SOCCER LANGWARRIN has agreed terms with Japanese defender/midfielder Ryo Takahashi. The 23-year-old has been signed from current Singapore Premier League champion Albirex Niigata. Takahashi and his Niigata teammates denied ex-Langwarrin and Socceroo star Bailey Wright from celebrating a league title in his first season in Singapore as Wright’s club Lion City Sailors finished runner-up. Playing primarily at right back Takahashi made 19 appearances for Albirex Niigata last season scoring three goals and being credited with assists for two others. He became a free agent on 1 January and recently concluded successful negotiations with Langy businessman and major sponsor Greg Kilner.…
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CRICKET PROVINCIAL MPCA CRICKET returned after the Christmas break on Saturday. The first day of two-day matches were played across the peninsula. At Bruce Park, the travelling Red Hill are off to a good start against Heatherhill. Red Hill batted all day long on Saturday. An excellent middle order partnership between Will Cooper and Andy Restein helped them reach a final total of 9/177. Restein scored 50 from 79 deliveries. Cooper played an important supporting role, scoring 33 from 140 deliveries. Heatherhill’s Brett Maxwell was the pick of the bowlers. He took 4/35 from 19 overs, wiping out most of…
SOCCER KEVIN “Squizzy” Taylor is the new head coach of State 4 outfit Baxter. Taylor’s friend Stephen Fisher resigned from the role after one year in charge citing an impasse between club and coach that could not be resolved. In an interview in early September Fisher called for the club to move from an amateur to a semi-professional structure and said if the status quo remained then his future there was uncertain. “I kept making demands that this needs to change and that needs to change but it became clear that it wasn’t going to change,” Fisher said. “To put…
SOCCER ICON, pioneer, legend, stalwart – choose any one or choose all four for they apply in equal measure to 81-year-old Tony Hall. Once viewed by the sport’s establishment as a pariah for masterminding the birth of a breakaway football association Hall is now the most decorated football personality on the peninsula. He is a life member of Peninsula Strikers and the Bayside Football Association, recipient in 1985 of a Victoria 150th anniversary medal, holder of a certificate from FIFA issued in 2001 honouring his contribution to the sport and in 2010 was declared a Sporting Legend of the municipality…
CRICKET PROVINCIAL AFTER a frustrating two consecutive weekends of rain interruptions and cancellations, MPCA weekend cricket returned with one-day action on Saturday. In the Provincial division, Pines won a tight one against Heatherhill. After winning the toss, Heatherhill chose to bat first. Captain Kristian Miller was the star for his side, scoring an unbeaten 96 from 104 deliveries. Miller didn’t get much support from his batting partners. Heatherhill ended up scoring 9/181 from their 40 overs. Pines openers Kane Hawkins and Nick Christides made good starts during the run chase, scoring 30 and 45 respectively before being sent back to…
SOCCER ANDREW Hall will be in charge of Mount Martha’s senior side next season. The local State 5 South club announced Hall’s appointment last week just before pre-season training started at the club’s Civic Reserve headquarters. Hall, 53, replaced Mark Larner who resigned in October and was appointed senior coach of Somerville Eagles shortly after. Born in Falkirk Hall was brought up in Yorkshire and arrived in Melbourne with his wife and two children in 2009. “As a kid (in England) I played for Barnsley schools which is like the equivalent of county sides through to 15 then I started…
SOCCER BILLY Painting joined Rosebud last week hellbent on being part of the Olympic Park club’s title tilt next year. “I’m not just here to make up the numbers – I’m here to win the league,” Painting said. “And from what I hear that seems to be the mentality of everyone down there.” Painting’s switch ended a seven-year stint at Skye United and the 28-year-old central defender is hoping the move reignites his passion for football. “I really needed a new challenge because I’d fallen out of love with the game,” he said. “I don’t really know why. “I just…
