Riverland Football Chatter

[Dogwatcher]

Press release:

Zerna named interleague coach

Loxton premiership coach Mick Zerna was elected coach of the Almondco Almond Hut Riverland interleague team at a meeting of the RFL advocates committee last night.

Mick coached Loxton A grade for three years for three grand final appearances, culminating in their flag last season.

RFL executive officer and advocates committee chairman Mick Beech said league was delighted that Mick had accepted the position.

“He’s very enthusiastic and has the luxury of not being involved with any A grade clubs this season,” he said. “The RFL Commission was very keen to have a coach that was not playing or coaching at a particular club. It removes any possible conflicts of interest.

“Everyone is determined to put Riverland interleague back on the map and we expect everyone to get behind Mick and the RFL and support the side.”

Beech said a revamp to state-wide of representative football meant there were new opportunities for country players to represent South Australia.

“It is a exciting time to be involved at interleague level,” he said.

Beech paid tribute to the work of 2006 RFL coach Mark Tyrrell.

“He did a great job and we look forward to his on-field input this season,” he said.

Tyrrell captained the Riverland side and kicked eight goals against Mallee in 2005 and then took up the coaching role last season while sidelined with injuries sustained in a car accident.

“Mark’s commitment to the cause since arriving from Darwin has been first class and his on-field leadership this year will be of great benefit to Mick.

“I love the way he goes about his footy and sincerely hopes he comes out stars for us.”

The Riverland defeated Mallee at Lameroo last year and will meet their neighbouring rivals at Renmark on May 19.

Former Berri premiership player Alan Brand will be the 2007 chairman of selectors, while David Birch, of Renmark, will be team manager.

Beech said tough new penalties had been approved for players who did not make themselves available for interleague football this season.

“We are doing everything we can to field the best possible team,” he said. “We have even moved the game from the Queen’s Birthday weekend in June and given all clubs that weekend off.”

Beech said Almondco Almond Hut’s generous sponsorship would allow the RFL to give the players their representative guernseys as a momento of the achievement.



Zone appointments:

The RFL appointments come three days after the Murray Mallee Barrier Zone council, met in Berri and reappointed Broken Hill legend Anthony Murgatroyd coach of the zone team for the 2007 State championships in Port Pirie in July.

He will head up the same coaching panel that performed so well at the State Championships in Berri last year.

Murgatroyd will again be assisted by Mark Tyrrell from Barmera-Monash, Rodney Maynard from Lameroo and selectors David Ruddock and Brenton Tyler.

The most outstanding players at this year’s State championship will represent SA Country against Victoria Country at Stawell in late July.

The MMB Zone side is gearing up for serious assault on the title this year. The zone has four representatives playing at Football Park on Easter Sunday against SA Metro.

[Baron Greenback]

Good to see Mick's put his hand up for the job.
Should hopefully go okay this year.

[the saint]

Berri apparently performed well against a half strength Mallala side on the weekend.

They will have a tough hit out this week against Langhorne Creek on sat nite reserves start at 3pm A grade 5.30pm

just to update you Langhorne Creek won the A grade 31.12 to 4.3 and the Reserves won 26.12 to 5.4 Ithink Berri are in for a long season although Kruger is a handy pick up for them he can play

[Baron Greenback]

Wow....that's a flogging.

Renmark beaten by Ironbank by a fair bit in the As and 20 points in the Bs.
Paringa thumped by Bambil 30 goals to 1.

How did Moorook go DW?

[Dogwatcher]

Yeah - Moorook lost by three goals to Trinity.
Could've been a bit closer, but a certain full forward kicked 4.2 instead of the six he probably should've.
We looked ok.
I think Cobby are still the team to beat this year though.

Who the hell are Bambil? Any info on that trial to put Paringa's belting into some sort of context?

[Armytank]

Barry - did you play Saturday? where did you line up?

