GUE ANNOUNCEMENT

has only two flags from almost 60 years in the Western Border with the most recent comingin1990.

Meanwhile, the other league will have 14 clubs.

It will comprise the other four Western Border clubs (Millicent, South Gambier, West Gambier and North Gambier) and all tenKowreeNaracoorteTatiaraclubs(Keith, Bordertown, Kingston, Naracoorte, Lucindale, Penola, Border Districts, Mundulla,KybyboliteandPadthaway).

arty comprises Tony Irvine Ben Mules, Adam Merrett, eter Allen, Stephen Day, Tony Elletson and Bob

Country Football Shawn orking Group and its subad been focused on ermining the best structure for football t, unanimously agreeing erenceforthefollowing: titionsintheregion,with of the Western Border FootballLeague.

Four Clubs moving to the current Kowree NaracoorteTatiaraFootballLeague(KNTFL) tocreateastrong14-teamcompetition.

Two Clubs (Casterton and East Gambier) to move to the current Mid South Eastern FootballLeague

Establishment of a separate junior football structure for the youngest age groups (under 8s – under 11s) to help increase juniorparticipation.

Team selecon will occur over the coming weeks with games to be pla & MID SE teams on Saturday June 10th at the Bordertown Football Club.

Coach Ben Hardy will conduct 3 further Training Sessions prior to Gameda

Selecon – Wednesday 24th of May 5.30pm at East Gambier Football Club

Selecon - Wednesday 31st of May 5.30pm at East Gambier Football Club

Final squad - (Time & Locaon to be Confirmed)

Mr Ford said that after reviewing several structure alternatives, the Working Group agreed that a two-competition model would achieve the best possible balance in competition size, evenness, proximity for participants, junior participation and pathways.

He said an important aspect in developing the new structure would be to find ways to introduce a more flexible junior structure which prioritises participation, creates inclusive environments, establishes stronger pathways through to senior club level and importantly ensures future sustainabilityintheregion.

“Ultimately, there was a need to provide a structure which would ensure stability and sustainability for clubs in the longer-term, as well as to complement an overall regionalfootystrategy,”MrFordsaid.

Jens

FROMTHEARCHIVES

GREATWBFLFINALS

DEMONS’FANSHOLDTHEIRBREATH

ThrillerputsSouthintofirstfinalin19years(1970) SOUTH Gambier supporters held their breath as Coleraine big man John Vickery took his kick about 30 metres from goal with less than a minute left on theclock.

Vickery had already kicked three goals and had just climbedhighoverthebackofDemons’fullbackJohn Broadbent to pull in the mark of the match. It was a screamer and the local football world virtually stoppedasVickerywalkedbacktotakehiskick.

As the time clock ticked down, it was well into timeon,lessthanaminuteremainedinthe1970Western Border Football League preliminary final with South leadingbyfourpointsasVickery madehisapproach. A goal would put Coleraine into the grand final for a re-match with Hamilton. His kick looked true off the boot and it was heading towards the big sticks. As it did the jaws of every South supporter dropped, knowingtheirseasonwasheadingforacruelend.

But, as it neared its target the ball started to veer slightly and slammed into the goal post for a behind. South’shopeswerestillalive.

South coach Garry Sims took the kick-in and sent a huge torpedo punt straight down the ground where his brother Darryl gathered the ball off the pack in the centre of the ground and on the run kicked a behindtopushtheleadbacktofourpoints.

CleverlyGarrySimsmovedhimselfdowntheground and marked the Coleraine long kick-in as the siren sounded to send South into its first grand final in 19 years.

Their last was in 1951 when they won a premiership intheSouthEastandBorderFootballLeague.

The match was one of the best for the season between two teams who played fast, run-on football.

Coleraine had come off a defeat by Hamilton in the second semifinalwhileSouth had won the first semi final.

South dominated the first half but survived a late charge and were almost over-run by a fast finishing Maroons.

