Well, in the media he goes by the name of Private Player and he kicked a total of 12 goals in the two opening rounds for Mansfield who had two blow-out wins in both games.
After the third round last Saturday, when he went goalless, he slipped to second behind Seymour’s Riley Mason who booted five goals.
Why the secrecy?
Sports reports over the last few years have often had a player named Private Player in it which has naturally baffled some readers.
A computer check of GVL games stats lists no ‘private player’ so clubs playing Mansfield will have no trouble in determining who ‘private player’ is.
GVL operations manager Brad Noonan cleared up the mystery by saying it was an option players could make under privacy laws.
He said it was now a national law and not only confined to sport.
‘‘When a player registers to play with a club these days he gets an option to remain anonymous if he desires and go by the name of ‘Private Player’,“ Noonan said.
I have struck a similar scenario when reporting cricket in the recent season with several players referred to as Private Player.
While it’s a player’s right to remain anonymous, going under the name of Private Player I would think would attract more focus and interest to that player, particularly if he is good at his sport.
Private Player didn’t have a good day at the goalfront last Saturday in Mansfield’s unexpected loss to Seymour, kicking no goals and slipping to second on the GVL goalkicking list.
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Kyabram Cricket Club and Fire Brigade Cricket Club will have the same coaches next season.
The Redbacks will again be coached by its bowling spearhead Jackson McLay and Fire Brigade by Jon Varcoe.
McLay is eager to go again after recently leading The Redbacks to Cricket Shepparton’s Haisman Shield competition.
‘‘I’ve got to talk things over with the club but I’m willing to do it (coach) again,’’McLay said.
Fire Brigade Cricket Club’s has reappointed Jon Varcoe as coach and he is confident his club is on the right track to achieve better things.
Varcoe will coach the Goulburn Murray Cricket side for a third year next season and believes its John McMahon Shield players can continue to improve and be even more competitive than the recent season when it made the finals for the second year running.
‘’All our four sides made finals in the season just completed and with a lot of players still young our future looks bright,’’ said the former Country Week and KDCA skipper.
‘‘A lot of our players developed a lot this season and there is a lot of young talent there we have to continue to develop.’’
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The GVL has had some intriguing twists and turns in the three rounds so far, and a clear flag favourite is yet to emerge.
Mansfield was impressive in disposing of Euroa and Rochester in the opening two rounds but folded on Saturday against the rebounding Seymour, well beaten the previous week by Shepparton.
Shepparton has won its first three games so must be considered as a strong finals and flag contender along with Echuca, also unbeaten at this stage.
After Shepparton Swans disposed of reigning premier Kyabram in round two, a lot of keen league followers were surprised Shepparton United had their measure, if only just, in last weekend’s third round.
United has played well enough in the first three games to suggest it could be the season’s big improver.
But there is still a lot of water to go under the bridge to establish the genuine flag contenders, which is great for the health of the league.
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The Kyabram District League has also dished up some unexpected results in its two opening games.
Lancaster is still the team to beat by all keen league observers but Nagambie also had a lot of fans.
So far Stanhope has done better than a lot thought it would and Longwood, who took the scalp of last year’s premier Murchison-Toolamba, if only just, last Saturday is a side to be respected going on the results of the first two rounds.
Violet Town has been the biggest disappointment in the two rounds played so far but has yet to load up with some big name recruits, while Girgarre has performed well enough to show it can be a genuine finals contender.
At this stage Merrigum, Undera, Tallygaroopna and Violet Town may be the teams trying hardest to avoid the wooden spoon.
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The Goulburn Valley and trots industry have lost two stalwart in the past two weeks in Gordon Bubb and Des Pollock.
Des Pollock was a former trainer who loved the trotter and trained and raced some good horses in his time.
They included his favourite, trotter Arcee Darcy, Kristen, Baxter and Coglen.
Des, who played in a football premiership side with his home town Gunbower, also imparted a lot of his football knowledge onto his stepson, former Kyabram and Goulburn Valley League ruck star David Lucas.
He had a private cremation last week.
Gordon Bubb was a popular owner who was a regular at all trotting meetings near and far for decades.
He bred raced and owned some talented pacers down the years.
One called Storm Orphan, trained by NSW horseman Terry Storch, was one of his early stars.
There was also Dalemoor trained by flamboyant Bendigo horseman Len ‘Curly’ Irwin and Ellmers Image, who went from a C1 class mare to an Inter Dominion pacer in one season in 2018 for top NSW trainer driver Amanda Turnbull.
Ellmers Image also won the Penrith and Bankstown Cups and picked up a $30 000 bonus as well and a total of $60 000 for both cup wins in a feat achieved in a short space of a time in 2018.
He was also associated with other talented horses including National Lobell, Glenferrie Bronte, Swaydepete, Natural Belle, and Sunset Delight.
Glenferrie Bronte ran placings in the heat and the final of the Victorian Oaks in 2015 and represented Australia in the New Zealand Jewels the same year.
Trainers he put faith in to train his horses included Don Guy, Graeme Johannesson and Ken Wills (all deceased), plus Russ Thomson, Neville Welsh, Chris Hildebrandt, Amanda Turnbull and Nathan Jack.
Gordon’s funeral was held in his home town of Rochester last Friday.
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Kyabram trained Dusty Philtra made a winning return to racing last week, scoring at the midweek Melton meeting.
Top reinsman James Hertbertson drove the three-year-old son of Rock N Roll Heaven to his first win for Kyabram trainer Mick Blackmore.
A mid-race move from last to first proved a winning one for Dusty Philtra and despite having to sit outside the pacemaker for the last lap, pulled clear of his rivals on the home turn.
It was his first outing as a three-year-old after having 11 starts as a two-year-old without a win but six top three placings.
The Wades, Phil and Tracey, and their daughter Paige race the promising pacer.
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