Essendon and Power great Gavin Wanganeen to make comeback for Moonta on the Yorke Peninsula
A Brownlow medallist to make a footy return at 46, Peter Dickson’s next feature film revealed, the Poms crack it before a ball is bowled and what was Juddy’s meeting with the Blues leaders about?
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Gavin Wanganeen admits he's looking forward to touching the leather again in his return to football at the age of 46.
The Brownlow Medallist is pulling on the boots for the first time in over 10 years to play for Moonta on the Yorke Peninsula tomorrow.
"It's crazy and I wish I'd done it five or six years earlier, as I'm going into unknown territory at 46 against young fellas who are bigger, faster, stronger and fitter," Wanganeen said.
"I trained with the boys and it was just a buzz being in a team, to feel the leather and that camaraderie again. That’s what I'm really looking forward to."
The Essendon and Port Adelaide premiership hero is answering the call from his friend Aiden Zwar who rang him because Moonta were dramatically down on numbers and desperate for some fill-ins.
Wanganeen, who won his Brownlow out of a back pocket, has no desire to leave the forward line in his comeback.
DICKO’S NEXT FEATURE FILM
Award-winning documentary maker Peter Dickson's next project is a feature film about Tom Wills, the man who created Australian rules football.
Dickson has joined forces with writer Martin Flanagan, whose 1996 book 'The Call' was an interpretation of Tom Will's life, and is now seeking funding to make his dream movie a reality.
"I'm captivated by the story of Tom Wills and his role in the creation of our wonderful game," Dickson said.
"It's now a fierce passion of mine to tell this story in feature film form, not only for an Australian audience but also an international one.
“It is a tale of a true Australian legend that must be told for current and future generations to understand the stunning legacy in which he left."
The film is currently titled 'Tom Wills — A Primal Australian Story'.
Dickson has won multiple international awards for his sports documentaries on the AFL and cricket.
HANDSHAKES? IT’S JUST NOT CRICKET!
A simple handshake rattled the Poms even before a ball was bowled in the opening Ashes Test.
Apparently such nice acts of kindness were frowned upon by England captain Joe Root when he was made aware of the football-inspired goodwill ritual.
Root and coach Trevor Bayliss are understood to have spat it during a meeting with Ranjan Madugalle, the ICC match referee, when they saw pre-match players handshakes between the two sides on the running sheet for the First Test.
Both countries had signed off on the document but the Poms claim they weren't asked formally about the gesture.
Paine came up with the idea as a vehicle to rebuilding the Aussies image after the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa last year.
Eoin Morgan, England’s one-day captain, agreed to the same request from Paine before the one-day international series last summer and there was perhaps an assumption, either by Cricket Australia or by the ICC, that the same would apply once more.
Root is to said to be less than convinced of the necessity for what is essentially a PR move, not least since it does not take place before any other Test series.
Clearly the English skipper is toey given the nightmare of 18 months ago when his team was steamrolled 4-0 in Australia.
THE WHISPER
Wonder what the topic of conversation was during a catch-up between Carlton football director Chris Judd and Blues stars Patrick Cripps and Marc Murphy at a fancy inner-city Japanese restaurant this week?
Training wheels, anyone.
Originally published as Essendon and Power great Gavin Wanganeen to make comeback for Moonta on the Yorke Peninsula
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