Another of Kyabram’s golden era footballers is moving on.
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Utility Nick Coulstock is embracing a new lifestyle and has finally relented to the boredom of consistent travel.
He has been a member of three Kyabram premiership sides — 2013, 2017 and 2019 — and five grand final teams in the past decade and has been a reliable no-fuss, no-frills player who has given his all in every game and has adapted to a number of positions.
But the thing that stands out most about Nick has been his loyalty to the club.
Clubmen as dedicated as him are fading fast from the country football scene, where money has replaced loyalty.
Nick has been on the road every weekend to play with the Bombers since the end of his days in the Kyabram Under 18s.
Firstly he had to travel from the Ballarat and then from Melbourne, where he now resides and works as a personal fitness coach.
It’s been a huge commitment just to play with his home club but Nick always thought it was an honour rather than a chore.
He has accumulated 185 senior games and seven in the reserves in his Kyabram career but has not ruled out a return to the club in the future.
‘‘Just at the moment I have different priorities with a change of work,“ Nick said.
“COVID in the past two years has also been frustrating. I had a long think about it (continuing his career with Kyabram) but at the moment what I’m doing just suits me more.”
Nick will play for Sunshine Football Club in the Western Region Football League this year where he will meet up with another Kyabram premiership player, Chris Atkins, who is an assistant to former AFL player Heath Scotland at the club.
New faces at Stanhope
If recruiting equates to onfield performances Stanhope is in for a good year in the Kyabram and District Football League.
Legendary Stanhope coach Mark Patten has confirmed the Lions have added at least nine newcomers to their ranks this season, including triple Heathcote League Cheatley Medallist Ryan Semmel from Huntly.
Semmel’s bother Luke, Chris Gleeson and Josh Harris are other Huntly players who are joining Stanhope.
Rhys Smith (Serpentine), Tom Rennie (Longwood) and former players in Lachy West (Rochester) and Sam Woodward (Picola) are also bolstering the ranks.
Jye Adamson, son of Stanhope assistant coach and former Kyabram coach Mark Adamson, is also as good as a recruit, as he played only a couple of games last year.
Although in his 40s, Mark Adamson has been training and intends to play.
Patten said Stanhope would have nine Melbourne-based players in its line-up, a scenario that goes against his beliefs but a situation he will tolerate because of the quality of the recruits.
Patten said the only major losses were the classy veteran Chris Sanders and Mitch O’Dwyer.
‘‘On paper at least we should be a lot better than last year,’’ Patten said.
‘Rags’ in the runs
Evergreen Rushworth cricketer Peter Raglus can now boast – and probably will – that in two appearances on the famous Bradman Oval at Bowral they couldn’t get him out.
Playing for the Victorian North East team in an Over-60s competition at Bowral last week, the man affectionately known as ‘‘Rags’’ scored 25 retired and 16 not out in two games on the famous oval where the great Don Bradman honed his talents before becoming the greatest batsman of all time.
To make the week for Rags all the more memorable North East, captained by Benalla’s Trevor Saker, won the tournament.
It’s been a big year for Rags, as his services as a player and servant of both the former Kyabram District Cricket Association and the current Goulburn Murray Cricket competition recently resulted in the D grade GMC competition being named in his honour.
Cautious approach to finals
Cricket Shepparton’s decision to scrap its round 16 home-and-away games means an earlier start and finish to the finals series, if there are no further interruptions.
Finals will now start on March 5, with the season deciders on March 19.
But March 26, which was set down for the premiership showdowns, will now be available if any games in the finals series can’t be played.
Cancelling round 16 means each club will play each other once in both A and B grades.
Cricket Shepparton has also decided on a finals formula, with teams finishing highest on the ladder getting the chance to stage finals on their home grounds for the first two weeks of the finals, if their grounds are deemed suitable.
Easy as A, B for Ledger
Shepparton Golf Club bowler Paul Ledger has pulled off the double in his club’s championships.
Ledger has won both the A grade and B grade men’s championships in the same year.
Ledger has been playing the game for only five years but believes his time as an above average tennis player has been a contributing factor in his rise on the bowls scene.
Watt finds key to Flash
Tongala trots trainer Mick Watt has certainly hit it off with pacer Tasma Flash.
When the seven-year-old son of Mach Three got up to beat a gallant Sirius Major at the Gunbower meeting on Sunday it made it four wins since Watt took over the gelding’s training.
In three of the other four other starts for Watt Tasma Flash has been placed.
In 21 starts before joining the Watt stable Tasma Flash had recorded one win and two placings.
Tasma Flash was the second leg of a driving double at the meeting for young concession reinsman Cody Crossland who had piloted Hayjoshandco to an all-the-way win earlier in the program.
Another district winner over the past week was Artizz, who scored at Sunday’s Gunbower meeting for Kyabram trainer Gary Payne.
Reinsman Cody Crossland was able to retain the front-running position on the nine-year-old Art Major gelding, who chalked up his 12th career success with his win.
Kyabram Free Press