Sports snaps

It was a week of disbelief in Bomberland last week, with the venues for the first week of the GVL finals the hot topic.

Nobody seems to have a reasonable theory that explains the GVL board’s decision to award Rochester the qualifying final when Kyabram finished on top of the ladder as minor premier.

The major beef was that the Bombers had the same experience last year, being asked to play an elimination final against Mooroopna on its home ground in the first week of the finals.

In fairness though, there is no rule to say it shouldn’t happen and in my opinion it is easily rectified.

The Bombers fans then had to put up with the indignity of their thirds team listed in the GV Weekender — yes, it’s back for the finals — but without their numbers, which got more Ky fans offside.

Why didn’t the league get a copy of the Kyabram players’ numbers, which are distributed every home game, was the cry from fans.

But my gripe on the first week of the GVL finals had nothing to do with Kyabram.

Spending 11 hours at Rochester last Saturday watching the Ky thirds and seniors play two hours apart dished up an unwanted situation.

After their game, Shepparton reserves spent over a half an hour on the ground waiting to use the changing rooms of the Rochester seniors, whose players were to play Kyabram in the final game of the day.

The Bears had just suffered an agonising two-point loss to Mansfield to end their finals campaign and then had to wait in bitterly cold weather, only in their footy gear.

Not good enough.

The time between each of the three games at the one venue on the same day has to be reduced to avoid this happening for the sake of the players and frustrated spectators, particularly those who had been there early for the long haul.

Premiership player farewelled

A link in Kyabram Football Club’s GVL 1958 premiership side has been severed with the death last week in Shepparton of Dave Normington.

His passing now leaves only three survivors from that Tony Bull-coached side, which beat Nagambie for the flag.

Ron James, Les Sinnott and Ian Howard are the only players still living from the team that took to Deakin Reserve in Shepparton to take on and beat the Lakers.

I had a lot to do with Dave when coaching the Kyabram thirds in the 1980s when two of his sons, Paul and Dallas, both brilliant junior footballers, were playing.

Another talented brother, Ross, won the 1980 Pattison Medal in the GVL thirds, was relegated to second place on a countback then received the award retrospectively.

Dave Normington often took the coaching reins of the Kyabram thirds teams when I couldn’t be there and was a coach who knew the game well and how to get the best out of his players.

A private funeral was held in Shepparton last week.

Coaches in place for 2026

Kyabram Football Club has completed its footy coaching appointments for next season by naming its thirds coaches.

Current co-coaches Peter Ryan and Mark Patten will be in charge again, taking the reins for the third year.

Their appointments follow the reappointments of co-senior coaches Corey Carver and Kaine Herbert and reserves coaches Scott Hearn and Sean Dillon.

Club president John Guinan said it was good to have a stable coaching situation through the three grades of the club.

‘‘Peter and Mark will have assistants we are about to appoint to gain some coaching experience,’’ Guinan said.

Medal favourite

Can anyone beat Kyabram Football Club’s Mick Mattingly in the Morrison Medal count for the best and fairest player in the GVL?

Mattingly was one of the few shining lights in the Bombers’ second defeat for the season in the final home-and-away round last Saturday week with a 40-possession display.

He hasn’t played in a game this season without collecting more than 30 possessions and, in fact, has averaged 35 in the 16 home-and-away games he has played.

Mattingly not only wins the ball but delivers it with precision and would have to be a warm favourite to collect his second Morrison Medal after winning it in 2019 in a premiership season with the club.

Macorna says no to Picola

Macorna Football Netball Club has rejected the Picola Football League’s invitation to join it, opting to enter the Loddon Valley Football League in 2026.

Macorna was the only club from the Golden Rivers Football League not to join the Central Murray League.

Travel was a factor in Macorna’s decision, with a six-hour round trip to play its furthest potential Picola league rival, Rennie Football Club.

At this stage, Golden Rivers League clubs Hay, Moulamein, Murrabit and Wandella are all to join the stronger Central Murray League but there may be more to play out with these moves.

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Tuesday, 3rd February 2026

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