Gulls welcome Darwin trio
Some new faces – from Northern Australia – have arrived in Warragul to help boost Warragul Football Club’s on field stocks and experience a different lifestyle.
The Gulls’ reigning best and fairest Nathaniel Paredes, who has played the last two summer seasons in Darwin with St Mary’s Football Club, was the link that has seen 21 year-old Michael Coombes and teenagers Braxton Ah Mat and Carlyle Jensen arrive in Warragul. The three all play at St Mary’s. Michael, or “Micky”, is staying with the Paredes’ family while in Warragul and Braxton and Carlyle are living with the football club’s coaching assistant and junior co-ordinator Warwick Baum and his wife Karen, a vice-president of the Warragul Football Netball Club.
And the trio are getting their hands a bit dirty between football training sessions and match days; Michael working with Somers Carpentry and Braxton and Carlyle at Blackwoods Ready Mix and Garden Supplies.
Michael is an established senior player in the Northern Territory Football League and Braxton, eligible for Under 18s in the recently completed northern season, has also been blooded in the seniors.
Both Carlyle, who turned 18 last month, and Braxton, who’ll be 18 next month, are eligible for the Gulls’ under 18s and has their first tastes of football Warragul-style when they played in the thirds in a big win against Morwell last Friday.
Michael missed out playing because of a slight injury but has declared he’ll be ready to go when Warragul plays its next round on Saturday week.
President Chris Blackwood said the club was delighted to welcome them into the “Gulls’ family” and, if last Wednesday’s training session and games on Friday are a guide, they’ve slotted in happily and smoothly.
Their new team mates are already giving Michael, Braxton and Carlyle plenty of commentary about what they can expect during a typical Gippsland winter.
All that does is bring big smiles to their faces.