Old Boys in the News – December 2017

Our Old Boys have been in the news, including:

• Congratulations to Joel Parnis (SPC 2004-06) who is making big waves in the world of opera and has just signed as a soloist tenor the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra’s upcoming Christmas performances! After a successful season in the musical My Fair Lady in Sydney this year, Joel moved to London but has returned to spend Christmas down under and gave an inspiring performance at the Melbourne Recital Centre on Saturday night. We look forward to watching Joel’s amazing career! To read more, go to this link

• Joel Ottavi (SPC 2008-12, PY2013- ) looks destined to play fewer games with Buninyong next season- in the Central Highlands FL- after a request from the Essendon VFL squad, for- more, go to this link

• Tigers premiership star Dan Butler (SPC 2009-14) was able to sneak the AFL’s most coveted prize -“ the premiership cup -“ home to Ballarat recently for a secret, surprise party with family and close friends. To read more, go to this link

• Meanwhile, Butler’s teammate and fellow Old Boy Daniel Rioli (SPC 2012-15) looks set to potentially miss the first round of the 2018 AFL season as the club takes a -cautious- approach to his recovery after breaking his foot in the final term of the Tigers’ premiership win. To read more, go to this link

• Paul Armstrong (SPC 1969-74) was front and centre as AFL Goldfields chairman in handing down the key findings of the AFL Goldfields Senior Football Review recently, for more go to this link

• Nick O’Brien (SPC 2006-11) has joined Strathmore in the Essendon District Football League for season 2018 after leaving Essendon, where he was the club’s Victorian Football League captain. To read more, go to this link

• Keep an eye out for Ryan Waight (SPC 1998-2003) who is moving from Redan to Bungaree in the Central Highlands league in 2018. The dual Redan premiership player and past Victoria Country representative and All Australian player has accepted a playing assistant coach role with the Demons. For more, go to this link

• Congratulations to Jack Denahy (SPC 2011-14, PY2016) who has received a scholarship from the Ballarat Sport Foundation for his pursuits in boxing, representing Victoria in national championships in Sydney this year. For more, go to this link

• Congratulations to Robert Smerdon (SPC 1967-72) for winning his second Ballarat Cup with Grand Dreamer some 21 years after his first win with McGuane. To read more, go to this link

• Well done to Dom Barry (SPC 2009-12), who has been drafted by the Port Power -“ earning his second chance at an AFL career having previously played for Melbourne -“ and the chance to play AFL with good mate and fellow Old Boy Jake Neade (SPC 2010-12). Dom chats with the media in an earlier interview about his eagerness to get back into the AFL in this interesting read at this link– and this link

• Mitch Phelps (SPC 2006-11) has ended his partnership with Redan in the Ballarat Football League, announcing his intention to play with Barwon Heads in the Bellarine league in 2018.

• Well done to Nick Rippon (SPC 2007-12) and Mitch Rodd (SPC 2006-10), who have both secured contracts with North Melbourne’s Kangaroos’ VFL team in 2018. Nick, aged 23, and Mitch, 25, hope the deal will give them another shot at their AFL ambitions. The pair will be coached by fellow Old Boy, head coach and former GWV Rebels coach David Loader (SPC 1982-85, PY1987).

• Have a look at the fantastic restoration work that Michael Whitehead (SPC 1968-71) is doing with Ballarat’s former hot spot, the Ballarat Baptist Church in Dawson Street South, better known to some SPC Old Boys as The Power Station and Dawsons nightclubs. Michael is restoring the church into a luxury B&B. To read more and look at the work completed so far, go to this link– and this link

• Get your garlic supply sorted with Frank Conheady (SPC 1961-62, PY1964), who operates Mount Leura Garlic at Camperdown. Frank grows farm direct organic garlic, ethically grown in the surrounding rich volcanic plains, and the new harvest is just about ready. Frank and his business partners grew their first harvest five years ago with a trial plot of 5000 bulbs, and have planted 105,000 bulbs this year with a massive yield of about four tonnes of garlic expected. Frank returned to St Patrick’s for the recent Boarders’ Reunion, and also still works as a gardener at the local aged care centre part-time. Frank’s a busy man! To find out more about Mount Leura Garlic, go to this link

