Kyabram and district lost one its most talented and fiercely competitive sportsman with the recent passing of Peter Fry.
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Peter etched his way into Kyabram and district cricket history — and folklore — in 1963 when he captained the Kyabram and District Cricket representative side to its first title at Melbourne Country Cricket Week in the B group section of the competition. The triumph was 39 years in the making.
Peter spent most of his cricket playing days in the former Kyabram District Cricket Association with the Cooma Cricket Club.
A highly competitive allrounder, his motto in all sports was ‘‘play to win’’.
In the early 1950s when working in the area he was a member of the Katandra Cricket Club, which won its first A grade flag in the Shepparton Cricket Association in the 1953-54 season.
After that, when moving to take on a dairy farm just up the road from the Cooma cricket ground, Peter was able to display his sporting talents to the people of Kyabram and district in both cricket and football.
He was in Cooma’s first A grade flag in the KDCA in the 1975-6 season. It was a proud moment, as one of his sons, Bill, captained the side and another son, Michael, was also in the line-up.
His contribution to cricket in the area was recognised with life memberships of the Kyabram District Cricket Association and the Cooma Cricket Club.
He was a determined and highly skilled footballer, who played some games early in his career with VFA side Werribee.
When moving to the Goulburn Valley in 1950 he played with Tallygaroopna and Shepparton before finishing his career at Merrigum.
He claimed the Kyabram League’s McNamara Medal when playing for Merrigum in 1955 and was vice-captain of its 1957 team in the club’s golden era.
For his contributions to the club he was awarded a life membership.
Peter’s two sons, Bill and Michael (deceased), carried on the Fry name proudly in sporting arenas after his competitive days were over and both were accomplished footballers and cricketers.
Peter’s funeral in Kyabram last Friday drew a big crowd, which was a reflection of his popularity and the respect in which he was held, despite many of his former teammates in both cricket and football having predeceased him.
Peter Fry just missed his century, being 95 years old, but it was an innings well played and one of which to be proud.
Cash for cricketers
Goulburn Murray cricketers will compete for individual monetary awards this season courtesy of the Moama Bowling Club and the Riverine Herald.
A total of $1000 is up for grabs in a combination of the A grade men’s and women’s competitions.
The women’s competition will be restricted to Echuca, Bamawm Lockington United and Leitchville-Gunbower players.
Players from all A grade men’s teams will be eligible for the men’s award, which will comprise one point for a run, five points for a catch or stumping and 10 points for a wicket.
Cricketer of the Year winner will pocket $500, the runner-up $250, third $125 and fourth $75.
Towners loaded in attack
It will be double trouble for teams tackling Violet Town in the Kyabram District Football League next season.
The Towners have added noted goalkicker Jack Exell to their ranks, already boasting this season’s century goalkicker, Josh Mellington.
Exell played and proved himself a dangerous player with Stanhope in 2017. He is the son of former Geelong player Gavin who booted 100 goals plus with the KDL Lions in 2000, 2001 and 2003.
Towners coach Sean Horsburgh believes Exell will give his side more versatility up forward where it was virtually a Mellington ‘one man band’ this season.
Morris is Echuca’s best
Ruck star Kane Morris has carried off Echuca Football Club’s best and fairest award.
He won the award from utility Sam Willoughby.
Morris missed out being named in the Shepparton News Team of the Year, which caused a lot of debate and prompted Echuca’s co-coach Simon Maddox to declare he was the best ruckman in the competition, which would be hard to disagree with.
Kyabram’s Zac Norris got the ruck job in the News Team of the Year award on the back of a stellar coming-of-age season and in my opinion made some ground on Morris as the league’s premier ruckman.
Angela Slattery claimed the top netball award for the Murray Bombers.
Orien set to star
Murray Football League club Congupna is claiming it has secured a recruit who is expected to turn heads next season.
New coach Kevin O’Donoghue said the player, Orien Kerr, ‘‘will be a star of the competition’’, adding ‘‘I have no doubts about that’’.
Kerr played with Shepparton this season but has experience with Tiwi Bombers in the Northern Territory Football League.
Congupna has reappointed Ash Warren to lead its A grade netballers next season.
Warren dedicated herself to proving herself as a coach, a task that has been interrupted by COVID-19 in the past two years.
Prosecco Boy too tough
Kyabram-trained pacer Prosecco Boy spoilt what would have been a colourful win at last week’s Cobram meeting.
The five-year-old Mark Watson-prepared Betterthancheddar gelding rallied under a lot of urging from concession reinsman Brad Chisholm to nab the Abbey Turnbull-driven Holstein right on the finishing line.
Holstein is a rare pacer in terms of colour, being a skewbald, and was having just his eighth race start and his second this campaign.
Skewbald horses have a combination of white and any other colour — typically brown, chestnut or bay.
Prosecco Boy had been working up to a win, with top-three finishes at his previous three starts, which enticed punters to support him into a $2.70 favourite.
It was his fifth career win and first for this season from 10 tries.
Another Kyabram trainer, Brent Thomson, and Stanhope horseman Gary Pekin have also savoured wins in the past week.
The Pekin-prepared four-year-old Pet Rock gelding Rocks Can Roll got no favours but produced a brave win at the Yarra Valley Melbourne Cup day meeting.
Thomson produced the young trotter Ima Destroyer for an all-the-way win at Sunday’s Maryborough meeting.
Driven by Josh Aiken it was the first win in 21 tries for the three-year-old Im Stately filly, who spread-eagled her rivals, beating the runner-up by over 13 metres.
It was a satisfying win for punters, who sent her out a $2.20 favourite, and also the trainer and his wife, who bred and own the filly.
Sports reporter