FOOTBALLER
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Nominate a Junior or Rising Star Now! Is there a junior footballer at your football club that deserves some recognition for their efforts? How about an up-and-coming young star that has managed to break into your club’s senior team? If so, we want to hear about it! The EDFL Website and official game-day Record, The Footballer, will again be running our weekly Just Cuts Junior of the Week and Apprenticeships Group Australia Rising Star nominee. At the end of the season, the 2016 Apprenticeships Group Australia Rising Star will be awarded to one of our weekly nominees at the EDFL’s senior league medal night. Every week during the home-and-away season, our Just Cuts Junior of the Week and Apprenticeships Group Australia Rising Star nominee will have their photo and story published in The Footballer, as well as the EDFL website and social media pages (Facebook & Instagram). We are now taking nominations for both of these weekly promotions. Please email your nominations to adem.s@essendondfl.com.au *Criteria for the Apprenticeships Group Australia Rising Star: An Apprenticeships Group Australia Rising Star nominee must be aged between 16 & 21 and must have played (or will play) senior football during the season. 8 THE FOOTBALLER – The Essendon District Football League Record www.essendondfl.com.au
John Larkins on EDFL Life Membership By ADEM SARICAOGLU EXACTLY how did Aberfeldie President John Larkins feel on the morning of September 12, 2015? “Incredibly apprehensive,” answered the newly inducted EDFL Life Member. For Larkins, the journey he’s embarked upon to finally taste ultimate glory in the EDFL’s most prestigious competition has been somewhat of a viscous rollercoaster. It had been 41 years since the club’s only A-Grade senior flag – a well-covered fact in the lead-up to last year’s Strathmore Community Bank Premier Division Grand Final. Also discussed at length was the fact Aberfeldie had made the Grand Final in 2013 and 2014 and fallen short by a combined 16 points. Arguably the Gorillas were favourites on both occasions. And while Abers may have saluted in a canter in last year’s September 12 decider to the tune of 76 points over its great Section Road rival, that journey to realise the moment isn’t lost on Larkins. “I just wondered whether any playing group could really withstand all those factors. The 19 and zip, the 41-year history, the two losing Grand Finals and so on,” Larkins said, overlooking the Windy Hill playing surface from the EDFL’s new boardroom. “I didn’t really enjoy the day that much, to tell you the truth.” Despite fact he hasn’t seen his football club lose a senior game in 18 months, Larkins is always mindful of the pathway Aberfeldie took to a perfect season. Always at the forefront of his mind is the three-peat of season-ending finals losses that preceded September 12, 2015. “Last year was much more a feeling of relief than triumph,” he said. “Because if you look at the two (Grand Final) losses, and even the Marby loss (2012 First Semi-Final), it was a hell of a learning curve for us. “Marby smashed us. They really exposed us and they were still a seriously good team coming off back-to-back (flags) at that point. “They threw everything at us. We were down by 42 points at one stage, almost got back to even terms late in the last quarter, all that sort of stuff. “It was a real rollercoaster game … a fabulous game.” Then the rollercoaster continued. “That Greenvale one (2013 Grand Final), we got stagefright that day,” he said. “We just weren’t as ready for it as a group even though we’d won in the second semi. “It was a different stage and a big stage.” Abers took to that stage much better in 2014 but in the dying stages of a Windy Hill classic, they couldn’t penetrate a defiant gold and navy blue wall. “That Strathmore loss… well I think it was 23 inside-50s to six in the last quarter but we could not get in front. That was agonising, that game,” Larkins recalled. “Hitting the post, I can see Nick Cattapan hitting the post even now.” With all that “baggage” (as Larkins describes it) going into a third successive Grand Final having not lost a single game for the year, those wearing two shades of blue were on a mission. That was pretty clear from the first bounce. Larkins’ EDFL journey began as a parent wanting to play a role at his local footy club. He slowly became more hands-on at Clifton Park through the late 1990s and eventually went on to also sit on the EDFL Rules Committee. “I’ve learnt a hell of a lot,” Larkins said. “I was pretty green when I started, I have to say. “Our club was fined because I had the temerity to make grog official on our hill at Aberfeldie and at that stage, at least technically, the league rules didn’t allow that to happen. (Continued page 9) 9 9 THE FOOTBALLER – The Essendon District Football League Record www.essendondfl.com.au
- Page 1: FOOTBALLER THE ROUND 1 April 9th, 2
- Page 4 and 5: Strathmore Community Bank® Branch
- Page 6 and 7: Tipsters Brett Scott Arthur Crofts
- Page 10 and 11: Coburg OFFICIAL EDFL PHYSIO Physiot
- Page 12 and 13: Fixture - Strathmore Community Bank
- Page 14 and 15: 14 THE FOOTBALLER - The Essendon Di
- Page 16 and 17: US1601_EDFL_Footy_Record_Ad_97x139m
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- Page 22 and 23: Strathmore Community Bank Premier D
- Page 24 and 25: Fixture - Essendon Ford Division 1
- Page 26 and 27: Essendon Ford Division 1 1 Michael
- Page 28 and 29: Essendon Ford Division 1 1 Maumoudy
- Page 30 and 31: Essendon Ford Division 1 1S Daniel
- Page 32 and 33: Fixture - Strathmore Community Bank
- Page 34 and 35: Strathmore Community Bank Division
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Nominate a Junior or Rising Star Now!<br />
Is there a junior footballer at your football club that deserves some<br />
recognition for their efforts?<br />
How about an up-and-coming young star that has managed to break into<br />
your club’s senior team?<br />
If so, we want to hear about it!<br />
The EDFL Website and official game-day Record, The Footballer, will again<br />
be running our weekly Just Cuts Junior of the Week and Apprenticeships<br />
Group Australia Rising Star nominee.<br />
At the end of the season, the 2016 Apprenticeships Group Australia Rising<br />
Star will be awarded to one of our weekly nominees at the EDFL’s senior<br />
league medal night.<br />
Every week during the home-and-away season, our Just Cuts Junior of<br />
the Week and Apprenticeships Group Australia Rising Star nominee will<br />
have their photo and story published in The Footballer, as well as the EDFL<br />
website and social media pages (Facebook & Instagram).<br />
We are now taking nominations for both of these weekly promotions.<br />
Please email your nominations to adem.s@essendondfl.com.au<br />
*Criteria for the Apprenticeships Group Australia Rising Star: An<br />
Apprenticeships Group Australia Rising Star nominee must be aged<br />
between 16 & 21 and must have played (or will play) senior football during<br />
the season.<br />
8 THE <strong>FOOTBALLER</strong> – The Essendon District Football League Record www.essendondfl.com.au
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