FOOTBALL
AFL star and proud Latrobe Valley product Brendon Goddard made a much-welcomed return to Morwell Recreation Reserve yesterday to take some of the region’s super boots through their paces as part of a longest kick competition series.
Goddard oversaw the Gippsland instalment of the Barrel Time competition, which scours the country for the biggest local footy super boots.
The 12 best kickers will unleash at quarter-time of a Friday night AFL match in Melbourne throughout the 2018 season with participants eliminated one-by-one until a winner is crowned on grand final day at the MCG.
“The talent is quite good [in Morwell]” Goddard, who grew up just outside Traralgon, said.
“I spent a lot of time here. My mother’s side of the family is from Morwell and I played a lot at Morwell Recreation Reserve for the Traralgon Maroons and under 16s against Morwell and then under 18 TAC Cup footy [for Gippsland Power].
“I have a lot of fond memories here and it hasn’t changed a hell of a lot to be honest, it’s still as cold as ever.”
Goddard – a super boot in his own right – had some sage advice for entrants at yesterday’s Gippsland trial day.
“Never try and kick it as hard as you can. It’s about timing,” he said.
“It’s a bit like a golf swing, it’s about trying to kick at 85 or 90 per cent and trying to get a good connection.”
Goddard admitted the barrel was “drying up these days” but listed a few players he had come across, past and present, who gave it a good nudge.
“Dustin Fletcher still had it as a 40-year-old but I think nowadays, Michael Hartley, is pretty good but there’s not too many these days that use them in games,” he said.
Churchill Football Club’s Dillon Leys took out the honours with a 65.2-metre barrel while second place went to Josh White from Stratford Football Club (64.4 metres) and Ellinbank’s Mark Vassett came in third with a kick of 64.3 metres.
