Port Melbourne News

From ABC Grandstand
Reported by Chris Thompson
Full article Click here

Frankston travel to North Port Oval to take on the Borough this weekend in Round Six, and ABC TV Grandstand will be there to bring you all the action live on Saturday from 1pm on ABC1 in Victoria.

And as well as all the regular action, Phil Cleary will this week take you inside the coaches box with Gary Ayres for a special look at what it takes to be a VFL senior coach during a game.

Their Round Three blemish against the Bullants aside, Port have been in good form at the start of Season 2009, a first-up thrashing of North Ballarat in the Grand Final replay signalling their intentions to go one better this season.

And after backing it up with a hard-fought Round Two win over Casey, the Borough went 3-1 with a two-goal victory over the Cats, before having last week off.

From Leader Community Newspapers
Reported by Brad Beitzel
Full article www.localfooty.com.au

PORT Melbourne’s Sam Dwyer went from villain to pin-up boy in his role in the Borough’s great fightback over Geelong at TEAC Oval on Saturday.

Port won by two goals after trailing by 21 points at three-quarter-time.

Dwyer kicked along the ground from 10 metres and missed halfway through the last term as Port was barnstorming home.

Five minutes later John Baird lofted a magnificent pass into centre-half forward and through a screen of players the small Dwyer plucked an overhead grab, went back and converted a more difficult opportunity to level the game.

At the death of the third term the margin was a daunting 27 points when James Podsiadly, who is in his first season as captain of the Cats, slotted the last of his five goals for the match.

From the Sunday Herald-Sun
Reported by Chris Mitchell
Full article Click here

PORT Melbourne coach Gary Ayres hopes a tall timber recruiting drive can help lift The Borough to another grand final.

Concerned the club was last year too reliant on power forward Adrian Bonaddio, Ayres has added Adrian and Fabian Deluca to the already-potent mix of David Fanning, Dylan McLaren and Bonaddio.

The new-look forward line -- minus Fabian, who kicked two goals in the reserves -- tore apart premier North Ballarat by 78 points in the grand final rematch at TEAC Oval last week.

Bonaddio and Adrian Deluca combined for nine goals in a forward line that will often also include a resting ruckman.

From Leader Community Newspapers
Reported by Paul Amy
Full article - www.localfooty.com.au

ADRIAN “Archie” Deluca did a lot of things in the two years that followed his departure from Carlton at the end of the 2006 season.

Other than to check on how his younger brother Fabian was faring at Port Adelaide, football wasn’t on his mind.

Asked if he’d missed the game, the amiable big man said quickly: “Ah, no.”

Full article Click here

PORT Melbourne's twin towers Adrian Bonaddio and Adrian Deluca showcased the Borough's new-look forward line during its 78-point blitzing of reigning premier North Ballarat at TEAC Oval yesterday.

And across town, Collingwood also won its opening match of the season, defeating Geelong by 24 points at Princes Park, with Anthony Rocca looking ready for a recall to the senior line-up after booting three goals and setting up several other forward thrusts.

"It's all part of his program," coach Gavin Brown said. "This is his third game now and it's all about match conditioning for him, and touch. It was just another one and I thought if he had kicked straight, he would have had a really good game."

The Borough, which has lost some talented players over the off-season including David Spriggs and Luke Livingstone, unleashed the lethal forward package of Bonaddio and Deluca, who booted nine goals between them in a match-winning performance, 20.13 (133) to 7.13 (55).

Deluca, the team's boom recruit who played 46 matches for Carlton, snared four goals while Bonaddio, the team's leading goalscorer last season, booted five.

From Inside Football - Online
Article by Phil Cleary

Full article - Click here

Gary Ayres isn’t the first celebrity coach in the VFA/VFL, but few have won as many hearts. He did everything in his power to take Port to the flag. Just why so many of his stars went missing when the game was calling for a hero is something he’ll ponder in the coming days. Unable to find a spot where Dylan McLaren could influence the game and counter the dominance of Rooster ruckman Orren Stephenson, Ayres’ game plan simply unravelled. Suddenly players who’d looked invincible in the midfield throughout the finals – Toby Pinwell, Robin Nahas and Ryan McMahon – couldn’t find the ball and were error ridden when they did. How Port missed midfielder David Spriggs!

I was deeply saddened to hear that 'Gladdy' one of the iconic Port Melbourne ladies who sits along the fence at Port Melbourne passed away during the recent spell of hot weather.

She still lived in Port, and rain, hail or shine, I can't recall her missing a game. 

She will be missed by all who sat and stood near her at North Port Oval.

From City of Port Phillip Council

The City of Port Phillip, Sport and Recreation Victoria, Football Victoria, Department for Victorian Communities and the Port Melbourne Football Club are combining resources to redevelop North Port Oval, corner Williamstown Rd and Ingles St, Port Melbourne.

Council has agreed in principle to commit $1.7M towards the project, providing a range of community benefits and objectives are achieved including:

• Renewal of the Goss Grandstand and retention of it's heritage values

• Provide for future sustainability of both Port Melbourne Football Club and Port Melbourne Cricket Club

• Develop and improve Club rooms and player change facilities in a manner consistent with AFL Preferred Facilities Guidelines 2006

• Increase use and accessibility by the public through improving both visual and physical permeability from the public realm into the venue, thereby increasing the attractiveness of the reserve as a public open space

• Increase access to the facilities and expand the services at the ground for example by providing infrastructure that encourages greater use of the venue by the community and increased physical activity opportunities (eg: consideration to a playground facility, consideration for use by athletics and/or local schools etc)

• Promote connection and exchange between the Club and the existing local community by increasing opportunities for residents to meet and interact at the ground and in club activities