BRING BACK FRANKIE VERGONA

Remember the days of the local VFA derby? Remember when Ray Shaw marched his Bullants to Coburg in 1982 and 10,000 people turned up after the Sunday roast? Remember when the toothless Mohawk, Mark Jackson, pulled on the boots for Brunswick in 1986 and they sold out of pies at Coburg before half time?

Why put North Ballarat v Geelong on the TV in round five when you could have Coburg against the old enemy Preston, who are playing on the Saturday anyway! I've stepped down as president of Coburg, but I'm sure the new president Dean Mighell isn't happy about a draw that has Coburg out in the cold until round 11 when it takes on Frankston at Coburg. In the year that commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Eureka Rebellion it's a real shame there isn't a TV match between the two goldfield towns, North Ballarat and Bendigo. Unfortunately the two clubs met last Sunday at North Ballarat and have missed a great opportunity to play a Eureka match in the lead up to the commemorations in December.

Two weeks ago Frankston took on the might of the Kangaroo aligned Port Melbourne and were pipped on the post after leading all day at Port. 'This mob's not fair dinkum' was the catch cry of the stand alone Dolphins as they outplayed Port. On eof the highlights was the performance of Shaun Pollard, the 23-year-old from Doveton, who closed down the match winner Sav Rocca. You have to admire the Dolphins. Despite thumbing their nose at an AFL partnership and taking on the VFL over the decision to relocate the Springvale Scorpions to a ground in the City of Casey Operations Manger Bryan Mace angrily says is only nine minutes away, the club is as strong as ever.

This Saturday the Dolphins take on last year's premiers, Williamstown, in the ABC match of the round. Although Brad Gotch's Seagulls will probably have at least a dozen Collingwood players you can bet the Dolphins will be firing when it counts. If young Pollard can do the job on the prolific goal kicker, Marcus Baldwin, the Dolphins will be a real chance. And make no mistake; stand alone clubs add a very special ingredient to the VFL. It's called passion.

Those of you who had a colour TV by the early 80s would remember umpire Frankie Vergona. Lion cloth around the waste, legs shaved and coated in oil and a luxuriant covering of auburn hair that one of my coaches once tried to remove for safe keeping. Frank never cried or threatened legal action when the crowd cried for his blood and I said 'you're a disgrace'. Although he did me wrong at the Tribunal in 1983 I forgave him. Umpires such as Frankie Vergona were a god send. Hasn't the landscape changed?

James Hird makes a national celebrity out of umpire Scott McLaren and he cops a $20,000 fine and has to spend the rest of his playing days drinking mineral water with umpires and telling them how good they are. Here's football, wracked with allegations of sexual assault and Andrew Demetriou and his off-sider would have us believe Saint James Hird has betrayed the nation and joined up with Osama Bin Laden. I though Australians prided themselves on their larrikin spirit. What is it about football? Dean Laidley can roar up young journalists at a press conference for simply asking about Glen Archer's hand and not one AFL official suggests he ought to be more respectful. Grant Thomas is quoted as saying allegations or rape 'will galvanise' the Saints, and a footballer arrives at training on drugs and no one says 'boo'. But criticise an umpire and bingo, 'off with his head.' Sure, Hird shouldn't have used the word 'disgraceful' because it carries connotations. But what if he'd said 'several of his decisions were terrible'? Umpires aside, VFL supporters can soak up the larrikin Anzac spirit on Sunday 25 April in Hobart, Coburg, Sandringham and Port. But don't dare say that Churchill and the British High Command were a disgrace.