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State League Round 6 was off at Doncaster track. Here's a rather cryptic review of proceedings:
For all of you out there who have opposed the Scoresby Freeway project at one time in your life, last night was one of those occasions to eat your words. The long trip up from the Bayside suburbs are always going to yield many surprises, the first of which was the tourist attraction called Manningham Disc.
Not exactly sure what Manningham Disc is, but by all reports, it’s only 200 metres away. We went to ask Matt Brown where it is, but all we got was a phone message saying that he was still out searching for it.
Doncaster is quite a nice little venue for athletics set down in a gully where all that can get in is the 8 degree winds. The remote location must have had a little to do with the lack of athletes as well.
Paul Harlond and Nfa started the ball rolling for the men in the short hurdles, both running into a blustery little headwind, but managing to get some fine points on the board. With an engaged Justin Lewis otherwise engaged, Nfa stepped up to the plate in the 100, along with Disco Stu and Luke Wallace. Actually I could be making this bit up (correct - NFA was on his lonesome), because I still wasn’t there yet, memsmerised as it were by the Manningham Disc.
Tim was looking controlled and relaxed as he saw Zane and Dane run their 1500 metres races in 4:04 and 4:02 respectively. Both boys are looking in fine form after their trip up to Sydney for the Youth Olympics. They both had someone to admire as Zac Ashkanasy had his first hitout in Heat one, taking victory in 3:54. Hopefully, Zac will be roaring forward in both the 800’s and 1500’s as the season continues.
In the field, Matt Brown was not sighted as he still looked for the Maningham Disc, leaving Australia’s own, Tom Farr to take victory in the Javelin and then back it up with another in the High Jump. Tom is also pretty handy with a shifting spanner if you ever require that sort of assistance.
Matt Woodruff and Paul Groves were out on the runway in the Triple Jump, Grovesy throwing sand around as he hit the pit, as management could only speculate that it must have been some sort of blessing ceremony. Meanwhile on the track, Paul Harlond, Nfa, and Luke were looking around for a fourth runner. I put up my hand, but everyone laughed again. Brenno put up his hand also, even though he was still sitting cold by the track, but Tom Farr put up two hands and was found running the third leg, his flowing locks icing up in the wind as he hit Warp Speed 4. Tom can also bake a cake if you ever needed that sort of thing done.
As night turned to dawn, Brenno hit the track in Heat 1 of the 400, facing up to a stiff challenge from a fit looking Michael Hazel. It wasn’t a good night for 400’s as Brenno will tell you, but it didn’t stop him and Luke Wallace from getting themselves out there. Overall, we will have to wait on results, but the men in all reality will probably have fared quite well..... maybe third behind Box Hill and APS.
The women seem to be a marginally different story. Lots of holidays, lots of injuries, lots of unanswered phonecalls and a few participants in the World Cross Country Trials today in Bundoora. Best of luck to all our guys in these runs, with Katie and Anna Thompson lining up in the womens and Clint fronting in the mens.
In the 100, Katrina Steward drew Lauren Hewitt and a tough headwind but performed well, finishing in 12.2. Emma Cochrane came through in Heat two and all was looking rosy. Out in the field, Gabrielle Neighbour revelled in the rarified air of Doncaster. Gab threw an outstanding 59 metres. If you want an idea of how good that it, keep in mind that 61 metres got you into the last 12 at the last World Championships. Gab was all smiles, but not enough to be coerced into running a relay leg.
Natasha De Niese threw the Javelin after a little blunder by team management had another down to do it. Natasha could not be coerced into running a relay leg. Nor could Megan Boyes, who was out there in the Discus cage wondering where the Manningham Disc could be found and whether it was anything like Homer’s ‘stealth bowler.’ Both she and Bec, who had just finished Shot laughed at my attempts to round up a relay team. It seemed such a shame because I would have guaranteed that I would put Tessa Densley up against Cathy Freeman down the back straight leg.
Tessa no doubt would have had the psychological edge over Cathy after coming off a 1:70 high jump, where by all accounts, her ‘knees kept bending.’ Tessa went on to misplace a shoe and was last seen talking about chocolate, which is only going to endear her to management.
In the 1500, our other British import, Claire Garwood put her hand up to run on a night when we could find no other. A big thanks to Claire, who didn’t seem to mind the cold conditions as her and training buddy, Hannah walked around proudly displaying Cathy Freeman’s autograph as a momento of their travels.
And that was about that. Next week, we’re back at Olympic Park, Melway Reference, 44 G8, closely followed by a trip to Box Hill on a Tuesday. Confused??? Who isn’t.
Extra stuff...
Despite Matt slaving all night to get the report written, I've hung on to it for a while with the faint hope that AV might have the State League ladders updated by early afternoon - OK so I'm a "cup is half full" type of person. Well without verificaion from AV you'll have to take my word for it that the Women have slipped to 4th and the Men are lying outside of a finals place in 7th spot.
And, in answer to that most vexing of questions.... a quick search on Google has come up with this:
Manningham DISC (Donvale Indoor Sports Centre)
Location 360 Springvale Road, Donvale
Components Double court sports hall
Gymnastics hall
Multi-purpose room
Offices
Storage rooms
Kiosk
You can always turn to Bayside Central for all the answers!!
Results are here.
The last Report was Round 5.