BUNKER SHOTS – May 6
HAMILTON Golf Club hosted their annual Rose Bowl event with 93 players participating last Friday.
The Bowl was won by a Hamilton team – Sue Walter, Rachel Slade and Jeanette Carmichael, with a nett total of 230.
Runners-up were Grampians team, Sue Morse, Venita Minus and Glen Dixon with 237 nett, three ahead of Portland’s Jen Foster, Tania Butcher and Dianne Rogers in third.
The best Hamilton team not in the Rose Bowl was Jen Pike, Tania Cullinane and Val Linke with 245 nett.
JEANETTE Carmichael, Rachel Slade and Sue Walter collected the Rose Bowl with a strong performance last Friday. Photo: SUPPLIED.
ROWAN RECORDS 100 – May 10
HISTORY was made at Melville Oval, as Port Fairy forward, Jason Rowan, became just the second player to kick 1000 Hampden Football Netball League goals on Saturday.
The former Blue-turned-Seagull had to wait though, as he was sniffing around in the first quarter, but eventually broke loose from his Kangaroos opponent, Mick McMeel, to grab a chest mark in the second quarter and duly slotted the goal.
Rowan celebrated almost immediately after the football left his boot, as he was swarmed by teammates and spectators who ran onto the ground to mark the historic moment.
ROOS RELOCATED – May 13
WITH the Melville Oval redevelopment still yet to get underway, safety concerns have forced the Hamilton Kangaroos to move netball fixtures to Pedrina Park immediately.
The Hamilton Kangaroos Football Netball Club executive ticked off the move on Tuesday night following a safety inspection by Netball Victoria on Tuesday after concerns were raised by players.
The inspection deemed the courts unsafe for playing or training, forcing all netball activity to the newly redeveloped courts at Pedrina Park, starting with Saturday’s fixture against South Warrnambool.
Club chairman, Lachy Patterson said while inconvenient, the club was focused on putting things in place and the netballers returning to Melville Oval when the redevelopment works are complete.
BUNKER SHOTS – May 13
THE Hamilton Golf Club has claimed the Western District Golf Association Mixed Pennant Flag, defeating Camperdown 4-1 in the final played in very windy and challenging conditions at Port Fairy last Sunday.
Team members were Trevor Wathen, Michael Holcombe, Kevin King, Robyn Holcombe and Wendy Wathen, with emergencies, Rob Fishburn, Rob Vecchiet and Gerri Griffin.
PARALYMPIC GOAL – May 17
ALL athletes have a goal they strive for when they start their journey in their chosen sport, and for local swimmer Dominic Hoggard, that goal is to make the Australian Paralympic Team in the future.
Born with cystic fibrosis in his ankles, the young swimmer has made every post a winner and his results at the School Sport Victoria State Championships in Melbourne recently attest to his dedication and determination to achieve his goals.
Hoggard recorded personal best times, winning the Men’s 15-16-year-old 50m butterfly Multi Class event (32.24) and the Men’s 15-16- year-old 50m backstroke Multi Class event (41.41), while he also claimed the gold medal in the Men’s 15-16-year-old 50m freestyle event (31.52).
DOMINIC Hoggard has impressed recently, competing at the School Sport Australia national titles along with contesting an event in New Zealand. Photo: GLENN GUY.
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MCGREGOR MARKS 300 WITH STANDOUT EFFORT – May 17
PENSHURST stalwart, Tim McGregor, celebrated game number 300 on Saturday against SMW Rovers with a best-on-ground performance in round five of the Mininera and District Football League, as the Bombers cruised to a six-goal victory at Mininera Recreation Reserve on Saturday, 15.15 (105)
to 10.9 (69).
With all 300 games being played at the senior level with no junior games included, it makes the accomplishment all the greater for the veteran who bagged six majors to mark the occasion.
RISING STAR – May 20
THE surname Barker and the sport of harness racing are synonymous here in Hamilton.
Throughout the wider community with trainer, Jim Barker, his son, Rob Barker, well ensconced within the industry, but it is third generation driver, Jackie Barker, who is making every post a winner lately.