• Great to see Barry Richardson (SPC 1961-64) featured in a big spread in the current edition of the Australian Physiotherapy Association’s magazine. Barry is notching up 50 years as a physiotherapist and with the spotlight on men’s health during November, he talks about his unexpected heart attack in 2016, subsequent open heart surgery and double bypass, and life now. Barry also shares his memories of playing with the Richmond Football Club, including VFL grand finals in 1967, 1969 and 1974, and later combining his physio work with coaching roles, including assistant coach at Melbourne FC under Ron Barrassi and taking on the presidency of Richmond Football Club in the mid 80s. Barry was inducted into the Richmond FC Hall of Fame, became an AFL Life Member and most recently, was named a Tigers’ FC Coming Home Hero. Barry has also met many famous Australian and international sporting greats among his clients, including golfer Jack Nicklaus, tennis player Jimmy Connors and was honorary physiotherapist with the Australian cricket team during the Centenary Test. But what he enjoys the most about his job is getting to know his clients, as he says in the story – -Just treat the person, injuries become boring -“ you can only see so many Achilles tendons and so many knees-¦-

• Good to see our Old Collegians are combining their passions with their work! James Lamb (SPC 2000-05) graduated with a journalism degree and has worked at several publications, but is now working in his self-confessed -dream- job at Punters.com.au. To find out more about what James is doing now and some of his work, go to this link– and this link

• It must be in the genes with Tom Molan (SPC 1982-87) and wife Andrea’s four kids, Sophie, Charlie, Alex and Fraser, making Ballarat basketball history recently, all playing in the Basketball Ballarat elite junior program. For more, go to this link

• Fantastic effort by Matt Short (SPC 2008-13), who made his Sheffield Shield debut for Victoria recently against the old enemies from New South Wales. In doing so, Matt becomes the first Old Collegian in more than 60 years to play a Shield game. Matt impressed with a maiden first class ton against England for the Victorian Bushrangers in Townsville. After a half century in the first innings, then career best bowling figures of 4-103, this was a match to remember for Matt, but we’re sure there will be many more! Well done Matt! To read more, go to this link,- this link– and this link

• Blake Thomson (SPC 2011-15) also found form in the Victorian Premier Cricket, to read more, go to this link

• He may have just missed out on winning the Melbourne Cup-¦ so so close, but well done to Ben Melham (SPC 2000-03) who won the group 2 $300,000 Zipping Classic at Sandown on The Taj Mahal. Ben finished a close second on Johannes Vermeer in this year’s Melbourne Cup, which was won by Rekindling. For more, go to this link– and this link

• Brenton Payne (SPC 2010-14), a former St Kilda rookie who spent this year on the North Ballarat Roosters’ list in the VFL to to South port in the North East Australian Football League. To read more, go to this link

• Ben Hayes (SPC 2007-08) was in the spotlight recently with the news that he is leaving Lake Wendouree to join the Central Highlands’ Crows team at Beaufort in 2018. Isaac Kirby (SPC 2005-10) and Liam Findlay (SPC 2009-14) are also leaving the Lakers to travel next year. To read more, go to this link

• John Shanahan (SPC 1967-69) has become a staunch mental health advocate after losing his son Nathan (SPC 1988-93) to post traumatic stress disorder last December. John was a guest speaker at the College’s recent MENtal Brekky and continues to raise awareness about mental illness, to see how, go to this link

• Congratulations to Joe Ewing (SPC 1990-92), currently Co-Principal, who has been appointed as Principal at St Piux X School, Warrnambool West.

• Foundation Principal of Emmaus Primary School, Mt Clear Brendan Maher (SPC 1971-76) is on the move, accepting an appointment as Principal of St Mary’s School, Yarram in the Diocese of Sale. We wish Brendon all the very best!

• Congratulations to Joe McCracken (SPC 2003-05) who has been elected as Mayor of Colac Otway Shire. Joe is the youngest person to ever hold the role at the age of 29. Well done Joe!

• We were saddened to learn of the sudden passing of William -‘Bill’ Vincent O’Loughlin (SPC 1971). Bill was a staff member at Damascus College in Ballarat for the past six years and educated thousands of young men and women in Catholic education and other settings over his career. To read more about the positive impact Bill had made in the area of education, go to this link

• Congratulations to general manager Allister Morrison (SPC 1990-95) and his team at Ballarat Real Estate for winning the Rural Marketing Award in the recent Real Estate Institute Awards for Excellence. To read more, go to this link

• Great to see Ash Collins (SPC 2000-05) hard at work at the Collingwood Football Club as the performance analysis manager, for more go to this link

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