GREATER SHEPPARTON GREATER SHEPPARTON
SP O R TS
WRITERS
Liam Nash
Marcus Beeck
Josh Huntly
Kelly Lucas-Carmody
Taylah Baker
SUB-EDITOR
Kylie Garrett
PHOTOGRAPHY
Megan Fisher
Honouring Greater Shepparton’s sporting legends
Greater Shepparton’s sporting community continues to recognise and celebrate the achievements of its most outstanding athletes, both past and present.
This commitment is exemplified by the work of the Greater Shepparton Sports Hall of Fame Committee, which has once again undertaken the challenging task of selecting new inductees for the Hall of Fame, Honour Roll and Junior Honour Roll.
The committee, comprising Cr. Anthony Brophy, Don Kilgour, Tyler Maher, Margo Koskelainen, Peter Holland, Dennis Myers, Megan Carr and Tanya Phillips, carefully reviewed nominations and ultimately selected 11 individuals for the latest round of inductions.
These selections reflect the depth of talent and dedication found within the region’s sporting community.
To be considered for the Hall of Fame, nominees must have made a significant contribution to their sport at the national representative level.
Honour Roll inductees are
recognised for contribution at regional or state levels.
Junior Honour Roll inductees have competed successfully in junior competitions at the international, national or state representative level.
The Hall of Fame initiative serves not only to honour athletic excellence, but also to preserve the rich sporting heritage of Greater Shepparton.
It provides a platform to showcase the accomplishments of local athletes and to inspire future generations to pursue their sporting ambitions.
For many inductees and their families, the recognition holds deep personal meaning.
Reflecting on their sporting journeys — often beginning in the Goulburn Valley — offers a chance to celebrate not just individual achievements, but the shared experiences and support that helped shape their careers.
While elite sport can often be a solitary pursuit, this initiative creates a moment for athletes to connect with loved ones and the broader community in celebration.
The induction ceremony is a highlight
for the region, bringing together athletes, families, and supporters to commemorate achievements that span a wide range of sports and disciplines.
It is a long-awaited moment for many, marking the culmination of years of dedication and excellence.
This year, the Shepparton News has once again partnered with Greater Shepparton City Council to support the Hall of Fame initiative.
In the lead-up to the ceremony, the Shepparton News has published detailed profiles of each inductee, culminating in a special feature that serves as a lasting tribute to their accomplishments.
Special thanks are extended to all committee members for their dedication and hard work, with particular recognition given to Don Kilgour for his efforts in compiling comprehensive information about the sporting careers of the inductees. Their contributions have ensured that the legacy of Greater Shepparton’s sporting excellence is preserved and celebrated for generations.
Greater Shepparton Sports Hall of Fame Advisory Committee
Tyler Maher
Tanya Phillips
Dennis Myers
Margo Koskelainen
Cr. Anthony Brophy (Chair)
Don Kilgour
Peter Holland
Sport is one of the great strengths of our region.
It is a common thread that runs through every community, club and neighbourhood.
From grassroots participation to the world stage, Greater Shepparton continues to punch well above its weight, and our identity as the sporting capital of regional Victoria is something we should all be proud of.
The Greater Shepparton Sports Hall of
Fame is one way we honour that identity, paying tribute to the individuals whose passion, perseverance and success have helped shape our sporting legacy. These inductees are more than champions in their field, they are role models for the next generation. Their stories show us that excellence is not achieved in isolation; it is the product of determination, family support, club spirit, and the selfless efforts of coaches, volunteers and supporters.
Council is proud to support initiatives
Dedicated passion applauded Showcasing sporting identities
The 2025 Greater Shepparton Sports Hall of Fame offers another exciting opportunity to celebrate the strength, resilience and talent within our local sporting community.
It is an honour to be part of the Advisory Committee and to work alongside fellow members who share a deep appreciation for the impact that sport has on our region. Every name put forward represents not only sporting success, but the values that
underpin our clubs and communities; leadership, teamwork, perseverance and community spirit.
Each nomination celebrates a lifetime of dedication to sport.
These inductees have shown outstanding commitment, skill, and passion, leaving a lasting impact on the sporting community in Greater Shepparton.
