FOOTYBOSS
Club Legend
Re: Official GVFL thread
Old fashion back as latest fashion
Rob Harris
The famed ``Violet Crumble'' strip will return to the field this season as the Goulburn Valley Football League celebrates the 150th year of Australian Rules football.
Made legendary by household country football names such as Kevin Kenna, Barry Connolly and in recent times Robbie Miller and Stephen Ash, the guernsey will again be worn by the league's best this season after four seasons in mothballs.
The jumper _ predominantly purple with gold trim and a GV insignia _ has not taken to the field since the 2003 country championships campaign when the league executive declared a change was needed to avoid clashes.
It was replaced with a lavender or a ``half-toned blend'' number which might have been ``in'' then, but hasn't quite kept up with the fashion in the minds of many.
An Ovens and Murray official once dubbed the league's team ``the powder puffs'' after catching a glimpse of the jumper for the first time.
It is believed the push to revert to the traditional strip gained momentum during the Team of the 60 Years celebrations last October.
``I think tradition is a big thing in football and this is one of our small ways to celebrate 150 years of football,'' league chairman John Coghlan said.
``The recent strip raised a few eyebrows, but it wasn't all together bad, but I think many people involved will be quite excited to see the old strip return.
``It's synonymous with the Goulburn Valley Football League, which is 112 years old itself, and it's important that in a year like this we can remember our history.''
The league will also reintroduce the gold shorts which, much to the delight of a few nuggetty on-ballers, had made way for purple nicks for the past four interleague campaigns.
Up to six designs, each with different style trimming, have been designed by Melbourne-based company Lyon Sportswear.
The league will brief its clubs of the proposed change at a delegates' meeting tonight, ahead of the Pool A country championships against Ovens and Murray, Ballarat and Hampden in Shepparton from May 30 to June 1.
Favourite son returns
Two-time best and fairest winner Chris Atkins will return to Kyabram on the eve of the Goulburn Valley Football League season.
In a major boost for new Bombers coach David Williams, Atkins will be reunited with his former Balranald teammates Lincoln Withers and Balraj Singh.
The 29-year-old, who was unveiled as Bendigo league club Gisborne's star signing late last year, admits it was a tough decision.
``It's not something you like to do, sign up at a club and then change your mind,'' Atkins said. ``But the more I thought about it and the more ex-local boys said they were going back the more I thought it was the right decision.
``Obviously `Dirty' (Williams) has got the boys pretty enthused and the lure to come back home was just too great.''
Adding to Atkins' signing is the return of Scott McCormack, who like Atkins had also agreed to another club.
McCormick told Kyabram District league Undera last week he would rejoin Kyabram as assistant coach after leaving at the end of last season.
``Scotty is a good mate of mine and I'm looking forward to playing alongside him again,'' Atkins said.
``It's obviously home for me and although I'm living in Melbourne it's just great to spend every minute you can with the guys.''
Atkins, a Goulburn Valley interleague representative, debuted for Kyabram in 1996 _ a premiership year _ with four games as a 17-year-old.
He is the only senior player still remaining at the club to have played in the 1999 finals series.
McCormick broke his leg three years ago and made his long road back to recovery last year.
``Scott wasn't sure if he could play GVFL football again, but his leg healed well and he's been flying in training,'' his father Ian said.
The Bombers kick off their season on April 12 with an away game against Mansfield.
Big Bear back leading the pack
Ashleigh Williamson
Shepparton's star ruckman Marc Harrap took his first step to returning as one of the premier big men in Goulburn Valley Football League on Wednesday night in a practice match against Kyabram under lights at Deakin Reserve.
It was the 28-year-old's first match in almost eight months after he a ruptured posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
The youthful Bears looked good early against a slightly undermanned Bombers outfit, with the Bears getting over the line in their first hit-out under new coach Richard Warburton.
Harrap was rapt to be back on the paddock after being on the sidelines and doing the hard yards on the track during the summer.
``It was really good to get back into it, the group has trained really hard during the pre-season,'' Harrap said.
``I've been focusing on strengthening my legs and quads and been going to the gym and doing some riding.
``I didn't think I was travelling too well with where I wanted my fitness level to be, but the match practice is good for that.
``I pulled up a little tight after it, but I'm okay, I'll miss our next practice game, but I'll keep training to try and get my fitness where I want it to be right to go for round one.''
Harrap was a runaway leader of his club's best and fairest last year before a knee collision with Rochester's Ben Anderson in round 13 caused him to miss the last five games, eventually finishing runner-up to silky midfielder Jeremy O'Brien.
O'Brien and many other experienced players have left the club in the off-season, and it was a young Bears side that took to the field against the Bombers.
``We'll look to blood some young kids again this year and give them the opportunity to become good senior players,'' Harrap said.
``We're a bit light on with talls and experienced guys, but I think we'll be all right this year, everyone is looking forward to round one against United.''
