1. Kyabram’s first A-grade Cricket Shepparton title
Kyabram Cricket Club created its own piece of district cricket history, winning a pulsating, see-sawing Cricket Shepparton Haisman Shield season decider against Mooroopna.
Chasing their first flag since joining the competition in the 2013-14 season, the Redbacks prevailed in a game of changing fortunes and individual heroics.
All of Kyabram’s frontline batters got a start, but only opener Billy McLay did justice to it.
He faced 169 deliveries for a fighting top score of 52, with just the two boundaries.
Kyabram missed celebrating two premiership triumphs when its B-grade side fell at the final hurdle against Central Park-St Brendan’s in the decider at Mooroopna.
Kyabram’s batters were chasing a gettable 165 runs to win the flag, but came up 63 runs short in their chase.
2. Harley Reid goal of the year
At the Brownlow Medal ceremony, Tongala Football Netball Club was handed a big boost, thanks to talismanic export Harley Reid.
The 2023 number-one draft pick and West Coast Eagles star earned $10,000 for his community club after being awarded goal of the year. He picked up $50,000 for the goal against Melbourne in Round 10.
He gathered the ball one-handed at a centre bounce, then shook off Christian Petracca, took a couple of bounces and then converted from 40 metres.
He received the Phil Manassa Medal for winning the award and continued the trend of young stars winning after Will Ashcroft was successful in 2023.
3. Tongala win three netball premierships
Tongala netballers cleaned up at the 2024 Murray Netball League grand finals, claiming three premiership cups from three grand final appearances.
The club proved too strong on the Moama Recreation Reserve courts, taking out the B-grade, C-grade and the nail-biting extra time C-reserve match.
Tongala surged to the title during the additional minutes, winning 50-42. Coaches Jenn and Jazmin Clark were thrilled to have won the premiership in their first season at Tongala.
Tongala came from behind to stun Moama and deny the Magpies back-to-back honours in the B-grade grand final.
The C-grade side was the first to take to the court, dominating Deniliquin Rams to take the match 46-23.
4. Kyle Mueller scores his 5000th run and kicks 100 goals
Kyabram Redbacks star Kyle Mueller took his season tally of runs to 470 from six knocks at an average of 123.1.
He also reached the milestone of making 5000 runs at senior level since he first broke into the Kyabram senior side as a 13-year-old — 14 years ago.
Mueller had an enormous 2023-24 season, walking away from the Toyota Australia Country Cricket Championships with a ‘Fielder of the Carnival’ award and a Cricket Shepparton premiership medal with the Kyabram team.
As if that wasn’t enough, he also kicked 100 goals (including one game where he kicked 15 goals) for Congupna in its premiership-winning Murray league season.
5. Olivia Cartwright state title and national selection
Kyabram bowls star Olivia Cartwright played as second in the Bowls Victoria Open for Moama teammate Cassandra Millerick, on the way to the state women’s triples title.
The 20-year-old lawn bowler also received a surprising call-up to wear the green and gold at continental titles, marking her first shot at international representation.
Two of her brothers, Josh and Jacob, were among four Kyabram lawn bowlers who were part of the Victorian team that won the School Sports Australia 18-and-under championships.
Also in the team were Charlie and Henry Boswood.
6. Brett Kellow Par 3 state golf title
After claiming the C-grade Parkland Junior title back in 1996, local golfing talent Brett Kellow returned to Parkland to take out the 2024 Victorian Par 3 Championship.
During Kellow’s win he hit 30 greens to have scores of 56, 56, 59 — 171, two shots in front of Jack Nibbs from Metropolitan Golf Club.
Gillan Emond from Peninsula Kingswood held her nerve to come away with a one-shot win in the women’s state Par 3 event with 67, 66 — 133 in the championship from Seabil Leong 69, 65 — 134.
7. Bocce and croquet highlights
Kyabram Bocce Club celebrated 50 years since the Italian community of the town got together to form a venue where they could play the sport of bocce bowls.
Kyabram was the first town in Victoria to have world-class courts.
Kyabram’s Trevor Bassett emerged victorious from the NSW Croquet Men’s Championship, ending a nine-year drought of wins. Entering the event, Bassett aimed not only to add another championship trophy to his collection but also to achieve the milestone of 1000 triple peels, something only four people in the world had achieved.
8. Keith Hindson’s Legend status
Kyabram’s nonagenarian Keith Hindson and James (Jim) Hilder’s dedicated service to the Goulburn Valley Football Umpires Association has been acknowledged and rewarded.
Hindson was one of 15 inaugural inductees into the Hall of Fame at a Moama function. He was also bestowed with Legend status.
9. Liam Ogden’s third b&f
Liam Ogden, who notched his 200th senior game with Kyabram last season, won the club champion title by three votes from fast-finishing Queensland ruck recruit Marcus Khoo.
Ogden, 32, and a triple premiership player (2013, 2016-17), won his first best-and-fairest as a 22-year-old in 2014 and his second in the losing grand final season of 2018.
Isla Carver was winner of the club’s A-grade netball award.
At Lancaster Zac Cerrone won his fourth best-and-fairest and Chicquita Vick was the A-grade netball winner. Jack Donnell and Jemma Wright were the senior football and A-grade netball best-and-fairest winners at Stanhope, while Byron Dryden won Girgarre’s football title and Kim Hanratty the A-grade netball title.
At Merrigum Brad Taylor was best-and-fairest, while Breanna Baker won the A-grade award.
10. Girgarre’s first KDL A-grade netball premiership
KDFNL grand final day was a winning one for Girgarre’s A-grade side, winning a three-point thriller over Lancaster.
The club’s 13-and-under side also tasted grand final glory, defeating Tallygaroopna by just two goals.
Stanhope sides also took home some silverware, with the C-grade side proving too good for Murchison-Toolamba.
The 17-and-under side also had success on the big stage, defeating Merrigum.
It did not all go the way of the Lions, with the reserves and C-reserve sides falling just short of success.