Pot Shots: The rumours and hype ahead of the MPNFL Div 1 GF between Sorrento and Dromana
Will Sorrento roll the dice and pick former North Melbourne and Adelaide midfielder Sam Gibson for Sunday’s MPNFL Division 1 grand final?
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Will former North Melbourne and Adelaide midfielder Sam Gibson make a surprise grand final appearance for Sorrento on Sunday?
Or is it just a bit of GF sizzle?
These are the question being asked as intrigue surrounds the 135 AFL-gamer’s availability for the MPNFL Division 1 grand final against Dromana.
Gibson hasn’t played since badly tearing his hamstring in Round 12 on June 8 — over three months ago.
He’s been back training for a few weeks and, the word is, if he gets through Thursday night training, he will put his hand up to play in the big game.
If Gibson is selected, Sorrento is likely to have another tricky scenario to deal with — the matter of fitting him into the player points.
BABY COMES FIRST
Sorrento spearhead Leigh Poholke has the pre-game grand final jitters — for more reasons than one.
Poholke’s partner Erin is due to give birth “any minute” and expectant new dad Leigh is on tenterhooks.
So, what if Erin goes into labour on the day of the grand final?
“The birth will come first,” Leigh said, who is prepared to miss the game to support Erin.
Poholke, the league’s leading goal kicker with 79 majors, is bidding to become a five-time Sorrento premiership player.
GRAND FINAL CLASH
And Poholke has another pressing issue on his plate, too.
He is coach of Sorrento’s Under 17 side, which has also made the grand final.
Only problem is, the Under 17s game, which is also a Sorrento-Dromana match up, is scheduled scheduled for 2.45pm on Sunday — at the same time as the senior Sharks-Tigers decider.
Poholke has tried in vain to have the junior game switched to a different time slot.
“It’s just disappointing as a coach because these kids we consider a part of our senior club too,” Poholke said.
“They’ve trained a lot with the seniors...they’re in our rooms just about every game and now come grand final day not only can they not support us but we can’t support them as senior players. So that’s what’s really disappointing.”
Poholke remains hopeful the Under 17 game will be changed.
“We are happy, and so is Dromana, to get it played at any time,” he said.
“We’re happy to play it at 8 o’clock in the morning, we’re happy to play it Saturday, happy to play it the following week but we’re just getting stonewalled.”
GRANT APPEAL
Sorrento defender Daniel Grant is hoping for a late reprieve to play in Sunday’s grand final.
Grant was suspended for three games last week after being found guilty of striking during the Sharks’ qualifying final win against Dromana on August 31.
But Sorrento and Grant are appealing the ban.
It will be heard tonight (Thursday).
Sorrento captain James Hallahan said Grant, a four-time Sharks premiership player, was an integral part of the side, labelling him “bloody tough”.
“Some of his marks...he doesn’t care about backing into a pack. He’s someone the backline definitely look for,” Hallahan said.
RIKKI RETIREES
Sunday’s grand final will be the swansong for Dromana playing-coach Rikki Johnston.
“I’m retiring all together,” he said.
“I’m going to take some time with the family over the next 12 months and then hopefully land on my feet somewhere, whether it be NAB League or VFL down the track.”
‘WE’VE GOT EVERY RIGHT’
Dromana lost to Sorrento by 57 points in the qualifying final a fortnight ago, but Johnston wasn’t placing too much emphasis on the game.
“We probably lost that in a quarter and a half,” he said.
“We probably matched them for the whole second half but people forget really quickly that we beat them five weeks before.
“I’ve heard all the scuttlebutt about whether we deserve the right to be there but my thinking behind that is that we beat Pines three times throughout the year, we beat Bonbeach three times throughout the year, we’ve got every right to be here and we think we can give it a really good shake.
“You’ve got to be in it to win it.”
MPNFL: SORRENTO CAPTAIN JAMES HALLAHAN'S BIG COMEBACK
IT'S TIGER TIME: DROMANA INTO GRAND FINAL
RED HOT REDLEGS
And, could we see history made at Frankston Park on Sunday?
In the reserves grand final (at 12pm), Mt Eliza is shooting for a remarkable sixth consecutive flag.
Two players have played in all five flags — Trent Radin and Damien Kent.
Frankston YCW stands in the Redlegs’ way.
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