While his immediate future is an unknown after a medical episode on the Gold Coast last week, the club will make no changes to its appointments until his position becomes clearer.
The ruck ace takes the position from club veteran Jason Morgan and will be one of several new faces in the senior leadership group.
Another club stalwart, Josh Dillon, will be Zac’s deputy while co-coach Kaine Herbert remains in the group with Jake Parkinson.
Also promoted to the group are Rob Whitford and Aidan Robinson.
The club’s recent two-day training camp at Euroa pleased new Kyabram co-coach Corey Carver.
Carver said numbers were pleasing, and the availability of the nearby Longwood oval had been beneficial in the exercise.
New recruits, apart from Morrison Medallist Mick Mattingly, attended the camp.
Mattingly is still working in Adelaide but is expected to move to Echuca to live and work in early March and will have a prominent role in the Bombers’ coaching team in the new season.
Milestone year for Tigers
Rochester Football Club is celebrating a notable milestone this year.
It’s 150 years since the GVL Tigers fielded their first footy side, and the momentous milestone has not been lost on the club or its president, Justin Cleary.
A huge family day is being prepared for Saturday, March 23, with an emphasis on the club’s premiership-winning sides in both the Bendigo and Goulburn Valley football leagues.
Coinciding with the celebrations will be a book launch on the club’s history, titled The Locals and written by Mark Gullick.
The Tigers are also looking to make further on-field improvement this season. The club has recruited proven players in Mitch Trewellah, from Bendigo, and Hamish Hinet, who has played with Oakleigh Chargers.
Premiership player farewelled
Howard Hawking’s recent passing has left only 12 players from Rushworth Football Club’s 1965 drought-breaking premiership win still alive.
Bill Cruz, who coached that team and who won a Morrison Medal in 1953 in the club’s GVL days, Peter Home, Graeme Johansen, Alec Horne, Ian Coyle, Jamie Williams and Peter Keogh predeceased Howard, who was Rushworth’s last coach in the GVL, leading the club in 1962, ’63 and ’64 before its switch to the Heathcote League.
The 12 living players are Murray Hitchcock, who was vice-captain, Graeme Collard, Wes Risstrom, Malcolm McLeod, Paul Barlow, Ralph Barlow, Ivan Baldwin, Graeme Hageman, Jim Strain, Robert Betson, Bill Heath and John O’Donnell.
From the reserves’ premiership 20 in that year, it is the reverse to the seniors — 12 gone, and eight still playing (well, alive).
Match over in 10 deliveries
Must admit, I can’t recall a local cricket game being done and dusted in the space of 10 deliveries.
But that’s what Kyabram Fire Brigade Cricket Club’s C-grade side achieved last Saturday.
After the Flames skittled Echuca South for 26 in 17.3 overs, opening batsman Kaleb Williams blasted four sixes off five balls to deliver his team a win in 1.4 overs.
Cats lose key player
Mooroopna Football Club has lost another key player as the GVL season approaches.
Ruckman Liam Betson is to return to the Geelong League and play with the St Joseph’s club. He previously spent four years with Grovedale before joining the GVL Cats.
Mooroopna has also lost its two most productive forwards, with Jackson Trengove back in the Murray League with Cobram and Chris Neild also on the move.
Marshall strikes long-term deal
Deniliquin Football Club export Todd Marshall has been locked in until the end of the 2029 season by Port Adelaide.
Marshall was to be a free agent at the end of this year, but as Port’s leading goal kicker in 2022 and runner-up last year, the Power were naturally keen to keep him.
Starzzz in their eyes
Money talks, they say, and it’s even better when it seemingly makes horses run faster.
That was the case at Gunbower Trotting Club’s centenary cup meeting on Sunday when the Kyabram-trained pacer Hanover Starzzz was supported from $9 down to $4 and did the right thing by its large group of owners to lead all the way.
The seven-year-old mare by Four Starzzz Shark, trained by Mark Watson, has now won six races, with six seconds and two thirds, from 43 starts.
Unfortunately, some of the punters who loaded up on Hanover Starzzz invested some of their winnings on another Watson runner, Dooo Don’t Think (shades of John Kennedy there), in the last race, only to watch that runner settle for fourth.
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