Northern Bullants news

From the Herald Sun
Reported by Paul Amy
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THE 2015 VFL season kicks off on Friday with Werribee hosting Geelong under lights. Leader sports editor Paul Amy rounds up each club’s ins and outs.

BOX HILL HAWKS

Coach: Marco Bello

Last year: runner-up to Footscray Bulldogs

In: Cadeyn Williams (Richmond), Jack Sandric (Hobart City), Lochie Adey, James Handley (Blackburn), Matthew Burt, Chris Jones, Liam Kidd, Matthew Traynor (Eastern Ranges), Billy Murphy, Sam Switkowski (Northern Knights), James Sullivan (Tatura), Patrick Dillon (Donvale), Xavier Dimasi (Assumption/Calder Cannons), Ben Fitzpatrick (Korumburra/Bena), Dalton Graham (Sandringham).

Out: Luke Andrews, Callan Burns, Corey Cassidy, Sam Cust, Jackson Eade, Tom Goodwin, Jake Kalanj, Tom Miles, Xavier Murphy, Matt Northe, Nick Papadopoulos, Kalem Post, Michael Thompson, Brandon Wood.

The verdict: the Hawks have lost top-line midfielders in Xavier Murphy and Luke Andrew as well as the emerging Brandon Wood. But they’ve picked up former Tiger Cadeyn Williams and have good young players coming through in support of senior men Sam Iles, David Mirra, Marc Lock and Liam Tobin. Premiers in 2013 and runners-up last year, there’s no reason to think there will be a slackening of standards.

Player watch: Mitch O’Donnell. He’s as hard as a coffin nail and he’ll be granted more opportunity after an excellent pre-season.

Celebrating season 2014 with the Casey Scorpions and A Positive Move

Click on read more for a full club by club report.

Blues pair fails to shine in VFL


Reported by Brent Diamond
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Carlton's out-of-form forwards Jarrad Waite and Jeff Garlett were less than convincing in the VFL on Saturday, with just two goals between them in the Blues' last-gasp three-point win over Frankston at Visy Park.

With hopes of a return against the Western Bulldogs next Sunday, Waite finished with 2.3 from 12 disposals and five marks, while Garlett, who spent most of the match in the midfield, collected just 13 possessions, three marks and failed to register a score.

Although Blues VFL coach Luke Webster said he was largely impressed by the pair, they produced only glimpses of their best.

Waite's two majors - one in the second quarter from the boundary line and one in the final term from a snap in a pack - were freakish opportunist goals.

Comment thread:
http://www.vflfooty.com/node/8934

From localfooty.com.au
Reported by Tim Mitchell
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VFL star Kane Lambert could mount a strong argument to force a move from Northern Blues to Williamstown if he challenges the league's player transfer rules in court, says a lawyer.

Sports lawyer and VFL commentator Darren Boyd said Lambert could mount a legal challenge on two fronts - against the VFL's transfer rules and the Northern Blues.

"He would have to prove to a court that the rules are uncompetitive and therefore unlawful as a restraint of trade," he said.

Boyd said Lambert could argue that he is a "free agent" and should be able to move clubs to further his ­career.

Boyd said Lambert could argue the Blues' call to block his move had been a restraint of trade because he was considered one of the competition's premier players and a strong chance to be drafted to an AFL club in ­future.

From Herald Sun
Reported by Glenn McFarlane
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CARLTON'S VFL captain Andre Gianfagna has become the latest footballer to turn to umpiring.

Gianfagna, 26, has told the Northern Blues he intends to become an umpire and will immediately join the AFL's pathway program.

After the recent retirement of former Blue and Bomber turned AFL umpire Jordan Bannister, the AFL has been to keen to foster more footballers in switching to umpiring post their playing careers.

Webster excited be new head of Blues

From www.localfooty.com.au
Reported by Chris Cavanagh
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LUKE Webster is excited to be taking charge of his own team for the first time after being appointed the new coach of the Northern Blues last week.

The 30-year-old former Fremantle midfielder becomes the third coach of the Northern Blues in just four months following departed coaches Robert Hyde and Darren Harris.

A back line coach at the club over the past two seasons while juggling a role as a development coach at Carlton, Webster said he was looking forward to the challenge in 2013.

"I never really thought a few year's ago that I'd go down the coaching path," he said.

"But doing the development stuff at Carlton the last could of years and then when Darren Harris was heading back to WA for his new role, I thought now was better than ever to jump in and coach my own team."

Northern outclasses Scorpions

From localfooty.com.au
Reported by Paul Amy
Full article - Click here

THE winning margin was predictable. The result wasn't.

..The VFL's top team, Casey Scorpions, came up against the 11th-placed Northern Blues at Casey Fields on Saturday and suffered only its third loss of the season.

Jumped early by a team featuring familiar Carlton names such as Bret Thornton, Nick Duigan, Matthew Watson and David Ellard, the Scorpions never recovered and in the end did well to avoid a heavier defeat.

Halfway through the third quarter the Blues' lead puffed out to 52 points as players like Ellard and draft prospects Kane Lambert and Adam Marcon made merry in the midfield.

Blues ruckman Nick Meese, described by one Casey assistant coach as the John Nicholls of the VFL, mauled the Scorpions with 53 hit-outs and a staggering 21 tackles.

"We didn't give a yelp," a Casey diehard said after the match.

But the coaches probably did when they realised there would have to be eight changes from the team that defeated Frankston in the previous round.

Just seven Melbourne players took the field, including Josh Tynan, who played only the first half.

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