Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
SUPERB feats on the bowls green, basketball court, ocean, football field, cycling track, netball court and more will be celebrated at Friday night's 50th presentation of the Bendigo Bank Bendigo Advertiser-Prime 7 Sports Star of the Year.
The function will be held at the All Seasons Motel in Bendigo.
Yearly and monthly winners from days gone by will join with the top performers of 2014-15.
Renowned sports commentator Sandy Roberts is master of ceremonies as Sports Star reaches a golden anniversary.
A premiership-winning coach at Sydney, AFL Hall of Fame member and now Melbourne FC coach Paul Roos is guest speaker.
A big night includes the Hall of Fame induction, Cyril Michelsen and Maxine Crouch Trust Fund, Faith Leech inspirational award, Sports Focus Administrator of the Year, and naming of the Healthiest School award winner.
February, 2014
Nathan Wilson, lawn bowls
Victory in the Australian Open singles championship in February was the start of a superb run on the greens for the Bendigo bowls ace.
Nathan stunned world champion Brett Wilkie as he scored a 21-19 victory in the titles decider at Darebin.
Among the highs of the past year for Nathan were second placing in the Silver Nugget Prestige Singles.
He won bronze representing Victoria in the Australian Sides Championships. The Vics line-up included Nathan's older brother, Aaron, who is also his coach.
Selectors also chose Nathan in the NTC squad from which the Australian representative squad and development squad (under-25) are picked.
Nathan plays pennant for Essendon Bowls Club.
February, 2014
Glenn Ashby, yachting
The yachting ace who first learnt his craft on the man-made Lake Eppalock ruled the waves in the battle for the A-Class Catamaran world championship in New Zealand.
Glenn was in the top three in eight of nine races and racked up three victories on his way to capturing his 15th world title and eighth in the A-Class.
A big year for Glenn included sailing with Emirates Team New Zealand in the America's Cup.
He also captured the European championship for A-Class Catamarans sailed off France in June. Glenn won eight of the nine races he contested at the 10-race regatta.
March, 2014
Bendigo Spirit, basketball
Bendigo's only team competing in a national league capped another superb season by winning the Women's National Basketball League championship.
It was back-to-back titles for Bendigo as hundreds packed Bendigo Stadium to watch Spirit beat Townsville Fire in the 2013-14 season decider.
Brilliant forward Kelsey Griffin earned the grand final MVP award as Spirit won 94-83.
A formidable line-up included four-time Olympic representative Kristi Harrower joining forces with the likes of Gabe Richards, Kelly Wilson and Chelsea Aubry.
The Bernie Harrower-coached Spirit is in its eighth WNBL season.
The club has reached the play-offs six times.
Bendigo's premiership squad of 13 in the 2013-14 season included eight players who had progressed from the Basketball Victoria country program.
April, 2014
Bryan Jolly, judo
The Campbells Forest teenager fought on many judo mats across the world in 2014.
A highlight was fifth place at the Youth Olympis in Nanjing, China.
Bryan earned selection for the Youth Olympics by being Australia's No.1-ranked player at under-18 level.
He also fought the junior men's world titles in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Bryan won two divisions at the Oceania championships in New Zealand.
He captured gold in the under-21 and under-18 classes.
Bryan starred at the Australian titles where he won the under-21 and under-18 finals.
The 17-year-old has often conceded height and weight to opponents, but it has not deterred him.
In the past year Bryan has won than 30 gold medals.
May, 2014
Matt White, BMX racing
The BMX ace won the 16-boys final at the national championships.
Matt raced in the United States later in the year and was third in the 16-boys class at the Grand Nationals.
The teenager from Maiden Gully was third in the BMX Australia national champbike series for 16-boys and won the Victorian championship.
Matt competed at the BMX world championships and reached the 16-boys semi-finals.
His skill on the track has earned selection in the BMX Australia Development Academy and the high performance squad in the Victorian team.
June, 2014
Zak Dempster, cycling
Racing in the 2014 Tour de France was the greatest achievement in what's been a superb career for the cyclist who first raced in Castlemaine and later moved to Bendigo.
Zak was the first cyclist from central Victoria to compete in the world's greatest road race and was a significant contributor for NetApp-Endura.
The Tour lasts three weeks and more than 3600km racing in the heat, cold, and the daunting mountains across France.
Highs of his 2014 racing campaign included 11th in a Tour de France stage, fourth in a Tour of California stage.
