Dale “Jacka” Williams joined brothers Brendan “IQ” Ryan and Peter “Goof” Ryan as recipients of Kyabram Football Netball Club life membership at the club’s presentation evening earlier this month.
Seven larger than life characters of Kyabram football walked away from the club’s annual presentation evening with further recognition of their legendary status at the football netball club.
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Two members of the revered Ryan family, brothers Peter and Brendan (better known in sporting circles by the monickers of Goof and IQ), were among three men recognised with life membership.
The other, Dale Williams, is held in similar regard to the men who he shared the stage with him at the annual end of season celebration.
Four others shared the honour of being named equal Volunteer Club People of the Year — Les Dillon, Ash Vick, Col Robinson and Andrew Norris.
The life membership honour bestowed on the Ryans and Williams came after many years of on-field and off-field contributions.
Five Ryan brothers — Peter, Dennis, Brendan, Francis and Kevin — thrilled district football followers with their aggression and skills during the ’90s.
Brendan played more than 150 games with the Bombers and is no newcomer to off-field recognition. He was awarded best clubperson in 1998 and 2017.
His contribution off the field has included financial management of several fundraising initiatives and he has been the licensee at the Wilf Cox bar for 15 years.
Officially his current club title is maintenance and projects manager, but he is more widely known as the “Jack of all trades”.
He oversaw the construction of the new bar and coolroom in the building, has organised the club’s major raffle for two decades and was the man behind the introduction of Bomber lotto.
His brother, Peter, was the first of the five to cross to Kyabram from Toolleen.
He coached the reserves for three seasons, played more than 100 games in the red and black, was assistant coach of the under-18 team for six years and is current co-coach with another district football legend Mark Patten.
With a shared financial acumen he assists with club sponsorship, functions and is a trustee of the KFNC Futures Fund.
A former player who has spent the past 20 years as runner for the club, Williams’ connection goes right back to the late 1990s.
He is another to have played a large part in the club’s fundraising activity.
When it comes to surnames at the club there are few that are more revered than Dillon and Vick.
Two representatives of those families, Les Dillon and Ash Vick, shared the honour of being named the KFNC Volunteer Club People of the Year with Andrew Norris and Col Robinson at the evening.
Funnily enough all four names remain as well represented on the field as they are off it — in football and netball circles.
Josh, Liam and Sean Dillon; Cooper and Sam Vick; Zac Norris (Andrew’s son) and Aidan Robinson (Col’s son) are among the names extending the connections of the families to the club.
The award has become a highlight of the evening, enabling the club to recognise people who have contributed significantly to the behind the scenes operation of the club.
Ash Vick, Les Dillon and Col Robinson were three parts of the Kyabram Football Netball Club’s Volunteer Club People of the Year award presentation (Andrew Norris is missing).
