Plays of the Past

By Rohan Aldous

Apr 22, 2024

Hand-ball: In 2002, Bill Solly (right) stepped down as president as president of Kyabram Football Netball Club, having over the role to Maurie Finn.

2009

Maurie Finn accepted the handball of former Kyabram Football Netball Club president Bill Solly to take the top job at the club.

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Solly was staying on as treasurer, with vice president Tony Andison, who was a former star of the Bombers.

The Bombers had started the season well, with three wins and a loss in the first month of competition, sitting fourth on the ladder after Ian Boyd was best on ground and ruckman David Lucas was a star in a win against Shepparton United.

Tongala had also started the season well, coming off a 13-point win against Mansfield after Brad Campbell and Adam Brunt were the best players and Travis Johnstone added support in the round three contest.

Shield winners: In 2009, Valley View golfers Marlene Topp, Fay Gollan and Helen Emery collected 107 points to win the Joyce Broadbent Shield.

• Valley View claimed the Joyce Broadbent Shield after the team of Helen Emergy, Fay Gollan and Marlene Topp combined to score 107 points.

Another Valley View golfer, Alyson Slimmon, won A Reserve and Gai Johnston (from Merrigum) was runner-up, while Marie Watt picked up the B Division title with Marg Smerdon and Anne Probert next best.

Eileen Sullivan won C grade at the annual event.

• Andrew Reid kicked five goals and Tongala was sitting third on the Murray league football ladder after a 10-point win against Moama.

Adam Brunt was best on ground and Jordan Souter was also a major contributor to the result.

Jason Norman kicked nine goals for Stanhope and Matt Evans was near best on ground in the 57-point win which had the team sitting second on the ladder.

Lancaster allowed Girgarre to kick just two goals for the game in a 94-point win for the Wombats, Troy Mitchell kicking five goals and Corey Carver best on ground in the win.

Kyabram was sitting fourth on the ladder after three games, losing the latest match to top team Tatura by 17 points after Paul Newman kicked three of five goals in a low scoring affair.

Standing tall: Sara Pettifer was a star on the rise in basketball after scoring heavily for her Echuca representative team at the state championships.

1999

Talented 13-year-old Kyabram basketballer Sara Pettifer was a star in the Victorian Country Basketball finals.

Playing with the Echuca Pirates Under 14 team she averaged 16 points in the championships and alongside her netball achievements was a rising star of sport in the region.

Her family had just moved from Kyabram to Rochester for business reasons.

• Five Kyabram and district footballers were past of the Goulburn Valley Schoolboys football team that finished runner-up in the state final.

Girgarre’s Jarrod Woolmer, Kyabram’s Josh Vick, Damien Wearden and Mark Ciavarella and Stanhope’s Matt Sheers were all part of the team that lost by just seven points to Ovens and Murray.

GV schoolboys: Jarrod Woolmer, Josh Vick, Matt Sheers, Damien Wearden and Mark Ciavarella in their Goulburn Valley schoolboys gear after finishing runner-up in the state championships in 1999.

1989

In 1989, Phil Tucker was making headlines in the early rounds of the Kyabram district league season, kicking 10 goals in the opening round of the season for Girgarre in a 132-point win against Nagambie.

Tucker had been recruited as assistant coach of the team from Kyabram and alongside another recruit, Ash Vick, were keys to the result.

Jeff Turpin, Wayne Delidio, ruckman Peter Myers (five goals) and Russ Morgan (three goals) were other stars.

Lancaster lost a thriller to Avenel by five points, with Gavin Napier and Trevor Goode its major goalkickers and Jon Varcoe its best player — alongside Steve Sharp and Cliff Warren.

Merrigum was beaten by 40 points by Undera, first gamer Troy Hodkinson doing well alongside Kevin Fitzsimmons and Peter Guy.

1979

Round two of Kyabram district league football saw wins to Lancaster and Merrigum, while Girgarre was beaten by reigning premier Avenel.

Lancaster ruckman Keith Argus and ruck rover Bob Ferguson were their team’s best players in a 22 point win against Murchison. Peter Edwards kicked three goals, while rover Kevin Bell and key forward Col Thompson also kicked three majors.

Merrigum coach Daryl Higgins kicked four goals and Barry Taylor was a star in the centre, supported by four goals from Des Green. Ruckman Seve Cortese was best on ground and Geoff Mulcahy was a star on a wing.

In Girgarre’s 53-point loss coach David Marshall was the Kangaroos’ best player and Rob Betson kicked two goals. John Wheelhouse and Bob Bertoli also rated a mention.

Wyuna tennis champs: Section one runners-up in Kyabram junior tennis in 1979 are, from left: K. Cahill, J. Cahill, L. Elliot, K. Fanning, P. Keating, D. Connally, D. Rathbone and S. Rathbone.

• Kyabram Club Club A grade captain Bob Ferguson led his team to a third successive Kyabram association premiership and for the second successive year won both the batting and bowling honours for his team.

In the final two matches he took 17 wickets.

All-round champion: Triple Kyabram cricket premiership captain Bob Ferguson picked up both the batting and bowling awards for his team and was also dominant during the finals.

• Four weeks into the 1979 Goulburn Valley league season Kyabram was sitting in fifth position with a 2-2 win/loss record.

They beat Shepparton United by 18 points on the back of five goals from centre half forward Peter Varcoe and two from Peter Warburton.

Len Cooper had 29 kicks for the day and Bombers captain coach Rob Egan played at both ends of the ground to finish among his team’s best.

Tongala was sitting third on the ladder after winning a third game against Euroa, with Paul Briggs and Gus Wallis kicking five goals in the 46-point win.

Full back Daryl Reid was best on ground in the win, while coach Des Campbell and Mick Souter (three goals) were other stars.