Zak started the year by winning the first leg in the Mitchelton Bay Classic criterium series and went on to be runner-up.
He rates the Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders as two of his best races in the past year.
Zak is now back in Europe aiming to earn selection for a second Tour de France start.
July, 2014
Glenn O'Shea, cycling
A triple winner of the Bendigo Advertiser Sports Star of the Year award, Glenn went on another gold medal-winning spree in track cycling action in 2014.
He capped his first Commonwealth Games appearance by winning gold in the teams pursuit at Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow.
Glenn won silver in the scratch race.
Other highs of the year included gold in the teams pursuit at the world track championships and victory in the discipline at the Mexico leg of the World Cup.
Glenn won the points score at the national track titles in January.
A major goal is to contest the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Glenn will spend a lot of this year racing for the Budget Forklift team.
July, 2014
Brad Rawiller, gallops
The Bendigo-raised jockey earned another monthly award in Sports Star when he claimed the national jockeys' premiership in 2014.
Brad racked up 156 1/2 wins across the year to win a closely-fought duel by two.
In April, the Rawiller family was among the first inductees to the Bendigo Jockey Club's Legends.
Among the many wins Brad achieved in 2014 was victory aboard the Darren Weir-trained Trust In A Gust in the Toorak Handicap at Caulfield during the spring carnival.
Throughout his career Brad has won a Caulfield Cup, Caufield Guineas and Golden Slipper Stakes.
August, 2014
Cailtin Thwaites, netball
Gold at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games was among many highs Caitlin achieved on the netball court in the past year.
The Diamonds outplayed long-time rival New Zealand in the final.
A talented goalshooter, Caitlin marked her Games debut by scoring 18 from 23 shots in Australia's 63-36 victory against Wales.
In her first full match for Australia at the Commonwealth Games, Caitlin scored 42 from 50 in a 50-goal win against Barbados.
The lead-up to the Games included Australia's Test match against England in Bendigo. Caitlin played a quarter and scored eight from 10 as the Diamonds won 54-37.
This season will be Cailtin's 11th in the Trans-Tasman Trophy and second with the NSW Swifts.
September, 2014
Lucas Herbert, golf
Ravenswood's golfing ace netted another Sports Star award after he finished equal second at 20-under par when he represented Australia in the Eisenhower Cup in Japan.
Lucas was in hot form at two of Australia's biggest golf events this summer.
He shot a course record of seven-under in the third round on his way to being equal 11th in the Australian Masters at the Metropolitan Golf Club.
The 19-year-old was the leading amateur.
Lucas was equal 23rd and achieved the lowest score among the amateur field at the Australian Open played at Australian Golf Club.
In 2014, Lucas was Australia's lowest-ranked amateur in the world and at one stage was at number three.
Among the many highs of the past year were a top-20 finish in the Victorian PGA at Heritage, representing Victoria, and being a member of Commonwealth Golf Club's pennant winning team.
September, 2014
Emma Cox, clay target shooting
Silver in the women's double trap at the world championship grand prix in Spain clinched Emma's second monthly award in as many years.
Emma achieved sixth placing in the women's double trap at her Commonwealth Games debut at Glasgow in July.
A personal best of 101-120 in the last of six selection rounds meant Emma was Australia's leading qualifier for the Commonwealth Games and world titles.
Because double trap is a non-Olympic event, Emma has switched to Olympic Trap and was runner-up at the national titles.
Emma competed at the Cyprus Grand Prix in February and will compete at the World Cup in the United Arab Emirates in March.
A goal is to earn selection for the 2016 Rio Olympics.
September, 2014
Joel Selwood, AFL
Another outstanding season by the Geelong Football Club on-baller was capped with selection in the AFL's All-Australian team for the fourth time.
Joel was named captain of the All-Australian team for the second year running and led Australia in the International Rules Series against Ireland in November.
The Cats' star won the Carji Greeves Medal, the club's best and fairest award, for a third time in 2014.
It was back-to-back club champion awards in a season where he finished fourth in the Brownlow Medal and set a club record of 137 votes in the prestigious award across eight seasons.
Joel was voted the AFL Players Association Robert Rose Most Courageous Player for a fourth time.
Geelong's captain since 2012, Joel has played 184 matches in the big league.
He is a triple premiership player with Geelong and was the Bendigo Advertiser Sports Star of the Year in 2009-10.
October, 2014
Tessa Lavey, Gabe Richards and Belinda Snell, basketball
A bronze medal at the world championships in Turkey capped a great campaign for the Australian Opals team-mates.
