The Maitland Saints will field a women’s team in the Black Diamond AFL competition this season.
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The announcement comes after Sydney Swans pair Adam Goodes and Isaac Heeney dropped into Maitland last week as part of the annual AFL community camps.
The Saints women will play Lake Macquarie in their opening match at Max McMahon Oval on May 2.
The men’s draw has also been released, with Maitland at home to Terrigal Avoca on April 11 in both first and second division.
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Eastern Suburbs junior Jayden Park was the 12th man for NSW at Newcastle No.1 Sportsground on Saturday for the Blues’ Sheffield Shield match against Western Australia.
The under-17 NSW representative, a left-arm orthodox spinner now playing with Cardiff Boolaroo, was nominated by the Newcastle and District Cricket Association.
NSW were beaten by seven wickets and now slip to third place on the ladder with frontrunners WA chasing down the 143 required on the fourth and final day.
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Still on cricket and here are some numbers to mull over from AB de Villiers’ sensational World Cup knock against the West Indies on Friday.
De Villiers scored 162 not out from 66 balls with his final 147 made in 51, his last 67 off 16 and final 30 in five.
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Maitland Greyhound Club held their first meeting since the live baiting scandal last week and it was back to business as usual with full fields on the 10-race card.
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Maitland motorsport ace Toby Price went from two wheels to four with the Dakar Rally bronze medallist having a crack at the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide on the weekend.
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Veteran sports broadcaster Mike Rabbitt kept the crowd entertained at Largs on Friday with a few stories from his life and times in the business.
A couple of old bloopers from his career at NBN produced the most laughs for the South Australian native but the 35-year Novocastrian still rates the Newcastle Knights grand final victory celebrations as the highlight.
The lunch-time event was the first of a six-part series at Bushrangers Bar and Brassiere this year raising money for the Hunter Medical Research Institute and it kicked off with $3015.
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“Noel Dent is spot on about the number of teams required on each playing day, he is also on the ball with the mix – first and reserve grades and an under 19 team,” was the comment “Changes Needed” posted on the Mercury website.
It was in response to Pickers coach Noel Dent’s suggestion that a re-structured Newcastle Rugby League competition, with three rather than four matches played on game day, would prevent clubs like Port Stephens folding.
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Still on rugby league and the NRL is edging closer once more with only four days until kick-off.
Former Maitland schoolboys junior Joel Edwards posted this photo with fiance Kate Elizabeth from the Canberra Raiders season launch on Friday.
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Numbers Game: 1 – the number of wickets Western Suburbs fell short of securing outright points against Eastern Suburbs in round 13 of the Maitland and District Cricket Association first grade competition.
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Moment That Mattered: A pair of Hunter trainers, Ellalong’s Michael Formosa and Keinbah’s Shane Tritton, contesting the $750,000 group 1 Inter Dominion grand final at Menangle yesterday.
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Quote: “Three years ago I was sitting in the library listening to two other [Swans] players. I think one was AJ [Alex Johnson] and the other was Birdy [Craig Bird]. I remember thinking wow, imagine if I could do that one day. And now, here I am, with Adam Goodes, what else could you want,” Sydney Swans draft pick Isaac Heeney said when he returned to his old high school in Maitland last week.
