1970
Kyvalley dairy farmer Bill Thompson was competing in the Australian Yvonne Championships (for those unsure, an Yvonne is a boat with a fibreglass hulls and wooden deck, aluminium wing section mast and a set of rudders).
A member of the Waranga Boat Club, he was sailing his yacht Fran in the titles. Geoff Price from Tongala was crewing for Bill.
– Stanhope cricket champion Alan McGrath was captain of the 13-member Kyabram District Cricket Association Bendigo Country Week squad.
Maurie Varcoe was vice-captain and the remaining members of the squad were Gary (Gus) Underwood, Barry Callow, Bob McConchie, Max Hazelman, Mac Harkness, Haig Poulson, Trevor Stone, Lindsay Wickham, David Collins, Barry Linford and Graham Lucas.
A year earlier Kyabram had competed in the A-grade section of the country week tournament, but hadn’t won a game and was this year playing in B-grade.
1980
– Cooma opener Tony Kilmartin was sharing the lead in the Security Permanent Kyabram Cricketer of the Year award.
Both had 379 points, only eight ahead of Kyabram skipper Bob Ferguson and 13 ahead of fast bowler John Lilford.
Chris Hunter was streets ahead in A-reserve, with 507 points, ahead of Girgarre veteran Maurie Varcoe and Wyuna all rounder Noel Cox.
Ted Campbell was leading the B-grade award with a massive 676 points, almost 200 clear of his nearest rival.
– Kyabram’s junior country week cricketers experienced their most disastrous Shepparton Country Week series, failing to win any of their six games in either of the two divisions.
Gavin Napier and Brian Kilmartin did their bit for the A-grade team, while Ron Abraham was also worthy of mention.
In B-grade Troy McCormick scored a half century, which was a highlight.
1990
Kyabram District Cricket Association won the C-grade Goulburn Murray Country Week title after beating Echuca in the final at Shepparton.
After the success of the A-grade team in 1989, it was the C-grade team’s turn in 1990.
Travis Hocking was a star for the team in the final and Haig Varcoe top scored with 48. They had support from Chris Miller (3-41) and Varcoe also contributed with the ball, taking 3-21.
Team manager was Graham Chalker and other good performers were Steve Ryan, Tim Hancock and Jayson Sleeth.
– Girgarre Football Club was in disarray after it was unable to find a president, secretary or committee.
Despite playing off for the flag in 1989, two failed attempts to hold an annual meeting had led retiring club president John Roberts to describe the situation as critical.
Coaches had been lined up for the coming season, but with he and secretary Craig Sharp stepping down, there was little interest from new blood.
At Stanhope former Tongala star Jodie Canavan had been given the job of filling Neil “Possum” Warnett’s boots and 200 game GVL star Vic Morris had been named as assistant to Steve Sharp at Lancaster.
Merrigum had also just announced former star player Col Robinson as its assistant coach for 1990.
– Kyabram tennis players gave the Goulburn Valley its only two wins in the Victorian Country Inter-Regional Tennis Championships.
Left hander Damien Morvell was in both winning combinations, taking the mixed doubles title with Stanhope’s Kisty Macknamara and the 18 and under boys title with Dean Fanning.
Fanning was runner-up in the singles.
– Former Melbourne Tigers basketballer Matt Miller had relocated to Kyabram to work as a doctor at Kyabram Veterinary Clinic.
He played with the Tigers in the NBL in 1987-88 and had been in talks with the Goulburn Valley giants about continuing to play in the region.
Miller had played alongside champion Tiger Andrew Gaze at the Tigers, who were coached by Lindsay Gaze.
2000
The man once known throughout the Goulburn Valley as “The Golden Greek”, George Traianidis, took over as coach of Girgarre Football Club.
The super fit 37-year-old brought with him an air of expectancy as Stuart Joyce from Kyabram and Congupna joined the team as assistant coach.
Traianidis was bringing former Shepparton East goalkicking great Rocky Costa with him as chairman of selectors.
With eight GVL jumpers under his belt and five premierships with Shepparton United, along with a drought breaking title at Undera, Traianidis was expected to list the club’s spirits.
– New Tongala coach Brendan Parker was setting a high standard for his players in the pre-season.
Parker had introduced a regiment of 400 metre, one and five kilometre running drills to the season, along with a new gymnasium program.
Scott Eaton was the reserve grade coach and Billy Campbell took charge of the under-18 team.
2010
Kyabram clinched the 2010-11 Kyabram District Cricket Association Twenty20 title after beating Girgarre, with a crowd of 300 people watching the match.
Girgarre was skittled for 57 in just 10 overs, with Jackson McLay and man of the match Tom Roberts taking seven wickets between them.
Rochester import and opener Brad Major, who scored 31 in Girgarre’s semi-final win, was out for three. Captain Wayne Cowley managed only five.
Kyabram cruised to the win, with only Sam Nelson dismissed. Jason Parsons scored 22 from 28 and Chris Armstrong was the other not out batsman.
In the Twenty20 competition clubs have the option to play up to four players from an outside (non-KDCA) club to create further interest in the competition.
– Kyabram teenager Stephen Stagg was about to leave Australia for a three-week tour of Holland, France and England.
Considering the 15-year-old had only started playing 12 months earlier it was a heady ride to the international stage.
He had games in Amsterdam , Paris and England with former Kyabram player Brenton Bekirofski and Toolamba’s Matt Brown.