

Dan LovickLovick comes to the club with a lot of hype and will hold

down a key position for the Swans. The smooth-moving

defender will be expected to do jobs on the competition’s

big guns such as Jason Eagle, Grant Weeks and Daniel Lewis,

while leading a young defence. Coach Brett Warburton has

been glowing in his praise of Lovick as a player and a person

and, while there has not yet been any suggestion he can’t,

the Swans need him to deliver if they are to ensure the

improvement of those around them does not hinder their

own ambitions.

Dan Lovick

You choose. You win Australian-made heating solutions

70 Benalla Rd, Shepparton Ph: 5821 3656Wood and High-Effi ciency gas heaters availableStarting from $1550

HEATERSERVICED?

CALL

GV WEATHERMASTER

NEED YOUR


An up-and-coming midfi eld crop may be just as vital as colossal spearhead Jason Eagle’s return to

Shepparton United’s premiership chances.The Demons’ bid for a three-peat of Goulburn Valley

Football League fl ags ended at a rampaging Seymour’s hands in last year’s preliminary fi nal.

It was the end of a campaign that always seemed just off the pace, despite United looking threatening at certain stages.

Eagle’s one-off , seven-goal appearance against arch-rival Mooroopna last season promised more and Demons

offi cials announced he was back at Deakin Reserve a week after the grand fi nal.

He kicked 99 majors in United’s 2010 premiership.

A ton beckons, but coach Marc Quarrell will be just as happy if he shares the load

with fellow forwards Matt Forys – who delayed retirement another year with a

67-goal season – Justin Carey and Tom Scott.

“We do have one thing on our side (as the Demons adapt to life with Eagle again) and that is most players have played with Jason,” Quarrell said.

“But we certainly don’t want to be a one-pronged attack

and that’s why we do have Matty Forys, Justin Carey,

Tom Scott, rotating midfi elders and Shannon

Campbell and the likes.“You may even see

Jason a bit further out from goal at times this year.”

Eagle’s return and Carey’s arrival will also have spin-off eff ects: stars Tim Looby and Sam

Dawes will go back to defence and the

midfi eld, respectively.United’s stingy defence was a

hallmark of its dual fl ags and Quarrell

has set his sights on being No. 1 in that area again.A backline including the likes of Looby, Matt Rendina, Ryan

Butler, two-time Shepparton East premiership player David Gillespie, Dwain Vidler and Phil Carroll will be hard to pass.

Last year’s best-and-fairest winner Rendina will likely spend time in the middle, too.

Pierce Liddle, who carved his own niche in the Demons’ defence last year, is the club’s major loss, although oft-injured on-baller Mat Pianto’s departure will be felt, too.

Dawes and Shaun Huy will headline an on-ball brigade that will need to perform better than last season if United is to reclaim its former glory.

The other veterans in the midfi eld rotation are tagger Joey Perković, Mick Looby, Stephen Scott, strong-bodied pair Shaun Makar and Trent Freer and newcomers Ash Quinn and Dan O’Reilly.

And then there are the kids.Matt Di Bella, the under-18 Pattison medallist two years

ago, made major strides last year, ex-Murray Bushranger Samuel Poole is a good decision-maker and Sam Burls spent the pre-season training with Essendon’s VFL side.

“We’re happy with our midfi eld. We have some great young players coming through there,” Quarrell said.

“We don’t think we have to rely on just Shaun Huy to do the work.”

The ruck was a problem area last year. Clint Edwards and Bushrangers graduate Chris Down will try to change that this season.

Edwards has lost weight and is back to his 2010 peak fi tness levels, but a recent setback with his troublesome back, which curbed him last year, means he will likely be a late starter.

That would leave teenager Down to shoulder the load, with a bunch of pinch-hitters, such as Dawes and Gillespie, as support.

Quarrell said he welcomed the league’s increased depth this season and felt his Demons were genuine contenders.

“We’re very happy with the list we’ve got, but we know there’s a very tough competition ahead of us this year, so the race for top spot is well and truly wide open,” he said.

“I don’t think we’re going to get a clear indication until after six rounds of where everyone sits.

“As with every side, it will come down to injuries and how we manage those and we’ll need a bit of luck along the way.”

Quarrell said he wanted United to regain its hunger and killer instinct as it took aim at the top again.

Marc McGowan

FAST FACTS >> JOINED LEAGUE: 1950 NICKNAME: DEMONS GROUND: DEAKIN RESERVE, SKENE ST, SHEPPARTON COACH: MARC QUARRELL PRESIDENT: RAY DOBSON PREMIERSHIPS: 1954, 1955, 1956, 1962, 1967, 1974, 1980, 1987, 1988, 1989, 2010, 2011 MORRISON MEDALLISTS: J. WILLIAMS (1984), P. FOOTT (1992) 2012 FINISH: THIRD (14-4) 2012 BEST AND FAIREST: MATT RENDINA 2012 LEADING GOAL-KICKER: MATT FORYS (67)

Matt Rendina

Fax 5823 2810610 Archer RoadShepparton

0412 579 630Mobile: 0438 579 631

Tractors, Excavators, Containers, Fork Lifts, Site Huts LIFT ‘N’ SHIFT

Trade Towing Now Available

email: [email protected]

NUMBER 1 IN HEAVY TILT TRAY & MACHINERY TRANSPORTATIONSEMI TILT SLIDE DECK WIDENING LOW LOADERCapable of carrying 38 tonne excavatorsWidens to 3.5m


IN: Jason Eagle (Broadbeach), Justin Carey (Albury), Dan O’Reilly, Cam Calder (Katandra), Ash Quinn (Nathalia), David Gillespie (Shepparton East), Stephen Scott (Waaia)OUT: Pierce Liddle (Darwin), Mat Pianto (Castlemaine), Dan Connors (Aberfeldie), John Woodcock and Matt Waight (basketball), Ty Parsons (Shepparton East)

SEASON PREDICTIONS:

MARC MCGOWAN: PREMIER

HANNAH DRISCOLL: RUNNER-UP

PATRICK O’MEARA: RUNNER-UP

DAMEN FRANCIS: RUNNER-UP

UNITED’S SEASON FIXTUREROUND 1 SHEPPARTON (A) MARCH 29

ROUND 2 MOOROOPNA (H) APRIL 13

ROUND 3 SWANS (H) APRIL 20

ROUND 4 ECHUCA (A) APRIL 27

ROUND 5 MANSFIELD (H) MAY 11

ROUND 6 TATURA (A) MAY 18

ROUND 7 EUROA (H) JUNE 1

ROUND 8 SEYMOUR (H) JUNE 8


ROUND 10 BENALLA (H) JUNE 22


ROUND 12 EUROA (A) JULY 13

ROUND 13 TATURA (H) JULY 20

ROUND 14 MANSFIELD (A) JULY 27

ROUND 15 ECHUCA (H) AUGUST 3

ROUND 16 SWANS (A) AUGUST 10

ROUND 17 SHEPPARTON (H) AUGUST 24

ROUND 18 MOOROOPNA (A) AUGUST 31

– Coach Marc Quarrell

got, but we know there’s a very tough

“We’re very happy with the list we’ve

competition ahead of us this year.”

Matt Di BellaDi Bella was a star junior on-baller, but started his senior

career as a small forward. Those days are surely behind him.

The pint-sized, big-hearted Di Bella went head-to-head with

VFL-listed midfi elder Willie Wheeler in last year’s preliminary

fi nal and did a great job. It was the sort of performance coach

Marc Quarrell will want more of as Di Bella enters his second

full senior season. His progression – or lack thereof – could

have a genuine say in how eff ective United’s midfi eld is.

Tim Looby, David Gillespie, reserves coach Chris Keady, Dan O’Reilly and Ash Quinn

Jason Eagle

The total sporting team packageNow you can score all your trophies and engraving, sports uniforms and embroidery needs in the one specialist shop

27 Benalla Road, Shepparton Ph: 5831 1944 www.qualityteams.com.au

Your club can look like prosWe cover everything for your sporting club including...

Come in and see what we can do for your club this season


GOULBURN VALLEY FOOTBALL LEAGUE

KYABRAM DISTRICT FOOTBALL LEAGUE

ROUND 1:March 29Shepparton v Shepp United

Euroa v Benalla

March 30Rochester v Echuca

April 6Seymour v Mansfi eld

Tatura v Kyabram

April 7Mooroopna v Shepp Swans

ROUND 2:April 13Shepp Swans v Shepparton

Benalla v Seymour

Mansfi eld v Euroa

Rochester v Kyabram

Echuca v Tatura

April 14Shepp United v Mooroopna

ROUND 3:April 20Benalla v Mansfi eld

Shepp United v Shepp

Swans

Kyabram v Echuca

Mooroopna v Shepparton

Tatura v Rochester

April 25Seymour v Euroa

ROUND 4:April 27Shepparton v Rochester

Tatura v Benalla

Echuca v Shepp United

May 4Shepp Swans v Seymour

Mansfi eld v Kyabram

Euroa v Mooroopna

ROUND 5:May 11Benalla v Shepparton

Shepp United v Mansfi eld

Seymour v Tatura

Kyabram v Euroa

Rochester v Shepp Swans

Mooroopna v Echuca

ROUND 6:May 18Shepparton v KyabramEchuca v SeymourMansfi eld v MooroopnaEuroa v RochesterShepp Swans v BenallaTatura v Shepp United

ROUND 7:June 1Kyabram v Shepp SwansShepp United v EuroaSeymour v SheppartonRochester v Mansfi eldMooroopna v TaturaEchuca v Benalla

ROUND 8:June 8Benalla v RochesterShepp United v SeymourMansfi eld v EchucaEuroa v SheppartonShepp Swans v TaturaJune 9Kyabram v Mooroopna

ROUND 9:June 15Mooroopna v SeymourBenalla v KyabramShepparton v EchucaEuroa v Shepp SwansRochester v Shepp UnitedTatura v Mansfi eld

ROUND 10:June 22Shepp United v BenallaSeymour v KyabramMansfi eld v SheppartonRochester v MooroopnaTatura v EuroaEchuca v Shepp Swans

ROUND 11:June 29Shepp Swans v Mansfi eldEchuca v EuroaJune 30Kyabram v Shepp UnitedJuly 6Shepparton v TaturaSeymour v Rochester

Mooroopna v Benalla

ROUND 12:July 13Tatura v Mooroopna

Benalla v Echuca

Shepparton v Seymour

Mansfi eld v Rochester

Euroa v Shepp United

Shepp Swans v Kyabram

ROUND 13:July 20Benalla v Shepp Swans

Shepp United v Tatura

Seymour v Echuca

Kyabram v Shepparton

Rochester v Euroa

Mooroopna v Mansfi eld

ROUND 14:July 27Euroa v Kyabram

Shepparton v Benalla

Mansfi eld v Shepp United

Shepp Swans v Rochester

Tatura v Seymour

Echuca v Mooroopna

ROUND 15:August 3Benalla v Tatura

Shepp United v Echuca

Seymour v Shepp Swans

Kyabram v Mansfi eld

Rochester v Shepparton

Mooroopna v Euroa

ROUND 16:August 10Mansfi eld v Benalla

Shepp Swans v Shepp

United

August 11Echuca v Kyabram

August 17Shepparton v Mooroopna

Euroa v Seymour (Night)

Rochester v Tatura

ROUND 17:August 24Shepp United v Shepparton

Seymour v Benalla

Kyabram v Rochester

Euroa v Mansfi eld

Tatura v Echuca

August 25Shepp Swans v Mooroopna

ROUND 18:August 31Benalla v Euroa

Shepparton v Shepp Swans

Kyabram v Tatura

Mansfi eld v Seymour

Mooroopna v Shepp United

Echuca v Rochester

FINALS:September 7 and 8Elimination/qualifying fi nals

September 14 and 15Semi-fi nals

September 22Preliminary fi nal

September 29Grand fi nal

ROUND 1:April 6Ardmona v Stanhope

Merrigum v Violet Town

Nagambie v Girgarre

Rushworth v Longwood

Tallygaroopna v Lancaster

Undera v Avenel

BYE: Murchison

ROUND 2:April 13Avenel v Ardmona

Girgarre v Undera

Lancaster v Nagambie

Longwood v Murchison

Stanhope v Rushworth

BYE: Merrigum

April 14Violet Town v Tallygaroopna

ROUND 3:April 20Ardmona v Girgarre

Murchison v Stanhope

Nagambie v Violet Town

Rushworth v Avenel

Tallygaroopna v Merrigum

Undera v Lancaster

BYE: Longwood

ROUND 4:April 27Avenel v Murchison

Girgarre v Rushworth

Lancaster v Ardmona

Merrigum v Nagambie

Stanhope v Longwood

Violet Town v Undera

BYE: Tallygaroopna

ROUND 5:May 4Ardmona v Violet Town

Longwood v Avenel

Murchison v Girgarre

Nagambie v Tallygaroopna

Rushworth v Lancaster

Undera v Merrigum

BYE: Stanhope

ROUND 6:May 11Avenel v Stanhope

Girgarre v Longwood

Lancaster v Murchison

Merrigum v Ardmona

Tallygaroopna v Undera

BYE: Nagambie, Violet

Town,

Rushworth

ROUND 7:May 18Ardmona v Tallygaroopna

Longwood v Lancaster

Murchison v Violet Town

Rushworth v Merrigum

Stanhope v Girgarre

Undera v Nagambie

BYE: Avenel

ROUND 8:June 1Girgarre v Avenel

Lancaster v Stanhope

Merrigum v Murchison

Nagambie v Ardmona

Tallygaroopna v Rushworth

Violet Town v Longwood

BYE: Undera

ROUND 9:June 8Ardmona v Undera

Avenel v Lancaster

Longwood v Merrigum

Murchison v Tallygaroopna

Rushworth v Nagambie

Stanhope v Violet Town

BYE: Girgarre

ROUND 10:June 15Lancaster v Girgarre

Violet Town v Avenel

Longwood v Tallygaroopna

Nagambie v Murchison

Stanhope v Merrigum

Undera v Rushworth

BYE: Ardmona

ROUND 11:June 22Avenel v Merrigum

Girgarre v Violet Town

Longwood v Nagambie

Rushworth v Ardmona

Murchison v Undera

Tallygaroopna v Stanhope

BYE: Lancaster

ROUND 12:June 29Ardmona v Murchison

Avenel v Tallygaroopna

Merrigum v Girgarre

Stanhope v Nagambie

Undera v Longwood

Violet Town v Lancaster

BYE: Rushworth

ROUND 13:July 6Ardmona v Longwood

Merrigum v Lancaster

Murchison v Rushworth

Nagambie v Avenel

Tallygaroopna v Girgarre

Undera v Stanhope

BYE: Violet Town

ROUND 14:July 13Avenel v Undera

Girgarre v Nagambie

Lancaster v Tallygaroopna

Longwood v Rushworth

Stanhope v Ardmona

BYE: Murchison

July 14Violet Town v Merrigum

ROUND 15:July 20Ardmona v Avenel

Murchison v Longwood

Nagambie v Lancaster

Rushworth v Stanhope

Tallygaroopna v Violet Town

BYE: Undera, Girgarre,

Merrigum

ROUND 16:July 27Avenel v Rushworth

Girgarre v Ardmona

Lancaster v Undera

Merrigum v Tallygaroopna

Stanhope v Murchison

Violet Town v Nagambie

BYE: Longwood

ROUND 17:August 3Longwood v Stanhope

Murchison v Avenel

Nagambie v Merrigum

Rushworth v Girgarre

Undera v Violet Town

BYE: Ardmona, Lancaster,

Tallygaroopna

ROUND 18:August 10Avenel v Longwood

Girgarre v Murchison

Lancaster v Rushworth

Merrigum v Undera

Tallygaroopna v Nagambie

BYE: Stanhope

August 11Violet Town v Ardmona

ROUND 19:August 17Ardmona v Merrigum

Longwood v Girgarre

Murchison v Lancaster

Rushworth v Violet Town

Stanhope v Avenel

Undera v Tallygaroopna

BYE: Nagambie

ROUND 20:August 24Girgarre v Stanhope

Lancaster v Longwood

Merrigum v Rushworth

Nagambie v Undera

Tallygaroopna v Ardmona

Violet Town v Murchison

BYE: Avenel

FINALS:August 31Elimination fi nal 3 vs 6

September 1Elimination fi nal 4 vs 5

September 7 Semi, 1 vs 2

September 8 – Winners of

elimination fi nals

September 14 Preliminary

September 21 Grand fi nal

Shepparton Sports Stadium 120 Numurkah Rd, Shepparton VIC 3630

PO Box 1361 Shepparton 3632 Ph: 03 5831 8456 Fax: 03 5831 2597 Email: [email protected] www.valleysport.net.au

Promoting Healthy LifestylesValley Sport is a not for profi t organisationestablished to assist communities by:

• Providing advice, support and assistance for community sport and recreation club

• Providing various education and training opportunities for club volunteers and offi cials

• Begin an information, resource or middleman point of contact for your club

• Assisting the community participation in physical activity

• Promoting healthy lifestyles in the Goulburn Valley

Valley Sport would like to announce that Club Help is here! Club Help is the

FREE, one-stop online resource that provides support to sporting clubs and

community groups in the Goulburn Valley.

This easy to navigate web site, provides club volunteers with:• Support and information for club development • Ready-to-use practical resources • Templates and sample documents for sporting clubs• Self-assessment reports over eight club-development areas

• Links to information sources

Valley Sport covers seven local Government areas:Shepparton, Moira, Benalla, Strathbogie, Mitchell, Murrindindi and Mansfi eld.


MURRAY FOOTBALL LEAGUE

PICOLA DISTRICT FOOTBALL LEAGUE – SOUTH-EAST

ROUND 1:March 30Deni Rams v Finley

Mulwala v Rumbalara

Moama v Echuca United

Nathalia v Tongala

Cobram v Barooga

Tocumwal v Congupna

BYE: Numurkah

ROUND 2:April 6Barooga v Moama

Echuca United v Deni Rams

Congupna v Cobram

Rumbalara v Numurkah

Tongala v Tocumwal

Finley v Mulwala

BYE: Nathalia

ROUND 3:April 13Deni Rams v Barooga

Mulwala v Echuca United

Moama v Congupna

Cobram v Tongala

Numurkah v Finley

Tocumwal v Nathalia

BYE: Rumbalara

ROUND 4:April 20Barooga v Mulwala

Echuca United v Numurkah

Congupna v Deni Rams

Nathalia v Cobram

Tongala v Moama

Finley v Rumbalara

BYE: Tocumwal

ROUND 5:April 27Deni Rams v Tongala

Mulwala v Congupna

Rumbalara v Echuca United

Moama v Nathalia

Cobram v Tocumwal

Numurkah v Barooga

BYE: Finley

ROUND 6:May 4Barooga v Rumbalara

Echuca United v Finley

Congupna v Numurkah

Nathalia v Deni Rams

Tocumwal v Moama

BYE: Mulwala, Tongala,

Cobram

ROUND 7:May 11Finley v Barooga

Deni Rams v Tocumwal

Mulwala v Nathalia

Rumbalara v Congupna

Moama v Cobram

Numurkah v Tongala

BYE: Echuca United

ROUND 8:May 18Barooga v Echuca United

Congupna v Finley

Nathalia v Numurkah

Cobram v Deni Rams

Tocumwal v Mulwala

Tongala v Rumbalara

BYE: Moama

ROUND 9:June 1Echuca United v Congupna

Finley v Tongala

Deni Rams v Moama

Mulwala v Cobram

Rumbalara v Nathalia

Numurkah v Tocumwal

BYE: Barooga

ROUND 10:June 8Congupna v Barooga

Moama v Mulwala

Nathalia v Finley

Cobram v Numurkah

Tocumwal v Rumbalara

Tongala v Echuca United

BYE: Deni Rams

ROUND 11:June 15Barooga v Tongala

Echuca United v Nathalia

Finley v Tocumwal

Mulwala v Deni Rams

Rumbalara v Cobram

Numurkah v Moama

BYE: Congupna

ROUND 12:June 22Deni Rams v Numurkah

Moama v Rumbalara

Nathalia v Barooga

Cobram v Finley

Tocumwal v Echuca United

Tongala v Congupna

BYE: Mulwala

ROUND 13:June 29Barooga v Tocumwal

Echuca United v Cobram

Finley v Moama

Congupna v Nathalia

Rumbalara v Deni Rams

Numurkah v Mulwala

BYE: Tongala

ROUND 14:July 13Barooga v Cobram

Echuca United v Moama

Finley v Deni Rams

Congupna v Tocumwal

Rumbalara v Mulwala

Tongala v Nathalia

BYE: Numurkah

ROUND 15:July 20Deni Rams v Echuca United

Mulwala v Finley

Moama v Barooga

Cobram v Congupna

Numurkah v Rumbalara

Tocumwal v Tongala

BYE: Nathalia

ROUND 16:July 27Echuca United v Mulwala

Finley v Numurkah

Nathalia v Tocumwal

Tongala v Cobram

BYE: Deni Rams, Barooga,

Congupna, Rumbalara,

Moama

ROUND 17:August 3Deni Rams v Congupna

Mulwala v Barooga

Rumbalara v Finley

Moama v Tongala

Cobram v Nathalia

Numurkah v Echuca United

BYE: Tocumwal

ROUND 18:August 10Barooga v Numurkah

Echuca United v Rumbalara

Congupna v Mulwala

Nathalia v Moama

Tocumwal v Cobram

Tongala v Deni Rams

BYE: Finley

ROUND 19:

August 17Finley v Echuca United

Deni Rams v Nathalia

Mulwala v Tongala

Rumbalara v Barooga

Moama v Tocumwal

Numurkah v Congupna

BYE: Cobram

ROUND 20:

August 24Barooga v Finley

Congupna v Rumbalara

Nathalia v Mulwala

Cobram v Moama

Tocumwal v Deni Rams

Tongala v Numurkah

BYE: Echuca United

FINALS:August 31 and September 1Elimination/qualifying fi nals

September 7 and 8Semi-fi nals

September 14

Preliminary fi nal September 21

Grand fi nal

ROUND 1:April 6Rennie v Tungamah

Dookie v Katandra

Shepp East v Katunga

Waaia v Katamatite

ROUND 2:April 13Katamatite v Rennie

Tungamah v Dookie

Katunga v Waaia

Katandra v Shepp East

ROUND 3:April 20Dookie v Shepp East

Katunga v Katandra

Waaia v Rennie

Tungamah v Katamatite

ROUND 4:April 27Katamatite v Dookie

Katandra v Tungamah

Rennie v Katunga

Shepp East v Waaia

ROUND 5: May 4Dookie v Rennie

Tungamah v Shepp East

Waaia v Katandra

Katunga v Katamatite

ROUND 6:May 11Shepp East v Rennie

Waaia v Tungamah

Katandra v Katamatite

Katunga v Dookie

ROUND 7: May 18Rennie v Katandra

Tungamah v Katunga

Dookie v Waaia

Katamatite v Shepp East

GENERAL BYE 25/05/2013

ROUND 8:June 1Tungamah v Rennie

Katandra v Dookie

Katunga v Shepp East

Katamatite v Waaia

ROUND 9:June 8Rennie v Katamtite

Dookie v Tungamah

Waaia v Katunga

Shepp East v Katandra

ROUND 10:June 15Shepp East v Dookie

Katandra v Katunga

Rennie v Waaia

Katamatite v Tungamah

ROUND 11:June 22Dookie v Katamatite

Tungamah v Katandra

Katunga v Rennie

Waaia v Shepp East

ROUND 12: June 29Rennie v Dookie

Shepp East v Tungamah

Katandra v Waaia

Katamatite v Katunga

ROUND 13:July 6Rennie v Shepp East

Tungamah v Waaia

Katamatite v Katandra

Dookie v Katunga

ROUND 14:July 13Katandra v Rennie

Katunga v Tungamah

Waaia v Dookie

Shepp East v Katamatite

ROUND 15:July 20Rennie v Tungamah

Dookie v Katandra

Shepp East v Katunga

Waaia v Katamatite

ROUND 16:July 27Katamatite v Rennie

Tungamah v Dookie

Katunga v Waaia

Katandra v Shepp East

ROUND 17:August 3Dookie v Shepp East

Katunga v Katandra

Waaia v Rennie

Tungamah v Katamatite

ROUND 18:August 10Katamatite v Dookie

Katandra v Tungamah

Rennie v Katunga

Shepp East v Waaia

FINALS: August 17 and 18Elimination/qualifying fi nals

August 24 and 25Semi-fi nals

August 31

Preliminary fi nal

September 7

Grand fi nal

The GV Hotel is offering your club the chance to earn up to $1000 cash plus plenty of other great benefi ts.

For more information please call Linda Sali, Brand and Sales Manager on (03) 5821 9822.

GV Hotel – Shepparton’s premium bar, function and entertainment centre!

Earn Cash for your club!

DON’T MISS OUT ON THIS GREAT

OPPORTUNITY TO EARN SOME CASH FOR YOUR CLUB!

223 High St, Shepparton www.gvhotel.com


Tatura could have been excused for going with more of the same

after a dominant campaign last year that ended with a premiership.

There was always going to be at least one major change: coach Steve Daniel signalled his intention of stepping down early last season.

The Bulldogs sent the now three-time Goulburn Valley Football League premiership coach off in style, but this is now the Scott Grigg era.

Grigg said there were similarities between his coaching philosophies and Daniel’s, but that past success had nothing to do with this year.

“I wasn’t involved last year. The words back-to-back are not in my vocabulary,” Grigg said.

“For me, it’s about making this club a great club rather than a good club, and great clubs challenge for grand fi nal berths on a regular basis.

“They sustain an ability to challenge for grand fi nal berths and that will be the challenge for this group – making sure they’re a great club for a long time.”

Grigg was instantly taken by Tatura’s off -fi eld set-up and said that played a bigger role in his decision to accept the job with the Bulldogs than last year’s fl ag.

Seven of Tatura’s premiership players have left, which should make it easier for Grigg to encourage players and offi cials to leave the past behind.

Best-and-fairest winner Shannon Broadbent, leading goal-kicker Cam Trewin, defender Ryan Crawford – the VCFL medallist in the grand fi nal – and Trewin’s forward partner Steve Shaw are the biggest outs.

But Grigg and his recruiting team have done a great job of replacing them. Ex-Casey Scorpions James Wall, Rian McGough and Ben Waite promise

to fi ll the void.Wall, as capable on a wing as he is

playing a key-position role, is a four-time VFL Team of the Year recipient, McGough is a gun inside midfi elder and Waite is a strong-bodied forward.

“There is a bit of turnover there, but even if you go back to the successful teams of the Brisbane Lions, they were turning over 25 to 30 per cent of their list each year,” Grigg said.

“That is as long as you’re replacing like for like, which we’ve been able to do . . . we’re in a similar position, if not better, than last season to challenge for a grand fi nal.”

There is some doubt about McGough’s playing status.

He is yet to hear from AFL Victoria headquarters the result of his tribunal hearing from early last month that could signifi cantly threaten his immediate playing future.

The News has chosen not to disclose the nature of the hearing.

The other recruits could also have a major impact.

Daniel Flynn looms as superstar ruckman Paul Kirby’s back-up, Nick Grigg will form the new one-two forward punch with Waite and half-

back fl anker Brett Nankervis, and speedy on-baller Brendan Hollow will slot straight in.

James Fraser was Stanhope’s captain, while teammate Alec Young won the Lions’ best-and-fairest award despite playing just nine games.

The Bulldogs already boast two of the best young players in the competition in Tom Miller and Jayden Young and there will be pressure on them to replicate their breakout seasons.

Old stagers Kirby and Linc Wellington will continue their fi ght to defy age. They are two of the league’s most enduring stars.

A new batch of youth is preparing to break into the best 21, too.

Mitch Elliot, Sean Martin and Matt Daniel – son of Steve – lead the way, but Liam Borrelli and Robert Kirby are also around the mark.

“We’ve got to keep the group hungry,” Grigg said.

“But, at the same time, we’ve got to give the guys the faith there is the opportunity if they do the right things.”

Back-to-back might not be in Grigg’s vocabulary, but league rivals know that scenario remains a realistic possibility.

Marc McGowan

FAST FACTS >> JOINED LEAGUE: 1894 NICKNAME: BULLDOGS GROUND: TATURA SHOWGROUNDS COACH: SCOTT GRIGG PRESIDENT: DARYL EATON PREMIERSHIPS: 1898, 1900, 1901, 1902, 1904, 1905, 1952, 1953, 1995, 1998, 2003, 2012 MORRISON MEDALLISTS: W. PRITCHARD (1947), J. GREENWOOD (1969, 1970), N. SMITH (1974), T. ESLER (1995 JOINT) 2012 FINISH: PREMIER (16-2) 2012 BEST AND FAIREST: SHANNON BROADBENT 2012 LEADING GOAL-KICKER: CAM TREWIN (66)

James Wall

Alec Young

DEERE SEASON is here… get ready to go

www.haeuslers.com.au SHEPPARTON Telephone: (03) 5820 9700ECHUCA Telephone: (03) 5481 3800Sea Lake Mildura Robinvale Shepparton Echuca

* Conditions apply. Finance available through John Deere Credit Limited to approved applicants only. Interest free off er is based on 1/3 deposit and 18 equal monthly installments. An establishment fee of $150.00 is payable. Fees and charges apply. See in store for details.

– 18.5 to 23 HP

– 42” or 48” Edge™ Cutting Deck

– Comfortable operators seat with coil suspension

from $4,284 inc GST

– 17.5 HP engine

– 42” Edge™ Cutting Deck

– Briggs & Stratton® engine to provide mowing power

– 5-speed transmission

– 9 litre fuel capacity

RRP $2,799

SAVE$400

JS26 JS Series

$499 inc GST $2,399 inc GST

D100 100 Series EZTRAK™ Series Z225

I8MONTHS*

INTEREST FREEon EZTRAK series

& 100 series


IN: James Wall (Williamstown), Rian McGough (Casey), Ben Waite (Frankston), Nick Grigg (East Keilor), Brett Nankervis (Greenvale), Daniel Flynn (Northcote Park), Brendan Hollow (Maribyrnong Park), James Fraser and Alec Young (Stanhope)OUT: Cam Trewin, Shannon Broadbent, Ryan Crawford (Deer Park), Andrew Browning (Belconnen Magpies), Tim Little (Shepparton), Justin Murphy (Numurkah), Jonathon Coe (Golden Square), Reece Pollard (Whitehorse Pioneers), Steve Shaw (West Preston-Lakeside)

TATURA’S SEASON FIXTUREROUND 1 KYABRAM (H) APRIL 6

ROUND 2 ECHUCA (A) APRIL 13

ROUND 3 ROCHESTER (H) APRIL 20

ROUND 4 BENALLA (H) APRIL 27

ROUND 5 SEYMOUR (A) MAY 11

ROUND 6 UNITED (H) MAY 18

ROUND 7 MOOROOPNA (A) JUNE 1

ROUND 8 SWANS (A) JUNE 8


ROUND 10 EUROA (H) JUNE 22


ROUND 12 MOOROOPNA (H) JULY 13

ROUND 13 UNITED (A) JULY 20

ROUND 14 SEYMOUR (H) JULY 27

ROUND 15 BENALLA (A) AUGUST 3

ROUND 16 ROCHESTER (A) AUGUST 17

ROUND 17 ECHUCA (H) AUGUST 24


SEASON PREDICTIONS:

MARC MCGOWAN: SECOND

HANNAH DRISCOLL: THIRD

PATRICK O’MEARA: EIGHTH

DAMEN FRANCIS: FIFTHPaul Kirby

– Coach Scott Grigg

than a good club, and great

“For me, it’s about making

berths on a regular basis.’’

this club a great club rather

clubs challenge for grand fi nal

Billy HicksIt is time for Hicks to become one of the league’s elite players.

That means reproducing what he did last year, while tidying up

his at-times shaky disposal. Hicks kicked 24 goals last season and

his ball-winning ability and speed make him a hugely valuable

asset. Enjoyed a stellar summer with Northern Territory league

club Southern Districts and is reportedly as fi t as ever. Everything

is pointing to a huge campaign.

19 Rowe Street, Shepparton | T 5831 1822

Come in and see our

great showroom!Our designer glass splashbacks will make a unique style statement in any kitchen or bathroom design.

A mix of sleek, modern lines and gorgeous colours can create a simple renovation that exudes indulgence whilst remaining easy to clean and maintain.

Our glass splashback range will look amazing in any home, from contemporary to traditional. The eternal appeal of glass will complement your kitchen, bathroom or laundry.

Improve the look of your home with a unique glass splashback

AVglass & aluminium


It will be a vastly diff erent Shepparton

District Junior Football League this year.The transition from a school to club-based

competition is in full swing.

Goulburn Valley Football League clubs

Shepparton, Shepparton Swans and

Shepparton United will all fi eld teams in

under-14s and under-16s.

Gone are Wanganui Park Secondary College,

Shepparton High School and McGuire College.

Notre Dame will remain.

League president Chris Thomas said it was an

exciting time for the competition.

“As everyone knows there are a few changes

this year,” Thomas said.

“And they are pretty exciting changes, too,

with the Shepparton-based GV clubs coming

into it.”

The Bears, Swans and United will fi eld teams

in the under-16 division one competition,

meaning four clubs will be drawn from

Shepparton.

Thomas said that in itself was exciting.

“We haven’t had four teams in the under-16

division one from Shepp in quite a while,” he

said.

“That is great news for the competition and

means we have gone from having 21 teams in

under-14 and under-16 to having 24 this year.

“And it is great that kids now have a pathway

into club-based football.”

The additional teams have seen an increase

of 50 players in the Shepparton area.

Thomas said that was what the league was

about.

“For us, it is all about getting more kids

playing football,” he said.

But Thomas was quick to add the

competition remained in debt to the clubs

which had come before.

“I have said all through this, we have

enormous respect for everything that has

gone before us,” he said.

“Wanganui, Shepp High and McGuire will

remain a big part of our history and it is a

history that we want to continue to respect.

“They have made this competition what it is.”

Fixtures are still being fi nalised, but the fi rst

game of the season will be on April 14.

Teams outside of Shepparton will continue –

with representation from Mooroopna, Tatura,

Kyabram, Echuca and Rochester.

Thomas said the league’s primary school

division was also looking positive.

He said the SDJFL, which also incorporates

the new Youth Girls’ competition, was excited

about a new interleague fi xture against

Bendigo Junior Football League.

After a successful trial last year, the clash will

replace the former interleague expedition to

the annual Swan Hill junior carnival.

The two leagues will square off – from under-

12s through to under-16s and Youth Girls – at

Mooroopna Recreation Reserve on June 2.

“We are very excited about that,” he said.

“It will be a great chance for us to showcase

junior footy.”

The SDJFL plays on Sundays.

Patrick O’Meara

Wanganui’s champion under-16 division two team

Echuca celebrates winning lastyear’s under-16 division one fl ag

Mooroopna White players mob each other after the under-14 grand fi nal last season

McDonald’s Shepparton, Mooroopna and Echuca are proud supporters of Junior Football…


At least four teams will take part in the inaugural Youth Girls’ Football League

run through Shepparton District Junior Football League this year.

As well as the existing Mooroopna and Notre Dame teams, AFL Victoria Goulburn Murray Region development manager Greg Liddell said teams had been confi rmed in Kyabram and Echuca.

Mooroopna capped its second season in Bendigo Under-18 Youth Girls’ Football League with back-to-back premierships under coach Ivan Lister, defeating Huntly by 27 points in the grand fi nal.

Sam Homewood coached Notre Dame in its debut season, but it was unable to win a match.

Liddell was hopeful of fi nding a fi fth team in Shepparton for this season.

Shepparton United and Cobram football clubs initially expressed interest in fi elding teams and Liddell wanted to arrange a meeting for prospective United players and their parents in the coming weeks.

In the case of Cobram, the parents who had put their hand up to coach had pulled out because their daughters’ circumstances had changed and they were no longer able to play.

Liddell was still working on a Cobram team, but admitted it was not looking as good as it was pre-Christmas.

He initially hoped to get a second team out of Mooroopna, but said some of the players had gone to Kyabram and Notre Dame.

Liddell hopes this would help bring some experience to the more fl edgling teams.

“Rather than splitting Mooroopna, through natural attrition some of the girls are fi nding their way to some of the new clubs,” he said.

A start date had not been confi rmed and Liddell said the date had been a “debating point”.

Some clubs wanted to begin simultaneously with the junior boys’ competition in April, but Liddell wanted to wait until May when Shepparton hosts the AFL Youth Girls’ National Championships on May 6 to 10.

Melbourne hosted the inaugural championships in 2010 and it then went to Gold Coast and Adelaide the past two years.

“This is the fi rst time it will be held in a regional centre instead of a capital city,” Liddell said.

As part of the carnival, each of the state teams will run a clinic at the secondary schools in Shepparton and Liddell hopes to generate interest which may attract more players into the competition.

Six state teams from across the country will compete and for the fi rst time Victoria, which has won three championships including last year’s, will be split to fi eld a metropolitan and a country side.

Mooroopna’s Paige Baksh played in the Victorian side last year.

Baksh and Mooroopna teammates Allie Johns and Alex Mulcahy were also selected in the Calder Cannons Youth Girls’ Academy Squad last year, while Laura Case and Notre Dame’s Casey Homewood and Jayde Burton were selected in the Futures Squad.

The academy aims to provide footballers with more local opportunities to access high performance programs, while the Futures Squad aims to provide additional development opportunities for younger or less experienced players.

Hannah Driscoll

Allie Johns and Kalinya Cooper >

(L-R) Georgia Freer, Brittany Tancred, Jayde Burton and (front) Paige Baksh.

Paige Baksh is tackled by Amy Palma

Shepparton Jumping Castles

Ph: 0419 574 941 www.sheppcastles.com.au email: [email protected]

Hire for a wide variety of occasions:

Make your party one to rememberWe have a wide variety of jumping castles

6387 Murray Valley Highway, Cohuna Phone (03) 5456 2233 Fax (03) 5456 4715

Graham Webb: 0428 562 233 Michael Bicknell: 0427 504 154www.gmpoly.com.au

Manual Pipe & RiserCohuna dairy farmer Daryl Riley says his new G&M Poly pipe and riser system has slashed time spent watering his perennial pastures.

The system was installed to more than 60 ha of his 77 ha farm.

Mr Riley no longer has to wait for channels to fi ll and the water

goes on and off the paddocks much quicker. This means he can put cows back on these paddocks 12 hours earlier than before.

“The G&M Poly boys were great to deal with,” Mr Riley said.

“Now I can see why a lot of farmers are going this way.”


It is hypothetically possible last year’s undefeated Violet Town

premiership outfi t would beat this season’s Towners, but the question will be whether another club can.

Coach Hayden Lamaro, one of a long list of outs that also includes McNamara medallist Russell Lee and league-leading goal-kicker Craig Whelan, remains confi dent his team will be a force.

“Time will tell. Obviously, you take out a 170-goal-kicker and league medallist and they’re not easy to replace,” Lamaro said.

“It’s fair to say the margins we were beating sides by will not be as predominant as they were, but I defi nitely still think we’re a top-three side.”

The recruits are impressive and that is not including ex-Collingwood duo Chris Tarrant and Ben Kinnear, who will play at least fi ve games each and probably more.

Ruckman Josh Williams looms as a major inclusion, Rob Rutley slotted 91 goals for Undera last season and Kane Dockery arrives with a strong reputation as a hard-working forward.

The midfi eld, where Violet Town was strongest, will feel the losses more than anywhere else, but there is still a fearsome amount of talent in the middle.

Pat Horsburgh and Shane Mitchell are already stars, but will have even bigger on-ball roles, with Ben Ballinger and newcomer Daniel Kayrooz set to play there, too.

“We’re coming off an outstanding year and there is still that will within the playing group to succeed and show the footy world that last year wasn’t a fl uke,” Lamaro said.

Marc McGowan

FAST FACTS >> COACH: HAYDEN LAMARO 2012 FINISH: PREMIER (18-0) 2012 BEST AND FAIREST: RUSSELL LEE 2012 LEADING GOAL-KICKER: CRAIG WHELAN (168) GROUND: VIOLET TOWN RECREATION RESERVE NICKNAME: LIONS

IN: Chris Tarrant (Collingwood), Ben Kinnear (break), Josh Williams (Pascoe Vale), Kane Dockery, Mick Wright and Joel Hearn (Benalla All Blacks), Daniel Kayrooz (Marcellin), Craig and Rob Rutley (Undera), Josh Dunne (break), Paul Mintern (Doreen Flyers)OUT: Russell Lee, Craig Whelan and Jake Williams (Leitchville-Gunbower), Dale Saddington, Ben Tsakmakis, Brent Bailey (Whittlesea), Sean Horsburgh (Goorambat), Robbie Wilson (Euroa), Hayden Lamaro (retired)

LADDER PREDICTION1 Violet Town2 Murchison3 Nagambie4 Stanhope5 Merrigum6 Lancaster7 Undera8 Avenel9 Rushworth

10 Tallygaroopna11 Girgarre12 Longwood13 Ardmona

KYABRAM DISTRICT FOOTBALL LEAGUE PAST 10 PREMIERS: 2012: VIOLET TOWN2011: LANCASTER2010: NAGAMBIE2009: UNDERA2008: STANHOPE2007: STANHOPE2006: ARDMONA2005: TALLYGAROOPNA2004: RUSHWORTH2003: STANHOPEPAST MCNAMARA MEDALLISTS: 2012: RUSSELL LEE (VIOLET TOWN)2011: STEVE THOMSON (LANCASTER)2010: TROY SNELSON (GIRGARRE)2009: PAUL BURNETT (LANCASTER)2008: MARK YOUNG (ARDMONA) AND CHRIS EDDY (LANCASTER)2007: MICK SHIELS (NAGAMBIE)2006: ADAM MOLISAK (TALLYGAROOPNA)2005: BRAD LOWE (ARDMONA)2004: TYSON SIDEBOTTOM (TALLYGAROOPNA)2003: DARYL HARRISON (STANHOPE)

Maybe – just maybe – the 12 Kyabram District Football League clubs that

aren’t reigning premier Violet Town are

playing for more than second spot this year.