On behalf of the Advisory Committee, I extend our sincere thanks to everyone
who helped make this initiative possible including council, our community, and our media partner, McPherson Media Group.
We look forward to the Induction Ceremony and encourage everyone to learn more about our nominees and their remarkable journeys.
Deputy Mayor and Chair, Cr Anthony Brophy (Chair)
Greater Shepparton Sports Hall of Fame Advisory Committee
like the Sports Hall of Fame, and I thank the Advisory Committee for its commitment in showcasing our sporting history and preserving the legacy of local champions.
Congratulations to all those inducted into the 2025 class.
Your achievements reflect the best of Greater Shepparton and we are proud to celebrate you.
Mayor, Cr Shane Sali Greater Shepparton City Council
Greater Shepparton
Garang Kuol Soccer
Garang Kuol’s journey from a Shepparton schoolboy with oversized dreams to a professional footballer was always going to defy logic and expectation.
Now, the young winger’s story will be etched into local sporting folklore, with Kuol officially inducted into the Greater Shepparton Sports Hall of Fame — a fitting recognition for a prodigy who once weaved past defenders on country Victorian pitches and now chases football’s highest peaks.
Kuol’s tale begins not under stadium floodlights, but in the dusty surrounds of an Egyptian refugee camp.
The Kuol family arrived in Australia in search of safety, opportunity and a new beginning.
They found that in Shepparton.
From the time Kuol first pulled on his boots for Goulburn Valley Suns, there was a quiet current of belief around town that he could be special.
A levitating bicycle kick that just whizzed over the bar in a charity match at McEwen Reserve back in 2020 gave an inkling of the heights he would reach.
But not even a clairvoyant could predict that two years later he’d share the pitch with the game’s greatest talent – Lionel Messi – on the World Cup stage.
His path to global football relevance is now well-known: an electric rise through the ranks at the Suns; standout performances that caught the eye of Central Coast Mariners scouts; and then, a breakout A-League campaign as a teenager that saw him signed by English
Premier League giants Newcastle United in late 2022 two weeks after his 18th birthday.
But amid the headline moves and European trials, Kuol’s roots have never frayed.
His story, as much as it belongs to the Mariners, the Magpies, or the Socceroos, is also Shepparton’s.
His mother, Antonita, still speaks about the connection with deep emotion — not just pride for her son’s footballing feats, but gratitude for the community that embraced their family.
“We are so grateful, so thankful the way they (Shepparton) are still thinking about our boys,” she said.
“We’ll never forget about them. The support around the community is really a good thing we will not forget about Shepparton.”
Kuol attended St Brendan’s Primary
School, made lifelong friendships on and off the pitch, and spent weekends terrorising defences in Shepparton Junior Soccer Association matches.
More than anything, he grew up in a town that didn’t just accept his ambition — it helped shape it.
That grounding is what makes this Hall of Fame induction more than symbolic.
It’s a homecoming of sorts — even if he’s now stationed thousands of kilometres away in northern England.
Life abroad has brought new challenges, of course.
Kuol has yet to make his senior debut for Newcastle, spending time on loan at various European clubs to hone his craft.
But the maturity with which he’s navigated the transition — distance from family, cultural shift, life under the
GREATER SHEPPARTON SPORTS HALL OF FAME
microscope — has made a deep impression on those closest to him.
“Overseas is a different experience,” Antonita said.
“Especially with the way you can’t stay with any relative around, it’s a different experience.
But he always says, ‘Mum, this is soccer, this is how it is.’
“He is stronger than me … I remember, I went in November to England to visit him.
“We stayed there for three weeks and flew back to Australia. When I got back here, I was devastated — the way he just stayed there by himself.
“He is the one who makes me strong.
In that sentiment lies the essence of Kuol: resilient, driven, unflinching in the face of unfamiliar terrain.
He’s not yet a regular on the Premier League team sheet, but for a Shepparton kid to reach these heights, it’s already an extraordinary achievement.
And for the community that helped raise him, the Hall of Fame induction is both a celebration and a reminder: that one of Australia’s most exciting football stories began here, in paddocks and schoolyards, far from the roaring stands of St James’ Park.
