Sport

Events fall by the wayside due to ongoing restrictions

By Tyler Maher

Aug 3, 2021

The upcoming weekend was meant to be one of the busiest of the year on the local sporting calendar.

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Beginning with the Greater Shepparton Sports Hall of Fame dinner on Friday night — and rolling through until the Goulburn Valley League Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Sunday night — there was nowhere you could look without seeing a huge event for the sporting community.

But the fifth Victorian lockdown — and the restrictions still hanging over from it — have scuppered most of the proceedings.

The sports hall of fame event will have 26 sporting legends join the hall of fame, honour roll or junior honour roll ranks, but it will not be on the original August 6 date for the induction ceremony.

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A new date is yet to be set, but you can see profiles on all the inductees at sheppnews.com.au/sport after they have appeared in The News over the past month.

Those heading to the GVL Hall of Fame event will be hoping it is third-time lucky for the celebration after its rescheduled date has had to be rescheduled again.

Originally slated for June 6 and postponed to August 8 due to the fourth Victorian lockdown, the fifth coronavirus outbreak in the state has again conspired against the ceremony.

The new date is yet to be set — and could shift to 2022 — but event numbers far exceed current allowable patrons for indoor venues, forcing the extra delay.

Sandwiched in between those two hall of fame events was one of the highlights of the Goulburn Valley Hockey Association calendar.

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Premier League Day was set to make its return to the region on Saturday, pitting Victorian hockey heavyweights Essendon and Altona against each other at the Smurf Turf at McEwen Reserve.

The regional battle between the metropolitan teams creates plenty of excitement in the hockey ranks, especially on the back of the recent hosting of the Junior Country Championships.

It is hoped the event can return to the region next year.

Greater Shepparton Sports Hall of Fame profiles

Third induction ceremony of Greater Shepparton Sports Hall of Fame stars looms large on the horizon

Sports Hall of Fame - Sam Brown

Sports Hall of Fame - Connor Holland

Sports Hall of Fame - Alan Rossignoli

Sports Hall of Fame - Xavier Russell

Sports Hall of Fame - Aiden Blizzard

Sports Hall of Fame - Matt Higgins

Sports Hall of Fame - Dennis and Barry Myers

Sports Hall of Fame - Val Sutherland

Sports Hall of Fame - Tom Spark