PENINSULA LEAGUE SEAFORD coach Ben Murphy will look to continue to “change things up” at training following another disappointing loss on Saturday in MPNFL Peninsula Division. The Tigers have dropped off the face of the earth in the past six weeks after getting away to a terrific start this season. On Saturday at home it suffered perhaps its worse loss of the season, an eight goal thrashing at the hands of lowly-placed Mornington. Seaford went through a heavy training load for a period but that ceased three weeks ago, leaving Murphy to say that it had nothing to do with…
Author: Toe Punt
NEPEAN LEAGUE DROMANA maintained its position in the top five despite losing to Frankston Bombers by 22 points in MPNFL Nepean Division on Saturday. Billed as the match of the round, the game appeared to be anything but that in the opening quarter when the Bombers jumped out of the blocks and booted the first six goals of the game. The Bombers completely dominated centre clearances and their inside 50 count was 19 to two at one stage late in the term. Sam Fox booted three goals in the last quarter against Red Hill last week and booted three in…
PENINSULA LEAGUE MT Eliza cannot win the 2017 premiership. To achieve the ultimate in 2017 in MPNFL Peninsula Division, a team must be able to beat Frankston YCW – that’s something Mt Eliza can’t do. Not this season anyway. On Saturday, Mt Eliza had its best chance ever of beating the Stonecats despite missing Dave Barton, Jimmy Freeman, Matt Lillie, Brodie Shaw, Robbie Turnball and Sam Gill. Frankston YCW had 15 of its best players out of the team due to either representative football, VFL or injury. Just some of the names missing included Scott McLeod, Kyle Hutchison, Matt LaFontaine,…
NEPEAN LEAGUE THE final five is set in MPNFL Nepean Division, six rounds before the end of the final home and away game. Dromana won its sixth game on the trot on Saturday and in doing so, went two games clear of both Red Hill (sixth) and Somerville (seventh). Given the Eagles and the Hillmen have tougher runs home, it appears now that the Tigers are in the perfect position to grab a spot in the finals. Furthermore, the Tigers are now just a game and percentage off second place and should be now aiming for a great outcome from…
AFL SE Regional General Manager John Anderson believes that one of the two options presented in the senior football competition review will provide a “very strong premier competition”. Anderson, who spoke in two separate videos last Wednesday, said he “believed a region of our size and stature ought to have a strong premier competition. He went on to say that “this is a view shared by many clubs”. Mr Anderson is consistent with this push despite 20 of the 22 MPNFL clubs responding to the recommendations last week, opposing the recommendations in the review. All clubswere given the opportunity to…
PENINSULA LEAGUE PINES booted seven unanswered goals in 20 minutes of devastation to turn a seven-point deficit into a 35-point victory against Bonbeach on Saturday. In a high-quality game between the top two teams in the competition, Pines was able to find something extra when it mattered most to continue its domination over the Sharks. In his three years at the helm for Bonbeach, coach Steve Hughes has never tasted victory against the Pythons. At the six-minute mark of the last quarter, after a see-sawing battle all afternoon, the Sharks booted a goal and went seven points up after leading…
AFL South East has extended its deadline by a week to receive feedback and submissions from MPNFL clubs, despite the fact that every one of the MPNFL Clubs responded before the original 3 July deadline. Eighteen of the 22 MPNFL clubs responded as a collective. The other four clubs, Edithvale-Aspendale, Langwarrin, Pines and Tyabb responded individually. In a memo to the clubs last Friday (30 June), AFL South East regional general manager John Anderson said the review panel accepted the letters as feedback to the ‘AFL South East – Senior Competition Review – June 2017 Draft Recommendations’ from the clubs.…
NEPEAN LEAGUE SORRENTO was able to put a tumultuous week behind it, embarrassing Hastings in front of the Blues’ own supporters on Saturday and inflicting a massive 94-point thrashing against the reigning premier. The Sharks have now blown away both of the 2016 grand finalists by more than 15 goals, after belting Frankston Bombers last week. Yours truly broke the news at 11.20pm on Saturday night that Sorrento coach Nick Jewell had resigned his position at the club for personal reasons. Whilst social media blew up, it didn’t seem to deter the Sharks one little bit as it booted 11…
FRANKSTON Bombers, Rosebud and Sorrento Football Clubs have slammed AFL South East, claiming that the competition review process is “flawed, superficial and has not been undertaken in the best interests of the MPNFL collective”. Following a meeting last Monday night (July 19) where 20 of the 22 MPNFL Clubs attended (Pines was not present and Tyabb was an apology), a letter was penned to AFL South East on Friday by club’s representative, Rosebud president, Lachy White. The letter was presented to AFL South East on behalf of 18 of the 22 MPNFL Clubs, declaring that every club in attendance at…
NEPEAN LEAGUE SORRENTO coach Nick Jewell has scoffed at suggestions that the competitive nature of the 2017 Nepean Division season was over after his side handed out an almost 100-point thrashing to Frankston Bombers on Saturday. Frankston Bombers came into the game ranked second on the ladder, only behind Sorrento, however the home team made the opposition look as though they were miles off the pace as they proceeded to belt them. The one-sided demolition prompted keyboard warriors around the peninsula to declare the season was finished. One person listening to the match on RPP FM sent through an SMS…
