This summer is Walsh's seventh in charge of the Bendigo District Cricket Association and continues a remarkable run as player and administrator.

His legendary feats as a batsman - 10.068 runs, 24 centuries - and 13 premierships across a first XI career at Eaglehawk and later Golden Square - earned induction to the Hall of Fame in 2012.

In the 50th year of the Bendigo Bank Bendigo Advertiser-Prime 7 Sports Star of the Year, Walsh said the award was among his career highs.

"To be selected in the Hall of Fame means a lot to me.

"There have been a lot of people from Bendigo achieve exceptional success in all sorts of sports.

"To be recognised by your peers in such a way was incredible."

Three years on from his induction and Walsh is doing all he can to help Bendigo cricket prosper.

The determined right-hand batsman has come a long way since he first played with Bendigo High School, now Bendigo Senior Secondary College, and later in the White Hills second XI.

Walsh joined Eaglehawk in the mid 1970s and carved out a remarkable career.

He was not the flashiest or most dynamic of run-scorers, but sheer determination played a big part in many superb innings.

"My ethos was to always work hard to be the best I could be. It's what I always strived for as a player and later as a captain and coach."

A couple of summers after starting at Eaglehawk and the club's incredible run of premiership success began.

Young stars such as Dennis Bice, Garry Tupper and Wayne Walsh would go on to play significant roles.

"Premiership success is what you play for, but it was also about a love of the game."

After nine premierships at Eaglehawk, Walsh crossed to Golden Square as captain-coach and led the first XI to four grand final wins in a row.

"Golden Square was a great opportunity and challenge.

"The club already had younger players such as Simon and Brad Pearce, Robert Bakes and Scott Johnson in the first XI.

"The main thing was to change their training ethos. I always believed the harder you worked at training the easier it was in a game.

"A lot of the training drills at Eaglehawk and Golden Square were match scenarios."

Once his playing days ended, Walsh threw his energy into administration, firstly at Golden Square and then the BDCA as a member of the board and then president.

The most crucial partnership in Walsh's life is his 34-year marriage to Kerrie.

The couple have two children - Brett, 30, and Meagan, 27.

Brett and his wife Natalie have two daughters, Amelia and Olivia.

When the region's Sports Stars gather for the 50-year celebration at the All Seasons Motel in Bendigo on February 27, Wayne Walsh will stand proudly among them as one of the city's greatest.