The young driver has been recognised for her feats within trotting, awarded the Dick Lee Rising Star Award for 2022 this month.
JACKIE Barker continues to go from strength to strength, winning the Dick Lee Rising Star Award. Photo: GLENN GUY.
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CULLINANE AND SWAN EARN STATE TITLE – May 20
HEYWOOD bowler, Mick Swan, has taken out the Victorian Bowlers Arm State Championship Pairs tournament alongside Port Fairy competitor, Simon Cullinane, in Warrnambool at the weekend.
The two-day tournament welcomed some of the best talent across Victoria who use a bowling arm, an artificial device to assist in delivering the bowl.
Competition was fierce in Warrnambool with a few of the games going down to the final ends to determine the winner.
BOLD BOURBON CHARGES TO VICTORY IN CUP – May 20
BOLD Bourbon took home the 2023 Casterton Cup in convincing style for trainer, Lindsey Smith, and rider, Dean Yendall, but it was a newly crowned king of the live hedges that stole the limelight.
A large crowd witnessed a fantastic day’s racing, especially a dominant performance by Elvison in the Pullen & Co Steeplechase.
With marquees lined across the top of the hill, the race as a spectacle was at its brilliant best. In a dashing front-running display, the Symon Wilde-trained nine-year-old continued his 2022 track domination to make it four steeplechase wins in a row.
Despite being burdened with 73kgs, the gelding with Aaron Kuru on board led from start to finish, winning by a widening seven lengths.
HUMPHRIES FINISHES THIRD IN MEDAL COUNT – May 20
CASTERTON’S Alyssa Humphries has capped an incredible 12-month period with a third placed finish in the annual Una Paisley Medal vote count for the best player in the Cricket Victoria Premier
Cricket Women’s competition.
Humphries (16 votes) was behind her captain and opening batting partner, Makinley Blows (22 votes), and Dandenong’s Poppy Gardner (18 votes) when the final votes were counted at the Cricket Victoria Premier Awards event.
The last year has been a whirlwind of competitions and accolades for Humphries that began with selection in the Victorian Women’s Under-23 Indoor Cricket squad for the National Championships, where she won selection in the Australian squad for the Indoor Cricket World Cup in Melbourne in October 2022.
FAMILIAR COLOURS – May 24
THE addition of AFL premiership player and 300-gamer, Kane Cornes, wasn’t enough to get Moyston-Willaura over the line to victory against Hawkesdale-Macarthur on Saturday afternoon.
Cornes suited up for the Pumas at Willaura Recreation Reserve, lining up at half-forward to start the round six clash, wearing his familiar number 18.
It was tough going for Cornes, who went at pick six to the Pumas in the Carlton Draft, with the former AFL player telling The Spectator before the game that there were plenty of nerves ahead of the Mininera and District Football League clash.
KANE Cornes suited up for the Pumas against Hawkesdale-Macarthur on Saturday. Photo: ADAM HILL.
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THREEPEAT TREAT – May 27
IT was another successful campaign, as Glenelg Region Hockey Association (GRHA) completed a threepeat of Under-13 Girls Victorian Junior Country Championship titles on Sunday.
GRHA teams also brought home the silver medal in the Under-15 Boys section, finished third in the Under-15 Girls and Under-18 Girls competitions, and fourth in the Under-13 Boys and Under-18 Boys competitions.
The GRHA – which is one of the smallest in Victoria with only five clubs making up the association – sent a team in each of the six age groups to contest the championships.
Every team went on to reach the semi-finals after finishing as one of the top two teams of their pool after preliminary matches.
SA APPROACH – May 31
WITH recent changes to south-eastern South Australia’s football landscape, Casterton-Sandford could be joined by Portland and Hamilton across the border.
With the Western Border Football League being disbanded at the end of the year, the teams will be absorbed by two other leagues, with the SANFL reaching out to Portland and Hamilton Kangaroos about possibly leaving the Hampden Football Netball League in favour of a South Australian alternative.
Hamilton Kangaroos chairman, Lachy Patterson said the club had received communication from the SANFL regarding a possible move, but the upcoming works at Melville Oval forcing the club out of Hamilton temporarily was a more pressing issue to be resolved.