In the opening term Darryl Sims in the centre, rovers Peter Whitehead and Barry Smith had worked well with ruckman Max Deckert to put South four points upatquartertime.

At full forward Brian Norman’s fast leading and sure marking was giving Coleraine’s Barry Kaine a hard timewhileJeffArthurwasontopofRonJenkinsonat centrehalfforward.

South’s second quarter proved to be its best for the game and with winners in most key positions the Demonspiledon5.3totakeagoodleadathalftime.

Gordon Walker had been in great touch across half back and with Sims controlling aerial duels and having the better of Geoff Shrive, South looked impressivewhentheywentintothelongbreak.

It was a more determined Coleraine outfit which reemerged after half time and slowly they started to pullbackthe21-pointlead.

With G Grreeeennwwooood D

around the ground ear-marked him as a future championandthatisthewayitturnedout.

Up forward Graham Harriott was giving the South defence a difficult time while Vickery’s high marking resultedinacoupleofgoals.

InthethirdtermGarrySimsneededtobeathisbest, turning back Coleraine time and again with some telling marks at centre half back and Deckert did some telling things around the ground to match Vickeryintheruck.

South swapped Norman and Arthur to get more run at centre half forward which worked well but at the other end of the ground Graham Harriott was causing concern with his sound marking and ground play

AtthreequartertimeSouth’sleadwas21points.

AtthefinalbreakSouth11.11ledColeraine8.8.

As the final terms got under way rover Vern Spencer was now in control around the packs he kicked his fourth goal for the game while Harriott and Vickery eachnotchedtheirthirdasColerainestormedhome.

Coleraine coach Col Saddington played an inspirational game as ruck rover and his bulk in the packs helped Spencer and the Coleraine little men gettheballaway

In defence, Garry Sims showed great leadership in that final term and pulled in some telling marks just when it appeared Coleraine were about to steal the lead.

Cunneen would go on to play more than 300 league games with Coleraine and Portland and was a top inter-leagueplayer

Rover Vern Spencer was again Coleraine’s best and his work with Saddington was very effective while LaurieKaineandVickeryamongotherswhokeptthe Maroonsinthegame.

South coach Garry Sims was the difference, particularly in the second half when the Demons were under enormous pressure, while rovers Peter Whitehead and Barry Smith were damaging around theground.

Dale Hillyer was South’s best defender closely followedbyJohnBroadbent.

Sims took eight marks and had 23 kicks for the day while Barry Smith picked up 20 kicks and Peter Whitehead17.

What was interesting was that Coleraine’s ruckmen John Vickery and young John Cunneen had more than matched Hamilton’s star Geoff Cayzer the previous week in the second semi final and they appeared to have the artillery to match Hamilton’s bigmenhadtheymadethefinal.

Nowthequestionbeingaskedmostwaswhetherthe South ruckmen – David Walker, Steve Rothall and Max Deckert and ruck rover Russel Matthews would be able to dampen Cayzer’s influence in the grand finalthefollowingweek.

It would be the battle which would decide the premiership.

Inthemeantimethe“mightyweeDemon”songrang out loud and long after South’s amazing and thrilling preliminaryfinalvictory

Kaine was particularly damaging in the final term whereheoftenkickeddeepintoattack.

South’s Max Deckert did some damage when resting in attack and also picked up three goals from strong marks.

In the centre Darryl Sims had a great tussle with Laurie Kaine and while they played wide of each other Kaine’s long kicking into attack kept Coleraine in the game in the first half while Darryl Sims accuratepassinghelpedArthurandNormantothree goalseach. HewasSouth’sbestruckmanandthefastestbigman on the field and used that to good effect when restinginattack.

On one occasion he grabbed the ball from a centre bounce, weaved around two opponents and then sprinted downfield with team-mates shepherding him as he bounced the ball twice before slamming it throughthemiddleforavitalgoal.

Spencertoppedoffagreateffortwithfourgoalsand wasColeraine’smostdamagingplayerwhileHarriott andVickeryhelpedthemselvestothreeeach.

