SPORT
HARPO’ s MARKS
There’ s a long list of famous sculptures spread across the world – the Statue of Liberty( USA), Christ the Redeemer( Brazil), The Great Sphinx of Gisa( Egypt), The Thinker( France) and Venus de Milo( Greece). But for those in attendance at the unveiling of another sculpting masterpiece later this month in Dungog, this particular sculpture will be their equal! Dungog region boasts a population close to 10,000 but that will swell by a hundred or so folk on July 19 with the unveiling of a life-sized sculpture of cricket great and the town’ s
NSWRL premiers in 1908, Easts, provided five members of the inaugural Kangaroo touring side. Picture( standing l-r) are Sandy Pearce, Lou Jones, Dan Frawley, Albert Rosenfeld and Larry O’ Malley. That’ s the legendary Dally Messenger on the chair. favourite son, Doug Walters.
So many admirers and mates have indicated their attendance at the ceremony that the“ House full” sign will be displayed at all accommodation venues in Dungog and surrounds. Many of Doug’ s NSW and Australian team-mates will be in attendance for the unveiling of the sculpture, which was created by renowned Melbourne sculptor, Louis Laumen.
Louis has produced some absolutely amazing sculptures, including those of Winx and High Bowman,( Sir Edward) Weary Dunlop and Mary McKillop.
Plus, a long list of sporting champions – Sir Donald Bradman, Betty Cuthbert, Ron Barrasi, Keith Miller, Shirley Strickland, Leigh Matthews, Bill Ponsford, Dennis Lillee and Shane Warne. Dashing Doug is in fine company! Louis will obviously be in attendance along cricket luminaries, Ian and Trevor Chappell, Geoff Dymock and Rick McCosker, plus a swag of folk who have had the pleasure of crossing paths with Dashing Doug throughout his 79 years in this place. The veil obscuring the sculpture will be ripped off at 11am on a small park on Dowling Street, Dungog’ s main thoroughfare.
I’ ve been fortunate to have known
Barrier with RiseTONY BRASSEL
LAST COMMAND didn’ t handle bog track in two runs before being spelled but previous efforts on solid ground were good. Always under a stranglehold in winning R’ wick 1200m trial on June 13.
GAMBLER posted 2 nd trail win since resuming, latest over 1050m at R’ wick on June 13. Showed good turn of speed and not knocked about final stages.
PORTOFINO is an unraced colt out of the Waller stable. Was under a stranglehold in finishing after leading when close 2 nd in 1050m trial R’ wick on June 13.
HAD IT ALL could be a smokey going on last of 8 in 740m trial R’ wick on June 13. The rest of the field were all under the hammer, but he was never placed under any pressure from go to whoa.
BARTOLF indicated he could be
set for a solid preparation going on 740m trial win at R’ wick on June 13. Just clicked up final stages to edge out rivals, in fast-run final 600m( 32.88).
COPENHAGEN CAT had handy form in Brisbane last pep and indicated he is ready to rock‘ n’ roll going on 1000m Ballina trial win on June 12.
THE ASTRONOMER should star this time in going on powerful second in 1000m trial at Ballina on June 12. That was on bog track and better suit on good going.
Doug for many years – of course watching him display his remarkable batting and bowling exploits, but on a more personal level during his career as a marketing rep for Rothmans and as a fellow member of the Les Darcy Club. My late, great mate, John Scott, was the National Promotions Manager for the cough-enhancer business and Doug was one of his star recruits.
Scotty was also the founder of the Les Darcy Club and Doug and I were among the first half dozen admirers of the great boxer to be invited to join the club.
Funds to lure Louis into sculpting the Doug Walers sculpture- and it was a motza – were amassed during a fundraising tournament at Muirfield Golf Club last August. The tournament, organised by Doug’ s son, Bryn, and one of the great man’ s long, long list of admirers, Andrew Johnston, raised a whopping $ 120,000. Great works don’ t come cheap!
I had to reach for the bucket as footballers, coaches and commentators whinged about how tough it was on State of Origin players backing up just three of four days after Origin I. What a bunch of soft …. oops … sooks! Remembering how players on the Kangaroo tours in the first half of the last century had to back up on numerous occasions from weekend matches and play in the mid-week fixtures. So, I grabbed my copy of the great Ian Heads’ fabulous 1994 publication, The Kangaroos, which gave a comprehensive coverage of all the Kangaroo tours from 1908-09 tour through to 1990 tour. Those players on the early tours were so tough that where they spat, the pavement cracked! For instance, on that inaugural tour, the Kangaroos played the record 49 matches, winning 17, drawing six and losing 22. However, four of the players ran on in more than 30 of the fixtures! Jim Abercrombie( hookerprop) fronted up in 31, Sid“ Sandy” Pearce( hooker) in( 32) and fullback, Mick Bolewski made 33 appearances. But the granddaddy of 34 tourists was Eastern Suburbs loose forward, Larry O’ Malley.
This obviously tough-as-teak player backed on numerous occasions to pull on a jersey in 35 of the 45 fixtures.
Larry O’ Malley? Larry O’ Malley( 1883 – 1967) was the fifth Australian rugby league captain and the second from the Eastern Suburbs club.
Before switching codes and joining the Roosters in league’ s foundation year, 1908,
O’ Malley played rugby union firstly for the East Borough and then the Sydney Rugby Union clubs. Born in Ireland in 1883, Larry arrived in Australia with his parents and older brother the following year and the family settled in Paddington.
O’ Malley played with Easts for six seasons, running on in 50 matches – there were only eight teams in the first two seasons and nine from 1910-1920.
He made his representative début for New South Wales in rugby league › s inaugural interstate match in 1908 and later that year he became an inaugural member of the first Kangaroo touring side. During his career with Easts, with O’ Malley playing star roles, won the NSWRL premierships in 1911, 1912 and 1913.
An inductee into the Rugby League Hall of Fame( 2005), brilliant halfback, Chris McKivat, appeared in 32 of the 35 matches in the second Kangaroos tour in 1911-12.
Other notable hard-men who made a host of appearances on their Kangaroo tour were:
1921-22 Kangaroos – Quicksilver winger, Cec Blinkhorn played in 29 of the 36 matches, scoring 39 tries,
1933-34 Kangaroos – the great fullback, Dave Brown, and champion lock Wally Prigg, each made appearances in 32 of the 37 games,
1956-57 Kangaroos – rugged Manly prop, Roy Bull, ran on in 21 of the 28 games.
LOW MARKS: Current day rugby league sooks!
SOLUTIONS FROM P 28
CROSSWORD 1 SUDOKU 1
CROSSWORD 2 SUDOKU 2
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