Tessa, a guard, and Gabe, a centre, marked their first world titles at senior level.
A brilliant forward, Belinda has now played at three world titles. She has played in three Olympics Games campaigns.
A big year for Belinda included playing in Poland.
An inaugural member of Bendigo Spirit, Gabe Richards achieved her dream of representing Australia at the age of 30.
She earned selection in the WNBL's All-Star Five for the 2013-14 season.
Tessa was the youngest member in the Brendan Joyce-coached Opals squad at the world titles.
Among the many highs in 2014 were her first WNBL championship with Bendigo Spirit.
October, 2014
Kristy Packham, kayaking
Whether it was sprints or longer distances, Kristy Packham excelled in wildwater championship duels in 2014.
Among the many highs were wining the long-course rapid sprint at the Australian Wildwater titles on the Mersey River in Tasmania, and the short-rapid sprint on the Mersey.
Kristy also won the classic, a 5km race across the rapids.
She teamed with her twin, Cassandra Murphy to win the women's open K2 at the Australian marathon on Lake Wendouree in Ballarat. The twins raced 32km.
Kristy's feats have earned selection in Australia's senior team to contest wildwater events this year. A tour across Europe in June will include two world cup rounds in Slovenia, another two World Cup rounds in Austria, and the world titles in Vienna.
November, 2014
Chloe Stewart, Kyneton
The 19-year-old from Kyneton earned her first montly award in Sports Star after she captured the world junior (under-25) singles crown at Broadbeach on the Gold Coast.
Chloe's form has earned selection in Australia's senior team for the Trans Tasman series in March.
She will make her international debut at senior level in singles and pairs.
Chloe represented Australia in the under-25 Trans Tasman series last March.
She also contested the Australian Super 6s and sides series.
A big year included winning Kyneton Bowling Club's championship for the fourth year in a row.
Chloe is aiming to compete in the lawn bowls action at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.
November, 2014
Tim Decker, cycling
Head coach of Australia's track endurance squad, Tim capped a superb 2014 by being named Cycling Australia's international coach of the year.
Among the many highs throughout the year were Australia's dominance in the teams pursuit at the world titles in Colombia and at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
Tim also played a key role as Glenn O'Shea raced to win silver in the scratch race at the Commonwealth Games.
Tim and Glenn first teamed up as coach and competitor at the Bendigo Bank Academy of Sport.
A hectic year included several world cup legs.
Based in Adelaide with the CA program, Tim was recently in France for the world titles and will play a key role in Australia's campaign at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
December, 2014
Julie Ross, Patti Pain, Mardi Chisholm, lawn bowls
Golden Square clubmates Mardi Chisholm, Patti Pain and Julie Ross teamed up on the bowls greens to win the Victorian Open triples championship.
The talented trio scored a 15-5 victory in the state decider at Shepparton.
The Ross-skipped team advanced to the state final by wining the Bendigo Division final, regional finals and then the sectional matches.
Among the highs was a one-shot win against Victorian representative Sam Shannahan before an 18-3 victory in the semi-final.
Team-mates for about 20 years, Chisholm, Pain and Ross celebrated their first Victorian Open title.
They have starred on the greens in Bendigo Bowls Division midweek pennant.
January, 2015
Peta Mullens, cycling
The 26-year-old joined Bendigo's growing list of national champions when she won the women's elite race at the Cycling Australia road titles at Buninyong.
A multiple champion in mountain bike action, Peta achieved the biggest victory of her road racing career.
The 26-year-old's never-give-up approach paid off at the end of the 102km duel on a gruelling circuit.
Peta's lead-up to the road nationals included winning a leg, for the first time, in the Mitchelton-backed Bay Classic criterium series.
The brilliant all-rounder represented Australia in the MTB cross-country action at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games and is pursuing selection for the Rio Olympics.
January, 2015
Heath Behrens, cricket
Bendigo United's gun batsman became the highest run-scorer in Bendigo District Cricket Association history in late January.
Heath's score of 42 in the clash with Kangaroo Flat took his career tally to 10,426 and surpassed the record of 10,417 held for many summers by Leon Grose.
Heath holds the full set of BDCA batting records in the first XI competition.
The 36-year-old has struck the most centuries, 25, and highest score, 249 not out.
Heath made his first XI debut in 1994-95, is a premiership-winning captain and been a key figure in the top order throughout the club's finest era.
He will be chasing another grand final victory in March.