SOCCER KEEGAN Myatt would like nothing better than to strike fear into the heart of opposition defenders next season. Baxter’s 20-year-old left winger has held his own debrief of season 2023 and is his biggest critic. “I didn’t have a great season,” he said. “I didn’t do terrible but I didn’t have as good a season as I wanted because I aimed to score at least 18 goals and maybe get 15 assists but only scored 12 and assisted a few but not enough. “When I was younger football was my life but now I’m getting lazy, getting distracted and…
CRICKET PROVINCIAL SOME good bowling has put Sorrento in pole position for a win over Langwarrin on the first day of their two-day clash. Langwarrin chose to bat first on what was a wet and dreary day of cricket on Saturday. Their first three batters made starts, but were sent back to the sheds without converting them into big totals. Luke Kranzbuhler bowled well for Sorrento. He took 3/27 from his 11 overs, including the important wicket of opener Sam Prosser. Langwarrin ended the day on 6/80 after a long rain delay. Old Peninsula and Red Hill had better luck…
SOCCER FRANKSTON Pines’ immediate future is on the line with the local club scrambling to avoid being booted out of State League by Football Victoria. That’s the bleak prospect facing the men from Monterey if they can’t pay a large percentage of a five-figure debt owed to FV by the end of this month. Last week the state federation announced that many clubs “failed to meet their financial obligations in 2023, resulting in a historic level of debt … nearing $2 million.” It then delivered the bombshell news that “clubs unable or unwilling to meet their financial obligations will be…
CRICKET PROVINCIAL A MASSIVE century by Harley Peace-Stirling has secured an important win for Pines. Sorrento set Pines a target of 113 to score to win. Pines looked shaky batting on day one, and finished up at 5/51 at stumps. Pines looked much more comfortable on day two. On the back of a brilliant knock of 109 not out by Peace-Stirling, they easily surpassed their target. Some excellent bowling saw Long Island get a win over Old Peninsula last Saturday. Long Island were in a good position coming into day two – they scored 261 runs on day one. A…
SOCCER A UNIQUE end-of-season trip took place recently with participants from various Australian states ranging in age from men in their 20s to octogenarians. It was the annual Monkey, Rat and Missing Pals Tour held in Moama during Victoria Derby weekend and this year it attracted a record number of attendees, 98 in all. The event’s origins date back more than three decades and it originally was an end-of-season getaway for members and supporters of Langwarrin soccer club. Former Langwarrin assistant coach Neil Collyer took on the task of event organiser 13 years ago and gave the trip a makeover…
SOCCER BRETT Heskins may have played his last senior game for Skye United. And he could join a growing list of departures from the local State 2 South-East club. Boris Ovcin has retired, Jason Nowakowski is thinking about the lesser demands of the club’s Bayside team as is first-choice keeper Jonathan Crook while Alex Van Heerwarden is assistant coach to Ben Caffrey with Langwarrin’s under-23s. “That’s a lot of quality and experience right there,” Heskins said. “If ‘Jono’ goes it will be a huge loss because he is a phenomenal shot-stopper. “Unfortunately we’ve had to rely on him more than…
CRICKET PROVINCIAL RED Hill bowled well to defend a total of 172 against Heatherhill last weekend. Red Hill hosted the one day clash. They batted first and scored 9/172 – Luke Jackson top scored with 36 runs from 33 deliveries. Heatherhill opener Neil Barfuss got his side off to a good start early with a knock of 32 from 37 deliveries. Unfortunately he lost his first two batting partners for scores of 0 and 5. After Barfuss’ dismissal, Heatherhill struggled to keep up with the required run rate. A late 38 run innings at a run a ball from Daniel…
THE Mornington Peninsula Football Netball League will launch a women’s division in 2024. The establishment of the MPFNL’s women’s football league was announced last week. The league’s creation was approved by a majority of the MPFNL’s member clubs. A statement from the MPFNL read that the creation of the new league would help football grow. “The MPFNL Board & AFL South East administration are hopeful this will see further growth of other MPFNL clubs participating in this competition in 2024 and beyond. The MPFNL has a proud football history dating back to 1908 through various competition iterations and in 2024…
