From
the Tiger's eye..... From
the Tiger's eye.....
Reflection is for when it's done. For now, just a
few notes. And a few backslaps.
It has been a long season but it seems like yesterday we were in the Grand Final
last year. Footy's funny like that.
Last Sunday felt like September 07. A determined bunch of Stonecats mounting
pressure on a windy and wet Frankston Park.
The backdrop was different. A grandstand firebug has changed the landscape but
not the feel of the place.
We won it in the third quarter again. It was a high class match. We march on.
The home and away season was a grind at times. Our record wasn't great but we
maintained a high scoring rate and the crowds kept coming.
Seaford's supporters were again the most parochial and prolific in the league.
It's good to have them with us at the business end.
In the wash-up you could say we prevailed in crunch games and that is how
qualified to defend our title.
The last four games of the season were elimination finals. We took nothing for
granted and knew each team was dangerous.
Bonbeach had beaten YCW. Karingal had beaten Mornington. Chelsea had more guns
than a Republican party. And we played Hastings in a filthy bog. None were easy.
The other reason we made the finals ... we won at Mornington. The Bulldogs were
snarling after the game but there was no luck involved, just a Clarke, an Agius
and a kid called The League Medallist.
Chris Irving debuted in 2004 (he had me at yo!) and grew up in front of
us. He'll make a fine father.
The Under 18s have booked an appointment in the preliminary final. Frank has
another batch capable of winning. Certainly there will be a lot of those boys
dominating MPNFL in the future. Back your skill young Tigers. It's your
strength.
The Reserves, led by Mantis, appear to be in good shape. Stay calm fellas and
wait for your turn to run and attack. Don't waste energy before it's needed.
A special mention here to a bloke called Steve Capp, from Bonbeach, a former
coach of the year, multiple premiership maker, and now three-time best and
fairest. The only thing more remarkable than his victory the other night is that
he has more kids (all still knee height or under) than league medals. His wife
Amy can also accept applause at this point. (a message to all the wives and
girlfriends and mothers ... sorry if the boys seem so distracted these next few
weeks. Finals fever has arrested their life perspective.)
Another league medallist Luke Smith (Under 16s) can stand up now and bow. He
and his teammates were grand in their final and we loved seeing them in the
seniors' rooms on Sunday. You will all move up and take your place soon.
To Chris Fortnam (Interleague and Team of the Year captain) and his Tigers ...
best wishes. Play Seaford football. We are all behind you.
PK 3/9/08
************************************************************************
From your Northern correspondent in the Philippines -
It's just gone 6AM and the sun is just high enough to
burn your skin. Its already 29 degrees. Working hard, the perspiration flows
freely from you. Surrounded by people all doing circuits of the athletics track.
Some sprinting, some jogging, some walking kids ,parents and grandparents all
with a common goal- communities moving in one direction to improve their fitness
for their sport, their state of mind and their lives. In the grandstand, a
soccer team is warming up, sprinting up and down the 60 concrete steps. In the
middle of the arena, their opponents are warming up before the kickoff in the
centre of the arena. There are others sharpening their skills - the old master
going through he ti Che routine, ceremonial sword in hand, hurdlers stretching
and limbering up, practicing their timing. The sun rises higher, and you
contemplate the motivation of all these people - to sacrifice the early hours of
every day to move towards their goals in sport and in life. You think of what
you have given up personally to have the privilege of living and jogging
with these people daily for the last 9 months and that famous quote from Ali
that hangs proudly in the change rooms of the Seaford football club - to be away
from your friends, your children, your country and culture for nearly 9 months
is difficult and challenging both mentally and physically. But then you remember
the kids you passed in the street on the way to the stadium, sleeping beside
their parents in cardboard boxes, along with a few belongings on the sidewalk.
This is not the lucky country we know . Here you need to survive before you can
live. There are 15 more people per square meter here than in Australia. It makes
what you have achieved in life to date even more special. But you don't doubt
the faith of these people, their sense of working together as family, as
community to improve their lives. It shows all around you such as the facility
you paid a modest 25 cents to use. At the top end of town, apartments and
offices are growing higher each day and the Internet is everywhere. The city
planners are keen to take the best ideas from the rest of the world, blend it
with their local expertise and apply it here. Two kids are trying to throw a
pigskin around. And the dream of seeing 4 posts rise at each end of the
stadium within the next 10 years drives you on to continue to sow the seeds
here. These people love their sports, local boxing heroes like Pacquiao have
become world champions and they are hungry for more. They are a passionate and
supportive crowd. So is our Seaford community. Zero medals from an Olympics
doesn't measure the true potential here. All these people need is to be shown a
plan, a way forward. They have seen our wonderful game and are intrigued by it.
The challenge is to now bring it to them to participate in from the grass roots
level. All meetings with government officials to date have been positive.
There are 10 nations competing in Singapore for the AFL
Asian championships next week, including an under 16's and Auskick kids, but no
team from here. It needs to change in the next 5-10 years. There will be no need
to re-invent the wheel. The rest of the AFL playing nations will be gathering in
Melbourne as I write this. Our game is truly becoming International, but the
basics and benefits remain the same - the inspiration , the friendship, the
worth to community, both young and old where ever it touches - the success of
the Seaford football club over the last two years touched a lot further afield
than we could have imagined, not just because we were successful, but because of
the Seaford process - the way we went about our business earned us both
friendship and respect. And as all 3 teams now step up to the plate to
participate in finals , again it's a testament to that process and those that
were brave enough to both dream and make the sacrifices required over the last 5
years and more.
History doesn't achieve your goals for you. Hard work,
sacrifice, belief and teamwork will set you on the right path, but there are no
guarantees other than to stick to your processes that have got you there and
honestly say you have given your all and your best at the end of the day. No
need to preach to the converted. THIS is the Seaford way. In the end , it will
all come down to, and is summed up by what the great oracle on 'the hill' said -
'YOU GOTTA WANT IT ! "
To the players, coaches, all officials and supporters
at Seaford, I wish you to be able to give your very best in the finals
campaigns. Not 'good luck' -you make your own luck through your desire to go the
extra yard.
Take care, God bless and I hope to see Seaford colors
still participating when I return the week of the Grand final.
Rusty
14/08/08
Proud
As a person that is relatively new to this great club I would like to express my thoughts, it started as like most, a father that simply came to watch his son play Under 18’s.
It’s amazing how infectious this club can be, as it unfolds before you from year to year, I don’t believe we realise we all become part of the clubs history, and for that matter, I’m not sure if we even understand how lucky we are to have our own local footy team, and its personalities within, all different in their own unique way.
I personally love to be involved, but I also love the people we work with at Seaford, socialise with at Seaford, and the players we come to watch each week at Seaford, and I can’t wait for the weekend to come around.
To be able to have a chat with the young blokes in the Under 18’s makes you feel young and vibrant, to be able to chat with the senior players makes you feel part of it. I’m one of the lucky ones I have a representative in every age group, that at some stage I have coached over a fifteen year coaching spell so for me there is something special about watching each team.
