Glut Of Goals In Prospect

The Age

Saturday September 23, 2006

By PAUL DAFFEY

IF IT'S goals you want, then the Maryborough Castlemaine District Football League is one place you'll find them.

A glance at the goalkicking table shows the bounteousness of forwards in the goldfields competition this season, with four players topping the ton and another finishing the home-and-away rounds with 91.

And there's a good chance it will be raining more goals in today's grand final between Harcourt and Newstead at Princes Park in Maryborough.

Harcourt has two century goalkickers, full-forward Chris Stone and small forward Sean Smith, the latter kicking 20 goals in the last home-and-away game to leave him with a neat tally of 100.

Smith kicked another five goals in Harcourt's victory over Newstead in the second semi-final to lead the Lions, who until recently were called the Apple-Eaters, to the grand final.

Newstead has no century goalkickers, but it does have a talented forward line that includes Steven Oliver, who, before taking over as the Roos' playing coach this season, kicked more than 1000 goals with Bendigo league club Castlemaine.

Oliver played 13 games with Carlton more than a decade ago. This year he's had an injury-interrupted season, playing fewer than half his team's games, but his performance in the qualifying final shows that, at 35, he remains a potent force.

Oliver kicked 13 of the Roos' 15 goals in their victory over Maryborough Rovers, whose team included another century goalkicker, former Fitzroy and Richmond utility Jamie Elliott.

Oliver missed last weekend's victory over Carisbrook in the preliminary final, but he's sure to take his place in the goal square today.

Newstead received a blow last week when centre half-forward Michael Pedretti broke his shoulder after dominating the early part of the match. Pedretti's place in the key forward post should be well-covered by Danny Christmas, but the Roos face an uphill task against the undefeated Harcourt.

In the two clubs' sole encounter in the home-and-away rounds, in round 10, Harcourt clobbered Newstead by 104 points. Newstead stayed with Harcourt until half-time in the second semi-final, only for the Lions to enjoy a purple patch in the third quarter in which they wrested control of the game. The eventual margin was 49 points.

A decade ago, members of the Harcourt Football Club delivered phone books to get enough money for the club to survive. A premiership today, adding to the Lions' flags in 2002 and '03, would provide further proof of an amazing turnaround.

TOMORROW'S GRAND FINALS

Bendigo FL: Golden Square v Gisborne, at Queen Elizabeth Oval, Bendigo

Mornington Peninsula Nepean FL, Peninsula Division: Chelsea v Mount Eliza, at Frankston Park

Ovens and Murray FL: Myrtleford v Yarrawonga, at Lavington

© 2006 The Age

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