SFL finals - week two

Southern Football League
Finals previews, week two
By Gary Williamson

Second Semi-Final at Boyer Oval
New Norfolk v Lindisfarne
NEW Norfolk has the home ground advantage courtesy of finishing on top of the ladder by percentage. They host the leagues most improved side, Lindisfarne, in what promises to be a close encounter. Both sides have only lost one game each for the season and in their only encounter the Eagles easily defeated Lindisfarne and this will give them plenty of confidence and put some self doubt in the minds of the visitors.

New Norfolk have lots of experience and their quality players will have cool heads in the opening stanza of the game. They have an edge in strength around the stoppages and if they can win the clearances they should be able to create plenty of opportunities for their key forwards. The midfield battle looks fairly even but New Norfolk have plenty of big marking forwards and with medium size forwards who can also mark and crumb the ball.

The opposition will need to have their match ups correct to slow the home side's scoring. Lindisfarne may have an edge in pace and they will attempt to use the spaces of the Boyer Oval to create the loose man and they also have two key forwards capable of kicking multiple gaols. If the Two Blues use their press to really push up the ground they will probably get hurt on the rebound unless they man up more than usual. They should have learned from their first round loss and must back themselves to get off to a good start and put some scoreboard pressure on the Eagles.

In a battle of the league's two best sides perhaps the home ground advantage and an edge in class and strength should see New Norfolk progress to a grand final but the Eagles must be at their best as the Two Blues have plenty of fight and will cause havoc if they have room to run and carry the football and the big ground will suit their style of play.

• Mercury preview here

First semi final at Kingborough
Kingborough v Dodges Ferry
KINGBOROUGH get the all important home ground advantage courtesy of winning last weekend's elimination final when they host the improving Dodges Ferry who will hold no fears of playing on this ground after defeating Kingborough there early in the season. In what should be a really close game the Tigers are now playing their best football of the season and should have too much pace and fitness for the Sharks and advance to a preliminary final but should be very wary of a talented Dodges Ferry who are a really even side and will take their chances if they are presented and a win would not surprise.

Last weekend's matches
Kingborough v Brighton – Elimination Final
KINGBOROUGH kept its premiership defence alive when they easily defeated a disappointing Brighton by 61 points, kicking 25.11 (161) to 14.4 (88). Best players for a lacklustre Brighton were Chandler, Howlett and Willing whilst key forwards Martin and Tubb each kicked three goals but were starved of opportunities after half time as their promising season comes to an end under first year coach Willing.

Dodges Ferry v Claremont – Elimination Final
DODGES Ferry recorded an easy win at home over Claremont in the first elimination final, 18.12 (120) to 9.18 (72). Good players for a disappointing Claremont as their promising season comes to a closure were Bedford, Sweeney, Corbett and Arnold and key forward Newton kicked three goals but was starved of opportunities for most of the day.

Time to celebrate the season

THE New Norfolk Junior Football Club will hold its annual best and fairest count for the Under 13s, 14s and 15s this Friday at the NNDFC starting at 7pm. The cost is $5 for adults, no charge for the kids and supper will be provided.

The Under 16s count will be held in conjunction with the NNDFC seniors and reserves best and fairest count at the clubrooms on September 21.   

Under 15s claim holy grail

100-gamer Josh Whitford-Marriott

IF you were ever going to play your best footy for the season you would want to do it in a grand final and that's exactly what the New Norfolk Under 15s did at KGV oval on Sunday. The young Eagles ran the Brighton boys off their feet to win by a whopping 59 points. In amazing scenes once the final siren sounded, all players, parents and supporters joined in the celebrations on the ground. Had the Hunters and Collectors song Holy Grail come over the P.A. after the game it would have capped off a perfect season for the Eagles who finished undefeated in the U/15B roster.

From the opening bounce New Norfolk kicked five goals to Brighton's one, making a clear statement they were there to play. The Eagles continued their good work in the second term, kicking four more majors while again keeping Brighton to just one goal as the lead stretched out to 44 points at the main break.

In the third term Brighton managed to out-score the Eagles two goals to one, but this did little to deter a side that wasn't going to let a grand final victory slip. And didn't they show it in the final term. The hunger for a premiership was evident as they kicked four goals to Brighton's one and the mighty Eagles were home! Their running play throughout the game was a real feature, showing why they were the best side for 2012.

Congratulations to speedstar Joshua Whitford-Marriott for playing his 100th game in the grand final - I'm sure he will never forget it! Well done Josh, you put your milestone aside to concentrate on the job at hand and you played a terrific game as did every New Norfolk player with everyone having input to the excellent win. You all should be very proud of yourselves. Co-captain Brayden Chaplin led by example, picking up possessions at will all over the ground and was unlucky not to be named best on ground.

A big thank you to coach Josh Clifford for his hard work and dedication to the team. A top job and we all really appreciate what you have done. Thanks also to Dannielle Stevenson for the work she has done. To all the officials and parents and supporters, thank you also. We couldn't have done it without you. Finally I would like to wish Zoe Thurston the best of luck for the future. Having been in this side since the Under 8s, this was her last game with the team.

WADE GLEESON

Scores - New Norfolk 14.11 (95) d Brighton 5.6 (36). Goals - New Norfolk: C. Stewart 2, J. Whitford-Marriott 2, B. Hodge 2, N. Wakefield, A. Thorpe, J. Locher, D. Browning, K. Tomkinson, J. Challenger, J. Eiszele, B. Chaplin; Brighton: J. Davie 3, J. Pate, J. Byers. Best - New Norfolk: B. Chaplin, J. Whitford-Marriott, R. Wakefield, H. Bielleman, D. Browning, Z. Thurston; Brighton: J. Byers, J. Walker, C. Harback, S. Tubb, M. Palmer, T. Ford.

Match video at YouTube

Action from the game.

Under 16s go down fighting

THE New Norfolk Under 16s went down fighting in the preliminary final against Clarence at KGV on Sunday. Being 18 points down at three-quarter time, the Eagles clawed their way back but fell short by seven points. The team performed very well for 2012 and coach Dean King and the players should hold their heads high as they have done New Norfolk proud.

Dean has had the team since the Under 8s and for the same time has has a terrific team manager in Kathy Adams. Both did a fantastic job this season and the boys appreciate what they have done. Let's hope this team can kick on and form a Under 18s team next season in the SFL.

Scores - Clarence 9.10 (64) d New Norfolk 8.9 (57). Goals - Clarence: J. Triffett 3, W. Reibel 2, M. Pyke, D. Peace, H. Triffett, B. McKean; New Norfolk: J. Banks-Smith 2, C. Neads 2, J. Webb, J. Rowlands, D. Adams, B. Ransley. Best - Clarence: N. Williams, D. Allie, J. Triffett, B. Fazackerley, H. Triffett, H. Taylor; New Norfolk: A. Triffitt, J. Banks-Smith, A. Pearton, C. Neads, T. Gray, J. Hayden.

Under 14s courageous in defeat

PLAYING in their first grand final last weekend, the New Norfolk Under 14 footballers were courageous in defeat. The conditions were wet and slippery but both teams maintained a good skill level. New Norfolk's backline was led well by Patrick Vout and stood up well under constant pressure. The boys found it hard to get the ball deep into their forward line, which resulted in limited opportunities.

Coaches John Rowbottom and Shane Triffitt and all of the boys should be proud of their efforts this season. As the season progressed the team improved and their confidence grew. Well done to everyone involved. Thanks to Leonie Foster for performing the time-keeping duties throughout the finals series.

Scores - Lindisfarne 3.10 (28) d New Norfolk 1.2 (8). Goals - Lindisfarne: B. Elmer 2, J. Young; New Norfolk: Shayne Upton. Best - Lindisfarne: L. Briggs, M. Devine, J. Young, B. Elmer, M. Haydon, W. Press; New Norfolk: Patrick Vout, Cooper Triffitt, Connor Salter, Dakoda Smith, Joshua Farrow, Wade Lockley and Connor Rowbottom.

Match video at YouTube

Meet the Under 15s

COACH of the victorious New Norfolk Under 15s football team, Josh Clifford, has provided the following pen pictures of his team following their win in last weekend's grand final.