As a player you can live for the moment as you get older and wiser you start to understand and look at the picture differently you realise your footy club is a very important part of your life it shapes you into the person your meant to be, it helps you make important decisions in your working life and at the time you don’t even realise you have learnt those skills through your footy journey.
We will all make lifelong friends and because of footy they will always remain loyal because that’s what most of us have learnt, from the day we started in Under 9’s to the day we finish as a senior player and continue on as an official, we will share highs and lows together along with laughter and tears, but the common thing we will all share is that we have become part of Seaford Football Club.
Now I don’t know about you, but to me that’s something special and something to be proud of.
DW
***********************************************************************************************
26/01/08
Greats of our past
With the MPNFL set to celebrate their Centenary year, behind the scenes Mark Scarpella and Mark Pierson have been working on Seaford nominations for Team of the Century, with the hope we may be able to immortalise one of the clubs favourite sons, one of those nominations was a fellow named Vic Woinarski.
I like most of our current crop of players and officials come from a different era, but I understand the importance of the history of this proud club and that we should keep it alive. Yesterday I received an email from a Simon Woinarski who lives in Sydney and just happens to be the son of Vic. Simon visits our website regularly to keep informed of the happenings of our club. The email was in relation to his father and nomination to the MPNFL Team of the Century, it reflects on Vic in a manner that only a son could portray, and rather than be the only person to have read this email I felt it fitting to post it on our website for all to read, its in four parts with our response included hope you all enjoy it. Deano.
From:
Woinarski, Simon
Sent: Thursday, 24 January 2008 10:12 AM
To: 'stevep@mpnfl.com.au'
Subject: Team Of The Century Nomination
Hi Steve,
I was checking the League website this morning (looking up draws for this year actually) and I noticed that you are going to name a Team of The Century as part of your centenary celebrations. Should be a great night - they always are!! I looked through the nominations and the selectors will have a tough job. I'm not sure what the nomination process is (by clubs?, selectors decisions?, from individuals?) nor what the criteria are (games played, club best and fairest's, league best and fairest's, interleague representation?). I also realise I'm a little biased!!! Having said that I think you should consider Vic Woinarski as a nomination for this team. Widely regarded as the best centre half back of his era, Vic played with the Seaford FC. He won two League Best and Fairests (1951 & 1959), played in 3 premierships (1951, 1954, 1956) and in two losing grand final teams (1950 and 1952). A halcyon era for the Seaford FC I would think. He also represented the League in several times in the 1954-1958 period (he played in the match when they lost by one point to the GVL in 1956 at Shepparton, he always said they were robbed!!). I'm sure Seaford FC can will support my nomination and that they can supply some details about games played and Club Best and Fairests - after all the Seaford FC Best and Fairest was renamed the Vic Woinarski Shield about 15 years ago. I hope you consider his nomination worthy and should he be lucky enough to actually make the team please let me know because I'd like to come down from Sydney and attend the night if that happens. Thanks for considering this email, Cheers,
Simon Woinarski
NSW Sport Education Coordinator
NSW Department of Sport and Recreation
Simon.Woinarski@dsr.nsw.gov.au
9006 3827
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From:
Woinarski, Simon [mailto:Simon.Woinarski@dsr.nsw.gov.au]
Sent: Thursday, 24 January 2008 11:15 AM
To: secretary@seafordfootballclub.org
Subject: FW: Team Of The Century Nomination
Hi, Please note the email about my father that I sent to Steve Pallas at the MPNFL (see above). Dad passed away 15 years ago and my memory of his career with Seaford FC is not as good as it should be (I know he spent at least one season with Carlton and another in Gippsland but I'm not sure what those years were) so there may have been some minor errors in my original email. I was very proud when your B&F was renamed the Vic Woinarski Shield (in spite of the fact that I was playing for Mt Eliza at the time!!) and hope you will support his nomination for the Team of The Century. I know he played in a halcyon era of the Seaford FC and there's probably some of his team mates that are also worthy of a nomination. Cheers,
Simon Woinarski
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Dean Walton [mailto:jodean5@bigpond.net.au]
Sent: Thursday, 24 January 2008 5:35 PM
To: Woinarski, Simon
Subject: RE: Team Of The Century Nomination
To Simon Woinarski,
Simon my name is Dean Walton I
currently hold the position of secretary of the Seaford Football Club just for
your peace of mind and unbiased opinion, we are one step ahead of you, your
father was proudly nominated by Seaford Football Club prior to Christmas for the
Team of the Century along with any history and statistics we could find to
support such a nomination, We all have our fingers crossed hoping he makes the
selection. For the record also: 1955 he tied for the club B&F, 1957 he was one
of three that tied for the League B&F but lost on a count back, and Seaford Life
Membership in 1960. We also nominated your uncle Brian Woinarski at the
same time. Simon it is great hearing from someone like yourself who can pass on
any information that helps keep this club vibrant, importantly keeping the
history of the club alive and well is very important, we currently have a new
committee that relies on the knowledge of past members and players to keep the
history alive and well, if you are ever in the area don’t hesitate to drop in and
introduce yourself you would be more than welcome in fact it would be great for
the current crop of players to meet you, one of those being my own son. Simon
one last question if by chance you may have a photo of your father in his footy
gear I would love to get a copy, the only photo I have been able to obtain is an
old black and white that isn’t too clear, Vic was honoured in a slide show at
the 2007 League vote count for his achievements and unfortunately I had to use
this particular photo because that was all I could find. Regards,
Thanks Dean,
Today has been a wonderful trip down memory lane...I'll do my best to locate a
photo but I thought you guys might have been the best bet (I can remember a
pretty good one that used to grace your club room wall).
I'll pass on your information to my brother and sister - they'll be very
interested.
My brother, Adam, and I are both life members at Mt Eliza FC (that's where we
grew up so don't hold it against us - (ha ha). So maybe I should look to
get down to the Seaford v Mounties match this year!!!! And
here is the text of my reply to a guy called Doug Dyall who is after a photo to
Thanks Doug
**********************
1/11/2007
PK Reflects on the season
I haven't written on these electronic pages for months. After July I seized up a
bit and started concentrating on finals. I was hard to talk to. Nothing else
seemed to matter. Looking back on it ... I was probably obsessed with the
winning the flag. It seems silly to be so focussed on winning because it is not
the most important thing in life. But passion overcomes us all. If we're
lucky.
The season was a funny one. We beat most teams well. We were lucky to get Mt
Eliza in round one at the Redlegs' home ground. Had we played there later in
the season it would've been tougher to walk away happy. A first-up 14 goal win
was surprising because we blitzed no-one pre-season.
Our trial game form is always rubbish. But our training was as solid as ever.
Shorty said it was the best pre-season program he's seen. He's a veteran now
and a decent judge. It involved two camps, one to Mt Donna Buang and one to
Arthur's Seat. The latter was punctuated by leadership meetings and a vigorous
round-table discussion. Ant and Scott talked like statesmen and everyone else
chipped in. I could tell the players were serious about it all in 2007. (Pat
Cadd then orchestrated a drinking game I'd never seen before and all the young
fellows bellowed. I felt old.)
