There will be no Goulburn Valley Bush Bash League this season.
Organiser, former long-serving Cricket Shepparton president, David D’Elia said there were several reasons for not staging the elite Twenty20 competition, but he was hopeful it would be restored in a different format next year.
D'Elia said scheduling games, lack of organisers and the rising cost of some marquee players were behind the decision to pull the the plug on this year’s competition which would have been the fifth staging of the event.
‘‘As it is we just couldn’t justify running it again under the same conditions, so we are exploring other options and hopefully get it up running again next year,’’ D’Elia said.
The 20 overs competition consisted of four franchise-backed teams with Kyabram-based Hurley’s Hotel fielding a team which competed in three finals and was the premier in the 2022-23 season.
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Rumours that GVL powerhouse Echuca could lose star brothers Sam and Ben Reid next season are exactly that — rumours.
Echuca coach Simon Maddox has cleared the air on the rumours by declaring the reigning premier will have both the Reids’ services again next season when the Murray Bombers chase their fourth successive flag.
‘‘They aren’t going anywhere,’’ Maddox said in response to the rumours.
The Reids were being mentioned among possible coaching recruits for Central Murray League club Cohuna which had spoken to them.
Maddox said the only losses the reigning GVL premiers would have for next season was Logan Prout and Matt Lias.
Prout will play with Carlton’s VFL side with the hope of being drafted, while Lias has joined Murray league club Echuca United.
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Moama Football Netball Club has indicated it would like to make a move from the Murray league in 2026.
It is eyeing off the Goulburn Valley and Bendigo leagues as possible new homes and has had discussions with both competitions.
Geographically you would think the GVL would hold the front running if and when the bid is made to leave the Murray league.
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Former Kyabram Football Club president Peter Learmonth is joining the coaching ranks next season.
Learmonth has been appointed as non-playing coach of this season’s Heathcote and District Football League premier White Hills.
Learmonth has had senior coaching experience with Finley in the Murray league Berrigan in the Picola District league and Hay in the Golden Rivers league and said he had regained a passion to coach again and was looking forward to the challenge.
Learmonth said he was well aware several of White Hill’s top players were departing after winning this year’s flag, but believed the club had the depth to be competitive again next season.
‘‘They won the reserves and thirds premierships as well this year and they are a very professional club,’’ Learmonth said.
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Euroa Football Club is seeking a new coach after Ryan Pendlebury was given an extension to his role as a midfield coach with North Melbourne’s AFLW side.
A brother of Collingwood legend Scott Pendlebury, Ryan filled this role temporarily for North Melbourne games this season.
He coached Euroa into the finals this season in his fist year as coach and his departure means the Magpies are now seeking their fourth coach in as many years.
Expressions of interests in the Euroa position close this Sunday.
Meanwhile, Mansfield’s Nick Gray is heading home after five seasons with VFL club Collingwood and will join other high profile recruits in Callum Brown and Mitch Lewis in the Eagles’ nest next season.
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Some Kyabram District League players will try their hand in stronger leagues next season.
Shepparton East’s Tom McCluskey, recognised as the league’s top ruckman, is joining this season’s Murray league premier Congupna, while his teammate Adam Fichera and Nagambie talent Jonathan Moore are Shepparton Swans-bound in the GVL.
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Former Longwood footballer John Formosa hit the million dollar jackpot when a greyhound he trains Blue Kermaro won the word’s richest greyhound race The Million Dollar Chase final at Sydney’s Wentworth Park on October 17.
As the title of the race implied Formosa and the dog’s owners collected a cool $1 million for Blue Kermaro’s win.
It was a tidy return on the $10,000 Formosa forked out to buy Blue Kermaro online with the greyhound’s earnings now $1,048,705.
John Formosa played with Longwood in 2023 and his brother Jordan, is current coach of the club and another brother, Jye, also plays with the Ky league club.
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Murray Football League Barooga has named a stalwart of regional football to try and return it to its glory days.
The experienced Jeremy O’Brien takes the coaching reins from Luke Jajoura with a wealth of experience.
A 200 games player in the Ovens and Murray league, O’Brien was instrumental in Yarrawonga’s 2012 and 2013 premiership wins and was on the Yarrawonga coaching panel that guided the team into this season’s grand final.
He also has coaching experience with Tungamah in the Picola District league.
He also played with St Mary’s in the AFL Darwin competition.
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Picola District Football League club battler Blighty will have Dane Leyden coaching it again next season.
Leyden took the coaching reins this season and won the club’s best-and-fairest award.
Leyden has had experience in the Mornington Peninsula league with Dromana and with Palmerston in the Northern Territory league prior to a stint with Murray league club Echuca United where Blighty recruited him from.
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Impressive ruckman Mark Marriott has won the John ‘’Shorty’’ Martiniello trophy for Benalla Football Club’s best-and-fairest award.
Chris Welsh was runner-up and Jordan Wolff claimed the most consistent player award.
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A 1926 football premiership trophy has found its way home.
Bamawm Football Club won the flag in the Lockington and District Football League that year and the trophy has been in the family of the captain of that team William Hilton ever since.
But a grandson of Hilton, Glenn Felsenthal, reckons it was time to take the trophy home and has donated it to the Lockington and District Living Heritage Complex.
All the names of the premiership players are engraved on the 98-year old trophy.