Dubbo and Wellington have grand sporting histories
WITH 2019 Sportsperson and Junior Sportsperson as well as Contribution to Sports Awards to be presented tomorrow, it is timely to look at some of our achievers in the past 12 months and reflect on the enormous shoes they will have to fill.
Dubbo Cyclists have headlined all year with the likes of Kurt and Dylan Eather, Haylee Fuller, Daniel Barber, Emily, Trent and Mitchell Hines outstanding in the junior ranks while Simone Grounds, Jason Farr, Tim Hines and our “G Force” women’s team, Catherine Fuller, Heather Ticehurst, Simone Grounds and Jennifer Raines continued to show that your birth date is no barrier!
They continue a grand tradition after Robert “Bob” Spears set the scene with World Championship and Grand Prix victories in a brilliant career from 1913-25. Bob was elevated to the Australian Cycling Hall of Fame in 1985.
Megan Dunn has two Commonwealth Games gold medals and six Junior World Titles to her credit, Andrew Taylor has competed at the open World Championships and holds many junior and senior National titles, and the likes of Michael Martin, Brent Dawson as well as the effervescent Darrell Wheeler have all taken World titles under the guidance of coach Gus Dawson.
Simone Grounds has made Masters gold her own and Tim Hines and Jason Farr have also had their time on national and state podiums in recent months.
When you add in National Champions Trent Asimus, Chris Pascoe and numerous state medallists including Matt Fuller (winner of Mark Dwyer Handicap), Greg Willmot (winner of Oatley Graded Scratch race), Heather Ticehurst (two time defending Wellington Mt Arthur Challenge QOM), Kelvin Martin (two stage wins in the Commonwealth Bank Classic), Graeme Peadon, David Gerrish, Mick Ticehurst and Craig Granger who are regularly turning in competitive performances at some of the state’s biggest open events, you can see why Dubbo is regarded as a two-wheels mecca!
Kurt Eather, Luke Ensor and Megan Dunn have all been recognised as Dubbo Young Sportspersons of the Year and Kel Martin and Darrell Wheeler both Sportsperson awardees.
In cricket, Ben Patterson (“Patto”) is the latest local to represent at NSW Country level and perform strongly enough to be named in the Australian Country team. He is the third in recent years to achieve the honour following the successes of Tim Cox and Jordan Moran, who, incidentally, has been named in the national team for the third successive year. This year Jordan played for his adopted state of Victoria.
David Tink was another who featured in the NSW Bush Blues for many years through the 1980s and also played for Australian Country.
Bert Pearce, Brock Larance and Patto have made their names with Australian Indigenous teams while Marty Jeffrey continues to shine at the Imparja Cup and other age representative carnivals.
Dubbo has produced plenty of other cricketing champions including Ian Drake, Max Ison, Chris Killen, Nathan Pilon, Don Nash, David Carson, Dave Taylor and talented fast bowler Emma Hughes.
We have developed a strong Indoor Cricket culture under the guidance of Jeff and Nea Costello, Greg King, Dan French and Don Skinner. In recent seasons Tom Coady, Adali Shipp, Anthony Atlee, Thomas and Patrick Nelson and Mitch Russo are amongst a host of NSW and Australian players.
Our swimmers have been to the top. Peter Coughlan (1976 Olympics), Dyana Calub (Olympic, World and Commonwealth Games medallist) and young talents like Aspen Moore, Angus Mcdonald and Cal Smith are on the way up.
Dubbo also has NSW Ultimate Frisbee players/coaches Jen Hoar and Ashleigh Boatman.
Golf has recently produced NSW reps Ella Murray, Lachie Jones, Matt Gleeson, Melissa Russell and Jones Comerford who is playing on Scholarship in the United States. The Wilson twins Patrick and Lindsay are others to have taken the step up, to PGA level. They have come from a wonderful nursery that nurtured Kep Enderby, Dick North, Kim Grattan and the late Isobel Giddings amongst others.
Melinda Gainsford-taylor (Narromine/dubbo Little As) and Katrina Gibbs headline the city’s international athletics roll of honour along with World Championships marathon runner and Junior World gold medallist Jane Fardell. Peta Haesler is another World junior triathlon champion and Dubbo Sportsperson of the Year.
These outstanding athletics ambassadors have set the benchmark for fledgling Australian reps like Ella Penman, Maya Piras, Brooke Galley, Lachie Townsend, Millie Gooch, Smede Payton and the Chatfield duo, Sam and Xanthe, as well as Nosr Obaseki.
On the equestrian scene, Jessie Rice-ward was named Young Sportsperson in 2017 after a medal haul at National Showjumping titles then a tour of South Korea with the Aussie Youth team.