PENINSULA LEAGUE BONBEACH stands alone at the top of the MPNFL Peninsula Division ladder after handing out a 12 goal hiding to Langwarrin. The Sharks have been in sensational form in the past eight weeks and have knocked over both of the 2016 grand finalists, YCW and Mt Eliza. There is no question that the race for the 2017 title is well and truly on. Edithvale-Aspendale has now emerged as a genuine contender too after leading all day to beat Frankston YCW. The sixth-placed Eagles are on six wins, locked together with Mt Eliza, who currently hold down fifth place…
PENINSULA LEAGUE JUST when everyone thought that the 2017 Peninsula Division premiership race was wide open, Frankston YCW came out on Saturday and once again highlighted that it is still the team to beat. The Stonecats haven’t been playing the greatest of football in 2017 despite winning games of footy and being equal top of the ladder. However, on Saturday, with an armoury of VFL, yet local talent, the Stonecats were able to put the new kids on the block in Seaford to the sword. Just two weeks early, the Tigers were right in the game against Pines, however, on…
NEPEAN LEAGUE FRANKSTON Bombers will need to improve considerably if it is to go one step better in 2017, despite getting over the line against Rosebud at Greg Beck Oval on Saturday. The Bombers were beaten all over the ground for the large majority of the afternoon, however, in a really tight contest, a couple of dubious umpiring decisions early in the last quarter swung momentum Frankston’s way and it was able to record a 10.9.69 to 7.14 (56) victory. Rosebud led at every change and by as much as nine points late in the third quarter, however, it did…
ONE of the most respected people in local football, MPNFL Life Member Mark Hustwaite has pleaded with AFL South East to work together with clubs and not to make decisions for the benefit of the minority. Hustwaite, who is willing to assist the league to help improve clubs, has been involved in the MPNFL for more than 30 years, is a life member at Rosebud and Pines football clubs, is a premiership player and coach, interleague coach and currently the football manager at Rosebud. There’s not much ‘Hussy’ hasn’t achieved in our game. Without question, Hustwaite is well qualified to…
PENINSULA LEAGUE BONBEACH is a better football team than it was in 2016, are more disciplined and have added maturity, according to Chelsea coach Brett Dunne. In the stand-alone Peninsula Division game on Saturday, traditional rivals Chelsea and Bonbeach went toe to toe at Chelsea Reserve. Just six points separated the sides at quarter time and the margin was just 19 points at the long interval, however, the Sharks booted 10 goals to five after the break to win 19.9 (123) to 11.6 (72). Trent Dennis-Lane booted nine goals in the match, including four in the first quarter. Dunne said…
NEPEAN LEAGUE SORRENTO is one of the best teams that has taken to the footy field in a number of years, according to Rye coach Josh Moore. Moore and his Demon charges were handed their second 100-plus point hiding at the hands of the Sharks on Saturday, prompting Moore to make the call. He said while he rated Frankston Bombers “highly”, he thought that his old team was the side to beat. “We’ve played all of the sides in the top five and Sorrento is the one to beat with Frankston the only team we’ve played that I think can…
PENINSULA, Nepean and South East Football Netball Clubs (SENFL) seasons are on the brink of being derailed as a result of the senior football competition review handed down by AFL South East last week. The review has taken over discussion at football games, at football clubs and via social media and no one is clear what the future holds. And AFL SE isn’t helping. AFL SE General Manager John Anderson has declared that there would be “no comment” coming from the top office until after the recommendations are pushed down. However, the lack of transparency and communication from AFL SE…
PENINSULA LEAGUE SEAFORD and Pines turned on the game of the season in MPNFL Peninsula Division on Saturday. In a match that was expected to deliver so much, it didn’t disappoint, the massive crowd getting everything and more that it came for. The Tigers led by 10 points at halftime but a seven-goal third quarter to the visitors gave them the gap they were looking for to go on and win the match. The Pythons led by as much as 28 points in the final term before Seaford rallied with a couple of late goals. The final margin was 14…
NEPEAN LEAGUE SORRENTO flexed its muscles again on Saturday and in doing so highlighted once again that Red Hill is not capable of winning the 2017 Nepean Division premiership. In another really important game for the Hillmen, they simply weren’t able to match the power of the Sharks and struggled to get the ball forward of centre to kick goals. The Hillmen have now lost to Frankston, Hastings and now Sorrento, all at home. On Saturday it lost 11.18 (84) to 6.8 (44). The Red Hill defence held up OK but when the opposition has a forward line consisting of…
AFL South East has provided only two options in its recently released senior football competition review. The paper, released at 2.30 last Friday afternoon (2 June), invited all “industry stakeholders” (including member clubs, neighboring leagues, local councils and more) to consider and make comment by early July. The options provided were: A full divisional structure initially comprising three divisions with promotion/relegation between each. A partial divisional structure also comprising three divisions, with a top division then two divisions below based on geography. AFL SE General Manager John Anderson said the options “not only address the concerns raised by the majority…