Aaron Thorp: Committed player, strong forward
Mitchell Booth: Committed player, excels weekly
Zak Booth: Dominant and talented left-footer
Nick Wakefield: Fit and a consistently great footballer
Jakob Triffitt: Strong ruckman, natural talent
Jordan Eiszele: Skilled midfielder, leadership material
Brodie Wilton: Very skilful player, especially around goals
Brodie Gleeson: Strong backman, improved immensely
Charlie Stewart: Great full forward, hard to stop
Kye Tomkinson: Spark around the club, a smart footballer
Daniel Browning: Great ruckman, strong when forward
Josh Raspin: Stood up this year, great in the back & forward line
Zoe Thurston: Admired by many, competitive player
Jahrod Locher: A fearless all rounder
Daniel Cooley: Clever left-footer, gives it his all
Brett Hodge: Very gifted player, leads by example
Jacob Picken: Talented player, a real all rounder
Tom Gillies: Brave and true back man
Ryan Wakefield: Powerful player, just an inspiration
Hayden Smith: Smallest player but biggest heart, courageous player
Brayden Chaplin: Dominate back man, leadership material
Josh Whitford-Marriott: Energetic and hard working player
Josh Challenger: Extravagant backman, never misses a beat
Nathan Wakefield: Artistic left-footer, great skills
Hayden Bielleman: Tremendous speed ability, dangerous when forward

THE TEAM: Back row from left,  manager Wade Gleeson, interchange steward Jason Raspin, runner Bryan Chaplin, coach Joshua Clifford, vice-captain Hayden Bielleman, Joshua Challenger, Brodie Gleeson, Jakob Triffitt, Joshua Raspin, Jacob Picken, Brett Hodge, Aaron Thorpe, Charlie Stewart, Zoe Thurston, Kye Tomkinson, Daniel Cooley, Daniel Browning, Aaron, and trainer Barry Chaplin. Front from left, Nathan Wakefield, Nicholas Wakefield, Mitchell Booth, Hayden Smith, captains Brayden Chaplin and Jordan Eiszele, Brodie Wilton, Zak Booth, Ryan Wakefield, vice-captain Joshua Whitford-Marriott, and Jahrod Locher. Absent: Tom Gillies.

Olympian praises New Norfolk club

Kate Hornsey on ABC TV News

OLYMPIC silver medallist Kate Hornsey has spoken of the important role played by the New Norfolk Rowing Club in her sporting career. Speaking to ABC News at yesterday's welcome home celebrations in Hobart, Hornsey paid tribute to her home club. The report can be read here (this link includes text and video versions). Hornsey, from Molesworth, won silver in the women's pair at the London Olympics earlier this month, becoming one of Tasmania's most successful athletes at the games.

Grant for Redlands distillery project

Dick Adams, centre, at Redlands last weekend.

PLANS for a distillery tourist attraction at Redlands, Plenty, have moved a step closer with the awarding of a $110,000 federal grant. The grant was announced on August 10 and a celebration was held a week later, attended by the Federal Member for Lyons, Dick Adams MHR. Redlands Estate, next door to the Salmon Ponds, will use the funding to develop a complete whisky tourism experience for visitors to the Derwent Valley.

Mr Adams congratulated Peter and Elizabeth Hope on submitting for the funding, and noted the hard work the couple have put into Redlands Estate. “Congratulations to Peter and Elizabeth Hope on achieving this grant that will help to make the Derwent Valley a must-see destination for all of those who visit the state," Mr Adams said. "Peter and Elizabeth have put in countless hours and a lot of money to restore Redlands Estate. Without their tireless efforts, we would not be here today to celebrate this funding that will help to establish Redlands Estate Distillery."

Mr Adams said this part of the Derwent Valley was already known for its pristine beauty and tranquility. "The establishment of Redlands Estate Distillery will not only be able to show visitors the beauty and rich history of the area, but it will be able to showcase the ever growing name Tasmania is making for itself on the world stage of whisky distilling,” he said.

Future visitors to Redlands Estate Distillery will be able to trace the production of malt whisky from paddock to glass. The grant funding will see the establishment of a traditional malting floor as part of the whisky distilling process and the restoration of the historic buildings in the complex.

• Redlands featured in Tasmanian Life magazine

Half-day fun days

NEW Norfolk youngsters will be provided with a free barbecue and activities at Ellis Dean Reserve every second Wednesday afternoon to coincide with the fortnightly half-days observed by most schools in the town. The initiative started yesterday and is provided by Mission Australia Youth Connections program, supported by Colony 47 and the New Norfolk Business Alliance.

From 12.15-2.15pm on "student free" Wednesdays there will be a free barbecue, music, sport and information. An alternative location will be provided if the weather is unsuitable. Click on the image below for a larger version.

Chat with an Olympian

NEW Norfolk Rowing Club Olympians Anthony Edwards and Kerry Hore are at the Mercury newspaper office conducting a live blog right now. Click here to join the conversation or read through the posts if you missed it.

Last weekend's football

Southern Football League
Round 18 match reviews
By Gary Williamson

New Norfolk v East Coast
NEW Norfolk finished off the season with an easy win to hold top spot on the ladder and a home final in a fortnight, while Michael Thompson achieved his century of goals for the season as they defeated East Coast by 95 points, kicking 18.22 (130) to 5.5 (35). New Norfolk dominated the first term but wasted shots at goal as they had 12 scoring shots without a reply from the Bombers but only managed three majors as they led by 21 points and appeared in total control of the game. The second term saw the visitors really put up a fight and matched their more fancied rivals for the term, kicking three goals each and they appeared to still be in the game and only trailed by 30 points at the main break.

The second half was all the Eagles' as they piled on 12 goals to two to race away for an easy victory and a good tune up for the finals but they would have preferred a much harder contest on the eve of their second semi final clash with Lindisfarne. Best players for the Eagles were Crane, Barwick, Clayton and Clifford whilst Thompson kicked six goals to bring his season's tally to 101 in a great performance. Better players for the Bombers who finished their season with only four wins were Dudgeon, Morrisby, Lyden and Wiggins.

Dodges Ferry v Central Hawks
DODGES Ferry wrapped up their 2012 season with a solid win at home over Central Hawks to grab fourth spot on the ladder and an important home elimination final against Claremont as they eventually won by 63 points, 14.9 (93) to 4.6 (30). The home side got off to a good start in the heavy conditions and cruised to a very handy 25 point lead at the first change. The second term saw the game really slow up and the Hawks were a little bit more competitive but the Sharks increased their lead to 36 points at the main break and the game appeared to be well over. The second half was again all Dodges Ferry as they rested several players for this weekend's final but would have preferred a harder contest. Full credit to Central Hawks who battled the game right out to the final siren. Best players for the Sharks were Gaeppen, Barwick, Gillie who finished with a game high six goals along with Brosnan. Best players for the Hawks were Brown, Nibbs and Horne as their season finished without a win.

Kingborough v Claremont
KINGBOROUGH finished the season in fine style and cemented third spot on the ladder and a home elimination final when they defeated Claremont by 63 points, 16.19 (115) to 9.8 (62). Claremont got off to a flying start kicking four unanswered goals as they cruised to a handy 18 point lead at the first change as an upset loomed as a shell-shocked Kingborough limped into the quarter time break. After a big blast from coach Henly the Tigers responded with magnificently with eight unanswered goals and wrestled back a lead of 32 points and appeared in control. The third term saw Claremont work their way back into the game but they could not make any inroad into the scoreboard as they again faded in the last term for a disappointing loss especially after such a promising start. Best players for the winners were Feilding, Peterson, Douglas and Philp whilst Bielski continued his good recent form with four goals in a good display. Best players for a disappointing Claremont were Barwick, Daley, Bedford and Kamaric whilst Curtin kicked three goals.

Lindisfarne v Huonville
LINDISFARNE finished its successful season and held onto second spot on the ladder and a week's rest after thrashing Huonville at home by 100 points, 25.8 (158) to 9.4 (58).

Sorell v Cygnet
CYGNET finished off its season in fine style with a win away from home over Sorell but they failed to grab a finals berth by percentage when they won by 19 points in heavy conditions, kicking 7.8 (50) to 4.7 (31). The victorious side carried off Jules Direen after his 321st and final game for his beloved Cygnet.

Junior footy finals

Southern Tasmanian Junior Football League
Finals Week 2 - New Norfolk games

UNDER 14B preliminary final last Sunday, August 19, at Pontville
New Norfolk 4.3 (27) d Sandy Bay 4.2 (26). Best - NN: Connor Rowbottom, Connor Salter, Cooper Triffitt, Dakoda Smith, Patrick Vout, Mitchell Banks; Goals - NN: Alex Blair, Mitchell Banks, Adam Byrne. In a tight contest between two even sides, New Norfolk prevailed by a solitary point over Sandy Bay in the preliminary final. All of the boys played a part in their first final win. New Norfolk was more committed and played a better style of team football compared to the previous week. Connor Rowbottom's long chase and tackle in the the third quarter was a highlight of the game. Sandy Bay worked their way into the lead in the final quarter,  but the New Norfolk boys stayed focused and a great point by Wade Lockley regained the the lead. Congratulations to Cooper Triffitt on playing well in his 100th game. New Norfolk takes on Lindisfarne in the Under14B Grand Final this Sunday at 10.45am at KGV. New Norfolk players to wear white shorts

UNDER 15: After having a week's rest, the New Norfolk Under 15s will now play Brighton in the grand final at KGV at 12.30 this Sunday. These two sides meet in the grand final last season with Brighton winning by 20 points, but the Eagles will go into the game full of confidence having beaten Brighton in both encounters this season. New Norfolk players to wear black shorts. For those who are catching the bus to the grand final, it will be leaving the NNDFC at 10am.

