Months after making a memorable retirement speech at Wilf Cox Community Centre the irrepressible Kayne Pettifer is back in the headlines and his 2024 season is where we start our Where are they now? story.
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Pettifer was in the car on the way up to play for Murray league team Nathalia when I spoke with him on Saturday, fulfilling a promise he made to his best friend — and Purples coach — Craig Kellow.
But the Nathalia story and his interaction with several former Kyabram teammates who are now playing in the same league was a sub-plot to a larger anecdote that involved one of the most spectacular players ever to play in the Goulburn Valley.
Pettifer is playing alongside former high flying Seymour full forward Saad Saad in a Diamond Valley Super rules Over-35s team that features a Brownlow medallist in the back pocket, a controversial former Carlton and Brisbane full forward and a number of other former AFL stars.
Pettifer has played two games with the Over-35s team since announcing his retirement last season and anointing his number 10 Kyabram guernsey to Josh Dillon.
He kicked seven goals in one of those games, playing in a forward line that also included mercurial former Carlton star Brendan Fevola - who Pettifer played with at Yarrawonga in the Ovens and Murray league.
Last weekend Fevola, in Pettifer’s absence, kicked 11 goals, having bagged eight in his only other game with the club.
Dane Swan has played one game, while playing with six other clubs around Australia in his usual pre-July one off appearances.
Pettifer said Saad Saad was still amazing and he recalled returning to the Goulburn Valley, while playing at Richmond, to watch him play in finals.
“Saad is full back, Fev plays full forward, Swanny is in the back pocket and I am centre half forward,” he said.
On Saturday Pettifer was playing against former Kyabram teammates Tom Holman, Jack, Tom and Sam Sheldon, Josh Pell and Brad Edwards.
“It was like playing against half of the 2016 premiership side. And that as a week after playing against Kyle (Mueller, another former teammate),” Pettifer said.
As predicted the former Richmond high flyer stepped up to the plate, kicking four goals in a five-point win and finishing among the best players on the ground.
Tom Holman kicked three goals for Moama and was also among the best players on the day.
Pettifer has played two games in the Murray league for Nathalia and said he would probably play half a dozen for the year.
“It was a bit funny playing against Mueller. He is probably the best player in the comp, but seems to be enjoying having the pressure off him,” Pettifer said.
“He had a fair bit of pressure at Kyabram.”
He didn’t play in the Purples 46 point loss to second ranked Mulwala on Saturday.
Champion Kyabram centre half back and premiership player Lachie Smith’s decision to sever ties with the Bombers was not welcome news, but continues a long list of Where are they now? And how are they going? subjects.
He is now wearing the number 15 guernsey for North Heidelberg in the Northern Football League, having made two appearances with Kyabram and one with Natimuk United in the Horsham District Football League.
Two weeks ago, round five of the Northern league season, he kicked a goal and was one of North Heidelberg’s best players in a 10-point win against Macleod.
Smith’s new club sits sixth on the ladder with four wins and three defeats to open the season.
Also playing at North Heidelberg is former Tongala (and Bendigo Pioneers) player Bailey Waasdorp. Former Euroa star Adam Giobbi is also in the line-up.
Smith joined the Bombers, after three successful seasons at Benalla, in 2016 and was previously a VFL player with Collingwood.
Kyabram FNC president John Guinan said when Smith made him aware that he would be playing the rest of the year with North Heidelberg it was difficult to resent the decision given the service and performance of the former best-and-fairest winner.
Kyle Mueller’s performance for Congupna, in the Murray league, has probably been harder to accept for Bombers fans - given he is so close to home and still dominating headlines in local media.
Congupna sits on top of the ladder and Mueller has kicked 43 goals in eight games, on track to kick 100 goals if her remains fit and the team goes deep into the finals.
Another long time Kyabram player, Tom Holman, has been a star for Moama in the same league. Ironically, Moama is sitting second on the ladder with Congupna and Holman has been his team’s most consistent performer with 13 goals in seven games.
Former GVL reserves best-and-fairest winner, Nic Denahy, has been a star playing with Coolangatta in the Queensland Football Association Division two south senior competition.
His team is third on the ladder, with five wins from six games, Denahy having kicked 17 goals in seven games and on four occasions been among the best players on the ground.
