Tributes flow for Col

Tributes are flowing for influential country basketball personality Col Darrington, who died in Geelong last week after battling illness.

Mr Darrington, one of the key figures in Horsham’s basketball revolution of the 1970s and ’80s and a notable regional footballer and coach, was 72.

A highly decorated basketball club and state representative coach, he was a life-member of Horsham Demons Basketball Club during the club era of Horsham Amateur Basketball Association and was an association secretary and delegate.

His involvement in Horsham basketball lasted several decades before he took his passion for the game to Geelong where he continued to forge a reputation as a high-level junior and senior coach.

He was former Basketball Victoria Country Regional Academy head coach, head network coach in elite athlete development programs, and coach of Victorian and Victorian Country teams.

Basketball Victoria paid a glowing tribute to Mr Darrington on its website.

Basketball Victoria Country Commission chair Bill Jeffs: “Col was soft off the court but he had a hardness when the ball was thrown up. I regard him as a wonderful mentor who taught me so much about the game and about coaching in general. Col was a unique and passionate man, full of life in all its complexities – loyal, a joker and a great man to have as a friend. I always admired his love of family and his determination to overcome adversity.”

For many who grew up following Horsham sport from the mid 1970s he was a largerthan-life sporting personality, prominent as a key-position player in Wimmera and Horsham District football, an obvious basketball talent and renowned for his boxing skills.

Many of his and his contemporaries’ exploits in the Wimmera sporting arena are now part of regional folklore.

Horsham basketball patriarch Owen Hughan said he got to know Mr Darrington while coaching a 1996 under-16 Victoria Country team.

“Col was my assistant coach at Australian junior championships. It wasn’t an easy championship and everything seemed to go wrong. We lost our best player and I asked Col what he would do and Col’s advice led to us not losing another game. It changed the whole championships,” he said.

“I got to know him pretty well and he has made an imprint on us all.”

Many members of Mr Darrington’s family continue to live in Horsham district.

A private funeral service will be in Geelong at 10am, tomorrow.