The brilliant 2012 Towners completed an unbeaten season with an audacious 76-point smacking of Undera in the grand fi nal.

They broke records everywhere.Craig Whelan slotted 168 goals in total,

including breaking Perry Meka’s league home-and-away season mark of 151, and no-one will forget his 34-goal haul against Ardmona in a hurry.

Then there was McNamara medallist Russell Lee, who seemingly had the ball on a string all year.

But both left for Leitchville-Gunbower on the

same December day last year. Jake Williams, who was best afi eld in the grand fi nal, joined them.

It was the fl icker of hope league rivals needed – even if the Towners have since still done pretty well in the recruiting stakes.

Ex-Collingwood pair Chris Tarrant and Ben Kinnear will wear the blue, yellow and red on several occasions this year.

But that will unlikely be when fellow former Magpie Anthony Rocca plays his one game for Tallygaroopna on June 22.

Murchison seems the most likely to dethrone Violet Town.

The Grasshoppers twice rattled the Towners last year in narrow losses and have raided Heidelberg’s stocks to improve further.

Justin Williams’ defection to fellow contender Stanhope hurts, though.

New Lions coach Troy Auld is keeping his cards close to his chest in his return to the club. But opposition sides are wary, regardless of what he is saying publicly.

Stanhope seems set to return to the fi nals after a one-year absence.

Underrate Nagambie at your peril, too. Linc Sullivan, like Auld, will step up to coach his club after previously winning a premiership there as a player.

More old faces are back – none better than Danny Haysom and Patty Rattray.

Merrigum, which charged home in the second half of last season, is the bolter. Most expect the Bulldogs to be challenging for, if

not playing in, fi nals.Christian Barnett earned rave reviews for his

fi rst year in charge and Merrigum looks much better than 12 months ago.

Lancaster and Undera, premiers in 2011 and 2009, respectively, loom as more mid-range than elite, but fi nals appearances would not surprise, either, with respected mentors Paul Burnett and Terry Mahoney back at their helms.

Avenel, Rushworth and Tallygaroopna have lost signifi cant talent and will fi nd it diffi cult to improve on their eff orts from a year ago.

The bottom three slots are unlikely to change, with Girgarre, Longwood and Ardmona fi ghting them out.

Marc McGowan

Pat Horsburgh

Violet Town


More competitive, but fi nals are still a long

shot.That was coach Mark

Patten’s summation of where his developing Girgarre side is at.

Last season the Kangaroos won one-and-a-half more games – the draw coming against reigning premier Lancaster – than the year before in three-time Stanhope premiership coach Patten’s debut at the helm.

But it was Girgarre’s new-found stubbornness and grit that caught rivals’ attention. Patten guessed the Kangaroos were in a winning position in as many as 12 games.

“We didn’t put enough of a gap between the opposition and ourselves (when we were ahead) and just couldn’t sustain it,” Patten said.

“I’m hoping what we put in place this year will stand them in good stead with some of the structural

work we’ve done, but

we still have to execute.“The guys are

really behind that and have taken to it.

I’m seeing progress in that area every week and at

least we’ll have a sound team plan in place.”

Bendigo-based Ryan

Patten joins his father at Girgarre and will be a midfi eld key when

he plays, while Dwayne Fitzpatrick will settle on a wing and Simon Tomasini

will play forward instead of down back.

Tomasini will share the goal-kicking load with Zak Atkins and Jye Patten.

Patten also expects much from reigning

best-and-fairest Tom Roberts, Paul Parsons, Dylan Smith, Joel Regan and Gary

Davis, whose collarbone injury ruined his 2012 campaign.

He said Merrigum’s second-half rise last season would serve as inspiration for the Kangaroos.

Marc McGowan

Sixth place is a solid showing for most

clubs. Just not Lancaster.The reigning premier was

a huge disappointment last year under resigned coach Tony McDonell.

Plenty went wrong, including injuries to key players, mid-season holidays – premiership forward Nic Casey went overseas – and repeat underwhelming performances from what was still a star-studded side.

Paul Burnett, who was just a player last year, returns as coach and will pull on the boots again to bolster a midfi eld that will miss fellow McNamara medallist Steve Thomson.

“We were disappointed with our year ... most thought we should have fi nished higher than we did, but we didn’t play well enough,”

Burnett said.“We want to improve on

last year and, like every other side, we want to play fi nals.

“There are two or three

clubs clearly better than everyone else – Violet Town, Murchison and, probably, Stanhope – and we’ll be in the next group pushing for fi nals.”

Key backman Nick Bertoli, a Lancaster target for several seasons, is the top recruit and will be an assistant coach.

Burnett said the backline was an area the Wombats needed to improve in.

The forward line should be potent despite goal sneak Adam Nunn’s defection to Tongala, with Casey and Heath Barnett, who battled a major ankle problem last season, training strongly.

Burnett also has great hopes for teenage trio Dean Sing, Zach Cerrone and Jack Baum, who played in Lancaster’s under-18 premiership.

Marc McGowan

FAST FACTS >> COACH: MARK PATTEN 2012 FINISH: 11TH (3-14-1) 2012 BEST AND FAIREST: TOM ROBERTS 2012 LEADING GOAL-KICKER: ZAK ATKINS (36) GROUND: GIRGARRE RECREATION RESERVE NICKNAME: KANGAROOS

FAST FACTS >> COACH: PAUL BURNETT 2012 FINISH: SIXTH (9-8-1) 2012 BEST AND FAIREST: STEVE THOMSON 2012 LEADING GOAL-KICKER: ADRIAN MEKA (62) GROUND: LANCASTER RECREATION RESERVE NICKNAME: WOMBATS

Avenel coach Tim Muir rates his latest

batch of Swans superior to last year’s side that spent signifi cant time inside the top fi ve before eventually just missing out.

Muir set the bold goal of playing fi nals before last season – months after Avenel won four of 18 games – but it doesn’t seem so silly 12 months later.

Recruits Andrew Green, Grant Hateley and Dom Russo, who has since gone back to Seymour, were superb.

Russo isn’t the only major out, with captain and two-time best-and-fairest winner Nick Goodwin and ruckman John Burns also gone.

So where will the improvement come from?

“We’ve made a real focus this year to try and improve our depth, because we made no secret we were a bit thin last year and struggled to cover injuries to key players,” Muir said.

“We have a very young list, so through development,

training and playing together more, I’m hopeful we can be more consistent.

“We had a couple of losses in games we should have won and that can be the diff erence between making fi nals and not.”

Muir said the Swans also needed to narrow the gap between their best and worst.

Ex-Seymour player Cael McCarthy is the exciting in.

The ruckman-forward was good enough to kick a four-goal haul at senior Goulburn Valley Football League level two years ago before struggling for opportunities last season.

Utilities Dean Fulco, Brett Williams, Sean O’Loughlin and the O’Connors – Nick and Joe – have also come on board.

Marc McGowan

FAST FACTS >> COACH: TIM MUIR 2012 FINISH: SEVENTH (9-8-1) 2012 BEST AND FAIREST: ANDREW GREEN 2012 LEADING GOAL-KICKER: DOM RUSSO (39) GROUND: ANDERSON ST, AVENEL NICKNAME: SWANS

IN: Dean Fulco and Brett Williams (Colbinabbin), Cael McCarthy and Sean O’Loughlin (Seymour), Nick and Joe O’Connor (break).OUT: Lachie Dowling (Westmeadows), Dom Russo (Seymour), Nick Goodwin (Wallan), Lachie McKenzie (Tatong), John Burns (retired).

FAST FACTS >> COACH: GAVIN GLEDHILL 2012 FINISH: LAST (0-18) 2012 BEST AND FAIREST: BRENT RALPH 2012 LEADING GOAL-KICKER: GIACOMO TRAZZERA (5) GROUND: ARDMONA RECREATION RESERVE NICKNAME: CATS

IN: Zach Dearing and Ryan Patten (Stanhope), Zach Fitzpatrick (Calivil United)OUT: Nic Varcoe (Picola United)

IN: Nick Bertoli (Katandra), Andrew Douglas (Clayton), Daniel Kelsey (Tongala), Kadeem May (Jabiru)OUT: Adam Nunn (Tongala), Steve Thomson (Mallee Eagles), Shane Sali (Merrigum), Andrew Ralph (Ardmona)

Last year’s statistics made for ugly reading. Zero wins. 18 losses. A

percentage lower than eight.That record was not only Kyabram District

Football League’s worst, but made a strong case the Cats – a senior premier in 2006 – were country Victoria’s poorest-performing side.

New coach Gavin Gledhill, who has been a success at multiple other clubs, is preparing to turn around Ardmona’s fortunes.

Gledhill said the Cats would no longer be the competition easybeats and if they were not playing fi nals by next year “then I’m not doing my job”.

The big ins are Andrew Ralph, who is back after stints at Lancaster and Mooroopna, and Cobram’s Shaun Wilson. They will add badly needed fi repower up forward.

“Having the better players we have getting fi t and wanting to play will mean our general on-fi eld performance will improve,” Gledhill said.

“I don’t think we’ll be on the bottom of the ladder, but I don’t know how far we’ll go up.

“I’m sure we’ll be more than competitive for fair parts of games and I expect us to win our few. To me, that’s a good achievement from where they’ve been the last few years.”

Ardmona’s interleague star and reigning best-and-fairest-winning ruckman Brent Ralph

will again shoulder a heavy load and Gledhill had high hopes for tough youngster Ash Hurd.

Hurd, an on-baller last season, will be a leader across half-back this year.

Possibly most promising for the Cats is they will fi eld an under-18 team.

Marc McGowan

Shaun Wilson

Ryan Patten

IN: Andrew Ralph (Lancaster), Shaun Wilson (Cobram), Jayedon Hexter (Shepparton East), Tom Hicks (Mooroopna)OUT: Jamie Balfour (EWFNC Ryco Bombers), David Kirk (Murray Magpies).

Andrew Green

Nic Casey


There is much to like about Nagambie

this season.The Lakers have lost

some senior regulars, but two of their biggest stars are back: talented utility Danny Haysom and eccentric forward Patty Rattray.

Then you throw in the Winter-Irvings – Hamish and Mitchell – and defender Jesse Tranter, who is raring to go after taking a break last year.

Not to mention a fi t-again Mick Shiels and the increasing likelihood brother Jason, who has spent two years recovering from a broken leg, will fi nally play again.

Nagambie was good enough to make the preliminary fi nal last season. Retired premiership player Linc Sullivan returns to

replace Rob Auld as coach.“I’d be disappointed if we

weren’t similar (to last year) and on the side of getting better,” Sullivan said.

“I don’t want to put too much pressure on the boys just yet.

“The boys are keen. We have only four or fi ve blokes 28 and over ... it’s a good spot to be in.”

Sullivan said Rattray, good enough to kick 155 goals in 33 games in his last two years at the Lakers in 2009 and 2010, was as fi t as he had seen him in up to six seasons.

Nagambie’s forward line could include, at diff erent times, Rattray, Hamish Winter-Irving, Ben Hutton – who will play mostly as a midfi elder – Jason Shiels and Haysom.

There will also be interest in how teenagers Mark Nolan and Mitchell Sanderson fare.

Marc McGowan

FAST FACTS >> COACH: LINC SULLIVAN 2012 FINISH: THIRD (13-5) 2012 BEST AND FAIREST: BEN HUTTON 2012 LEADING GOAL-KICKER: LUKE LARSEN (43) GROUND: NAGAMBIE RECREATION RESERVE NICKNAME: LAKERS

IN: Danny Haysom (Shepparton Swans), Patty Rattray (Tongala), Hamish Winter-Irving (Sandhurst), Mitchell Winter-Irving (South Bendigo), Jesse Tranter (break)OUT: Quaide Comi (Broadford), Luke Larsen (Diggers Rest), Adam Griffi ths (Coburg Districts), Eamon Mannix (Richmond Central), James van de Pol (University Blues), Ricky Misiti (Keilor), Adam Bourke (Shepparton)

Meet Violet Town’s major threat for

this year’s Kyabram District Football League premiership.

Steve Reeves’ fi rst year at the Grasshoppers’ helm, which included winning a fi nal and fi nishing fourth, was just a taste of what was to come.

The reinforcements have arrived. There is the Heidelberg midfi eld trio with Goulburn Valley connections: John Shiels (Tatura) and Jeremy Ganino and Chris Cullinan (both Shepparton).

Shiels captained Murray Bushrangers’ 1998 TAC Cup premiership and joins an on-ball brigade that already includes the likes of Ash Vincitorio and Luke Cecchin.

The Shepparton links don’t stop there, with key-position players Anthony Mellington and Luke Chapman.

Mellington will be Murchison’s new spearhead and enable James Milne to spend more time further

afi eld, while Chapman and ex-Shepparton United footballer Gerard Bence will be the Grasshoppers’ tall swing-men.

“We still have a fair bit of work to do, but we’d like to get that top-three berth and then take it from there,” Reeves said.

“Every player we’ve recruited is a multiple premiership player, whereas last year we specifi cally recruited between the ages of 18 and 24.

“We probably lacked a few wiser heads at the end of the campaign and that’s why we’ve gone down the road we have now.”

Reeves was most excited about his side’s new-found midfi eld strength, but said reigning premier Violet Town was still the team to beat and was also wary of Nagambie.

The three outs – key forwards Justin Williams and Terry Durward and on-baller Trevor Graham – are signifi cant.

Marc McGowan

FAST FACTS >> COACH: STEVE REEVES 2012 FINISH: FOURTH (11-7) 2012 BEST AND FAIREST: LUKE CECCHIN 2012 LEADING GOAL-KICKER: JAMES MILNE (59) GROUND: MURCHISON RECREATION RESERVE NICKNAME: GRASSHOPPERS

IN: John Shiels, Jeremy Ganino and Chris Cullinan (Heidelberg), Anthony Mellington and Luke Chapman (Heathcote), Gerard Bence (break), Ben Warnett (Waaia)OUT: Terry Durward (Undera), Trevor Graham (Shepparton East), Justin Williams (Stanhope)

Merrigum’s barnstorming fi nish to last season took everyone, apart from

coach Christian Barnett and his troops, by surprise.

Barnett predicted it would take time to turn the Bulldogs’ fortunes around. Most expected that would take more than half a season.

But seven out of Merrigum’s eight wins came in its fi nal nine matches in a remarkable rise.

Three Mooroopna recruits – none better than Ramadan Yze – and ex-Shepparton Swans and Lancaster key-position player Shane Sali and former under-18s century goal-kicker Francis Caldow should help continue the momentum.

“We’re going to try and get these new guys to mix in well into the group and the goal is just to get into the season and start a bit better,” Barnett said.

“We had some injuries and it took a while to jell and get used to new game plans and so forth last year.

“This year, given a step in the right direction, if we can start a bit better I’m sure the group and myself will endeavour to make fi nals.”

Barnett was quick to add he was under “no illusions” how hard the Bulldogs would have to work to be a top-fi ve team.

The talent is there: Josh Pell, Josh Stammers, ex-senior coach Geoff Connally and Greg Sullivan will again perform major roles.

“We’re not expecting miracles,” Barnett said.“We expect the season to be tough, like

everyone else is, but, hopefully, the guys who’ve come in will help us get a little further than last year.”

Marc McGowan

FAST FACTS >> COACH: CHRISTIAN BARNETT 2012 FINISH: 10TH (8-10) 2012 BEST AND FAIREST: JOSH PELL 2012 LEADING GOAL-KICKER: JOSH PELL (36) GROUND: MERRIGUM RECREATION RESERVE NICKNAME: BULLDOGS

IN: Mitch Younger, Daniel Dryden and Ramadan Yze (Mooroopna), Shane Sali (Lancaster), Francis Caldow.OUT: None.

A four-pack of Euroa recruits will try to lift

long-suff ering Longwood out of the Kyabram District Football League cellar this season.

Ed Carracher, Jac Smith-Williams, Justin Saville and Davenall Mackrell cross from the nearby Magpies to join the Redlegs, who have won just seven matches in three years in the league.

They are yet to win the wooden spoon, but fi nishes of 12th, 11th and 12th have been less than ideal.

Brendan Redfern will not return as coach due to increased work demands; star assistant Shane Cleary and former coach Ricki Shiner will step up as co-coaches for the season.

It will be Cleary’s fi rst foray into coaching, having joined the Redlegs last season, while Shiner was coach in 2011.

Cleary said the Redlegs’ aim was for continued improvement.

‘‘We made some steps

forward last year and we want to continue on that path,’’ Cleary said.

‘‘The next step for us is to challenge the sides that are just above us.’’

Cleary said he had been impressed with their recruiting eff orts – particularly the returning Marc Ericksen, Euroa duo Carracher and Saville, and Rumbalara youngster Blade Larkins.

Cleary said the club was pleased to have lost just one senior player from last year’s squad.

Adam Gough, who arrived as a possible solution to Longwood’s goal-kicking problems, is the only major out.

Marc McGowan

FAST FACTS >> CO-COACHES: RICKI SHINER AND SHANE CLEARY 2012 FINISH: 12TH (2-16) 2012 BEST AND FAIREST: TOM STEVENS 2012 LEADING GOAL-KICKER: TOM STEVENS (20) GROUND: LONGWOOD RECREATION RESERVE NICKNAME: REDLEGS

IN: Ed Carracher, Jac Smith-Williams, Justin Saville and Davenall Mackrell (Euroa), Marc Ericksen (Newcastle City), Blade Larkins and Michael Baxter (Rumbalara), David Cini (Newbridge), Kyle Galvin (Nagambie), Matt Naughton (Kew).OUT: Adam Gough (Jacana).

Chris Cullinan

Shane Sali

Patty Rattray

Tom Stevens


The post-Daniel Godsmark and Sam La Porta era starts

now for Undera. The previous era included three grand fi nals and the 2009 premiership.

Returning coach Terry Mahoney is embracing the challenge rather than worried about what it might bring.

Lions premiership stars Spiro Vourgaslis and Ricky Luvara return to help the transition and Matt Wishart, Brad Moon, Andrew Dowell and Trevor Bailey have also recommitted.

“All indications are the group is relishing the challenge,” Mahoney said.

“We’re incredibly thankful for the contribution the two boys (Godsmark and La Porta) made and they will always be close to our hearts and synonymous with the success we had.

“The older boys see it as a great challenge to teach the younger boys coming through, and the younger fellas don’t know any diff erent.”

The “older boys” include playing assistants Daniel Breen, Alan Richardson and Danni Heazlewood, and Heath Fidock and Peter Vourgaslis.

They will mesh with a young brigade that includes Andrew Sait, Sam Mackenna and Dillion Davey, who kicked 13 of his 39 goals in last year’s under-18 fi nals for Tallygaroopna.

“There is quite an arms race going on in the KDFL ... so you’re never quite sure what the strength of the opposition is going to be,” Mahoney said.

“But as long as I can get the boys to play to their potential, or close to it, we’ll be satisfi ed with whatever result we end up with.”

Marc McGowan

FAST FACTS >> COACH: TERRY MAHONEY 2012 FINISH: RUNNER-UP (15-3) 2012 BEST AND FAIREST: DANIEL GODSMARK 2012 LEADING GOAL-KICKER: ROB RUTLEY (91) GROUND: UNDERA RECREATION RESERVE NICKNAME: LIONS

IN: Zac Brian (Tatura), Patrick Dowell (Euroa), Terry Durward (Murchison), Sam Mackenna (Mooroopna), Andrew Sait (Shepparton United), Spiro Vourgaslis (Mooroopna), Ricky Luvara (break), Dillion Davey (Tallygaroopna)OUT: Sam La Porta (West Kimberley), Craig and Rob Rutley (Violet Town), Daniel Godsmark (Euroa), Michael Dann (St Joseph’s), Sam Gross

You have to be prepared to fail

to succeed. That is new Tallygaroopna coach Matt Mahony’s football philosophy.

Brent Arho, a century goal-kicker, and Dylan Kerr, a multiple best-and-fairest winner, did not fi t into that philosophy. Mahony informed both he was not interested in having them at the club.

He wanted reigning best-and-fairest Andrew Oldfi eld, but understood the Melbourne-based on-baller’s decision.

Mahony will instead turn to youth – not only the newcomers, but the talent already at the Redlegs – and develop those players into Tallygaroopna’s next stars.