Every chapter from here adds to his legend. But Shepparton? It will always be the start.
Greater Shepparton Sports Hall
Fame,
Geoff Bloomfield
Showjumping
It takes courage to soar over towering fences at full pace, trust to compete on the world stage, and character to remain humble through it all.
Geoffrey (Geoff ) Bloomfield, Olympic showjumper and now Greater Shepparton Sports Hall of Fame inductee, has demonstrated all three throughout his distinguished career.
Born on February 5, 1956, in Echuca, Bloomfield’s passion for horses began early, growing up alongside six siblings on his parents’ dairy farm.
He would ride seven miles to attend the Rochester Pony Club, often arriving on his pony ready to compete.
But it was around the age of 15 — after breaking in a home-bred horse named Prairie Moon and training him to Grand Prix level — that Bloomfield realised showjumping could be more than just a hobby.
It could become his life.
“I knew I wanted to make something of it,” Bloomfield said.
“It just burned inside — I wanted to ride. I’d come home from school, saddle up and go, and the dream just kept growing.
“Once you start winning, there’s no better medicine than a blue ribbon — it hooks you in.”
Prairie Moon was highly successful throughout Victoria and NSW, and placed second in his first World Cup class at Shepparton in 1984.
It was around a year after that result that Bloomfield turned professional and the sport became more serious.
“The game’s changed now. There are wealthy owners, supportive parents — back then, you just had to make it happen,” he said.
“You bred, trained, sold — that’s how we survived.
“I had to start making a living, breaking in horses, doing farrier work, training others. So, I went to work for Ralph Crosby — one of the first to bring warmbloods into Australia — and with Art Uytenndall, they owned Hanburg Warmblood Stud. I did this for 10 years.”
Alongside competing, Bloomfield also managed 600 head of red and black Angus breeding cattle, before moving to Shepparton and continuing similar work for another 10 years.
At the 2000 Summer Olympics
in Sydney, Bloomfield represented Australia in both the individual and team showjumping events, finishing equal 20th in the individual competition aboard Money Talks and helping the Australian team to a 10th place finish overall.
He said it was a career highlight, alongside participating in more than 100 World Cup qualifiers in Australia and New Zealand.
“The Sydney Olympics was a totally different experience to anything else — the Olympic Village, being with other athletes, the crowds. It was surreal,” Bloomfield said.
“Finishing 20th and being the bestperforming Australian — that was probably the highlight.
“Hearing the anthem play when I won in Sweden at the pre-final world cup show, that’s up there too.”
Bloomfield’s consistent performances have made him a prominent figure in the sport, both nationally and internationally.
He has worked tirelessly across Australia managing properties, while breaking in and training hundreds of horses — all while continuing to compete.
From Royal Shows to international competitions, World Championships and World Cup finals, there’s little he hasn’t done.
Today, Bloomfield resides in Benalla, where he continues to ride and train a team of home-bred horses alongside his daughter Jena.
“If it wasn’t for Jena being so keen, I might’ve hung the boots up after COVID,” Bloomfield said.
“But she keeps me involved. I still get out there and help her, and that keeps the passion alive.”
After decades in the saddle, Bloomfield says he’s never done it
for the recognition — it’s always been about the horses and the sport itself.
“You don’t do it for the glory — it just becomes part of who you are,” he said.
“I’m proud of what we’ve done, sure. But at the end of the day, I’m just still looking for the next good horse.
“When you’re still out there riding, training, living it day-to-day, you don’t think much about awards. But to be recognised like this, especially by your own community — it means a lot.”
Jan Dunlop
Golf
A legend off the tee and on the green, a titan of Goulburn Valley golf is getting her name up in lights.
And “it is about time” too.
That was the tongue-in-cheek response Jan Dunlop gave her son, Craig, when he told her that he was nominating her for the Greater Shepparton Sports Hall of Fame (GSSHOF) two years ago.
Dunlop, who passed away at the age of 78 in 2023, emerged as the premier female golfer of the Goulburn Valley in the mid-1960s and held onto the title until the early 1990s.
