By David Nagel
One of the greatest rivalries in country football will be reignited on Saturday when Garfield hosts Bunyip in round one of the 2023 West Gippsland Football Netball Competition (WGFNC) season.
Less than five kilometres separates the towns as the crow flies; with the most famous contest between the clubs taking place all the way back in the grand final of 1939.
Garfield refused to play on a sodden Nar Nar Goon oval and the match was handed to Bunyip via forfeit, after they took the field and captain Wal Toy kicked the only goal of the game.
Two Garfield players made it to the ground, Jack Smith and Jack Miller, but were told by the umpires that if they took the field, they would have to play the entire game.
They just watched on as the single goal from Bunyip decided the flag.
Bad blood resulted between the two clubs; with the 1939 grand final still the talk of both towns when they next met on the final day of the season; 73 years later in 2012.
That was 31 years after Bunyip was instructed to merge with Garfield in 1981; causing more tension between the two towns.
Bunyip won the premiership in 2012; in front of a monstrous crowd at Garfield, before the Stars returned fire against the same opponent in 2013.
They are last premierships either club has won.
These days the rivalry still looms large, however the prize up for grabs is nowhere near as meritorious as years gone by in a battling stage of both club’s history.
Garfield suffered a mass exodus of players at the end of 2021, while Bunyip endured the same predicament a year later.
The Stars improved last season, from one win in 2022 to four wins last year, while Bunyip remained winless with playing depth at an all-time low.
But both clubs can now see a way forward.
Garfield will start favourites in this one, with new co-coaches Rhys Murphy and Lachlan Schreurs putting their players through a very solid pre-season.
Schreurs has coached for the last six years; involved in roles at both Garfield and Tarwin.
He was in Garfield’s leadership group at the age of 19 and has been vice-captain at Tarwin for the last two seasons, while Murphy has been captain of the Stars since 2022.
The Stars need more avenues to goal this year, with Jack Tenace-Greenall leading the way last season with a modest total of 18, with Angus Emery and Lachie Spinks next best on 15.
Bunyip coach Lachie Petch will be hopeful of improvement this year; but the Stars look a little too good.
They’ll secure their first win of the season by 32 points.
Kooweerup will be hoping history repeats when new coach Dale Alanis begins his tenure at the club with the hosting of Dalyston at Denhams Road.
The Demons looked spectacular on night one of the WGFNC last year, smashing the Magpies by 88 points to set Kooweerup tongues wagging.
But the Demons were soon dealt a reality check; losing their next seven on the trot to make that round-one victory look like a bit of a fluke.
The Demons will be an interesting watch this season, with Alanis, Blake Peach and Josh Bateman set to bolster stocks, with Bateman in particular right in the prime of his career.
He was best on ground in Dromana’s 2018 premiership win in the powerful MPFNL, and has also earned Team of the Year honours.
At his best he could be one of the most damaging players in the competition this year.
Peach is entering the veteran stage now, but is still a classy ball-user, while the return of Nathan Voss is a massive boost for the Demons.
The classy half-forward was having a brilliant season last year, but missed the last eight games after travelling overseas.
If Voss is firing, the Demons always look a dangerous foe.
Dalyston will be fully alert to Kooweerup’s opening-round tricks this time around, but the Demons will be keen to bank the four points ahead of a tough road-trip to Inverloch.
It’s the Demons to win by 21 points.
The recruiting manager at Kilcunda-Bass has had a busy off-season with the Panthers set to unleash some real quality against rivals Korumburra-Bena on Saturday.
The Panthers will have a distinctly Berwick flavour to their play, with high-quality imports Travis Tuck, Tim Gunn and Jo West all making their way across from Edwin Flack Reserve.
All three will play key roles down the spine.
Tuck is a brilliant and tough midfielder, set to form a wonderful combination with Nathan Foote; being fed by league best and fairest winner Dale Gawley in the ruck, while Gunn has big shoes to fill with star centre-half forward Taylor Gibson making the move to Woori Yallock this year.
West is a tall, athletic defender, with good intercept instincts, who will certainly strengthen up the back half.
Callan Brinkman and hard-at-it midfielder Jayden Goumas are others to make their way to the Bass Recreation Reserve.
New Korumburra-Bena coach Josh Hopkins will also unwrap some additional talent from 2023 with Kye Benson, Tom Crocker, Tyler Newton, Hugh Gorda and Mitch Wightman all set to make a mark this year.
But the Panthers hold all the aces in this one; and will win by 41 points.
And Warragul Industrials will look to register its first win of the season when it welcomes reigning-premier Inverloch-Kongwak to Western Park.
The Dusties were poor against Phillip Island on the opening day of the season, and should have real intent to bounce back.
New coach Michael Duncan would have been pleased with the first-up games of Kyle Beveridge and Travis Ogden and will need a replication of that form to take it up to the champions.
Tom Hams has had two weeks to assess the Sea Eagles first-up win over Cora Lynn, and will be looking forward to some added cohesion as new players such as Paul Pattison settle in to a new environment.
The Dusties are a dangerous proposition at home, but we’ll go for Sea Eagles to make it two zip; courtesy of a 13-point victory.
