Old Boys in the News – December 2016

December 11, 2016

Let’s see what some of our Old Collegians have been up to lately:

  • Congratulations to Jason Trethowan (SPC 1987-91) who has recently been announced as the new Chief Executive Officer of headspace. Well done Jason! To read more about Jason’s new role and headspace, go to this link

  • What a big few months it’s been for Matt Short (SPC 2008-13) who has been called up by Big Bash League team Melbourne Renegades as a replacement and will be in the starting line-up for the first match against Sydney Thunder on December 22. This follows Short’s unbeaten century for the Victorian Bushrangers Futures team in a match against Queensland a day after celebrating his 21st birthday. Read about his selection at this link– – Matt’s spectacular century follows his earlier selection in the Cricket Australia XI side, playing a captain’s innings against South Africa. Despite their disappointing score, Matt was the only batsman in his team to make any runs. To read more, go to- this link

  • Did you see our Facebook flashback of former First V player Stefan Osborne (SPC 2010-11) shooting some practice shots in the College gym. Stef is now playing some amazing basketball at Coker College in Hartsville, South Carolina. To see that flashback, go to this link

  • Congratulations to Thomas Keogh (SPC 2009-14) who has been announced as a recipient of a Federal Government scholarship to study and live in Japan for 2017. To read more, go to this link

  • North Ballarat Rebels’ player Clay Bilney (SPC 2011-15) has committed to stay with East Point in 2017 after spending this season with the Rebels. Bilney also won the coaches award in the North Ballarat Rebels best and fairest vote count in late October. For more on Clay’s decision, go to this link

  • Well done to Ryan Leaney (SPC 2008-13) who represented the Victorian Under-22 team in the inaugural Australian Under-22 National Ultimate Frisbee Championships at Geelong in late November. Read more about Ryan’s nomination at this link and to see how Ryan went, go to this link

  • Read about Josh Coward’s (SPC 2015) amazing experience being named in the 2016 Oceania Rugby Sevens Championships in Fiji at this link and – this link

  • Victoria’s 44th Premier Steve Bracks (SPC 1968-71) shares his views on migration and how lucky he has been to grow up in Australia in an interesting read at this link

  • It was a good win for Pat Shaw (SPC 1998-2004) after he won the inaugural Misery 100 at Burrumbeet. For full details, go to this link

  • Danny Frawley (SPC 1976-79) has a new role after being appointed as head coach of the WorkSafe AFL Victoria Country senior representative side. To read more about Danny’s new role, go to this link

  • Nick O’Farrell (SPC 2006-11) has plenty of skills, it seems, even as a backwards runner, after winning the 100-metre SportsBet $5000 reverse footrace at the Ballarat Cup. Watch the race at this link

  • Liam Duggan (SPC 2009-14) is thrilled to have the Hawks’ Sam Mitchell joining him at the Eagles in 2017. Read more at this link

  • Mitch Prendergast (SPC 2009-15) and his family led a purple movement around Lake Wendouree on November 20 to raise funds for the second annual Walk4BrainCancer in Ballarat, inspired by Mitch’s diagnosis of a brain tumour as a teenager in 2013. To find out more, go to this link

  • Ryan Bell (SPC 2010) is taking his footy career south, joining Ocean Grove in the Geelong league for the 2017 season. To read more, go to this link

  • Read the moving life story of respected Tatura Primary School teacher Brendan Ryan (SPC 1950-54), who passed away recently at this link

  • Jordan Alexander (SPC 2008-10), best and fairest runner-up in the Central Highlands Football League this year, is moving his footy from Daylesford in the CHFL to Lake Wendouree in the Ballarat league. To read more, go to this link

  • Talk about a love for bowls! Read about City Oval veteran Charlie Bolte’s (SPC 1947-51) amazing effort, stepping onto the green for his 664th match recently, in the 41st season for the 80-year-old. To read more, go to this link

  • Dan Cronin (SPC 1986-90), owner of the Western Hotel in Ballarat, received some exciting news, with his hotel- named as Victoria’s best regional public bar in the Australian Hotels Association Victoria excellence awards. Dan also won a second award, the best marketed hotel award. To read more, go to this link

