FOOTBALL
By LIAM DURKIN
CRUEL irony has a new definition.
Morwell Football-Netball Club has lost prized recruit Will Lewis in one of the more dramatic turn of events.
Lewis was added to the Western Bulldogs’ list, taking the spot vacated by James Harmes – the same Harmes who has joined Moe for this year’s Gippsland League season.
Lewis, 26, played in a VFL flag for Footscray last season, and had been training with the Dogs this preseason.
Western Bulldogs Player Acquisition and Strategy Manager Michael Regan said it was great to bring Lewis into the AFL program.
“We’re really pleased to bring Will onto the list,” he said.
“It’s a great story of perseverance for Will and another representation of the positive impact our VFL program continues to have on the development of our players.
“He has put together consistent seasons with the support of people like Stewart Edge and Alex Johnson, readying him for the next step in his football journey.”
The man himself said it had been a surreal few days.
“I’m obviously over the moon – I haven’t wiped the smile off my face since I found out,” Lewis said.
“I’ve been pinching myself … I can’t actually believe what’s happened in the last little bit.
“I’ve been working as an engineer the last five years, and then playing here (with Footscray). To then get the opportunity to train over the last couple of weeks here and get the list spot now … it’s been a long journey to get here, but one that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed.”
Moe has not escaped the Harmes discussion entirely, after reports emerged the Melbourne premiership player wanted to continue his AFL career.
“He was left with no choice but to retire,” AFL newshound Tom Morris said on SEN last Friday (March 6).
“Harmes wanted to play on – let me make that very clear. He was desperate to do so.
“He also acknowledged that he stuffed a few things up, but he wanted one more chance and the Dogs were very firm in telling him that he’d lost the trust of the players and that he should retire.”
The revelation was queried by show host Kane Cornes, who asked “can you tell us what he admitted?”
Morris replied that he couldn’t provide an answer.
A Moe official close to Harmes dismissed the allegations when asked by this masthead.
Moe FNC president Mat Howlett was on record last week saying the club “always” did its due diligence when signing a player.
While Morris is a polarising journalist, his track record is hard to argue against.
He was first with news of Damien Hardwick’s departure as Richmond coach in 2023, going with the story before even the Richmond players knew.
Morris’ fiery encounter with Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge in 2022 all but confirms the journalist knows people in high places inside the four walls at Whitten Oval as well.
Beveridge’s outburst was nothing however compared to former Australian leg spinner (the country’s greatest living leggie?) Stuart MacGill’s meltdown for the ages on the Cricket Unfiltered podcast last week.
MacGill was bizarrely set off after the topic of Candice Warner’s scandal with Sonny Bill Williams was raised, leading to an early end to the episode.
MacGill’s temper actually flared earlier in the episode while discussing Gippsland’s own Sophie Molineux’s elevation to the Australian captaincy, despite her long injury history.
“She was the best option, you are nobody in the big scheme of things, you’ve just got to understand that mate,” MacGill said, exploding on show host Andrew Menczel.
“She’s just in the best XI,” Menczel maintained.
“So you’re hoping that Sophie Molineux got an injury so that you could be right,” MacGill hit back.
Keeping the controversy going, former Gippsland Power coach Nick Stevens fronted court last week, accused of ripping more than $170,000 from customers in undelivered swimming pools.
He has pleaded not guilty to 18 charges, according to the Herald Sun.
The trial against the 200-game Port Adelaide and Carlton player continues.
