By now that large bloke in the red suit is probably just a distant memory and the haze surrounding seeing the New Year in has probably also lifted. Now it’s time to get on with 2012 but before we begin salivating at what we have to look forward to let’s take a moment to cast our minds back to some of the more interesting sporting tales of 2011.
2011 did not get off to a rosy start for anyone thanks to Mother Nature. The New Year heralded a cleanup for many sporting organisations badly affected by the floods and those who were lucky enough to miss out on the damage had to deal with fixture cancellations and rescheduling.
January
January was a wipe-out for the Hockey club who saw their newly laid synthetic turf ruined and hundreds of thousands of dollars damage done. Cowboys officials, fans and players watched as their facilities went under. Allman Park turned into a lake and racing was put on hold with the club facing substantial repairs. Cricket in Stanthorpe and Warwick became a game of chance as organisers battled the elements and shuffled fixtures in an effort to get their season back on track.
The sun came out and golfers and cricketers hit the ground running. The Australia Day Cricket Carnival draw was revised with five grounds unavailable but it did not dampen the enthusiasm of players. For Docs X1 it was Lucky 19 claiming their first win in the annual competition.
Misery misery and more misery as Australia succumbed to the Poms in another Ashes defeat and we couldn’t even blame the rain.
Queensland Governor Penelope Wenslake visited Warwick to get a first-hand appreciation of the devastation to the sporting facilities. “The worst I’ve seen,” she said.
The Stanthorpe Cricket Association hosted a successful super 8’s competition. A return to warm and sunny weather and 15 teams took part in a great day of cricket. Valleys defeated RSL in the A grade final.
February
Brisbane Lions players were in town to lend a hand with the flood clean up. In addition they held skills sessions at schools and visited the Clarke family who are long time Lions supporters.
Shane Watson cleaned up at the Alan Border medal presentation evening. He collected everything except the lucky door prize.
The Harvey Norman All Stars competition was hailed another major success with captains Darren Lockyer and Johnathan Thurston both giving the concept their full support. A 28-12 win to the All Stars in a game that had something very special.
The axe has fallen off Broncos coach – Ivan (the Terrible) Henjak. In a surprise announcement Henjak has been replaced by assistant coach Anthony Griffin aka Hook.
Brisbane scribes Bernie Pramberg and Bart Sinclair blew into Stanthorpe to check out the local scene and promised to be back for the annual Caulfield Cup Race meeting.
Back to the classroom for representatives of the BRL clubs as the league hosts an administration forum.
Duncan Armstrong visited the Warwick and District Swimming Club and shared some tips during the clinic at WIRAC.
Souths scoot up the Stanthorpe Cricket ladder with a win over Coasters.
About 30,000 fingerlings hit the water at Leslie Dam (Still looking for the one with my name on it).
March
Football icon Darren Lockyer has announced that he will retire from all forms of the game at the end of the 2011 season. Tributes to Lockyer have already begun to flow.
Brisbane Roar thrilled crowds with an amazing victory in the A league grand final, coming from an impossible position to secure their first premiership win. The St George Dragons became only the third NRL club to take out the World Cup club challenge when they defeated Wigan. With the NRL season just around the corner a flurry of prominent players made the headlines for all the wrong reasons. NRL players in FNQ got better reviews, taking time to mingle with Tully tigers juniors.
The Warwick Hockey Association is back in business and held a come and try weekend to show you can’t keep a good club down.
Raheen Stud announce they have secured the services of Group 1 winning sire Captain Sonador at the end of his 2011 racing campaign.
Sports Ministers Phil Reeves joined local member Lawrence Springborg in Warwick to inspect and assess first-hand flood damage to the synthetic surface at the Warwick Hockey Association.
On the local cricket scene Wanderers handed Souths a pasting to claim the Stanthorpe premiership while in a low scoring game Inglewood secured their first Warwick Cricket premiership.
Maryvale captain Andrew Ryan was named player of the final, winning the Margaret Walsh medal.
Inglewood Roosters were winners of the BRL season opener taking out the final of the round robin competition.
April
Morgan Park hosted the Barastoc Interstate Polocrosse Series. Twenty interstate teams nominated for the popular event.
Stanthorpe United Redbacks football club launched their 2011 season strip with an impressive and professional sponsors evening at the Stanthorpe RSL.
Talented 14-year-old, Stanthorpe footballer Cameron Crestani, added the national Youth Week Male Sports Person of the Year Award to his many achievements.
Inglewood Shooters fourth ANZAC tribute shoot was organised by Peter Solomon of Texas. Overall winner was Goondiwindi visitor Paul Drier.
Senior Queensland hoop Shane Scriven had a senior moment when he snatched a rival jockey’s whip in the final 100m of a race at Ipswich but in a great show of sharing returned the offending whip to its rightful owner 50m after the post. Sorry – the stewards did not see that as a get out of suspension move – holiday time for Scriven.