To give a quick indication of what Dunlop achieved during her time on the links it would be easier to list what she hasn’t: a hole-in-one.
And that’s about it.
Dunlop is one of three additions to the GSSHOF Honour Roll for 2025 and a more-than-deserved inductee.
An integral part of Hill Top Golf Club and Murchison Golf Club, Dunlop was in a league of her own when swinging the sticks in her neck of the woods.
Dunlop won the Ladies Championship at Hill Top for 23 consecutive years and was selected in the Goulburn Valley representative team for 26 years.
Her list of achievements extended to being a seven-time winner of the Murchison Golf Club Championship, 10 Goulburn Valley singles titles, 1973 Goulburn Valley Sports Star of the
Year and the 1972 Victorian Women Champion of Champions title at Keysborough Golf Club among a plethora of others.
Craig said his mother’s humble nature often undersold the weight of her golfing excellence.
“Mum wouldn’t brag about her achievements,” he said.
“It’s funny when you go back and look through her history and what she has actually won, us as a family didn’t appreciate it as much.
“The Victorian Champion of Champions in 1972 was one of her highlights, because she was the first country lady to win that.
“The (23-year record) at Hill Top, she had a bit of pride in that on the consecutive side, and she played against some good people back then.”
Born Janice Tweddle, she learnt the art, science and love for the sport of golf thanks to her father, Alan.
Out on the farm in Murchison, her father, who played off a whisker over scratch, was her coach and watched as she sent thousands of balls thundering across the property.
Even after Dunlop had reached her soaring heights in the game of golf, Craig fondly remembers returning to his grandfather’s property with siblings Debbie and Brett so Jan could get some advice and coaching from the all-seeing Alan.
“I remember on many occasions going
out (to the farm) when Mum needed a bit of practice and coaching,” he said.
“We would go down to the back paddock and her father would tell her what she was doing wrong and they would rectify that.
“We (as kids) would chase the golf balls and pick them up for them.”
Dunlop first made waves as one to watch when she made the Victorian junior state golf team and travelled to Perth in 1965.
Throughout her time in the game, Craig said his mother’s value on the mental side of golf never dipped.
“She always said it was between the ears golfing; that it was a mental game,” he said.
“She was pretty strong mentally with her putting and she could hit a long drive.
“Accuracy and the mental strength that she had to play match play and dominate.
“She came from a family that was all sporting, her brother (Jimmy) was a good footballer, her older sister (Margaret) played pennant tennis down in Melbourne and her father was a really good golfer and sportsman himself.
“She was a pure competitor.”
With a natural competitive drive and elite hand-eye coordination to match, Dunlop’s sporting greatness didn’t stop on the golfing green.
Craig said his mother had a similar
standard of performance on the tennis court as she did on the links, and even received coaching from a great of Australian tennis.
“From her recollection, I do remember that she got coached by Harry Hopman at one stage,” he said.
“She had a really good eye for sport.
“With her tennis, she was win at all costs.
“She would hit the ball hard and hit it strong through people if she had to, she had no mercy.”
Told shortly before her passing that she would be nominated for the GSSHOF Honour Roll, Craig said his mother would be proud to be recognised among the region’s sporting elite.
“She is pretty modest, I said, ‘Well you have to be to be nominated’,” he said.
“She said (wryly), ‘Well it is about time’.
“I think it is well deserved. We are pretty proud of her achievements over her lifetime.
“She was dedicated to Tatura and Hill Top Golf Club, with not just being the champion there, but being on the committees and she represented the Goulburn Valley on many occasions.
“She just enjoyed the sport and the people that went with the sport.
“As a family, her brother and sister are still alive, and I would dare say they would be pretty proud of her achievements.”
Val Barrass
Netball
If the sport of netball had saints, Shepparton’s would be Val Barrass.
For more than 80 years, Barrass was Shepparton Netball Association’s constant, its pulse that beat palpably during a full lifetime of Saturdays spent court side.
A scorer, an umpire, a best-and-fairest winner, a custodian of rules, a quiet force who conducted Brauman St’s cheerful cacophony every weekend, Barrass’ tenure ended on March 16 when she died peacefully aged 94 years.
