Old Boys in the News – October 2023

Our Old Collegians have been making the headlines, including:

Angus Phasey.

• Angus Phasey (SPC 2012-16), pictured above, who is a serving member of HMAS Ballarat based in Western Australia, who was thrilled to be able to enjoy a working trip home to Ballarat last week. Read more about Angus’ life and family connections with the Australian Navy in this story here

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  James Petrie.

  Old Collegian James Petrie (SPC 2001-06) will be remembered in a special run in early November to promote mental health. The event, to be known as “Peach’s Run, named in memory of James’ cheeky nickname, will launch from St Patrick’s Point, at Lake Wendouree, on November 11. Organised by several of James’ mates, including fellow classmate Nick Lawrance (SPC 2001-06), funds will be raised for the James Petrie Fund, via The Ballarat Foundation. To read more and see how you can join, click here and here

• Great to see Old Collegian Simon Ward (SPC 2001-06) joining the push for bowel cancer screening to be lowered from the age of 50 to 45 years, and voicing that it is not just an old person’s disease after finishing his final round of chemotherapy after being diagnosed with stage three bowel cancer almost a year ago when he was aged just 34. To read more about Simon’s journey, click here
  

  Simon Ward. Photo: Adam Trafford

  

  Luke Keys. Photo: Kate Healy

• Great to see Luke Keys (SPC 1988-93) behind the return of Ballarat’s short film festival, Poco. Luke is festival director and delighted with the response so far from all across Australia, to read more, click here

• It was fantastic to see hundreds of people joining forces to raise greater awareness and support for mental health of those who serve and their families at the 2023 Walking Off the War Within, in Ballarat in early October. The event was formed in memory of Old Collegian Nathan Shanahan (SPC 1988-93) and his father John Shanahan (SPC 1967-69) is on the organising committee. To read more, click here and here
  

  Brenton Payne.

• Great to see Old Collegian Brenton Payne (SPC 2010-14) will coach reigning Central Highlands FL premiers Gordon in 2024. Brenton, a BFNL premiership player who was selected by St Kilda in the 2014 Rookie draft, spent time as an assistant coach at Port Melbourne in 2023 while lining up for the Bloods in the BFNL. To read more, click here
• Well done to Alex Molan (SPC 2017-22) on collecting a coaches award in the Greater Western Victoria Rebels’ Talent League season awards night, to read more, click here
• Skipton has lured East Point premiership player Mitch Walsh (SPC 2009-14) as an assistant coach in 2024, reuniting Mitch and fellow Old Boy Chris Banwell (SPC 1999-2004), with the duo spending the best part of a decade together at East Point in the Ballarat league. Teammate Mitch McCrow (SPC 2011-14) is also heading to the Emus next season. To read more, click here and here
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  Mitch Walsh. Photo: Lachlan Bence

  Great to see Connor Dowie (SPC 2010-15) is part of a group seeking to celebrate unsung heroes across the region as part of a new awards night to promote informal volunteering. To read more, click here

  

  Connor Dowie. Photo: Kate Healy

• Old Collegian and two-time Ballarat Football Netball League premiership player Brad Whittaker (SPC 2004-09) is set to be a co-coach of Dunnstown next season in the Central Highlands FL, to read more, click here
• Great to see Old Boy Warrick Davison (SPC 1988-93) helping those in need during the winter months in this story here
• What an amazing achievement – well done to Old Collegian Michael Walsh (SPC 1963-66, PY1969) who recently clocked up his 500^th blood donation! Michael began giving blood as a trainee stock agent in the early 1970s and has just rolled up his sleeve for this mighty donation, a tally more than 50 years in the making. To read more about Michael’s story, click here
  

  Michael Walsh. Photo: The Courier

  

  Jake Laidlaw and his family. Photo: The Courier

• It is wonderful to see Old Collegian Jake Laidlaw (SPC 2008-12, PY2013) and his family will be travelling to the US for life-saving medical treatment to save their baby girl’s life, after receiving government funding, amid a groundswell of community support. Little Zarliah has spent half of her life battling a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer, diagnosed when she was just five months old. To read more, click here
• A few Old Boys were among the plethora of exciting talent for the recent Ballarat Football Netball League grand finalists, Darley and North Ballarat, including Jamie Quick (SPC 2015-2020), Riley Polkinghorne (SPC 2014-19), Brett Bewley (SPC 2008-13), Jack Riding (SPC 2013-18) and Joel Cadman (SPC 2013-18).
• Congratulations to Brett Bewley (SPC 2008-13), who won the Ballarat Football Netball League’s best and fairest honour, the Henderson Medal, for the second consecutive season with the Darley midfielder enjoying another sensational year with his boyhood club. Fellow Old Boy, North Ballarat’s Riley Polkinghorne (SPC 2014-19) finished third, while East Point’s Matt Johnston (SPC 2009-14) and Sebas’ Bailey Medwell (SPC 2012-17) came fourth. Matt Johnston and brother Jordan (SPC 2012-17) also made the BFNL Seniors Team of the Year alongside captain Brett Bewley and Jamie Quick. To read more, click here

Tim Knowles.

• Great to see Old Collegian Tim Knowles (SPC 1997-2002) celebrated as one of Springbank’s loyal servants in this story here alongside Gordon captain Gerard Clifford (SPC 2008-13) who had roped in his work colleagues to pull out the green and gold to help cheer him to the Central Highlands FNL grand final.
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  Connor Ascough, left, and Ben Frazer, right. Photo: The Courier

  Fantastic also to see Gordon mates Ben Frazer (SPC 2014-19) and Connor Ascough (SPC 2014-19) in the news aiming for their third Central Highlands FL premiership together this season in this story here while Ben Schiltz (SPC 2006-11) chats about his excitement of playing in a Gordon grand final alongside brother-in-law Luke Gunnell (SPC 2003-08) in this story here

  

  Jarrod Curran, Fletcher Toose, James Curran and Jack Simpson. Photo: The Courier

• Meanwhile Old Collegians, brothers James (SPC 2012-17) and Jarrod Curran (SPC 2013-18) and Fletcher Toose (SPC 2013-18), Jack Simpson (SPC 2012-17) and Isaac Pertzel (SPC 2013-18) were excited to be lining up together for Springbank in the Central Highlands FL grand final in this story here
• Great to see an Old Collegian David Canny (SPC 1980-85) behind the renovation and reopening of Ballarat’s City Oval Hotel alongside his nephew and niece Patrick (SPC 1998-2003) and Eloise Glenane. Patrick has moved back to Ballarat to take over primary production for the City Oval Hotel, so it will be great to see this Old Boy back about town. To read more, click here
  

  Patrick Glenane and Eloise Glenane. Photo: Lachlan Bence

• In more Canny news, it’s great to see local hotelier Tim Canny (SPC 1995-2000) has been appointed as a director on the Tourism Midwest Victoria board, to read more, click here
• Fabulous news to see Shaun Grigg (SPC 2001-06) joining the Gold Coast Suns in the AFL to join his premiership coach Damien Hardwick in season 2024. Shaun will join the Suns after four years at Geelong where he led the midfield group which won the 2022 premiership. Shaun received a SPC Young Achiever award in 2018. 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