Mayo By-Election

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL (Mawson) (15:38): Thank you, Mr Speaker. I congratulate you on your recent wedding as well. Well done.

The SPEAKER: Thank you.

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: I am a bit sad because the footy season is coming to an end, and I have had a great winter out there at the country footy. Down in Kangaroo Island, there are five clubs, so a population of 4,500 people spread over 4,500 square kilometres sustains five clubs that have three footy teams plus a whole heap of netball teams going out every week.

I think that Kangaroo Island has one of the highest ratios of sport participation anywhere in Australia. It was terrific to be over there on the weekend for the grand finals in the footy and the netball. Well done the Hounds from Kingscote. They were up for three grand finals on Saturday and took out all three. The colts have kids aged between 10 and 16 with some girls and some boys, so there was a fair bit of height disparity in that game. The smaller kids had plenty of ticker, took plenty of good marks and displayed plenty of wonderful skills.

The Colts won the B-grade and the A-grade, both against Western Districts, or Wonks as they are known. Last year, it was Western Districts, who had risen from the bottom of the ladder to take out the premiership in both the A-grade and the B-grade. This time, Kingscote, which had had a long drought in getting premiership flags, took out that honour. It was the first time since 1974—in fact, only the second time in history—that Kingscote won all three games on the one day.

I must also congratulate Dudley United Netball Club, which beat Wisanger in the final of the A-grade netball. Well done to a team that has had a lot of success. They have won 11 of the past 13 A-grade grand finals on Kangaroo Island.

This week, we will turn out for the Great Southern Football League grand finals at Mount Compass. It is going to be a pretty early start with the Junior Colts heading out there at about 9.15am. Willunga is playing in the Junior Colts and also in the Senior Colts. In the B-grade, it is Willunga versus Myponga-Sellicks, so I am going to have split duties. I will probably just have to wear some neutral colours because both of those wonderful teams are in my electorate. I think I am leaning a little bit towards Myponga because they have had a long drought.

Nick Hutchinson, who is the head of Fleurieu Milk and also a very handy footballer, has played 227 games, but until two weeks ago he had never played in a winning final so, to Nick and all the Mudlarks, all the very best for Saturday. Of course, I hope Willunga go very well also. The Demons have been a very successful powerhouse club for many years in the Great Southern Football League.

In the A-grade, what a Cinderella story this is. After three wooden spoons in a row, a new coach has come back home to McLaren and taken over the reins. Gianni Petrucci has taken them from three-time wooden spooners to grand finalists in one year. Two weeks ago, they knocked off Willunga down at Encounter Bay and what a thrilling game that was. Only a couple of points were in it in the end. Last Saturday, they beat Mount Compass to go through to the grand final against Langhorne Creek, so it has been a real lift for the people of McLaren Vale and McLaren Flat, who came together to form the McLaren Eagles a couple of decades ago. Country footy and country netball are tremendous activities that bring people together right around our state each and every weekend during the winter months.

I want to again mention Gianni Petrucci. He left McLaren Eagles and his first coaching role was at the Reynella Wineflies, where he took them to two flags. He went on to Sturt's B-grade and took them to two flags and was then offered the job back down at McLaren to come and coach. He wanted to be around his kids. I have to say that the culture change that has happened in that club this year has been absolutely outstanding. I saw him in the rooms after the win against Willunga two weeks ago. He had his young son on his hip and his daughter holding his hand in the room after the game as he addressed the players.

All that is in stark contrast to what happened in the SANFL over the weekend. The SANFL need to get their act into gear and make sure that never happens again. Like a lot of people, I was delighted to see North get into the grand final after a long drought of premiership success, but you cannot have more than the required 18 people on the field. I think the SANFL need to make some changes to make sure that this never ever happens again. I feel very sorry for the Eagles. They probably deserve to be there up against Norwood on Sunday in the SANFL grand final.