The Greater Shepparton Sports Hall of Fame (GSSHOF) officially recognises Barrass’ dedication — not to mention a legacy that spans the better part of netball’s modern history — inducting her into its Honour Roll.
She first entered the Shepparton netball scene in 1943 at 12 years old, lured in by a casual call to arms from a teacher needing an extra body on the basketball court.
Barrass said yes and she never said no again.
She laced up for five decades, umpired for decades more, and when the body didn’t allow it — though her mind was sharp, able and itching to play — she rose to the throne of the control box.
Every Saturday, like clockwork. Rain, shine or Shepparton frost.
And though she never collected a cent for her umpiring efforts — she used to speak about being “a multi-millionaire if I got paid like they get paid now” — her wealth was measured in moments.
In whistle blows, gravel court burns, chalked-up wins and the thrilled chatter of the all-abilities players who would race to her with the day’s goal tally.
The kids may have thought they were reporting the score.
They were really paying homage.
Barrass began when the game was still called women’s basketball, before netball was a term that even lingered on the lips of Australians.
She watched the game evolve from cowbells to digital timers, from dust to asphalt, from a local pastime to a nationally televised sport.
And still, every weekend, she sat in her perch above the courts — watching, guiding, remembering.
SNA life member and former president Tanya Phillips would add one more action to this list: smiling.
“I think a lot of people’s memories would
be like mine, listening to her voice at every break and the end of every game on a Saturday,” she said.
“When kids came up to umpire, Val always knew their names, and she was the happy face to greet them.
“I think that’s what the younger kids would remember most — that she always had a smile on her face. Always.”
Her name is etched not just in SNA’s history books, but also physically into its very infrastructure: The Val Barrass Control Box.
It’s not just a booth. It’s a shrine. A reminder of what it means to give, without need of reward, or ego, or even recognition.
However, that doesn’t mean Barrass flew under the radar.
Rather, her accolades came in spades: life membership, long service and distinction awards with the SNA, a Netball Victoria Distinction Award and a City of Greater Shepparton Sports Award, to name a few.
SNA also named an umpires award in Barrass’ honour, given to up-and-coming officials each year.
Anybody who’d crossed paths with her on Saturday mornings would know that her induction into the Hall of Fame is far more than another recognition — it’s a nod to the embodiment of netball in the Goulburn Valley itself.
Yet, Barrass would have accepted it just as she did all the others.
“She would have felt honoured,” Phillips said.
“She’d certainly be humble, but she’d have a big smile on her face.”
Vince Lia Soccer
Vince Lia’s journey from a Tatura junior to an A-League stalwart of more than 250 appearances makes him one of Greater Shepparton’s greatest exports in the round-ball game.
If you consider that Lia is also a former Australian youth captain who played through the demise and rise of two national sporting leagues, collected several titles, and became one of the A-League’s hardiest midfielders, what you also have is a key witness to the evolution of the professional game in this country.
It makes him a fitting addition to the Greater Shepparton Sports Hall of Fame Honour Roll, an honour the humbled Lia wasn’t expecting.
“It’s not something that I thought would happen,” Lia said.
“You don’t start playing the game for accolades like this, but when I got the phone call, I was pretty humbled by it all.
“The more I think about it, the more it’s starting to sink in, and it’s something I can kind of show my kids and the family as well.”
Lia followed his father Mimmo’s footsteps in playing
for the Ibises, playing well below his age bracket when he took up the sport around the age of eight.
The Tatura days were a family affair for the Lia clan.
“My Dad was heavily involved in Tatura Soccer Club when I was little, so I used to be there religiously, even before I was playing and getting in the way,” Lia said.
“It wasn’t long before I put the boots on myself, when under-12s back then was the youngest age group for soccer.
“I feel like I would have been seven or eight — there wasn’t a hell of a lot of players floating about at that time.
“I got involved in the game because of (Mimmo), and Herbie Mathers was around at the time — his two sons were playing for the senior team, and he was a bit of a mentor for me when I was growing up.
“My uncles played, some family friends; Sunday was a family day at the soccer always.”
