Old Boys in the News – March 2024

Our Old Collegians have been in the spotlight, including:

• Old Collegian Cooper Sherman (SPC 2017-2022) will have the support of SPC behind him as he competes at Easter’s Stawell Gift this weekend. Cooper has been handed the toughest task by receiving the backmarker position of just half a metre, as he looks to add Australia’s richest footrace to his outstanding season. Cooper won the 400m with a personal best time at the Sydney Track Classic on Saturday night, and won the Ballarat Gift, storming to a big victory back in February. To read more, click here and here
• Well done to Mount Clear cricketer Ash George (SPC 1999-2004) who tied for second place in the Ballarat Cricket Association EJ Cleary Medalist for season 2023-24, to read more, click here 
• Congratulations to East Ballarat and Old Collegians Harli Givvens (SPC 2010-13, PY2015) and Tom Walton (SPC 2012-16, PY2017) who claimed the Ballarat Cricket Association First XI grand final at the weekend over Golden Point’s Old Boys Josh Pegg (SPC 2015-19, PY2020) and Daniel McDonald (SPC 2005-10), to read more click here 
• Read this great story here on Will Madden (SPC 2011-16) and the fantastic work he is doing at St Brendan’s, Flemington along with his previous work on the Tiwi Islands, where Will learnt the Tiwi language so he could communicate with the children on the island!
• Great to see North Ballarat export Josh Chatfield (SPC 2017-18) will captain Western Bulldogs’ Victorian football League club Footscray in season 2024. This will be Josh’s third season with the Western Bulldogs’ VFL arm and he had been named one of the Dogs’ top-up AFL players under COVID-19 rules in 2022 and a close call-up since. In another close connection, fellow Old Boy, Redan’s Cooper Craig-Peters (SPC 2014-19) has also been named in the Bulldogs’ five-player leadership group. To read more, click here
  

  Josh Chatfield. Photo: The Courier

• Bad news for Old Collegian and young Richmond defender Josh Gibcus (SPC 2017-2021) who will spend the rest of the season on the sidelines after injuring his knee in the Tigers’ first round in what has been described as a “gut-wrenching” career stall.
  In other injury news, the Fremantle Dockers’ Oscar McDonald (SPC 2011-13) may also be on the sidelines after potentially seriously damaging his knee in his game against Brisbane. To read more, click here

• Great to see Old Boys Pat Cashin (SPC 2006-11) and current staff member Michael Weadon combining together in a cycling team, known as the Velorats, to raise money in support of children’s mental health as part of the Murray to Moyne Cycle Relay, to be held early next month. To read more and support the Velorats reach their $25,000 fundraising goal, click here

• Former Sebastopol and North Ballarat VFL player Matt Austin (SPC 2005-06) is lining up with Boort in the North Central Football League this year, while brothers Anthony (SPC 2008-13), Richard (SPC 2007-12) and Michael Zelencich (SPC 2008-13) are heading to Wedderburn in the North Central league. To read more about these moves, click here

 

• Read this great AFL preview story here, featuring a few of our Old Boys who are touted as being set to shine this season, including Adelaide’s Matt Crouch (SPC 2008-13), Brisbane’s Kai Lohmann (SPC 2018-21) and Harry Sharp (SPC 2016-19, PY2021), Fremantle’s Oscar McDonald (SPC 2011-13), GWS’ Aaron Cadman (SPC 2016-20, PY2021), Hawthorn’s Sam Butler (SPC 2016-21), Melbourne’s Tom McDonald (SPC 2010), Lachie Charleson (SPC 2018-23), Richmond’s Josh Gibcus (SPC 2017-21) and Jacob Hopper (SPC 2014-15), St Kilda’s Brad Crouch (SPC 2006-11), Dan Butler (SPC 2009-14) and James van Es (SPC 2017-22) and West Coast Eagles’ Liam Duggan (SPC 2009-14).
  

  Lismore Oddfellow grand final winners. Picture: The Courier

• Well done to the Lismore Oddfellows, including Old Boys Lachie Constable (SPC 2016-20, PY2021) who beat Carranballac to break their premiership drought, taking out the Grenville Cricket Association grand final recently. Read more here

• Joe Clarke (SPC 2012-14) is returning to the Hepburn fold in the Central Highlands FL this season after last playing with the Burras in 2022, read more here while Sebas’ Bailey Veale (SPC 2014-15) is heading to Central Highlands FL reigning premier Gordon. Read more here
  

  Toby Clack. Picture: The Courier

• A fantastic read here highlighting Toby Clack’s (SPC 2017-22) reaction to joining the honour roll after being announced the Ballarat Sportsmen’s Club’s junior sportsperson of the year earlier this year. Toby won gold in the World Eight-ball Pool Federation under-18 championships in Agadir, Morocco, topping more than 40 contenders, after earlier capturing national gold earlier in 2023. To read more, click here

If you have any news on our Old Collegians, please contact Alumni and Foundation Officer Lorrie Liston via email at lliston@stpats.vic.edu.au