IN two months’ time, AFL South East will deliver recommendations that are likely to re-shape the current structure of Nepean and Peninsula football. Since April, AFL South East Region General Manager John Anderson and his team have been consulting with clubs throughout the region, which has included clubs in the South-East Football Netball League (SEFNL), as they look to complete a Competition Review into the 2018 season. There are 31 clubs managed by AFL South East and according to presidents from Nepean and Peninsula divisions, they are being told that the push for a restructure is being driven by clubs…
PENINSULA LEAGUE MT ELIZA was able to put a tough week behind it and get back on the winners’ list in superb fashion on Saturday, steam rolling Karingal. It was a rough week for the Redlegs with one of their young stars Brodie Shaw going down in the final quarter last week with a compound fracture of his leg. However, with a successful surgery and a few days to recover behind them, the Redlegs were able to focus on the job at hand on Saturday and put Karingal to the sword. Kicking with the wind in the first quarter at…
NEPEAN LEAGUE THE evenness and unpredictability of the 2017 Nepean Division season continued on Saturday. Rosebud caused the upset of the round when it headed to the home of reigning premier Hastings and touched them up to the tune of 41 points. The Buds enjoy the open spaces of Thomas Barclay Oval and the ground holds no fear for them, given their great record there over the past few years. It proved to be the case from the opening bounce on Saturday. Rosebud really set up its win in the second quarter when it was able to defend well against…
NEPEAN LEAGUE HASTINGS proved it is still the side to beat in MPNFL Nepean Division after dishing out a convincing hiding to Red Hill on Saturday. Clearly the match of the round, it seemed to be heading in that direction at half-time when the margin was three points. However, the reigning premier turned up the heat in the second half and the home side couldn’t match it, losing 15.9 (99) to 8.13 (61). Hastings booted 11 goals to four after half-time. The Hillmen’s sure ball handling and domination from half back and through the middle was non-existent, as Hastings stayed…
PENINSULA LEAGUE BONBEACH snapped a long-time hoodoo on Saturday by knocking over the previously undefeated Frankston YCW. It seems the country championships bye gave the Sharks the time it needed to overcome its miserable loss to Seaford and bounce back against the league leaders, winning 12.17 (89) to 9.9 (63). Frankston YCW hasn’t been setting the world on fire this season but has been winning games of footy. On Saturday against the Sharks, the Stonecats were jumped in the opening quarter and smashed in the second half in what was Luke Damon’s final game after he announced his retirement after…
INTERLEAGUE THE Mornington Peninsula Nepean Football League failed in its attempt to become the greatest league in Victoria and arguably Australia at the MCG on Saturday. The MPNFL Sharks just couldn’t keep up with a faster, more organised Geelong Football League, going down 16.9 (105) to 11.17 (83). The MPNFL trailed by as much as 35 points during the third quarter and never looked to threaten the title holders. While many looking at the score line could be forgiven for thinking that the MPNFL kicked themselves out of it, other than a couple of missed opportunities in the second quarter,…
INTERLEAGUE RADIO station RPP will be the host broadcaster of Saturday’s WorkSafe AFL Victoria Community Championships match at the MCG on 13 May. The second-ranked Mornington Peninsula Nepean Football League Sharks will tackle the number one team in state footy, Geelong Football League (GFL), starting at 3pm and for those not heading to the ‘G’ will be able to tune-in to 98.7 or 98.3FM to hear all the action. The RPP team, anchored by Andrew ‘Toe Punt’ Kelly, will be joined by Geelong Football League experts, giving listeners a balanced view of the match. MPNFL Sharks coach John Hynes expected…
PENINSULA LEAGUE IT took Mornington until the 16-minute mark of the final quarter to kick its one and only goal against Pines in MPNFL Peninsula Division on Saturday. Billed as the match of the day, it was anything but that as Mornington struggled to get out of a canter. Pines steamrolled the Dogs in every aspect of the game and in many instances, made the opposition look second rate. The score line of 13.14 (92) to 1.5 (11) was a true reflection of the contest. Doggies coach Chris Holcombe described the performance of his side as “putrid”. Holcombe said the…
NEPEAN LEAGUE THE divide between the best and worst teams in MPNFL Nepean division is widening, with a number of big blow-outs on Saturday. Despite wet and windy conditions, the better sides in the competition still booted big scores and restricted the lesser sides to tough afternoons. Sorrento booted 24 goals against Pearcedale, Frankston kicked 17 majors against Rye, Hastings kicked 18 goals against Crib Point and Red Hill nailed 20 goals against Tyabb. Five of the six matches were blow-outs with Devon Meadows and Somerville predictably the closest match of the round. After just five rounds, we can draw…
NEPEAN LEAGUE IT may have taken five matches of football to get there but reigning Nepean champions Hastings slipped into top gear on Saturday against Dromana. The Blues found the spark it has been looking for and booted seven goals to one in a blistering first term and by half time had opened up a 68 point lead. The final score was 22.22 (154) to 8.5 (53). Hastings’ form before this match had been ordinary, despite the fact that it won three of its first four matches. Its match against Frankston Bombers last week proved to the defending premiers that…