Old Boys in the News – August 2021

August 4, 2021

Callum Leonard with AFL umpires Michael Craig and Steven Piperno.

Our Old Boys have been busy, including:

  • Callum Leonard (SPC 2003-08), pictured above, who lived out a long-held dream recently to umpire in the AFL. To read more about this former Ballarat umpire’s experience, click here

    Tim Kennedy. Photo: Adam Trafford

  • Great to see Old Collegian Tim Kennedy (SPC 1985-90) on the beat in Daylesford in this story here

    Jacob Garvey. Photo: Dylan Burns

  • Beaufort’s Jacob Garvey (SPC 2005-08) played his 150th game for the Crows in their recent upset win over Clunes, while Springbank champ Billy Driscoll (SPC 2000-03, PY2005) played his 100th game with the Tigers in the Central Highlands FL. To read more, click here
  • Great to see Adam Liversage (SPC 1990-95), who works with Uniting Ballarat, on the forefront of helping find emergency housing to those experiencing homelessness in this story here
  • Great to see Greg Spratling (SPC 1978-82, PY1983), a sports ground curator with the City of Ballarat, working hard in recent weeks to ensure Ballarat’s Mars Stadium was in tip top condition for visiting AFL footballers in this story here
  • We wish Old Boy Paul Jeffers (SPC 1998-2003) all the very best as he gets ready to marry in the next couple of weeks. Due to COVID, this is the sixth reschedule. Good luck Paul!
  • Great to see Tokyo Olympian  Nathan Sobey (SPC 2008) has plenty of family support back home in this story here

  • Tony Harrison with his family.

    Old Boy Tony Harrison (SPC 1992-95) talks about his life as a harness training and racing judge in this great story here

  • Congratulations to Old Collegian Blake Thomson (SPC 2011-15) who has been named captain of the Melbourne Cricket club for the coming season – an incredible effort. Well done Blake!
  • The Herald Sun has published a story listing the best SPC Old Collegian footballers of the past 50 years as part of their series of stories tracing major Victorian football schools. We reckon our team stacks up better than the rest. What do you think. Check it out here

    Gerrard FitzGerald. Photo: Morgan Hancock.

  • Great story here with SPC Legend Gerard FitzGerald (SPC 1973, PY1975) about his plans with the likely end of his decorated football coaching career on the horizon.
  • Great to hear from Old Boy Rod O’Connor (SPC 1966), who has worked as a consultant in health and human services as well as a Conjoint Associate Professor in Public Health (UNSW), and is now a writer. To read more about Rod’s work, click here

  • Kevin Elliott.

    Congratulations to Kevin Elliott (SPC 1965-70) who has taken over as the new president for the St Vincent de Paul Society’s Ballarat Cathedral Conference.

  • Good luck to Matt Crouch (SPC 2008-13) who may return to the footy field in the coming weeks after reportedly been offered a multi-year deal from Adelaide. The All-Australian midfielder is a restricted free agent and is yet to play this season, having been impacted by persisted groin issues. To read more, click here
  • Wonderful to hear Old Collegians catching up in recent times, including Phonse Cunningham (SPC 1956-58), Brian Dillon (SPC 1954-57, PY1958), Peter Tierney (SPC 1954-57) and Les Dickinson (SPC 1955-58) for David O’Brien’s (SPC 1955-57) 80th birthday celebrations in Geelong – seven decades of school friendships still going strong!
  • Great to hear from David Maskell (SPC 1996-2001) who is a teacher at St Brendan’s Primary School, in Shepparton.
  • Old Collegian David Loader (SPC 1982-85, PY1987), coach of the Greater Western Victorian Rebels, talks about the impact of COVID on his young playing group in this story here despite a superb season so far for the group, click here
  • Wonderful to hear from Gerard Harris (SPC 1965-67) who is now enjoying retirement.
  • Great to hear from Luke Baker (SPC 1987-92) who is now working as an insurance builder.
  • Great to see Dan Cronin (SPC 1986-90, PY1991) committing to ensuring everyone in the community can enjoy a safe night out in Ballarat in this story here

    Ollie Hayes. Photo: The Courier

  • East Ballarat may be without bowling spearhead Ollie Hayes (SPC 2007-12) this coming season, read more in this story here
  • Our very own Old Collegian Tom Ferguson (SPC 1995-2000), a teacher at SPC, weighs in on the push for COVID vaccinations in this story here
  • Great to hear from James Broadhead (SPC 2001-06) who is working as a labourer in his father’s building company and enjoying being a dad.
  • Great to hear from Daniel Murrihy (SPC 1991-96) who is working as a strategic planner.
  • It was a family affair for Andrew Payne (SPC 1993-94, PY1997) on the Ballarat racetrack recently in this story here
  • Paul Martino (SPC 1979-84), chair of Ballarat Regional Tourism, talks about the keys to Ballarat’s tourism recovery in this story here
  • John Shanahan (SPC 1967-69) talks about his hopes for the the Royal Commission into Veteran Suicides in this story here
  • Well done to Old Boy Charlie Molan (SPC 2015-20) who stepped up into the Vic Country side against Vic Metro recently. Vic Country is due to play its next game against the Allies on August 14. To read more, click here

    Will austin. Photo: Adam Trafford

  • Fantastic to see Old Boy Will Austin (SPC 2010-14) sharing his Indigenous culture with the community during the recent NAIDOC week. To read more, click here
  • Great to hear from Chris McBrearty (SPC 1997-2002) who is working as a secondary school teacher at Penola Catholic College in Broadmeadows.
  • Josh Chatfield (SPC 2017-18) could be out for the rest of the footy season after hurting his kidney playing for the Roosters, read more in this story here

    Tom Lyons, pictured left.

  • Congratulations to Old Collegian Tom Lyon (SPC 2012-17), a greenkeeper at the Ballarat Golf Club who has been named the Australian Sports Turf Management Association Graduate of the Year! Well done Tom!

  • Nick Pearce’s new video game, The Forgotten City.

    Congratulations to Nick Pearce (SPC 1994-99) who now leads a video game development company in Melbourne and is preparing for a worldwide launch of his new game “The Forgotten City”. Read more about Nick’s game here

  • Gerrard Lewis and sister Sue Lewis. Picture: Adam Trafford

    We raise a toast to Gerrard Lewis (SPC 1974-79) and sister Sue Lewis whose Sturt St business dates back to Ballarat’s gold rush era. The city’s home for photography, Thornton Richards Camera House, was set to close its doors for the final time last Friday after almost 150 years. We wish Gerrard and Sue all the very best! To read more, click here

  • Florence with Luke Dunne, Kate Davis and Dan Cronin. Photo: Kate Healy

    Great to see Old Collegian Luke Dunne (SPC 1987-92) embracing the Ballarat cold and supporting fellow Old Boy Dan Cronin (SPC 1986-90, PY1991) from The Western Hotel in their bid to launch a new movement to support community pubs with outdoor sessions this winter. To read more about Ballarat Syppers (Support Your Pub), read here

  • Congratulations to Chris Zeegers (SPC 1988-93) who has started a new job as Vice President IT – Global SAP, Manufacturing and SHE&C at Incitec Pivot. Well done Chris!
  • Congratulations to Old Collegian Sam Short (SPC 2011-16) who is revelling in premiership success after being part of the Melbourne United team which won the NBL Grand Final in late June.

    Sam Short.

If you have any news on our Old Collegians, please contact the College’s Alumni and Foundation Officer Lorrie Liston on (03) 5322 4442 or by email at lliston@stpats.vic.edu.au