Old fashion back as latest fashion
Rob Harris
The famed ``Violet Crumble'' strip will return to the field this season as the Goulburn Valley Football League celebrates the 150th year of Australian Rules football.
Made legendary by household country football names such as Kevin Kenna, Barry Connolly and in recent times Robbie Miller and Stephen Ash, the guernsey will again be worn by the league's best this season after four seasons in mothballs.
The jumper _ predominantly purple with gold trim and a GV insignia _ has not taken to the field since the 2003 country championships campaign when the league executive declared a change was needed to avoid clashes.
It was replaced with a lavender or a ``half-toned blend'' number which might have been ``in'' then, but hasn't quite kept up with the fashion in the minds of many.
An Ovens and Murray official once dubbed the league's team ``the powder puffs'' after catching a glimpse of the jumper for the first time.
It is believed the push to revert to the traditional strip gained momentum during the Team of the 60 Years celebrations last October.
``I think tradition is a big thing in football and this is one of our small ways to celebrate 150 years of football,'' league chairman John Coghlan said.
``The recent strip raised a few eyebrows, but it wasn't all together bad, but I think many people involved will be quite excited to see the old strip return.
``It's synonymous with the Goulburn Valley Football League, which is 112 years old itself, and it's important that in a year like this we can remember our history.''
The league will also reintroduce the gold shorts which, much to the delight of a few nuggetty on-ballers, had made way for purple nicks for the past four interleague campaigns.
Up to six designs, each with different style trimming, have been designed by Melbourne-based company Lyon Sportswear.
The league will brief its clubs of the proposed change at a delegates' meeting tonight, ahead of the Pool A country championships against Ovens and Murray, Ballarat and Hampden in Shepparton from May 30 to June 1.
Favourite son returns
Two-time best and fairest winner Chris Atkins will return to Kyabram on the eve of the Goulburn Valley Football League season.
In a major boost for new Bombers coach David Williams, Atkins will be reunited with his former Balranald teammates Lincoln Withers and Balraj Singh.
The 29-year-old, who was unveiled as Bendigo league club Gisborne's star signing late last year, admits it was a tough decision.
``It's not something you like to do, sign up at a club and then change your mind,'' Atkins said. ``But the more I thought about it and the more ex-local boys said they were going back the more I thought it was the right decision.
``Obviously `Dirty' (Williams) has got the boys pretty enthused and the lure to come back home was just too great.''
Adding to Atkins' signing is the return of Scott McCormack, who like Atkins had also agreed to another club.
McCormick told Kyabram District league Undera last week he would rejoin Kyabram as assistant coach after leaving at the end of last season.
``Scotty is a good mate of mine and I'm looking forward to playing alongside him again,'' Atkins said.
``It's obviously home for me and although I'm living in Melbourne it's just great to spend every minute you can with the guys.''
Atkins, a Goulburn Valley interleague representative, debuted for Kyabram in 1996 _ a premiership year _ with four games as a 17-year-old.
He is the only senior player still remaining at the club to have played in the 1999 finals series.
McCormick broke his leg three years ago and made his long road back to recovery last year.
``Scott wasn't sure if he could play GVFL football again, but his leg healed well and he's been flying in training,'' his father Ian said.
The Bombers kick off their season on April 12 with an away game against Mansfield.
Big Bear back leading the pack
Ashleigh Williamson
Shepparton's star ruckman Marc Harrap took his first step to returning as one of the premier big men in Goulburn Valley Football League on Wednesday night in a practice match against Kyabram under lights at Deakin Reserve.
It was the 28-year-old's first match in almost eight months after he a ruptured posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
The youthful Bears looked good early against a slightly undermanned Bombers outfit, with the Bears getting over the line in their first hit-out under new coach Richard Warburton.
Harrap was rapt to be back on the paddock after being on the sidelines and doing the hard yards on the track during the summer.
``It was really good to get back into it, the group has trained really hard during the pre-season,'' Harrap said.
``I've been focusing on strengthening my legs and quads and been going to the gym and doing some riding.
``I didn't think I was travelling too well with where I wanted my fitness level to be, but the match practice is good for that.
``I pulled up a little tight after it, but I'm okay, I'll miss our next practice game, but I'll keep training to try and get my fitness where I want it to be right to go for round one.''
Harrap was a runaway leader of his club's best and fairest last year before a knee collision with Rochester's Ben Anderson in round 13 caused him to miss the last five games, eventually finishing runner-up to silky midfielder Jeremy O'Brien.
O'Brien and many other experienced players have left the club in the off-season, and it was a young Bears side that took to the field against the Bombers.
``We'll look to blood some young kids again this year and give them the opportunity to become good senior players,'' Harrap said.
``We're a bit light on with talls and experienced guys, but I think we'll be all right this year, everyone is looking forward to round one against United.''
. Its great to recruit players but they could have picked up perhaps 6-8 solid players for what they are paying. I'm sure Singh will be bleeding Black and red for the rest of his days
great fella Redman and will no doubt be a popular inclusion around the Den
