Supercoach Baldey having a ball, Alex Carey’s reveals tooth on that head knock, Jack Watts on comeback trail, Dom Tourneur’s milestone and more
Cove men’s and women’s footy coach adds another string to his bow, Alex Carey reveals tooth on that World Cup bouncer, Jack Watts back on track and more in this week’s local sport round up with Ben Hook.
Don Pyke, Ken Hinkley, Brett Baldey, Tania Obst, Jamie Siddons.
While the name Baldey may not be quite as familiar as the state’s top coaches in footy, cricket and netball, he’s no less dedicated.
Baldey is currently the senior coach at Cove Football Club in the Southern League for the men’s and women’s A-grade teams.
To round out perhaps SA’s sport’s most diverse coaching portfolio, this week he accepted the role as head coach of Bowls SA Super League franchise the Western Rogues.
“It was just my passion for coaching that led me to explore the opportunity and Bowls SA were keen to get me on board, so it’s pretty exciting really,” he said.
“I’ve spent the last two seasons playing at Club Holdfast and was fortunate enough to play on (Australian player) Max Kleinig’s rink, so I’ve been learning a lot from him the last two years. To take that on board has been awesome.”
Baldey concedes he requires good time management and, in wife Josie, and children Mia, 10, and Cruz, six, he is blessed with an understanding family. As a footy coach, Baldey places a heavy stock on defence. Not so much in bowls.
“From my point of view, it’s about encouraging my players to entertain the crowd and play a style of lawn bowls that’s exciting,” he said.
“This format is about trying to draw people to our game and I don’t think we would be playing our part if we weren’t playing an attacking style.”
And he’s not completely averse to adding some footy-style disciplinary methods if his team fails to fire.
“The team I’ve taken over, the Western Rogues, actually finished bottom last year,” he said.
“Should we perform badly, I might have to get them out on the track on a Tuesday and make them run a few laps.”
The Super League starts at Salisbury on August 9.
THE TOOTH ON CUP BRAVERY
SO you think Australian one-day international wicketkeeper Alex Carey was concerned about the spilt blood when he was famously struck by a bouncer from Joffra Archer in the Cricket World Cup semi final against England?
Well, it was the least of his worries.
Carey has comically revealed he was far more fearful for the fate of his Australian helmet and a fake tooth than his split chin.
Appearing on The Grade Cricketer podcast, where hard-hitting news gives way to humour-laden anecdotes, Carey explained how disappointed he was to give up the sun-weathered helmet he had worn since first playing for Australia.
“I was a bit dirty my lid broke. I had a bit of colour in it,” Carey said.
“I had a bit of wear and tear in that lid, so I wanted to wear it for as long as possible.
“Ellyse Perry, I don’t even know what colour hers is now, she’s spent so much time out in the middle. And mine was starting to get there.”
Carey also revealed he has a denture.
“I’ve actually got a fake tooth,” he said. So that needs a bit of work done.
“That needs to come out and an implant put in. I wasn’t sure if I should have faked it and spat out that fake tooth and claimed it on dental.”
WATTS ON WAY BACK
INJURED Port Adelaide utility Jack Watts’ recovery from a serious knee injury took a giant stride on Friday.
Watts, below, ran for the first time since ruining his right leg in Port’s Round 2 win over Carlton at Adelaide Oval, breaking his leg and dislocating his ankle.
The former No. 1 draft pick then walked around Royal Adelaide Golf Course that afternoon following the run with no visible signs of trouble.
GRAVES RETIRES
A SIGNIFICANT chapter in the storeyed history of South Australian racing will come to a close at Morphettville on Wednesday, when Colin Graves officially retires as a trainer after 49 years in the business.
Graves has opted not to renew his licence and will turn his attention to other pursuits.
After beginning as a stablehand for Bart Cummings while still at school, Graves went on to become a successful trainer in a peerless era of local racing.
He had Black Type success with Countess Marizza in Melbourne but is perhaps best known for taking out the 1979 Adelaide Cup with Panamint, ridden by Johnny Miller.
