MPNFL DIVISION ONE IT was the battle for the top spot on the Division One ladder on Saturday with last year’s Grand Final winners, Frankston YCW, facing the rampaging and unbeaten Dromana Tigers. From the outset Dromana had the upper hand with six scoring shots to three in the first quarter putting them eight points up at the first break. The Stonecats came back in the second quarter to try and right the wrong, and ground back to be just two points down at the main break. Frankston YCW continued the grind in the third quarter and managed to get…
Author: Brodie Cowburn
MPNFL DIVISION ONE AFTER coming off a win against Red Hill last week, Rosebud faced Dromana at home on Saturday. It was never going to be their day, with Dromana quick out of the blocks, slotting 3.3 to four single points for Rosebud by quarter time. Dromana went hard in the second quarter, piling on another seven goals to Rosebud’s solitary major to be 53 points up at the main break. It was pedestrian for Dromana from then on, maintaining the margin through to the final siren with a 60-point win 14.9 to 4.9. Red Hill have yet to notch…
MPNFL DIVISION ONE IT was a game for the ages as newly promoted Langwarrin came up against Mt Eliza at Emil Madsen Reserve on Saturday. Last year’s Division Two premiers had something to prove in the higher division, but the Redlegs were keen to show them what life was like in Division One. Langwarrin were quick out of the blocks, slotting a couple of majors in the first quarter. Mt Eliza, while getting four shots on goal, only managed four minor scores, setting a pattern of inaccuracy for the day. Mt Eliza found the middle in the second quarter, managing…
MPNFL DIVISION ONE AFTER a split round to kick off 2023, there were just two games this weekend in Division One. It was a home ground advantage for Dromana in their Good Friday clash with Red Hill and they wasted no time in getting some serious scoring on the board. It was an onslaught in the first quarter with seven scoring shots to one in favour of the Tigers, with the quarter time scoreboard reading 5.2 to Red Hill’s single goal. The second quarter was an entire turnaround, with Red Hill controlling the play while slamming on three goals and…
MPNFL DIVISION ONE LANGWARRIN received a harsh introduction to the top division last Saturday. Division one premiers Frankston YCW played Langwarrin at Lloyd Park. Langwarrin went all of 2022 without defeat, but faced a significant challenge in the Stonecats in their 2023 season opener. Frankston YCW put Langwarrin to the sword. The Kangaroos only kicked five goals all day, and were defeated 5.7 (37) to 14.13 (97). Josh Patullo and Christian Tsiampas both kicked four goals for the Stonecats. Luca Goonan also impressed. Some poor goalkicking saved Pines from a huge defeat against Mt Eliza last Saturday. Mt Eliza led…
MPNFL FOOTBALL returns to the Mornington Peninsula this weekend, with a few changes. The former Mornington Peninsula Nepean Football League has undergone a name change. The 2023 Mornington Peninsula Football Netball League begins on Saturday, 1 April. One thing that remains unchanged is the eagerness of the footballers to get the season underway. Three seniors division one matches will take place on 1 April. It will be a battle of the 2022 premiers on Saturday as reigning division one champions Frankston YCW take on division two premiers Langwarrin. It was a dream 2022 for Langwarrin, who went the whole season…
CRICKET PROVINCIAL OLD Peninsula were crowned premiers on Sunday. Old Peninsula claimed the crown after a convincing win over Langwarrin. The sides played a two-day match at Peninsula Grammar School last Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday, Old Peninsula got the match started by choosing to bat first. They stayed at the crease for nearly the entire day, eventually being bowled out for 186 just before stumps. A patient 41 from 122 deliveries by Thomas La Brooy steadied things for Old Peninsula when the game looked like it might be getting away from them. He top scored for his side. On…
