Kyabram Football Club will be without Kyle Mueller for the 2024 GVL season, with the noted goalkicker making the move to Murray Football League club Congupna.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
The man they call ‘The Wiz’ is making the shift to revitalise his career, which has been interrupted by COVID-19 and injuries over the past four years.
‘‘I’m keen to have a fresh start and see how it turns out,’’ said Mueller, who, despite consistent injuries, still kicked 51 goals for the Bombers this year to bring his goal tally with the club to 436.
‘‘Kyabram will always be my home club, and I’m sure I’ll return some time, but I feel I need a change at this stage of my career.”
Congupna was runner-up to Mulwala for this year’s Murray league flag and the club believes Mueller could help it win its first flag in the league.
Mueller will join fellow key forward Tom Holman in departing the Kyabram ranks next season.
Moama-bound Holman, a four-time Kyabram premiership player, spent most of this season at centre half-forward but is a versatile player who has spent a lot of time in defence during his career.
Joining Holman at Moama next season is Kyabram premiership player Liam Barrett. Barrett has been playing for Bendigo league club Golden Square, which recently won the flag. Barrett will be a playing assistant coach to co-coaches Sam Sheldon and Jye Warren at the Magpies.
Mueller and Holman are the only notable players from this year’s Kyabram’s senior list on the move at this stage.
Utility Will Golds is the latest to sign on for another season under new co-coaches Corey Carver and Kaine Herbert.
Kyabram has most of its football coaching positions filled apart from its thirds.
Roaring recruiting spree
Rochester’s recruiting spree is continuing with a Bendigo league hard man the latest signing.
Kangaroo Flat’s Mitch Trewhella is heading to Tigerland to join Dillon Williams, who is returning to his former club from the Bendigo league, and Baily McGee from Kyneton.
Trewhella is a former Bendigo Pioneer and Bendigo league under-18a best-and-fairest winner who is expected to add plenty of grunt to Rochester’s midfield.
Reid Echuca’s best
Co-coach Sam Reid has won Echuca Football Club’s best-and-fairest award.
The former AFL player won the award from Jackson Stewart.
Former Kyabram star Ash Mangan added the club’s A-grade top netball award to her GVL premiership medallion.
Over at Benalla, Jordan Wolfe won the club’s best-and-fairest award from Tom Bennett.
Sheldon earns votes
Former Kyabram premiership player Jack Sheldon finished runner-up in Moama Football Club’s best-and-fairest award.
Sheldon lost out to Jack Russell.
Sheldon’s older brother Tom, a multiple Kyabram premiership player, was Moama’s leading goalkicker in the recent season.
Moama has had a change of A-grade netball coach, with 200-game stalwart Olivia Taverna taking the reins with support from Carri Carter.
Hill takes reins again
Lancaster has lured Michelle Hill back to its coaching ranks for the 2024 Kyabram District Netball League season.
Hill had a year off this year but will retake the reins for the Wombats next season. She has one driving ambition in her return to coaching — to see her club back contesting finals next season.
With an impressive playing and coaching resume, Hill is the person the Wombats are confident can do that.
Co-coaches named
Cobram has named co-coaches for the 2024 Murray Football League season.
Tim Garlick and Tyron Baden will share the role, and both have strong ties with the club. Garlick was an assistant coach with the club this season, while Baden, a Cobram local, played with Shepparton in the GVL.
Dynamic duo
Former GVL rivals are joining forces next season to coach Murray league club Nathalia.
Former long-time Shepparton coach Tracey Brereton shares the role with long-serving Shepparton United player Kara Blizzard.
Brereton is also coaching Bendigo Strikers in their inaugural season in the Victorian Netball League.
Schultz a Magpie again
The player Collingwood courted and got in the AFL trade period is a former Moama player.
The Pies plucked Lachie Schultz from Fremantle, which obviously triggered the move by Jack Ginnivan to Hawthorn just two weeks after he had played in the Pies’ AFL flag-winning team.
It’s a ruthless business, AFL footy, with emphasis on the business.
Something to crow about
Debutant trotter juvenile Thunda Struck certainly had a few locals cheering him home at Monday’s Yarra Valley meeting.
When he was offered at the yearling sales by breeders Pauline and Russ Thomson, their sons Steve and Ricky purchased the colt, which is by Muscle Mass out of the producing Wincries Maori mare Cloud Chaser.
Steve, a Kyabram league McNamara medallist and Lancaster premiership player, and Ricky, who was in this season’s Wombats premiership team, then gathered 15 other mates — A.B. Hindson, C.R. Patten, T.C. McNeill, N.J. Casey, C.J. Wheeler, J.J. Quirk, W. Shellie, J.S. Mills, A.D. Kelly, M.W. Croxford, S.M. McDonald, W.T. Demasi, B.R. Nexhip, J.M. Chambers and S.S. Mills — as owners to try their luck with the young trotter, who was given to Chris Lang to train.
Thunda Struck led from pillar to post at Yarra Valley in a flawless and impressive debut.
Cloud Chaser is now the dam of five winners, including the extra smart trotter Cruisin Around, a winner of 19 races and $292,000 in prize money.
Big week for Brent
And Pauline and Russell Thomson’s trots trainer son Brent has enjoyed a big week.
He struck with talented trotter Sebastian Boy at last Friday night’s Melton meeting and then with three-year-old trotter Prettyboy Harry, having his second start, at Sunday’s Maryborough meeting. Both were driven by Shepparton reinsman Leigh Sutton.
Sebastian Boy gave a sample of his exciting ability with his win, returning a slick mile of 1.56.0 for the 1720m trip, the quickest of his five wins from 16 career starts.
A three-year-old son of Majestic Son, Prettyboy Harry lived up to a recent trial form with a dashing front-running display.
Sports reporter