“I can remember the day really well,” he said.
“I had three runners in it that day. I’ve always wanted to win that race, so it was a dream come true, really.
“I remember I was very nervous, but we got the money.
“I planned to retire now. I thought about (reaching 50 years) but enough is enough.
“I start pennant (lawn) bowling in October. I’ve got to keep doing something and I’ve been up at Hawthorn practising, so that’s my next venture.”
Graves enjoyed a great relationship with Cummings until the legendary trainer died in 2015. When Cummings was suspended in 1979, Graves took over his Adelaide horses, including Panamint.
“It set me up for life,” Graves said. “He’s a witty guy. I had some funny times with him. He won a big race in Flemington and I was with him, and he said to go and get a bottle of champagne.
“I grabbed one but I struggling to get it open.
“He said: ‘You better learn how to open one of those if you’re going to be a racehorse trainer.” A large turnout of wellwishers is expected at Morphettville for Graves on Wednesday.
DOM IS GOOD
CHAMPION local jockey Dom Tourneur celebrated a remarkable milestone last week. The Perth-born rider steered home Swipe Me Right in the last at Morphettville to notch his 1500th career winner.
And while he likes to go fast aboard a horse, his 11-year-old daughter, Hannah, is developing a reputation of travelling quickly on her own steam.
This week, she was crowned the state cross-country running champion for her age-group.
LIGHTNING LACROSSE
THE state’s top lacrosse players took part in a trial of international significance last week. SA’s leading guns played a fully fledged trial of a bold, new six-a-side format as part of the world body’s push to gain a berth at the Olympic Games.
The trial of the shorter, faster version of lacrosse was encouraged by the International Olympic Committee to make a more television-friendly style of game.
Two matches were played at Glenelg Lacrosse Club last Wednesday night and the players were largely supportive of the concept. “It was good fun,” 2018 Bonthon Medallist Olivia Parker said. “Definitely a faster game now, which is what the IOC wanted.”
A whopping 72 goals were scored in the two matches. Traditionally, 10 players make up a lacrosse team.
HOOPLA FOR FLYNN
LEADING Australian basketball mentor Liam Flynn
landed one of sport’s rarest opportunities this week. The former Adelaide 36ers assistant coach will join Israeli club Hapoel Jerusalem ahead of the upcoming season.
Hapoel Jerusalem boasts an enviable recent record in Israeli basketball, having won two of the past four national titles.
Flynn has been based in Adelaide, working with local clubs and players after recent stints in China and the US.
ORMSBY REMEMBERED
THE SA lawn bowls community said farewell to perhaps our greatest lawn bowler when Mary Ormsby was laid to rest on Tuesday.
Ormsby, the mother of famed golf professionals Pete and David Ormsby, and grandmother of European Tour golfer Wade, is the only bowler, male or female, to win all three national titles — the Australian singles, the Australian pairs and, as skipper, for the Australian fours.
She was awarded the Order of Australia Medal in 1985, the Australian Sports Medal in 2000, and is the only female bowler to be inducted into the Australian Sport Hall Of Fame at the MCG. Mrs Ormsby died on July 6, she was 90.
WAIKERIE’S SHOCK LOSS
Last week marked 50 years since humans first walked on the moon. It seemed the same duration since Riverland League club Waikerie last lost a game of footy.
The Magpies fell to Renmark last weekend by 18 points, which was essentially the club’s first loss since round 10, 2016.
Its only other loss in that period was against Loxton North last year, where Waikerie accidentally had an extra player on the field and had their score, and 44-point lead, wiped during the third quarter. Aside from the extra man mistake, Waikerie had won 52 straight games before last week’s loss.
The Magpies restored the order by smashing Berri by 134 points on Saturday.
Only six A Grade men’s teams remain undefeated in SA community football:
Westies (Far West)
United Yeelanna (Great Flinders)
West Coast Hawks (Mid West)
Kersbrook (Hills Div 2)
Hahndorf (Hills Div 1)
Noarlunga (Southern)
St Paul’s OS (AdFL Div 7)