It was a humbling, but much appreciated, experience to be honoured like that.
People who know me well enough will vouch I’m not one who feels comfortable in the limelight, but when you have done the one job for 60 years it’s a bit hard to avoid at times.
Like last Saturday night.
The reason I have been around so long at the Free Press is that I have loved and enjoyed every second of everything I’ve done there.
I have been in the fortunate position that a lot my pastimes, particularly the sporting ones, have also been my profession and that has made my job so much more enjoyable and self satisfying.
I think I am a positive person who has always tried to portray the best in people rather the worst.
My mission whenever I sit down to write a story is for it to be entertaining, informative and, in most cases, factual, although I’m first to acknowledge a licence to exaggerate a little can greatly enhance a story.
Finally, a huge thanks to those who initiated the evening and those who brought it together, those who attended and those who were apologies.
And those who just couldn’t get there and those who didn’t want to get there. (You can’t win ’em all).
As a life-long and proud Kyabramite it’s something I will never forget.
Season kicking off
Kyabram Football Club’s breaks the ice on a new season this season when it meets reigning Murray league premier Congupna in a practice match at Lancaster on Friday night.
The game starts at 6pm and will be a mixture of senior and reserves players.
There is some doubt on some of Kyabram’s Melbourne-based players making it.
The Bombers will then meet Bendigo league teams Golden Square and South Bendigo on the following two Saturdays (March 15 and 22) respectively at Elmore.
There will be three games at these venues with the thirds starting at 10am, the reserves at noon and the seniors at 2pm.
Eyeing off prison at clubrooms
Murchison-Toolamba Football Netball Club is eyeing off sheds on the decommissioned Dhurringile Prison site as a possibility for its ‘new’ clubrooms.
The reigning Kyabram District League premier believes some of the shedding at the former prison could be transformed into the modern clubrooms the club has been craving for but overlooked for for years.
It has State Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell batting for it and wants to see the club and the Corrections Minister meet and agree the approach has plenty of things going for it.
Squad spot for Shannon
Footy journeyman Matt Shannon has been selected in a preliminary 37-player Northern Territory Football League squad.
Shannon who had stints with GV clubs Shepparton and Tatura and Murray league club Congupna has just completed a big year for Southern Crocs in Darwin’s premier league competition.
Last year he spent the winter playing with Southport, runner-up to Werribee in the VFL grand final after heading north after playing with Carlton’s VFL side.
He represented the NT League in 2023 against Western Australia Football League club South Fremantle.
The NT squad will be pruned to meet the Central Australian Football League on Saturday, April 5 in Alice Springs.
