Dennis return putting fire in Demons’ menacing culture

ANTHONY Dennis is back at Cal- ivil with a mission to rebuild the Demons’ menacing style of play and rise up the Loddon Valley league football ladder.

The Demons’ 2017 premiership coach took the team through its paces on Friday night, the first run at Calivil after training all year at Raywood.

Dennis said the club had recruited well in the off-season but could still slot in a few more talls.

“You ring 3000 people to get three or four players,” Dennis said of the challenges that have faced country clubs since the COVID-interrupted or abandoned seasons.

“It’s good to be back home at Calivil but COVID really did put a dampner on country footy and it’s now harder to recruit.”

But recruit Dennis has done in the quest to make Calivil more competitive over four quarters and avoid a repeat of 2022 when the Demons won just two matches, losing multiple games

Cup spotlight ready to shine

THERE’LL be fierce competition on the track and heaps of fun off it when the Victorian country cups spotlight lands on Boort this Sunday.

Feature races are the Councillor Neil Beattie Family Boort Pacing Cup and the Peter Walsh Boort Trotters Cup both with $14,500 prizemoney.

Other events include with the E W (Ned) Fitzpatrick Tribute, Patrick Dwyer Tribute, D W (Bill) Foley Tribute, Keith and Dawn McClelland Tribute and Robert Coutts Tribute among the other feature races on the card.

Sunday’s meeting also kickstarts the lucrative Victorian Harness Racing Club Super Bonus Race Program.

Owners can claim $1500 and trainers $500 for victory in one of the afternoon’s events.

Andy Gath prepared and Jordan Leedham drove Hes Under Wraps to win last year’s pacing cup, while Garshaway claimed the trotting feature for Laura Crossland and Damian Wilson.

Both races are part of season-long country cups championships, with Boort following on from last weekend’s Horsham Pacing Cup meeting.

Fields for this year’s Boort Cup meeting card were to be released on Wednesday, with Sunday’s racing likely to start around midday.

The meeting also includes fashions on the field and music entertainment, by less than a kick and picking up the wooden spoon.

Admission is free and also includes a race book.

Sunday’s Boort meeting is the local club’s second for the year after a successful Northern Oasis event in January.

Major signings have been defenders Jack Maher and Henry Miller, ruckman Justin Hymes and onballer Cody Thompson. Dennis said Calivil would also give opportunities to half a dozen East Loddon Rams juniors tied to the club with development through the reserves.

“That’s what country clubs are about ... helping juniors and making for a sustainable future,” Dennis said.