Bright idea for night footy
Kyfreepress.com.au Team adapts as Bombers maintain supremacy
ISN’T there a simple solution to playing night games in the Goulburn Valley League?
While there are some clubs reluctant to play night games in the league, the fact is there are five clubs who have lights good enough to host night games.
These clubs are Kyabram, Echuca, Mooroopna, Shepparton and Shepparton United.
Doesn’t this present the chance for these clubs, if they desire, to play up to four night games — against each other — a year with probably no questions asked or correspondence entered into.
Tatura’s reluctance to meet Kyabram under lights in the opening GVL round has again raised the question on whether the GVL board should intervene and order clubs, reluctant to play night games, to play.
The league has stated it will establish a policy on night games but it wouldn’t need to if it let the clubs who have facilities to stage From page 28
Reeves played his first game with the Bombers since the 2017 premiership win and in typical fashion provided avenues for Kyabram to go forward while Norris continued on from his opening round effort.
Ironside, who is playing with the Bendigo Pioneers, again showed he is a classy youngster the footy world might hear a lot of in the future.
And another move which reaped handsome dividends for the Bombers was Tom Holman’s shift to defence where he became the general. With a lot of support from Jordan Williams and Josh Pell in particular they were able to shut down the Shepparton forward line for the second and third terms.
In this period Kyabram kicked nine goals and by three-quarter time Shepparton was beyond the point of no return.
The Bears fought it out to the finish to their credit with a determined last quarter when they could have been blown completely away.
But the Bombers showed why they are expected to again be the night games to work it out between themselves.
Weather conditions are really only favourable to stage two or three night games a year and that is probably as many as clubs with lights would want anyway.
Hipwell just misses grand target
TONGALA claybird shooter Luke Hipwell almost became the first shooter from the Goulburn Valley area to win the Grand Australia Handicap event at the National Clay Target Championships since Kyabram’s Bill Wickham snared the honour way back in 1976.
In the recently completed championships held in Roma, Queensland, Hipwell’s 102 out of 103 hits landed him the runner-up prize behind accomplished New Zealand shooter, Kent Nicholl.
Luke, 28, is a member of the Echuca Clay Target Club and has been shooting competitively for only a few years.
It was his first national championship.
Wright moves for basketball
FORMER Kyabram boy Jeff Wright is preparing for the National Wheelchair Basketball League which gets underway in early May.
Now living in Townsville, Jeff will line-up with the Sydney Blues in the competition which has teams from Queensland, NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia competing.
Jeff rose to prominence in the disabled sports field last year when he captained the Australian rugby team to win the gold medal at the Invictus Games in Sydney in October.
The 50-year-old, who was a member of the Kyabram Football Club thirds premiership side in 1985, became a paraplegic after a motorcycle accident in Cairns in 2015.
Water deal for GVL netball
GOULBURN Valley league will have Goulburn Valley Water as their “Netball Umpire Development Partner” for the next three seasons. measuring stick in this competition as the season progresses.
They went into this game without Mick Mattingly, best on ground in the opening round and other first round players in cocaptain Sam Sheldon and Axel Child. With that trio and Billy Burstin, recruit Reid Crowe and Locky Dillon also contenders to come into the side the Bombers, on paper at least, have the scope to improve a lot more yet.
This Saturday Kyabram travels to Rochester and if some of these players are ready to resume its going be a tough time at the table for the selectors.
My best for Kyabram were: Lachie Smith, Brad Mangan, Luke Morris, Tom Holman, Riley Ironside, Jordan Williams, Zac Norris.
■ A DEPLETED Kyabram reserves side ran out of players – and legs – in their clash.
The Bombers depth was severely tested with senior cocoach Paul Newman and selector Brenton Sheppard donning the boots along with four thirds players to make up the numbers.
Kyabram actually had its nose in front at half time but were hit by injuries in the second half and
The deal will see all GVL Netball Umpires for all grades wearing polo shirts with the GV Water logo.
GVL chairman David Roff said it made sense for the league to engage GV Water in a deal that extends on their partnership from the 2018 finals series.
“With the successful inclusion of the 15 and under grade in 2018, the GOTAFE GVL showcases 30 games every week,’’ he said.
GVL umpires will wear GV Water shirts, right through the home and away season and all of the GVL finals.
Christie shoots an albatross
SPORTS fans are still talking about the recent golfing feat of 17-year-old Blair Christie at Moama’s Rich River Golf Club. During his round on the challenging par three 530 metres 18th hole at one stage had only 14 players on the park as Shepparton took over.
The Bombers had some good players led by onballer Steve Drake who was the standout with his tireless work ethic.
Mal Hedges, Billy McLay, Justin Chambers and Daniel Gentle also presented at every chance, Jake Gascoyne was the best of the forwards with a lively display while Mitch Jarrett also battled well against the odds.
■ KYABRAM thirds had a solid 29-point win against a good side.
The young Bombers squandered a lot of chances in the first half, particularly the first term, at the goal front but were never headed on the scoreboard.
Kyabram got winning drive from its onballers led by Cooper Vick and Cooper Gentle, skipper Mitch Gugliotti, Ryan Cox and Liam Dillon who were busy all day.
Wez Hill also led the defence in determined style but most of the Kyabram players did their bit at times to get the desired result. young Blair scored an albatross — that’s three under par for the hole. He blasted a wood with his tee shot and then holed out with his two iron.
And even if you’re a non golfing fan or not conversant with the sport, the feat can be put into perspective by the fact that not even legendary golfers Jack (Golden Bear) Nicklaus or Aussie Greg (Great White Shark) Norman have achieved such a feat in their distinguished golfing careers.
Young Christie is no slouch when it comes to golf though, playing off scratch.
Horses off the pace
NO LUCK for Kyabram horses contesting feature events at the Mildura Pacing Cup carnival last week.
After running second in his heat of the pacing cup, the Mark Watson trained Brallos Pass was k’od in the final won by San Carlo, who was driven to victory by former Merrigum girl Bec Bartley for Shepparton trainer Steve O’Donoghue.
Brallos Pass and San Carlo had staged a thrilling duel in their heat with the O’Donoghue pacer just prevailing.
The Mick Blackmore trained Claudys Prince contested the Mildura Trotters Cup on the second night of the carnival and was a hot favourite to win, but lost all chance with an early gallop.
But New Zealand pacer One Step Up, currently a border at the Kyabram stables of Mark Watson, enjoyed a feature race win at the carnival, winning his heat and then the $25,000 final of the Australia Cup.
One Step Up is trained by a cousin of Watsons’, Stephen Telfer, and is in Australia to contest some feature races.