How many survivors are left from the 1954 battle for the Kyabram District Football League premiership between Kyabram Boys Club and Lancaster?
Last week in this column I reported the death of Doug Graetz, one of the last survivors of the Lancaster side, which failed by seven points to claim its first flag since the early 1930s in that grand final at the Kyabram recreation reserve before a crowd which paid £54 in gate takings.
In fact, the last Lancaster player left standing from that side could well be Leo Connally, now a resident of Warramunda.
Kyabram Boys Club still has several living links with its premiership winning side including Kyabramites Geoff Squires, Ron James, John Boardman and Noel West.
Harry and Cliff Castles and Ben Christy are also still alive to reflect on the club’s first-ever flag.
Geoff Squires said he was not sure of the fate of three other members of that team — Norm Grove, Rob Davies and Graham Lee.
Boys Club won the premiership for the first time after trailing by 10 points at the start of the final quarter.
Final scores: Kyabram Boys’ Club 10.12 d Lancaster 10.5.
Boys Club players who received cash orders of one guinea each were A. Vick, N. Beamish, R. James, L. Whyte and K. Hartin.
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Kyabram Football Netball Club ratified its football coaching positions for next season at a committee meeting last week.
First-year joint senior coaches Corey Carver and Kaine Herbert will again be in charge of the seniors, Scott Hearn the reserves coach and Peter Ryan and Mark Patten will be the thirds joint coaches.
Club president John Guinan said it was good to be able to make the appointments heading into the finals to keep the club on a stable footing for the immediate future, and he was confident players and supporters would be happy with the reappointments.
‘‘All of our coaches have done a great job this season in challenging circumstances at times. They have really nurtured our younger players,’’ Guinan said.
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Talk about Deadeye Dick.
Former Kyabram footballer Kyle Mueller was certainly on target for Congupna against Barooga in the Murray Football League clash at Barooga last Saturday.
Kyle slotted 15 goals for the game – and just the one behind.
Yes, 15 goals from 16 shots on goal. Not a bad accuracy rate.
It was a PB biggest tally of goals for the noted goal sneak who said his previous best haul was ‘’eight or nine goals’’ when playing with Kyabram.
Mueller’s haul has taken his season tally to 87 — 22 more than the runner-up, Nathalia’s Liam Evans — so he is still a chance to reach the magical milestone of 100 goals for the season with one more home-and-away round and finals to come.
Mueller’s feat equalled the Congupna club record and the previous holder of the record Chris Drum was a spectator at the game to witness Mueller’s goal kicking clinic.
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Rochester’s Sports Museum has a new prized exhibition.
Former Richmond premiership skipper Trent Cotchin has presented the museum with a football signed by Richmond’s 2017 premiership side.
The last of signatures from recently retired superstar Dustin Martin was only secured a week before the presentation two weeks ago.
Connections through former national sports journalist and Lockington native Brad McEwan paved the way for the presentation to add to the museum’s already brilliant and wide display of sporting memorabilia, most of it donated by the late sporting guru and Mitiamo local, the late John Forbes.
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Kyabram-trained pacer Eye See Philtra is what they call a ‘‘track specialist’’ in racing parlance.
The four-year-old gelding’s past six starts have been on the Shepparton track and he has won four of them with a second and fourth placing as well.
Trained by Mick Blackmore and driven by ace reinsman James Herbertson, the Philke and Tracey Wade clan owned pacer’s last win came at last week’s meeting.
After leading early and then taking a sit on the pacemaker, Eye See Philtra secured a sprint lane passage run to the judge in the home straight and took it to hoist his sixth career win 30 starts with seven minor placings.