First Practice Game For 2010

SEASON 2010 STARTS OF WITH A BANG

Rocky starts off with a `pfft` in 2010 !!!!

Another year kicks off,  almost it seems before the last one finished..where does time go when you are having fun ?? Anyway its here and starting off without a few familiar faces it seems.  Tony Lester, one of the very best onballers to have played under our colours has decided to return to the Gold Coast once again after racking up 146 games and appearing in 3 grand final including the 2003 win.

 Andrew Taylor our 3 time reserve B & F, 42 Senior game and 2005 grand finalist has finally decided enough is enough and has taken the plunge and joined our YCW Blues Side out at Langwarrin along with Dylan Bosward and Andrew Borrie. Dylan a solid backman could not quite crack it with the seniors for a permanent position having just 3 senior games to go with his 78 reserve games while Andrew, a Ruckman also never quite got there putting together only 12 senior games with us since 2005, interspersed with his time at the Dolphins.

Off the list, and now firmly entrenched at the Dolphins is our hard hitting backman Ben Lean, whilst our very own favorite Nick King has also finally made it to the big time after a series of frustrating injuries and missing season 2009 by being signed by the Dolphins for season 2010.

Leigh Stewart, that ferocious and hard hitting small, who had such an impact on our sides performance last year has been snaffled up as Somerville’s Assistant Coach, while that classy tall Dale Carroll has returned to Ashwood after just one year and will be sadly missed at the centre bounces. Martin Berryman also could only take one year of us and has return to his beloved Crib Point side

The Meagher Dynasty, has also taken a battering, with Matt Meagher returning to the Bombers after just one year (was it something I said Matt ???), Brendan has signed up with the Kalgoorlie Miners after heading… west young man- to work with Pop on the mines, while for Steve, it looks like the amorous pursuits of the heart have more appeal than the yellow Sherrin.. What has the world come to ??

Mathew Elliot has retired, as has Nacker`s brother Twiggy. Constant back problems doing what opposition player couldn’t and putting  Mark Nankervis out of the game. Lachlan Wallace has finally made it on to the Stingrays list at his second attempt ( as a second year under 18 ), a marvelous achievement, whilst Luke Gillan and Joel Swales have just disappeared as has Mr Foggi who it is believed is now trying his hand at the round ball game after 18 games with us and stints with the Stingrays and Dolphins…didn`t quite have it!

A long term loyal and faithfull servant of the club in Ben Davies also decided to call it quits this year to return to Uni studies . Ben first played for us in 1998 with brother Justin, putting together 95 reserve and 25 senior games, a senior grand final in 2005 and a plethora of reserve premierships. His smiling face and friendly demur will be sadley missed by all around the club. The Davies Dynasty goes on however with brother Sam and probably 3 or 4 others we haven’t even seen yet !!

All doom and gloom you must be saying by now, every ones gone what will we do, whats left ??? ..but not true. We have been fortunate in some big pickups over the summer as well as having a great crop of Juniors now now ready to make their senior debut es

Ashley Eames that man mountain Ruckman, (200cm tall and weighing in at 107 kg) from Frankston Dolphins has to be the MPNFL signing of the year and a great cudo for our Club.  Ash is a ruckman whose playing honours include being selected to represent the Victorian Football League whilst playing at Springvale and Frankston. A product of Barnawartha, Victoria, Ash played for North Albury in the Ovens and Murray F.L. where he won a club Best and Fairest and represented the Ovens and Murray and the Victorian Country Football League.

Garry Lewis. Major Sponsor ( left ) and Coach Barry welcome Ashley Eames to the club on signing up at  The Frankston RSL (another major sponsor )

Also coming over to the dark side from the Dolphin`s is Bundy’s little cousin and another of the Barry clan ( where do they keep coming from ??) who last year gained a permanent spot on the Dolphin backline after solid showing in Frankston’s 2008 finals action but has decided VFL is not everything and he would rather enjoy footy with his mates .

A nemesis of ours in last years finals campaign and season, has also decided its better to play with us rather than against us, being Eady Asps hard man Lewis Roberts…  sure to put fear in to other sides as much as he did to ours.

Also arriving from the same competition as our mate Benny Hackett, is Rhys Johnson who tripped the lite fantastic with Old Haileybarians in the Amateurs League.

Back from the past are old players Cam McNab, the flying Scotsman, Daniel Kelly, Clayton Cowled ( Of  Trent fame), Clayton Watt and Jonathon Rotherham from the 2006 unders, while new faces have joined in Nick Besely and Graeme Wright. Also under 18 players to try their hand at senior football this year will be the exciting Mathew Gibb ( given high praise by Ex Coach Mather’s), the fearless Andrew Knight-get a haircut-Mitch Hessling, Steve Aldons and Jordan Knight.

A great pickup from the Rovers club-the only one this year- during the summer season and one which is sure to provide just that added impetus to get the side across the lie in 2010 was the signing of  Darcy Hardstone for a season with our under 9`s.  Darcy a hard hitting backman like his father Damien joins his cousin Jonah Lane, son of another club legend, Joey Lane in a formidable under 9 unit .  Should be some side in 2020 

Jonah Lane makes Darcy Hardstone welcome at the Under 9`s first training night

Anyway, 2010 kicked off with a feast of football at Pinewood Reserve against Waverley Blues. The Under 18`s under new Coach Reidy, having his first game at the helm, easily accounted for the Blues in a shortened game as did the Reserves in a game that made Coach Schneider very happy with the boys early form.

Bugs made the interchange bench catch fire as he swung the changes in rapid fire as the temp rose to 30c . Never in doubt we won as we liked 12.7 to 5.4 …Faces I thought showed out were the Barry Boys, Gibbsy, Ducky, Nida, Stevey and Ex man in his first game in almost two years… well done all.. Im excited

A happy snap of just a few of our supporters who travelled all the way up for the  games…nice shades !!  ( who`s the designated ??)

For all the action see below…Rocky’s back!!!!