Had Vickery not hit the post in time-on Coleraine wouldhavewontheirwayintothegrandfinal.

However,Southhungontowin13.14(92),Coleraine 13.10(88).

One name that would stand out for some years was teenage ruckman John Cunneen who was in his debutyear

He gave Vickery great support and his marking

A GRADE

North Gambier 54 (M. Renko, B. Walters) d East Gambier 31 (E. Cole, A. Beveridge)

Millicent 94 (T. Sanderson, L. Duldig) d Casterton Sandford 20 (M Cleary, M, Paon)

West Gambier 69 (T. Bryant, L. McGregor) d South Gambier 43 (G. Dalton, E. Bouchier)

A RESERVE

North Gambier 67 (A. Pitson, A. O’Shaughnessy) d East Gambier 30 (B. Hicks, L. Murray)

Millicent 65 (N. Facey) d Casterton Sandford 54 (P. Murrell, S. Fidler)

West Gambier 60 (G. Petersen, C. Ransom) d South Gambier 45 (J. O’Neil, C. Muller)

B GRADE

East Gambier 41 (S. James, N. Smith) d North Gambier 37 (B. Lush, K. Dyson)

Casterton Sandford 50 (T. Cleary, K. Harvey) d Millicent 34 (J. Lovino, M. Fleming)

South Gambier 51 (K. McIntyre-Clark, M. Glynn) d West Gambier 41 (E. Gillies, M. Dalton)

C GRADE

East Gambier 54 (B. Jean, G. Ferguson) d North Gambier 32 (H. Fox, T. Flemming)

Millicent 51 (L. Goodfellow, E. Bonde) d Casterton Sandford 14 (E. Mutch, M. Mutch)

South Gambier 56 (J. Jennings, B. Winterfield) d West Gambier 35 (A. Koch, E. Sutherland)

17 & UNDER

North Gambier 55 (L. Roulstone, S. Mobbs) d East Gambier 26 (I. Dwyer, A. Beveridge) Millicent 50 (K. Lindner, L. Van Eeden) d Casterton Sandford 42 (C. Hulm, M. Paon)

West Gambier 56 (L. Simpson, M. Pearson) d South Gambier 31 (S. Wight, M. Walmsley)

15 & UNDER A

North Gambier 72 (M. Human, R. Mitchell) d East Gambier 8 (J. O’Dea, S. Clark) Millicent 79 (P. Paul, K. Dunn) d Casterton Sandford 7 (O. Nolte, A. Luers)

West Gambier 45 (L. Pearson, M. Pearson) d South Gambier 30 (G. Dalton, S. Grassi)

15 & UNDER B

Millicent 18 (T. Grosser, J. Hibberd) d Casterton Sandford 3 (C. Gorman, N. Cornish)

West Gambier 58 (A. Reid, L. Buck) d South Gambier 8 (L. Sneath, K. Awill)

13 & UNDER A

North Gambier 45 (G. Collins, J. Baron) d East Gambier 16 (I. Mee, M. Lile)

Millicent 42 (A. Thomson, L. Crowe) d Casterton Sandford 13 (M. Robbins, A. Murphy)

West Gambier 27 (E. McKenny, C. Hunter) d South Gambier 18 (T. Sims, E. Merchant)

13 & UNDER B

East Gambier 30 (I. Nelson, T. Olsen) d North Gambier 16 (P. Lucas, A. Schloithe)

Casterton Sandford 22 (Y. Grigg, R. Gorman) d Millicent 17 (P. Johnson, B. Madden)

West Gambier 19 (H. Jackson, M. Thomas) d South Gambier 13 (E. McCracken, L. Dening)

11 & UNDER

East Gambier 22 (A. Perry, S. Creek) d North Gambier 11 (F. Wakefield, S. Yeates)

Millicent 18 d Casterton Sandford 6

South Gambier 18 (L. Howard, W. Bowering) d West Gambier 12 (E. Parham, A. Stubbings)