Sport
17 January, 2025
2024 ‘The Year that Was’
This week we take a look back at some of the sports stories, events and photos that appeared in the Camperdown Chronicle in 2024 ‘The Year that Was’
JANUARY
Pomborneit’s Josh Reynolds took an incredible 3/23 off 8.5 overs during his division one debut against Ecklin.
Camperdown Golf Magpies Bowling Club’s division one Saturday team fell just short of victory over Colac City, going down by three shots.
Camperdown’s division one cricketers notched up their fourth win of the season when they defeated Woorndoo – with Nicholas Frith taking 6/19 off 10 overs in a spell that included four maidens.
Pomborneit won back-to-back flags in the South West Cricket Association’s Twenty20 competition.
FEBRUARY
Don Harris and Michael Beeche combined to take out the mens’ pairs championships at Derrinallum Bowls Club while for the women, Fiona Noone and Lorraine Uren were victorious.
Barry Atchison won the club championship title at Camperdown Bowls Club, defeating Luke Wright in the final.
Camperdown Cycling Club members were thrilled to have a special visit from Steph Hibburt and Bailey McDonald.
Steph featured in the Cadel Evans Great Road Race as part of the ARA Australian Cycling Team while Bailey recently signed with Team Bridge Lane following a successful 2023 which included a podium finish in the Powercor Melbourne to Warrnambool Cycling Classic.
Father/daughter combination James and Tayla Reynolds celebrated special milestones with their Pomborneit Cricket Club team-mates – James played his 100th senior game for the club while Tayla’s 100th was brought up with her 62nd game in senior men’s competition in her division three match.
Camperdown Cricket Club also celebrated two ‘centurions’ with division one player John Reed enjoying a quick-firing 119 while in division two, Mitch McLaughlin finished unbeaten on 156.
Don Harrison took out the 100 Up Men’s Championship event at Derrinallum Bowls Club, defeating Adrian McKenzie to take the title.
MARCH
Perfect weather provided an ideal setting for Camperdown College’s senior swim carnival, which was won by Leura House.
Derrinallum bowlers broke a 77-year drought of midweek victory, winning the division three grand final. The team defeated Camperdown Golf at Colac to bring home the premiership.
Regular outbreaks of blue green algae had a devastating effect on the season for the Derrinallum Yacht and Power Boat Club.
For the second consecutive season, Tracey Baker was again named Golfer of the Year for Camperdown Golf Club.
Boorcan cricketer Lachie Boyle celebrated a century in the final round of the home and away season, making 101 from 81 balls against Heytesbury-Princetown.
APRIL
Donna Conheady continued her good form on the greens to win a stroke round at Camperdown Golf Club with a score of 75 net, ahead of runner-up Gayle Gill.
Talented rider Ava Cunningham topped the aggregate points table for Camperdown Cycling Club.
In only his second year of bowling, Greg Edwards won the Magpies Golf Bowls Club President’s Handicap, defeating Paul Richards 21-15.
Camperdown’s Aidan Conheady has returned form the Australian Men’s and Mixed Netball Championships with a gold medal.
Conheady and his 17 and under Victorian team-mates defeated South Australia 62-61 in extra time.
Former Camperdown cyclist Grace Brown won gold in Belgium after battling strong winds and a hilly 153-kilometre course from Bastogne to Liege.
MAY
Golf was confined to the top course at Camperdown thanks to smoke from bonfires on the lakeside course.
Many years of fundraising paid off for the Camperdown Bowling Club with the laying of a new $200,000 green.
Round five of Hampden League football proved an extra special one for Camperdown’s Will Rowbottom who ran out on to Leura Oval for his 100th senior game for the Magpies.
Camperdown College student Callen McLachlan brought home three first placings from the division athletics carnival, winning triple jump, long jump and the 100m sprint.
Zoe Unwin also performed well, finishing second in triple jump, while Noah Boyd finished sixth in the 800m and 1500m events and Phillipa Murphy came fifth in the 100m and sixth in the 200m.
A third 2024 premiership topped off a great season for Camperdown basketballer Indiana Cameron. Indiana took home a premiership from the Colac Basketball Association, the Camperdown association and the Terang association.
Pomborneit Cricket Club announced its senior men’s teams would leave the South West Cricket competition ahead of next season.
JUNE
Camperdown footballer Jeremy Lucas played his 100th reserve game for the Magpies.
Lismore Derrinallum dropped a game outside the top five on the Mininera League ladder following a huge 108-point loss to Penshurst.
The extended South West Cricket community mourned the loss of one of the game’s greats following the passing of Robert Pyke.
Hampden announced its initial training squad for the under 23 interleague battle against Ballarat – with the side including Camperdown’s Zach Sinnott, Sidney Bradshaw and Hamish Sinnott.
Pomborneit juniors Lucia Clarke and Charlotte Richardson attended a trial for the Mag Jennings Winter Academy at the Geelong Cricket Club.