St Benny announced he will be chairing the round table at the Knights in 2012. The first of no doubt several coaching surprises.
Desperate for a bet Pommie bookies opened a book on who would catch the bouquet at The Royal wedding.
Queensland Firebirds stars held a coaching clinic in Warwick for budding netball talents.
The Brisbane Broncos continued their excellent start to 2012 with a good win over the Tigers and the St George Reds showed they will be a force to be reckoned with this season with a win over competition leaders the Stormers at Newlands.
A big field teed off for the Maureen Bates Memorial Golf Day in Stanthorpe. Winners were Keith Green and Eric McLellan.
May
Armstrong Park came alive as the racing gods granted Stanthorpe a special meeting in May. With little notice and even less time for preparation the five race program went off without a hitch.
Black Caviar took the Queensland racing public by storm as she notched up win number 13, winning the Group 1 BTC Cup over 1200 metres at Doomben. Unfortunately connections scratched the world’s top sprinter from the Doomben 10,000 the following week. The famous mare holidayed just down the road at Washpool Lodge Aratula in preparation for her spring campaign.
Wee Willie Mason bade us AuRevoir and headed to the land of the frogs after English Club Hull said “on your bike” after someone realised they’d been sold a dud.
Rugby league was welcomed back to the ‘Garra as the Rams hosted their first home game of the season. The Rams thrilled the big home crowd with a 42-8 win over Inglewood.
The Gremlins kicked off their home season with a win over the Texas Terriers under lights on Sullivan Oval.
In the NRL the Dragons juggernaut rolled on. Manly are looking like a team on the improve and the Aussie and Kiwis lined up for the ANZAC Test at Skilled Park.
June
It was as if the planets had aligned – the NRL One Community Program, the Warwick Flood recovery and the desire of a man who has never forgotten his roots – Wayne Bennett – all combined to renew an association between the St George Dragons and the Warwick Rugby League Club that dates back to 1948.
Young and old besieged current St George stars their coach and big Dell.
In cricket circles Simon Katich failed to receive the offer of an Australian Cricket contract. The winds of change are rustling.
The mighty Maroons went down 18-8 in Origin II and gave Ricky and the Blues a sniff. Bring on game III – the decider.
July
Good to be a Queenslander. The Maroons made it a six pack; the Reds stepped away from the oblivion of a few years ago to claim the Super 15 title. They were added to the other Queensland winners – Brisbane Roar and the Queensland Firebirds.
Team Tancred completed their annual migration to the Suncorp Cathedral for another year and was almost successful in losing this columnist among the 54,000 strong crowd before leading me to the promised seat.
Many NRL tipsters copped a hammering during the Origin and Post Origin matches. Penrith’s stand in coach Steve Georgallis enjoyed few moments of brief glory before the reality of A Grade coaching set in only to be followed by the axe.
The Australian Diamonds won the 2011 World Netball Championships title in yet another epic clash against the New Zealand Silver Ferns.
In the local league Wattles continued their winning streak. The Cowboys upset the more fancied Souths and the Texas Terriers began their march to the finals with a win over Warwick Rebels. The Gremlins prepared to go pink for a cause showing off their pink strip for the Breast Cancer Awareness Ladies Day, which was a huge success.
The Reddies downed the Hawks but paid the price with several injuries coming from the game.
Stanthorpe golfer Brendan Barker added his name to the Finch Cup winners list.
August
The Big Red V returned as promised for a Legends game, bringing with them some famous players who looked like they had just stepped from an NRL game.
The Warwick and District side was not without their own stars. Shane Webcke headlined the local line up, which was captained by Glen Whitton. The visitors won a close contest with the aroma of liniment floating around Warwick and districts for several days. Quote of the match to linesman Steve Schwenke who “thought it must have been a weight for age event.”
In the NRL the mighty Dragons seemed to have caught a stitch. The Cowboys were on the attack, proving they could win without Johnathan Thurston. The Storm looked comfortable atop the leader board but the Titans looked to be in a world of trouble.
Freestone Bowls Club celebrated its 50th birthday in style as the Reddies staked their claim for a finals berth in the AFL Darling Downs competition.
The Stanthorpe Gremlins were too strong for the Inglewood Roosters in a BRL top of the table clash. Cowboys bow out of the TRL competition after a tough season.
Stanthorpe United coach Steve McEvoy jumped at the chance to attend a two-day Football International coaching seminar. One of the guest speakers was Brisbane Roar coach Ange Postecoglou.
Australia’s fastest race cars returned to Morgan Park raceway for a round of the Shannon’s Nationals.
Stanthorpe junior basketballers played at the Junior Regional Basketball Carnival in Toowoomba. There were some wins and some losses for the Under 11’s and Under 13’s and plenty of experience.
