GIRGARRE might have missed out on four-times Kyabram premiership ruckman Jake Reeves, but the club has another big reason to be optimistic about the 2021 season under new coach Billy Barnes.
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In a signing coup, the Roos have recruited former Calder Cannons big man Jacob McNicol to their ranks for next season.
Barnes said McNicol was a towering 198cm (nearly 6ft 6in in the old measure), but was versatile and mobile for his size.
‘‘He was playing in the ruck with Craigieburn, but we are looking at him in a key forward role at this stage. He should be a great asset,’’ Barnes said.
McNicol will travel on game days with other Melbourne-based Girgarre players.
McNicol and Damian Wild from the Warnambool area are recent signings providing the Roos with plenty of confidence for the new season.
McNicol and Wild have joined fellow recruits in Jordan Clark, Sam Neill and Byron Dryden (Wonthaggi) who have committed to play with Girgarre next season.
● LOCAL Kyabram and District League clubs will have the same coaches appointed for this year leading them again in 2021.
Merrigum has announced it will have non-playing coach Steve Lawlor in charge again next year.
It will be his third year in the role after stepping up from the reserves post in 2017 when he led the Bulldogs to the premiership.
Merrigum just missed the finals last year and while the club’s focus is on retaining its current list it is hopeful some prospective recruits will get it a slice of the September action in 2021.
Experienced John Mathewson will take the coaching reins of the reserves while premiership coach Darryn Rowney will be in charge of the thirds.
● STANHOPE will have its most successful coach, Mark Patten, returning to take the reins again in a joint role with former star player Denis Grinton.
Both were to take a joint role this year from Coby Aynsley, who has returned to Shepparton East.
Patten said he was expecting to lose a couple of the recruits who had committed to this year’s abandoned season, but was hopeful of securing suitable replacements.
Wayne O’Neill has taken over as coach of the Stanhope reserves while the club is still seeking a thirds coach.
● AT LANCASTER co-coaches Corey Carver and Tom Davies have committed to do the job again next season.
Davies was to join Carver in the role this season before it was abandoned.
Carver said apart from Tanner Cerrone, all of last year’s players and new recruits had indicated they would line up again with the Wombats.
Brad Tinning will coach the reserves and premiership coach Michael Mott will be in charge of the thirds again.
● TALLYGAROOPNA has welcomed Nathan Kerr back to the club after a stint with Picola League club Deniliquin Rovers while Joel Kimberley is among its recruiting gains.
● ROCHESTER Sports Museum has added to its magnificent display of sporting memorabilia.
It has been gifted the billiard cue that the late Walter Lindrum used to make a world record 4137 break in London in 1932.
The Australian great was at the billiard table for two hours and 55 minutes establishing the record, recording 1900 consecutive shots.
Ironically the museum’s curator, John Forbes, was presented with the cue by another resident of his home town of Mitiamo, Tom Burrowes.
Burrows bought the cue for a significant amount of money at a fundraising auction about 20 years ago.
He thought it would be better to give the cue a home where the public could view it and this led to the donation to the Rochester Sports Museum.
Lindrum was a freak of the game.
Rules of the game were even changed to try to reduce his dominance.
Born in August 1898 as Wally Lindrum, he was an Australian professional player of English billiards who held the World Professional Billiards Championship from 1933 until his retirement in 1950. He died in 1960.
He was one of the most successful players ever to play billiards, claiming 57 world records, some of which still stand today.
Forbes has been one of the driving forces in getting the museum up and running with his collection of sporting memorabilia assembled mainly when he was the Australian sales manager for Puma.
● TONGALA Football Club’s Darwin recruit, Cameron Ilett, would have staked an early claim for the Northern Territory Football League’s Mark of the Year award.
Playing for Nightcliff in a round four clash Ilett took a screamer in the forward pocket.
His resulting kick for goal was less memorable, registering a behind.
Commentators covering the match said Ilett was not known for taking spectacular grabs, but that he had many other tricks to make him one of the greats of the league over a long period.
Ilett was to play with Tongala again this season after debuting with the Murray League side last year, but because of COVID-19 ended up playing in a fourth successive premiership side with the Rovers Football Club in the Alice Springs-based Central Australian Football League.
● FORMER GVL players have made an impression in the recent AFL this season.
Shepparton premiership player Lachie Ash has taken out Greater Western Sydney’s Rising Star award while former Mooroopna player Jy Simpkin was runner-up to Luke McDonald for the Syd Barker Medal in North Melbourne’s best and fairest award.
Former Rochester player Shaun Atley also figured in the Roos awards, being awarded a life membership.
Atley debuted for North Melbourne in 2011 and has played 214 games with the club.