IF you were to name one certainty for Bacchus Marsh’s football “Team of the Era” it would have to be Wayne Cracknell.
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The Cobras will recognise its greatest footballers and netballers of their time in the Ballarat Football Netball League – 1978 to 2015 – at a gala function in a marquee at Maddingley Park on Saturday night.
Cracknell is undoubtedly one of Bacchus Marsh’s all-time greats.
He played 254 games in a career highlighted by his win in the BFL best and fairest in 1997. He is the Cobras’ only Henderson Medallist.
The BFL recognised his greatness when it inducted him into its hall of fame in 2012.
Cracknell, who fulfilled an ambition to coach the club in 2005 after being captain from 1996 to 2000, represented the BFL 21 times (1989-2001) and was captain in 2001.
Champion goalkicker and two-time BFL Tony Lockett Medallist Chris Stuhldreier and current day star Cam Richardson must also be frontrunners for selection in this once-off team.
‘Scoreboard Pete’ there for Swans
GREAT to see Peter “Scoreboard Pete” Ciaston watching his beloved Ballarat Swans at Sebastopol on Saturday.
He is still in rehabilitation after being airlifted to Melbourne in a critical condition after falling off his bike in November last year.
Ciaston still has some way to go before he is again running water for the Swans and carrying out other duties, but there was no hiding his enthusiasm as he watched the clash with Sebastopol from the first floor balcony of the Marty Busch Reserve pavilion.
Ballarat old boys gather
COUNT on Saturday at Alfredton Oval being a massive occasion for more than one reason.
As well as the opening of the newly redeveloped ground with a night BFNL senior clash between Ballarat and East Point under new lights, the Swans are having past player and officials reunion.
Anyone interested in attending should get in touch with Paul Nicholls (0417 398 241).
The football program begins with under-18.5s at 2.55pm, with seniors at 7.15pm.
Stewart puts 99 on map
Now there is a number you rarely see on a football guernsey – 99.
Perhaps you have never seen it before.
If you were at Sebastopol’s Marty Busch Reserve on Saturday though there it was on the back of the Burra’s Taylor Stewart.
And he did it proud, kicking three goals in his first appearance back at the club after a stint at Royal Park in the MCDFNL.
Ballarat representatives in women's Anzac matches
BALLARAT will be represented in Victorian Women’s Football League All-Stars and Vic Country under-22 women’s teams at Port Melbourne on Sunday.
Carly Twaits and Maighan Fogas from Redan and Lake Wendouree’s Jordan Ivey line up for the all-stars against the Australian Defence Forces.
Emily Crawford, of Bacchus Marsh, will also play.
This is the sixth year the annual Anzac match has been played.
The Lakers have Lauren Murphy and Jordyn Gilmer playing alongside Hayley Smith (Redan), and Bacchus Marsh duo Zhoe Clarke and Abbey Bertram for Vic Country against Vic Metro in a game which showcases up-and-coming talent from across the state.
BFL selectors scouting squad candidates
NEW Ballarat Football League senior representative team coach Shaun O’Loughlin is planning to select an initial training squad after round three.
O’Loughlin and his coaching panel have launched an intensive scouting program, with an obvious focus on checking out the swag of recruits in the BFL.
The BFL plays metropolitan-based Western Region in the reformatted AFL Victoria Community Championships at Footscray’s Whitten Oval on Saturday, May 21.
Lakers claim first Goldfields derby
LAKE Wendouree took the honours in the first Ballarat derby in the VWFL Goldfields division at White Flat on Sunday.
Making their debut, the newly formed Lakers swamped East Point by 102 points.
LAKE WENDOUREE 17.12 (114) d EAST POINT 2.0 (12)
GOALS - Lake Wendouree: T. Bruhn 4, L. Murphy 3, J. Ivey 3, A. Jackson 2, A. Wood 2, R. Middlin, R. Phillips, K. Metcalfe. East Point: D. Wilson, Z. Wathen
BEST - Lake Wendouree: N. Alexander, J. Gilmer, J. Ivey, A. Wood, J. James, W. Greenhalgh. East Point: E. Kent, Z. Wathen, S. McNeight, J. Coleman, L. Melham, E. Broughton
BACCHUS MARSH 7.3 (45) d KYNETON 3.1 (19)
LADDER: Lake Wendouree 4 points, 950 per cent; MCDFNL Lions 4, 146.15; Bacchus Marsh 4, 124.56; East Point 4, 43.08; Kyneton 0, 39.33
Learmonth night match
LEARMONTH and Creswick play under lights in the Central Highlands Football League at Learmonth on Saturday night.
The senior football begins at 6.30pm and A grade netball at 5pm.