CRICKET PROVINCIAL LANGWARIN booked their spot in the Grand Final with a win over Baden Powell last weekend. Langwarrin and Baden Powell played at Lloyd Park last Saturday and Sunday. Langwarrin batted on Saturday, and put a big score on the board. At the end of day one, Langwarrin finished on 8/232. Opener Ian Cockbain smashed 91 runs. Baden Powell got off to a shaky start on Sunday, and couldn’t recover. They lost both openers for small totals, and at 5/54 the game was out of their reach. Baden Powell was bowled out for 170, 62 runs short of their…
CRICKET PROVINCIAL PINES locked up a top four spot with a thrilling win over Sorrento on Saturday. A finals spot was on the line at David Macfarlane Reserve. Pines was sent in to bat first, and nearly let the game slip. Pines was bowled out for just 113 runs. A disastrous collapse saw them lose 6/15 to close out their innings. Liam O’Connor did the damage late. He took 3/6 from 3 overs. Sorrento had victory in their sights, but couldn’t get the job done. They also suffered from a brutal collapse late in their innings. The chasing side was…
CRICKET PROVINCIAL LANGWARRIN picked up a good win over Sorrento on Saturday. On day two, Langwarrin were chasing a total of 225. Their openers made a dent in the target, but it was number four batter Chris Brittain who did the most damage. Brittain smashed 74 runs from 125 deliveries. His innings helped guide Langwarrin to a five wicket win with three overs left to play. At Ballam Park East, Old Peninsula defended a total of 219 against Long Island. Old Peninsula bowler John Forrest did the hard work. He bowled throughout the whole day, his efforts keeping Long Island…
CRICKET PROVINCIAL AN unbeaten knock of 81 from James O’Connell helped Red Hill to a good total on Saturday. Red Hill are playing Baxter in a two-day match. Red Hill batted on day one, going on to score 8/246 before stumps. Red Hill’s batters struggled to capitalise on good starts in the early part of the day. O’Connell stamped his authority on the match batting at number six – he scored 81 from 148 deliveries. Pines were bowled out by Baden Powell on day one of their two-day match at Pat Rollo Reserve. Pines lost the toss and were sent…
CRICKET PROVINCIAL AN unbeaten century from opener Corey Harris has guided Sorrento to a victory. Sorrento was chasing Long Island’s total of 161 on day two of their match at David Macfarlane Reserve. Led by Harris, Sorrento reached their target comfortably. Harris scored 110 from 200 deliveries. He spent nearly five hours at the crease, and hit 18 boundaries in that time. Sorrento passed their target with seven wickets to spare. Baxter batter Daniel Warwick also scored a century this Saturday, but his efforts weren’t enough to get his side over the line. Baxter played Pines at Baxter Park. Pines…
CRICKET PROVINCIAL PINES are in pole position to defeat Baxter. Baxter Park hosted day one of the two-day clash between Baxter and Pines. Pines batted first, and had an excellent time at the crease. Harley Peace-Stirling was Pines’ best. He blasted 108 runs from 138 balls, including 14 fours. Jack Peace-Stirling contributed 80 runs to the scoreboard. Declan Jackson also scored a half century. Pines finished the day with a huge total of 7/336. Baxter has a lot of work to do to avoid a loss. Ladder leaders Old Peninsula are staring down the barrel of defeat. They were bowled…
CRICKET PROVINCIAL OLD Peninsula fell just short of their target against Sorrento in a high scoring one-day thriller last Saturday. Sorrento batted first, and put 213 runs on the bord. Opener Corey Harris top scored with 51 runs. Old Peninsula struggled early during their run chase, falling to 2/16. Wade Pelzer came in at number three and grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck. Pelzer put on a brilliant display. He smashed 112 runs before being caught out. Unfortunately for Pelzer, he didn’t get much support from his teammates. Wickets fell around him for most of the afternoon.…
CRICKET PROVINCIAL LONG Island took out the win in a thriller against Baxter on Saturday. Coming into day two of their match, Long Island was defending a total of 298. Baxter’s first wicket fell early, but they soon got things back on track. First drop batter Mitchell Harvey contributed 45 runs to the run chase. Middle order batter Dananjaya Fernando scored 59. Baxter chipped away at their target, but Long Island kept on the pressure. At 8/222 it looked like Long Island would get over the line fairly comfortably. A spirited showing from the tail end nearly won the game…
