The fact they didn’t have a side in the 2008 under 17s AAMI Country Championships and do not have a representative at state under 18s level this year is worrying.

They are struggling to find talent to follow in the footsteps of homegrown talent like Matthew Slade, Yves Sibenaler, Nathan Steinberner and Daniel Havelberg.

It must be a real concern for the management of the Central District Football Club.

Milestone match

Scott Burns, who played his junior football with Barossa District and Birdwood, reached his 250th game on Saturday with AFL side Collingwood.

The son of Barossa District 1980s premiership coach Michael Burns, Scott is also the 2008 captain of Collingwood, the side you either love or hate.

Recruited from Norwood in the SANFL, he also played district A grade cricket with the late David Hookes as a wicketkeeper at East Torrens.

Not a bad effort for someone collected at selection 90 in the 1992 AFL national draft.

King Kennedy

Former state junior and potentially the best key forward in the BL&G competition in the last decade, Alex “the Great” Kennedy had a big day at the office for Tanunda last Saturday.

In the Magpies’ emphatic win against Willaston, Kennedy booted 13 goals.

That follows his magnificent 20-goal haul in a trial game at the start of the season.

At his current rate he may become the competition’s first goal kicking centurion since Tanunda’s star of the late 1990s Ian Trimboli.

Interestingly, since World War II, the only players who have kicked 100 goals in the B&L and then the amalgamated BL&G competition have come from the Magpies.

Big James Schrapel back in 1973, ruckman-turned-forward Tony Greening in 1985, John Falting in 1989 and Trimboli in 1997 and 1998.

Keeping fit

Talented state under 19s, Northern Jets and hopefully soon SACA state squad cricketer Isaiah Borgas has found an interesting way to keep himself fit during the winter months.

A former Tanunda hockey player, Borgas has decided to keep up his fitness by joining the BL&G umpiring fraternity and becoming a boundary umpire this season.

“Isaiah doesn’t train that often because of his university commitments,” BL&G umpires coach Peter Dunstan explained.

“But I saw him at the Tanunda-Willaston game and he is a tremendous athlete and a good boundary umpire.”

Pitty tribute

A tribute ball for BL&G footballing icon Mark Pitman is to be held on Saturday, May 31 at the Kapunda Institute.

It is a 7.30pm start and tickets are $15 but won’t be available at the door. They are available from Kim McGrath, Corey Ryan, David Leslie, Penny Ryan, Tab Mackenzie and Stacey Burgess, or from the Kapunda clubrooms.

The night will be a fundraiser with all profits going to the Hana and Paige Trust Fund (his daughters).

Several items will be auctioned including signed Crows, St Kilda and Central Districts’ guernseys and also a signed Steve Waugh shirt along with a few other smaller items.

There will be a band and DJ and all bar facilities.

Hurn injuries

Sister and brother Ashton and Shannon Hurn have received strikingly similar injuries.

Shannon suffered a stress fracture in a leg while playing for the West Coast Eagles.

Ashton, after coming back from the national under 17s netball championships in Perth and playing a couple of state league netball matches for SASI, also has stress fractures in a leg.

“It is a bit odd that both of them have gone down with the same problem at the same time,” their father William said.

“Both are very frustrated, because they can’t do a lot of training and are losing fitness.

“Ashton is expected to be out for another six weeks, while Shannon is about seven.”

State selection

Two former BL&G football juniors Leigh Westhoff and Daniel Havelberg have been selected in the 2008 SANFL state squad.

The SANFL team will play against a Victorian team at Adelaide Oval on Saturday, May 31.

After an indifferent 2007 season where he only played five senior games, Tanunda’s Leigh Westhoff’s form in the opening month and a half of the season with Central District earnt him selection.

Former Willaston junior Daniel Havelberg has also been in impressive form for the Bulldogs and was rewarded with squad selection.

The first training session for the squad will be tonight (Wednesday, May 7) at 6pm at AAMI Stadium.

Lehmann’s party

Darren Lehmann has had success in the Indian Premier League playing for Rajasthan Royals.

Now 38, the former Gawler Central left-hander has a strike rate of 117 and a bowling average of 23.