Oh the shame of it…the Poms name numero Uno in the Cricket World. Almost simultaneously the report commissioned on the Aussie side after yet another disastrous Ashes series was released. No surprises …we can’t bat, can’t field and can’t bowl. Punter looks likely to get punted.
September
The pointy end of the footy season saw Manly into the grand final but not before “fight night at Brooky” had everyone talking. Manly wrapped up perhaps one of the most unpopular grand final wins over the Warriors (see they didn’t win everything).
On the local front the Inglewood Roosters hosted their first grand final and the town came to a standstill as the local lads proved too strong for the Gremlins.
In Reserve Grade the Wallangarra Rams made the grand final in their first season back in the competition but failed at the final hurdle, going down to the Roosters and making a double celebration for the hosts.
Gremlins under 16’s also booked themselves a spot in the final but in a controversial game were out gunned by Goondiwindi.
Former Warwick netballer and popular member of the Queensland Firebirds Clare McMeniman finished her career on a high announcing her retirement after the Firebirds undefeated season.
European Carp were the order of the day as a big crowd turned out for the Carp Fishing competition, part of the Love My River Celebrations.
October
Racing officials in Warwick and Stanthorpe once again felt the wrath of Mother Nature. Warwick Cup day was abandoned following an overnight downpour. It did little to dampen the spirits of patrons who braved the muddy conditions and supported the phantom meeting. A week on and Stanthorpe Cup day got under way under threatening skies. With race one run and won by Wataweapon the heavens opened. The remainder of the meeting was abandoned but again conditions did little to dampen the spirits of the revellers.
All this happened while I was across the “ditch” for the RWC semi final matches. No joy for the Wallabies and the Welsh but at least team Tancred made it safely home intact.
The All Blacks went on to beat the French in the final and will be dining out on frogs legs for some time to come.
The Kangaroos gave their Kiwi cousins an absolute bath in Lockyer’s final test on Australian soil but we had to dip our lids to another Kiwi after NZ filly Southern Speed scored an upset win in the Caulfield Cup.
Casey Stoner made it five on the trot at Phillip Island and Brisbane Roar continued on their winning way.
Closer to home, a group of talented youngsters, the Allstars Skippers retuned from the Australian skipping titles with a swag of medals. Several skippers will be heading off to the Junior Olympics in 2012.
Tenterfield Golf Club finished a big month on a high, hosting the NSW Veterans 4 Ball Championships.
Riders from Warwick and Killarney competed in the Junior and Senior Mounted games in Werribee, Victoria.
The 2011-2012 cricket competitions got under way in Warwick and Stanthorpe.
November
On the big stage that race that stops a nation bought the country to stand still as the French exacted revenge for the RWC loss with back to back Melbourne Cup victories. Dunaden got the nod or nose hair at least over Red Cadeaux and I am among those still unconvinced about the results. Probably an indication that I was on the second horse.
Top sporting names including former Brisbane Bronco Mick De Vere, Australian volleyballer Will Thwaite, Brisbane Lions legend Darryl White and local netball star Laura Geitz were in Warwick for the Deadly Sports Day. Geitz won the top netball award in Australia – the Liz Ellis Diamond.
The Mick Wise Oval at Glen Aplin was rededicated as the restoration of the oval moved towards completion, a long but worthwhile journey.
Cricket Australia announced the winds of change had arrived as John Inverarity was named Aussie coach following the much awaited Australian Team Performance Review.
Softball is set to make a comeback on the Granite Belt after an interim committee was elected following a series of public meetings.
BRL chairman Steve McEvoy stood down, after holding the position for 15 years. I put my hand up and am feeling my way as I go.
Lockyer bowed out with a win in his final game, hoisting the Tri Nations trophy aloft, bringing down the curtain on an illustrious career and more farewells than Dame Nellie Melba had comebacks.
December
T20 Big Bash gets off to a fizzer of a start.
In local cricket, Souths are the team at the head of the leader board and added more points with a comprehensive win over arch rivals Valleys.
Bob Watts and Lyn Ludlow took out the Stanthorpe Golf Club’s Golfer of the Year competition.
Former BRL chairman Steve McEvoy takes up position on the QRL South West Council.
Nominations open for the 2012 Australia Day Carnival.
And so that is a snapshot of 2011 – 2012 looms large – the big one of course will be the London Olympics and there are plenty of what if’s surrounding Aussie competitors and hopefuls – none more so than Ian Thorpe.
For me the most interesting just at the present is the resurgence of the Aussie cricketers and the hype surrounding the little master Sachin Tendulkar – will he or won’t he get that illusive 100th ton. You bet he will. By the way for those doomsayers who said Test cricket was dead – I’m sorry but you’ll have to wait a little longer to kill it off.
The NRL trials are only weeks away and so the circle of sport gets under way for another year. It’s sure to be action packed with plenty of swerves and curves we haven’t seen coming. Can’t wait.
