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Eagles recognise award winners

Josh Farrell

MAFFRA Football-Netball Club held its presentation night recently. The Eagles' celebrated the achievements of teams and players who made it through another challenging COVID season. It was also an opportunity for the club to celebrate retiring coach Wayne Butcher and his storied career with Maffra. Butcher was presented with a framed number 11 jumper with all the names of the players he coached in his 18 seasons across all levels at the Eagles. As a player, Butcher made his debut in 1977 and went on to play 210 senior games and 55 reserves games for a total of 265 before retiring in 1991. He won a senior best-and-fairest in 1984 and was appointed reserves coach in 1990, guiding the team to back-to-back premierships. He was appointed to the senior coaching position at Boisdale-Briagolong in 1992 and took the Bombers to five grand finals and their most recent premiership in 2001, intertwined with a brief return to coach the Maffra thirds in 1997. In 2002, Butcher was appointed senior coach at Maffra Football-Netball Club, starting what was to become the start of a dynasty of three premierships in a row in 2002-03-04. During this time the Eagles set a Gippsland League record amassing an impressive unbeaten run of 45 games without a loss. In 2004, Butcher was awarded the Victorian Coaches Associations Coach of the Year following five senior premierships in a row - two at BoisdaleBriagolong (2000 and 2001) and three at Maffra (2002, 2003, 2004). After departing the coaching position in 2005, he came back in 2014, seeing the Eagles to another set of flags in 2016 and 2019. As well as senior success, Butcher is the only person to coach Maffra at all four levels from senior, reserves, thirds and fourths. His overall coaching record stands at 18 seasons, nine premierships and 15 grand finals. Incoming Eagles coach Anthony Robbins spoke glowingly of the retiring Maffra great. "He had always felt growing up that people had described Maffra as a little town past Traralgon near Sale, by doing what had been done at the football club people now mentioned Maffra and people readily responded 'they’ve got that really good football team'," he said.

Maffra Football-Netball Club junior trophy winners Isabel Goldsmith (Under 13 coaches award), Tania Boyle (Under 13 best-and-fairest), Seb Pendergast (thirds best-and-fairest), Jasmine Hennig (Under 17 best-and-fairest), Rebecca Bourke (Under 17 coaches award), Jett Killoran (fourths coaches award), Noah Christie (league leading goal kicker and best-and-fairest) and Matilda Pendergast (Under 15 best-and-fairest). Photos: Sam Crothers

Maffra Football-Netball Club A Grade award winners for season 2021 Morgan Mayne (left) and Emma Allman (second from right), with coach Sarah Schellen (second from left) and assistant Anna Gaw. Maffra senior best-and-fairest winner Ed Carr with retiring coach Wayne Butcher.

"It added to the identity of Maffra and gave people another reason to be very proud of their town. "Wayne's record places him in the highest echelons of Victorian Country Football League coaches and undoubtedly Maffra's greatest ever coach over its long and storied history." In his senior and reserves coaching career at Maffra Butcher coached an incredible 218 players. This number includes 22 sets of brothers and, remarkably, nine father-son combinations. Ninety-two players have enjoyed premiership success at senior or reserves level under his coaching at Maffra. The presentation night saw players receive awards in person following a virtual awards night which occurred more than a month ago. Ed Carr took out the senior football best-andfairest and Emma Allman won the A Grade netball top gong. Max Gravener took home the reserves best-andfairest, Seb Pendergast took out the award in thirds football and Noah Christy won the fourths title Natalie Allman won the B Grade netball award and Brooke Anderson won the C Grade award. Jasmyn Hennig was voted best-and-fairest in the 17 and Under side, Matilda Pendergast won the 15 and Under and Tanna Boyle won the 13 and Under best-and-fairest

Greyhound racing’s fine achievers are celebrated

Sale Greyhound Club general manager Peter Johnston.

