Jack’s keen to follow his hero Warnie
Young Jack Opray hopes to follow in the footsteps of his hero, cricketing legend Shane Warne.
Warne played for St Kilda in the under-19s football side but found when elevated to the reserves side it was too big an ask and made the decision then to focus totally on his summer sport of cricket. The cricketing great never looked back, becoming regarded around the world as the greatest leg spinner of all time.
Jack, 14, had a super season of sport in 2022, playing both cricket and football and taking out grand finals in both sports with his teammates
“I really enjoy them both but it’s cricket , I just love it,” Jack replied without hesitation when asked what his preferred sport was.
Like ‘Warnie’, Jack too is a leg spinner and highly regarded for his skills with the ball, which saw him selected for Country Week in the under-15s MVCA representative side. The lads lost all three games, however Jack was the leading wicket-taker with seven wickets against teams from Seymour, Bendigo, Mildura and Shepparton.
An All Stars team was chosen after this competition with two players from each representative side selected and Jack and fellow Cobram teammate Jackson Webb obviously impressed the selectors with their inclusion.
The All Stars team comprises the very best young players of the Murray Valley Cricket Association and will train in Bendigo and play a match on Sunday, February 26 at Benalla Cricket Ground.
But Jack is dreaming bigger.
“My goal is to play for Australia and get a Baggy Green,” he said.
With his recent success, he is on track. In the meantime, he will continue to train hard and learn as much as he can from his club coach John O’Sullivan and representative team coaches and enjoy playing with his best mates.
Meanwhile, football is on the backburner. While training is starting soon, he will not be available until the cricket season has ended.
Footnote: unfortunately Jackson Webb was unavailable at the time that I spoke with Jack, so hopefully I will catch up with him when he is back home.
Have a beer with Ian Botham
Club Mulwala is offering cricket fans an opportunity to meet and enjoy a beer with England cricketing legend Sir Ian Botham.
Considered to be the best all-rounder the game has seen, in the 1980s Botham played 102 tests, scored more than 5000 runs including 14 centuries, and took 383 wickets and 120 catches.
The affable sportsman known as ‘Beefy’ has never lost his love of story-telling and having a beer with fellow cricketers and sports enthusiasts and you are promised a memorable evening.
Tickets are $20 per person which includes a beer or a glass of bubbles and is definitely an opportunity not to be missed.
The event will be held on Thursday, February 2, starting at 8 pm. Children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
Book by phoning the club on 5744 2331.
Kiss a ginger day?
Oops, I missed it! Prior to my retirement from the workforce in Melbourne, one of my colleagues brought to my attention on January 12 one year that it was ‘Kiss A Ginger Day’ and being the only redhead in the office I became the centre of attention with my work colleagues. I loved it and lapped it up!
I didn’t have the same opportunity at school when I was constantly subjected to taunts from other kids. Still, I survived as others have and many have gone on to achieve great things that required a fiery disposition, a trait that many ‘gingers’ exhibit, including this writer.
As I aged, I learnt that being different was a good thing and today I am proud to have that point of difference, and while the hair isn’t the bright auburn of my childhood, my hairdresser is doing his best to ensure my hair closely resembles its natural colour.
I have three children and six grandchildren, so surely you would think there would be at least one ‘ginger’. Absolutely not — they’re all mousy brown, blonde and dark brunette. So I am still unique to my family with my orange hair!
Among well known ‘ginger’ celebrities are Prince Harry, Henry VIII, George Washington, Winston Churchill (prior to losing his crowning glory), pole vaulter Steve Hooker, footballers Keith Greig, Dermot Brereton, Dustin Fletcher and Cameron Ling, Nicole Kidman and controversial politician Pauline Hanson.
Mark January 12 on your calendar for next year. I have!
A feel-good moment for Angelo
Angelo Ballerini’s faith in the honesty of people in his local community is strong after a recent experience.
Arriving home one day last week to find a note on his front door, Angelo didn’t quite understand what it meant. However, about an hour later there was a knock at the door.
“I have found your wallet!” the lady in front of him said excitedly.
Angelo was stunned. “But it can’t be mine, I haven’t lost it,” he replied.
She handed the wallet to him and inside was his driver’s licence, cards and cash — and yes, indeed it was his.
Angelo was somewhat mystified and found it difficult to work out how she had found it on the road out the front of his home. Upon discussion, he realised that perhaps he had put it on the bonnet of the car and driven off.
So grateful for its return, Angelo wanted to reward the lady for her honesty, but her reward was seeing how happy Angelo was to have it back intact.
“How lucky was I, the lady brought it back with everything still in it. You don’t expect such honesty in the world today,” Angelo said.
Life hasn’t always been so lucky for Angelo and his wife Valerie. Their youngest son Jason became a quadriplegic after a horrendous diving accident 25 years ago. He was just 16 years old and a talented tennis and soccer player at the time.
Angelo recalls that despite the prognosis, Jason never let it stop him. He became an advocate for people with disabilities, completed a Bachelor of Business degree, purchased several properties and set up a home care business employing more than 100 people in Wollongong, where he lives today.
Valerie has been Jason’s personal carer for the past 11 years and the pair has enjoyed trips overseas to watch Jason’s sister Angela compete against the worlds’ best triathletes around the globe.
Despite being almost 76 years of age, Angelo continues to work part-time and generally visits his wife and son in Wollongong at least three or four times a year.