Round Two saw us beat Hastings but not before Dean Kemble's jaw was left
separated by a stray elbow. The bloke it was attached to copped a 14-week
suspension. The same player would later write an encouraging text message to
Deano before the Grand Final as a gesture of belated sportsmanship. We beat
Chelsea away, which pleased everyone. The Seagulls were brave for a half and
then tried to stack their backline in the third quarter in the face of a brutal
wind.
We knew we'd have to kick a few with it to have a buffer going into the last and
so went man on man. At one stage there were so many people in our forward line
you couldn't fall down without bumping into someone. But it worked out OK and
we booted eight in twenty minutes. Home by 45 points. We would recall that game
in the rooms at half time on September 30 when faced with a similar situation.
In Round Four we met a hot-nostrilled Karingal. St Kilda veteran Justin Peckett
had breathed new life into the K's. A couple of newspaper men from the Sunday
Age were there to report on the game and Kraska must have known someone was
going to print because he took some pretty catches and we closed it out in the
second half.
We beat an undermanned Pines in Round Five. It was significant only because it
happened at Frankston Park, the ground we wanted to call ours. It preceded a
victory over Mornington at home.
The we had our first defeat for the year at the hands of a determined
Edithvale. Kraz ran around the man on the mark and kicked a ripper to put us in
front as we closed on the final siren. The celebrations we fantastic and
premature. We lost and hung our heads in the dressingroom.
When we beat YCW a week later we did not know it would be the start of a robust
rivalry. The opposition claimed classy former Dolphin Chris Fortnam had 50
kicks and handballs. In reality he had 22. But he was still close to our
best. He was proving to be the fillip we needed. Bonbeach was predictably hard
working in round nine and we prevailed only through grit. Then the
merry-go-round started its second run. We beat Mt Eliza in the wet (Ben Cadd
played perhaps the best game of the season by extracting what seemed a hundred
kicks), Hastings away (Ant coached his second game for another belting), Chelsea
at home (Epa was finally challenged in the ruck by clever Rick Hayward, which
only helped Donavan's education) and Karingal at the Bullhorn.
The Karingal game was a turning point. Although we were winning until then we
had not fought a close one and won. Edithvale challenged us and we folded.
The Bulls slotted six goals in the first quarter to our bugger-all. We chased
and Joey kicked four goals in a heartbeat. But the Bulls surged again and we
faced defeat. Kev Goodall cried at half time: "Don't lose it. Don't let there
be any question marks."
And we stormed home with the flight of Patrick Cadd. The Train (as he started
calling himself) had pulled into the station and sounded his horn. The K's, who
had infuriatingly sung their song multiple times on our 2006 visit, were beaten
but encouraged by their showing. They were coming to play finals with us,
Edithvale and YCW. Everyone felt it.
We beat Pines at home and Mornington away (it was a breakthrough win and we were
relieved to win at the Kennel because we rate Mornington highly). Then we mugged
an undermanned Edithvale and sat back, staring in satisfaction at our fools'
gold. YCW was waiting and belted us with a brick in the handbag the following
Saturday. They ran and ran and ran and we stopped chasing. Grey clouds
developed in our minds. Nine goals we would have to make up in just three weeks.
Ollie was suspended but only for a week. Some joker from the crowd hollered in
the last quarter to the Tiger band: "Who coaches the rabble? WHO COACHES THIS
RABBLE?"
Bonbeach was a worthy adversary in the final game but we regained some lost
confidence with a win. We finished on top. Level with YCW.
The second-semi would follow Karingal's trouncing of Edithvale. Then the
equation was like this ... win and go through to the big day or lose and face
Peckett's mob.
Second-semi was the toughest game of the season. YCW played near its best, or
so we thought. (The coach later said he was red-faced by his team's effort.) We
played near our best. The six goal margin wasn't a reflection of the contest.
Our five into-the-breeze goals in the third quarter blew the game open. Pat
Cadd was reported and suspended for a week on the say of an umpire and an
opponent. An appeal would later overturn that and rightly so. There was
nothing in it. Everyone present at the appeal board knew it. The Train had
kicked three in the second-semi after losing his grandmother the week before.
The Cadds, Benjamin and Patrick, were an inspiration to their team and family.
Some people cried when he was allowed to play his Grand Final. It was that
moving.
Karingal did not have the legs to challenge YCW. Its brave season ended and we
shaped to play YCW for a fourth time.
Grand Final week went slowly. Nerves came and went with the hour. Friday
night's meeting was telling. The boys seemed impatient. They wanted it to
start. They were not frightened of the pressure.
Grand Final mornings offer excitement and dread. You know it is your time to
feel heavy emotions, one extreme or the other. Our crowd was big. Bonbeach
came from behind to beat YCW in the seconds. They came home with the breeze,
again stiff to one end. Bonbeach coach Steven Capp took him men to the Seaford
crowd and thanked them for their support in the final quarter. It was an act of
sportsmanship that should be noted. Local football has heroes and gentlemen.
Capp is both.
Our turn came and we linked arms for the national anthem. The first quarter
showed why Agius is a champion. Imagine booting two goals from a back pocket in
a Grand Final. Also Epa booted one. I thought the first quarter was our worst
for the day and we went in 26 points in front.
The second quarter was windy and uncertain. Scott Kemble was knocked out by Ben
Cadd and Deano went down with a broken bone in his lower leg. We were hurting
and only up by 14 points but at half time the skipper said he wanted to play
on.
"Just tell me which way we're kicking."
Deano wanted to be strapped up. Turns out he said on the strecher: "Take me
through the interchange."
We didn't know it at the time but they were playing for their dad, who was at
the game despite his nerves. (He had missed their previous Grand Final because
of nerves).
The Kembles were brave. Later Dean tried to fend off praise: "It's not Kemble
courage or any rubbish like that. You blokes would have done the same."
Champion.
He went back on in the third quarter. He wasn't running well but others were.
Kane Taylor, Dean Williamson, Chris Irving and Josh Stokes seemed tireless.
Jarrod Irving was strong and the Oliver Trand-Donavan Epa ruck duo dominated.
Shorty kicked one for the ages.
Ant could barely walk. The painkilling injection in his groin was wearing off.
Kraz was in pain too. But his injection was longer lasting.
An opposition player lifted his elbow. Yellow card. Jason Marsh caped-up and
booted two. Bomber snapped a trademark ripper. Joey Hallal slammed two more.
Ant crumbed another. Kids Kieran Shaw and Aaron Walton kicked two tough goals
and Forts kicked a goal that felt like a lightning bolt to the senses.
The Train was shredding and his brother was bullocking. And YCW's courageous
challenge ended as it had in the second-semi ... in the third quarter. Great
Stonecat Brendan Long's 300th game was recognised on the presentation stand, as
was Seaford's crowd, which was awesome in numbers and voice.
Scott Kemble and I lifted the cup as we had talked about for years. Relief
overcame us like bay rain.
During the celebrations the players took time to express to each other feelings
that may otherwise never have surfaced. In short, we said it meant a lot to us.
The premiership has now passed. Time takes things away as soon as they are
given. We will plan to win it again next season and hope for the same fortune
but don't count on it.
