Sport

  • The Art of rucking

    AT the centre bounce stands a footballer and a ruckman by his trade. And he carries the reminders of the hit-outs to advantage and subsequent goals his team scores with every knee, bump and block each time he competes at a stoppage. To the untrained eye, a ruck duel is nothing more than a behemoth […]

    By

  • Brian ‘Scatter’ Walkley, one of Avoca’s favourite sons

    REGARDLESS of the sport, Brian Walkley’s coaching philosophy remains the same. “They have to enjoy it,” he said. “It’s no good them going out and have people yell and scream at them. They have to enjoy it, because if they don’t they’re going to give it away.” Not only has this mantra served him for […]

    By

  • Lucy Walkley brings up 400 games

    THERE is a reason why Avoca is just so damn good at netball. And Lucky Walkley personifies it. Last Saturday, she became the latest of Avoca’s golden generation to reach the 400-game milestone; adding a memorable day to a career devoted to celebrating with her teammates and doing it for her local town. It is […]

    By

  • The Run Home: MCDFNL

    LIKE the student attempting to cram in weeks of study into one night, a mad rush to the finish of this season’s Maryborough-Castlemaine District competitions looms. Both football and netball leagues have their own riveting tales to unfold over the next few weeks, many of which have Pyrenees-based sides front-and-centre. With three matchdays to go, […]

    By

  • Stopping the ‘run on’

    IT is the match-winning question. ‘How can teams nullify their opposition’s momentum?’ A question keeping (at least one) AFL premiership winning coaches awake, after seeing their side succumbing to the same defeat; feeling like they are part of some Groundhogs Day simulation rather than competing for the premiership. The type of momentum which sees teams […]

    By

  • 400 of the best for Colleen Soulsby

    COLLEEN Soulsby dreamed of playing senior netball for Avoca alongside her favourite player. “As a little girl I used to sit there watching Colleen Drummond and idolising her, because she had my name, saying ‘I’m going to be in the seniors one day’.” Not only was Soulsby living this dream when she ran out onto […]

    By

  • From fill-in to captain, Jane Douglass celebrates 150

    JANE Douglass’ introduction to netball is unlike that of her teammates’. Asked to fill-in by her friends who were playing netball at Waubra at the time, Douglass, who was playing basketball at the time, never looked back; discovering a passion for both the club and the game, which has seen her quickly become a key […]

    By

  • Beaufort’s need for speed

    BEAUFORT A-Grade coach Alice Laidlaw hopes her side’s fast ball movement will match it with the competition’s best at the pointy end of the season. The Crows sit two games inside the top eight and outside the top four on percentage, ahead of a tricky final six matches, which pits them against four current top […]

    By

  • Premierships and friendships the highlights for Hannett

    LOUIS Hannett grew up in Navarre and has not played anywhere else. Even after a move to Geelong seven years ago has his passion for the Grasshoppers never wavered; making the weekly 205-kilometre journey to pull on the famous green jumper and do his bit for his club. With 24 years of service and four […]

    By

  • Blake Lofts celebrates 250 games

    BLAKE Lofts personifies every local club’s dream. A local kid, who attended the local school and grew up at the local footy club, where he became a local legend. After graduating from the juniors at Beaufort into the senior program 24 years ago, Lofts ran out for the 250th time in Crows colours in last […]

    By