By Nick Creely
SPORT – 2021 IN REVIEW GENERAL SPORT
STORIES FOR TOP OF PAGE:
21/07/2021, Page 58: Our local Olympic heroes
10/03/2021, Page 48: Warriors take up the fight
26/05/2021, Page 58: Howell aims for the stars
17/11/2021, Page 58: Izzy is running rampant
While 2021 has provided some bright moments, the challenges felt by our local sporting community from the Covid-19 pandemic have once again been profound.
However, through thick and thin the rich sporting region of the south-east has seen many achievements to celebrate, and give optimism that 2022 will be one uninterrupted and allow the community to more widely come together as one.
The major sporting story of 2021 was the Tokyo Olympic Games in July, where some of our local athletes truly shone on the international stage.
Amy Lawton (Emerald, Hockey), Heming Hu (Dandenong, Table Tennis), Laetisha Scanlan (Berwick, shooting), Sergei Evglevski (Berwick, shooting), Bec Henderson (Narre Warren, athletics) all represented the local region and their country with immense pride,
Scanlan, 31-year-old, in particular got close to a memorable Olympic medal, finishing fourth in the Women’s Trap final, while Amy Lawton had a very promising Olympic debut campaign for the Hockeyroos.
While the results didn’t quite go our locals’ way at times, there were so many things to smile about, with Bec Henderson putting in a great effort in racewalking, Sergei Evglevski showed tremendous spirit, while Table Tennis champion Heming Hu was a captivating athlete to watch.
Kooweerup local Adam Cheyne was one of the most inspirational stories of 2021.
The 44-year-old, who by his own admission tips the scales at ‘about 150 kilos’, walked a staggering 48 kilometres on a Saturday in March all in the name of raising funds and awareness for returned servicemen and women.
“I had the best mates right beside me, and I also had other people supporting me and showing up on the walk. If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t have been able to do it,” he explained.
“I’m ex-army, and I’m passionate about the diggers, so for me there’s better cause to raise money for.
“Maybe some of the money I raise will go to some of my mates. That’s why I did it.”
Another story that pulled at the heartstrings was at the Berwick Montuna golf course, where people from all walks of life can together to remember their great mate – Ash De La Rue.
His was a life tragically cut short by cancer, leaving behind a loving family – including a young son.
But his was a life that will never be forgotten. Two of De La Rue’s great mates, Justin Stanton and Jeff Bernard, organised a golf day on Friday they lovingly named ‘Flynn’s Sporting Journey’ as it was held to raise funds for young four-year-old Flynn as he progresses in his chosen endeavours, be they academic or sporting.
“Ash was just one of these guys who was actively involved in a number of areas throughout the community, as well as being a construction manager at Mirvac,” Stanton said.
“He touched a lot of people in different ways, either by providing them with employment, or just being involved socially. Jeff and I decided that if we put a golf day together, we’d try and raise some money to put into a trust account for Flynn that Ash’s sister Sheridan could manage.
“It was just one of those things where the local guys wanted to do something to acknowledge the passing of Flynn’s dad Ashley and have this as an annual event.”
With the majority of sporting competitions such as Big V basketball, state-league soccer, hockey and winter baseball managing to get a season start, Covid-19 had the final say in the end with all competitions cancelled with an eye on 2022.
Disappointment was evident across the region at the cancellation of community sport, and with a sense of déjà vu after 2020; the importance of staying connected was all the more important.
But there were still so many wonderful achievements from local clubs, leagues and sportspeople before Covid hit once more.
In March, the Pakenham Pumas Baseball Club took out the Latrobe Valley Gippsland Cup, a round-robin pre-season winter competition hosted by the Morwell and Moe baseball clubs, while also continued growing its women’s sides from one to two teams despite the impacts of Covid-19.
Emily Williams began in Summer 20/21 and is full of praise for the Pakenham Pumas.
“Being a beginner at the Pumas and baseball in general, I originally saw myself as a newbie,” she said.
“Everyone at the Pumas is encouraging and treats you equally. My first season down, I now belong to the Pumas family now.”
In local soccer, popular Pakenham United FC figure Alex Herrera played his 100th game in April. Herrera was one of the original players from the club’s first-ever season all the way back in 2012.
At the elite level, reigning A-League Men premiers Melbourne City officially moved into its new base at Casey Fields.
The local boxing scene was in full force in April, with the Doveton Boxing Club sending three boxers over to compete against Tasmania in the annual Regional tournament, finding great success with 13-year-old Isaac Johnson picking up a win, 26-year-old Eden Hansted also showed terrific signs with a win, while 38-year-old Shane Lynch fought hard in his matchup.
Kooweerup’s karate kids took home gold medals and some valuable experience from the 2021 Australian Open Karate Championships held in Sydney in May.
Brothers Nikola and Luka Tomic won gold medals in individual kumite events, while older sister Emilija was hot on their heels with a fourth place finish in the Individual Female Kata.
Emerging para-athlete Jack Howell is another athlete to keep an eye on as he gears up for the Paris Paralympics in 2024.
Howell – a student from Kambrya College in Berwick – is a para athlete booming in able-bodied triathlons, with the dream of reaching the Paralympics.
The 17-year-old was born with a congenital amputation of his left hand from the wrist.
“I still have growth and development to gain in the sport, but to already be competitive shows that I have the potential to race at an elite level in the future,” he said.
Casey Basketball Association (CBA) continued its rapid rise in the world of Victorian basketball with September’s announcement that the Cavaliers will join the Coles Express NBL1 South competition in 2022.
“We are excited to join NBL1 South as it’s something we’ve been striving towards across the last few years,” Casey General Manager Tammy Bower said.
“For us, being in NBL1 South is the reward for our hard work – I feel we’ve put in a lot of effort in to being the best in everything we do and joining NBL1 South is an amazing outcome for everyone involved in our association.
“Our players, coaches, board members, staff members and volunteers have done an amazing job getting us to this level and we’re ready to take the step up.”
One youngster who defied Covid-19 was Berwick teenager Isabella Rampant who pushed the negativity of lockdowns to one side to smash out an incredible 100-consecutive days of CrossFit workouts at her local gym.
The 14-year-old – better known as Izzy – ticked off the magical milestone on her ongoing journey at Cardinia CrossFit in Pakenham in November.
“Through Covid lockdowns we did zoom classes; I had equipment at home and it became something to do every day,” she said.
“It was lots of fun and there was always someone else on zoom so I had someone to chat too as well. You would see them every day, it was really good and it helped me keep sane mentally.”
While there were perhaps not as many stories as the sports team wanted to write in 2021, here’s hoping 2022 is a year full of possibilities for some our talented athletes.