This one is in the cabinet now and it is one for the people of Seaford, drinkers
of champagne for a spell.
And I've got a tattoo on my ribs that reads: "Seaford Premiers 2007."
So they are.
And thanks for everything. PK
Presentation speech 2007-10-20
My five years have gone quickly.
I’d like to think my contributions have helped make the Seaford community a better place, if only by some small degree.
Everyone wants to leave a job with a clear legacy waving at them in the rearview mirror, hopefully smiling at them. That’s not always in our control.
What would I like my legacy to be? A winning culture is right up there.
I want Seaford to keep winning premierships. I think the committee should aim for 2000 members and the largest growing sponsorship in country football.
I would like to think Seaford can become the most successful football club in Australia. It’s possible from the position we find ourselves in.
That’s up to others now. I’ll be around but I won’t be driving that sort of success.
Anyway, that’s not the most important thing I wish for this community club.
The thing I hope for most is that Seaford maintains its fight against recreational drugs.
Five years ago I began an attempt to eradicate the influence of ecstasy from our young players. Back then it was a novel idea. Few people above the age of 25 knew what ecstasy was let alone the grip it had on the minds of their children.
There was a time in football when a pill was made of red leather and laced with nothing more sinister than a piece of string …
But recreational drugs made their way out of the city nightclubs and starting washing over Australian suburbs like a strong tide that has not receded.
A year into my coaching stint three Seaford players were arrested on drug charges in a major city-wide police sting. Our club became involved.
It no longer matters who those people were. They could have been anyone of us because a lot of people didn’t know what they were doing or what they were dealing with.
From that moment we have gone through a range of rule changes disallowing drugs at Seaford, from banning its use at the club to banning its influence of players at the club to eventually, belatedly, thankfully … we came to our zero tolerance model.
Zero tolerance on drugs has been the single biggest factor in our successful turnaround. Take any of the other advances we’ve experienced in recent times and none of them would have been possible if we tolerated the existence of drugs in our ranks.
To watch Ben Cousins walk through his daze at the moment is to see the lives of so many people in our broader community. Although he parades in the spotlight alone, he is not unique in his basic and pitiful addiction.
The West Coast Eagles missed their chance to attack this problem. That club, with its multi-multi-multi- million dollar turnover and access to counsellors and testing and agents and a capital city’s support is now five years behind Seaford Football Club in its treatment of a deadly but simple issue. It should have been braver.
Our small suburban club has shown courage and chosen perhaps a more difficult path but the right one. In this I was not alone. Strong-minded people have supported each other through the decision making, including the committee, led more recently by Rick East, Anne Kemp, Butch Date Terry Miller, Dean Walton, Trish and Billy Bruce and Rob Edgerton.
Kevin Goodall and Jack Underwood, their wives Marianne and Kerry and more recently Warren Greene have all been inspirational in their leadership and support.
Kevin is particularly special to me. We’ve been through a lot together. He is, in my mind, a true leader of men.
Captain Scott Kemble and all of the players deserve a special mention. They took this new approach and ran with it as they have with many other improvements. They might not know it yet but their lives and those of their children will be enhanced by the decisions they have made in the past few years.
I’m proud and not humble enough to say the Kennedy family has been a great support to the change in philosophy that has helped this club. Mick Kennedy is my hero, plain and simple. Joan was the only other person in Seaford who sat with me to offer some comfort to a man who once played among us and was then sent to jail for his crimes.
From my parents I have learned to be thoughtful and sympathetic and forgiving of all people. It’s sometimes what sets Seaford people apart.
My siblings Steve and Jo and Kate have all been strong supporters of this community. My sisters and their strong beliefs are the reason we banned sexist social fund raisers at this club.
Steve is my best friend and played a massive role in the premiership this year, along with my generous brother-in-law Shane Welch, another person of high-quality who joined us over time and gave of his precious weekends.
My wife Kim deserves the most credit from me. Whenever I found myself uncertain of how to handle an issue she made sure I knew. It was Kim who taught me not to tolerate drugs and other excessive evils. Each of you here tonight should thank her for her strength and kindness.
If I have not mentioned someone I should have, I’m sorry. Everyone has done their part. Those are the people who have been closest to me on my journey among you.
Now I’m not naïve enough to say no-one at Seaford FC will ever take illicit drugs again. Human nature says it will happen if it hasn’t in some small way this season, albeit someone we did not detect. How the new coach and new committee deal with this issue and how the rest of you treat it is the most important thing.
Because we as individuals will come and go it is important a culture of zero tolerance exists here forever. It should be passed down to each other with the most serious intent.
Drugs are widespread and we are not miracle workers. We don’t have to solve society’s problems. It is our simple responsibility to ensure our club offers children becoming adults a haven for clean living.
It is the legacy I wanted to leave and there you have it. I hope it lasts.
If my son Jack or my unborn son who is not yet named play at Seaford one day then I can tell them I was one of the people, like the rest of you here tonight, who challenged a great menace and said: “We will not tolerate the likes of you anymore.”
Thanks for everything.
3/07/2007
JASON MARSH'S 200TH
I've known Jason Marsh for decades. When we were boys I followed my
brother Steve to
Belvedere Primary School to watch his mates play basketball. Jason Marsh
lived across the
road from the asphalt court and so he was always there, shooting hoops. He
was a quiet
young fellow. Still is.
Even as a teenager at high school, Jason had an impressive aura about him.
He introduced
himself to a weight room very early so his nickname "Superman" was earned in
those
days. I clearly recall seeing Jason at the "Tarzan and Jane" gym in about
1989,
straining to hold a calf raise longer than he should have. I was blown
away by his
dedication and discipline. He was in a zone.
Jason played all of his junior football at Seaford and was then invited to spend
a couple of
seasons at St Kilda FC in the Under 19's. He played Teal Cup (now TAC Cup)
for Victoria
in 1989. For many Seaford boys he was already a bit of a hero. Jason
and Marsh and Robert
Harvey were the two I looked up to.
Jason was awarded the MPNFL Division One league best and fairest medal in 1993.
He was 21.
The next year he was interleague captain. To have an idea of how he used
to play in that
era you only have to rent a DVD of some classic Wayne Carey games. Jason
used to play a
lone hand at centre half forward (despite his relative lack of height) and
marked
EVERYTHING. His hands were so strong he used to hold the ball even if the
defender got a
good fist on it.
Jason kicked important goals like Carey and everyone depended upon him to win
games. He
delivered week after week. If he was taller he would have played AFL.
The thing I admired most about Jason was not his hands or long kicking but his
courage.
Predictably, opposition teams used to stack up numbers against him in contests.
He had to
back into large packs with the flight of the ball. Still, he was nerver
outmarked. He is
one of two players I've seen dominate games at Seaford from centre half forward.
(
Kraska is the other.) Other people tell me Seaford oval is not a ground
for centre half
forwards. Wrong. You just have to be committed to the contest and
Super-courageous.
When Seaford was relegated to second division Jason was pitted against new foes.
Sadly,
those teams from Doveton and Hampton Park thought it appropriate to bring
another tactic
against Seaford's finest: violence. Jason was routinely bashed on the
football field.
