Yarrawonga Chronicle - Puffin Magic Foundation

38 — Yarrawonga Chronicle, Wed. 11th November, 2009
THE
BULLS EYE...
THE BULLS EYE...
By Black Bull
A GRADE
Semi Finals
Bulls 4 def Nippers 0.
J. Bakkum 140 x 2, 123, 100 x
6, J. Burns 156, 140, 125, 120,
100, A. Robinson 115, 100, D.
Thomson 100, R. Lindsay 140
x 3, 121 x 2, 100 x 3, A. Cryer
100 x 2, 79 peg.
Tin Shed 4 def Ski Club 2.
R. Laffan 140, 134, 101, 100 x
5, 74 peg, B. Lucas 140, 121 x 2,
100 x 2, J. Stevenson 140, 105,
100 x 3, D. Scoones 140 x 2,
100 x 3, K. Farrell 140 x 2, 135,
128, 100, 68 peg, W. Lowrie
121 x 2, 100 x 3, M. Woodward
140 x 2, 100, J. Lott 109, 100 x
2, T. Loomes 100.
Preliminary Finals
Ski Club 4 def Bulls 1.
W. Lowrie 140 x 2, 125, 123,
121, 100 x 4, 74 & 72 pegs,
K. Farrell 125 x 3, 100 x 2, M.
Woodward 140, 100 x 2, J. Lott
100, J. Bakkum 180, 140 x 2,
100 x 6, J. Burns 140, 125, 100 x
4, D. Thomson 100 x 2.
The Nippers and the Bulls
have failed to get over the last
hurdle and have found themselves with the chalk in their
hands leaving it up to the
boys from Katy and Ski team
to sort it out. The Tin Shed
only beat the fellas from the
Ski Club a couple of weeks
ago and not to happy with
the result, the boys turned to
talking up playing bowls. Will
this loss be in the back of their
minds? Whatever the result,
this will be one of the best finals in a while.
B GRADE
Semi Finals
Bundalong 4 def Hoppers 1.
A. Curtis 100 x 2, K. Allen 100,
D. Leonard 140.
Moose’s Mob 4 def 41ers 2.
P. Bausch 117, 100, P. Cooke
100, M. Dickson 140, 100, P.
Melkovs 133.
Preliminary Finals
Bundalong 4 def 41ers 3.
A. Curtis 119, 100, P. Melkovs
140, 100, M. Dickson 100.
Moose’s Mob and the team
from Bundalong both beat
the deflated 41ers to set up
this final which should be a
hum dinga. Both teams have
been playing consistent darts
all through the season and it
would not surprise anyone to
see this go the full distance of
seven legs.
B RESERVE
Semi Finals
Vic 4 def B.J’s 0.
T. Symons 121, 100 x 2, 64 peg,
N. Moss 105.
Katamatite 4 def Lakers 3.
T. Charters 132, 100, 60 peg, J.
Garton 100, 60 peg, B. Jeffrys
120.
By Black Bull
Preliminary Finals
Vic 4 def Lakers 1.
J. Ashley 66 peg, G. Cooper
125, M. Cooper 100.
After winning the B grade
last season the Vic side will
have some work to do against
Katamatite if they are to win
the B Reserve this week.
They arguably have the best
B Grade player in Tommy Symons but the team from Katy
should not be taken lightly,
they are capable.
VDC North East Zone
Yarrawonga Bulls 6 def Tin
Shed 2.
J. Bakkum 140 x 2, 125, 117,
100 x 6, J. Burns 140, 135, 132,
125 x 2, 100 x 3, R. Lindsay
140 x 2, 120, 100 x 4, 80 & 66
pegs, A. Robinson 123, 67 &
60 pegs, R. Laffan 125, 121,
102, 100 x 4, B. Lucas 121, 100
x 6, D. Scoones 140, 125, 100 x
3, T. Charters 140, L. WarrenBates 100.
The Yarrawonga Bulls started the comp out with a loss
straight up by the boys from
Benalla who looked to be the
ones to beat. Benalla didn’t
make the finals and the Tin
Shed Tossers made a charge
of their own for a shot at being the first name on the new
league’s perpetual trophy.
The Yarra Bulls fought off
the challenging new bunch
of players from Katamatite
to become the first premiers
of the new league which was
posted on the Vic Darts website last week.
The competition has created
some interest around Victoria with Echuca and Seymour
looking to join the league next ers are required
to chalk the games.
year. Well done Yarra.
Presentation has been set for
NOTICEBOARD
Nomination forms for the Nov 28 with team captains reExecutive are available at sponsible for names and monthe Clubhouse for this year’s ies to be forwarded no later
than grand final night, this
AGM on Nov 26.
All games this week will be at Thursday.
the clubhouse, last week’s los- Bull Finish.
Yarrawonga Bulls took out the grand final of the North East Zone. A. Robinson, J. Burns (c)
R. Lindsay and Justin Bakkum.
Puffin paddler for a good cause
Martin Gribble stopped
overnight in Yarrawonga
on Thursday, November 5
during his Puffin Paddle
trek along the length of
the Murray River.