UNDER16: North Hobart 26.13 (169) d New Norfolk 0.0 (3). Best - NN: Tyler Purdon, Brandon King, Tyron Rainbird, T. Pearcy, Jacob Daley, James Webb. This Sunday: Preliminary final - New Norfolk v Clarence at KGV at 5pm. New Norfolk players to wear black shorts.

Squatter's fire begs security question

A SQUATTER is believed to have been the cause of a small fire at the derelict D Ward at Willow Court last night. Several units from the New Norfolk Fire Brigade responded to the incident, which was reported by a passerby at 5.50pm. The fire was quickly extinquished with little damage caused.

Also known as Derwent House, the two-storey building is adjacent to the oval and is the closest to The Avenue. It is owned by the Derwent Valley Council, which recently called for expressions of interest in the purchase of the three remaining buildings in that area following the destruction of F Ward/Franklin House. This section of Willow Court has been surrounded by construction site fencing since the F Ward fire in March.

Remembering John and Hilary Craw

THE newest street at the Gateway Estate subdivision in New Norfolk will be named in honour of the late John and Hilary Craw. Proposing the name at last week's Derwent Valley Council meeting, Councillor Damian Bester said the Craws had been former councillors, businesspeople and historians. The motion was seconded by Cr Wayne Shoobridge, who said he had worked with Hilary on the council.

Mr and Mrs Craw arrived in New Norfolk in early 1960 to help prepare the town for the introduction of television in May that year. After initially trading in High St they eventually built their own home and two adjoining shops on the corner of Derwent Terrace and Second Avenue, where they operated their business and raised their family.

Both had an interest in local history, much of which was recorded by John in his role as a casual cameraman for TVT6 (now WIN Television), while Hilary helped to put our history on paper. John was also a pioneer in personal computing and provided many New Norfolk homes and businesses with their first computer.

The couple served on the New Norfolk/Derwent Valley Council at separate times and both were members of local service organisations. They moved to Granton in retirement but Hilary returned to New Norfolk after John's death.

Cr Tony Nicholson said John had provided a wonderful service to Royal Derwent Hospital, keeping its many televisions in good order at a time when the technology was temperamental. Cr Chris Lester and deputy mayor Barry Lathey said they supported John and Hilary Craw being remembered in a street name.

September school holiday program

A RANGE of school holiday activites will be made available to local children by the Derwent Valley Council. The program is for children aged 11-16 and includes activities from September 10-14 and 17-21. Payment and a signed permission form must be lodged at the Derwent Valley Council Chambers in Circle St, New Norfolk, by Setpember 5. For more information phone 6261 2687 or 0408 618 588.

Hotfoot it to Bothwell for footrot talk

THE Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association, in association with the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, will hold an information session at Bothwell to help farmers better understand the use of specific footrot vaccines (SFVs). Footrot is an infectious disease that can affect sheep, cattle and goats. There is a range of strains throughout Australia but it is most prevalent in medium to high rainfall areas. The bacteria can survive indefinitely in pockets of infection inside the feet of infected animals, even under dry conditions.

The Bothwell talk and another at Campbell Town will explain how the use of SFVs fits in an overall program of footrot eradication and control. The speakers include Tasmanian specialist Dr Paul Nilon and Dr Om Dhungyel, a research fellow in the faculty of veterinary science at the University of Sydney. He worked on an Australian-funded project on footrot in sheep and goats in Nepal and developed a DNA footrot vaccine that was used to control and eradicate endemic footrot in that country. He has worked on similar projects in Bhutan, India, China and Malaysia and is now a leading researcher in this field in Australia.

The information session will be held at the Bothwell Town Hall on Wednesday, August 29, from 6.30- 9pm.

The good life

Colleen and John Graham on ABC TV

LAST night's episode of Gardening Australia on ABC TV featured Lachlan residents John and Colleen Graham. The five minute segment was presented by Tino Carnevale, who visited the couple at their home high in the Lachlan hills.

There was vision of John displaying his prowess as a shingle-splitter and prolific grower of fruit and vegetables. Colleen is equally well known for her cooking and the program took a peek inside her well equipped preserving shed.

The video clip and a transcript can be found on the Gardening Australia website here.

Council backs Gonski

THE Derwent Valley Council will call on the Federal Government to implement in full the findings of the Gonski Review of School Funding. In a report to last week's council meeting, regional development officer Jess Dallas said the Derwent Valley had below-average school achievement rates and very low retention rates. "The implementation of the Gonski Report would be advantageous to school funding in the area," Ms Dallas said in her report.

Councillor Damian Bester said the cost of the Gonski reforms had been estimated at $5-6 billion per year and the report made no mention of how that would be funded and what areas would have reduced funding as a result. Cr Chris Lester said he had not been aware of the projected costs, but he had a daughter at New Norfolk High School and the principal had asked parents to lobby in support of the reforms. It was expected that NNHS would receive an extra $400,000 and he supported that.

Mayor Martyn Evans said he shared the funding concerns expressed by Cr Bester but would be supporting the motion. Cr James Graham said there would be further debate and discussions where funding concerns could be addressed. The motion calling for a full and timely implementation of the Gonski Review was moved by Cr Graham and seconded by Cr Wayne Shoobridge. It was supported by all councillors except deputy mayor Barry Lathey and Cr Bester. Cr Scott Shaw was not at the meeting.

Farrell hopes to share the load

DERWENT MLC Craig Farrell was hoping some of the independent members of the Legislative Council may help share his workload as Leader for the Government in the Upper House, according to a report in The Examiner earlier this week. The Launceston newspaper says Mr Farrell - now the only endorsed Labor MLC - hoped some of the non-politically aligned councillors might like to take responsibility for seeing certain legislation through the Upper House. The report can be read here.

Olympians return

Anthony Edwards and Kerry Hore at Hobart Airport.

THREE of the Derwent Valley's four 2012 Olympians returned home on Wednesday. Dana Faletic, Kate Hornsey, Anthony Edwards and Kerry Hore arrived in Sydney early that morning, aboard a special Qantas flight that brought most of Australia's Olympians home.

Anthony, Dana and Kerry continued on to Hobart, arriving late in the afternoon. Kate will be home later this week in time for the official welcome home on the Parliament House lawns on Saturday. See the Mercury for more information.

Mercury report here.

A couple of one-tonners

Jarrod Locher

TWO young footballers played their 100th games for New Norfolk when they took to the field in last weekend's round of junior football matches. They were Jahrod Locher in the Under 15s and Connor Salter in the Under 14s.

Jahrod's century was celebrated in the second semi-final victory over North Hobart at Glenorchy's KGV Oval last Sunday. They are now through to the grand final on August 26.

Connor celebrated his ton at Pontville in the Under 14s game against Lindisfarne and he had the honour of leading the team into the ground. His team plays in the preliminary final tomorrow.

Connor Salter led the team onto the ground at the start of his 100th game.

Llewellyn on Willow Court

THE topic of Willow Court was broadcast to a wide audience on Thursday morning when redevelopment committee chairman David Llewellyn appeared on ABC Radio's morning show last Thursday. The wide-ranging interview can be downloaded here or streamed here (fast forward to 32.09 minutes).

Weekend footy previews

Southern Football League
Round 18 previews
Final round of the home and away season

New Norfolk v East Coast
NEW Norfolk are back at home for the last game of the season but would prefer a real hard game as they have a rest next weekend and then a home game second semi-final. Instead they meet East Coast who have struggled for most of the season. The Eagles really need a solid tune-up for the finals as they will host Lindisfarne in a fortnight and really need to keep their momentum going, along with getting as much form and fitness into their entire list and this will not be easy against the lowly Bombers.

New Norfolk had an easy win last week over Cygnet away from home and they need to rotate their player positions to ensure the are well prepared for injuries in the finals and not concentrate on another big victory as an easy win is not ideal at this time of the season. The Bombers have really lost from in recent weeks and with several injuries they are undermanned and playing away from home appears to be massive task and they need a good start to get some early confidence.

With Eagle forward Michael Thomson only needing five goals for the hundred you would expect he will get these very early and perhaps give him a rest as other forwards need to contribute.The Eagles should cruise to a comfortable victory at home and it will be interesting to see how hard they push, as they will remember last seasons as they had easy games and byes and then a fade out in the grand final. 

Dodges Ferry v Central Hawks
DODGES Ferry are back at home and will looking for a big win and hoping Claremont lose to Kingborough so they can take back fourth spot on the ladder. They and should face an easy task over the Central Hawks who have yet to win  a game this season. The Sharks were defeated last week away from home by a desperate Brighton and they need to quickly regroup on the eve of the finals but would have preferred a much harder game in the lead-up to next weekend's elimination final. They need to get off to a good start as the Hawks will be lacking confidence after a big thrashing last week at home from Kingborough and tend to drop off if sides score heavily in the first quarter. The Hawks may be able to close up the game on the small Shark Park oval but if they let the Sharks get the ball out of the centre square and win the clearances with ease they will get scored against regularly as the home side has plenty of scoring opportunities and their onballers are dangerous if they are allowed to roam free across half forward. Dodges Ferry should be far too strong at home, recording a big win as they sweat on other results. The Hawks have had a bad season and really need to recruit well for next year.