He was still dominant (club best and fairest 1997) and although he would never
complain, I
believe that thuggery disappointed him. He was a fair player and always
had his eyes at the
ball.
Throughout the 1990s state league teams tried to lure Jason away from Seaford.
In 1999 his
good friend Anthony Harvey invited him to Norwood. Jason accepted and
spent a couple of
seasons in arguably the nation's second best league. He competed at a high
standard in
the SANFL, enjoying the opportunity to play on a flank at times, instead of key
position.
Jason came back to Seaford in 2002 and, like many brave centre half forwards,
was almost
crippled by injuries. In 2003 he had a brief stint with Chelsea FC.
He was entitled to
have tired of the attention in division two. He needed a change and headed
back to the top
level of MPNFL, only later realising it was not where he wanted to be. The
Seagulls saw
briefly why Jason is so admired. He performed well for his new club
despite his mixed
emotions.
In 2006, after a break from football, Jason came back to his home club. I
remember in his
early days Jason used to thrill the young ladies with his dance moves at the
footy club and
Frankston pubs (needless to say EVERYONE knew him and he was favourite with the
girls). But
the Jason that came back to Seaford was a different man. He had considered
his life. He
wanted to punctuate his fine career with the success that drove him for so many
years. He
was a measured and mature person.
Last season Jason Marsh finished in the top four of the club's best and fairest,
despite
injury concerns. His experience helped lead Seaford to a division one
preliminary final,
its best result since 1993, when he was a 21-year-old league champion.
Last week he took a well judged mark outside fifty and banged it through for a
goal. It was
his signature.
This week he plays his 200th game. In his time we has seen some great
Seaford footballers.
Is he the best? Don't have the argument in his presence because he is too
humble to
hear such talk.
This how he views his career: ""Most importantly the biggest highlight has been
the mateship with everyone and now seeing the young players develop and still
being able to
run out on the ground with them. My personal goal, like the team's is to win the
premiership this year and do everything in my power to contribute to that. For
me it is
highly likely that this will be my final year."
A football career to such a person is almost everything. Although our
Superman may appear
ageless he is not. Enjoy his 200th as much as you've enjoyed his 199
previous matches.
And may his courage be rewarded as he sees fit.
1/06/2007
One of the most attractive parts of our club, in my opinion, is its high
proportion of young
players.
Youth means something different to everyone.
I believe a "young" footballer is below the age of 24. (There are youthful
people
over 22 I concede but a player that has not yet reached somewhere near his
potential by 24
needs to get a wriggle on.)
A young player needs to be satisfied he belongs.
Only then will he show us what he is truly capable of.
Some people call this "confidence".
But I believe confidence is a misleading word that confuses and frustrates young
men trying
to discover a personal formula for success.
I have been convinced by listening to a former psychologist for the Australian
cricket team
that we should avoid linking success to confidence.
A quick example ...
Justin Langer says to his psychologist: "I am out of form."
The psychologist says: "What do you mean?"
"I'm not making runs."
"What's it got to do with form?"
"Well I don't feel confident."
"Forget that. What do you do well when you're making runs?"
"I get behind the ball and play straight."
"So just do that."
Langer hit a hundred the very next innings.
Young players can complicate the game of football. Really, the game
consists of making sure
your opponent does not get the ball too often, while at the same time looking to
contribute
to the team attack in the pursuit of victory.
Players mature differently and respond in unique ways to encouragement or
criticism. Every
person likes being praised and some even like being criticised, within
boundaries. It
depends on your personality and should make no difference to how hard you enter
into a
physical contest.
A young player's obligation to the team is to seek feedback from the mentors
they
respect; coaches, parents or colleagues.
Another obligation young players have is to be bold and aggressive in everything
they do.
There is much time in retirement to be conservative and measured.
Let go of your fears and anxieties, stop waiting for confidence and form to
arrive because
we don't really know what they look like.
Find out what makes you effective and "just do that". Usually it means
grabbing
the ball with both hands and kicking it with authority to a team mate or for
goal.
Our wealth of youth is one the main reasons I love coaching at Seaford.
And watching the Irvings and Kembles excel and witnessing a Walton, Miller or
Shaw bloom is
one of the reasons we have so many satisfied supporters.
pk
A footnote to the Dean Kemble incident against Hastings.
People make mistakes and they pay the price for them.
I was satisfied by the fourteen week suspension handed out to the player
Hastings believed
performed as well as any of their players the day Dean Kemble realised his face
had to be
reconstructed. I can't understand why the opposition appealed the decision and
offered
some evidence implying Dean had suffered his injury in another incident that did
not involve
a crushing elbow.
It was a just finding.
Hastings has witnessed a bigger life-changing experience this season.
Michael Agnello's hospital stay for a rare infection was shocking.
Agnello, for those who don't know him, has had a distinguished career, involving
Stingrays, Brisbane Bears and Frankston.
He is a gentleman of the game and has a wonderful young family.
We all should hope we could be as respected for sportsmanship as Mick has been
for more than
a decade.
I heard he might come back to football and I hope its true.
25 April -ANZAC Day
Seaford RSL has once again hosted a special ANZAC day ceremony.
I have reported on dawn services throughout Australia and even on the Kokoda
Track. I can say with some perspective that Seaford does it as well as any
other.
Beside the banksia trees and under a chorus of free parrots people gathered
to watch a polite march and a respectful service.
Trains whisked by like time itself.
President Rick East was given the honour of laying flowers at the memorial
stone on our club's behalf.
We are not soldiers but we contribute to our community and it was
appropriate.
I saw several SFC people, including the Smiths (what a satisfying feeling
having this family at Tigerland), the Cadds, Terry Miller, Chris Supple, the
Goodalls, the Maxwells and my father, who held my son.
Of course there were others I didn't see. The crowd was so big people were
watching the service from the other side of the creek.
Some people were named by the master of ceremonies as having passed away
since the last ANZAC Day. I recognised Clair Wyatt's name. It made
me
pause and think. She is missed well by loving people.
And that is why Seaford RSL hosts such a great service. It is the people,
faces and greetings.
I hope this year our football club can keep bringing people together. On
days like ANZAC Day you can be sure we all want to feel that relaxed sense
of community more often.
Kind regards PK
18 April 2007
Season 2007 -So Far.
SEASON 2007, what the committee has dubbed "The Year of the Tiger" is well and truly underway. Already we have participated in three practice matches against clubs from different parts of Victoria. As President Rick East mentioned in his letter, our lack of training facilities has disabled us to some degree, however this has not affected our performance on the field. The players and coaches have not complained and are concentrating on the task at hand, which begins Round 1 at Mt. Eliza.
Practice Matches
Our first practice match was against St.Kilda City, who play in the Southern Football League. They did not have an under 18s so we played an intra club game instead which enabled us to give players more ground time as the current under 18 list is in excess of 40 players.
The reserves, under the guidance of Jason Marsh and his assistant coach, former Seaford player Darren Godkin, kick started their season with a comfortable victory. The Seniors were not so successful, going down by about 6 goals. However, we got to see some new faces in the team, ranging from recruits, under 18 players from last year and some reserve players from last year pushing up a grade.