SALE Greyhound Club general manager Peter Johnston (pictured) was recently named runnerup in the Club Manager of the Year Award at the Community Clubs Victoria awards night. Greyhound Racing Victoria’s TAB Great Chase and Red Dog/Blue Dog initiatives won awards for best Social Inclusion Club. The awards, held virtually late last month, recognised community contributions. Normally an annual event, the awards were postponed last year because of COVID-19, with this year’s awards recognising contributions over two years. Community Clubs Victoria is an industry association representing Victorian not-for-profit community clubs which range in size from small, volunteer-based sporting clubs to multi-milliondollar organisations. GRV was selected under the Best Social Inclusion Club for its TAB Great Chase event and Go the Red Dog & Go the Blue Dog campaigns. Under the red and blue dog programs GRV donated $250 to designated charities every time a greyhound won a race wearing the red number one or blue number four rug respectively. First run in 2003, the TAB Great Chase community program has gone from strength-to-strength and continues to support many organisations within the disability sector in regional and metropolitan Victoria. Built around social inclusion - whether hosting groups at the races or, during COVID times, over a Zoom platform - the Great Chase has seen more than $700,000 donated to Victoria’s disability sector over the past 19 years. The devastating bushfires of 2019-20 affected many communities that are home to greyhound clubs and trainers, which led to the introduction of GRV’s Go the Red Dog initiative. The total number of red number one winners across the two-month period of the campaign was 382, raising $95,500, with the GRV Board rounding up the total to $100,000. After the tragic accident that claimed the lives of four police officers on Melbourne’s Eastern Freeway in 2020, GRV decided to donate $250 to the Police Legacy Remembrance Fund every time a greyhound wearing the blue number four rug won a race at The Meadows and Sandown Park during May 2020. The Go the Blue Dog initiative saw GRV donate $6000 to the Police Legacy Remembrance Fund, which has been specifically created for the families of fallen police officers. GRV wasn’t the only greyhound racing organisation recognised at the CCV awards. Metropolitan clubs Sandown and The Meadows combined to win the Metro Club of the Year through its Greyhounds Entertainment facility located at the Sandown Greyhound Racing Club. Sandown Greyhound Racing Club was runner up in the Best Club Community Involvement award for its fundraising efforts for local charities, which culminated in a celebration at the 2019 TAB Melbourne Cup.

Brisbane is still going strong in table tennis

AS most 90-year-olds are slowing down, John Brisbane is showing no signs, celebrating his 90th birthday at the Sale Keenagers Table Tennis Club. Brisbane is the oldest member of the Keenagers club and still relishes the opportunity to play competitive sport. The Keenagers club was created as a way for over 50s to continue competitive sport without placing too much strain on their bodies. The club meets twice a week and Brisbane endeavours to attend as many days as possible. “I have always been competitive and played lots of sports,” Brisbane said. “I often go for a shot that I probably shouldn't ... they don't take pity on me they still make me run around.” Brisbane joined the club three years ago after seeing a story about them in the Gippsland Times and has not looked back. “I made some enquiries and found out they were a similar age (to me) so I decided to join,” he said. Brisbane celebrated his 90th birthday at the club recently with a cake and morning tea. “I think a lot of them are surprised I am still on my feet,” he chuckled. Brisbane has no plans of slowing down yet and hopes he can continue being part of the club. “I hope so (to continue playing) ... I just don't push myself too hard,” he said. Brisbane recommends the sport for any age but especially the over 50s. Sale Keenagers is a group for the over 50s and encourages new members to join. Those people who are interested in joining can phone Sharon Collins on 0439 310 751 or email

sharonleecollins@hotmail.com

The club meets Mondays and Thursdays 8:45am to 11:15am.

At 90 years-of-age, John Brisbane (front) is hopeful he can keep playing table tennis for years to come at Sale Keenagers Club. Brisbane is pictured with the club’s 80 to 90-year-old members Margaret Warnock, Colleen Long, Jim Stedman, Gladys Tatterson (front) and Margaret Robinson.