1982
Tongala started to unveil some of its star recruits for the 1982 season, which it had proclaimed as “The Year of the Tongala Blue”.
Among the recruits were Rod Dorwood, a former Maffra star in the Latrobe Valley League who had started working with the State Rivers at Tongala.
Don Wilkinson from Mildura was also working with the State Rivers at the time, at the time a 23-year-old from the Sunraysia league.
Tongala also had secured the signature of Tony Jones, who had kicked 95 goals in the Melbourne A-grade amateur competition in 1981 and was a former Tooborac star.
Tony Witty, ex-Camperdown and Darwin, was about to open a bakery in the town and was another recruit, along with Gavin Egan and strong man Noel Cooney, who had made a big impression in a practice match two weeks earlier.
– Kyabram cricket personality Maurie Varcoe returned to representative ranks when, at the age of 40, he was called in to represent the association at Bendigo Country Week.
The SOS was sent to Varcoe when Tongala’s John Wallis and Fire Brigade’s Jim Harris were forced to withdraw from the squad.
The last time Varcoe had represented the KDCA at a country week carnival was in Melbourne during the 1973-74 season.
Varcoe had also made headlines as caretaker captain of the Tongala team after Gus Wallis had stood down from the role.
1992
Greg Shilling added his name to the honour board at Kyabram Bowls Club when he won the B-grade title for 1991-92.
The headline read, “better things to come” after the first four years of his bowls career had netted two titles.
He beat John Shaw, recognised as the club’s number one pennant bowler, in the final.
– Fire Brigade 17-year-old Ben Langley became one of the KDCA’s youngest century makers when he scored 124 from a four-hour stay at the crease.
He scored his first 100 at a run a ball and shared in a 66-run opening stand with another teenager, Justin Elliott.
Later Langley was involved in a 147 run stand with Jon Varcoe, who scored 56, while another of the seven teenage players in the team, Michael Mott, smashed 24 in a 17-minute stay at the crease.
Just a week later, Kyabram 19-year-old, Brendan Sleeth slammed 106 in the pre-lunch session from just 94 deliveries — chasing the 276 total set by Langley and his team.
Sleeth and Matt McMaster-Smith (who scored 86), guided Kyabram to 7-295.
– Warran Davies was signed by Girgarre Football Club as assistant coach of the Kangaroos, the 24-year-old having played almost 150 games for Kyabram and a member of the last two reserve grade premiership teams.
After representing Victoria in the Teal Cup competition, he played at Merrigum, and was aiming to have an influence on Girgarre in its bid for back-to-back premierships.
2002
Gino Scapin became the undisputed king of Valley View Bowls Club after taking his third title in a five-year period — beating Bill Brewster for the title.
He had won all the lead up games by 15 shots and became only the second Valley View bowler to remain in the hunt for the state singles event.
Russ Jones beat Basil Colman in a closely contested minor grade final.
– Merrigum Football Club kicked off pre-season training under new coach Fred Andronarco and assistant coach Mark Metcalf.
Club president Stewart Mann said there were high hopes for the Bulldogs amid the recruiting of seven new players
– Kyabram golfer Lisa Jean took up a four-year golfing scholarship to Oklahoma State University.
The 20-year-old flew to the United States after deciding not to continue with her Victoria Police Force application, having just completed a three-year scholarship at the Australian Institute of Sport.
Her mother Shirley explained that she was currently off a handicap of two and would be part of the Stillwater University’s college golf team.
– Sixteen-year-old swimmer Amy Young won the state titles in the 200 metre breaststroke and finished a touch away from taking the 100 metre title at the national championships in Sydney.
She also qualified to compete in the nationals event, in the 50 metre breaststroke, two months later.
The gold and silver medal performances were both personal best times for the Kyabram Secondary College Year 11 student, finishing six seconds ahead of her nearest rival in the 200 metre event in a time of 2:50:17.
– Kyabram’s Russell Locke created history when he won the Goulburn Valley Bowls Association singles championship.
He became the first ever winner of the GV title from Kyabram Bowls Club, the 26-year-old Kyabram baker, taking the title just four years into his career.
A former tennis coach, Locke turned his hand to lawn bowls after damaging ligaments in his shoulder.
2012
Peter Raglus named his best cricketers of the Kyabram District Cricket Association from the last 30 years when quizzed by Gus Underwood.
Lawrie Casey and Brad Campbell were the openers, Paul Newman was at number three, while Rohan Larkin and John Hill were the other specialist batsmen.
Wayne “Doc” Thomas was the wicket keeper, David Newman and Brad Mueller the all-rounders, while the bowling attack was Greg Pearse, Peter Watt, Bob Ferguson (the captain) and Paul Ranson.
Raglus, himself a champion, took 8-50 from 16 overs in a Melbourne Country Week Division one final against Albury-Border at the Carlton ground in the late 1980s.
At the time, a 54-year-old Raglus was still playing the odd A-grade game for Rushworth Cricket Club.
– Patrick Ryan filled in for a Masters Cricket Team several years before he decided to put together a team of his own.
While having no brothers (only five sisters), he decided to take a deep dive into the family tree to form his own team.
The Ryans Relations cricket team was born of that idea and five cricket carnivals later they were going strong — winning four of those events. There were a total of 76 Ryan family members attending the Cobram carnival where the below photograph was taken.
– New Kyabram Football Netball Club president John Bacon wasn’t planning on becoming the top man at the annual general meeting.
The former Kyabram and Lancaster player, whose son Ryley was a promising player, said an exodus of senior list players would make the on-field work difficult, but he was ready for the challenge.
Max McKenzie had stepped up to take on the secretary role from Penny Newman, Nick Curnow was the new treasurer and former president Peter Croxford was back as vice-president.