“The club’s going really well. We’ve been getting 30 to 35 on the track every night,” Mahony said.

“It’s amazing just how quickly you can go in the right direction with culture and change a club if you make the right decisions.

“There’s no quick fi x in footy. If you give people time, hopefully, they give back to you.”

Mahony admitted most won’t know the

young players he is most excited about. But he said it would not take long.

Mahony raved about the potential of on-ballers Kane Handley, Harley Green and Ben Pedretti and has big plans for athletic talls Tom Hanning, Dylan Sheppard and Sean Arnold.

“I want to be competitive in every game this year and I want to play fi nals, but if we don’t, at the end of it people will say we’ve played good, intelligent footy,” he said.

“Next year, hopefully, we’ll only need to grab two or three experienced blokes to rocket into fi nals.”

Marc McGowan

FAST FACTS >> COACH: MATT MAHONY 2012 FINISH: EIGHTH (9-9) 2012 BEST AND FAIREST: ANDREW OLDFIELD 2012 LEADING GOAL-KICKER: BRENT ARHO (123) GROUND: TALLYGAROOPNA RECREATION RESERVE NICKNAME: REDLEGS

IN: Andrew Botting (Shepparton United), David Gibson, Tom Hanning, Adam Serafi ni, Dylan Sheppard, Mathew Thomas and Kane Handley (Shepparton East), Lachie Guthrie, Andrew and Michael Boyington and Ben Pedretti (Congupna), Damian Scott (Shepparton), Hayden Powles (Cobram)OUT: Brent Arho and Dylan Kerr (Billabong Crows), Andrew Oldfi eld (Elsternwick), Aaron Wood and Danny Allen (Shepparton East)

The return of premiership heroes Jarrad Mason and Matt Trist has buoyed

hopes Stanhope will be a Kyabram District Football League contender this year.

Mason, a midfi elder, and Trist, a versatile tall, join Murchison enforcer Justin Williams as the club’s top recruits.

Williams played interleague and kicked 41 goals for the Grasshoppers last season.

The veteran will have a big responsibility up forward for the Lions due to Cobey Aynsley’s decision to join brother Jeromy and former coach Brad Lowe at Shepparton East.

New coach Troy Auld avoided making any bold statements for his remodelled team.

“I fi nd the predictions a bit pointless. They’re too hard to make. The mindset we’ll have is we’ll line up next to the other 12 sides and do the best we can,” Auld said.

“We’ve put the work in to make sure the guys have moulded and spent time together and I’d imagine our fi tness should stack up okay.”

One change Auld will implement is ensuring the Lions move the ball quicker.

He was going to share the coaching role with Danny O’Bree, but O’Bree has withdrawn for work reasons and may not play, either.

Young guns James Fraser and Alec Young are gone, but Auld is excited about Hayden Durston, Jack Young, Reyne Auld and Tom Hepburn.

Defender Craig Emmett, who will also receive some midfi eld opportunities, and ruckman Tim Karolidis are set for major roles.

Marc McGowan

FAST FACTS >> COACH: TROY AULD 2012 FINISH: NINTH (8-10) 2012 BEST AND FAIREST: ALEC YOUNG 2012 LEADING GOAL-KICKER: COBEY AYNSLEY (73) GROUND: GILL COCHRANE OVAL NICKNAME: LIONS

IN: Jarrad Mason (Shepparton East), Jye Ledin and Brenton Sheppard (Heathcote), Justin Williams (Murchison), Matt Trist (North Bendigo)OUT: Brad Lowe, Cobey Aynsley and Jeromy Aynsley (Shepparton East), Ryan Patten and Zach Dearing (Girgarre), James Fraser and Alec Young (Tatura), Michael Coad (Mooroopna)

JarradMason

Ben Pedretti

Spiro Vourgaslis

Rivals learned to expect the

unexpected from Rushworth in the past two seasons.

But it will be a new-look Tigers line-up with a new approach this year under rookie coach Jake Lloyd.

Among the key players to depart are Isaac Douthie, Steve Kirby and Jeremy Hitchcock, who resigned coach Tim Wicks has taken with him to Inglewood.

It remains to be seen whether the reinforcements will cover those losses, but Lloyd is most excited about Ben Gill.

Gill, who will partner Jake Perry and Lloyd in Rushworth’s attack, booted 70 goals for Lower Plenty two years ago before a knee injury kept him sidelined last season.

“We’ve lost a lot of height, but we’ve done what we can,” Lloyd said.

“We’d be silly if we were not aiming to play fi nals, but we’re sticking to a budget and we’re not going to spend big money to do it.

“We’re trying to build a side around our

local talent and we’ll plug some gaps out of town ... the game plan will be simple and predictable, but as long as we’re good at it others have to catch up.”

Matt Thomas and Jedd Perry are co-captains and Lloyd is looking to Jak McMillan, Tyler Damon, Alex Gelsi, Bernard Howley, Jason Snelling and Michael Telford to step up.

There is doubt about Daniel Lambden’s and Tom Clarke’s playing status, but Andrew Clarke is fi t again and Dylan Flannery may be a full-time player.

Marc McGowan

FAST FACTS >> COACH: JAKE LLOYD 2012 FINISH: FIFTH (10-7-1) 2012 BEST AND FAIREST: NATHAN GAGE 2012 LEADING GOAL-KICKER: JAKE PERRY (54) GROUND: IRONBARK STADIUM NICKNAME: TIGERS

IN: Ryan Charters, Graham Clarke and Sean Gledhill (Katandra), Phillip Kaja (Wallan), Paul Morgan (Macedon), Steele Lloyd (Whittlesea), Lee Rowland (Nairne Bremer), Ben Gill (Lower Plenty)OUT: Lenny Clarke, Louis Clarke and Darcy Pogue (Deniliquin), Tim Wicks, Isaac Douthie, Steve Kirby and Jeremy Hitchcock (Inglewood), Sam Nelson (Kyabram), Jason Webb (retired)

Jedd Perry

HARTWIGS

LM

CT

75

83

HARTWIGS, THE HOME

OF FUSOHeavyWhen your business needs to deliver, Fuso Heavy Duty is your greatest asset. With improved grunt for a full range of applications, every truck in the range is a prime example of our thinking in action.

FighterPowerful. Tough. Reliable. Fuso Fighters get the job done.Ranging from the Fighter 6 – 4x2 with 10,400 kg GVM up to the Fighter 14 – 6x4 with up to a massive 24,000 kg GVM, there’s a Fighter that’s just right for your business.

CanterWhatever the job, Canter delivers time after time. Powerful engines pack a punch and with a variety of wheelbases, you can be confi dent your payload and body length demands will be met.

320 Midland Hwy, Shepparton | (03) 5820 7800 | Ph: Simon Calogero 0438 570 355


The Nathalia team which takes to the fi eld this year will be diff erent

from the one that came off the fi eld, premiership in hand, last season.

Flag-winning coach Adam Quarrell is one of about a dozen departures from the premiership side and spearhead Jason Limbrick, who was best on ground in the grand fi nal, is at the helm.

Limbrick said the focus this season was the development of the 17 to 22-year-olds at the club.

“We’ve still got a lot of experienced guys that have played in premierships who are still around, so defi nitely that’s a good thing for

us,” Limbrick said.“But really there’s a few things we really

needed to get right this year and that was to make sure our young kids and development is spot-on.

“Our aim is to be back up the top of the ladder in the next two or three years, so that’s our sole focus and every decision we make is based around making sure we do that.”

Limbrick remains confi dent the mix of youth and experience could still earn the Purples another fi nals tilt.

“The boys have set themselves the goal, which we think is really achievable, to participate in the fi nals,” Limbrick said.

“If we can do that – I’m not saying we’re going to be at the top of the ladder – but if we can do that it’ll give us a real springboard into the next couple of years.”

Hannah Driscoll

FAST FACTS >> COACH: JASON LIMBRICK 2012 FINISH: PREMIER (16-2) 2012 BEST AND FAIREST: CHRIS ATKINS 2012 LEADING GOAL-KICKER: JASON LIMBRICK (84) GROUND: NATHALIA RECREATION RESERVE NICKNAME: PURPLES

IN: Jarrod Bingham (University Blacks), Joel Cahir, Shane Cooper (both Picola United), Marc Hall (Surfers Paradise), Sean Mortimer (Waaia), Bobby Nichols (Strathmerton), Ian Fry, Lachlan Terry, Nathan Walsh (all Shepparton Swans) OUT: Chris Atkins, Tom Sheldon, Scott McCormack (all Kyabram), Michael Croxford (Mallee Eagles), David Daniel, Brett Vallender (both Picola United), Adam Quarrell, Ross Garner, David Lucas (all retired), Lucas Dainton (overseas)

There has been no shortage of talking points prior to this year’s Murray

Football League season.Both teams from last year’s grand fi nal have

new coaches, a two-time league best-and-fairest winner and a senior playing coach have found new homes at rival clubs and a Goulburn Valley Football League best-and-fairest winner heads a booming list of new arrivals in the league.

Another question on many fans’ lips is how far premier Nathalia will fall?

Last year’s premiership was a last hurrah for several of the club’s senior players and the Purples will have to rebuild under newly promoted coach Jason Limbrick, but the foundations of a fi nals side remain in place.

For many, Echuca United is the clear

frontrunner, with the Eagles adding proven talent to a list that took many by surprise last year.

However, Scott Beattie’s men are almost certain to face stiff competition from the likes of Finley and Mulwala in the race for the minor premiership.

The Cats have suff ered some key losses from the side that was beaten on the fi nal day of last season, but have gained dual O’Dwyer medallist Ryan Bongetti from Cobram and bush footy legend Damian Sexton is a quality replacement for outgoing coach Rob Daniel.

Mulwala was once again thereabouts under Nick O’Bryan last season and enjoyed a relatively steady off -season – something not too many clubs have managed.

Numurkah lost infl uential playing coach and

full-forward Luke Jarjoura to Barooga, but provided the Blues can fi nd enough avenues to goal, improvement and a fi nals berth does not look beyond them.

Cobram has raided the GVFL to boost its playing stocks, but much will depend on the co-coaching experiment of Mat Hyde and Trevor Mills, while Deniliquin Rams welcome back a handful of premiership players to support their developing senior list.

Can the likes of Tongala and Moama improve enough to play fi nals?

Both clubs have brought in top-end talent, with the likes of GVFL pair David Newman and Jordan Souter at the Blues and former VFL player Josh Maddox at Perricoota Rd, but both are coming from a long way back.

Much will rest on the shoulders of the

aforementioned Jarjoura, if Barooga is to live

up to coach Shaun Robbins’ expectations.

At this stage Congupna, Rumbalara and

Tocumwal look set to occupy the bottom

three.

Given the sheer volume of departures,

many expect The Road to plummet, while

Rumbalara represents the great unknown,

with a host of names linked to the club, but

little confi rmation of list expansion.

With the senior coaching saga fi nally

behind it, Tocumwal has actually had a fairly

productive off -season and the motivation to

avoid a consecutive wooden spoon cannot be

underestimated.

Hannah Driscoll

LADDER PREDICTION1 ECHUCA UNITED2 FINLEY3 MULWALA4 NUMURKAH5 NATHALIA6 COBRAM7 DENILIQUIN RAMS8 MOAMA9 TONGALA

10 BAROOGA11 RUMBALARA12 CONGUPNA13 TOCUMWAL

MURRAY FOOTBALL LEAGUE PAST 10 PREMIERS: 2012: NATHALIA2011: DENILIQUIN RAMS 2010: MOAMA 2009: TOCUMWAL 2008: NATHALIA 2007: NATHALIA 2006: NATHALIA 2005: NATHALIA 2004: DENILIQUIN RAMS 2003: DENILIQUIN RAMS PAST O’DWYER MEDALLISTS: 2012: ROWAN PRIEST (ECHUCA UNITED) 2011: RYAN BONGETTI (COBRAM) 2010: RYAN BONGETTI (COBRAM) 2009: LEE WARNETT (TOCUMWAL) 2008: LEE WARNETT AND DARYL HARRISON (TONGALA) 2007: MATT BYERS (BAROOGA) 2006: MARTY BROOKS (BAROOGA) 2005: NATHAN GEMMILL (NATHALIA) AND JASON SANDERSON (MULWALA) 2004: ASHLEY GEMMILL (NATHALIA) 2003: GAVIN SPARKS (DENILIQUIN RAMS)

Jason Limbrick

Nathalia


For all the doom and gloom surrounding

Memorial Park during summer, coach Kevin O’Donoghue says Congupna will be “not as bad as people think”.

It has been a rollercoaster

ride for The Road in recent seasons, with 2011’s wooden spoon immediately followed by a fi nals appearance last year.

An off -season exodus, led by best-and-fairest Tyson Sidebottom and captain

Adrian Parker, has led many to believe The Road will be returning south this year, but O’Donoghue is not buying into it just yet.

“We’ve got our work cut out, but we’re being as positive as we can,” O’Donoghue said.

“I would rather be coaching a young side than older blokes that don’t want to be there.

“The depth is still there and we’ll still be thereabouts and pushing for fi nals.”

The likes of Marcus Drum,

Mitch Sidebottom and Heath Barton ensure a nucleus of leaders remain, while Kenelley brothers Paul and Luke and Matt Hodgetts have returned to the club in its hour of need.

Young Goulburn Valley Football League products Nathan Reid, Jack Fuller and Keiran Sheehan, whose dad and former Benalla coach Peter will serve as O’Donoghue’s assistant, will help fi ll out the senior squad.

Damen Francis

FAST FACTS >> COACH: KEVIN O’DONOGHUE 2012 FINISH: FIFTH (13-5) 2012 BEST AND FAIREST: TYSON SIDEBOTTOM 2012 LEADING GOAL-KICKER: RYAN SIDEBOTTOM (58) GROUND: MEMORIAL PARK NICKNAME: THE ROAD

IN: Paul Kenelley, Luke Kenelley (both Beaufort), Matt Hodgetts (Shepparton East), Nathan Reid (Shepparton Swans), Jack Fuller (Shepparton United), Keiran Sheehan (Benalla)OUT: Ben Wellington, Eamon Reeves, Shannon Emmett and Daniel Burness (Katunga), Dion Gleeson (Shepparton United), Adrian Parker (Boort), Marc Bullen (Deer Park), Tyson Sidebottom (Shepparton Swans), Ryan Sidebottom (cricket), Jordan Hallam (Katamatite)

Cobram will be in uncharted territory as it adopts a top down approach to

working its way back into premiership calculations.

Not only have the Tigers appointed co-coaches Mat Hyde and Trevor Mills to replace Mooroopna-bound Robert Osborne, they must also make do without two-time O’Dwyer medallist Ryan Bongetti, who has joined league rival Finley.

Four ready-made senior players have arrived from Goulburn Valley Football League struggler Shepparton, to soften the blows.

Tom Thorsen and Daniel McIntyre in particular will have an immediate impact in the engine room.

As much of a loss as Osborne is as a coach, he was also the club’s leading goal-kicker, and replacing his weekly scoreboard contribution appears the Tigers’ greatest challenge.

“We won’t have ‘Ozzy’ down forward as a vocal target, so we’ll need to run more and take the

game on,” Hyde said.“Our strength is in our mid-size players and

we’ll have to share that (goal-scoring) load a bit with a smaller, faster forward line.”

The Tigers huff ed and puff ed, but never got going last year and Hyde said beaten grand fi nalist Finley had provided a blueprint for his team to follow this

season.“Finley showed what a side that is fi t and committed can do,” he

said.“They beat more fancied opponents with bigger names and that’s our approach, we just want to

be competitive on a weekly basis.”

Damen Francis

FAST FACTS >> COACH: MAT HYDE AND TREVOR MILLS 2012 FINISH: SIXTH (12-6) 2012 BEST AND FAIREST: TOM CRAPP 2012 LEADING GOAL-KICKER: ROBERT OSBORNE (73) GROUND: SCOTT OVAL NICKNAME: TIGERS

IN: Matt Campbell, Daniel McIntyre, Ben Ryan, Tom Thorsen (all Shepparton), Sam Gemmill (Calder Cannons)OUT: Cadeyn Williams (Coburg Tigers/Richmond), Beau Wilson (Scarborough), Ryan Bongetti (Finley), Robert Osborne, Joe Sullivan and Kane Boyer (all Mooroopna), Shaun Wilson (Ardmona)

No name has sparked more conversation in Murray Football

League circles than Luke Jarjoura this off -season.

After coaching Numurkah within two wins of fi nals last season, Jarjoura has turned up at Barooga this year.

Hawks coach Shaun Robbins wants to “move past the negativity” surrounding his signing and was full of enthusiasm when discussing his new star.

“I’ve spoken to him and he can’t wait to prove everyone wrong,” Robbins said.

“We’ve basically replaced what we’ve lost, but gained the best full-forward in the league.

“Once we got it forward we didn’t have any options last year, but with a key forward in Jarjoura the forward line will defi nitely improve.”

The big loss comes in the form of star on-baller Sean Ellis, along with former AFL ruckman Steve McKee and leading goal-kicker Clinton Runnalls.

Dylan Brooks and Matt Hendry have returned to the club, along with experienced Tatura pair Paul Neville and Scott Thorn and

Robbins’ younger brother Ben.There will be a hefty reliance on junior

players, but of the 14 players graduating from last year’s thirds group, seven have played senior football.

Robbins said the Hawks had “underachieved by a long way” last year and it would be the same if they did not play fi nals this season.

Damen Francis

FAST FACTS >> COACH: SHAUN ROBBINS 2012 FINISH: EIGHTH (7-11) 2012 BEST AND FAIREST: SEAN ELLIS 2012 LEADING GOAL-KICKER: CLINTON RUNNALLS (44) GROUND: BAROOGA RECREATION RESERVE NICKNAME: HAWKS

IN: Dylan Brooks (Winston Grange), Matt Hendry (Nyora), Luke Jarjoura (Numurkah), Paul Neville, Scott Thorn (both Tatura), Chase Saunders (Berrigan), Ben Robbins (New Town)OUT: Sean Ellis (Ainslie), Brenton Runnalls, Michael Egan (both Tullamarine), Dan Ellis (Tungamah), Steve McKee (Yarrawonga), Joel Kirk (Rennie), Michael Chisholm (Katandra), Jeremy Stevenson (Coreen-Daysdale Hopefi eld-Buraja United), Clinton Runnalls (overseas)

It’s no secret there was a belief last year that Deniliquin Rams could be bullied

off the park.It was one of the key reasons the Rams’

premiership defence did not go to plan and coach Gary Parsons has looked to address that defi ciency in the off -season.

He has been aided by the return of key personnel, including premiership captain and ruckman Anthony Bull, while Ryan Chatterton and Tom Draffi n are back from overseas.

Add to that the promising crop of young senior and thirds players from last year, and the balance of dash and muscle is encouraging to say the least.

“We won four of our fi rst fi ve (games) last year then really fell away,” Parsons said.

“We just lacked experienced bodies and that’s why we’ve brought in guys like Anthony Bull, Beau Close and Blair Whelan.

“To match the top sides we picked up some potent recruits and we’ll try and move the ball a little bit quicker.”

Brett McDonald has arrived from cross-town club Deniliquin Rovers to boost a lacklustre forward line, with three players heading the other way.

Skipper Nick Howe is once again setting the pace on the training track, while Ash Morris has benefi ted enormously from training with VFL club Bendigo Gold.

One player to keep an eye on is last year’s

thirds captain Brenton Loudon, who Parsons said had grown “fi ve inches” over summer and will look to nail down a role across wing and half-forward.

Damen Francis

FAST FACTS >> COACH: GARY PARSONS 2012 FINISH: NINTH (7-11) 2012 BEST AND FAIREST: NICK HOWE 2012 LEADING GOAL-KICKER: BRAD TODD (24) GROUND: HARDINGE ST OVAL NICKNAME: RAMS

IN: Simon Maher (Colbinabbin), Anthony Bull, Ryan Chadderton and Tom Draffi n (all overseas), Brett McDonald (Deniliquin Rovers), Matthew Robinson (Parkside), Beau Close (Blighty), Blair Whelan (North Ballarat)OUT: Todd Gallacher, Sean Moodie and Lachie Small (all Deniliquin Rovers)

Luke Jarjoura

Anthony Bull

Tom Thorsen

Matt Hodgetts


With a year of coaching under his

belt, Simon Maddox feels much better prepared for his second season in charge of Moama and is assembling a squad to match.

The number of arrivals dwarfs the departures and the Magpies look well equipped to put the nightmare that was last season behind them and be among the league’s biggest improvers.

Maddox’s younger brother and Former VFL and SANFL player Josh Maddox could easily be one of the recruits of the season, while the return of 195cm ruckman Michael Sage will give Moama a much-needed boost in the big man department.

A raft of mature bodies

including Wallan on-baller Shannon Galea will add a hard edge in the midfi eld, but Maddox said he was still hoping to see the

greatest improvement from the club’s 18 and 19-year-olds.

