Rhys was a member of the Southport side which made the VFL grand final last year. He played at full back and was named as one of Southport’s best players in its loss to Melbourne Casey.
Rhys will still be based on the Gold Coast where he works a personal fitness trainer, but has been earmarked to play eight to 10 games with the Bombers as a fly-in player.
Bombers coach Paul Newman said the club would select the games carefully the Bombers would use Rhys in and said his club was stoked about his return to the club where he started his football career.
‘‘He’ll be huge for us,’’ Newman said.
Rhys played in David Williams’ drought-breaking Kyabram premiership side of 2013 and was in the Paul Newman flag winning sides of 2016 and 2017.
Southport Football Club’s General Manager of Football Jarrod Field said his club was sad to see Rhys go.
“He was a fantastic servant of this football club, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavours,” Field said.
Clark played 66 games for Southport after arriving from Kyabram in 2018.
He played in the club’s 2018 premiership side when it was in the North Eastern Australia Football League.
Last season was arguably Clark’s best season at Southport as he finished fourth in the Sharks’ best and fairest.
The key defender was also awarded the most dedicated player for season 2022.
Big Bush Bash crowd
Despite the rain delays which allowed only the one game to be played, cricket was the big winner at the Kyabram recreation reserve last Sunday.
The GV Bush Bash clash between Hurley Hotel Hounds and the reigning premier Mud Dogs couldn’t have been scripted any better than what transpired with the game going down to the last ball.
Fittingly for the locals the local side won and it now get the chance to avenge two losses in the only two finals played so far in the fledgling Cricket Shepparton-run competition, which has been well received by cricket fans in the area.
The added bonus in the Hounds’ win for local cricket fans was the match-winning innings from Kyabram Brigade’s Paul Newman who is boasting an average of 204 in this series, being dismissed only once in three trips to the batting crease.
The Brenton Sheppard Hurley Hounds franchise is now looking for spectator support for the final against the Shepparton-based Jarvis Delehay Crushers at Shepparton’s Deakin Reserve on Sunday, February 19.
Brenton is considering hiring a supporters bus making the trip to support his Hounds.
Rigoni’s Coburg contract
Reigning Morrison Medallist Ben Rigoni has been offered a contract with VFL side Coburg for the coming season.
The Seymour midfielder has had an association with the VFL club since his days playing for the Calder Cannons in the elite junior NAB League and has played in practice games with the club in recent years.
Rigoni will still be tied to the GVL Lions and will play with them when not required by Coburg.
One of Seymour’s most promising junior players is also Coburg bound this season.
Nick Quigg, who impressed with the Murray Bushrangers last year but missed being drafted
is also making an impression in pre-season training with Coburg.
Memories of George Nelson
The recent passing of George Nelson at the Rumbalara Elders facility in Shepparton revived memories of a fine sportsman in his youth.
George, who was in his 80s was a successful professional footrunner in his day who had victories at Stawell, Bendigo and Maryborough and Yarroweyah Gift meetings.
But his main claim to fame was that he was the trainer of fellow Echucaite Noel Hussey when he won the 1964 Stawell Gift.
A former long-serving sports editor at the Shepparton News who resides in Toowoomba these days, Noel recalled at the weekend having a match race with George at Bendigo on the Thursday prior to the Stawell Gift to see whether he would tackle the Gift or not.
It’s history now that Noel was impressive in the trial and then went onto win the Stawell Gift much to the delight of some punters who got up to 30/1 about his chances in the early markets.
Euroa joins women’s league
The growth of female Australian Rules Football is continuing in northern Victoria with Euroa the latest Goulburn Valley League Club to announce it is entering a team in the Northern Country Women’s League Youth Girls Under-14 competition this season.
It will take part in a preseason Under-14 competition before the season begins in April.
Euroa has had girls teams in the past and fielded teams in the Shepparton District Junior League competition in 2017-18.
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