By Nick Kossatch Berri’s chances of playing in the Riverland Football League finals have all but ended after going down by two goals in a fiery round 11 match against Waikerie. The Berri Oval clash was at times riddled by errors and was marred by a spiteful brawl midway through the third quarter. The Magpies [Read more]
Jones Files: George Ogilvie, ex-Echuca and Rochester, a true Bendigo league great
July 17, 2009 by 9 Comments
By Richard Jones ECHUCA’S between-the-wars centre half-forward George Ogilvie rates as one of the greatest players the Bendigo league has seen. Amazing as it might seem, Ogilvie didn’t start playing in the BFL until he was 29. He’d seen service in World War 1, played with Richmond in the VFL and Port Melbourne in the [Read more]
Local Footy: Wags blitzes for Renmark with five second-half goals
July 14, 2009 by Leave a Comment
By Nick Kossatch Renmark’s “yo-yo” season continued after they recorded a 79-point win against bottom-placed Loxton North at Renmark Oval. The hosts held a two-goal lead at half-time but Ben Wagnitz provided them with much-needed spark when he booted five second-half goals in the Rovers’ 14-goals to three blitz in that period. The oval was [Read more]
Local Footy: Slick River Murray steam over Superdogs
July 6, 2009 by Leave a Comment
By Nick Kossatch The Riverland Superdogs failed to capitalise on their midfield centre clearance dominance to go down by 32 points against River Murray at Mannum Oval on Sunday. The under-strength visitors were off to a sluggish start but were encouraged by the efforts of East Murray recruit Dave Francis. The [Read more]
Yarra Man: I love the quirks of local footy grounds
July 2, 2009 by 3 Comments
By Tavis Perry A mate of mine says Ovens and Murray Football League club Corowa-Rutherglen has the best ground he’s seen in country footy. Indeed, when I played at the John Foord Oval for the first time earlier this year I was struck by its tranquillity and scenic appeal. It’s surrounded by immense gum trees, [Read more]
Local Footy: Superdogs return to winning list
June 29, 2009 by Leave a Comment
By Nick Kossatch The Riverland Superdogs Master’s over 35s football side returned to the winner’s list in barnstorming fashion against Pooraka with an 87-point victory at Berri Oval on Sunday. After an inaccurate first half, highlighted by Johnny ‘The Whiz’ Barrett’s ‘goal hungriness’ – the Dogs’ debutant Scott Muller (four goals) proved a fine a [Read more]
Jones Files: More players to add to my list of the best in the Bendigo league
June 26, 2009 by 1 Comment
By Richard Jones AS my original list of the Top Ten best Bendigo Football League players was so well received, here’s another list of country footy stars to consider. This second list contains more players from recent times than the original squad. A number of players in this group were teammates in Bendigo’s stunning 1989 [Read more]
Yarra Man: Watts is a worry; Dees should have taken Rich
June 25, 2009 by 5 Comments
By Tavis Perry There’s been a plethora of recent media reports on Jack Watts, and why wouldn’t there be given the No.1 draft pick always creates more headlines than other drafted players? This is especially so because the No.1 pick is generally a shining light in an otherwise dim period for his club. Being a [Read more]
Jones Files: The day Moresby fight fans heckled Smokin’ Joe
June 19, 2009 by Leave a Comment
By Richard Jones SMOKIN’ Joe Frazier, one-time world heavyweight boxing champion, landed in Port Moresby in late March 1975. Joe and his entourage flew in from Melbourne where Joe had beaten a top rated opponent in Jimmy Ellis in a scheduled 12-rounder. In fact Frazier won on a ninth round TKO with Ellis unable to [Read more]
Yarra Man: Make the TAC Cup an under-23 competition
June 18, 2009 by Leave a Comment
By Tavis Perry I’ve often wondered if the AFL has got it right with the TAC cup. There’s no doubt that most of the players who are drafted come out of this competition, but I wonder if the AFL could utilise the TAC Cup better as a breeding ground for potential players. I think it [Read more]
Local Footy: Superdogs go down fighting
June 15, 2009 by Leave a Comment
By Nick Kossatch The Riverland Superdogs went down in valiant fashion against the Ingle Farm Football Club-based East club by 27 points at a rain-soaked Foxfield Oval in Adelaide on Sunday. It was a tough and physical match and Nick “Kossy” Kossatch yet again drifted forward, unaccountable, to mark and then boot the Superdogs’ first [Read more]
Jones files: My top ten in the Bendigo footy league
June 12, 2009 by 9 Comments
THE Almanac’s Paul Daffey asked me recently whether I’d considered compiling a list of the best players I’d seen in three decades of reporting on the Bendigo Football League. That got me thinking. My first season of writing about Bendigo footy was way back in 1977 — 33 years ago. Is it fair or reasonable [Read more]
Yarra Man: Rugby league origin games go all right
June 11, 2009 by Leave a Comment
By Tavis Perrry As an avid sports lover, I really enjoyed watching the rugby league state-of-origin clash between NSW and Queensland, in particular the maroons’ star-studded and highly formidable defensive end. With AFL being my footy code of choice, I couldn’t help but compare the differences that I see between the AFL and NRL. The [Read more]
Local Footy: Waikerie hammer Berri
June 5, 2009 by Leave a Comment
by Nick Kossatch TOM’S TEN TAUNTS THE DEMONS – RFL ROUND SIX Tom Hyde booted 10 goals in the Waikerie Magpies 50-point drubbing of the Berri Demons in Waikerie. It was Demon Terry Bonner’s 200th senior match not the result he had hoped for. Hyde reeled off four goals in the opening [Read more]
Local Footy: Riverland Superdogs go down in Berri
June 4, 2009 by Leave a Comment
by Nick Kossatch The Riverland Superdogs broke their ‘record-breaking’ winning stretch at Berri Oval after Gawler defeated them by 10 points on Sunday. It was a physical and hard-fought epic and Canadian exchange schoolteacher Steve Deighton (here on holidays in other words!) revelled in overcast conditions. He was in-and-under and continually ran to [Read more]
Yarra Man: All together now
June 4, 2009 by Leave a Comment
By Tavis Perry This year I’m playing for Yarrawonga, which is affiliated with the Ovens and Murray Football League. Like a lot of country players I’m living and working in Melbourne, which makes it impossible to get to training with the team in Yarrawonga. This is common for county footballers. Yarrawonga have 13 footballers who [Read more]
Jones files: High times on the back of a truck
May 29, 2009 by Leave a Comment
By Richard Jones WHILE broadcasting sports events in Papua New Guinea was never dull, radio work hasn’t been without its moments here in central Victoria. How many metropolitan radio hacks would hoist themselves into the back of ute parked against a country footy ground’s fence? Not to mention a dairy cattle livestock truck positioned adjacent [Read more]
Yarra Man: The lowdown on the elite
May 28, 2009 by Leave a Comment
By Tavis Perry THE talk of whether Lou Richards should be inducted into the AFL hall of fame coincided with Jason Akermanis’ 300th game. Aker is undoubtedly one of my favourite all-time players. The subsequent articles on him and the hall of fame inductees made for some interesting reading on one of my favourite topics: [Read more]
Local Footy: Riverland FL special centenary match
May 18, 2009 by 2 Comments
by Nick Kossatch The Riverland FL Centenary game produced a remarkable and controversial draw between North-Of-The-River and South-Of-The-River after North’s Ryan Bennett booted a 55-metre goal after the final siren. There was confusion when the Renmark Oval scoreboard showed North being five-point victors and they celebrated accordingly. The goal and field umpires [Read more]
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