I hope Renmark had as good a time as we did on the weekend, I personally would like to thank the whole club for putting up with us all weekend! Bloody good footy played hard but in a great spirit and a bloody good time had afterwards over a few beers. I hope we can do something like this every year! Cheers guys

[200 Killer Wasps]

Who the hell are Bambil? Any info on that trial to put Paringa's belting into some sort of context?[/quote]

Bambil are in the Millewa league and won just 5 games last year to scrape into the four. I think this trial was at Paringa as well not a good start for the Swannies.

[Dogwatcher]

Put it that way and you wouldn't think it is a good start. I guess we've got to wonder who was missing for the Swans and if they're going to be missing all season or half the season or any of the season at all - quite often that's the case with Paringa.

[Dogwatcher]

Put it that way and you wouldn't think it is a good start. I guess we've got to wonder who was missing for the Swans and if they're going to be missing all season or half the season or any of the season at all - quite often that's the case with Paringa.

[200 Killer Wasps]

You may be right Dogwatcher You may be right Dogwatcher

[200 Killer Wasps]

The players cleared to Wunkar are both colts age and played for Wunkar when they were under 15's.

I would say both may be working Saturday morning and dont knock off in time to play Riverland thirds so have elected to play Independent colts at the later time. They can also sleep in a bit longer after a big Friday night.

Apparently Wunkar colts looking very good.

4 years ago their oldest player was 14 and they got flogged by 30 + goals each week, they deserve a good year.

[Dogwatcher]

I'll give you that one Supa - I think they're impressively coached too. Taught football values and they seem to never give in.

I think our colts might be battling this year. Lost a lot of the older kids who did so well over past two seasons. It's the Independent colts cycle.

[Baron Greenback]

I played in the B grade game Army for only a couple of quarters.
Played off a back flank in the first and a forward flank in the last.
What about yourself?

I was the idiot doing the commentating during the girls sculling competition!
I also took the second leg of the A grade sculling comp.

Yeah, it was an awesome night. You guys were very good value.
How was breakfast the next morning? You were up by 8 weren't you? I slept in til 12 thank god!!

Paringa was missing several players including Nathan and Jason Rover and Todd Rivers.
Not a great start for the Swans...they play Werrimul next weekend and they finished higher than Bambil!!!

[Armytank]

Ahh, I played in the B grade at Full Forward for the first Half then back to Full Back for the second, basically every where the ball wasn't! (Or maybe I am just carp )

Yeah we were all up at 8:00am, Schooner cooked up breakfast, everyone was ticketyboo for some skiing later that day. Good show put on by you blokes.

All the best for you blokes this year! You had a few good kids out there in the B grade, you should go alright?

[Baron Greenback]

Yeah I reckon I remember you now.
Young Nate Gorman played on you in the first quarter I reckon.

Sounds like you guys had a ball.

We should go okay I think.
We were missing heaps from our B grade side - there's heaps that haven't committed fully yet.
The young guys went really well on the weekend, I was very impressed.
What about you guys?

How did Schooner pull up - he was shitfaced when I left!

[Armytank]

Yeah that's me, Nate seems to be a good kid, kicked a goal on me late in the last qtr, little sh!t .

And yeah we had a ball! We should go alright this yeah, we have heaps more depth in the club this yeah so this are looking up.

Schooner was doing as well as we were I reckon!

[Baron Greenback]

Yeah, Nate is a good kid. I coached him last year, will be very handy in the 18s/Bs this year.

Your A graders pumped ours....very quick players all over the ground.
The big ginger fella cleaned up at half back too!

[the wonder elephant]

hey armytank sounds like i missed a good weekend away !!is barry dawson talking about the shermanator or clay murray ?

[Armytank]

That big Ginger fella is NAPPIES!!!! He is back!! Top bloke, big unit and loves the contest! But yeah we have heaps of young blokes willing to run like buggery all day, we should go ok on the big ovals this year.

You guys would expect to play finals footy in the A's wouldn't you?

TWE yeah you missed a bloody good weekend.

[the wonder elephant]

last time i checked big nappies wasnt a sauce head ??infact if you say that to him armyboy he will probebley ask 4 a bit of sauce and eat you !!