CRICKET PROVINCIAL CRAIG Entwistle has started the year with a bang, smashing 132 runs in a dominant display on Saturday. MPCA cricket returned on Saturday after a short break. Baden Powell restarted their campaign by hosting Sorrento in a two-day clash. Baden Powell batted for the entire day. Entwistle was the star, scoring 132 before retiring. He batted for close to six hours, and smashed 18 fours during his brilliant innings. Opener Dale Elmi also impressed for Baden Powell. He scored 80 runs. Baden Powell closed out their innings with 327 runs on the scoreboard. Sorrento has a huge mountain…
CRICKET PROVINCIAL BAXTER overcame a first innings loss to grab an outright win against Sorrento on day two of their match on Saturday On day one, Baxter succumbed to a brutal first innings defeat. They were bowled out for 63 in response to Sorrento’s 110. Sorrento made a second innings total of 7/137. They then sent Baxter in to bat to close out day two, with the chasing side needing to score 186 to win. Baxter were much better in their second innings. Opener Daniel Warwick got his side off to a strong start with a well-taken half century. After…
IN 11 years since 2010, there were 56 drownings recorded on the Mornington Peninsula. Of these deaths, 26 were peninsula residents and mostly males. The statistics are contained in the 2020/21 Victoria Life Saving Drowning Report which says that there is a 99 per cent chance of a drowning on the peninsula in any given year. The report also states that statistcally there is a 96 per cent chance of a peninsula resident drowning in any given year and that males are 4.2 times more likely to drown that females. In neighbouring Frankston, which ranked 11th for the highest number…
CRICKET PROVINCIAL AN eight-wicket masterclass from Jake Wood was the difference between Baxter and Sorrento on Saturday. Sorrento batted first at David Macfarlane Reserve on day one of the two day matchup. They struggled, only managing to score 110 from 45 overs before being sent back to the sheds. Sorrento would have to be brilliant with the ball to prevent defeat. They proved more than up to the task. Both of Baxter’s openers were sent packing for ducks, thanks to the excellent bowling of Jake Wood. Wood rampaged through Baxter, going on to claim figures of 8/16 from 11 overs.…
CRICKET PROVINCIAL A BRILLIANT century from Alex Browne wasn’t enough to get Red Hill over the line against Sorrento on Saturday. Red Hill came into day two needing to score 232 to win. Their run chase got off to a rough start when both openers fell for small totals. First drop batter Browne took control of the match. He was in electrifying form – scoring 113 from 91 balls. He smashed 11 fours and 7 sixes. Red Hill looked in a promising position at 2/135, but an awful collapse soon followed. They lost 5/30, letting any chance of a win…
CRICKET PROVINCIAL JUSTIN Grant was the star of the show for Old Peninsula on Saturday, scoring a century to get his side off to a great start against Langwarrin. Old Peninsula batted for the whole afternoon on Saturday, the first day of a two-day match. Opener Dylan O’Malley got his side started on the right foot. He smashed 82 runs before being dismissed. Grant came in at number four and dominated. He scored 101 runs for his side, helping them to a final total of 8/318 at stumps. Langwarrin has a big mountain to climb on day two to get…
CRICKET PROVINCIAL LANGWARRIN finished off the job against Long Island on Saturday. Langy bowled Long Island out for just 103 on day one, putting them in the box seat for the win. On day two they got down to work, passing their target with five wickets left to spare. Chris Brittain top scored for the victors with 37. Baxter had a tough day at home against Old Peninsula last weekend. Their run chase failed after a catastrophic collapse. Baxter was chasing 185 to win on day two. At 4/90 they looked in a strong position, but the wheels quickly fell…
CRICKET GRADE A1 FRENCH Island batter Ben King made history last weekend by scoring one of the biggest totals ever seen in local cricket. King finished the day unbeaten on a whopping 321 runs. He smashed 50 boundaries, 21 of them sixes. He made his mammoth score from just 184 balls. French Island opener Keith Burdett would have been best on ground on any other day. He scored 136 runs. French Island finished the day at 3/602. PROVINCIAL TWO-day cricket has finally returned to the MPCA. Baden Powell were the best performers in the Provincial division on Saturday. They played…