“We made a conscious eff ort to play our kids last year and worked hard to make sure we didn’t bottom right out,” Maddox said.

“We expect to make a giant leap, but we don’t have any grandiose plans.

“We want to play an exciting brand of football and make sure when sides come to Moama they don’t take the points easily like they did last year.”

The loss of Ryan Eade is signifi cant, but the Magpies’ reigning best-and-fairest heads a short list of outs.

Former Leitchville-Gunbower player Ben Welch will serve as assistant coach.

Damen Francis

FAST FACTS >> COACH: SIMON MADDOX 2012 FINISH: 11TH (2-16) 2012 BEST AND FAIREST: RYAN EADE 2012 LEADING GOAL-KICKER: JAKE KILMARTIN (39) GROUND: PERRICOOTA RD NICKNAME: MAGPIES

IN: Tyler Jones, Ayden Walton* and Ben Welch (Leitchville-Gunbower), Tom Merrett (Echuca), Michael Sage (Koondrook Barham), Matt Rickard (injury), Paul van der Sluys (year off ), Chris Boxtell, Shannon Galea and David Cornish (all Wallan), Tom Gilligan (Jerilderie), Mark Harrison (WAAFL), David Ismail (Blackburn), Josh Maddox (St Mary’s), Tim Scadden (Picola United)OUT: Ryan Eade (university) and Aaron Wilson (Boort)*

‘Hunger’ is going to be a word often associated

with Finley this season.After coming so close

last year, the Cats will be desperate to go one better and incoming coach Damian Sexton wants to harness that desire.

“Personally I think they were probably beaten (in the grand fi nal) by an experienced side who taught the Finley boys a lesson early,” Sexton said.

“At this point we want to be in the top fi ve, but we’re hungry to be better than that.”

The most disappointing aspect of the departures is their youth, with Jordy Daniel, Zach Brain and Reid Crowe all making major strides under Rob Daniel last year.

However, in two-time O’Dwyer medallist Ryan Bongetti, from Cobram, the Cats have secured a genuinely elite on-baller.

The return of ruckman Dane Maxwell and defender Tennyson Vance is a bonus, while Jake Plattfuss adds to the club’s booming big man stocks.

There’s no shortage of support for Sexton’s side to succeed on both sides of the fence.

“Guys like Jeremy Congram and Chris Patton that missed out on the grand fi nal last year

are hungry to be part of it,” he said.“The biggest thing for us is the community,

the people here really want us to do well, so it’s up to us to work hard and get ourselves in as good a shape as we can.”

Damen Francis

FAST FACTS >> COACH: DAMIAN SEXTON 2012 FINISH: RUNNER-UP (13-5) 2012 BEST AND FAIREST: NED MORRISON 2012 LEADING GOAL-KICKER: REID CROWE (31) GROUND: FINLEY RECREATION RESERVE NICKNAME: CATS

Echuca United looks to be the

powerhouse on the ground with the recruits added to an already successful 2012 squad.

United fi nished fourth last year, while Rowan Priest and playing coach Scott Beattie went one-two in the O’Dwyer Medal vote count.

But Beattie believes it’s the existing players who will determine the Eagles’ success this season, rather than the recruits who are “quality players in their own right”.

Being technically sound and developing a game plan to “stay one step ahead” of its competitors were key focuses during summer.

“When we do start playing you’ll notice a vast diff erence in our style of play and the way we move the footy,” Beattie said.

Echuca United took part in a training camp with Carlton in February, and Beattie said players’ fi tness levels were starting to improve from what they’d learned.

He said the Eagles were monitoring Morrison Medal winner Guy Campbell’s old

back injury, but the Eagles’ recruit completed most of the pre-season training.

Beattie said the expectations for the season would be on reaching month-to-month goals, rather than fi nals and fl ags.

“Inside our four walls we’re only worried about what we’re trying to achieve and if that means we’re doing those things right we win games and that’s a real win for us,” he said.

“If that doesn’t work out we probably need to go back to the drawing board.

“There is no talk of premierships.”

Hannah Driscoll

FAST FACTS >> COACH: SCOTT BEATTIE 2012 FINISH: FOURTH (14-4) 2012 BEST AND FAIREST: SCOTT BEATTIE 2012 LEADING GOAL-KICKER: DUANE HUESTON (51) GROUND: ECHUCA SOUTH RECREATION RESERVE NICKNAME: EAGLES

The preliminary fi nal loss to

Finley last season hurt playing coach Nick O’Bryan, but has only made him hungrier to take the Lions further this year.

O’Bryan said club offi cials focused on recruiting experienced players, especially ones who had played plenty of fi nals football, as he felt inexperience let Mulwala down last season.

Another challenge was replacing forward Lee James, who booted the second-highest goal tally in the team last year (59 goals).

Landing Rennie’s Chase Strawhorn was key to covering the loss, with East Fremantle’s Josh Slattery and Lucas Olsen presenting other avenues alongside Anthony Giuliano.

In his recruits, who also include 194cm former Richmond-listed player Kyle Archibald, O’Bryan believes he has strengthened his midfi eld in particular.

“We probably were a couple of on-ballers

short last year, so when it came to rotations we probably didn’t have enough people to go through there, so that’s an area that should improve,” he said.

O’Bryan said improvement as a side from last season was the main goal at this early stage and he had not looked at the end of the year much.

One key area marked for improvement is use of the ball, particularly in the forward line. “We need to have more shots on goal for the amount of time we get it forward and our ball use around the ground was a

bit ordinary,” O’Bryan said. Hannah Driscoll

FAST FACTS >> COACH: NICK O’BRYAN 2012 FINISH: THIRD (15-3) 2012 BEST AND FAIREST: SEAN ROBINSON 2012 LEADING GOAL-KICKER: ANTHONY GIULIANO (60) GROUND: LONSDALE RESERVE NICKNAME: LIONS

IN: Kyle Archibald (Whorouly), Dean Bigger, Chase Strawhorn, Ben James (Rennie), Keegan Oliver, Tom Van De Merwe (Yarroweyah), Lucas Olson (Yarrawonga), Joshua Slattery (East Fremantle)OUT: Bodhi Butts (Tungamah), Lee James (Tungamah), Sean Johns (Wangaratta)

Michael Sage

Rowan Priest

Ryan Bongetti

Chase Strawhorn

IN: Philip Hazelman (Elmore), Joshua Rankins (Swan Hill), Clayton Zanella, Philip Hubbard, Guy Campbell, Rhys Egan, Daniel Cavallaro (Rochester), Anthony Baker (Hopetoun), Troy Ferrier (Sealake), Matt Dowie (time off football), Matt Noonan (Alice Springs), Nathan Kavanagh, Jarrod Prior (both year off ), Cameron Parker (overseas)OUT: James Deighton (St Mary’s), Jaidyn Eagle (Torquay), Justin Elingham (Mathoura)

IN: Jake Plattfuss (Blighty), Ryan Bongetti (Cobram), Stephen Irons (Mandurah), Joel Bunce (Bears Lagoon Serpentine), Levi Middleton (Berrigan), Michael Royal (Katunga), Jesse Thornton (Nirranda), Dane Maxwell (overseas), Tennyson Vance (injury)OUT: Reid Crowe (North Albury), Zach Brain (Coolangatta Tweed), Jordan Daniel (Benalla), Jordan Taylor (South Adelaide)


Congupna, Tongala and Nathalia are the fi rst three teams waiting to

confront Tocumwal as it begins the task of climbing up the Murray Football League ladder.

The Bloods were wooden spooners last season and new coach Shane Gorman knew he had a challenge on his hands to lift the squad up from rock bottom.

There is some quality in the recruits, including Sorrento’s Dalton Sanderson, who played for Nepean Football League in the Country Championships last season.

The club has picked up several on-ballers including Matthew Neill, Harry Crowe and Trent Boglis, while Aaron Findlay can take a key forward position.

Gorman said the team was keen to show supporters and the club committee it was ready to play. “We’ve got to change a lot of things, but I think moving up the ladder and playing to a high standard is what we want to achieve,” he said.

“We’ve got a long way to go, but with the inclusion of a few recruits and the obvious senior footballers in regard to David Farrell, Nathan O’Connell, Jeremy Cardillo and those types.

“Then the younger types in Jordi Haynes, Aaron Morham, we’ve got some good quality young juniors, so I’ll be looking for a good mix there in recruits, local talent and obviously blooding a few juniors.”

Hannah Driscoll

FAST FACTS >> COACH: SHANE GORMAN 2012 FINISH: 13TH (1-17) 2012 BEST AND FAIREST: KIEREN ANDREW 2012 LEADING GOAL-KICKER: MICHAEL MADDEN (28) GROUND: TOCUMWAL RECREATION RESERVE NICKNAME: BLOODS

IN: Matthew Neill (Lower Plenty), Aaron Findlay, Harry Crowe (both Rye), Dalton Sanderson (Sorrento), Josh Groves (Blighty), Josh Bozzola (Berrigan), Trent Boglis (year off ) OUT: Kieren Andrew (Heidelberg), Jack Podesta ( Berrigan)

Rookie senior coach Damian Morgan-

Bulled is looking to help Rumbalara improve after a disappointing last season where it dropped from fi fth to 12th.

Although Rumba’s list of recruits is light, Morgan-Bulled said there were still other players yet to be confi rmed only weeks out from the fi rst bounce.

He wants to build on the development of the young players and believes the established senior players such as Rex Taylor, Ryan Hudson and Levi Power, returning from a season with Shepparton, could guide the way.

Consistency through games is a major issue for the new coach, but he believes part of that hinges on the youth of the team.

“We were such a young side in terms of body shape and to play at a senior level in a major league like the Murray league you need to have

bigger-bodied guys,” he said.“Clubs do have kids running

around, but the majority are bigger-bodied guys.

“We were the opposite; we had a side full of kids with slighter bodies and a couple of senior guys with them.”

Morgan-Bulled said most of the younger players were fi tter than at the same

stage last year.

Several graduating under-17 players, especially Casey Beckhurst and Power, have impressed the coach on the track, while Hudson was the “fi ttest at club at the minute”.

Hannah Driscoll

FAST FACTS >> COACH: DAMIAN MORGAN-BULLED 2012 FINISH: 12TH (2-16) 2012 BEST AND FAIREST: BEN COX 2012 LEADING GOAL-KICKER: GRAHAM WESTON (20) GROUND: MERCURY SPORTS COMPLEX NICKNAME: RUMBA

IN: Levi Power (Shepparton)OUT: Blade Larkins (Longwood), Nathan Terlich (Shepparton Swans), Dylan Cooper, Nathan Fejo (moved away)

Incoming Numurkah coach

Brent Chapman is almost glad the Blues fell short of fi nals last season.

Heathcote’s 2010 premiership coach believes the hunger for fi nals is more intense in the playing group after fi nishing seventh last year, two games and percentage outside fi nals.

He said the fi rst goal this season was to make fi nals and he would reassess if the team achieved that.

“Just fi nishing out of fi nals last year, we’ve kept the majority of them (the playing group) so they’re hungry to play fi nals footy now and they’re a real opportunity to do that,” Chapman said.

“Just missing out last year has probably been a good thing, whereas if they’d scraped in the hunger might not be as big as what it is.”

Flexibility with positions was a focus for recruiting and Chapman expects his charges to be more than one-position players.

This fl exibility could be crucial in attempting to negate the loss of leading goal-kicker Luke Jarjoura.

Playing assistant Jake Wilkinson can occupy key positions in the backline and Brent and Matt Chapman can play in the midfi eld and forward.

Chapman said the players identifi ed fi tness as a problem area last year, as the Blues were overrun in the fi nal quarters of several matches, while he expected players entering their third

senior season to step up again. Reigning best-and-fairest Nick Fothergill

and Tim Arnel are among the players looking impressive.

Hannah Driscoll

FAST FACTS >> COACH: BRENT CHAPMAN 2012 FINISH: SEVENTH (10-8) 2012 BEST AND FAIREST: NICK FOTHERGILL 2012 LEADING GOAL-KICKER: LUKE JARJOURA (53) GROUND: NUMURKAH SHOWGROUNDS NICKNAME: BLUES

IN: Matt Chapman, Brent Chapman (both Heathcote), Justin Murphy (Tatura), Jake Wilkinson (Sandhurst), Trent McInnes (Newbridge) OUT: Daniel Gledhill (Melbourne-based club), Luke Jarjoura (Barooga), Adam MacGibbon (Warragul), Brock Palmer (Yarroweyah)

New Tongala coach David Newman concedes his side is “coming from a

fair way back”, but an active off -season could be enough to see the Blues enter the fi nals discussion.

Newman has brought three mates with him from Kyabram, while the return of gun on-baller Jordan Souter from Mooroopna is another exciting signing.

Despite no less than 14 new faces, Newman said he was still trying to land “a ruck, a key forward and a key back”.

For now, recruits Nick Mellington and Matt Andrews will play as permanent forwards, with the former adding height, the latter, speed.

“We’ve got to improve most areas and I’m pretty keen to get in and try and change a bit of the culture,” Newman said.

“We’ll be a running side, we’ll try to get it down to our forwards as quick as possible.

“There’s no use bombing it long if we don’t have a big forward down there.

“The goal is to play a fi nal, so we want to fi nish fi fth or sixth and if we can do that it would be a successful season.”

Leading goal-kicker Pat Rattray is perhaps the most disappointing departure, but the signifi cantly strengthened on-ball division makes up for it.

Quite whether it is enough for a fi nals berth remains to be seen.

Hannah Driscoll

FAST FACTS >> COACH: DAVID NEWMAN 2012 FINISH: 10TH (5-13) 2012 BEST AND FAIREST: ADAM LOVISON 2012 LEADING GOAL-KICKER: PATRICK RATTRAY (36) GROUND: TONGALA RECREATION RESERVE NICKNAME: BLUES

IN: James Nanopoulos (Chelsea), Matthew Andrews, Tom Donnell, Jarrad Martin (all Cheltenham), Ben Scowen (Kongorong), James Lovison, Sam Tyler, Brad Canny, David Newman (all Kyabram), Adam Nunn (Lancaster), Jordan Souter (Mooroopna), Sam Lovison (Swinburne University AFC), Matthew Harvey (Braybrook), Nick Mellington (Billabong Crows)OUT: Cameron Taylor (Sunshine), Brett Scarcella, Daniel King (Nightcliff ), David White (Mt Eliza), Patrick Rattray (Nagambie)

Nick Fothergill

Levi Power

Jordan Souter

David Farrell

For all prices and any information, give us a call – prices subject to change.

OPEN Mon to Fri 8am – 4.45pm Saturday 8am – 2.45pm

Cnr Minchin Road & Midland Hwy, Ardmonaemail: [email protected]

COMMO’S METAL

Tatura

Shepparton

MINCHIN RD

MIDLAND HW

Y

Full-height containers

Half-height containers for farms and businesses

Bins available

computers, televisions, etcDrop off FREE of charge*We don’t pay for E-Waste items

We now accept

E-Waste

From car bodies, batteries, aluminium cans and

everything in between…

If it’s metal, we’ll take it

Jamie and the team will help you turn your scrap metal into cash

SteelAluminium CansCorrugated IronCopperDrums

WireBatteriesCarsFarm & Industrial MetalBrass

Ph: 1300 M SCRAP (1300 6 72727)


Shepparton East has done its best impression of an ice hockey line

change in terms of senior personnel over the off -season.

The Eagles have farewelled the nucleus of the squad that has led it to the past four Picola District Football

League south-east grand fi nals, for two triumphs.

Among those to have fl own the coup are former playing-coach Hayden Best, key position stars Robert Osborne and David Gillespie, and premiership best-on-ground Matt Hodgetts.

In total, 16 of the Eagles premiership heroes have departed.

But the Eagles have netted former Stanhope mentor Brad Lowe, who has brought with him a swag of recruits.

Many of them, including former

premiership player Danny Clarke, have former links to the Central Park tenants.

Clarke will be one of Lowe’s assistant coaches along with Shepparton United midfi elder Ty Parsons.

Lowe expects the Eagles to remain around the mark, despite the turnover of his senior squad.

“We still have guys like Daniel Freeman, Frosty (captain Mark Frost) and Frapps (Ricky Frappell),” Lowe said.

“There are a lot of leaders still at the club

and we have added a good mix of youth and experience.”

He said it was a “new era” for the Eagles and he believed success could continue if his charges wanted to work hard enough.

“There is an opportunity there for all of us,” he said.

“If we want to do the hard work, all together, then we can stay right up there.”

Lowe said top three would be the Eagles’ aim.

Patrick O’Meara

A change could be on the cards in Picola

District Football League south-east this season.

There are plenty of unanswered questions.

Will Shepparton East drop off after the mass player exodus that has seen 16 premiership players and 26 senior squad members depart Central Park?

Is Waaia ready to take the next step after running the red-hot favourite Eagles all the way?

How good is Tungamah going to be with the acquisition of a group of former Murray league guns? Or Katunga for that

matter? Or Katamatite?Where does Rennie fi t

post-Leigh Ramsdale?And how much

improvement can we expect from Dookie United and Katandra?

Waaia appears the frontrunner.

The Bombers have lost just former Pearce medallist Steve Scott, who returns to Shepparton United, and have quietly added some further depth to what was an already talented list.

Key forward Luke Cowan remains, as does midfi eld revelation Matt McCarty.

Greg Meyland remains a match winner and his

permanent shift into the midfi eld last year had a lot to do with why the Bombers played in the decider.

But Meyland himself believes Tungamah could prove the team to beat.

The Bears, who made a disappointing exit from fi nals last season, have added Mulwala spearhead Lee James and a group of his former Lions teammates.

Coach Damian Payne is also better for his fi rst year at the helm.

Shepparton East coach Brad Lowe is confi dent the Eagles will remain in the

hunt in the post-Hayden Best era, while Katamatite expects to take another step after its improvement last year.

Katunga’s new coach Daniel Burness has brought some high-profi le Congupna talent with him to the Swans’ nest.

Expect Katamatite, Katunga and Rennie – which will be a side to watch under new coach Ryan Forsyth – to fi ght it out for the bottom two fi nals positions, while Dookie United and Katandra won’t be far behind.

Patrick O’Meara

FAST FACTS >> COACH: BRAD LOWE 2012 FINISH: PREMIER (16-2) 2011 BEST AND FAIREST: ROB OSBORNE 2012 LEADING GOAL-KICKER: JONSE PALMER (73) GROUND: CENTRAL PARK NICKNAME: EAGLES

IN: Brad Lowe (Stanhope), Danny Clarke (Blighty), Ty Parsons (Shepparton United), Mark Ferrari (Stanhope), Aaron Wood (Tallygaroopna), Daniel Allen (Tallygaroopna), Brad Armstrong (Stanhope), Rohan Stephenson (Woorinen), Cobey Aynsley, Jeromy Aynsley (Stanhope), Trevor Graham (Murchison), Lochie Morrison, Cale McCartin (Shepparton Swans), Jared Welch (Shepparton)OUT: Hayden Best (Shepparton Swans), Robert Osborne (retired), David Gillespie (Shepparton United), Matt Hodgetts (Congupna), Peter Ralph (Katandra), Jarrod Best (Hillside), Dallas Crowe (Strathmerton), Jarrad Mason (Stanhope), Kane Handley (Tallygaroopna)

SHEPPARTON EAST

Could the tide be turning?

Brad Lowe

2013 LADDER PREDICTION1 WAAIA 5 KATUNGA

2 TUNGAMAH 6 RENNIE

3 SHEPPARTON EAST 7 DOOKIE UNITED

4 KATAMATITE 8 KATANDRA

PICOLA DISTRICT FOOTBALL LEAGUE SOUTH-EAST PAST PREMIERS: 2012: SHEPPARTON EAST2011: RENNIE2010: SHEPPARTON EAST2009: TUNGAMAH PAST PEARCE MEDALLISTS: 2012: NICK DOYLE (TUNGAMAH)2011: LUKE COWAN (WAAIA)2010: RICKY FRAPPELL (SHEPPARTON EAST)2009: JASON WILD (KATAMATITE)

Shepparton East >


What a diff erence a year makes.

Last year, former Shepparton United big man Peter Ralph was part of the Shepparton East outfi t that dominated the Picola District Football League south-east enroute to a second premiership in three years.

This year, Ralph is entrusted with leading the once mighty Katandra back from its fi rst-ever wooden spoon last season.

It is challenge that Ralph is looking forward to.

“There have certainly been plenty of ups and downs and there has been a lot of work put in for little reward, but we are going to keep working hard,” Ralph said.

“Coming from the bottom is tough, but our fi rst task has been to keep it positive and create a good vibe.

“The boys that have stuck around and committed are

all really keen for success.”Ralph was drawn to the

club by the challenge of rebuilding and to re-join close mates Grant McClarty and Brendan Briggs, who he played with at United.

“I am closer to the end (of my career) than I am to the start,” he said.

