There was a familiar face on the front page of the Herald Sun (Saturday, May 25) promoting the Richmond-Essendon Dreamtime clash at the ’G match during the AFL’s Sir Doug Nicholls Round.
Former Lancaster and Kyabram footballer Brady Cooper, 38, was photographed in traditional Indigenous attire between Richmond’s Daniel Rioli and Essendon’s Jade Gresham.
Brady has been working as manager of Korin Gamadji, the Richmond Football Club’s Indigenous leadership program.
Brady has been in the role for five years and currently has six Indigenous players under his wing at Richmond.
He said he was thoroughly enjoying the culture-blending experience.
Baby Bombers
To say Kyabram fielded an inexperienced side against Shepparton Swans in their GVL clash last Saturday would be an understatement.
Co-coach of the Bombers Corey Carver pointed out that 11 of Kyabram’s players had made 10 or less appearances in the team.
We made a Blue
I had a response to the list of Kyabram’s VFL/AFL players in a feature article that appeared in last week’s Free Press.
Chris George has pointed out Archie Shields played for Carlton not Essendon.
Chris should know because Archie was her uncle.
Archie was one of the players I listed in my story as having either been born in Kyabram or being from Kyabram but not directly recruited from Kyabram.
Actually, Tongala can boast Shields as one of its own as he lived in Tongala and played with Tongala before being recruited by Carlton, where he played 19 games before heading off to a distinguished war career.
Newman on tour
Where will he bob up next?
Yes, former Kyabram coach Paul Newman made a surprise appearance with Lancaster against Longwood in the Kyabram District League on Saturday.
And just as well.
Newman kicked four of the Wombats’ six goals on a water-logged Lancaster oval, to prevent one of the biggest boilovers in the league’s history.
Lancaster, which has won the past two Ky league flags, got home by only two points.
Newman said he had planned to play a game with friends and former Lancaster players Steve and Rick Thomson and Billy Ryan, but they all pulled out and left him to do his own thing.
Newman recently played in a Kyabram reserves game and kicked five goals but with the wet conditions on Saturday eliminating his renowned marking power he had to rely on his footy smarts to get Lancaster over the line.
And as for his future?
He has always been a never-say-never man, who just loves to be involved, so don’t discount anything.
By George, he’s done it
Young Kyabram reinsman George Chamouras floored a few punters at last week’s Bendigo trots meeting when he saluted on a 50/1 shot.
George landed the 11-year-old Imawingate for trainer Adam Stephens on his first drive with the pacer.
Imawingate is a veteran of 168 starts, which have produced 18 wins and 49 minor placings and $127,000 in earnings.
It was win number 13 for Chamorous, 19, who has been driving for two years.
District trots trainers to enjoy wins at the Shepparton meeting last week were Stanhope’s Gay Pekin and Tongala’s Michael Watt.
Perkin won with pacer Cresco Threepeat while Watt produced trotting mare VC Bloom for her fourth career win.