Kingborough v Claremont
KINGBOROUGH are back at home and striving for a win to secure third spot on the ladder and an all important home final next weekend. But they face a desperate Claremont who also need a win to secure fourth place and a home final, which presents a close game of football. The Tigers were big winners last weekend away from home over the Central Hawks and will face a much harder opponent who are in form.  The Magpies were winners at home over Sorell but slowed in the second half and cannot afford any lapses against a high class opponent otherwise Kingborough will score heavily and break the game apart. They need to get off to a good start especially away from home and maintain the pressure over their rivals as Kingborough have been suspect when sides close up the game and stop their switch of play and not allow them to create the loose man. The Twin Ovals ground will suit the home side better as they have more pace and skill than the opposition and with more key marking forwards they have a big advantage and will be looking for a good performance for next week home elimination final. Kingborough should be far too strong at home as they have hit top form a the right time of the season and should record a comfortable win at home as the Magpies will have to wait on other results to see if they can host an elimination final.

Lindisfarne v Huonville
LINDISFARNE have a home game to finish the season and would prefer an easy game however they face a desperate Huonville who need a decent win to sneak into an unlikely finals berth but face a huge task against the in-form team of the competition. The Lions will give plenty of cheek early in the game but the class and power of the Two Blues should see them record a comfortable victory and a good tune up for the finals.

Sorell v Cygnet
SORELL are back at home and will looking to finish the season with a win but they face huge task against a desperate Cygnet who need a big win to grab a big win to take a finals berth off Brighton who have the bye and face a nervous wait. You would expect Sorell to put up a brave performance but the class and depth of Cygnet should see them take the points but perhaps not the massive win they need for a finals berth on percentage.

SFL season drawing to a close

SFL RESULTS, ROUND 17
By Gary Williamson

Cygnet v New Norfolk
NEW Norfolk continued its winning form by defeating a gallant Cygnet by 87 points, 19.14 (128) to 6.5 (41) to grab a strangle-hold on top spot on the ladder and a home final advantage. The first term saw the visitors really dominate the game but waste shots at goal as they only led by 12 points. The second term was a scrappy affair. The Port had plenty of numbers behind the football but the Eagles managed five goals and moved to a match-winning lead of 39 points at the main break.

The second half saw New Norfolk cruise away kicking 11 goals to three but they could not quite bury the spirited Cygnet who were desperate not to lose too many percentage points as they battle for a spot in the finals. Best players for the winners were plenty with Thompson who had another outstanding game and finished with 11 goals and moved to five for the century for the season and he was well supported by Horne, Moles and Wardlaw as they are now looking forward to the qualifying final at home. Best players for a disappointing Cygnet were Clark, Swards, Doyle and Julian Direen as they now have battle on their hands to secure a finals berth after Brighton’s surprise win.

Central Hawks v Kingborough
KINGBOROUGH moved up to third on the ladder after thrashing a lacklustre Central Hawks to record a percentage-boosting win away from home by a massive a 177 points, 33.11 (209) to 5.2 (32). Kingborough opened the game at a fast pace, kicking seven first-term gaols as they cruised to a lead of 31 points and looked set for a big win. The undermanned Hawks lacked the class and skill to match their highly rated opponents. The second term saw the Tigers explode away, slamming on 11 goals to kill off the game at half time as they lead by 87 points and only the margin was in question as they looked determined to really get some percentage boost to lock up the all important third on the ladder. The third term proved even more one-sided as Kingborough kicked a further 13 goals and looked set for a record win but the weather set in the last term and they were only able to kick one more goal while still playing impressive football as the Hawks seem certain to remain without a win for the 2012 season. Better players for a weakened Hawks were Horne, Nibbs and McWilliams.   

Brighton  v Dodges Ferry
BRIGHTON just about secured themselves sixth spot on the ladder and a finals berth after overcoming a determined fourth-placed Dodges Ferry at home, eventually winning by 15 points, 11.12(78) to 9.9 (63). The first term as expected was a real battle as both sides played hard contested football as the home side grabbed a narrow three-point lead but nothing separated two desperate teams battling for a finals berth. The second term saw Brighton really lift their work rate and they started to win the clearances and moved to a handy 11-point lead at the main break and should have led by more except for inaccurate kicking for goal. The third term saw the Sharks really throw everything at the Robins to try and reduce the lead however Brighton always seemed to kick a steadying goal as they held firm in defence to record their best win of the season and have a nervous wait to hang onto sixth spot on the ladder whilst Dodges Ferry should get a home final with a win this weekend. Best players for the impressive winners were Howlett, Cowen, Delaney and Willing whilst key forward martin kicked three valuable goals.

Claremont v Sorell
CLAREMONT hung on at home to defeat a determined Sorell and moved to fourth on the ladder with an important home final in reach eventually winning by 25 points, 17.10 (112) to 13.9 (87). The first term saw the Magpies kick the first three goals as they looked in total control however Sorell really rallied late and only trailed by nine points a the first change.  The second term again was fairly even but Claremont capitalised on the Eagles' errors as they skipped away to a handy 15 point lead and looked in control of the game. Claremont really asserted their influence on the game with five third term goals and moved to a 36 point lead and looked set for a big win but full credit to Sorell who never gave up and outscored their more fancied rivals in the last term to put up a respectable performance as Claremont would be very disappointed in their finish. Best players for the winners Bennett, Curtain with four goals along with Rosewell, Daley and Barwick, as they now need to win this weekend to be a big threat in the finals.

East Coast v Lindisfarne
LINDISFARNE continued its good recent form by thrashing a very disappointing East Coast away from home by 115 points.

Junior footy finals

50-gamer Daniel Browning

New Norfolk Junior Football Club
Results of finals played last weekend

Under 14 - 2nd Semi-Final
Lindisfarne 7.7 (49) d New Norfolk 0.3 (3) at Thomson Oval, Pontville. Best - NN: Cooper Triffitt, Connor Salter, Joshua Farrow, Billy Menzie, Connor Rowbottom, Brandon Higgins. Playing in their first final ever, New Norfolk's team found the going tough against a running Lindisfarne. The boys now need to regroup ready for the preliminary final against Sandy Bay this Sunday. Congratulations to Connor Salter on playing his 100th game.
 
Under 15 - 2nd Semi-Final
New Norfolk 11.17 (83) d Nth Hobart 8.3 (51) at KGV. Goals - NN: Hayden Bielleman 2, Brayden Chaplin, Jordan Eiszele, Brett Hodge, Hayden Smith, Charlie Stewart, Aaron Thorpe, Kye Tomkinson, Jacob Triffitt, Nathan Wakefield; Best - NN: Hayden Bielleman, Ryan Wakefield, Brayden Chaplin, Joshua Whitford-Marriott, Zoe Thurston, Zak Booth. After an excellent display of football at KGV, the Under 15s booked themselves a place in the grand final in two weeks' time. The young Eagles had winners all over the big Glenorchy ground. North Hobart was shell-shocked at half time with the Eagles piling on eight goals to two. To North's credit they didn't give up and outscored the Eagles, six goals to two in the second half, but in the end it was New Norfolk by 32 points. Hayden Bielleman showed his speed, racking up many possesions as did backman Ryan Wakefield whose poise and balance is a pleasure to watch.  Brayden Chaplin and Josh Whitford-Marriott ran all day while Zoe Thurston and Zak Booth were everywhere. Mention must be made of the great passages of play that Kye "Richo" Tomkinson was involved in - a pleasure to watch. Nathan Wakefield kicked the goal of the day while Brayden Chaplin's was a very close second in the last quarter. Congratulations to Jahrod Locher for playing his 100th game and to Daniel Browning on his 50th. When the Under 15s play off in the grand final on August 26 it will be Josh Whitford-Marriott's 100th game.

Under 16's next game: New Norfolk v Nth Hobart semi-final this Sunday.

Junior soccer results

New Norfolk Junior Soccer Club
Results of matches played on August 11

Under 13 lost to Olympia
Under 12 Red lost 3-1 to Holy Rosary with Ryan Browning the goal scorer.
Under 8 lost 4-3 to Dominic Black with Ostyn Wilton (2) and Maddison Wilton the goal scorers.
Under 7 Red lost 4-1 to Derwent Black with Maiken Lee the goal scorer.
Under 7 Black played a good game against Derwent Yellow.
Under 6 Red played a good game against Brighton White.
Under 6 Black had a bye.