Rhys Clark has played all but one of Southport’s game in the VFL competition, his team sitting fourth on the 21-team table.
Playing in his team are the sons of champion country footballer Damien Sexton - Will and Jack.
Toby Wooller is playing with Blackburn in the Premier division of the Eastern Football League and has kicked 13 goals in seven games. His team is fourth on the ladder with a 4-3 record.
Reuben Rode has returned to Wallan and has kicked five goals in six games. Three of those goals came in a best on ground performance for the Magpies in a 58-point win on Saturday, which has the team sitting third on the ladder.
– Last season’s Merrigum coach, Jaydon Stiles, is playing with Burnside Heights in the Essendon District Football League’s division two competition.
The team sits on top of the ladder with seven straight wins and Stiles has kicked 14 goals in seven games. His younger brother Josh is playing with Heywood in the South West district league.
Jarryd Pertzel is playing with Kerang in the Central Murray league, his team sitting fourth on the 11-team table with four wins and a draw from five games. Pertzel has played only three games, kicking four goals in one of those.
Playing in that same game, for Woorinen, was former Tongala star (and Melbourne/Carlton midfielder) Brock McLean.
– Girgarre century goal-kicker, former coach and football nomad Damian Cupido has played with Wahgunyah in the Tallangatta and district league and with Maryborough Giants, but didn’t kick a goal in any of those three games.
In 2022 he kicked 105 goals in 16 games with Girgarre.
Former Kangaroos best-and-fairest player, Jarrod Kellock, is back at Langhorne Creek in the A-grade Fleurieu Milk competition. He was best-on-ground for his team on Saturday and has kicked six goals in five games - following up a 15-game, 18-goal, 12-best player season in 2023.
– Dual Lancaster premiership player Luke Davies has had an impact with Shepparton Swans in the Goulburn Valley League.
He had his best game against Seymour in round three when he had 17 disposals, took eight marks (three intercept), had four inside 50s and four rebound 50s in the Swans’ victory.
He is ranked elite for intercept possessions and is averaging more than 70 ranking points a week.
– Ryan Semmel, who made headlines at Stanhope in 2022 when he was first past the post in the Kyabram District League best-and-fairest count only to lose the McNamara Medal through being ineligible, is playing with Cohuna Kangas in the Central Murray league.
His team has won just two of its six games, but Semmel has kicked five goals in four games. In 2022 he dominated the KDL with 43 goals out of the centre in 17 games (best-on-ground in eight of those).
– Former Tongala best-and-fairest players Jack Hammond, Nick Jamieson and Coby McCarthy are now all plying their trades elsewhere.
Another player who was a runner-up best-and-fairest, Riley Bacon, is playing with Bright in the Ovens and King league, his team unbeaten after eight games of the 11-team competition. He has been among the team’s best players in two of those games.
Cobden sits sixth in the strong Hampden league, where Hammond is playing, his season including three goals in six games.
Jamieson’s Sorrento team is third in the Mornington Peninsula league, the former Blues star among the best in four of the seven completed rounds. Sorrento was another team involved in a draw two weeks ago, in which Jamieson kicked a goal.
McCarthy’s exploits with Mooroopna have been widely celebrated, among the best performed midfielders in the GVL competition so far this year.
Cameron Ilett’s South Cairns team is unbeaten on top of the AFL Cairns ladder, Ilett having played three games and with six goals to his credit. He is playing with another former Blue in Ryan Nyhuis.
Also in that team is the son of former Sydney Swans premiership coach Paul Roos - Tyler.
Ilett played 17 games and kicked 15 goals with Nightcliff in the Northern Territory Football League last season. He played 34 games with Tongala across three seasons and was among the best players on the ground in 28 of those.
The NTFL legend made a special appearance for Calivil United on the weekend, playing with former Tongala teammate Anthony Dennis - who is coaching the Loddon Valley league club.
Calivil had won just one game in the nine-team competition before Illet and another Tongala star Jordan Souter played with Dennis in a Murray Football League bye weekend.
Souter and Illet both kicked a goal in the 53 point win, while Dennis kicked three majors.
Kyabram Free Press and Campaspe Valley News editor