“Be great to be able to play with those boys again and a couple of other mates that have come out.”

He said the Kats were aiming for fi nals.

“We want to play fi nals, plain and simple,” he said.

“That will be the pass mark for us.”

Patrick O’Meara

FAST FACTS >> COACH: PETER RALPH 2012 FINISH: EIGHTH (4-14) 2012 BEST AND FAIREST: DANIEL O’REILLY 2012 LEADING GOAL-KICKER: LUKE SIMPSON (18) GROUND: KATANDRA RECREATION RESERVE NICKNAME: KATS

KATANDRA

Rome wasn’t built in a day.

And neither was the Katamatite Football Club.

Winless in 2011, the Tigers made giant strides in 2012 to just miss out on a fi nals berth.

That is now their pass mark this year, says coach Damian Kennedy.

“The pressure is on us a bit,” Kennedy said.

“It is a real failure if we don’t play fi nals this year.

“Last year was obviously a big step for us. But the next step is to now play fi nals.

“We would ideally like to play one or two fi nals, get some experience, and that would be really good for us.

“That is what we are setting ourselves for, because we understand it is pretty hard to go to the top in just two years.

“We are still a work in progress.”

The Tigers have again added some talent to their

list and kept the losses to a minimum.

Last year’s best-and-fairest Mark Brown is also expected to return.

But Kennedy feels the

continued improvement will come from the Tigers’ youth.

“We are looking for the improvement to continue with guys like Nick Clurey, Braydon Kearns and Callan Aldridge,” he said.

“Those are the guys who have come out of the juniors and played a few games now.

“We are still quite a young list.”

Patrick O’Meara

FAST FACTS >> COACH: DAMIAN KENNEDY 2012 FINISH: SIXTH (5-13) 2012 BEST AND FAIREST: MARK BROWN 2012 LEADING GOAL-KICKER: MARK BROWN (20) GROUND: KATAMATITE RECREATION RESERVE NICKNAME: TIGERS

IN: Michael Hare (Heathcote), Andrew Taylor (Shepparton), Rhys Colbeck (Tallygaroopna), Jordan Hallam (Congupna), Troy Dunn (Barooga)OUT: Ollie Ross (Ballarat), Tim Kelly, Ben Kelly (both Shepparton)

KATAMATITE

New Dookie United coach Matt Maddison is revelling in his role

The former Shepparton Bear, who ventured out to Dookie Recreation Reserve four years ago, has always wanted to coach.

“I am really enjoying it,” Maddison said.“All the blokes have made it a lot easier, helped

me out a bit, so it has been good.”Maddison said creating an enjoyable

environment was a high priority.“I just want to have an enjoyable, but still

professional club,” he said.“I think we have got the players that can match

it with the best teams in the competition and all I want as the coach is for the players to enjoy pulling on the Dookie jumper and to give it their best shot.”

He believes the Dooks’ improvement will come from greater commitment from the playing squad.

“It is the commitment side of things,” he said.“We had a lot of guys playing in the twos

(reserves) last year that were easily good enough to play senior footy, but for whatever reason they lacked the motivation.

“That will be our real point of diff erence.“The motivation is there and we have a lot of

blokes eager to play senior footy.”He said recruit Luke Harmer, from Queenscliff ,

had impressed on the training track as had returning Nathalia premiership player Campbell Marx.

Patrick O’Meara

FAST FACTS >> COACH: MATT MADDISON 2012 FINISH: FIFTH (6-12) 2012 BEST AND FAIREST: MATT KITTO 2012 LEADING GOAL-KICKER: PATRICK MCMULLAN (45) GROUND: DOOKIE RECREATION RESERVE NICKNAME: DOOKIE

IN: Luke Harmer (Queenscliff ), Campbell Marx (Nathalia), Eddie Dickens (Bendigo), Lloyd Harriett (Shepparton), Ken McFarlane (returning)OUT: Callum Whitehead, Lachlan Whitehead

DOOKIE UNITED

It will be a case of same colours, diff erent club for a lot of Katunga’s incoming

recruits.New coach Daniel Burness has brought a

swag of his former Congupna teammates, who also don a red-and-white strip, to Katunga Recreation Reserve.

The most notable are Ben Wellington and Shannon Emmett, who Burness expects will have a signifi cant impact from round one.

Burness said the Swans were pleased with their recruiting eff orts.

“We have injected some quality footballers, that is for sure,” Burness said.

“We are quite happy with what we have picked up so far and if anything, we probably just lack a little bit of height.

“But it has certainly been a positive start.”He said Wellington had been the standout

in pre-season, “head and shoulders above everyone else”, while “local” young guns Josh Stanaway and Brad Crowther had also impressed.

It is Burness’, a former skipper at Congupna, fi rst foray into coaching.

“It has been really enjoyable so far,” he said.“All the blokes are putting in and we have

worked quite hard since before Christmas.“It has been a bit of a learning curve, but I

have certainly enjoyed it so far.”Burness said the pre-season goal was simple

– make fi nals.

“We are just going to aim for top fi ve,” he said.

“We know we are coming from a fair way back, so our goal is to just get back into the fi nals action.”

Patrick O’Meara

FAST FACTS >> COACH: DANIEL BURNESS 2012 FINISH: SEVENTH (5-13) 2012 BEST AND FAIREST: AARON KELLY 2012 LEADING GOAL-KICKER: BRETT SPARGO (35) GROUND: KATUNGA RECREATION RESERVE NICKNAME: SWANS

IN: Ben Wellington, Shannon Emmett, Eamon Reeves, Todd Bush, Liam Bush, Michael Amadei, Sam King (all Congupna), Luke McPhillamy (Nathalia), Jon Treanor (Huntly), Sam Burness (Shepparton United)OUT: Krys Douglas, Andrew Douglas (both Mernda), Aaron Kelly (unknown)

KATUNGA

IN: Peter Ralph (Shepparton East), Mick Chisholm (Barooga), Alistair Ingram (La Trobe University)OUT: Dan O’Reilly, Cam Calder (both Shepparton United), Nick Bertolli (Lancaster), Luke Simpson (Shepparton Swans)

Matt Kitto and Matt Maddison

Shannon Emmett

Andrew Taylor

Gregor Teague


It has been an uncharacteristically quiet off -season for last year’s runner-up,

Waaia.The Bombers have retained most of their

list, excluding 2008 Pearce medallist Stephen Scott who is returning to Shepparton United, and have added three former players – Mick Henderson, Sam Richardson and Brendan Stevens.

Brenton Lowe, who missed all of last year after a shoulder reconstruction, will also return.

Bombers coach Greg Meyland said his side was eager to go one better than last year’s grand fi nal loss against Shepparton East.

“We got there and didn’t quite get the result,” Meyland said.

“That is probably why all of the boys have stuck around, that feeling of unfi nished business.”

The Bombers are considered the early team to beat, but Meyland said that was not the opinion out at Waaia Recreation Reserve.

“That all just comes from having played in the granny,” he said.

“There are a lot of sides that have picked up and we would expect it to be a pretty even competition again.

“We will, like last year, be aiming for top

three and we still think we are capable of that.”

He said Henderson and Richardson would boost the side, returning from metropolitan stints, while Waaia-raised Stevens – fresh out of the Goulburn Valley Football League – had been welcomed back with open arms.

“This is probably Brendan’s last hurrah and we are pretty happy to have him back where it all began,” he said.

Patrick O’Meara

FAST FACTS >> COACH: GREG MEYLAND 2012 FINISH: RUNNER-UP (13-5) 2012 BEST AND FAIREST: MATT MCCARTY 2012 LEADING GOAL-KICKER: LUKE COWAN (92) GROUND: WAAIA RECREATION RESERVE NICKNAME: BOMBERS

IN: Mick Henderson (Aberfeldie), Sam Richardson (Eltham Collegians), Brendan Stevens (Benalla)OUT: Stephen Scott (Shepparton United)

WAAIA

Second-year Tungamah coach Damian Payne

is not one for outlandish comments.

Last year he had a simple goal for the Bears – make fi nals.

Check.This year he simply wants to

improve on that.And improve the Bears

should with an infl ux of talent, spearheaded by Mulwala goal-kicker Lee James.

He is joined by former Lions teammates Damian Cook, Bodhi Butts and Chris Johnstone, former Yarrawonga gun Sam Keenan, returning player Daniel Ellis, Benalla All Blacks’ Jake Jones, Jerilderie’s Scott Sanderson and Jindera’s Jaryd Stevenson as new inclusions.

To date, the Bears have lost no players that made a semi-fi nal last year only to be humbled by Rennie.

“We played fi nals, fi nished fourth and the aim we set at the start of each year is to go better than we did the year before,”

Payne said.“We have managed to keep

our list, then add players that we felt our side needed, so we feel that top three is a very realistic goal for this group.

“But you never know, there is a lot of water to go under the bridge between now and the end of the season.”

Payne said all the recruits had impressed, while seasoned Bears campaigners Matt Clark and Nick Doyle had lifted to another level.

“They have lifted the bar a lot higher,” he said.

“But I am happy with all the boys and their fi tness levels.”

Patrick O’Meara

FAST FACTS >> COACH: DAMIAN PAYNE 2012 FINISH: FOURTH (10-8) 2012 BEST AND FAIREST: JUSTIN SAUNDERS 2012 LEADING GOAL-KICKER: TOM WREN (68) GROUND: JUBILEE PARK NICKNAME: BEARS

IN: Lee James, Damian Cook, Bodhi Butts, Chris Johnstone (all Mulwala), Sam Keenan (Avondale Heights), Daniel Ellis (Barooga), Jake Jones (Benalla All Blacks), Scott Sanderson (Jerilderie), Jaryd Stevenson (Jindera) OUT: None

TUNGAMAH

Ryan Forsyth is relishing the challenge of overseeing a

changing of the guard at Rennie.

Forsyth took over the role from Leigh Ramsdale at the end of last season after the Grasshoppers bowed out in a preliminary fi nal against Waaia.

A year earlier Ramsdale had led the Grasshoppers to a maiden Picola District premiership against a more favoured Shepparton East outfi t.

Ramsdale’s exit was followed by some of the Grasshoppers’ key players moving, namely dual century goal-kicker Chase Strawhorn, Pearce Medal runner-up John McHenry and former AFL player Tim Hargreaves.

But that has not fazed the new mentor.“The losses have made coming into the

coaching role a challenge, but I think that is a really good thing,” Forsyth said.

“I wouldn’t be taking on the role if I wasn’t up for it.

“Whether that means recruiting, or coming up with a game plan to suit our new side.

“It is defi nitely something that I have embraced.”

While mentioning a new game plan, Forsyth was quick to state there would not be wholesale changes.

“I think it is easy to get a bit too complex at the standard of football we are playing,” he

said.“Obviously Leigh has had success in the past, so it will remain similar to the style of play the boys know, just slightly tinkered with.”

Forsyth said he was pleased with the quality of the Grasshoppers’ recruits,

with the majority having strong links to the Rennie region.

Patrick O’Meara

FAST FACTS >> COACH: RYAN FORSYTH 2012 FINISH: THIRD (13-5) 2012 BEST AND FAIREST: JOHN MCHENRY 2012 LEADING GOAL-KICKER: CHASE STRAWHORN (111) GROUND: RENNIE RECREATION RESERVE NICKNAME: GRASSHOPPERS

IN: Joe Cunnington, Scott McDonald (both Monash Blues), James Price, Bernard Price (Darwin), Jeremy Murphy (returning), Joel Kirk, James Leech, Jamerson McCluskey (all Barooga)OUT: John McHenry (Essendon Doutta Stars), Tyson Ednie (Cairns), Chase Strawhorn, Dean Bigger (both Mulwala), John O’Callaghan, Tim Hargreaves (both Yarrawonga)

RENNIE

Lee James

Greg Meyland

Ryan Forsyth

Harry & Doug WilliamsEARTHMOVING

Over 50 years in the irrigation/land forming industry

We specialise in - Irrigation modernisation- Recycle systems - Above ground storages - All your earthmoving requirements

Call us today for a free quoteDoug Ph: (03) 5868 2322 / 0428 344 446 Harry Ph: 0429 438 624

We can make all the arrangements from the start to completion of jobs, meaning that you can spend your time doing things on your farm, not having to worry about organising pipes, diggers, outlets, etc.

Come and see our new‘Lifestyle’ home designs

We design, adapt, adjust... until you fall in love.

Lic No: N

SW

94

45

C Vic D

BU

-62

40

Visit our offi ce at 7961 Goulburn Valley Hwy, Shepparton Phone: (03) 5823 9600

Visit Shepparton DisplayWhitfi eld Display Home in “Canterbury Avenue – The Boulevard Estate”[email protected]

Still offering the fl exibility to adapt and amend all plans.

We can help you to design your dream home. Either bring in your plan, or adapt one of ours to suit.

Victoria

award winner for excellence in Regional Building

discuss your new home


� � � � � ��

� � � �� ! � � ( � � � ! � � � � � � " � # � � � � � # � � � � $ � � � ! � � � � � � �

! � " � � � � # � � � � ! � � � � � � � � � � # � � " � " � � " � � � � � � � �& � $ � � � � � % � � # � � " � � � � � # � � " � ' � !� � � " � � � ! � � � # � � � � # " � �

� �"# � !"� �� (� �� % � � �� % � �� & � ( � � � $#� #�� !� ��""� ��"� � � � � � � "� "� #� � (� #�� $ " � � � � � � � � � � � � � � ! � � � " � � � # � % � � " � � � � � � � �� $! # � !� �# � �� !� � !� �� !"� ��!�� ! �� ( � � #� ��"��

� � # � � � � � & � ! � � � " " � � " � $ # # � � � � � � & � � # � � �� " � # � � � � "� � # # � � � � � � � � & �! � � � � � # �� " � � ! � � � "� �� #! � � �" "� "� �� % � � � � � �� ( � � ��$"� "� � �!�(� ��#�� ( � �! �

� � � � � ��

� � � �� ( � 9 � 5 � � � � � � � � " � � � � � � � � � � � ! � � � " � � � � � � �

� � � / - . 0� � � � � � " � � � � � � � � � � � ! & � ! � � # � � # � � � � � � � � � � ! �!� ! " # � � � � � � � � � � ! � � � � � � � " � � � � # � � � � �

6 � # � � " " � � " � � � � � � ! � � � 9 � 5 � � � � � � � � " � # ! � � � � # � �� ! � % � � � � " � & � � � � � � # # � � � � # � � � � � ( � ! " � & � ! � � � � �# � � � # � � ! � � " � � � # � � � � � � # � ! � � � � � & � � � � � � � " � # � � # � � �" � � � � �

� � � � � � � % � � � � � " � � � � ! � � � � ! � � ! $ � # " � # � � " � ( � � ! �� ! � � � � ! � � ! � � � ( � � $ ! � � � ( � ! " � � ! � � � � � � � � ! � � � ( � � " � � � � � �

� � � � � � ��

� � � �� ; � � ( � � � � � � � � � � ; � � � 9 � 7 ! � # � � � " � � � � � � � � !� % � � � � & �

� � � � " � � � � 7 � ! � � ! ! � � " � � � � ! � � � � " � � � � � � ! � / - . 0�� ! ! � � � # � � � & � � � � � ! � � � � % � � $ � � � � � � � � � � # �

# � � � � � � " � � ! � � � � � � � � � � � � ( � � ( � � � � # � � � � " � # � � � " � � � �% � ! " � # � � � # ( � � � � � � � � � ( � ; � ! � � ! � � � � � � � � � � � � ; � ! " � � " �@ � � � � # � � � � � � � � $ ! # � � � � � � � � � � � � � ! � " � � # � % � � ( �

9 � 7 ! � # � � � � � � � � � � ! � � � � " � � � � � � � � � � � � ! � � � � & � # � �7 � ! � � ! ! � � � � � # � � � � " # � � � $ # � # � � " � � " � � � ! � !� ! " # � � � � ! � � � � � " # �

� � � � � � � � �� ! � �

� � � �� "� �� : � & � � � � ! � � � � � � � � � � ; � � 8� � � � " � � � � � � % � " � # � � " �

� � $ � � � � � � � � � � % � � � � � � # � ( � � ! � � � ! � # � � � ? � � � � # " �& � # � � � � � ( � # � ! � � � � � ( � ! " � � 8� � � � " � � � � � $ � � � � �! � � � � � � � � � � ! � � � � � " # � ( � � ! � " � !� � � � � " # " �

� � � � ! � # � ! � � � � # � � � � � � � � ( � � ! % � ! � � 6 � � � � � � � ! � � # # � �

9 � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 9 � � � � � � � " � � � � � ! % � � � � � � � � �� " # � ( � � ! � " � " � � � � � & � � � � � � � " � � � � " # � � � $ ! � �� " � � � + ! � � � � � � ( , � � � � � � $ � � � � ! � � � � # � 7 ! � � � " �+ $ � � % � ! " � # ( , �

9 � " # � � � & � � � � ! � � � � � � � � " � � � � � � � ! � � � & � # � � � �# � � � � � $ � � � � � � � $ � � � � � / - . / � $ � � � ! � . 1� ! � � � � ! " � � � � � ( � ! " � � ( � � � � " � ( � � � � � 9 > ; � � � � � � � � # � � � � �

� � � ��

� � � �� # � ( � � � ! ! � � � � ! � ! � " $ � � " � # � � � � � ( � � � � � � � � � �

! � � � � � # � � � � � & � � � � � � # � ! � � � � � � � � $ � # � � � � � $ � � " �� ! � � � � � � " # � � � � � 6 � � ! � " # � � & � ! � � � � " # � " � � " � � � �

� � � ! � � � ! � � " � � � � � � � � � � " � � ! � � � � � " # � " � � " � � �& � # � � 7 � � ! � � � � � � � & � � @ � � � � � � � # � � � � � % ( � � � � � � # � ( � � � � � � � � � � � 6 � � � � � < � " � � � � % � � � � � & � ( � �

< � � � � � � � � A$ � ! � " � � " � � � � � � � � � # � � � " � � � � � � # � ! �� " " � � � � � � " # � � � � / - . / � � $ � � # � � ! � � � � � � ( � � � � � �� $ � � ! � " � � � � # � � ! � ( � 9 $ ! � ( � " � � � � # � � ! � � & � ! � � � � � # ( � � � � � � & � � � � � " � � # � # ! � � � " � �

� � � � � � ��

� � � �� 6 � # � � ! � " � � � � $ � � 7 ! � � � � � � � � � : � # � � � � ; � � � �

� ! � � � � � � � ! � " � � � $ # � � � � � � � � � � � � � " � # � � # � � � � $ � � � � � " �� " � � � � ! � � � � � � � � � � � � � " � # � � " � " � � " � � � & � # � � # � � � ! �� " � � # � � � � � � � ( � � � � � � � � � � @ $ � � � ! � " � ! # � � � � � � � � � �� ! � $ � � " � � 7 ! � � � � � " � � � � � � � � � @ � ! � � � � � " �& � ! � � " � # � � � $ # � � � � & � " � � � � � � � � � # � � � � ! � % � � / - . / � " �� # � � � � � � � � !� � � " � � � � � � $ # � " # ! $ � # $ ! � " � � � � � � � � �� ! � � � � � � � � " � � " � � " �

: � & � � � � � " � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � " " � � � � � � � � � � � � � " � � � : � � � � � " � � � & � � � � � � � � � " � # � � � � ! � # � � � � � " " �� ! � � � � � � � � ( � � � � � � � � � � � � � � ! � � � ! � � �5 � � � � " � �

� � � � � � �� "�� "! � � �

� � � �� 9 $ ! � � � " � � � � � � � � � 6 � � $ ! � 6 � ! � $ " � � � & � � � � � � % � �

" � � � � # � � � � # � � � � ! � # � � & � ! � � & � # � � � � � � � � ! � � � � � � � �" � � � � # � � ! � � & � ! � � " � � � � � � � � � � � � # � ! " � � � � # � � �# � � � � � � ! � # � � � ( � $ � � � ! � � � ( � ! " � �

� ! � ( � � $ � � � � + � � � � : � " � , � � " � ! $ � � � � � $ # � & � # � � ! � � � � � � ( � � � $ # � / - . - � @ � � � # � ? � ! ! � � � 9 � � � � �& � � � � ! � � � " " � 7 $ � � � � ( � � � � � " � ! � # $ ! � � � � # � � # � � � � � $ � �

� � � � � � � � � ! � � � � � � � � " � ( � � � � � � � % � � � � " � �@ � � � � � � # � � � � � $ � � & � � � � � � � " # � ( � � ! � " � . 2� � � � � $ � � � ! �� $ � � � � � � � � � " # � 7 � � ! � � � � � � ( � � " � � � � � � � � � � # �� ! � � # � � � � � � � # � � � " � � � � ! � � ! � � � � � �

� � � � � � ��

� � � �� : � � � � � � � � � � � � � � $ � # � � � / - . / � #� � � � � � $ # � � # � � " �

� � � � " # � � � � � � # � ! � � ( � � � & � " � � � � � � � / - . 0� �6 � ! � � ! � � � � � � ! � # � ; ! � � � � � � ( � ! � � � # � ( � � 9 � ; � � � �

� � " � # � � � � � � % � ! � # � � � � � � � � � � � � ! � � � � � ! � � � � � ! � � �� & � � � � " � � � % � � � � � � ( � � ! � � "� � � � # � ! � � � � � �" $ ! � � ! ( �

< � � � � � � � � ? � ! ! � � � � � � � � � � " # � 7 � � � � � � � ! ! ( �� ! � � � � � � � � " � ! � � � � � � � � � # � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �� $ ! # � � & � � � � � 9 � ; � � � � � ! � � � " � � � � � @ � ! � � � � � � # �� " # � + . 4 - � � � , � # � � � � � � � � � ( � " � � ! # � # � � � �

� � � # � � ! � � � ( � ! � � ! $ � # � � " � � � ! � � ! � > � � # � ! � � � � � � ( � ! �� " " � 7 � � % � � � � & � � � @ � � � " � � � � � � " � � � � # � � � � � � � � $ ! # � � � � � �

� � � � � � � � ��

�"% �� ! $� �� 6 � # � � " " � � " � � � � � ( � � � � $ " � � � ! � < $ " � & � ! # � � # � � " �

" � � " � � � � � � � # � � ! � � & � � � � � � � " � � � � � � & � � � � � " � � � � # � � �� ! " � � " � � � � ! � � � � � � $ � �

; ! � � � � � � � � " � � � % � � " � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � $ ! # � ! � � � ( �� ! ! � � � � � � � � � � � ! � � � � � � � " � � � � � � " � � � � & � � � � �� ! � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � $ ! # � ! �� $ ! � � � � � # � � � % � � � � % � � � # � � 5 � ! & � � � �

: � # � � � � � � � � � ! � � � � # � ! � � � � � � � ! $ B� " � � � � # � � ! � �& � " � � � � � ! � � � � � � # � � � � � # � � ! � � $ � # � � � � � ! � � �< $ " � & � ! # � � " � . 2� � � � � $ � � � ! � # � � � � � & � # � � # & � � " �; � ! ! ( � � � � � � ! � � " � � � � � � � � " � # & � � � " " � � � � � # � � " � # � �� # � � � ! $ � � � � � � � � ! � � � � �

� � ��

� � � �� "� � � �� " �� # � � � � � � & � " � � � ( � $ � � � " � � � � � � " # � ( � � ! � � � $ # � # � � �

� � � � " � & � � � � � � � � % � � � � � � " � ! � # � � � $ � " � # � � " � " � � " � � � � � � � � � � ! ! � � � 7 ! � ( � � " � � � � � � � � � # � � � � � $ ! # � � � # � ! �

� � ! � � � � � � ( � � � " # � ( � � ! � � � $ # � " � � � � � � � � � � � � " � � �> � � � � � ! � � # � � � � � � ( � # & � � � � � � � ( � # � � ! � � � � � � � ! � � � � � " # �" � � " � � �

5 � % � � � � � � # � � � ( � ! " � � " � ( � � � % � � � " # � � �� ? � � � � � � " � � & � � � � � # � � � � ( � � � � � � # � � �/ - . / � . 2� � � � � $ � � � ! � ! � � � � ! " � � � � " � & � � � � � " �# � � � � � " � � � � � ! � � � � !� � � � � � & � � � � � � � � � � � ! � � ! � � $ � � ! �� ! � � � � " � � � � � � � ! � � � � � � � � � � & � # � � � $ B� � � � � � ! � � # � + . 2� � � � � $ � � � ! , � � � � " � � � � � 9 $ � � � � ! �+ ( � � ! � � , � � � � � ( � � � � ? � � � � � � " � + ! � � � � � � ( , �

� � � � � � � � � ��

! � �� < � � � � � " � & � � � � � � � � � � � � & � � � $ ! # " � � � ! �

# � � � ! � !� ! " # � � � � � � � � � � � # � � " � " � � " � � � � � � � � � % � �� ! � # � � � # � � � ! � # $ ! � � � � � " � � � � � � � � � � � � " �

6 � ! � � ! � � � ( � ! " � � � � � � � � � � � � � # # � � � � � ! � � � ( �9 � : � � � � � � � " � � 9 � 5 � � � � � � � � � � � ( � � � ? � � � � � $ " � �& � � � � � � � � � � � � # � � # � � � � � " " � " � � � � � # � � ! � " � � ! � �� " � � � $ � " # � � � � < � � � � � � < ( � � � � � � � � � $ � � ! � � " � �� ! � � � � � ; � � ! � � � � � � � � � " � � 7 � "� � ! � �

9 � � � � � $ ! # � ! � < � � � � � � 5 � � � � � ! � & � � � � � � � � � � � & �� # � � � # � � � � � & � � � � � 9 � � � " � � � � ! � # # � & � " � ! � � � # � � � � � # � ! � � � " # � � � � ! � " � � " � � � � � � � � � ! � � � � � � �

� � � � � � �

� � �� ! �� ! � #� � � ��

� � � ( � � � "� � ! " � � � " � � � � � � � � � � � � # � � � � � � � � # � � �� ! � � � � � � � � � � � ! � � � � � � � � � � � � � ! � � � � � # � = � � � ! � �� / - . / � � � � "� � ! " � � � " � � � � � # � � � # � � & � ! � � & � # � � � �" � � � � ! � " A$ � � � " � � � � � ! � # � � � � " # � " � � " � � � & � � � � " � � �& � ! � � � � & � # � � � � " A$ � � � � � � � � � $ # � . 3� # � � . 4 � � � ( � ! " �

6 � � � � � � � ( � ! � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � ! ! � � 9 � � � �� % � � � � � # � � � $ # � � ! � " # � � � � 6 � � � � � � � � " � � � � � � � � # � �# � � � " � � � � � � �

� � � � � �� ! � � �

� � � �� & � � ! " � � ! � � � � � � � � � � � � ! � � � ! � % � � � � # �

� � # � ! � � � � � " � � � � # � � � � / - . / � " � � " � � � & � � � � � " � & �# � � � � !� � � " � � � � � . / # � � � � � � �

� ! � # # � < � � � � " � � � � & � � � � � " � � � � � " � � # � � � � �� ! � $ � � � � � � � � � ( � � � ! � " � ! % � " � � � � # � � � � � & � # � �# � � � � � $ � � � � � / - . / � � � � " � # � � � � � � % � ! � # � � � � � � � � � � � �! � � � " � � � ! � � � � ! � � � � � � � � � � � ! � � � �

6 � # � � " " � � � " � � � � � � � � " # ! � � � � � � � $ " � � � � ! � � " � � " � � �� " � & � � � � � " � � � % � � � � # � � � ( � $ � � � ! � � � ( � ! " � � # � # � � �� $ � � � � � # ( � � � � � � ! # $ � � # ( � # � � � � % � � � �

� Hannah Driscoll

Nagambie

� � � � � � � � � � �68 Benalla Road, Shepparton. Ph: 5821 3500

� � � ��

� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �� $ & � " ��& �� & �� ! �� '�� & �� & (� ��

��

��

" � '��

� � ��

��

� ��

��

��

# �% �� ) % �

��

��


BENALLA FAST FACTS >> COACH: ROBYN SMITH 2012 FINISH: SEVENTH (9-9)

Benalla coach Robyn Smith said fi ve players from last year’s team had begun university this year, and she was unsure how many could commit to travelling back for games until they were settled.

Reigning best and fairest winner Tylah Marchbank and Kellie Keen provide two bookends on the court.

Clashes with VNL commitments impacted the Saints’ 2012 season and this pre-season, with potential A-graders Grace Thomas, Ellie Warnock and Georgia and Martine Rodger involved to some degree with VNL.

Smith said it was enjoyable last season to see the young players “learning their craft so well and playing such outstanding netball”.

COACH’S COMMENT >> “The VNL will probably clash again, but we’ll just have to be prepared and make sure at the end of the season . . . they’ve come on, because I think the standard is excellent.”

ECHUCA FAST FACTS >> COACH: GINA PEARSON 2012 FINISH: NINTH (6-12)

Echuca will have one particular attribute that will worry rival clubs this season; an element of unpredictability. Not a lot has changed at a club that slipped down the pecking order last season, but coach Gina Pearson is happy to work with the young talent she has got, even if it means inconsistency.

Former Wellman Family medallist Sharon Henson has returned to the fold to help fi ll the void left by pregnant midcourt star Holly Long.

Promising teenager Bree Gilmour has arrived from Moama and could join fellow teens Greta Pearson and Georgie Eishold in the A-grade squad.

Sheridan Townrow will again be the focal point in attack, but Pearson wants whoever plays alongside her to make their defender accountable.

COACH’S COMMENT >> ‘‘There is a lot of learning to do, but there is a good feel about the club.”

EUROA FAST FACTS >> COACH: JENNY BARLOW 2012 FINISH: EIGHTH (7-10)

Jenny Barlow has returned to GVNL netball from Barooga with an eye to help Euroa continue its climb up the GVNL ladder.

Under playing coach Kelly Hill, the Magpies went from 12th to eighth, and Hill approached her 2005 Shepparton United premiership teammate to coach the Magpies this year.

The majority of the 2012 side remains, but Caitie Mitchell has gone overseas. Barooga’s Masie Barlow and Shepparton East gun goaler Jenny McCluskey are among the recruits, along with new faces Sophie Hayes, Sarah Tearnes, Kate Rankin and Chanelle Paulke.

Barlow said the club would hold some training sessions in Melbourne to accommodate the metropolitan-based players.

COACH’S COMMENT >> “They would be starting to have a bit more confi dence in themselves as a club and as a team because they have been able to get halfway up the ladder.”

KYABRAM FAST FACTS >> COACH: BELINDA LEES 2012 FINISH: PREMIER (15-3)

Kyabram super-coach Belinda Lees insists there’s plenty of hunger left in her group to remain the team to beat in 2013.

As if that news wasn’t bad enough for the Bombers’ rivals, the two-time reigning premier has snared the league’s most dominant goaler, Katherine Hard.

Hard will play alongside Elle Groves, with Lees shifting back to centre, but is unlikely to be the focal point in attack that she was at Seymour.

The Bombers have also lessened the blow of losing brilliant defender Lauren Pryde, with the acquisition of exciting 16-year-old Amy Gledhill from Echuca District Netball Association.

COACH’S COMMENT >> “We had a practice match against Shepparton Bears and Ash (Mangan) said at one point she forgot Lauren wasn’t there. We can defi nitely improve and give it a good shake again.”

LADDER PREDICTION1 KYABRAM 7 ECHUCA

2 SWANS 8 BENALLA

3 SHEPPARTON 9 ROCHESTER

4 MANSFIELD 10 SEYMOUR

5 EUROA 11 MOOROOPNA

6 UNITED 12 TATURA

Kyabram

– Shepparton coach Tracey Brereton

all training sessions are, so that

“It comes down to training and

you do it with purpose.”

hammering home how important

every time you get on the court

Pan Seared Fresh Tasmanian Salmon, potato & corn cake, sautéed spinach, roasted capsicum & pesto

481 Wyndham Street, Shepparton. Ph: (03) 5821 5822 www.parklake.com.au

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Daily

GOOD FOOD IN GOOD COMPANY

Enjoy life at the Parklake


MANSFIELD FAST FACTS >> COACH: JADE HEINRICH 2012 FINISH: FIFTH (11-7)

One year down, now Jade Heinrich (nee Hottes) believes the fun stuff can begin.

Her fi rst year as playing coach was about getting to know the players and getting the fi rst-game plans in place, and she now plans to develop those further.

The A-grade side will look slightly diff erent, with Helen Barclay and Stacey Northey unable to travel from Melbourne and captain Nat Taylor retiring.

Yarra Valley Grammar Ariels player Elly Stewart, Lauren Tesoriero, Meaghan Tanner and Lisa Hueston are the new faces in the team.

Heinrich said goaler Lucy Marks would be one to watch this season and had been selected as vice-captain..COACH’S COMMENT >> ‘“It’s been really enjoyable for me and (husband) Greg because now it’s the fun stuff when you can really work with that selected side and really pull out the strengths from within those players.”

MOOROOPNA FAST FACTS >> COACH: KELLIE STEVENS 2012 FINISH: 12TH (1-17)

Mooroopna has quietly gone about its business this off -season and there is plenty of interest in the results.

The Cats fi nished bottom of the pile last season and have brought in a new coach, Kellie Stevens.

The club’s netball director Millie Campbell was tight-lipped about the process, but happy with the progress.

Sam Gill has arrived from Stanhope and already shown leadership capabilities, and along with former Shepparton Swan Clare Coppinger will play a key role in attack.

Katherine Bohn has stepped up from the under-17s and Jaclyn Bell from B-grade, while Lauren Orr has joined the Swans.

Any improvement on last year is the initial aim.

DIRECTOR’S COMMENT >> “From her professionalism you can tell she’s going to make a diff erence. It’s been very positive, we’ve had really good attendance at training and there’s more enthusiasm and confi dence.”

ROCHESTER FAST FACTS >> COACHES: RACHEL WHIPP AND ELLIE CUTTRISS 2012 FINISH: 10TH (2-15-1)

Rachel Whipp (nee Withycombe) hopes

to make the most of her experience at

Shepparton United as she joins Ellie Cuttriss as

the new co-coaches at Rochester.

Whipp and Cuttriss will join reigning club

best and fairest Bridget Holt in the side,

while B-grade winner Eliza Hodgens could be

promoted to A-grade.

2011 B-grade league medallist Leah Cottam

returns after her pregnancy last year and

Whipp hopes defender Kate Chirnside could

travel back from Melbourne. Shaelyn Walsh

and Tess Ringin are also looking to graduate

from 17-and-under to A-grade.

Whipp said this would be a development

year and she hoped to use that to attract back

to the club former Rochester players who had

joined surrounding leagues.

She said the opening match against Echuca

would be a good gauge of the team’s progress.

CO-COACH’S COMMENT >> “We’re just

looking at development in positions and court

play, bringing some things I’ve learnt over the

years from the coaches I’ve had and trying to

bring that into play with the Rochy girls.”

SEYMOUR FAST FACTS >> COACH: ASH CHAPMAN 2012 FINISH: SIXTH (10-8)

Seymour faces a rebuilding year under new

coach Ash Chapman.

Rebecca Bath, Tegan Hansen and Erin Engel

are the only remaining players from last year,

but Riddell and District Netball League’s

best and fairest Sarah Douglas will join the

midcourt.

Chapman said the club would invest in its

youth, with Ellie O’Sullivan set to take the step

from 17-and-under to fi ll a goaling void left

by Abby Misiti (pregnant) and Kathryn Hard

(Kyabram).

Chapman, a VNL 19-and-under coach, said

this season would be about building on what

the players already knew.

COACH’S COMMENT >> ‘‘It’s a steep learning

curve because we are building the team from

the ground up, it’s not like I’ve taken over and

there’s still half a team.”

SHEPPARTON

SWANS FAST FACTS >> COACH: JANA BRUINIER 2012 FINISH: RUNNER-UP (14-2-2)

New A-grade coach Jana Bruinier has enlisted the help of former Melbourne Vixens coach Julie Hoornweg to help overcome the Swans’ grand fi nal blues.

Hoornweg will serve as coaching mentor to help the club’s coaches deliver the messages needed to crack that elusive premiership.

First things fi rst, though; the Swans need to make it back to the grand fi nal with a new-look team.

Of last year’s squad, leading defender Bec Dudgeon has joined Katandra, Abbey Pettifer has returned to Tongala and Nat Simpson has family commitments.

Defender Erin Hopkins has arrived from Stanhope, while mid-courter Eliza Woodhouse and tall defender Gabi Johnston have stepped up from the under-17s.

Bruinier said basically the Swans would be similar to last year.

COACH’S COMMENT >> “We’ve got the skill and fi tness to get there, we’re just working on promoting self-belief.”

SHEPPARTON FAST FACTS >> COACH: TRACEY BRERETON 2012 FINISH: THIRD (14-1-3)

By and large, teams have lost or gained during the off -season.

Shepparton has bucked the trend and, given last year’s eff ort, why not?

The Bears were not far away last season and picked their teams way back in November.

Katie Thorn comes in, Bree Bott goes out, but otherwise things are as they were.

Bears coach Tracey Brereton described Bott as a “really big loss”, but was excited about the acquisition of the former Tatura mid-courter.

Natural progression and maturity will be the key to Shepparton’s premiership aspirations.

COACH’S COMMENT >> “We need to be able to execute our skills under pressure. It comes down to training and hammering home how important all training sessions are, so that every time you get on the court you do it with purpose.”

SHEPPARTON

UNITED FAST FACTS >> COACH: DI HANSLOW 2012 FINISH: FOURTH (14-4)

The 2012 GVNL Rising Star winner Hayley Fairless will do a 180 in 2013.

Fairless will return to goals where she played the majority of her netball before last season when she established her skills as a defender.

The move is to negate the loss of goalers Kali Guilmartin (moved away), and Sophie Atkinson (year off ).

Rachel Withycombe (now Whipp) moved to Rochester and Michelle Barzen had decided to play B-grade, but the door is open for an A-grade return.

Coach Di Hanslow was working with an A-B squad and a number of players from the club’s diff erent grades will get an opportunity.

Hanslow said United was an unknown quantity at the start of the season.

COACH’S COMMENT >> “When you’ve got so many young players sometimes it takes them a while to fi nd their feet, other times they just step up and take all before them and do exceptionally well.’’

TATURA FAST FACTS >> COACH: KAREN HANDS 2012 FINISH: 11TH (2-1-15)

Dealing with wholesale changes is becoming the norm for Tatura coach Karen Hands.

For the second year in a row, Hands is the sole remaining player from the previous year’s A-grade team.

Alex Bartam and Leanna Couston have returned to the Bulldogs’ den, the latter as coach of the club’s under-17 team, while mid-courters Latoya Wards and Jessica Beaton have arrived from out of town.

Couston and Sophie Varapodio will likely form the initial goaling combination, with Bertram starting alongside Hands in defence.

Aimee Corken looks set to earn promotion from the Bulldogs’ next crop of under-17s.

The fi rst priority will be surpassing the two wins sustained last year.

COACH’S COMMENT >> “It’s a very young team, so it’s a bit of an unknown, but a new team brings fresh hope.”

Damen Francis and Hannah Driscoll

Look your best at your next function with the following special packages

Located inside Chemmart® Pharmacy

Shop 14–15, 276–278 Maude St, Shepparton. P: 5831 4395

Received 10% off all Napoleon Perdis Makeup, purchased on the day of your event

Receive a FREE Napoleon Perdis gift. With the purchase of a Deb/Ball Package.

Frequent Tanning card available in salon. Receive every 6th Spray Tan FREE

RADIANCE PACKAGE:Eyebrow Wax and ShapeEyelash TintSpray TanMakeup on the day

$90

GLAMOROUS PACKAGE:Eyelash ExtensionsEyebrow Wax and ShapeEyelash TintShellac Nails (Fingers & Toes)Spray TanMakeup on the day

$260

ELEGANCE PACKAGE:Eyebrow Wax and ShapeEyelash TintShellac Nails (Fingers)Spray TanTemporary lashes on the dayMakeup on the day

$145

DEBUTANT & BALL PACKAGES…

Call The Beauty Parlour today! So every detail is taken care of… for your special day.

Please note Eyebrow Wax, Eyelash Tint, Spray Tan and Shellac Nails will need to be done 1–2 days prior to your event.

– TheBeauty Parlour


BAROOGADid not fi eld an A-grade team this year.

COBRAM FAST FACTS >> COACH: SHARRA BEASLEY 2012 FINISH: EIGHTH (8-10)

A new initiative and a committed approach

has Cobram ready to turn potential into

progress.

Sharra Beasley continues as A-grade coach,

with assistance from Marlo Zito.

Former Shepparton player Tanya Clarke has

impressed everyone, while Felicity Miller is

new to the area and could be another to join

the A-grade squad. Ruby Lane has left the

area, Di Bourke is expecting a baby and Erin

Higgins is injured.

CONGUPNA FAST FACTS >> COACH: DWIGHT GRAHAM 2012 FINISH: SIXTH (10-1-7)

What were once strengths have faded and

weaknesses fortifi ed in an intriguing summer

at Memorial Oval.

Gone are two of the club’s three excellent

goalers, leaving Kelly Tucker alongside lofty

newcomer Simone Bruton in attack.

Midcourter Izzy Gribben will step up from

B-grade and so impressive has zippy junior

Ataliah Zito been in pre-season that she too

joins the A-grade squad.

DENILIQUIN FAST FACTS >> COACH: VICKI CARMICHAEL 2012 FINISH: FIFTH (11-7)

Vicki Carmichael’s greatest challenge as

the new A-grade coach of Deniliquin will be

managing a sizable playing list.