SOCCER RYAN Paczkowski has reunited with Mornington gaffer Adam Jamieson while Langwarrin has signed WA-based goal ace Joe O’Brien. And both Frankston Pines and Somerville Eagles have settled on the men to head up their coaching staff for the upcoming season. Paczkowski turned 34 this week and the ex-Bentleigh Greens, Oakleigh, Langwarrin and Preston player last played for the Seagulls in 2017. He played for Preston Lions last season and could have stayed there but agreed terms for a second stint at Bentleigh before a change in his work circumstances forced him to head back to Dallas Brooks Park. “I…
CRICKET PROVINCIAL PINES had to work for it but managed to score a win over Old Peninsula on day two of their clash at Peninsula Grammar. Old Peninsula was bowled out for just 145 on day one, giving Pines an attractive target to chase down. Pines struggled to take control of the game, and looked in trouble until Pat Jackson came in at number eight. Jackson scored an unbeaten 39 to get his side over the line. Pines won with just two wickets to spare. A brilliant century from captain Kristian Miller saw Heatherhill score a win over Long Island.…
SOCCER LOCAL coaching legend Gus Macleod is the new gaffer of ambitious State 4 outfit Chelsea. Macleod ended a five-year senior coaching hiatus when he agreed terms with Chelsea a fortnight ago. He was last in charge of a senior team in 2018 when he completed his 20th straight season at Langwarrin. Since then he has worked as a technical director at Lawton Park but the lure of the Chelsea post was impossible to ignore. “I never lost that itch that urge to coach senior players,” he said. “I enjoyed coaching the coaches at Langy but the Chelsea job just…
CRICKET PROVINCIAL LANGWARRIN has victory in their sights after a strong showing on the first day of their two-day clash with Red Hill. Red Hill hosted Langwarrin on Saturday. The home side won the toss and chose to bat first. Red Hill opener Riley Shaw was dismissed for just two runs to start their innings. They struggled to recapture momentum from there. Captain Chris Weeks scored 34 from 63 to help salvage something for his side. Red Hill was eventually bowled out for 133 after 55 overs. Matthew Prosser and Jackson Mockett did most of the work for Langwarrin with…
SOCCER SAMMY Orritt has rejoined Mornington after playing in the NPL with Langwarrin and Eastern Lions. The 30-year-old dynamo agreed terms last week and could be joined by more new signings shortly. Orritt’s football odyssey started in California at the age of three after business reasons prompted his family to move to the US from Doncaster in England. He is the best-travelled footballer on the peninsula having paraded his skills on pitches in England, Scotland, the US, Canada, New Zealand and Australia. His first stint at Dallas Brooks Park started during the 2017 season when he arrived from NZ outfit…
CRICKET PROVINCIAL A MASSIVE opening stand between Dale Elmi and Luke Long has helped Baden Powell score an impressive win over Pines. Baden Powell was sent in to bat first on Saturday at Pat Rollo Reserve. Elmi and Long were awesome, scoring 166 runs between them before the first wicket fell. Dale Elmi fell agonisingly short of a century – he was dismissed first for 97. Soon after, Long managed to pass his century. He scored 103 before being caught out off the bowling of Ricky Ramsdale. A tail order collapse prevented Baden Powell from scoring an enormous total. They…
SOCCER LANGWARRIN gaffer Jamie Skelly has wasted little time in refashioning his squad by signing two new players for the 2024 season. And a third newcomer could be on the way if discussions between the club and an attacking player reach a positive conclusion. Last week the local NPL2 club agreed terms with central defender Luke Adams and Queensland goalkeeper Griffin Bambach. Adams, 29, boasts an impressive CV. He has captained New Zealand at under-17 and under-20 levels and made five appearances for the full national side. He started playing as a junior with Auckland-based Fencibles United eventually signing for…
CRICKET PROVINCIAL MPCA cricket returned last weekend with one-day action. Reigning Provincial division champions Old Peninsula got their 2023/2024 campaign off to a good start at home against Peninsula division premiers Heatherhill. The Pirates chose to bat first. Their best performers were Dylan O’Malley and captain Justin Grant – O’Malley scored 53 from the opening position and Grant scored 51 runs batting at number five. Old Peninsula finished their innings after 40 overs with 175 runs on the board. Heatherhill skipper Kristian Miller led from the front, but he didn’t get enough help from his teammates for a successful run…
