Familiar duo leads goals race

A puzzling goal tally quandary involving Depasquale produced differing results as to who won, with PlayHQ’s overall leaderboard originally showing Depasquale had taken out the title with 72 goals.

However, this was proved to be a miscalculation.

Instead, a check on Premier Data revealed that Mason had, in fact, won the count with 72 goals to Depasquale’s 71.

Two Saturdays ago, Depasquale catapulted to second place with a total of 22 goals after kicking 10 goals against Euroa.

Mason booted six goals the same day against Tatura to keep the lead with 24 goals.

He stretched that to 26 goals in Seymour’s loss to Shepparton Swans on Saturday, while Depasquale never played after being called up as an emergency for VFL club Werribee for the first time this season.

So if it’s going to be a two-horse race in the goal-kicking stakes, Depasquale will have to spend a lot more time with the Bombers to be a chance of reversing the 2024 result.

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Kyabram’s 2026 GVL season has turned sour with its third loss in six games on Saturday when outclassed by Shepparton.

Injuries have hit the Bombers hard, particularly as key players are presently on the injured list.

The season ending ACL injury to Morrison medallist Mick Mattingly was the start of the horror injury run.

Since his season ended, he has been joined by key defenders Jason Morgan, co-captain Aiden Robinson goal-kicking utility Anthony Depasquale and livewire small man Reuben Rode.

Utility Aaron Hayes joined this list when he pulled a hamstring against Shepparton on Saturday.

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Some familiar names for GVL fans surfaced when Brodie Ryan made his AFL debut for Hawthorn against Fremantle last Thursday.

Ryan’s father is former Tatura player Richie Ryan, while his mother is the daughter of multiple Shepparton and Girgarre premiership player Col Scripps.

Col didn’t make the trip to Perth to witness his grandson’s debut and opted to attend the Girgarre Football Club’s joint reunions of its 1976 premiership side under coach John Murphy and also its 1991 flag-winning side under Brendan Flanagan at Girgarre last Saturday.

In his debut, Brodie had an immediate impact, including an early possession which led to a Hawthorn goal.

Leading into his debut, he was in strong form, averaging 21.8 disposals in the VFL.

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The Victorian Country Cricket League couldn’t have selected a better author to celebrate the league’s 100-year milestone.

In detailing 100 years in his new book on Victorian country cricket through the ages, distinguished author Ken Piesse weaves a rare tapestry of stories, tall and true, paying homage to the greats from Woodfull and Fleetwood-Smith who came to the city and conquered through to those who also dominated on home wickets from Coldstream and Corowa to Barkers Creek and Bundalaguah.

Kyabram wicket-taking genius of the early 1900s AJ (Arthur ‘‘Whitty’’) Whitbourne gets a mention for his mind-boggling feats as a spin bowler.

From the Bradmans of the Bush to the champion teams who won a myriad of premierships, Ken’s irresistible official history of the Victorian Country Cricket League covers the biggest names from Gunstone and Philip to Rush and ‘‘Wrecker’’ Rex Mackenzie, so fast and dangerous that one Ashes captain demanded he be withdrawn or the game was off.

With more than 350 pages and almost 70 photographs and cartoons, no sporting centenary history has been so detailed, so informative, yet so entertaining and easy to read.

Australia’s leading sporting caricaturist Paul Harvey has provided the cartoons.

Just 200 signed hardbacks are available.

Multiple copies available until sold out (please add $15 to your payment if ordering multi copies for a friend, neighbour or ex-teammate).

Please note a $40 plus post softback is being sold through Keith Thompson and VCCL channels and will also be available at selected major regional bookshops when it is published in September.

Ken Piesse author of 100 Not Out can also be contacted for a copy at PO Box 868, Mt Eliza 3930, Victoria.

Phone 0419 549 458 or email kenpiesse@ozemail.com.au Website: www.cricketbooks.com.au