Playing for local representative teams swiftly translated into an opportunity to represent Victoria at the National Championships, graduating to National Soccer League duties with South Melbourne.
His first international jumper with Australia’s youth squad followed, culminating in captaining the Young Socceroos at the under-20 World Cup in the Netherlands in 2005.
It’s an honour that stands out to Lia.
“That’s pretty special, representing your country at any age,” he said.
“It’s an honour and a goal when you start to play the game professionally.
“Captaining the under-20’s will always be something I’m proud of.”
Lia was plucked from the NSL after three seasons and kickstarted an illustrious A-League career with Melbourne Victory’s inaugural squad, playing 24 games from 2005 to 2007, although missing out on the famous title.
However, more opportunities beckoned with the fledgling Wellington Phoenix, where he became a great of the New Zealand-based club with 197 appearances from 2007 to 2017, sitting second on the all-time games tally.
Lia’s return to Australia saw silverware with Adelaide United
in back-to-back FFA Cup triumphs, before signing off on his A-League career with Perth Glory in 2020.
At 40 years of age, Lia still runs out for the Essendon Royals in Melbourne, and when it was all said and done, pride was the word that sprung to mind when Lia reflected on his professional career.
“Obviously, careers don’t last and not many people get a career as long as I had,” he said.
“I think the average A-League contract is two years, so I guess being able to play the game that I love for so long was something I’m proud of and really fortunate to do.
“It doesn’t last forever, but I’ve managed to do it straight out of school all the way until I was basically retirement age.
“I love the game and want to be around; I don’t necessarily miss the full-time aspect of playing football, but I think being able to just still run around at whatever level is enough for me at the moment.”
TYRRELL RIKKIE-LEE
Liam Edwards
Cycling
Life in the fast lane was an everyday occurrence for Liam Edwards as a child.
A passionate sports star as a junior, Edwards made the decision to leave his love for football behind and focus solely on cycling in his early teens.
The decision to ditch boots for cleats paid dividends as Edwards was soon invited to join the Victorian junior state cycling team — an achievement that has landed him in the Greater Shepparton Sports Hall of Fame a decade later.
Edwards is one of six inductees into the Junior Sports Hall of Fame in 2025, with the now-25-yearold’s achievements on two wheels thoroughly deserving of a spot among the region’s long list of elite junior athletes.
His interest in cycling began when Edwards tagged along with his father Travis to the Shepparton Velodrome.
“I started (cycling) in about 2008, I came down to the velodrome and dad was renewing his racing licence and I thought I would give it a go,” Edwards said.
“At the time, dad was starting to race in triathlons and competitive cycling.
“I got more serious around 2012. At the time I was doing footy and then gave it up around 2014-15 to focus on cycling fully.
“The goal was to make the state team and race at the highest level.”
That aim was quickly achieved as Edwards’ ability on the bike shone through and he was selected in the Victorian junior team.
On Edwards’ side was the fact that the 2015 Junior National Championships were held in his home town of Shepparton.
Knowing the area like the back of his handlebars, Edwards said it was incredible to don the state’s navy blue and white on a national stage.
“Was a pretty special moment to pull on the big V and represent Victoria,” he said.
“It was pretty special being in the home town out at Dookie; it was awesome.
“I started moving up to the higher end of the age groups in 2017 and had a really good year where I got second in the nationals and I got top five or top 10 in the Oceanias, and then bit unlucky to not make the Aussie team,
but it is what it is.
“I made the National Road Series team in 2018 and that was awesome, racing against guys you see on TV and some of the best domestic, if not the best in the world, for Australia that is.
“In 2019 went over to a tour of New Zealand and that was a great experience seeing riders who are now in the Tour De France.
“I made a few top 20s, and I think I was top five, or I was up there in the young riders’ classification.”
Edwards’ steep trajectory had him on track to turn cycling into his profession as he graduated from the junior ranks. However, a shocking car crash on the eve of his 20th birthday in 2019 saw him barely escape with his life and lose four fingers from his right hand.
The injury set Edwards on a course different to the one he had meticulously planned during his fastpaced junior career.
“I was going into my last year of under23s (when the crash occurred),” he said.
