By Paul Daffey
The Horsham Football Club has received a massive boost in its bid to win a record fifth consecutive Wimmera Football League premiership with the news that centre half-forward Luke Carr has had a two-week suspension lifted on appeal.
The 26-year-old is now clear to take the field for Horsham in today’s second semi-final against Stawell at Ararat.
Carr was originally suspended after an investigation into an incident at Horsham Court Oval on August 11 in which his Horsham Saints opponent Jason Weir was felled behind play. Weir was hospitalised and required 13 stitches in his mouth.
Carr pleaded guilty to conduct unbecoming but not before claiming that he had responded to Weir’s action of grabbing him by the testicles. Weir told the tribunal he had limited recollection of the incident but he denied grabbing Carr’s testicles.
Carr’s record was unblemished before his two-match ban.
At the appeal in Ararat on Thursday evening, Carr’s advocate Gaven Simmons (subs: apparently correct) claimed that Wimmera league officials had erred in their notification to Carr of the hearing. The league said simply that Carr was required to appear at the tribunal.
According to the VCFL rules, the league was required to notify Carr of the charge he faced and whether witnesses would be required. His two-match ban was thrown out on a technicality.
Carr said yesterday he was pleased that he would be able to play in the finals. “I’m happy with the outcome, but I’m disappointed I didn’t get to clear my name,” he said.
Carr had planned to repeat his claim that Weir grabbed him by the testicles but Simmons, a former Horsham player, surprised those at the hearing by basing the defence on aberrant paperwork. The incident with Weir was not broached.
Carr tomorrow will play his 150th game for Horsham, the club his father Bruce also represented at centre half-forward. Luke missed the Demons’ first premiership of its current run, in 2003, because he was playing with St Mary’s in Geelong, but he’s played in the past three Horsham flags.
Carr has kicked 59 goals to be third on the Wimmera league’s goalkicking table. His teammate David Johns heads the list with 109. The pair work together in Johns’s glazing business.
Horsham this month is aiming to go one better than the Ararat team that won four consecutive flags from 1955 to ’58. Horsham Saints finished on the bottom of the ladder without a win.
This weekend’s other Wimmera league clash is the first semi-final between Dimboola and Horsham United at Stawell tomorrow.
Ocean Grove midfielder Damian Clark will today line up in his 12th Bellarine league grand final when the Grubbers play Newcomb Power at Torquay.
Clark played in his first grand final in 1994, the year Ocean Grove won its first flag. He’s played in the grand final every year since then except 2005 and 2006, when the Grubbers lost early finals.
Clark, a 35-year-old concrete cutter, now starts most matches on the bench but he’s reportedly played a key role in recent weeks as the Grubbers have bounced back from a thrashing against Newcomb in the qualifying final.
Ocean Grove was down at the three-quarter time in both the first semi-final against Geelong Amateurs and the preliminary final against Drysdale, only to fight back and narrowly defeat both clubs.
Clark said he’s relaxed about the prospect of another grand final. “But in a funny way, I’m more excited about it.”
Recently retired Carlton player Matthew Lappin trained with Wangaratta, the club coached by his older brother Jason, at the club’s Norm Minns Oval on Thursday evening. Lappin followed training by addressing the Magpies, who are trying to win their first Ovens and Murray league premiership since 1976.
Wangaratta today plays North Albury in the second semi-final at the Wangaratta Rovers’ ground, Findlay Oval. Yarrawonga and Wodonga tomorrow play in the first semi-final at Wodonga Raiders’ ground, Birallee Park.
Nathalia stalwart Adam Quarrell will play his 250th game today as the Purples take on Mulawa in the Murray league’s second semi-final at Tocumwal. Quarrell plays in the back pocket and is a strong worker for Nathalia on and off the field.
Article first appeared: The Age September 9 2007
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