Next games, August 17-18
Under 13 v Nelson at Olinda Grove, 1pm Saturday
Under 12 Red v Derwent at Weily Park, 6pm Friday
Under 12 Black v Brighton Gold at Tynwald, 10am Saturday
Under 9 v Glenorchy at Tynwald, 11am Saturday
Under 8 v Springfield at Tynwald, 10am Saturday
Under 7 Red v Brighton White at Brighton, 11am Saturday
Under 7 Black v Brighton Gold at Tynwald, 11am Saturday
Under 6 Red v Bagdad at Bagdad, 10am Saturday
Under 6 Black v Brighton White, at Brighton 10am Saturday

Successful season for men's basketball

Joel Davey

AFTER an absence of eight years, men's local basketball is back up and running in the Derwent Valley and is looking healthy. Six teams entered a winter roster which ran over 10 roster games and three finals. The grand final was played on August 4 in front of an 80-strong crowd at the Derwent Valley Sports Centre.

Ladder leaders Hurricanes and Froff Dogs played off in the big one. It was a fantastic fast-paced and skillfull game, played down to the wire. The Froff Dogs (consisting of all local lads and all New Norfolk football players) hit the court running. The silky skills of Brayden Webb and Brett Booth and the strong grunt work by Sam Hall and Jon Murray saw the top of the table team skip away to a lead of around 14 points.

Throughout the second quarter the hardnesss and aggression of Hurricanes players Jake Wessing and Rick Rogers under the basket, and the superb skill and running play of ex-Hobart Charger Joel Davey saw th Hurricanes reduce the margin and level the scores. With only minutes to go, with a few errant passes and some turnovers from the Dogs, the Hurricanes managed to score the last two baskets of the game and finished off a thriller to win by four points, 38 to 34. The award of most valuable player in the grand final went to Joel Davey.

Craig Farrell MLC was on hand to pass out the trophies which were donated by sports centre manager Chris Lester and the sports centre comittee. It was a fantastic start to what is hoped will be a growing and continued part of the many sports to enjoy in the Derwent Valley. Another roster will be starting around October. If anyone is interested please contact Ben Shaw by email at bens@tricab.com or visit the Derwent Valley Men's Social Basketball Facebook page.

Report by BEN SHAW and photos by KRISTY HALL

Froff Doggs: back row from left, Brayden Webb, Joseph Papera, John Murray, Jake King and Aaron Papera; Front: Brett Booth, captain Rohan Heron and Sam Hall.

Hurricanes: back row from left, Brad Williams, Joel Davey, Rick Rogers, Shane Kube, Jake Wessing, Brad Chaplin; front: Rohan Collins, captain Luke Wardlaw and Jeremy Cashion.

TygaFM's new lair

Photo by Barb Halloran

DERWENT Valley community radio station Tyga FM was relaunched from its new purpose-built studios yesterday. The station has been broadcasting from its temporary home at 2 High St since it began transmission in December 2009.

The new studio and office is in the recently completed science and language centre at New Norfolk High School. The move was made several weeks ago, along with the relocation of transmission equipment to higher ground on Downie's Hill. Today's official opening included a ribbon cutting by Derwent MLC Craig Farrell and short speeches by Mr Farrell and Derwent Valley Community Radio president Steve "Slabs" Halloran (both pictured above), followed by a sausage sizzle.

A highlight of the occasion was the unveiling of a new logo/mascot which was created by Thomas Novotny.

The station can be heard on 98.9FM.

The new logo designed by Thomas Novotny

Council newsletter available

THE latest issue of the Derwent Valley Council newsletter (Winter 2012) is available for downloading from the council website here.

X-ray service back in action

X-RAY services have been reintroduced at the New Norfolk Hospital on a part-time basis. Standing in for Health Minister Michelle O'Byrne, Lyons MHA Rebecca White re-opened the x-ray department on Thursday morning. "I know there has been strong support from the local community and local GPs for x-ray services to be reinstated at this hospital," Ms White said. "The State Government has listened to those calls and we have acted by providing a wonderful new x-ray service for the local community."

Ms White said the facility, which includes a new digital x-ray machine, would reduce travel for local patients. "This new service will use existing facilities and skills to improve services for patients in the New Norfolk area. We can also expect to see a reduction in the use of ambulance services for these routine health procedures."

Ms White said the local x-ray department had closed in 2008. "It has been possible to reintroduce these services because of our investment in the statewide Radiology Imaging Service/Picture Archive Communication System, known as RIS/PACS," she said. This system allows transmission of digital images and reports to the Royal Hobart Hospital's department of medical imaging for analysis.

Services will be available three days per week for basic x-rays including abdominal and chest x-rays. It will be available to both New Norfolk Hospital inpatients and the community.

Weekend footy previews

THE Southern Football League's Round 17 roster games will be played this Saturday, August 11. SFL acting media liaison officer Brett Direen previews the games to be played. Huonville has the bye.

Cygnet v New Norfolk
CYGNET will be back at home after a really poor loss on the road to Lindisfarne last Saturday at Anzac Park. Things do not get any easier for the Cygnet team as they face the benchmark team of the competition and premiership favourite, New Norfolk. The Eagles have taken all before them this season, and apart from the early loss to Kingborough, have proved to be a class above the rest of the sides in the competition. Even when run close by opposition sides, which is rare, they always seem to find another gear.

Cygnet have been a steady improver this season and are aiming for a finals berth for the first time in a number of years; however their big loss to the Blues last week has made that appear very difficult. They have a number of talented players in Palmer, Duggan, Watson and Halton who have been instrumental in their improvement, and have the ability to match it with the top sides – however a sustained four quarter effort especially against top four sides is required. The Eagles have fitness, pace and talent all over the ground and with seasoned veterans such as Belcher, Carver, Thompson and Bonnitcha, they are extremely hard to match up on all day.

The game will be won in the centre of the ground and the Port will require a very good start to apply some scoreboard pressure, otherwise it may be a long day at the office. They will need to ensure Halton receives support up forward and is not two-teamed by the Eagles defenders. The Port need to close the game right up otherwise their percentage will take another pounding on top of last week’s big loss. While you would expect the Port to be competitive early in the match, it will be hard to come back mentally from the Lindisfarne performance the week before. New Norfolk’s edge in class all around the ground should see them record a percentage boosting victory on the road in their march into the 2012 finals series.
  
Central Hawks versus Kingborough (Oatlands)
THE Central Hawks return home to Oatlands Oval to face the might of the Kingborough Tigers in what will most likely be a lop-sided contest. The Hawks were brave in their loss to Sorell at Pembroke Park last Saturday; however the Kingborough side is starting to hit its straps at exactly the right time of the season. The home side have had a frustrating season under new coach Lewis, and must be admired for fronting up each week while still to register a victory for the season so far. They have some good players in Brown, Ladic, Horne and young Daly, but too often these players lack support from others that lets them down badly. When they all play consistently as a team, they have produced some encouraging results.

The Tigers have slowly been returning to full strength with a long injury list and with players of the quality of Peterson, King, Collis and Lamprill their leading goal-kicker up forward, are very hard side to stop when playing with confidence. The Tigers tend to build their forward moves from their half back line with Fielding and Philp both having classy recovery and foot disposal skills to their running players. Coach Henley would have liked what he saw at Dodges Ferry three weeks ago, and will be keen to sew up third spot on the premiership ladder with a commanding victory. While you can expect the Central Hawks to be fairly competitive early in the match in front of their home crowd, the class, pace and strength of the Tigers should see them take over to record another percentage boosting victory on the road as they head into finals action.

Brighton versus Dodges Ferry
BRIGHTON is back at home at Pontville Oval to face the Dodges Ferry Sharks in what will be the match of the round. Both sides should be fresh coming off the bye. The Robins are in a three-way battle with Cygnet and Huonville for the final spot in the finals with a superior percentage in their favour. To have any chance of seeing finals action, the Robins will need to win this match as they have a bye in the final round of the season. They had been in a real form slump but managed to get some confidence back with a good win over Sorell on the same oval three weeks ago. Dodges were monstered by Kingborough at home in their last outing in a shock result and Coach Miller will be looking for them to hit back hard with finals quickly approaching. Another loss could see them drop to fifth spot if Claremont beats Sorell. It will be interesting to see how the Sharks respond mentally after the big loss to the Tigers on their home ground.

The Robins have good players in Willing, Boucher and Steele while Martin is dangerous in the goal square. They play the Pontville Oval well and should have a big crowd behind them with the stakes so high. The Sharks have been playing some very good football until the Kingborough blemish and have players in Curran, Barwin, Cusick and Ricky Martin up forward who can kick a winning score. Both coaches will be looking to get their match ups spot on. Both sides like to play fast attacking football. The match will be won out of the middle of the ground and whichever forwards are able to take advantage of that and get on top and convert accurately should see their team to victory. Expect the Sharks to hit back hard but the Robins should have too much to play for and should record a narrow victory in front of their home crowd in a game that would not surprise either way.