“I had a French team lined up in 2020 to go over for like a div two team to try and make the world tour.
“I had a pretty good year in 2019, I won the Victoria under-23 state titles and I think I got second in the overall in the men’s.
“I had two or three months off after the crash and didn’t know the extent of the hand injury and if I would ever ride again.”
While the accident sent Edwards’ life into a momentary tailspin, he said he soon decided to work tirelessly to get back on the bike.
An opportunity to compete in the National Road Championships Para C5 event in Ballarat in 2020 presented Edwards with a chance to hunt for the top podium spot once again.
“I knew I was going to do everything in my power to come back; if I could race that was another story,” he said.
“I pretty much had to start from ground zero with a lot of the medication I was on, it was pretty full on.
“I made it into the C5 classification and it was awesome to get a result after a couple of months of not knowing anything and thinking my world is going to change forever.
“It was awesome to get back on the bike in general.”
To achieve what Edwards did during his junior career, a glut of hours was spent each week on his bike as a child.
Missing birthday parties, holidays, time with friends and family and dismissing all other hobbies and interests is the story for most child sporting prodigies and one that Edwards resonates with.
Reflecting on his time trying to prove himself as one of the best junior riders in the country, Edwards said he felt immense pride knowing how hard he worked to achieve what he did.
“The training load was anywhere from 500-700km per week and in excess of two to three hours per day,” he said.
“Everything you do from your sleeping to your recovery to your eating is all
towards your training and cycling.
“That was full on through juniors.”
Edwards’ time on two wheels has taken him all around Australia and across the way to New Zealand.
Looking back across his cycling journey — which continues as he prepares to compete in long-distance races such as the Melbourne to Warrnambool — Edwards said it felt special to be recognised in the Greater Shepparton Sports Hall of Fame among his Shepparton cycling idols.
“To be inducted or even be chosen, it is real special,” he said.
“To see riders on the boards like Brett Lancaster and Stephen Fairless is pretty special really.
“I’m still connected and ride with a lot of the guys in the morning bunches, they have been awesome through my junior ranks, especially Stephen Fairless.
“He took me under his wing and I did a lot of training sessions with him and he is a very hard trainer, so a lot of the tenacity and training in general, I have got from him.”
Proud supporter
Dakota North Speedway
From the moment Dakota North tore off on a speedway bike, it was like a thunderstorm rolling through and splitting open the sky.
The blue expanse above was no limit, nor was the Australian soil beneath.
It’s been a decade since North hung up his helmet, yet the whispers of his global success still echo at Undera Park Speedway – culminating in a roar with his recent induction into the Junior Honour Roll of the Greater Shepparton Sports Hall of Fame.
At 12 years of age, North was putting on a dirt-flicking spectacle at Undera, making sweeping passes while going around corners at breakneck speeds. Some were surprised, others bewildered.
Dad Rod North was neither.
“(Those bikes), they’re not easy to ride ... he seemed to have this ability, and you could just tell that he was going to be quick,” he said.
“Dak took to the sport like a duck to water, so we thought he was going to be not bad.”
North’s “not bad” form firmly established him as one of the sport’s top challengers, with those beside him at the start line wide-eyed like stags ready to bolt.
By 15, he was already competing against Australia’s best – and the victories piled up.
Taking out the Australian Junior Championship and the Australian Pairs Title with Justin Sedgmen in 2007, served as a springboard to the worldclass ranks.
There was no turning back.
North represented his country in Britain at age 16, but it was his ride during the under-21 World Championships that caught the attention of British teams looking to mine new talent.
Shortly after, the boy who once slid along Undera’s tracks, was swirling his signature on a contract with the Mildenhall Fen Tigers.
“He was tenacious,” North senior said. “He hated losing, put it that way, so he would always do as much as he could
to win, which means you’ve got to be pretty ruthless.”
North’s star quality was on the rise –until an injury cut his season short.
While representing Australia at the under-21 level against Great Britain, one wrong turn on these bikes with no brakes and little suspension cannoned North into the fence.
“He was in a back brace for a fair while,” North senior said.
“When he hit the fence, it sort of compressed some vertebrae and chipped the backs out of them.
