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Page 62 - Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, November 21, 2012 Melbourne
Observer
Victorian Sport
WEEDING OUT CHEATS
Harness Racing Extra
ROTHACKER MEDAL TO NEVILLE WELSH ■ Veteran Elmore-based horseman Neville Welsh received Victorian Harness Racing's highest accolade, the Gordon Rothacker Medal, at a well-attended function held at Tabcorp Park Melton on Saturday (Nov. 17). Named in honour of the doyen of Victorian harness racing, the late Gordon Rothacker, the Medal was first awarded in 2002, with Charlton's Ian McCallum the inaugural winner. Others to receive the medal have been : Geoff Hill (Shepparton), Jim Barker (Hamilton), Ron Pocock (Bendigo), Matt Donaldson (Charlton), Peter Manning (Great Western), Bruce and Elizabeth Clarke (Terang), Les Chapman (Maryborough), Arthur Graham (Swan Hill) and Ted Demmler (Carrum Downs). Neville Welsh grew up in the Sydenham/Keilor area of Victoria, not far from where Melton is situated today and worked with his father Lew at the family farm, taking over the driving responsibilities at a young age. Winners soon followed and horses such as Selwitch and Ruggles helped put him on the map. Years later talented horses by the name of Murray Mac and Jotto came along, giving him further prominence in the sport. Neville won the Melbourne Showgrounds Drivers Premiership in season 1970-71 with 23 winners. He enjoyed success aboard Son Of Nancy in the 1970 Mildura Pacing Cup and 1971 A.G. Hunter Cup along with the brilliant filly Annastere who won both the Victorian Derby and Oaks in 1972. Neville was narrowly beaten aboard Monara by Welcome Advice in the 1972 (Brisbane) Inter Dominion Championship after trainer-driver Don Dove was suspended during the series. Neville has enjoyed great success with trotters, the most notable being West Texas Crude, a victim of Ross River Fever when at his prime. These days Neville trains a small but select team which are usually driven by son Clinton, with Neville preferring to sit on the other side of the fence watching the action, however he still retains a drivers licence and has the occasional drive to keep his eye in. Congratulations are extended to Neville on this wonderful achievement. - Len Baker
■ The AFL Commission and CEO Andrew Demetriou will be pleased to see the end of the Adelaide Crows and Kurt Tippett saga as well as the Melbourne FC ‘tanking’ fiasco. It highlights the necessity for The AFL to urgently improve its Audit section. It is obvious in sport as well as in Life there will always be some who put ‘cheating’ and ‘greed’ above ‘decency’ and ‘ethics’. There are precedents of severe penalties by the AFL with guilty member clubs who broke the three ‘golden’ rules of the Salary Cap, Draft and Tanking. It will be difficult for the Commission to gloss over anything but strong reactions to these current investigations. The ‘third party’ player ‘ambassador/PR’ role for club sponsors with the AFL ruling on Chris Judd and Visy seems doomed rightly so, especially with the Crows major sponsor Balfours Pies now a supplier to the Tippett tea-party. All this publicity is not good for our game especially in the two growing states, NSW and Queensland.
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Harry Beitzel www.squidoo.com/harrybeitzel In past weeks even the ‘sleeping giant’, Soccer has awakened with its remodelled Premier League virtually around three imports, Del Pierro (SFL), Emile Heskey (Newcastle Jets), and Shingi Ono (West Sydney Wanderers). The under 8000 paying supporters have boomed to 18 to 20,000. It won’t affect the AFL established southern states but it’s a worry for Gold Coast Suns and GWS Giants. We can no longer rely upon the inherited hatred between the European countries to provide the blot on their game in Australia. Australians and the worldwide audience bet big on our Soccer. The Socceroos are improving as
too is the image of their game. We need to get the message across urgently if you are involved in AFL it is your duty to uphold the standard or get out. - Harry Beitzel
Sulky Snippets back next week ■ Harness racing columnist Len Baker has been in Christchurch for the New Zealand Cup. He returned to Melbourne at the weekend. Len’s regular column returns in next week’s Melbourne Observer. - Editor
Observer Crossword Solution No 26 C O I F F E O R A P A K I S T E T E S A D I S T T N R A T I S H O A P O S C R I M P H R E D E T E R R R E E M E A S U R E W N A L L Y I N N E O S H R I N E E N V S M U D G E I I N U N E A S E N R O D M U R A L O O C E T H R A S H U N O S M O K E R I L E A D V E R S D E E M I N D F U I D E R O O F R A E R E D I S P E N M R U E M B A L M E N B C R O C H E S E R M E S S E S I A X M A N D A R I T L C R A F T I
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