ANOTHER big year in central Victoria sport has nearly come to an end, with no shortage of memorable moments.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Bendigo Advertiser sports journalist Kieran Iles reveals his favourite stories from the year.
1. Brent Stanley and Red Alto land upset hometown Bendigo Cup win
It’s every country horse trainer’s dream to win their hometown cup, and on the last day of October, Brent Stanley’s dream became a reality, when his tough-as-nails stayer Red Alto won the $350,000 Group 3 feature at Bendigo racecourse. The six-year-old gelding stunned a class field, littered by horses seeking qualification into the following Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup, by saluting at the amazing odds of $71. Testament to the galloper’s toughness, Red Alto was lining up for the 15th start of his preparation in recording his first stakes level win. The cup win crowned a magnificent day for the former Group 1-winning jockey, who scored a cup day double following his mare As It Lies’ win earlier in the day.
2. Sandhurst goes back-to-back in netball thriller
It was a grand final for the ages when Sandhurst met Gisborne at the Queen Elizabeth Oval in late September. An extraordinary contest tossed up plenty of twists and turns, with Sandhurst – as it did for the bulk of the 2017 and ’18 seasons – dominating proceedings for three quarters, before Gisborne unleashed the most remarkable of comebacks in the final term to force the game into extra time. The Bulldogs came from nine goals down at the final break, with a shot for goal after the siren from Gisborne star Ella Bertachinni sending the game into overtime. Not to be outdone, Sandhurst, led by standout performances from two of its youngest stars in captain Meg Williams and defender Imogen Sexton, was able to steady and power to an emotional 53-47 win, the Dragons second on end. Fittingly for such an epic contest, a passionate and boisterous crowd appeared to swell as the contest wound down to its thrilling climax.
READ MORE – Imogen Sexton shines on BFNL grand final stage
3. Bendigo cyclists dominate Junior National Track Championships
It was a dominant year – on the track and on the road – for Bendigo and District Cycling Club’s junior brigade. The foundations for a big year were set early at the Junior National Track Championships in February, with Bendigo supplying seven of the 20 riders in the victorious Victorian team. Those seven - Alessia McCaig, Jasmine Eddy, Ruby McLean, Blake Agnoletto, Patrick Eddy, Alex Allott and Jacob Henery – combined to win 10 medals as the Victorians dominated the championships like never before. The charge was led by McCaig, who won a staggering four gold medals, to be crowned the champion of champions. Patrick Eddy scored two golds, while Agnoletto chimed in with another
4. Jacob Nolan’s golden run
What Jacob Nolan achieved on the athletics track during the 2017-18 Victorian Athletic League season was pretty amazing – what he did off the track was simply awesome and inspiring. The young middle-distance runner notched up an impressive five wins – over three separate distances - early in 2018, starting at Wangaratta in January and culminating on the grandest athletics stage of them all at Stawell in April. His winning-streak included a 1600m triumph in front of his home crowd at the Bendigo International Madison carnival. However, Nolan’s class was not restricted to the track, with the Bendigo Athletic Club star donating all of his winnings – more than $6000, including his $1000 first prize purse from Stawell - to not-for-profit organisation Righteous Pups Australia (RPA). The organisation responded by saying it was blow away by Nolan’s character and incredible act of selflessness.
READ MORE – Nolan’s golden run continues
5. Braves women seal dominance with SEABL championship win
A near-perfect season for coach Megan Moody and her Bendigo Braves women’s team had a faultless ending, when they defeated Launceston by 23 points in the SEABL national championship game in Melbourne in August. A season, which started with a dominant 27 point win against newcomers Diamond Valley in April, included 20 consecutive regular season wins and just the one qualifying final loss. That defeat, against Launceston, proved no more than a slight hiccup, as the Braves dominated the championship game from start to finish. The Braves were brilliantly led by one of the greatest SEABL grand final performances of all-time from Gabe Richards, who scorched the Tornadoes for 43 points and 24 rebounds. Her long-time team-mate and mate Kelly Wilson also produced big-time for the Braves, to end the contest with 27 points, 20 assists and three rebounds. Under normal circumstances that would have been enough to earn the champion point guard the nod as the game MVP, but no one could argue against a richly-deserved award win for Richards.
READ MORE – Braves women crowned SEABL champions
6. Wycheproof-Narraport breaks netball drought
It was very much a rags to riches tale for Wycheproof-Narraport, which snapped a 35-year A-grade netball premiership drought with a 25-goal win over Donald. Not once since their previous flag win in 1983 had the Demons contested a grand final, or rarely had they even come close. But with a new coach in Tiarnee Hall and a swag of new recruits on-board, the Demons took all before them to go through the season undefeated. The Demons survived an early scare to take control of the game after quarter time. They were led by centre Liv McEvoy, who won the best on court medal, a week after playing in a losing HDFNL grand final for Colbinabbin.
READ MORE – Demons dare to dream
7. Chris Svanosio scores first Group 1 win
It ended up being a rollercoaster year for Bendigo trainer-driver Chris Svanosio and the star John Meade-trained trotter Sparkling Success. The then six-year-old gelding gave Svanosio his first ever Group 1 win in the sulky, when the pair combined to win the $50,000 Maori Mile at Lord’s Raceway on Bendigo Pacing Cup night. The duo did not need to wait long to add another Group 1, courtesy of a victory in the $300,000 Great Southern Star at Melton just three weeks’ later. Sadly, a planned trip to the United States to contest a $1.3m race in New York later in the year had to be shelved when the horse sustained a serious injury following another Group win at Melton, but there were definitely more highs and lows for Svanosio and Australasia’s premier trotter.
8. Maddy Stewart breaks through for Betty Thompson Medal win
No one could begrudge Maddy Stewart an overdue win in this year’s Betty Thompson Medal count. The Gisborne and VNL star had come perilously close to winning the medal on three other occasions (two second place finishes and one third) and fittingly received a rousing reception when she was confirmed as this year’s winner by a one vote margin ahead of Eaglehawk midcourt ace Ashley Ryan. It was just one of several honours this season for the Bulldogs netballer, who was also named in the VNL championship team of the year following a standout season with Melbourne University Lightning.
READ MORE – Gisborne star wins Betty Thompson Medal
9. Dannielle Sawyer gets premiership wish
A HDFNL A-grade netball premiership in 2018 was a fitting reward for White Hills stalwart Dannielle Sawyer. The inter-league defender has dedicated more than two decades as a player, committee member, coach and umpire for the Demons, HDFNL and wider netball community and can be found each Saturday during the season helping out in some capacity. It’s only fair that someone so passionate about her club and the game reaps the rewards of their labour and that is what eventuated when the Demons ended an eight-year flag drought by defeating Colbinabbin by two goals in a thriller at Huntly. It was especially special for Sawyer, who was the only surviving member of the Demons’ last A-grade premiership in 2010, and had twice been on the end of grand final defeat against the Grasshoppers in 2016 and ’17.
10. Mick Sell’s amazing run of success
Few Bendigo sportspeople have provided more positive headlines this year than the former Kyneton-based trainer, who moved his training base to Bendigo during July. A sustained run of success has followed, including a memorable win on Bendigo Cup day with Carlingford and city success at Flemington just last weekend with the popular mare Penny To Sell, who also notched a win on his home track in October at the amazing odds of 150-1. I’m predicting bigger things lay ahead for the Sell stable in 2019.
READ MORE – Cup day win tops dream training move for Sell
READ MORE – Shock 150-1 win for Bendigo mare Penny To Sell