Our next hit out was a trip to the Goulbourn Valley, where we played Benalla. The Goulbourn Valley Football League is of a high standard so it was going to be a tough encounter. Both the under 18s and the Reserves were very impressive, winning by about 4 goals. The seniors also put in a strong performance but unfortunately went down by 11 points. Once again, there were more young players given their chance which will hold us in good stead as the season progresses.
The third practice match was against Knox City, who play in second division of the Eastern District Football League. The results were reversed for this encounter with the under l8s and the Reserves losing their matches by 6 goals and 8 points respectively. The Seniors tasted their first success in the practice matches with a 2-3 goal victory. For the third week in a row we were able to see even more young faces -including a couple of players from the under 18 Stingrays getting their first taste of senior football.
This week (21 April) we will be travelling to Pakenham for our final practice match before we play an intra club match on 28 April which will be held at the Norm Cathie Oval (Junior Club). The following week it will be 'game on' for our opening game of 2007 -away against Mt.Eliza, the team which defeated us in last season's Preliminary Final.
5 January 2007
Warburton and Pre-Christmas Training
Pre-Christmas training went without a hitch, despite the lack of a
facility on which to train.
The beach sessions provided the interesting diversion from pure football
practice needed at this level to keep everyone from going to sleep.
Marshy's strength plan began and will continue after the break.
Assistant coaches Ant and Forts both started what will be a big year for
them as leaders.
We will all benefit from the enthusiasm of the aforementioned trio.
A healthy band of Tigers went to Warburton after the first week of
training and climbed Mt Donna Buang, the state's biggest hill.
Kev Goodall went yellow half way up the first bit, which is as steep as
some climbs that make up the Kokoda Track.
E.P.A. has lost weight but not an ounce of spirit. He was, and always
is, good to be a round.
It was an encouraging weekend, the first of two camps this summer.
We go back to work on January 15.
The drought will determine whether we have a broken season ahead. The
grounds are as hard as our resolve.
When decisions are made about using ovals, we must keep in mind the
bigger picture of life in drought. I mean the lot of farmers and their
families, of course.
Football is not our livelihood, after all.
Leadership - Volume 1 - What a Team!
We should always be looking for examples to better define leadership and
its role in successful sporting teams.
Anyone involved in the business or hobby of trying to outscore an
opposition bunch must formulate its plan from observation and
experience.
It is important to look at all sports in search of outstanding
leadership and the make-up of great teams.
We should spend some time reflecting upon the Ashes and the differences
between Australia and England.
England's leadership was flawed from the beginning, not because Andrew
Flintoff was not a fine captain but because he was left with too much to
carry.
The Poms' leadership structure was very brief. Duncan Fletcher was the
coach and spoke like a father figure. Flintoff was captain but spoke as
one of the boys. Michael Vaughan was out of the team but stayed in
Australia and spend time in the dressing room. He did not seem to help
the cause in any meaningful way.
The rest of the players punched gloves after making runs and celebrated
wickets like close chums but did not openly support each other when the
matches became strenuous. It wasn't until the fourth test did we see an
English player (wicketkeeper Chris Read) suggest a field change to
Flintoff. The captain was otherwise left alone, to absorb all
Australian thrusts. No man is capable of beating 11.
Kevin Pieterson batted and fielded like a rogue. John Buchanan was
right in saying K.P. was a lone wolf, even if it wasn't right to say it
publically.
It was Pieterson after all who flexed his biceps to the Channel Nine
cameras before the batting collapse in Adelaide. While he was regarding
his muscles and public appeal Warne was readying to bowl him around his
legs. But the Ashes were lost even before Pieterson's mistimed sweep.
The worse the summer looked for the English the more fractured their
team became. Mahmood looked at himself on the scoreboard screen when he
took a wicket in Melbourne. He was self-absorbed. Trescothick and Giles
had gone home. Harmison wanted to go home early in the series. The
players did not spend Christmas of New Year's Eve together. No-one or
nothing was able to keep them together.
Andrew Strauss was touted as a captain before Flintoff was given the
nod. He did not contribute any obvious leadership in the field.
It was the lack of England's leadership that Australia was able to
dominate, for as the English team came apart individuals starting
failing more often. Collingwood was a good example of a man who
performed well early but floundered as the series progressed. The Aussie
bowlers also developed a better off-side line, no doubt a product of a
team meeting.
The Australian team was blessed, on the other hand, with one of best
leadership groups in world sport.
Ricky Ponting is a leader by example. His position is clear. The role
of John Buchanan is interesting. He leads from behind closed doors. It
is tempting to say his job is easy because so many of his charges are
champions. But to see Matthew Hayden hug Buchanan so sincerely after
the final test was to witness a true appreciation of the coach's
contribution from someone who surely knows. That we did not see him or
hear from him at every turn is significant. His role is to empower the
players.
Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath are fine leaders. Both appear to offer
suggestions and inspiration. Man to man they have helped Michael Clarke
and Brett Lee in recent times develop into mature guns. Ponting has
done the same for Symonds. This team has a culture and all its members
are encouraged and demanded to uphold the values of the group. It is a
powerful thing. As a result, they stand up for each other. When
Ponting and Hussey failed in Melbourne the others fired. Gilchrist's 62
in Sydney was a knock for the team. And Warne and Clark also batted for
those who missed out in the top order. The team was saved. No-one
looked to the scoreboard when they succeeded. They looked at each other.
It has been reported Damien Martyn was grumbling about after the
Adelaide test. He appears a selfish man. When he was under pressure he
was perhaps hard to play with. It has been said Langer and Hayden
confronted him and told him if he couldn't be a positive contributor he
should retire. The team did not miss him even though he was batting at
number four, one of the most important spots in the batting line up.
In nudging Martyn out the Australian leadership structure had performed
its duty. Martyn's personal pain could not spread. When Symonds came
into the team he was welcomed and he thrived.
It is true Warne's and McGrath and Langer will be missed, particularly
the leg spinner. But in the Australian cricket team lives a leadership
structure that will cope with arrivals and departures.
It is hard to see them regularly beaten while they maintain the
structure currently in place. When Buchanon is replaced it will be by a
man who will know his job well. The players will welcome and educate
him. And when the great Ponting one day passes the baton to someone
else, the next skipper will have learnt along the way that leadership is
best spread evenly throughout the changeroom, rather than heaped in one
corner.
pk
29th October 2006
I’d
like to address you as a club. These
are my personal opinions, my vision for a community club that has been
resuscitated.
After
four years of rebuilding I think this football club is at a fork in the road.
There are some decisions to be made and people to need to commit to finding
better ways to operate and succeed.
We
must decide what to do next. Be
happy with third place and blame an umpire’s call
… or prepare for a tougher 2007 and improve in areas where we failed.
Let
others lead small lives,
but not us.
Let others argue over small things,
but not us.
Let others cry over small hurts,
but not us.
Let others leave their future
in someone else's hands,
but not us
On
field, the choice in simple: of course we will work harder.
