From the Port Phillip Leader and www.localfooty.com.au
Reported by Paul Amy
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WHEN Gary Ayres had his first interview at Port Melbourne, its then president Peter Saultry told him the club was looking for a 10-year coach.

The former Hawthorn champion did not imagine he would be at the Borough for that long.

Coaching positions are about as secure as a tent in a tornado, as Ayres found at Adelaide. Besides, he thought there might be other roles for him in the AFL.

But here he is in his eighth season in charge of Port and preparing for his 150th match as comfortably the club’s longest serving coach.

The milestone, against Williamstown at Port Gellibrand on Sunday, coincides with his champion midfielder Chris Cain’s 150th senior game.

“That makes it more special, to share it with ‘Caino’,’’ he said.

SATURDAY MAY 9
Richmond vs North Ballarat at Punt Road 11am
Casey Scorpions vs Sandringham at Casey Fields 12:12pm(Channel 7)
(Development League match starts at 9am)
Geelong vs Collingwood at QEO,Bendigo 6pm

SUNDAY MAY 10
Box Hill Hawks vs Werribee at Box Hill 2pm(3WBC)
(Development League match at 11am)
Coburg vs Essendon at Piranha Park 2pm
Frankston vs Northern Blues at Frankston Park 2pm(Casey Radio)
(Development League match at 11am)
Williamstown vs Port Melbourne at Burbank Oval 2pm(VFL Live)
(Development League match at 11am)

VFL Bye:Footscray
Development League Bye:Coburg

From the Ballarat Courier
Reported by Melanie Whelan
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NORTH Ballarat Roosters coach Gerard FitzGerald has called for a league review into stricter match-day schedules.

Both the Roosters and Werribee were delayed in taking to the field for final pre-match warm-ups for their Victorian Football League match after a prolonged curtain-raiser match for the Tigers’ development team.

VFL team managers from each club called on umpires to intervene and allow players more time to finish warming up before a short Anzac Day commemoration.

FitzGerald said it should not have got to that point – the league must reconsider tightening match-day timelines, especially when marking special occasions.

Rules on ground access and curtain-raiser timing are strict in the AFL, and the Roosters will be under such conditions in three weeks time for a clash with Northern Blues at Etihad Stadium. Ballarat Football League reserves matches play set 24-minute quarters that can be adjusted.

From the Port Phillip Leader
Reported by Paul Amy
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A NEW VFL season and a fresh young hope for Port Melbourne.

Blake Pearson popped up for three senior appearances for the Borough last year after being recruited from the Dandenong Stingrays.

After one, teammate Hugh Sandilands gave him a prank phone call, pretending to be a pressman and mixing questions with put-downs. It was a classic stitch-up.

On Saturday Pearson, a stocky but pacy 174cm right-footer, stitched up the Northern Blues for four goals to help Port to a 23-point victory at a cold and wet North Port Oval.

Two of his goals came in the final quarter, which the Borough had started only two points to the good.

In tough conditions they slowly got on top of the Blues, a touch stronger, a tad cleaner and steadier for the experience of captain Chris Cain, Nathan Batsanis, Hugh Sandilands and key defenders Will Johnson and Dan Noonan.

From the Moonee Valley Leader
Reported by Tim Michell
Full article - Click here

IT WOULD have surprised no one if Marcus Marigliani woke with leather poisoning on Monday.

The Essendon VFL captain had the ball on a string in his side’s 32-point VFL win over Collingwood on Sunday at Windy Hill, gathering 33 disposals and 13 marks.

The Magpies had no answer for Marigliani’s dominance as the Bombers skipper helped his side lead at every change in an 11.9 (75) to 5.13 (43) victory.

“(It was) really important,” Marigliani said.

“It was a bit of a funny vibe we had against Sandringham, but it just felt on the weekend like we were back to the way we were playing our practice matches.

“If we’re winning the contested and inside footy we back ourselves to win the game and that’s what it felt like all game.”

SATURDAY MAY 2
Richmond vs Geelong at Punt Road 11am
Coburg vs Frankston at Piranha Park,Coburg 12:12pm(Channel 7)
(Development League Match follows at 3:10pm)
Collingwood vs Footscray at Victoria Park 1pm
North Ballarat vs Williamstown at Eureka Stadium 1pm
Port Melbourne vs Werribee at North Port Oval 2pm
(Development League Match at 11am)

SUNDAY MAY 3
Essendon vs Casey Scorpions at Windy Hill 12pm(Casey Radio)
Sandringham vs Northern Blues at Trevor Barker Oval,Sandringham 2pm(VFL Radio)
(Development League Match at 11am)

VFL Bye: Box Hill Hawks
Development League Byes: Box Hill Hawks,Casey Scorpions,Williamstown

SATURDAY APRIL 25
Werribee vs North Ballarat at Avalon Airport Oval 2pm(VFL Radio)
(Development League Werribee vs Casey Scorpions at 11am)
Port Melbourne vs Northern Blues at North Port Oval 2pm
(Development League match at 11am)
Frankston vs Richmond at Frankston Park 2:15pm

SUNDAY APRIL 26
Essendon vs Collingwood at Windy Hill 11:42am(Channel 7)
Footscray vs Casey Scorpions at Whitten Oval 12pm(Casey Radio)
Box Hill Hawks vs Coburg at Box Hill 2pm(3WBC)
(Development League match at 10:45am)
Williamstown vs Sandringham at Burbank Oval 2pm
(Development League match at 11am)

VFL Bye:Geelong
Development League Bye: Frankston