Old Boys in the News – September 2023

Our Old Collegians have been making the headlines, including:

A large number of the team currently working on the College’s new $20m Performing Arts Centre, are Old Collegians. Picture Lachlan Bence

• It’s fantastic to see many familiar faces working on the College’s new $20m Performing Arts Centre at the moment. A number of the workers on site at the moment are Old Collegians, pictured above with College Principal Steven O’Connor, ranging from designers to a large team of construction workers and tradies. What an accomplishment! To read more, click here
• Brothers James (SPC 2012-17) and Jarrod Curran (SPC 2013-18) and fellow Old Boy Chris Quinlan (SPC 2005-06) are expected to line up for Springbank in tomorrow’s Central Highlands FL preliminary final, read more here
• 

  Steve Moneghetti. Photo Lachlan Bence

  Read about how Old Collegian Olympian Steve Moneghetti (SPC 1975-80) inspired the award-winning song “Take on the World” by Pseudo Echo, and didn’t know about it until now. Read more here

• Great to see Matt Short (SPC 2008-13) make a great start, hitting a quick-fire 20, in his debut for Australia as the Aussies crushed South Africa in the T20 opener last week. Read more in this story here
  

  Matt Short celebrating a 3-0 series win with the Aussies in South Africa.

• Old Collegian Clay Jenkins (SPC 2005-10) suffered a season-ending knee injury in the closing minutes of North Ballarat’s elimination final triumph in the Ballarat FNL at the weekend. Play was stopped as the North Ballarat veteran was stretchered off the Eastern Oval, read more here
  

  Jarrod O’Brien. Photo Adam Trafford

• Old Collegian Alex Ross (SPC 2010-15) also suffered a season-ending injury to his knee in Bungaree’s qualifying final defeat, key Sebastopol forward Toby Hutt (SPC 2009-14) was also troubled by a knee injury in Sebas’ lead-up to the finals campaign and Hepburn footballer Andy McKay (SPC 1995-2000) was pressing for a long-awaited return from a serious leg injury. However, injuries have opened the door for others to gain selection including fellow Old Boy Ethan Forbes (SPC 2015-2020) into Bungaree’s side, while Jarrod O’Brien (SPC 2011-16) regained his spot in the Carngham-Linton side alongside his brothers Nick (SPC 2006-11), Dean (SPC 2013-18) and Justin (SPC 2005-10) in the Saints line-up. Read more about these stories here,  here and here
• Old Collegian Joe Carmody (SPC 1992-97) has been named the new coach of East Point in the Ballarat FNL next season after spending time at Buninyong in the Central Highlands FL this year. To read more, click here
• Meanwhile, Chris Banwell (SPC 1999-2004) has been locked in for another year at Skipton in the Central Highlands FL, to read more, click here
  

  Ben Mornane.

• • Well done to Old Collegian Ben Mornane (SPC 2017-22), who won the under-20 event at the ninth round of Athletics Victoria’s XCR series, winning the 5km event in 15 minutes and 10 seconds. This follows Ben’s earlier placing in the National Cross Country Championships near Canberra, where he finished 19th in the men’s under-20 race with a time of 26:18m, read more here and here
  

  Michael Lenehan, pictured right. Photo Adam Trafford

• Great to see Michael Lenehan (SPC 2008-13) involved in the latest gold-rush inspired gin bar opening in Ballarat’s Grainery Lane, read more in this story here
  

  Ryan Waight. Picture Adam Trafford

• With the 2024 footy season already in the spotlight, it’s great to see Old Collegian Ryan Waight (SPC 1998-2003) has no hesitation locking in another season as coach at Bungaree in the Central Highlands FL, as the Demons prepare for their first finals campaign since 2017, while Mitch Jenkins (SPC 1994-99) has called time as joint coach at Beaufort for next season, although he will play on with the club. Read more in these stories here and here
• It’s great also to see these Old Collegians, Ben Dodd (SPC 2014-19), Lachie Thornton (SPC 2011-16), Tom Wakefield (SPC 2010-15) and Ben Simpson (SPC 2010-15) back in action for the Demons as they embark on their first finals campaign since 2017, along with Nick O’Brien (SPC 2006-11) for Carngham-Linton, read more here, here and here
  

  Matt and Jordan Johnston. Picture Adam Trafford

  Brothers Matt (SPC 2009-14) and Jordan Johnston (SPC 2012-17) have also signalled their intention to stay on at East Point in the Ballarat FL next season. The brothers have been tagged as two of the team’s “most important players” in this story here although Jordan had to sit out of the Roos’ elimination final win at the weekend after opting for surgery on a broken thumb, sustained the week earlier, read more here

• Tim Canny (SPC 1995-2000) was among a number of Ballarat business operators at a special event recently, busy learning energy efficiency hacks to help ensure long-term profitability in light of electricity price increases and the loss of Commonwealth Games business, read more 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