We have to. At the start of
the year I said Mt Eliza was so far ahead of the competition we could barely see
them. Now we are closer.
But
we are eleven months away from qualifying for finals and that is our first aim.
Thoughts of premierships are misplaced.
We need to sure up our backline, develop depth in the midfield and be
less predictable up forward. We need
to improve our strength, our endurance and our on field leadership.
We
must follow the Sydney Swans model. At the Sydney Swans they play for each
other. Did you hear Adam Goodes say
he thought he deserved credit for his Brownlow?
WE
CAN ACHIEVE SO MUCH MORE WHEN NO-ONE WANTS TO TAKE PERSONAL CREDIT FOR THE
TEAM’S SUCCESS. AND THAT APPLIES
TO THE WHOLE CLUB, NOT JUST THE TEAM. CREDIT
IS FOR BANKS AND BUSINESSES. WE’RE
NOT INTERESTED IN TAKING CREDIT. THE
ONLY THING WE WANT TO TAKE IS THE NEXT STEP.
And
we have been moving toward a Sydney Swans method for the past two years.
Leadership
has improved because of efforts from young men like Scotty Kemble, Emilio
Merchan, Ben Cadd, Dean Kemble Michael Kraska and Cal Date.
A new culture of responsibility has emerged.
And,
in the past year, we’ve seen great new leaders emerge. Jason Marsh and Ollie
Trand, put simply, are men that could make
All
of these men have been good to Seaford and the
And
anyone who saw the smiling man operate in the last few months of the season knew
they had seen a leader of men. Anthony Agius must surely be considered a man fit
to lead this club in the future. He
demands excellence. So should we
all.
Ant,
after all, understands that if you are going to achieve excellence in finals,
you develop perfect habits in training and home and away games. Excellence is
not a skill but an attitude.
And
these are the leaders that will demand the next generation is as equally
team-minded.
Everything
we do should be geared toward making the senior team stronger.
We
finished third and we must recognise that is not good enough.
I
was delighted that the Under 18s won the premierships and 2007 will be
remembered as the year the new
But
what happens next is the most important thing.
How will these young men, who acted so bravely, adapt to the next level.
Under 18 success is not something to hang your career on. It’s a start.
Not a finish.
It
will take individual toughness and determination and patience to help these
teenagers become good senior players and therefore contribute to our team.
Aaron
Turner is a future captain of the club. But
only if Scotty and the rest of us demand more from him that he would think to
give.
It’s
called building a team culture.
What’s
the word for
While
you think about it let me go on.
A
questions some might ask is ….
How
many of the Under 18 premiership players will play seniors next year?
It
‘s a dangerous question to get hung up on. I don’t want to rush anyone in
when they aren’t ready.
Maybe
this is a more constructive question ….
How
many of the 2006 Under 18 premiership team will be playing seniors by the time
they are 30-years-old.
If
the answer is one or two then we cannot expect many flags.
If the answer is ten to fifteen then by the year 2017 we will have won at
least five premierships. Now
that’s a dynasty to be proud of.
ASK
NOT WHETHER YOU WILL BE GIVEN A GO NEXT YEAR. ASK, RATHER, WHAT DO YOU NEED TO
DO TO BE GOOD ENOUGH TO PLAY SENIORS UNTIL YOU ARE THIRTY.
So
what can we do off field to make sure we win premierships?
Well
I’ll tell you what I think is important. I
believe we need to challenge the ways things have always been done.
The
committee has a constitution. The
club has traditions. Football has
traditions. Forget useless
traditions. Let traditions follow us
… not the other way around.
Four
years ago we tweaked the theme song to include the word
WHO
ARE WE?
HOW
DO WE PLAY? HARD
WHAT
DO WE PLAY WITH? PRIDE.
It’s
my favourite part of the song because the players thought of it one night when
we were at the end of
This
year we had a Hungarian Water Polo coach talk to us about
Russell
O’Brien has brought to the club a new technology.
Tahir has taken photos and displayed them.
Those
two men have done as much for the club as anyone because they have helped lift
they way we think of ourselves. And
I didn’t hear either of them ask for credit.
Smitty
suggested at a committee meeting we run a ten thousand dollar night. It was
difficult to imagine it running well. But
it did. We made about fifteen grand.
From a suggestion - we made fifteen grand.
Generous supporters have tipped in dollars, knowing they would be spent wisely. We therefore lifted our performance. These are not coincidences
Hunting Territories, Theme Songs, Websites, Photos.
WHO ELSE HAS AN IDEA?
There's a new name for the best and fairest medal. The Robert Harvey Medal. What an honour it is for someone here tonight to be a Robert Harvey Medallist.
There are one hundred and sixty people in the room tonight.
Who's not offering something? Who's not asking questions, making suggestions and challenging tradition? It's your club too isn't it? You have ideas don't you. Speak up. Volunteer. Don't just be involved … be COMMITTED.
WHO ARE WE? SEAFORD.
HOW DO WE PLAY? HARD.
WHAT DO WE PLAY WITH? PRIDE.
So as you sit here tonight that's what I would like you to start thinking about. How can we get more people back to the club? How can we band together and challenge tradition? How can we lift the senior team from third to first?
It's all about the senior team, crowds and social conduct.
Did I mention we are one of the cleanest anti-drug clubs in the state?
Two things stand out for me from the last two weeks.
Firstly, it was Dish giving away fifty metres in the Preliminary Final.
What did he do after the Mt Eliza man kicked the goal. Someone said he should stop crying, put your chin up and take it like a man. And they were right. So Dish got up and he jogged off the ground with his teammates. Heads up. Dignity upheld. At that moment I felt we were stronger than when we ran on to the ground. We were harder. And we will be hard to beat now.
The next moment that stood out was during the last quarter of the Under 18 grand final. The game was on the line and Mt Eliza looked to be coming. The ball spilled loose on the wing and Andy Phillips needed to go.
Andy likes to go three quarter pace. It's a habit. But at that moment Andy pinned his ears back and went flat out and when he arrived he was first there. Mt Eliza got out of his way. He won the ball. And I knew the team would win.
And … I thought if everyone, players, volunteers, coaches, sponsors and supporters … committed themselves like Andy Phillips did at the moment to meet every challenge there is … we will be the most powerful VCFL club in the state within three years.
We start by trying to win the premiership next season. And if we do it, it'll be the best team win we've ever been committed to.
P.K.
28th June 2006
Istvan Gorgenyi spoke to the Seaford Football Club last night. The Hungarian former water polo champ and coach of the Sydney 2000 gold medal women's water polo team was typically humble and affable. He also brought to us a new perspective on football. It was a unique night for the Tigers. World-class speakers do not often step into local footy clubs. Players, supporters and sponsors sat and listened respectfully. They asked well considered questions. Dr Gorgenyi's words may take some time to process, particularly in younger cubs. But his hunting territory theory will stay with us for a long time. Business people were similarly inspired. Marianne Goodall and Dale O'Neill were just two company chiefs to head home with new ideas, fresh enthusiasm for tomorrow. Members of Bonbeach Football Club attended. They were thankful for the opportunity to come to our club and share. But the Sharks' coaching staff should also be congratulated. It would have been easy to knock back the invitation. Bonbeach and Seaford have much in common. The clubs came up to division one together but their similarities go beyond timing. Both are comprised of quality people, interested in community and achievement. With an appetite for information, the Sharks and Tigers will improve. Istvan Gorgenyi is not the first special guest at Seaford Rd this season. Alex Ishchenko helped our ruckmen in February. Stan Alves visited pre-season. He inspired too. It is no surprise that Alves is familiar with Gorgenyi's theory. In fact, he refers to him in his wonderful biography "Sacked Coach". They are members of an elite unofficial coaching club that stays in touch and discusses techniques and tactics. And they were both impressed by Seaford and its people.
