Sporting Snaps with Gus Underwood

Even the president of Cricket Shepparton Brandan Reilly admits it’s a good and puzzling question of which he is not sure of the answer.

But Mueller’s feat of making 646 runs with four unbeaten knocks from 10 innings for a better-than-Bradman average of 107.7 would take some beating.

Mueller’s stellar home-and-away season has consisted of two centuries and four half centuries. He made 20 or more in nine of his trips to the wicket, with 15 his lowest score for the season.

Nighttime is right time

Kyabram Football Netball Club has succeeded in gaining a night game in the GVL’s 2023 season fixture.

Reigning premier Echuca has agreed to meet the Bombers under light in the second round of the season on Saturday night, April 15. The senior game will start at 5pm.

The news is sweet music for the club because of the financial benefits. History shows it can make up to three times more than the normal Saturday afternoon gate receipts.

Originally Kyabram had no night games listed due to a league policy that both clubs had to agree so the latest twist is certainly appreciated by Kyabram.

Vale Geoff White

Students at Rushworth High School and district cricketers from the early 1960s will be sorry to learn of the death of Geoff White, who passed away at Mollymook in NSW recently.

In his 86th year, he died after a long illness.

A popular teacher of Art and other subjects, Geoff came to Rushworth during the golden era of cricket in the town when the local club won six A-grade premierships in a row in the Kyabram District Cricket Association. He scored multiple centuries and in the final of his first season, 1961-62, he made 101 in a team score of 385 against Girgarre.

He was a member of three of the six premiership teams, captaining two of these sides.

Surviving teammates from that era include Malcolm McLeod, Graeme Hageman, Wes Risstrom and John O’Donnell, all of whom still live in Rushworth.

Geoff also played football for a couple of seasons when Rushworth was in the Goulburn Valley League, as did the four cricketers named above.

Memory lane

My recent story on the death of Dave Noble, the last living link with Kyabram Football Club’s 1948 premiership side, brought back plenty of memories for former Kyabram and Western Bulldogs (Footscray) footballer Ian ‘Cactus’ Howard.

Ian, who lives in Shepparton these days, recalls as a youngster idealising all Kyabram players at training and matches, and attending games with his parents in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

Ian said the only player in the photo of Kyabram’s 1948 premiership side he couldn’t recall was G. Crisp.

‘‘Jack Mead was one of my favourites,’’ Ian said.

“He worked on my uncle Theo Howard’s orchard in Howard Lane.

‘‘Visiting the orchard on a regular basis with my cousins Graeme and Noel Howard, we would have a kick-to-kick with Jack, paying particular attention to drop kicks.

‘‘Tragically Jack and Noel lost their lives not long after the 1948 premiership win.

“Jack passed away after a medical procedure in 1949 and Noel drowned at Thompson beach, Cobram, in January 1951,’’ Ian went on to say.

No stranger to success

Stanhope’s Tim Hancock has claimed his first Champion of Champions bowls title in the Goulburn Valley Playing Area but there is another sporting feat he achieved that a lot of people may not be aware of.

He is one of the few players to kick 100 goals in the Goulburn Valley thirds Under 18 competition.

Playing for Kyabram in 1993 he booted 103 goals and became only the second Kyabram player to perform the feat.

The first to do it was John Sparks, who booted 116 goals in 1972, the season the Bombers were minor premiers but lost the grand final to Lemnos (Shepparton Swans) 11.19 to 7.11.

In 1993 Kyabram thirds won 16 of their 18 home-and-away rounds and beat Lemnos by 10 goals in the second semi-final only to have that result dramatically reversed in the grand final when Lemnos won by eight goals.

Tall order

Mooroopna Football Club has had another big boost — with emphasis on the big — to its ranks for the coming season.

Gold Coast Sun Academy product William Bella, who stands a towering 198cm, has named the Cats as his home club after a move to Victoria.

But his main agenda is playing with VFL side Coburg.

He joins other Gold Coast Academy players Ethan Hunt and Jack Johnston at Mooroopna.

Return of an icon

Once an iconic event on the Shepparton sporting calendar, the Shepparton Gift is about to make a comeback.

It is to be known as the George Nelson Shepparton Gift after the Yorta Yorta man who recently passed away, and has been set down to be staged on March 18.

George was a talented professional foot runner and athletic coach in his day and coached former Shepparton News sports editor Noel Hussy to win the 1964 Stawell Gift.

The committee reviving the Gift has received a $5000 contribution from Greater Shepparton City Council to restore an athletics track at the Shepparton Gift’s traditional home, the Shepparton Showgrounds.

Former athletic legends are to be recognised at the meeting, which is one of the lead up meetings to the famous Stawell Gift.

Harlen honoured

Don’t forget tonight’s salute to Kyabram Football Club great Bernie Harlen.

Everyone is welcome to attend a get-together at the Wilf Cox Complex from 6pm to honour Bernie’s service to the club over a 15-year period.

Bernie passed away in late October last year.

Leaving it late

Merrigum-trained pacer Keayang Alex was certainly the exception to the rule at last Thursday night’s Echuca meeting.

The Luke Bryant-prepared pacer was one of only two winners on the night who didn’t lead.

The other was Community Art, who raced on the back of the pacemaker Ubetcha.

Having his 50th race start Keayang Alex defied the trend of the meeting, coming from last at the bell and running away from his rivals at the business end of the race.

Grace Bilney partnered Keayang Alex, the pacer who provided Grace with her first win in the sulky when he won at Kilmore in early December last year.

— Kyabram trainer Brent Thomson enjoyed a win at Melton last Saturday night, claiming the Bronze final in the Lyn McPherson Breed For Speed series.

Nathan Jack took the drive on the five-year-old Im Stately mare who proved too tough for her rivals, posting her third career win and a PB 2.01.4 mile rate.