Derrinallum resident Brooke Holt had her eyes set on representing Australia at the Paralympics in either dressage or badminton after winning silver at the Australian National Para Badminton Championships.
JULY
Lahiru Fernando prepared return to Pomborneit Cricket Club, both as a player and as the club’s senior mens’ coach.
Mercy Regional College brought home the Ballarat Associated Schools Football 2nd XVIII premiership cup after defeating Damascus College by just one point.
Among the standout players for Mercy were Aidan Conheady, Gus Walsh, Jacan Brooks and Darcy Vick.
Penny Smith was named in Australia’s 10-member shooting team for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Smith was one of six athletes to compete in the shotgun events in Paris.
Camperdown started the hunt for a new senior football coach following Neville Swayn’s decision to step down from the role.
Australian cycling champion and former western district resident Grace Brown announced she would retire from professional competition at the end of the season.
Camperdown’s Luke O’Neil lined up for his 100th senior game with the Magpies.
AUGUST
Camperdown’s Grace Brown was once again the golden girl of the district, winning a gold medal in the Olympic Games’ women’s individual time trial in Paris while local Penny Smith brought home bronze in the women’s trap shooting.
Camperdown netballer Piper Stephens was one of four Hampden League athletes to progress through to Netball Victoria’s 2025 state team squad selections.
Clinton Thomas was appointed senior football coach for Camperdown for the next two seasons. Hailing from Hamilton, Thomas bring a wealth of coaching and playing experience.
SEPTEMBER
Lismore Golf Club’s championships were played in ideal conditions, with Tom Brett taking out A grade, Dale Marquand winning B grade while in C grade the title went to Jack Atkins.
Pomborneit Cricket Club lost its appeal to move its three senior men’s sides out of the South West Cricket Association and into the Colac District.
Camperdown’s hopes of bringing home a 2024 Hampden League premiership rested with the club’s 17 and under netballers after the team defeated South Warrnambool in the preliminary final. They put in a solid effort on grand final day but were defeated 37-55.
OCTOBER
Camperdown Pigeon Club raced 19 birds from Mildura, with Graeme McKenzie recording the fastest time of seven hours, 28 minutes and 38 seconds.
Camperdown College student Stella Horspole finished fifth in Australia in the Senior Show Horse section at the Interschool National Championships in Tamworth.
Camperdown Bowls Club turned shades of pink for a worthy cause – with members raising money for the McGrath Foundation during October’s ‘Think Pink’ breast cancer awareness month.
Thirteen members of Camperdown’s Lakes and Craters running group tackled the Melbourne Marathon.
The Derrinallum Yacht Club opened its season in near-perfect conditions, with Craig Wood, on his yacht ‘Spider’ taking home the Allan Noone Memorial.
The South Purrumbete Recreation Reserve Committee of Management launched a crowd funding campaign to see the return of sport to the oval.
Just days after the birth of his first child, all-rounder Fraser Lucas snared a match-winning four wickets for Bookaar against the Storm.
Eleven year-old Bentley Currell, supported by his dad Gus, began fundraising for the Brain Cancer Foundation while training for a 2025 ride from Mildura to Camperdown.
NOVEMBER
Camperdown bowlers welcomed the official opening of their new surface, which also coincided with a planned ‘pink day’ for the McGrath Foundation.
In-form Camperdown bowler Jye McLaughlin was on target, claiming six wickets during the Lakers clash with Boorcan.
McLaughlin finished his day with figures of 6/39 from his 10 overs.
Sport returned to the South Purrumbete Reserve for the first time in 25 years when Pomborneit and Cobden faced off in South West Cricket Association’s division two match.
There was no excuses for missed balls during Hampden Tennis Club’s night competition thanks to the installation of new lights.
Camperdown College student Callen McLachlan returned from the state athletics carnival with a gold medal in the triple jump, and a personal best distance of 9.29m.
Talented Camperdown footballer Hamish Sinnott was contracted to the Essendon Bombers’ VFL team for season 2025.
DECEMBER
After the final round of the Camperdown Golf Club’s women’s championships, Ros Brauer was named women’s champion.
Mother Nature reared its head, with rain and strong winds forcing the cancellation of bowls across the district, along with several scheduled cricket matches.
Boorcan’s under 13 cricketers celebrated their first win in three years when they defeated Ecklin.
Fiona Dobbins and Aidan Conheady took out the top awards at the Corangamite Sportsman’s Club’s ‘Sports Star of the Year’ presentation evening.
Karate enthusiasts David Howe and Rowan Stevens were rewarded for their hard work and perseverance with black belts.
Twenty-five teams entered the Astrid Holm Cup at the Camperdown Golf Club, with a team from Warrnambool taking out first place.
Scoring a century is every batsmen’s dream but for Darren Frith, he chalked up century number 14 with an unbeaten 106 for the Lakers against Ecklin.
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