Stanhope lost one of its most talented sportsmen of the modern era and a town stalwart with the death of Ian Haw on April 13, just a few days before his 68th birthday.
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Gus Underwood pays tribute to the man affectionately known as ‘'Hawry” or simply ‘'H''.
Ian Haw was a top cricketer and handy footballer for the town of which he was so proud.
In his long innings with Stanhope Cricket Club he became just as famous for how he gripped the ball to bowl his damaging off-spinners as for his bags of wickets.
The index finger of his right hand was arched in a semi circle to gain the major grip on the ball before delivery.
But the unlikely grip and the ability to bowl accurately made him a prolific wicket-taker for many years at the top level in the days of Kyabram District Cricket Association when it was one of the strongest competitions in country Victoria.
Hawry is the greatest wicket-taker in Stanhope Cricket Club’s 100-year history, boasting an amazing 814 victims in A-grade.
Many of his victims were claimed with a delivery he sent down when he was a stride behind the bowling crease, which deceived a lot of talented batsmen — and plenty of ordinary ones.
His career with Stanhope started as a 14-year-old and ended as a 51-year-old after the 2004-05 season. He played all his cricket in the former Kyabram District Cricket Association, which he represented in his early days in the sport.
During his lengthy career Hawry captured five wickets or more in an innings on 43 occasions. His most lethal bowling performance was a stunning 8-34.
Another cricket club record he boasts is the most games played.
In almost four decades as a player he racked up 375 club games — that’s a lot of Saturdays.
A life member of Stanhope Cricket Club, he was a member of drought-breaking premiership wins for the club in 2000-01 and 2002-03 under former Victorian cricketer Rohan Larkin.
These wins were extra special for Hawry, as his talented cricketing sons, Leigh and Robbie, were also in that triumphant team.
He also played in A-reserve grade sides that won successive flags in 1992-93 and 1993-94.
As a batsman coming in well down the list he often frustrated bowlers with his ability to stick around.
A life member of the club, Hawry also held the record for longest-serving treasurer — a staggering 40 years in the role.
His contribution to the club on and off the field over such a long period was so massive that when the club built a new pavilion in the 1990s it was named after him.
And his love for the game, town and local sporting reserve carried over after his days as a player. He took on the role of vice-chairman of the recreation reserve (the Gillie Cochrane Oval) management committee under Gavin Poole.
Poole said Hawry’s role of groundsman of the reserve was a position he undertook with ‘‘great passion and immense pride’’.
‘‘He did his best all the time to have the ground in tip-top order, whether it was for cricket or football,’’ Poole said.
Hawry did not have a long career with Stanhope Football Club — injury forcing an early retirement when in his early 20s.
He played for three seasons in the thirds in the late 1960s before advancing to the seconds (reserves) and then into the senior side in 1972 where he played for a couple of seasons before retirement.
In one game at Kyabram in 1972, sporting the number 15 jumper, he proved unstoppable at the goal-front bagging a match-winning 10 goals to spearhead an upset win over the Bombers.
The scores were actually locked together at the final siren, but when the goal umpires checked Stanhope had won by a point.
Coach of Stanhope at the time Noel Langley said Hawry’s "big go" as a footballer was to wait until the last second in a marking duel and then ‘‘edge out his rivals with a twist of his big bum’’.
‘‘He was also a fine kick and a very coachable player who would do anything for his club and the town,’’ Langley said.
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