CRICKET PROVINCIAL OLD Peninsula continued its good start to the 2022/2023 season with a win over Long Island on Saturday. After a month of rain delays and cancellations, the weather gods finally smiled on MPCA cricketers last weekend. Old Peninsula played host to Long Island. It was a nightmare start for Long Island at the crease. They batted first and suffered through a catastrophic top order collapse. At 6/27, the game looked dead and buried. A late knock of 55 from Cameron Wheeler helped Long Island put a respectable total on the board. Long Island managed to avoid being bowled…
MPNFL DEVON Meadows has secured the signature of ex-AFL ruckman Paddy Ryder. The MPNFL club made the huge announcement last week. 34-year-old Ryder retired from the AFL this year after 281 games across three clubs. Ryder started his career at Essendon before moving to Port Adelaide in the wake of the club’s drug scandal. He played his final seasons at St Kilda, and made a big impact. Ryder was named in the AFL’s All-Australian squad in 2017. He was the ANZAC Day medalist in 2009. In a statement on Facebook, the club said it was “thrilled” to have signed Ryder.…
CRICKET FOR the third week running, rain threatened to ruin a weekend of cricket on the Mornington Peninsula. Despite the bad weather, players reported to their grounds on Saturday to play at least a few overs. PROVINCIAL AN excellent bowling performance secured Red Hill the victory last weekend. Red Hill batted first on their home deck against Old Peninsula. They set their opponents a target of 141 to score to win the match. A middle order knock of 32 from Brent Martin proved vital. He dug in after a top order collapse which saw Red Hill lose 5/27. Old Peninsula…
THE state government will not match the opposition’s pledge to electrify the Frankston line to Baxter. Frankston MP Paul Edbrooke told The News he is concerned that the project could wipe out homes, land, and the historic Frankston signal box “Before anyone decides on a project that potentially requires the bulldozing of hundreds of homes, destruction of 10 hectares of green wedge land, and the demolition of the 100-year-old Frankston signal box, a huge amount of community consultation should take place,” he said. “I have people at my office asking me if their home is going to be bulldozed now.…
CRICKET PROVINCIAL AN unbeaten knock of 95 from Chris Brittain proved the difference between Langwarrin and Red Hill last weekend. Red Hill were first in to bat on Saturday. They played well, setting Langwarrin a target of 201 to win. Luke Robertson and Simon Dart were Red Hill’s best, scoring 42 runs each. Matthew Prosser’s three wickets helped to restrict Red Hill’s total. Prosser backed up his good showing with the ball with a handy innings as opener. He got Langwarrin off to a good start with a knock of 36. First drop batter Brittain took the game by the…
MORE than 60 unwanted cats have found their forever homes thanks to the tireless work of Bethany Swiggs. The passionate animal enthusiast founded her own cat rescue organisation last year, hoping to turn stray cats and unwanted cats into beloved pets. Big Dollan’s Fur Rescue has now been operating for 18 months. Swiggs said the organisation specialises in “rescuing, rehabbing, and rehoming cats and unwanted kittens in the local areas of Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula.” “I’ve been working in lower socio-economic places in Frankston like the Pines, working with residents to desex cats. We also take kittens into foster…
LITTLE Olly’s Cafe will continue trading at Oliver’s Hill thanks to the success of a, community-backed campaign. Earlier this month, the operators of Little Olly’s and neighbouring Cripps Fish and Chips were told that their permit to trade at the Olivers Hill boat ramp would not be renewed. Frankston Council planned to replace the two businesses with a mobile Mercetta’s restaurant. More than 12,000 people signed a petition protesting the removal of the portable cafe from its home at Olivers Hill. Late on Friday people power won out, and council announced that Little Olly’s and Cripps Fish and Chips would…