He was warmly welcomed by the local Lions Club members who
gave him a comfortable
bed for the night before
sending him on his way
the next day.
Lions Clubs along the
Murray River will also
provide support for Martin on his travels.
He began the journey
on November 1 commemorating the one-year
anniversary of a freak accident that left his older
brother James a quadriplegic.
Martin will attempt
to kayak down the Mur-
ray River from AlburyWodonga to Goolwa in
South Australia, raising funds for the Puffin Magic Foundation
(www.puffinmagic.org.
au) which was founded
with the goal of supporting James throughout his
rehabilitation and may
one day expand in scope
to assist other quadriplegics.
“The Puffin Paddle will
be an intense physical
test; a journey that will
make me better appreciate the kinds of challenges my brother faces every
day,” said Martin.
“My aim is to help
provide
James
with
world-leading rehabilitation, giving him the
best chance of making a
full recovery so he can
achieve his ultimate goal
of walking once again.”
Paddler Martin Gribble arrived at Yarrawonga on Thursday during his trek along the
Murray River.
James Gribble suffered
a severe spinal injury
while travelling in Zambia.
Dehydrated after a
long run, James sat down
to rest, fainted, fell backwards onto hard sand
and damaged his spinal
column.
James broke his C4
and C5 vertebrae and
suffered severe bruising
to his spinal cord, leaving him with voluntary
movement only above
his shoulders.
Because of the inac-
Squash enthusiast fourth in world
Brian Lyons would play
squash everyday if he “had
someone to play with.”
The 67 year old squash enthusiast is so passionate about
the sport that his home is
decked out with its own full
size squash court and an entire wall is decorated in old
squash racquets.
He plays the sport simply
because he “loves it” but he is
notably good at it as well.
Brian has recently returned
from the World Masters
Squash Championships with a
world ranking of number four
for his age group 65-69 years.
He competed in three of
four games, the first game being awarded his way on a forfeit.
He then went on to play off
for the bronze medal against
Canadian Gerry Poulton but
said he was beaten “quite convincingly.”
“I was really proud of my-
self to have done so well but
I’m disappointed that I didn’t
bring home a medal,” Brian
said.
“I will keep playing and
playing with the aim to bring
one home one day,” he said.
Brian has previously competed at the World Masters
Championships receiving a
medal in the team event in
1994.
“The week previous to the
team event, I was playing in
the individual event. I’d won
the first match and was in the
middle of winning my second
match when I injured myself
and had to be carried from
the court.
“I cried that year, it was the
first time I’d ever had a go at
the Masters and I was doing
so well.
“I hang onto that memory
sometimes,” he said.
Brian went into the Masters
event this year ranked number
six in his age group and despite not bringing home that
elusive medal he is so passionate about, he said he was
happy to have improved on
his world ranking.
Twenty-eight sports were
represented at the World
Masters Championships held
in Sydney from October 10 –
18.
Brian was one of eight Victorians who competed across
all divisions of squash.
Despite not picking up a
squash racquet until he was
“about 30”, Brian has certainly etched his name into the
sport locally and now at the
world level.
Alongside his wife Margaret, Brian was one of the
pioneers of squash in Yarrawonga.
He helped to build the Yarrawonga squash courts, established and maintained the
local squash competition for
over 12 years and was awarded life membership of the Yarrawonga Squash Club.
In 2000, he received an Australian Sports Medal from
John Howard and Governor
General Sir William Deane
as well as being delegated the
honour of running the Olympic Torch as it made its way to
the Sydney Olympics.
“It’s been a journey,” Brian
smiled.
“I’ve loved every minute of
it,” he said.
Brian and Margaret’s daughter Rochelle has also proven
herself a dynamo in the sport
throughout the years, training
at the AIS in Canberra and
heaving been coached under the sport’s elite Heather
McKay and Geoff Hunt.
Brian Lyons has returned from the
World Masters Squash Championships ranked number four.
cessibility of his location,
it was 30 hours before
James reached fully qualified medical care.
He was airlifted to
hospital in Johannesburg
and after five weeks in intensive care he was considered stable enough to
fly back to Australia for
continued treatment.
James’ remote location at the time of the accident, and the fact that
he was living in London,
without private health
insurance, before setting
off on his African adventure, resulted in major
medical
expenditures
even before considering
the extraordinary cost of
rehabilitation.
Through sheer determination and tireless
hard work on the part
of James and his family,
James has already made
significant improvements
in functionality and sensitivity. His attitude and
dedication are inspirational and he has become a beacon to others
around him embarking
upon similar journeys.
The Puffin Paddle will
take up to 60 days to
complete - so hopefully
Martin will complete
the trip in time to spend
Christmas with his family.
To follow Martin’s
progress on the Puffin
Paddle and to make a
donation to the Puffin
Magic Foundation, visit
www.puffinmagic.org.au/
paddle.