Claremont versus Sorell
THE Claremont Magpies will host the Sorell Eagles at Abbotsfield Park in what should be an entertaining affair. The Magpies will be fresh after the bye while the Eagles will be confident of a good showing after a solid victory over the Central Hawks at home last Saturday. After two straight losses before the bye, the Magpies will be looking for a confidence-boosting victory, and looking to sew up the vital fifth spot in the final six for the finals, especially with a tough final game against the in-form Tigers to come. The Sorell team will be looking to finish the season on a bright note, and string a couple of wins together. They have struggled on the road this season and also lacked consistency.

The Magpies have a strong home ground advantage and if their on ball division get on top, and the Eagles defenders allow space for key forward Curtain to work in on the big ground, Sorell could be in for a torrid day. Players such as Corbett, Bennett, Sweeney and Brown must be watched closely by the Sorell brains trust. The Eagles also have some talented players in Williamson, Bentley, Hitchens and Reimers, and should not be treated lightly by the Magpies. Claremont play their home ground superbly, driving opposition sides wide then attacking from their half back-line straight through the middle corridor to get the ball quickly into Curtain and their crumbing forwards. Their half forwards and pockets will often create "dummy" leads to create additional room for Curtain to work into space for one on one contests. Expect Sorell to provide plenty of cheek early in the match but the Magpies with far more to play for should pull away in front of a big home crowd and record a convincing victory.

East Coast Bombers versus Lindisfarne
The East Coast Bombers return to Triabunna Oval to face the rampaging Lindisfarne ‘’Two Blues” in what will be a tough encounter for the home team late in the home and away season. The Bombers suffered a big loss to the Huonville Lions on the road last Saturday and will be down in confidence. Lindisfarne dismantled a disappointing Cygnet side in the second half of their match at Lindisfarne Oval, and will be looking for another big win on their march to finals action. The Bombers play their home ground well, and if they are able to get on top in the mid-field early, must ensure they convert that onto the score-board and apply some real pressure to the Blues early in the game. They have good players in Wiggins, Giffard, Morrisby and Dudgeon who provide good drive for their side; however it will take a massive team effort across four sustained quarters of football to get over the red-hot Blues. Lindisfarne are used to playing on smaller grounds like Triabunna Oval and with players of the quality of Braslin, Hobden, Quirk and Flood, can cut sides apart with their quick ball movement into their potent forward line where Crawford and Marriott lurk. When they play with confidence, they are capable of beating any side in the competition. While you would expect the Bombers to give some cheek early in the match and put on a far better display for their home crowd, the Blues with a real edge in class all over the ground should continue to ‘’fly under the radar’’ and record another percentage boosting victory on the road as they further prepare for finals action.

Under 12 50-gamers

A SWAG of 50-game trophies were presented to New Norfolk Under 12 footballers last weekend.

The recipients were, standing, from left, Matthew Barnes, Ty Booker, Thomas Rainbird, Rhys Franklin, Mitchell Clark, Ryan Emery, Liam Kalbfell and Jake Bearman; and front from left, Oliver Haigh and Bryce Duncan.

Photo by Anita Haigh.

Junior footy results

50-gamer Mitchell Booth

New Norfolk Junior Football Club
Round 15 results
 
Under 11: New Norfolk 12.7 (79) d Clarence White 2.2 (14). Goals - NN: Tyler Donaghy 4, Jack Stevenson 2, Jaiden Russell 2, Brock Triffett, Kayden Parr, Owen Hole, Ben McRoss; Best - NN: Tyler Donaghy, Ben McRoss, Brock Triffett, Jack Stevenson, Jaiden Russell, Nathan Rice, Samuel Holloway.

Under 12: Clarence 10.12 (72) d New Norfolk 1.1 (7) at Tynwald Park. Goals - NN: T. Booker; Best - NN: T. Rainbird, J. Bearman, K. Williams, E. Watt, R. Franklin, M. Clark. In their last game for the season, New Norfolk Under 12s went down to Clarence by 65 points. In brilliant sunshine at Tynwald Park a very undermanned team tried their hardest all game but could not keep up with the numbers and height of their opposition.  Thomas Rainbird took some strong marks, tackled hard and was backed well by the ever reliable Rhys Franklin. Tough men Kade Williams and Jake Bearman bounced off the packs and made Clarence chase them down. Ethan Watt played his best game of the year and was well backed up by pocket rocket Mitchell Clarke. Despite the huge loss our boys kept their heads high and played out to the very end. Well done boys. Finishing on a good note, a number of the boys were awarded 50-game trophies. Now they look forward to an end-of-year trip to Melbourne.

Under 13: Claremont 9.7 (61) d New Norfolk 7.10 (52) at Cadbury Oval. Goals - NN: J. Campbell 4, J. Graham, L. Triffitt, J. Morgan; Best: Z. Triffett, J. Guesdon, J. Campbell, L. Triffitt, J. Bailey, R. Thomason.

Under 14: New Norfolk 6.6 (42) d Lindisfarne 4.9 (33) at Tynwald Park. Goals - NN: Alex Blair 3, Mitchell Banks, Aiden Russell, Shayne Upton; Best - NN: Joshua Farrow, Connor Rowbottom, Patrick Vout, Aiden Russell, Connor Salter, Cooper Triffitt. In perfect conditions New Norfolk defeated top-placed Lindisfarne.It was the first time this season that teams had met. It was a great team effort with all boys persisting and contributing. The win puts New Norfolk into second position on the ladder and the boys will now compete in the finals for the first time. Congratulations to the coaches and players. Thank you to Mitchell Spong (Lindisfarne) and John Rowbottom (New Norfolk) for filling in as field umpires. Next game: second semi-final v Lindisfarne, 9am Sunday (August 12) at Thomson Oval, Pontville (New Norfolk to wear white shorts).

Under 15: New Norfolk 10.8 (68) d Sorell 8.8 (56) at Tynwald Park. Goals - NN: Brett Hodge 7, Daniel Browning, Jordan Eiszele, Nathan Wakefield; Best - NN: Daniel Browning, Brayden Chaplin, Hayden Bielleman, Brett Hodge, Zak Booth, Mitchell Booth.  The Under 15s travelled to Sorell and won a very hard fought game in windy and at times wet conditions. Ruckman Daniel Browning backed up last week's great preformance by again being best on ground. Browning has come into great form of late and it couldn't be better timing with finals starting this weekend. Brett Hodge played a great game kicking seven excellent goals. Brayden Chaplin and Mitchell Booth defended very well for the four quarters, while Hayden Bielleman and Zak Booth were in and under all day. Nathan Wakefield kicked a good goal and considering the lack of preperation due to an injury, Jordan Eiszele has been putting in some great preformances since his return. Congratulations to Mitchell Booth for playing his 50th NNJFC game. Mitchell has plenty of ability and has been a great defender this season. Well done Mitch. This week will be Jahrod Locher's 100th and Daniel Browning's 50th games - let's hope the team can get a win and earn themselves a place in the grand final and also a week's rest. The team has been playing together for some time now and will be working very hard to play off in the big one. Next game: second semi-final v North Hobart, 11am Sunday (August 12) at KGV (New Norfolk to wear black shorts).

Under 16 (Round 16): Clarence 7.15 (57) d New Norfolk 6.11 (47) at Geilston Bay. Goals - NN: Brad Ransley 4, Daniel Coppleman, Dylan Pearce; Best - NN: James Webb, Tyron Rainbird, Brandon King, Brad Ransley, Aiden pearton, Cody Neads. Next game: first semi-final v North Hobart, Sunday, ground and time to be decided.

STJFL ladders at end of roster matches
Under 13s (Finals Top 8)
Clarence 54 points
Southern Storm 52
North Hobart 50
Sandy Bay 46
Lauderdale 42*
Glenorchy 36
Brighton 28
Kingborough Tigers 26
Sorell 20
Claremont 20
Lindisfarne 18
New Norfolk 18
Hobart 10

Under 14B (Finals Top 4)
Lindisfarne 24 points
New Norfolk 24
Kingborough Gold 20
Sandy Bay 16
Southern Storm 12

Under 15B (Finals Top 4)
New Norfolk 44 points
North Hobart 28
Brighton 24
Sorell 16
Sandy Bay White 8
Lindisfarne 4

Under 16 (Finals Top 6)
New Norfolk 52 points
Nth Hobart 50
Glenorchy 46
Clarence 40
Kingborough Tigers 38
Sandy Bay 26
Claremont 20
Lauderdale 18
Huonville Lions 6

Junior soccer

New Norfolk Soccer Club results from matches played on August 4.

The Under 13 game against Beachside Chadwick was cancelled due to the ground closure at Queenborough.

New Norfolk Under 12 Red played New Norfolk Under 12 Black, with Red winning 2-1.  It was a good team effort from both teams with both goalies making many great saves.

Under 9 won 6-2 against Dominic White.

Under 8 won 7-1 against Dominic Maroon. Goal scorers were Aidan Featherstone 2, Maddison Wilton 2, Jacob Blackwell, Ostyn Wilton and Alex McMillan.

