By Paul Daffey
Ardmona full-forward Perry Meka is clear to play in the Kyabram and District Football League finals after having a six-week suspension reduced to two matches during his appeal before a Victorian Country Football League panel in Shepparton on Thursday night.
Meka was originally suspended after an investigation into an incident following a recent match against Avenel in which he was alleged to have struck two supporters on his way from the ground.
He will miss today’s game at home against Undera (fifth) but be available for next week’s match away to Tallygaroopna (fourth). Ardmona, the reigning premier, is second the ladder, a game behind Stanhope, with four matches to go before the finals.
The decision clears the way for Meka, who’s kicked almost 2500 goals in his country footballer career, to kick another century of goals. He leads the Kyabram league goalkicking table with 90 goals.
The precarious hold of teams at the top of the Geelong Football League ladder threatens to continue today when second-placed St Joseph’s hosts top-placed Colac at Geelong’s Herne Hill Reserve.
In the past two rounds, the Geelong league’s top team has been beaten. A fortnight ago, Geelong West-St Peter’s defeated South Barwon, the 2005 and ’06 premier, and sent it toppling to fourth. Last week Leopold, which has no hope of making the finals, defeated Geelong West-St Peter’s and sent it toppling to fourth.
Leopold, although 10th on the ladder, should have a large say on the make-up of the finals now that star players are returning from injury. Against Geelong West-St Peter’s, former Geelong forward Paul Lynch kicked five goals while former St Kilda midfielder Tony Brown was among the best players.
The Lions today host sixth-placed Newtown-Chilwell.
Geelong West-St Peter’s has finished towards the bottom of the ladder for much of the past decade. Its improvement this season can be attributed to Peter Riccardi, the former Geelong star who’s played well since returning to his junior club, and playing-coach Chris Gilham, a midfielder who brought the Carson brothers, Dale and Paul, with him from VFL club Werribee.
Dale has been a livewire at full-forward, while Paul is playing well in the midfield. Geelong West-St Peter’s today plays at Grovedale, which is fighting for a place in the top five.
Colac, which finished third last year, started slowly this season but has won the last eight games in succession. The Tigers are coached by John Pekin, whose brother Tim Pekin coaches Otway Districts in the Colac and District league and writes the Country Club column for The Age.
There were also huge upsets in the other competitions in the Corio Bay area last week, with Geelong Amateurs defeating top-placed Newcomb in the Bellarine league and lowly North Geelong defeating the top team, Bannockburn, in the Geelong and District league.
Geelong Amateurs today faces another stern test when it hosts Drysdale, the team that has replaced Newcomb at the top of the ladder. Drysdale last week copped a blow when playing-coach Wade Chapman, the former Sydney midfielder, snapped his Achilles tendon.
In the Geelong and District league, Bannockburn today should go a long way to atoning for last week’s one-point loss when it welcomes back midfielder Aaron Broom. Broom last week was a member of the Victorian Country districts league team that lost to South Australian Country at Stawell.
Bendigo junior club Strathfieldsaye has placed ads in the Bendigo Advertiser asking for expressions of interest in forming a senior club next year. Strathfieldsaye spokesman Peter Crapper said the proposed club would most likely play in a minor league, either the Loddon Valley or Heathcote and District competitions.
Bendigo league club Sandhurst has informed Strathfieldsaye that it’s not interested in its suggestion of forming an alliance, while fellow Bendigo league club South Bendigo is still considering the proposal.
South Bendigo is to play the top three teams in consecutive weeks, starting today when it hosts Eaglehawk at the Queen Elizabeth Oval. The Bloods then play Golden Square and Gisborne.
Picola and District league clubs this week voted in favour of welcoming Jerilderie from the Coreen and District league, which is to disband after the season.
Wahgunyah is set to join the Tallangatta and District league after several years of applying , while Hume league clubs will vote this week on whether to accept four Coreen league clubs: Billabong Crows, Rennie, Coleambally and Coreen-Daysdale-Hopefield-Buraja United.
Former Wangaratta Rovers star Robbie Walker has been effectively named the best player in the history of the Ovens and Murray league by being the first player to be named as a legend of the competition.
Administrator Cleaver Bunton last year was named as the first Ovens and Murray league legend. Walker, who won five Morris Medals for the best-and-fairest player in the competition, was named as the second legend when he was inducted in a ceremony in Albury this week.
Brian Gilcrist (Wodonga), Ray Thomas (Albury), Martin Cross (Myrtleford, North Albury) and 2AY commentator Ray Hadley were inducted into the Ovens and Murray hall of fame. The Ovens and Murray league has now had three hall-of-fame induction evenings.
Article first appeared: The Age August 4 2007
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