SIGNED, SEALED… - June 3
THE Melville Oval redevelopment has passed its final hurdle with works set to get underway in July.
The multi-million dollar construction project will be done by Ultrabuild CG, with the contract awarded recently.
The tender, valued at over $7,000,000 opens up the pathway for demolition to start on July 24.
The demolition will include the greenkeeper shed and the current changerooms and undercover bar area, with construction to start in September.
Southern Grampians Shire mayor, David Robertson said Council was thrilled to award the contract for such a significant project to a local contractor.
PAIR QUALIFY FOR BOXING NATIONALS – June 3
TWO local boxers are guaranteed a spot at the nationals after strong performances at the Boxing Victoria Elite Victorian Titles last weekend.
Katie Riddle contested the 48kg division and won the final to progress through to the nationals in the state’s A spot, capping off a busy past two months for the Mocka’s Boxing Club talent.
Imogen McDonnell suited up for her first elite state titles in the 66kg division and drew a national champion in the final, losing but qualifying for the Victorian B spot for the nationals in Perth in August.
Donald ‘Duck’ Jones got through the first round but was unlucky in the second round but could still make nationals in the Victorian B spot for the titles in Perth, which start on August 8.
IMOGEN McDonnell, Ray ‘Mocka’ McIntosh and Katie Riddle are busy preparing for nationals in Perth in August following a strong outing at the Boxing Victoria Elite Victorian Titles last weekend. Photo: GLENN GUY.
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WALDRON AWARDED LIFE MEMBERSHIP – June 3
JACK WALDRON was awarded life membership for his 25 years of outstanding service to the Hamilton Bowling Club at the club’s annual general meeting last Monday.
Jack Waldron joined the Hamilton Bowling Club in 1998 and was asked to join the match committee about four weeks later.
The chairman of the match committee resigned, and Waldron was in charge where he remained for 17 years, which also meant being on the club’s management committee for all that time.
HFNL UNDEFEATED – June 7
HAMPDEN Football Netball League (HFNL) is celebrating an undefeated Western Association Championships after making a clean sweep of all competitions on Sunday at Warrnambool.
The HFNL was kept to a draw within the 13-and-Under Reserve grade against Central Highlands which was the only game across the four competitions that HFNL teams didn’t win but there were no outright defeats which is an exceptional result for the league.
Hamilton Kangaroos Football Netball Club had five players spread across the teams representing not only the club but the league too, with Molly Sevior and Maddox Ryan suiting up for the 13-and Under team; Saskia Gould in the 15-and-Under side and the 17-and-Under team featured Ella Sevior and Grace Cleaver.
PARKLANDER CANDOUR – June 14
PARKLANDS 2023 Ladies Championships was played over four stroke rounds with the best three being counted for the final score.
After the four rounds were complete, Irene Box and Kelly Hitchcock were tied at the top of the leader’s board with each golfer having to play another few holes to determine the winner.
Resulting in Irene Box being crowned the scratch champion, while the handicap champion went to Kelly Hitchcock.
CRICKET COMBINED – June 17
IT’S official, the Hamilton and District Cricket Association (HDCA) and Portland and District Cricket Association (PDCA) will unite under the HDCA banner for the 2023-24 season after it was confirmed at a meeting on Monday night.
HDCA president, Lloyd Ilett said he was “pleasantly surprised” with the meeting and was excited to welcome five Portland teams to the local competition as a result.
NATIONAL ACADEMY – June 21
HAMILTON’S Jess Rentsch is playing the best footy of her career after coming back from a broken leg which happened last season, the 17-year-old was presented with her Australian Academy jumper on Sunday before her first game representing the AFLW Academy.
While Rentsch was selected in the high-performance academy back in November of last year, receiving her jumper and getting the opportunity to play the match was a huge tick towards her dream.
The AFLW Academy side, with Rentsch lining up on the half-back line, took on the All-Stars Under-23 side at Marvel Stadium on Sunday and fell just two points short at the final siren, 44-42.