Under 7 Red lost against Holy Rosary White, with Maiken Lee scoring their only goal.

Under 7 Black won 3-2 against Holy Rosary Blue. Goal scorers were Mitchell Hay 2 and Bree Browning.

New Norfolk Under 6 Red played New Norfolk Under 6 Black with Black winning 3-1.  Both teams played a great game.

Next round, August 11:
U13 v Olympia at Tynwald, noon
U12 Red v Holy Rosary at Weily Park, 11am
U12 Black v Dominic at Tynwald, 10am
U9 vs Brighton White at Brighton, 10am
U8 vs Dominic Black at Dominic, 11am
U7 Red vs Derwent Black at Tynwald, noon
U7 Black vs Derwent Yellow at Weily Park, 10am
U6 Red vs Brighton White at Tynwald, 9am
U6 Black vs Glenorchy Blue at Tynwald, 9am

SFL match reviews

SFL match reviews, Round 16
By Brett Direen

Sorell v Central Hawks
SORELL recorded their third victory of the season with a hard-fought 37 point victory over the visiting Central Hawks at Pembroke Park last Saturday. The match began in typical fashion between both sides with players putting their bodies on the line and playing with high intensity. In a tight first term, it was the Hawks who surprised their more fancied rivals to claw their way to an eight point lead at the first change. Sorell lifted their work rate in the second term and through Williamson and Parker started to use the ball more effectively, getting their running game going to score five goals. But the Hawks were not to be denied and dug in for the fight and through Horne and Daly kept themselves well and truly in the game with two majors themselves to only trail by 12 points at the long break.

After the break, Sorell did their best to kick away from their rivals, but the gritty Hawks would not lie down and a four goal to two term had the Eagles holding a handy 22 point lead heading into the vital final quarter, with the Hawks still considering themselves a chance to snatch a victory. However, it was not to be, and Sorell managed to hold the ascendancy and steadied to keep their noses in front to kick four last quarter goals to the Hawks' three to record a gallant 37 point victory over a determined and committed Hawks team in front of their home crowd. Better players for the Eagles included Williamson, Kane, Parker and Hitchens while Reimers with three goals was impressive. For the Hawks who are still chasing that first elusive victory for the 2012 season, Horne, Jones, Daly and Ladic all kept their side in the contest while the Daly brothers with two goals each were dangerous and Horne (two goals) capped of an excellent best on ground performance for his side.

Huonville v East Coast
THE Huonville Lions recorded a big percentage-boosting win over the East Coast Bombers at Huonville Oval.

Lindisfarne v Cygnet
THE match of the round between Lindisfarne and Cygnet at Anzac Park turned into a fizzer with the Blues dismantling the Cygnet side after half time in a very one sided affair.

Crikey, yea or nay

DERWENT MLC Craig Farrell would toe the line as upper house leader for the government and vote in favour of premier Lara Giddings' proposed marriage equality, according to the online magazine Crikey. The same report describes fellow MLC Mike Gaffney as an ex-mayor despite him still being in the chair at the Latrobe Council.

Honouring Robert McCrossen

Robert McCrossen, centre, with Maydena community members

COMMUNITY groups from all parts of the municipality have been saying goodbye to Derwent Valley Council deputy general manager Robert McCrossen ahead of his resignation taking effect next Monday.

Last night's annual general meeting of the Maydena Community Association included a tribute to Mr McCrossen, who has attended the group's monthly meetings in his own time for many years. MCA president Lynne Graham thanked Mr McCrossen for his many personal contributions to the Maydena community and said he would be missed. In reply Robert said he had enjoyed his association with the community and he encouraged the association to continue its good works. He assured those present that his connection with the town was not ending. Mrs Graham made a presentation on behalf of the association and wider Tyenna Valley community.

Tonight at Bushy Park it was the turn of the Loyal Glenora Lodge and the Bushy Park Swimming Pool Committe to pay tribute. Presentations were made by lodge representative Cedric Mann and pool committee treasurer Lisa Fraser. Their remarks struck a chord with all those present.

A formal farewell took place at the Derwent Valley Council's new volunteer recognition afternoon last Friday, where the speakers included deputy mayor Barry Lathey and general manager Stephen Mackey.

Premier congratulates our rowers

Kate and Sarah at the Olympics

TASMANIAN premier Lara Giddings has congratulated the state's rowers on their courageous performances in the Olympic rowing finals. Ms Giddings singled out Molesworth's Kate Hornsey and her spectacular effort to seize silver in the final of the women's pairs with Sarah Tait.

The women's quad scull crew, including Kerry Hore and Dana Faletic, narrowly missed out on the bronze medal, while Anthony Edwards' lightweight four also finished in fourth place.

"Kate is competing in her second Olympics and after finishing sixth in the women's eight in Beijing, [this] silver medal is fitting reward for a lot of hard work," Ms Giddings said. "It was a nail-biting race and it is a tribute to the skill and determination of the pair that they managed to fight their way into the medals." 

"Congratulations should also go to Kerry and Dana who put in an outstanding performance and only just missed out on a spot on the podium," Ms Giddings said. The premier also congratulated the Australian Lightweight Four crew of Sam Beltz, Anthony Edwards, Todd Skipworth and Ben Cureton who narrowly missed out on a medal in the Olympic final. "This was a gallant performance by a team which is based in Tasmania and features two Tasmanian athletes, Sam and Anthony," she said. "The margins in rowing are often incredibly tight and Tasmanians will share the heartbreak of the crew after they came so close to winning a medal."

Ms Giddings said the strong performances are a great reflection of the superb rowing program at the Tasmanian Institute of Sport that continues to produce Olympic medallists and world champions. "For Tasmania, with a population of just half a million people, to continually produce champions [like these] speaks volumes for the role that sport plays in our community and for the pathways we have developed to nurture our young, talented athletes."

At a Derwent Valley Council workshop last night, deputy mayor Barry Lathey asked for an appropriate recognition of our rowers' achievements to be made on their return.

Southern footy previews

THE Southern Football League's Round 16 roster games will be played tomorrow. Below is  SFL acting media liaison officer Brett Direen’s previews of the games to be played. There are only three rostered matches this Saturday with Claremont, Dodges Ferry, New Norfolk, Brighton and Kingborough all having byes.

Sorell versus Central Hawks
SORELL are back at home when they host the Central Hawks at Pembroke Park. The Sorell Eagles were defeated by Brighton last Saturday at Pontville, but not before putting up a really strong fight and still being very much in the game at three quarter time in a plucky performance. The Hawks who moved their match Bothwell to Oatlands did little to help their cause as they came up against the might of ladder-leader New Norfolk and suffered a big defeat.

The last time the two sides met in Round 5, the Sorell recorded a convincing victory. The Hawks have shown improvement since that time and have been able to be competitive with most sides for a half to three quarters of football, but tend to drop off at critical periods of matches when "blow-outs" occur. They can match it with sides, as they proved early in the match against New Norfolk, but need to find sustained support for Travis Brown, McWilliams and Daly to record a victory. If they can put in a similar effort to that against Huonville in Round 13, they may cause an upset.

Sorell play their home ground extremely well, move the ball quickly and have dangerous players in Bentley, Williamson and Hitchens who can all be very damaging if not marked closely. The game will be won in the middle of the ground with the side that is able to use the football most effectively going into attack likely to take the points. Each side will need to ensure their match-ups are spot on. The Hawks' coaching staff and players would have this game pencilled in as possibly their last chance to record their first victory for the 2012 season, with hard games to follow. It would be a major boost for everybody involved with the club.You would expect the Hawks to be super competitive in this match, however as the game wears on you would expect the Sorell Eagles should have an edge in class and fitness and should pull away to record their third win of the season in front of their home crowd.


Lindisfarne versus Cygnet
LINDISFARNE will be back at home when they host Cygnet  in what should be the match of the round.  The Two Blues are hard to beat at home, and while you would expect the Port to be very competitive for the majority of the match, the Lindisfarne’s side’s edge in class and a big home crowd should be enough to see them record a comfortable victory.

Huonville versus East Coast Bombers
THE Huonville Lions will be back at home twhen they host the East Coast Bombers at Huonville Oval. While the Bombers will give plenty of cheek in the match all sides coming off the bye this season have struggled to win. Huonville should prove too strong by continuing their good recent form and record a good victory in front of their home crowd.

Last weekend's junior football

New Norfolk Junior Football Club
Round 14 results

UNDER 8: New Norfolk Black 11.5 (71) d New Norfolk Red 7.3 (45) at Tynwald Park. Goals - NN Red: Jakob Quarrell 7, Ashton Henderson, Gregory Picken, Joshua Whyte, Max Marriott; Best - NN Red: Jakob Quarrell, Max Marriott, Joshua Whyte, Connor Lennox, Jye Gray and Gregory Picken.

