After a wait of more than 1000 days, the Heathcote District Football League has finally crowned a new premier with Lockington-Bamawm United writing its name into the history books after a hard-fought 20-point win over Mount Pleasant.
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LBU players and fans alike were overjoyed when the final siren sounded at Strauch Reserve on Saturday, September 3.
For star ruckman Tyler Phillips, his first senior football flag caps off a stellar two seasons that saw him earn back-to-back league best-and-fairests.
The win is a deserved reward for the Cats, capping off two years of domination that saw them finish on top of the ladder in 2021 and 2022, losing just two games over that span.
“What more could you ask for,” Cats coach Brodie Collins said on the field after the game.
Jarod Bacon was the star down forward for the Cats, putting in a performance that earned him player-of-the-match honours as he booted five majors on the day.
Queen’s Rochester visit
The death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8 brought back memories for some of Rochester’s oldest residents of her first Australian visit, which included a whistle stop at the Rochester Railway Station in 1954.
A smile immediately comes to the face of 94-year-old Marj Sharp when quizzed about the day she had a “brush with royalty’’.
Marj, who has lived in Rochester for 90 years, was given a front row seat to Queen Elizabeth’s visit to Rochester — a 15-minute stopover at the railway station — on Friday, March 5, 1954.
She was nine months pregnant with her third child, Judith, and due to her sister-in-law being a member of the Rochester committee organising the salute to Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh (Prince Philip) she was allowed to sit with the aged and infirm.
Queen Elizabeth was born just two years before Marj and had ascended to the thrown only two years before her visit to Rochester.
In total she reigned for 70 years and 214 days, the second-longest recorded of any monarch of a sovereign country.
Marj had seven children in total, five daughters and two sons, and followed the Queen’s pregnancies closely through the years — Prince Charles (born in 1948), Princess Ann (1950), Prince Andrew (1960) and Prince Edward (1964).
Queen Elizabeth was accompanied to Rochester by her husband of — to that point — seven years (Prince Philip). He died in April last year after 73 years of marriage to the queen.
Ash Watson new Tigers coach
Ashley Watson has been appointed senior coach of the Rochester Football Netball Club for season 2023.
Watson, who has been an assistant coach to Steve Stroobants for the past three years, is a former champion of the club and will have a focus on developing the club’s youth.
He, Nathan Ralston and Steve Rasmussen have all worked in assistant coaching roles with the club this season.
Rochester had five debutantes at senior level this season and has a bright future in the Goulburn Valley if the likes of Mitch Cricelli, Nathan Kay Charlie Ward and Declan Pearse can maintain their trajectory.
Watson said the decision by Stroobants to quit his coaching role was on the back of family commitments.
Stroobants has seen the club through two seasons of COVID-19 interruptions.
Watson said it had been a tough job for Stroobants, but he was hopeful of retaining the goalkicking star’s services as a player.
Watson, the 2015 Goulburn Valley league best and fairest, retired from the playing arena in 2019.
The 38-year-old father of four played more than 200 games for the Tigers and won five club best and fairest awards.
Todd Woodfine was soon after named coach of the club’s Under-18 team.
New Campaspe CEO
Campaspe Shire Council announced the appointment of Pauline Gordon as chief executive officer on September 12 following an extensive recruitment process.
Then-Mayor Chrissy Weller said council was delighted to confirm the appointment for the highly sought-after position and was looking forward to working with Ms Gordon.
“Ms Gordon brings a wealth of experience from working across a number of regional and rural communities, including the Loddon-Campaspe region for nearly 20 years,” Cr Weller said.
“Ms Gordon has an extensive background in applied social science and a particular passion for community and cultural development and engagement, economic development and tourism.
“She brings to our organisation more than 25 years local government leadership experience gained in a variety of senior roles in Victorian and Queensland councils.
“Currently Ms Gordon is the director community strengthening with Mornington Peninsula Shire and has worked in director roles with the City of Greater Bendigo, Nillumbik Shire Council, Gympie Regional Council and Sunshine Coast Council.”
While acting in the CEO role on many occasions, the appointment at Campaspe Shire will be Ms Gordon’s first permanent CEO role.
Netball stars win league awards
Annie Hughes and Ava Cottam were the toast of Rochester Football Netball Club when they secured Goulburn Valley Football Netball League best and fairest awards at the league’s night of nights, at Tatura Park, last week.
Cottam won the club’s first ever Carol Ryan Medal, for the best and fairest player in the league’s 17 and under netball competition, while Hughes was the Sandra Cox Medallist (for the best player in the B-grade netball competition).
Cottam’s win followed on from the 2011 league best and fairest award of her mother, Leah, who was the club’s last Sandra Cox medallist before last week’s count.
Hughes and Cottam’s recognition came amid the A-grade MVP win of Teal Hocking, the league’s service recognition of John Newman and the Under-16 MVP win of Nate Rasmussen.
Ash Flanagan was also runner-up in the Gaye Eaton Medal, for the B-Reserve competition.
Seymour’s Ben Rigoni and Shepparton United’s Jessie Barnes were recognised as the Morrison and Wellman Family medallists for 2022.
Rigoni polled 22 votes to finish one clear of Kyabram’s Kaine Herbert, while Zac Keogh rounded out the top three on 18.
Despite winning 16 of 18 matches, Echuca’s top vote-getter Sam Willoughby finished in a four-way tie for fourth on 17 votes.
The four-way tie also featured Rochester ace Shaun Atley, in his first season back with the Tigers following a 234-game AFL career at North Melbourne.
Campaspe News