A host of returning players – including

Amelia Wyatt and Allison Yeates – coupled

with no departures, means the shelves are

fully stocked. Carmichael said the Rams’

burgeoning roster would require a reshuffl e,

particularly with several promising juniors also

in the mix.

Chantall Barnes and Bec White will once

again play key roles as the Rams look to go

deeper into fi nals with a “faster and more

dynamic style”.

ECHUCA UNITED FAST FACTS >> COACH: TINA RANKINS 2011 FINISH: NINTH (8-10)

New Echuca United coach Tina Rankins is

going back to basics as she attempts to build a

fi nals contender from within.

Midcourter Paige Conder and goaler Erin

Hill have returned home and are the only new

faces, along with Rankins, who arrived from

Swan Hill.

Rankins said the new group could take time

to jell, but skills training would begin on a high

fi tness base.

FINLEY FAST FACTS >> COACHES: DI SEXTON AND SALLY BICKERTON 2012 FINISH: PREMIER (14-4)

The stars aligned for Finley last year and with

the B-grade team fi nishing runner-up, there is

depth at the club should the Cats’ premiership

defence require it.

Co-coaches Sally Bickerton and Di Sexton

return, while classy defender Sam Doyle is

back from Western Australia.

Premiership goaler Jess Casanova and wing

defence Ricki-Lee Casey are out, but defender

Allison Rooke, who was best-on-court in last

year’s grand fi nal, will return.

The Cats face a tough draw, but should

they navigate that successfully another

top-two fi nish will be in their sights.

MOAMA FAST FACTS >> COACH: PAM VIRGO 2012 FINISH: FOURTH (11-2-5)

Moama coach Pam Virgo wants her players to

back their instincts more this season.

The Magpies were a contender last year

and have been using their new pre-season

competition to fi ne-tune their preparation.

Virgo said players had been developing their

“sixth sense”, something they “didn’t tap into

enough” last season.

Brilliant young goaler Bridgette Furphy

remains, but she will need a new partner

following the loss of Khaysan Kimberlin.

Maddison and Steph Jones return to fi ll the

void.

Karen Cocking and Morgan Power have also

departed, with Anna Holfi eld and Georgie

Crowe stepping up from B-grade.

MULWALA FAST FACTS >> COACH: CASEY HUDGSON AND KATE LYNCH 2012 FINISH: RUNNER UP (16-2)

Casey Hudgson has enlisted the help of defender Kate Lynch as co-coach as Mulwala looks to put last season’s grand fi nal heartbreak behind it.

Goal keeper Erin Crowhen is gone and goaler EJ Schiff erle has been unable to commit full-time, but utility Eliza Strawhorn and defender Maddie Hocking have joined from Yarrawonga as like-for-like replacements.

Hudgson said the co-coaches had similar ideas and there was a belief within the group that lessons had been learned from last year.

NATHALIA FAST FACTS >> COACH: LISA BARNES AND MAREE ROSS 2012 FINISH: SEVENTH (8-10)

Nathalia has opted for a two-pronged attack to replace coach Denise Cusack and break the cycle of the past two seasons.

Playing coach Lisa Barnes will be assisted by Maree Ross and the plan is to better last year’s second straight seventh-place fi nish.

Von Denton has gone overseas, Gemma Cusack and Blaise Mortimer have injuries and Jakara Lancaster and Rebecca Tenace are pregnant.

Barnes said the Purples were working on skills and fi tness and outgoing players would be replaced with juniors and B-graders.

NUMURKAH FAST FACTS >> COACH: RENEE JUDD 2012 FINISH: THIRD (13-1-4)

The re-commitment of Leanne Rawson is the most exciting development at Numurkah this season.

Rawson suff ered a knee injury last year and upon her return opted to concentrate on soccer. However, netball is back on top of her list and she joins an already competitive side.

Glenys Zucco has departed, but everyone else remains, with Mikaela Hoff man, Teagan Sutton and Zoe Davies stepping up from the under-17s.

With Rawson slotting in at centre, Judd is happy with the way the team is coming together and said if players could avoid injury the Blues “should be in the mix”.

RUMBALARA FAST FACTS >> COACH: LEONIE DWYER 2012 FINISH: 10TH (8-10)

Did not return calls.

TOCUMWAL FAST FACTS >> COACH: CHERYL MEARS 2012 FINISH: 13TH (1-17)

It has been tough going, but Tocumwal has an A-grade coach and will hit the court this season. With last year’s under-17s coach Cheryl Mears now at the helm, the Bloods have a lot of motivation to improve their win-loss ratio.

They will have to do so with a new-look attack, with Jacinta Bolpe and Katrina Chellew taking the year off and set to be replaced by Ashlee Mears and 16-year-old Ashlee Garlick.

Leah Pate and Brooke Wilson will return to form a steady defensive pairing and Mears will look to build from the back to the front.

TONGALA FAST FACTS >> COACH: DYLAN NEXHIP 2012 FINISH: 11TH (5-13)

New Tongala coach Dylan Nexhip is not messing about. The squad has been expanded, training has been under way for months and goals set.

“We’ll aim for the grand fi nal, but defi nitely want to fi nish top three with the team we’ve got,” Nexhip said.

Shepparton Swan Abbey Pettifer is the boon recruit, joined by former Kyabram players Sarah Pettifer, Moana Waarsdorp and Carla Ryan. The Blues have regained Tracey Hughes and retained star defender Alicia White, while Allison Yeates is the only departure, after moving to Deniliquin.

Finley


TIPPINGCOMPETITION

METRICON GVFL 2013


ation to register


PLUS!


DOOKIE FAST FACTS >> COACH: TANYA CARUANA 2012 FINISH: SIXTH (6-12)

Former Benalla Saints A-grade coach Tanya Caruana has found a new home for the 2013 season as Dookie’s head coach.

Among the recruits are Shepparton Swans Laura and Katie Moon, while Serrin Gardner hopes to make a return from injury.

Caruana is still fi nding her midcourt combination, but Katie Moon and Lyndall Hackett are already working well together in goals.

Another change is United’s 17-and-under team will train with the A-grade team this year.

KATAMATITE FAST FACTS >> COACH: CASSIA SAUNDERS 2012 FINISH: EIGHTH (1-17)

Rival clubs will hardly recognise Katamatite this year.

After winning just one game in the past two seasons the Tigers are almost certain to be the competition’s biggest improver.

Former GVNL president and Shepparton Swans B-grade premiership player Cassia Saunders has arrived as playing A-grade coach, and has brought along her sisters, Tesslyn Saunders and Sharna Sibio, and Swans teammate Carina Tenace.

They join budding youngsters Rebekah Riordan, Tess Lawless, Ria Hodge and sisters Emma and Sarah Skehan, although the latter attends university in Ballarat.

Saunders has high hopes for the season and is intent on “developing the talent that’s already there”.

KATANDRA FAST FACTS >> COACH: GRANT MATTHEWS 2012 FINISH: PREMIER (14-4)

The Cats gained sweet revenge for a grand fi nal loss in 2011 with their own premiership win last season.

Katandra took the longer route through fi nals, but regrouped to end Shepparton East’s perfect season and prevent the Eagles going back-to-back.

Grant Matthews is back at the helm for A-grade, but had to confi rm several possible departures from the side.

Pip Costley is one confi rmed departure for the A-grade side due to work commitments in Melbourne.

A big inclusion for the club is former Shepparton Swan and defensive star Bec Dudgeon who has also taken the reins as B-grade coach and took some of the fi tness sessions in the pre-season.

KATUNGA FAST FACTS >> COACHES: MATT HEALEY & MELISSA HALL 2012 FINISH: SEVENTH (2-16)

Melissa Hall is back at Katunga after a year off with her pregnancy and will join president Matt Healey as A-grade co-coach.

The Swans left selections until late in the pre-season and only Hannah Rendell and Rachael Fothergill remain from last year’s side.

Healey said results would be “up in the air” and there were no expectations on results, and the focus would instead be on developing young players.

Members of the 2012 17-and-under premierships side could be among those promoted this season.

RENNIE FAST FACTS >> COACH: WENDY BROOKS 2012 FINISH: FOURTH (9-9)

Wendy Brooks has made the switch from

Barooga to coach Rennie this season after the Grasshoppers were knocked out of the semi-fi nals last season.

Georgie Bruce has been ruled out for at least the start of the season with pregnancy, but defender Sarah Bruce and goaler Gabe Florence will both return after their pregnancies.

Mid-courters Zoe O’Callaghan and Carly Brooks have also joined the A-grade team.The new coach said this season would be a learning curve and she would take it slowly to start with as she got to know the players on and off the court.

SHEPPARTONEAST FAST FACTS >> COACH: BIANCA ALESSI 2012 FINISH: RUNNER-UP (18-0)

A changing of the guard is under way at perpetual premiership challenger Shepparton East. Just two players remain from the A-grade side that went through last season undefeated and fi nished runner-up in the grand fi nal.

Tanya Clohesy and Rebecca Gawne will form the cornerstone of the Eagles’ rebuild under new coach Bianca Alessi.

Last year’s B-grade coach is stepping up to A-grade, along with much of her squad and a few of the club’s juniors.

Former under-15 league medallist Breanna

Olsson has returned to the Eagles after a stint

with Shepparton Swans.

Alessi said supporters could expect a “similar

style game” to recent seasons, but potentially

a new method of moving the ball down to the

goalers Rebecca Kulari and Karli Spencer.

TUNGAMAH FAST FACTS >> COACH: ANNIE WICKHAM 2012 FINISH: THIRD (13-5)

New Tungamah coach Annie Wickham has

set her sights on taking the Bears to the next

level this season. A third-place fi nish in 2012

showed they were not far away, and, with

teams around them expected to slide, this

could be their time.

Wickham, who coached B-grade last year

following a cartilage problem in her knee, is

hoping to return to the court in B-grade.

Defender Sarah Jones has returned from

Rennie, Tahlea Hayes – who Wickham

described as a “smart little accurate goaler” – is

back from university and Clare Hocking has

joined from Yarrawonga.

Last year’s coach Molly Saunders will

continue to play, and Wickham wants to carry

on her work, just with “a bit more intensity”.

WAAIA FAST FACTS >> COACH: RHONDA CLEELAND 2012 FINISH: FIFTH (9-9)

Waaia is hoping to slip under the radar this

season. That could be the approach on a

weekly basis, with limited height but plenty of

speed at the Bombers.

Reigning best and fairest Kelly Sullivan and

Amy Williams are pregnant and Sheree Baker

has work commitments.

Ryley McLean, Rachel Thorne and Amy

Williams have joined the combined A- and

B-grade squad from the under-17s.

Coach Rhonda Cleeland said it had proven

diffi cult to attract new players to Waaia, but

that promoting youth was moving in the right

direction.

Damen Francis and Hannah Driscoll

Katandra

OPEN 7 DAYS Ph: 5821 4011www.aussiehotel.net.au 73 Fryers Street, Shepparton

A RELAXINGMEAL AND COLDDRINK AFTERTHE GAME

AFTERTRAININGCATCH UPS

END OFSEASON FUNCTIONS

LIVEMUSIC EVERY WEEKEND

T H E P E R F E C T D E S T I N A T I O N F O R :

,

,


The TAC Cup remains the premier stage for aspiring

professional footballers to show their wares and Murray Bushrangers coach Darren Ogier wants his players to do just that this season.

With another group of bottom age players coming in Ogier and his support staff will once again need to adjust their methods to suit the new skill set at their disposal.

But that’s all part of the job.“You have got to continually be

fl uid in your approach,” Ogier said.“Last year we had half a dozen

marking players, but it’s a stronger

running group this year.“We want to see their strengths

and they have the opportunity to show everyone what they can do.

“You don’t know year to year what you’re going to get, but it’s fantastic to see the way kids come on over the course of the season.”

The squad was confi rmed last month and now Shepparton Swan Jarman Impey, Kyabram’s Nick Holman and Shepparton duo BJ Squire and Matt Brett continue to impress after showing promise last year.

Of the next crop, Benalla pair Nick Mellington and Caleb Marchbank

have caught the eye.Ogier said Mellington was as

“strong as an ox and uses the ball extremely well”, while Marchbank’s growth had helped him develop from a courageous fl anker to a hard running key position player.

Last year Katamatite defender Tom Clurey (Port Adelaide) and Seymour on-baller Josh Prudden (Western Bulldogs) made their way onto AFL lists via the National Draft, while Cobram’s Cadeyn Williams and Myrtleford’s Matt Taberner were rookie listed by Richmond and Fremantle respectively.

Ogier saw no reason that

achievement could not be matched by this year’s crop, but said that and premierships were not the only measures of success.

“We want to win more games than we lose, but improvement is the main thing we want to see,” he said.

“We have 45 players on our list and if improves 10 per cent that’s a 450 per cent better team and that sounds pretty good to me.”

The Bushrangers kick off their season against a highly-touted Geelong team at Highgate

Recreation Reserve on March 30.

Damen Francis

FAST FACTS >> JOINED TAC CUP: 1993 GROUND: WANGARATTA SHOWGROUNDS COACH: DARREN OGIER REGION MANAGER: ANDREW CARSON PREMIERSHIPS: 1998, 2008 GRAND FINAL MEDALLISTS: M. STEVENS (1998), S. SIDEBOTTOM (2008) MORRISH MEDALLISTS: D. MURRAY (1997), F. PRIEST (2008) 2012 FINISH: FIFTH (10-7) 2012 BEST AND FAIREST: SAM MARTYN 2012 LEADING GOALKICKER: KAIDEN ANTONOWICZ (33)

MURRAY BUSHRANGERS’ SEASON FIXTUREROUND 1 NORTH BALLARAT REBELS at Queen Elizabeth Oval April 13

ROUND 2 GEELONG FALCONS at Highgate Recreation Reserve March 30

ROUND 3 BENDIGO PIONEERS at Deakin Reserve April 6

ROUND 4 GIPPSLAND POWER at Highgate Recreation Reserve May 25

ROUND 5 EASTERN RANGES at Norm Minns Oval April 27

ROUND 6 DANDENONG STINGRAYS at Shepley Oval May 5

ROUND 7 NSW/ACT RAMS at Albury Sports Ground May 18

ROUND 8 WESTERN JETS at Norm Minns Oval June 1

ROUND 9 SANDRINGHAM DRAGONS at Norm Minns Oval June 16

ROUND 10 OAKLEIGH CHARGERS at Warrawee Park June 22

ROUND 11 BENDIGO PIONEERS at Queen Elizabeth Oval June 29

ROUND 12 DANDENONG STINGRAYS at Norm Minns Oval July 6

ROUND 13 NORTH BALLARAT REBELS at Highgate Recreation Reserve July 13

ROUND14 CALDER CANNONS at Norm Minns Oval July 28

ROUND 15 EASTERN RANGES at Bayswater Oval August 3

ROUND16 SANDRINGHAM DRAGONS at Victoria Park August 18

ROUND 17 NORTHERN KNIGHTS at Norm Minns Oval August 24

Darren Ogier

Jarman Impey

– Coach Darren Ogier

“We want to win more

games than we lose, but

improvement is the main

thing we want to see.”


MURRAY BUSHRANGER’S SQUADNUMBER PLAYER CLUB BORN

1 BRADY PRITCHARD YARRAWONGA 03/12/96

2 DAVID MENNEN BENALLA 16/12/96

3 JARMAN IMPEY SHEPPARTON SWANS 09/07/95

4 DYLAN WILSON WANGARATTA ROVERS 11/08/95

5 ELIJAH WALES MYRTLEFORD 22/01/96

6 MATTHEW MUNRO ALBURY 17/11/95

7 MICHAEL GIBBONS LAVINGTON 15/05/95

8 HENRI PENI SHEPPARTON SWANS 01/02/96

9 TYLER BERRY NORTH ALBURY 17/01/96

10 NATHAN DRUMMOND MOOROOPNA 19/01/95

11 KIERAN ELLIS ALBURY 30/01/95

12 JACK CROWE EUROA 22/03/95

13 LOUIS VESCIO WANGARATTA MAGPIES 18/11/95

14 JAKE SHARP MYRTLEFORD 11/01/95

15 RYAN SPEED ALBURY 14/09/95

16 MATTHEW BRETT SHEPPARTON UNITED 02/08/94

17 KRISTIAN CARY NORTH ALBURY 15/03/95

18 NICK MELLINGTON BENALLA 22/05/96

19 PATRICK SULLIVAN MYRTLEFORD 24/03/95

20 JAMES MARTYN BENALLA 19/06/95

21 NICK HOLMAN KYABRAM 29/05/95

22 CALEB MARCHBANK BENALLA 07/12/96

23 MAX KING WAGGA TIGERS 24/09/95

24 RYLEY NORRIS ALEXANDRA 03/01/95

25 JAKE WILD YARRAWONGA 09/07/96

26 BRODIE WEBSTER BENALLA 16/02/96

27 BRYDEN SQUIRE SHEPPARTON 23/02/95

28 TOM HOLMAN KYABRAM 24/09/96

29 BRYDON HODGSON LAVINGTON 16/09/96

30 JAMES TABERNER MYRTLEFORD 04/04/95

31 JACKSON CLARKE WANGARATTA MAGPIES 15/10/96

32 JADE CLEELAND WANGARATTA MAGPIES 30/03/95

33 HARRISON PAYNE COROWA-RUTHERGLEN 03/05/96

34 NICK COUGHLAN ALBURY 12/09/96

35 DYLAN VAN BERLO WANGARATTA 16/01/95

36 MITCHELL MAHADY NORTH ALBURY 09/09/96

37 LACHLAN DEVINE MOOROOPNA 11/07/95

38 DAN HOWE RENNIE 04/12/95

39 JYDON NEAGLE WALLA 29/08/94

40 ISAAC EDGAR ALBURY 28/08/95

41 ROBERT STAFF EUROA 02/05/96

42 WILL CARLILE WANGARATTA ROVERS 02/07/96

43 NICK SNEYD SHEPPARTON UNITED 08/04/95

44 MITCHELL DALBOSCO MYRTLEFORD 13/02/95

45 ALEX TATTERSALL MOOROOPNA 11/03/96

46 KAYNE TURNER WODONGA BULLDOGS 31/12/95

Nick Holman

BJ Squire


New Goulburn Valley Football Umpires Association president Darren Meek

is excited about his new role.Meek, a nine-time senior grand fi nal umpire

including fi ve Goulburn Valley Football League deciders, was eager to put his hand up when John Paterson decided to call time on his fi ve-year reign.

“Patto has been a really good president for the past fi ve years and when he indicated that he wanted to step aside to give someone else a crack I decided to put my hand up,” Meek said.

“We have had three or four people change on the actual executive, so we are hoping to bring a few diff erent ideas and enthusiasm.”

It will be Meek’s 11th year umpiring.He decided to pick up a whistle after a

long football career that included stints with Avenel, Seymour and Tullamarine.

Umpiring was his way of staying involved.“Once I retired from footy, I had a year or

two away from it, and I really missed the contact with footy clubs,” he said.

“I thought I would give it a go, see how I enjoyed it - and I have never looked back.

“It has been really good.”He said the association was still seeking

new members and he encourages people to consider taking up a role.

“It is a great way to stay involved,” he said.“You get to be involved with local sport,

local football and the local community - and for people that it is important to, you get paid as well.”

He said anyone could give it a go.The GVFUA provides central, boundary

and goal umpires for games in the Goulburn Valley, Murray, Picola District, Kyabram District and Shepparton District Junior football leagues.

Training is held at Shepparton’s Chas Johnson Reserve on Tuesday and Thursday nights from 6 pm.

>>For more information on becoming an umpire contact recruiting manager Greg Sidebottom on 0419 154 097 or adviser Chris McCallum on 0427 646 365.

Patrick O’MearaKate Boyd, Jayden Blum, Sam Wood, Howard Phillips


TIPPINGCOMPETITION

METRICON GVFL 2013


ation to register


PLUS!

weddings | parties | deb balls | fundraisers | corporate events | product launches

Also available for hire:

Jukebox/Karaoke

and Slushie machines

DO YOU WANT THE BEST PARTY IN TOWN?

Photobooth package start from $350

All packages include –

For further information contact David Collier from Happy Snaps PhotoboothM: 0437 225 016E: [email protected]

MUSTANG

1966

NEWHIRE OFFER

GREAT

FUNDRAISER

ACTIVITY

Lighting and TV comes with Jukebox/Karaoke machine.

With a Happy Snaps Photobooth your guests leave your event with a special gift that will create memories for many years to follow.

Ask us about

our football/

netball club

and corporate

packages

GVFL 2013

FootyTippingCompetition

this footy season, go to www.sheppnews.com.au Follow the links to register for the Metricon $10,000 Footy Tipping Competition, just $25.

For your chance to

win $10,000

2013 Football

Documents

Transcript of 2013 Football