SOCCER THE longest serving president in Seaford United’s history will step down at the club’s AGM next month. Willie Lynn and wife Liz have been involved with Seaford since 1978 and Willie is in the 16th year of a second stint as president having previously served for 10 years. Liz has served several terms on the committee and has turned her hand to almost every volunteer job at the club. The Lynns arrived in Melbourne from their native Scotland in August 1977 and North Seaford Reserve became their home away from home just a few months later. It’s been like…
SOCCER STATE 4 South outfit Chelsea has lured high-profile coaching guru Stuart Munro to its ranks. The local club announced his arrival as technical director late last week. Munro boasts a celebrated career both as a professional footballer and coach. The Scot played with St Mirren and Alloa before establishing himself with Glasgow giant Rangers where he played for seven and a half years. He also played with Blackburn Rovers and Bristol City before coming to Australia in 1997 to join Sydney United. Munro’s coaching CV includes stints at Gippsland Falcons, Carlton, Parramatta Power, South Melbourne, Oakleigh Cannons, Dandenong Thunder,…
MPNFL DIVISION ONE DROMANA comfortably defeated Frankston YCW to claim the 2023 MPFNL Division One premiership last weekend. Kinetic Stadium hosted the Grand Final last Sunday, 17 September. The Tigers have been the team to beat all season – Dromana came into the match with just one loss to their name all year. Frankston YCW finished the home-and-away season in second place. On Sunday, Dromana continued their good form. It was comfortable for the Tigers in the end. Frankston YCW had no answers for Dromana, who kept up the pressure all day. Dromana went on to win by 55 points…
SOCCER STUART Johnston is the new head coach of Rosebud and Donn Delaney is a short-priced favourite to take over the coaching reins at Frankston Pines. The last week has been dominated by coaching conjecture and although Pines are yet to make an official announcement former JBNPL coach and ex-Peninsula Strikers head coach Delaney is at unbackable odds to be appointed. Johnston was unveiled as new ’Buds boss at the club’s presentation on Saturday night in front of 130 attendees and this is his first senior appointment in Australia. The Englishman is an ex-Crawley Town junior and also was part…
AFL MASTERS By Chris Richmond IT wasn’t the last day in September, it was the tenth; the day the Peninsula Raiders 45s men’s side secured back-to-back premierships beating the Parkdale Vultures at Roy Dore reserve, Carrum. In a rematch of last year’s game, the final score was a resounding 13.7,85 to 4.2.26 victory. The day started off poorly for the Raiders with skipper Toby Loft limping to the sidelines with a popped calf and fellow midfielder Dave “Buddy” Franklin also following suit moments later. With two of the Raiders premier on-ballers effectively out of action someone needed to step up.…
MOUNT Martha kart racer, 13-year-old Mathew Basso, has claimed another title, winning the 2023 Australasian Kart Title after competing in the KA3 junior heavy class in the Goulburn Valley. Basso competed against some of Australia’s best junior drivers and was the only driver out of all the other classes to qualify, lead, and win every single race all weekend. He was also selected as the commentator’s driver of the weekend for the 2023 Australasian Titles. Announcer Aryton Creagh, who interviewed Basso after the race, said the young driver “is undoubtedly one to keep an eye on throughout the rest of…
A RECRUITMENT drive has seen Hastings Tennis Club more than double its membership. At the beginning of 2023 Hastings had no junior teams and a about 30 members. New coach Reece Driscoll said new members and new coaching programs had breathed new life into the club. “The club now has eight junior teams, two of which are section one, two nights of after-school coaching, a junior performance squad and has signed up over 50 new members,” he said. The club employed a new coaching team at the start of term two and with that had come a new atmosphere and…