  • Steve Moneghetti (SPC 1975-80) was back to hit the track in Port Macquarie. Read about his chances at this link– and see how he ended up faring at this link–

  • Port Adelaide Jesse Palmer (SPC 2013-14) has some big pre-season plans, read more at this link

  • Congratulations to Dan Butler (SPC 2009-14) who has put pen to paper on a new one year deal with Richmond for the 2017 season. To read more, go to this link

  • Congratulations to Tom Downie (SPC 2010-11) who has signed a new two-year deal with the GWS Giants. To read more, go to this link

  • Paul Tudorovic (SPC 1983-88), manager of The Athlete’s Foot Ballarat, is doing some great stuff for the community in Ballarat with a recent second hand shoe drive for the needy and more recent donation to Ballarat’s 3BA Xmas Appeal. To read more, go to this link

  • Overwhelming support of Peter Blenkiron’s (SPC 1974-77) photography exhibition resulted in the former student’s first-ever exhibition being extended an extra three weeks. To read more, go to this link

  • Former Ballarat-based jockey Ben Melham (SPC 2000-03) is having a top season in the saddle, producing one of the most memorable moments of his career by steering- Malaguerra ($9.50) to victory in the group 1 $1m Darley Classic, 1200m, at Flemington on November 5. It followed his first group 1 $1m sprint success of the spring, having guided Rebel Dane home in the Manikato Stakes, 1200m, at Moonee Valley on October 21. Ben also finished 11th in the Melbourne Cup, on Grand Marshal. To read more about Ben’s top season, go to this link– – and- this link

  • Congratulations to Joe McCracken (SPC 2003-05) who was been elected as a Councillor in the Colac Otway Shire in the recent local government elections. At the age of 28, Joe is the youngest councillor in the council’s history. Joe is a teacher at Trinity College Colac in the areas of politics, commerce and humanities and will take on the role of Head of Humanities next year. Joe travelled from Beaufort as a student at SPC, and has also worked in the finance industry as an accountant. To learn more about what Joe is hoping to achieve as a new councillor, go to this link

  • Brad Inglis (SPC 2003-08) is hoping to resurrect his injury-troubled football career after a debilitating leg injury in 2013. For more, go to this link

  • Congratulations to Trystan Sammut (SPC 2009-12) who has been selected to represent Australia at an international WorldSkills Competition in Abu Dhabi next year. Trystan last month won the Gold Medal for Bricklaying/Blocklaying at the National WorldSkills Championships in Melbourne ad has since been selected as the only Victorian in the national SkillsSquad which will travel to the United Arab Emirates next October. Trystan’s win continues a stellar year for the young tradesman who finished his bricklaying apprenticeship in 2015. Earlier this year Trystan won the overall Presidents Award at the 2016 Apprentice of the Year Awards for Master Builders Association in Melbourne. To read more, go to this link

  • Tyler Atkinson (SPC 2010-13, PY2015) also achieved great success at the National WorldSkills Championships, winning a silver medal in Cabinetmaking.

  • Congratulations are in order to Will Gallagher (SPC 2007-12) who was recently honoured at the 2016 City of Ballarat Youth Awards. Will won the Leadership in Sport Award for his efforts in organising the Midnight Basketball program in Ballarat which “helps “youth at risk” using basketball. He has been instrumental and supportive to a wide range of youth services and is determined to bring out the best in others.”

  • Nick O’Brien (SPC 2006-2011) is returning to the Bombers’ VFL side in 2017 after spending the 2016 season playing in the SANFL and losing the grand final with Woodville-West Torrens. For more on Nick’s plans, go to- this link– – and his plans with Carngham-Linton- at- this link

  • Matthew Notman (SPC 2003-08) is returning to crosstown rival Melton South for the 2017 football season. To read more, go to this link

  • Former St Kilda rookie Brenton Payne (SPC 2010-14) is set to line up with North Ballarat Roosters in the VFL next season, combining well for Payne who is attending Federation University Australia in Ballarat. To read more about his move, go to this link

  • James McDonald (SPC 1989-94) has been appointed as senior coach for 2017 at the Old Xaverians Football Club, where he was a senior premiership player after starting in their Under 19s. To read more, go to this link