The staging of the annual Limestone Coast Regional Football Carnival at McLaughlin Park on Saturday has been hailed a success with quality play across all seven games and good crowd numbers.
It was the seventh time the Limestone Coast Regional Football Commission had staged such a carnival and the first to be held at Millicent.
Featuring the Western Border, Kowree Naracoorte Tatiara and Mid South Eastern leagues, the 2020 carnival could not be staged on account of COVID-19 protocols.
The format of the day was changed to previous years with all three leagues playing each other in the Under 15 and Under 17 age brackets, while the sole senior contest involved the Western Border and Mid SE and was played over four 20-minute quarters plus time-on.
The playing surface had been expertly prepared by honorary groundsmen Bob Reilly, Brian Duldig and Robert Atkinson and it withstood the rigours of seven hours of constant play.
The upgraded arena lights were appreciated by players, umpires and spectators and were activated at 4.20pm when the senior match was nearing three-quarter time.
The match was live-streamed via social media, while the match day program was accessed online.
The Millicent Lions Club manned the gates, while most of the catering and staging chores were undertaken by members of the Millicent Football and Netball Club.
Regional football director Scott Duncan warmly thanked all who worked towards the success of the day at the reception attended by officials, sponsors and media in the Millie Room during the half-time break in the seniors.
He thanked Wattle Range Council and Millicent Football Netball Club president Joel Redman and his members for their preparations and the other ways they contributed to the success of the carnival.
Duncan noted that Friday had been superb weather-wise, but the Footy Gods had unfortunately delivered a grey day in Millicent on Saturday.
The reception was attended by newly-appointed Murray South East zone coach Adam Merrett who is overseeing the local team in the annual South Australian Country Championships at Moonta next month.
Among those who relished the opportunity to participate in the carnival was one of the senior game field umpires Scott Chuck.
It was the first occasion he had officiated beyond interclub level and his time in football dates back to the 1980s when he played with the now-defunct Tarpeena Canaries Football club.
Onlookers praised Chuck’s umpiring performance in the hard-fought contest along with fellow field umpires Dave Carraill (Western Border) and John Langdon (Kowree Naracoorte Tatiara).
The 2022 South East interleague carnival will be hosted by one of the nine Mid South East clubs.