PK
31st May 2006
The interleague system is an interesting one.
I read on the VCFL website that Western Border FL president Craig Keating believes it is a necessary concept to showcase
"our talent, to make our football product attractive to media outlets, potential sponsors." He also states: "By challenging
our participants to play at a higher grade, we offer them the chance to benchmark against the best." Mr Keating says that
Justin Sweeney was drafted from his performance at last year's Under 18 championship. I also noted this from the
WBFL boss: "Club and League Officials benefit from networking with other similar organisations at regional competitions.
There is always an opportunity to exchange ideas, and to learn from each other." I'm glad Mr Keating is making friends.
In a detailed and thoughtful essay Craig Keating confirmed in my mind that some officials have a muddled view of the real
benefits of the Country Championships. Media coverage? The Hampden/MPNFL result didn't even make it into Monday's
Herald/Sun classifieds. Sponsors - where's the dough? If the Country Championships had Sweeney drafted then it is a
bone fide coup. I suspect the Saints don't rely on interleague to spot talent. Noble Park doesn't compete in the VCFL
but young Gwilt managed to find his way onto St Kilda's list. I can't speak for anyone else on this one.
Interleague means many things to many people. Here's my take on it. The interleague concept is absolutely necessary.
And the number one benefit? Bragging rights. Football's richest reward. We want to be the best.
Spend time in other parts of Victoria and you will recognise that league strength is a topic of conversation.
The second benefit? It is also an opportunity for players to compete against better quality opposition but we
should have these matches scheduled at better grounds to make it a more special event. Berwick is a good ground but
Moorabbin is better. Kars St is better. In the MPNFL, selection is a touchy subject. Player unavailability, however,
is not the problem in finding a team capable of beating the state's best. I'm not sure the selection process is followed
through with an open mind. Seaford was invited to nominate two players this season for interleague consideration.
We choose our two best form players. Dean Kemble was in great form and Chris Irving was at his best preceding the
request from the league. Instead, Ben Cadd and Scott Kemble were invited to training. Scott has had his stint and
isn't interested in rep teams anymore. Ben is away from home with work and finds it hard to play with Seaford every week.
He couldn't fit it in. Chris hurt his ankle the week before interleague training and did not attend, though he was invited.
Where does that leave Dean Kemble, Seaford's best player? Ignored.
The interleague bosses will have you believe they contacted every club to canvass selection possibilities.
No-one called me. Not this year, not last year, not the year before that. I would have told them Dean Kemble is,
in my opinion, the best utility in the MPNFL. And he is twenty. I would have told them Seaford backs the interleague
concept one hundred per cent. I would have wished them luck against Hampden league.
I hoped they'd win so I could stop hearing from other people how strong the O+M is and how powerful the Goulburn Valley
league is. Well done to the cubs Ang, Fridge and Andy for their personal efforts.
We're proud of you.
PK
9th May 2006
Injured Cub
Dear Seaford, Dave Maurice suffered a torn liver and bruised kidneys in a marking contest against the Seagulls. It rates among the worst injuries a player has had at this club. This is a bitter blow for several reasons. Firstly, Dave has had his setbacks in recent years, including a dislodged knee cap. Secondly, our team loses for the season one of its central figures. His stay in hospital is over and now "Cub" faces three months off work. He is currently deciding whether to re-read War and Peace or master Playstation II. Seaford has had its bouts of bad luck in recent years (Kraz's injury also comes to mind) but surely this is going too far. I feel shattered for Dave because he has the potential to become a leading player in this league (if you don't believe me come and borrow a copy of the Mornington game, in which he kicked five goals from centre half forward). The shame is that he will have to wait until 2007 for his chance to shine. Best wishes to his family and girlfriend Stacey, who will have to put up with his restlessness until then. It is necessary at this point to raise my nomination for clubperson of the month. Bobby Martello (now known as medium-sized Bobby) was the one who declared Dave should not play the second half against Chelsea. Cub wanted to go back out there despite passing blood. He is brave. I knew that. But Bob declared him unfit. Doctors later said if Dave continued and was bumped the wrong way ..... well ..... you imagine the rest. What does this all mean to Dave and club? Dave will have next year and the year after to play football. I will invite him to come with me to Nepean School next week to see some students who can never play football. It might ease your burden Cub. Tree lopping will have to wait. We must all keep our branches trimmed until mid-August. We, as a team, will struggle to be as good without Dave but we must struggle regardless. It is time some men started to stand up to fill the spaces created by injury. And it is time for the rest of us to start playing with the courage Maurice showed last Sunday. If we do, we will be harder to beat. I haven't got too many years of football left. But I will play the remainder of this season for Cub.
Regards PK
12th March 2006
Fifteen AFL players tested positive for party drugs in 2005.
The league's deputy sheriff Adrian Anderson boasts: "We have the most
extensive illicit drugs testing regime in the country."
Big deal. You've busted them.
Who are these drug-takers?
We won't be told.
Testing exists to police the illegal consumption of banned substances.
But what are the penalties for those who act illegally outside
competition?
For a first offence, a player who pops a pill or snorts speed can
eventually
sleep easy.
Nothing happens to him.
For a second offence, a player who flips an eccy or does a line of
cocaine
can rest assured, the AFL won't dob on them.
A third offence will have a player named and shamed.
So the dumbest player in the league (you decide who that might be) will
one
day be humiliated, as he should be.
But the rest of the drug takers will be protected and shamed only in
the
eyes of those who see them off their dials at nightclubs and pubs
around
Melbourne and other capital cities as far away as Perth.
Thankfully, the AFL was last year blackmailed by the Federal Government
to
adopt WADA's in-competition policy, which means a player who tests
positive
on game day will face a two year ban.
It is unlikely any player will test positive to party drugs before a
game.
But it could happen.
All players who test positive to drugs should be suspended from playing
football, at all levels.
In country football we will never have the means to test players,
therefore
it is difficult to spot a drug taker among the crowd.
But here are some tips for clubs who care.
The drug taker will isolate himself from the group at social functions
and
stand in the darkest corner.
He will head to nightclubs in Frankston and the city, which are well
known
for all night raves.
21st February 2006
THE
VALUE OF A CAPTAIN
Even
at local level the captain of a football club plays an integral role and
although his duties are not to be compared with a Voss or Buckley, his
commitment to the club should set an example for all to follow.
16 February 2006
The
coming MPNFL Peninsula Division season promises much for its participants and
followers.