UNDER 9: New Norfolk Eagles 12.7 (79) d Claremont Bulldogs 3.2 (20) at Cadbury. Goals - NN: Connor Gittus 2, Taj Auksorius 2, Zack Holloway 2, Hayden Kennedy 2, William Temple 2, Blake Lennox, Tyler Carr; Best - NN: Connor Gittus, Billie Green, Cain Plunkett, William Watts, Tyler Triffett, Kyeden Booth.

New Norfolk Black 17.10 (112) d Brighton Robins 8.8 (56) at Ferguson Park, Pontville. Goals - NN: B. Smith 3, J. George 3, R. Wenban 2, T. Bailey 2, B. Butler 2, R. Higgins, C. Jenkins, B. Triffett, B. Tomlin, Z. Holdsworth; Best - NN: J. George, J. Banks, R. Wenban, B. Triffett, B. Tomlin, B. Russell. Our trophy day will be held in the beer garden at the NNDFC at noon on August 18 before the seniors' last home game.

UNDER 10: New Norfolk Eagles 18.7 (115) d Lindisfarne Lightning at Tynwald Park. Goals - NN: J. Bearman 3, J. Triffett 3, Z. Wheeler 3, J. Carnes 2, Z. Wickham 2, R. Triffitt, L. Bowerman, G. Lazenby, R. Wilton, Z. Kelly; Best - NN: Z. Wickham, J. Triffett, J. Bearman, D. Browning, J. Carnes, R. Triffitt.

New Norfolk 13.10 (88) d North Hobart Blue 10.7 (67) at Tynwald Park. Goals - NN: C. Kemmler 2, D. Davis 2, B. Masterton 2, J. Pearce 2, H. Davis 2, J. Cantrell, K. Browne, J. Triffett; Best - NN: C. Kemmler, H. Davis, D. Davis, J. Cantrell, K. Browne, J. Pearce.

UNDER 11: Game not played. Next game: v Clarence Red at Tynwald Park at 1.15pm on Sunday.

UNDER 12: Claremont 5.3 (33) d New Norfolk 4.4 (28) at Cadbury Oval. Goals - NN: T. Rainbird 2, E. Watt, J Bearman; Best - NN: E. Watt, T. Nation, T. Eiszele, J. Adams, J. Bearman, R. Browning.
Next game: v Clarence at Tynwald Park at 2.30pm on Sunday.

UNDER 13: Had the bye. Next game: v Claremont at Cadbury Oval at 11am on Sunday.

UNDER 14: New Norfolk 4.8 (32) d Southern Storm 2.3 (15) at Tynwald Park. Goals - NN: Alex Blair 2, Joshua Ransley, Connor Salter; Best - NN: Cooper Triffitt, Joshua Ransley, Joshua Farrow, Connor Salter, Brandon Higgins, Alex Blair. In tough conditions New Norfolk defeated Southern Storm in a low scoring contest. Both teams worked hard and all boys should be proud of their efforts. Next game: v Lindisfarne at Tynwald Park at 11.30am on Sunday.

UNDER 15: New Norfolk 5.6 (36) d Brighton 3.8 (26) at Tynwald Park. Goals - NN: Brett Hodge 2, Jordan Eiszele, Josh Raspin, Nathan Wakefield. Next game: v Sorell at Pembroke Park, Sorell at 12.30 on Sunday. In wet and muddy conditions the New Norfolk defeated Brighton by 10 points at Tynwald Park on Sunday. The young Eagles played some good football considering the conditions. Ruckman Daniel Browning showed everyone how to not only win the ruck duals but to also do it effectively. He covered plenty of the ground, gathering many valuable possessions. Hayden Bielleman got back to his best with a great display. Ever-reliable Brayden Chaplin showed why he is one of the best defenders in the league, racking many possessions down back. Nathan wakefield, Josh Raspin and Nick Wakefield put in four great quarters. The Eagles have one more roster match before finals and coach Josh Clifford is doing an excellent job with his young charges. They have a great feeling for each other and are a close-knit team. Well done to Brett Hodge for being selected and playing for the New Norfolk senior team against the Central Hawks at Oatlands last Saturday. He played again on Sunday with the Under 15s and was very good all around the ground. This weekend Mitchell Booth will play his 50th game. A big thank you to the mums from the Under 15s who helped Chris Lovell and David Banks with the canteen not only last weekend but also for a few weeks back.

UNDER 16: New Norfolk 9.9 (63) d Sandy Bay 6.3 (39) at Queenborough Oval. Goals - NN: Josh Rowlands 3, Brad Ransley 2, B. Townsend, Blaze Reed, Cody Neads, Tyron Rainbird; Best - NN: Jacob Daley, James Webb, Tyron Rainbird, Brad Ransley, Aiden Pearton, Daniel Coppleman. Next game: v Clarence at Geilston Bay at 2pm on Sunday.

Congratulations to the Under 8s, 9s and 10s for an excellent season. You and your parents have represented the club very well. We hope you all have enjoyed the season and we would love to see you all playing again next year.

A special mention to hard-working NNJFC committee member and Under 13s coach Michael Graham who has been in hospital. From all involved with the NNJFC we wish Michael a speedy recovery.

WADE GLEESON

Southern footy results

Southern Football League
Round 15 match reviews

Central Hawks v New Norfolk
THE Eagles took the long road trip to Oatlands Oval in freezing conditions to face the win-less Central Hawks after the match was transferred from Bothwell due to ground conditions. In what was always going to be a tough assignment for the home side, they started quite well against their more fancied opponents and only trailed the Eagles by 19 points at the first break. Again, the home side was extremely competitive in the second term, and while the Eagles managed to kick four majors, the Hawks managed to add one themselves mainly through the efforts of Brown and McWilliams to trail by 40 points at half time.

Whatever coach Matthew Smith said to the visitors at half-time worked as they came out fired up, and through Thompson, Bonnitcha and the work of Joseph piled on seven goals to the Hawks' one to open up a big lead going into the final term. The Hawks continued to fight the match out and managed to hold the Eagles to another five goals in the final term. Generally poor kicking for goal in the second half could have seen the Eagles final winning margin of 115 points be far greater. Best players for the Eagles included Clayton, Bonnitcha with three goals, Booth (three goals) and Hayden, while for the brave home side Horne, Brown, McWilliams and Nibbs battled hard all day against the odds as they still remain to win a game for the 2012 season.

Brighton v Sorell
THE Brighton Robins finally got themselves back into winning form and back in the race for a finals spot with a solid 44 point victory over a gritty Sorell team at Pontville Oval. The Robins who have been in a real form slump started brightly but the Eagles were also up to the task as Brighton held a five-point lead at the first break. Sorell really kicked into gear in the second term, and started winning the ball from the middle of the ground through Williamson and Hitchens to run and spread creating head-aches for their opponents. Five goals to two had the Eagles only trailing by two points at the long break, with the Robins knowing they had a real fight on their hands in a critical game.

In a game of ebbs and flows the Robins emerged and played the better football in the third quarter, and with Willing and Conolon working hard, they kicked four goals to Sorell’s one, to open up a 15 point lead with a quarter to go; however Sorell were still very much in the contest. As players from both sides began to tire in the conditions, it was Brighton who managed to break the Eagles shackles kicking another three goals and wasting numerous other goal scoring opportunities in keeping the Eagles to only two points to run out 44 point victors. Best players for the relieved Robins included Delaney, Howlett, Conolon (three goals) and Steele, while Martin also added four majors. 

Claremont v Lindisfarne
LINDISFARNE travelled to Abbotsfield Park to take on the Claremont Magpies in what loomed as a real danger game with Claremont fighting hard to hold onto fifth spot in the final six. The game opened at a frenetic pace with both sides endeavouring to gain control of the midfield and stoppages. In a physical encounter, both sides managed four goals each in the opening term with Lindisfarne leading by four points at quarter time. The second term became a real battle of the backlines with neither side able to break the other open on the scoreboard. Phillips and Proctor were working hard for the Two Blues while Corbett and Cowley were instrumental in keeping the Magpies in the contest with scores locked at 35 apiece at half time in a low scoring and entertaining affair.

Lindisfarne managed to gain some run in the third term to slightly break the game open and kicked three goals to the Magpies' one to take a handy 14-point lead into an intriguing final quarter. The final term witnessed Lindisfarne slowly but surely wear the Magpies down, and with their mid-fielders starting to dominate, kicked another five goals whilst keeping the Claremont side to a solitary behind to eventually go on and record a very good 44 point victory in front of a big Claremont home crowd in cold and bitter conditions. Better players for the victors included Marriott with three valuable goals, Phillips, Proctor and Smith while the Magpies were best served by Bennett, Bedford, Cowley and Corbett. There we no multiple goal-kickers for the Claremont side.


Cygnet v Huonville
CYGNET and the Huonville Lions played out a thrilling draw in front of a very good crowd in cold and wet conditions at Cygnet Oval.

Dodges Ferry v Kingborough
THE match of the round between Dodges Ferry Sharks and the Kingborough Tigers at Shark Park turned into a "fizzer" with the Tigers thrashing the Sharks on their home ground.