Chelsea Henderson, 16, led the Australian Paint Horse Association team to the World Junior Championships in Fort Worth Texas last year, following in the saddle and
hoof-steps of Kirsten Mann and mentor, Victoria Egan. Kirsten now runs her own business – Onyx Park Friesian Horses at Wongarbon – while Chelsea pursues her passion under the ongoing tutelage of Victoria.
Phil King rose to the top of Australian Karting, leading the way for other western athletes who continue to hone their skills at Lincoln County Raceway.
Tracey Hardie-jones, Debbie Brown, Deb Ray and Kay Poulton are hockey Masters.
Sam Moulds and Emma Corcoran are recent awardees for their exceptional skills and devotion to hockey, and the Pioneer Park Complex and coaches continue to turn out quality players. Lilli Rai Campbell, Courtney Hogan and Phoebe Bloink-hollier are rising stars!
One of the pioneers of the sport, the late Bede Morton, earned his reputation as Dubbo’s Mr Hockey after representing NSW and Len Wilkinson was a proven performer with the curved stick on the old grass fields at Barden Park and on the riverbank.
Jono Davis is our best performed lawn bowler but his achievements were heralded by senior champions Col Pritchard, Paul Mckenzie, Annette Mcmillan, the late Henry Gordon and Gwen Mccloughan. Jim Clark was Sportsperson of the Year in 1990.
Boxer Brian Tink is the only local to have represented Australia at the Olympics while still living in the city. He fought at the 1976 Olympics as well as Commonwealth Games and World Championships. Legendary trainer Johnny Lewis, on a recent trip to Dubbo, rated him as “being in the top three or four I have seen”.
Other boxers who have entered local sporting stories include Tom “Bomber” Carney, Graham Wallace and Robert “Gummy” Toomey. 17-year-old John Hill also holds a national title and is expected to pursue his career in the ring now that he has completed the New York Marathon.
Greg Ryan has earned a reputation as one of the “most winningest” jockeys in Australia. The former mechanic who turned to riding in his early 20s is once again on top of the Jockeys’ Premiership.
In football we have two of the highest profile women players of all time. Nicole and Ashleigh Sykes went from local juniors to international caps while playing with Canberra United. They were foundation members of the club and Nic led them to a premiership in 2015. In the same year Ash was named W-league Player of the Grand Final, she was awarded the W-league Goal of the Year in 2014 and received the prestigious Julie Dolan Medal in 2015-16.
Nic is now retired; Ash was too until she answered a call from Canberra to return to the pitch just before Christmas. Both have played for the Young Matildas and Ash stepped up for the World Cup with the senior team in 2015 after representing the Australian Football Federation team which won the Asian Championships in 2008.
Another to receive national recognition is Grace Maher, while Aimee Longhurst is aiming to follow a similar path along with former Dubbo junior Indianna Asimus who is playing College football in the States.
Jacob Tratt played Australian 20s and is now firmly ensconced in the Sydney FC first 11 after a stint in Wellington with The Phoenix.
Other champions listed on our Sportsperson of the Year honour board include Bob Dowling (shooting), Peter Deacon (squash), Chrystal O’brien (basketball), Lynn Mcdonnell (athletics), Sam Williams (athletics), Rebecca Lord, Brett Seton (hockey) and Evan Elliott (cycling).
Touch football is synonymous with Dubbo after a 45-year record of achievements. Neil Webster, Nic Grose, Orby Boney, Sam Davis and Tim Boney-stewart have all achieved either Country or NSW selection in the past 12 months.
Former South Dubbo Public student Greg Norman is recognised in the Australian Touch Hall of Fame and his son Peter is regarded as one of Australia’s greatest ever. Peter has been the lynchpin of Australian teams for many years and led the green and golds to Trans Tasman success against New Zealand last year.
Dubbo Touch has also produced international class referees including Mick Medlin, Paul Keyte, Rob Mckechnie and Jono Powyer.
Tyler Everingham was first at the Australian Touring Car Championships in 2018.
Rugby league has produced Test players Don Parish, Les Davidson, David Peachey, Russell Richardson, Dean Pay, Andrew Ryan and Wellington’s own Redfern Express, Terry Fahey; and this season Blake Ferguson and Tyrone Peachey were named in Australian teams.
Isaah Yeo and Kayde Ellis are turning heads with Penrith while youngsters Kotoni Staggs and Matt Burton are stars of the future.
Rugby union’s hall of fame includes Bill Hemingway, Geoff Chapman, Ollie Hall, Steve Williams (Narromine/roos) and Tom Robertson.
This is an impressive, but not total, list and with the massive announcement of a Sporting Centre of Excellence/academy of Sport to grow in the city over the next few years, even more champions will be added to the list.
Next week Dubbo Photo News will feature the 2019 Dubbo and Wellington Sports and Young Sportspersons of the Year to be named on Australia Day. We will also profile the person who will join the likes of Ross Mcdermott, Sharon Andrews and Neil Webster who have had their Contribution to Sport recognised in recent years.