1975
Champion Girgarre forward Kelly Hewitt showed that not all goal-kickers are without handball skills when he became the toast of the region at the Goulburn Valley handball competition.
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He and teammate Richard Johnson took the Kangaroos into the semi-final of the competition, scoring 62 points each in their match against Lancaster’s Joe White and Maurie Boswell - winning by one point.
The competition involved players form the Kyabram District League, the Picola league, Tungamah, Murray and Goulburn Valley leagues.
⋅ Kyabram High School student Wendy Parker was selected in the Victorian schoolgirls Under 16 hockey squad.
She had been playing with Kyabram’s senior team since she was 14-years-old, and was a member of a Shepparton Hockey Association schoolgirls team in 1974.
She was only the second player ever to win state selection from the Kyabram club, the other being Marilyn Tonkin (née Hatch), who continued to be a star for the team.
Other players performing at a high level were goalie Shirley Ridge and Barbara Carver, who was a regular goalscorer alongside Rae Holcombe, Heather Ireland and Christine Hindson.
⋅ Squash was a major part of the mid-week sporting landscape in Kyabram and the champions for the 1975 season included a women’s competition and involvement in the Goulburn Valley Squash Group competition.
Not only did a Kyabram team win the B-grade premiership (Ian Bickley, Ian Mannison, Phillip Tucker and Gary Baker), but the women’s team of Jan McHale, Jean Crawford, Ben Woods and Pat Wooller were runners-up in the women’s competition.
⋅ Kyabram’s “Flying” Fred Sutherland was chosen to represent Victoria in a Modified Saloon event in South Australia.
He had developed a reputation for having the fastest six cylinder saloon in Victoria, having competed successfully against some of the best V8 cars and drivers in the state.
Driving his white XU-1 Torana, which had been constantly improved by Austin Irwin and Ken Wilson, he was regularly reaching speeds of 200kmph in the straights of the course at Bendigo.
1985
Two Kyabram Netball Association players were selected in The Sun All Stars team after the state country titles on the Queen’s Birthday.
Sharon Fitzsimmons and Dianne Hanslow were selected in the squad, the latter for the fourth time.
It was just one of two major coups for Kyabram netball during the country titles.
The Kyabram Gold team, coached by Ian Morgan, beat the Kyabram Green side 18-8 to prove itself the best Under 16 netball team in country Victoria.
The team included Chrissy Bewer, Erina Boyle, Moira Turnour, Samantha Lamberton (captain), Loretta Guinan, Kerrie Saunders, Natalie Elliott, Ian Morgan (coach), Nandy Saunders (manager), Jodie Weller and Rosalie Connally (umpire).
Kyabram had six teams involved in the titles, other teams led into the titles by Dianne Croft, Jenny Hawker, Val McKenzie and Margaret Cox.
⋅ A final round 74 by 19-year-old Fred Andrews saw him claim his first Valley View Golf Club championship.
He won by seven shots in the end from reigning champ Phil Downie, who could only manage a final round of 80. Another teenager, 17-year-old Warren Ramage, had a final round of 94 to win the B grade title from Les Hall.
Ed Tonkin won C grade ahead of Greg Emmett, while other winners at the event were Ross Pritchard (80-15-65) and John Pyke.
⋅ Kyabram Senior Netball Association teams were expected to feature prominently again at the State Country Championship event.
Jenny Hawker was coaching the Kyabram Open team, having tasted success in 1971 and 1973. Within her ranks were Julie Morgan and Ninette Greco, along with All Star players Sharon McHale, Leanne Berner and Di Hanslow.
Michelle Cussen, a rising star, was making her debut and Chris Elborough was also returning.
Val McKenzie was coaching the other open team, with 16-year-old Loretta Gardiner in her ranks, alongside Peggy Smart, Lyn Dobbin (captain) and Meredith Howard.
Leanne Ford was coaching the Under 18 team, with Allison Crilly her star defender and Merilyn Toms also in the squad.
2005
Albion Motors delivered more good news for Kyabram Football Netball Club when it announced its support of the Toyota Good for Footy program.
The club had benefited considerably through the financial windfall delivered on the back of Brett Deledio’s selection at number one in the national draft and his meteoric rise in the Richmond ranks.
Albion Motors principal, Richard Isaac, worked with Les Dillon from the Bombers to co-ordinate the program. There were suburban, regional and rural Toyota dealers from across the state contributing to the $250,000 program.
⋅ Twenty three sporting stars were nominated in the first batch of the Banksia Financial Group’s Sportstar of the Year awards for 2005-06.
Swimmer Eusha Fiddes, regular nominee and star shooter Steve Atkins, small bore rifle star Shaun Peirce, footballing quartet Paul Newman, Chris Atkins, Linc Wellington and Andrew Reid and golfer David Cartwright were also among the nominees.
Indoor bias bowlers Dennis George from Stanhope and Rushworth’s Jean Sprague gained a nomination, while squash players Peter Watt, Tracy Watt, Brad Busch and Laura Baressi were also on the list.
Kyabram Free Press and Campaspe Valley News editor