Surf Coast
Friday, 8 February, 2013
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HALF CENTURY OF LIFE SAVING AT ‘BANNY’ - P8 Tiny surfers’ big hopes in groms final VICTORIA’S tiniest pro surfing aspirants will gather at Ocean Grove this weekend for the finals of a new series to develop the sport’s future stars. The last round of the Piping Hot Micro Grom Series will feature competitors in age groups from under-eights to under-12s. Surfing Victoria said the series was part of an Elite Pathway program for talent identification. Surfing Victoria high performance manager Adam Robertson said the series had enjoyed “good turnouts”. “The micro groms events give the kids from under the age of eight the chance to begin surfing in competition for fun and to develop the early competition skills they will use for many years to come,” he said. “It’s great to see the kids enjoying surfing and it’s great for Surfing Victoria to be able to care for all our junior surfers.” The final is scheduled for 7.30am Saturday at Ocean Grove main beach, with surf forecast websites predicting waves around 1m and morning offshore wind.
LITTLE RIPPER: Jan Juc’s Patrick Hughes ripping his home break in the under-10s during the first round of the series. Picture: LIAM ROBERTSON
GFC ‘clean’, says Costa By JOHN VAN KLAVEREN GEELONG Football Club has nothing to fear from a drug investigation engulfing Essendon, according to former Cats president Frank Costa. Mr Costa, who was president when the Cats employed a fitness trainer now embroiled in the investigation, declared Geelong “squeaky clean”. The former Cats trainer, Dean Robinson, is one of two Essendon fitness and conditioning staff at the centre of the AFL and Australian Sports Anti-
Doping Authority investigation into the Bombers. Essendon suspended Robinson after the scandal broke on Wednesday. He was employed at Geelong as strength and rehabilitation manager when Mark Thompson was senior coach, including during the Cats’ breakthrough premiership year of 2007. Thompson left Geelong to work at Essendon in controversial circumstances and brought Robinson to the Bombers. Mr Costa said the Cats’ leadership would have prevented any issues with
performance-enhancing drugs. “I’m not concerned at all,” he said. “The club was strongly run with leaders like Brian Cook and Neil Balme who had a handle on absolutely everything. “The place is squeaky clean and that’s the value of the strength of the leadership provided by Brian and Neil.” Essendon this week said its players unknowingly took substances that could be illegal. The investigation into the use of possibly illegal performance-enhancing
drugs could also spread to Gold Coast, where Robinson and former assistant Steve Dank worked briefly. Rugby league club Manly could also be implicated because Dank worked for the Sydney club for at least two seasons. Players face potential bans of more than two years if found guilty of using performance-enhancing drugs. The investigation revolves around the use of supplements called peptides, some of which are legal and act similarly to human growth hormone, used by disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong.
Geelong released a statement this week pledging to work with the investigation if necessary. “Geelong Football Club can confirm that an individual involved with Essendon Football Club fitness program during the period currently under investigation was also previously employed by Geelong Football Club. “Whilst we have no evidence or information that this individual acted in an improper manner during his employment at the Geelong Football Club, we are ready to cooperate fully with the investigation.”
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