“He’s had his fair share of injuries, like everyone who rides those things.
“I think he’s still got pins in his ankle, pins in one of his fingers, and maybe a wrist.”
Did a blue cloud of dejection hang over the speedway racer?
Absolutely not.
North’s signature tenacity never ebbed, regardless of his setbacks – or the iron addition to his insides.
He returned to Britain and spent the next five years on the European circuit: a club asset at the Elite League’s Peterborough Panthers, loaned to the Premier League’s Newcastle Diamonds, a podium finish in the World Cup representing Australia, and later, racing for teams such as the elite King’s Lynn Stars and the Glasgow Tigers.
While his achievements are remarkable, rightfully earning him a
spot in the Hall of Fame, some things are bigger than sport.
In 2015, North senior was injured in a work accident.
Ironically, at the time, North was racing for the Poole Pirates, the team his dad had ridden for in 1982.
The announcement that North would be returning to his Goulburn Valley roots to help out his family’s earthmoving business was a reminder that life moves faster than a bike with all gas and no brakes.
Most professional athletes retire when
they’re too tired, too jaded, too fearful, or perhaps even too resentful.
Loyal. Selfless. Unpretentious. That’s what North was and continues to be.
Nowadays, he still works at a prodigious pace to fuel the adrenaline – the revelation that the match has been placed from bikes that whine like amped-up mosquitoes to taking flight to himself piloting aeroplanes would come as a shock to no-one.
After all, you can’t keep a North star from soaring.
Photographer: Jed Davies.
GREATER SHEPPARTON SPORTS HALL OF FAME HONOUR ROLL
Harriet Gall Netball
Already earmarked as one of the Goulburn Valley’s best rising talents, Shepparton Swans’ starlet Harriet Gall has already tasted a high standard of elite netball.
At just 19, Gall has been referred to as a “student of the game”, and an already sparkling resumé should attest to her inclusion in the Greater Shepparton Sports Hall of Fame Junior Honour Roll.
Gall’s exploits in the GVL saw early opportunities for the dynamic goaler to make her mark, making her A-grade debut in 2022 before being plucked for Netball Victoria’s Pathway’s Program and state under-17 side.
After making a strong impression, Gall continued with a strong showing for the Victorian under-19 state netball side in 2024, and coupled with a Victorian Institute of Sport Scholarship, her on and off-court development kicked into overdrive.
Victorian Netball League honours soon followed, picked for the Bendigo Strikers’ under-23 squad.
That swiftly turned to promotion to the championship squad before earning another important appointment — selection for the Australian Under-21 squad, which toured Fiji in a Rising Stars showcase. If it sounds like many hats to wear for the young star, it certainly is.
But Gall said she wouldn’t have it any other way as she continues to grasp an opportunity she didn’t expect to have.
“It was good to be in the mix and be recognised (for the Junior Honour Roll), it was quite unexpected.” Gall said.
“It’s good competing against other athletes at that level, and it’s always a good test.
“When I was top age under-17s, I made the Victorian State team, which was good because I didn’t think I would probably play at that level.
“There’s a lot of planning, even just to get to training, let alone the extra stuff you’ve got to do outside of training to make sure you’re ready to go and ready to perform.
“You just have to make the most of it when you’re there and put in as much work as you can to get the best out of the programs that you’re in.”
Gall’s early achievements paint the
picture of a star on the rise, but her character has been tested after a preseason ACL injury scuppered what was supposed to be a big 2025 campaign.
For Gall, nothing changes as she dutifully continues rehabilitation efforts, doing the hard yards in pursuit of her return to the court.
“(Rehab) is going well,” Gall said.
“I’m about halfway through now, so I’m getting there.
“It is challenging at times watching when you can’t play, but I think just trying to focus on my rehab has been good.
“I just put all my energy to that to get back on court.
“I definitely want to play for an SSN team in the future; obviously next year I’ll just have to put a good year of netball together after coming off the year being injured.
“And then, hopefully, a training partner position would be amazing, but just to get back on court would be great.”
GREATER
Alex Keath Cricket
Alex Keath’s remarkable dual-sport career stands as a unique achievement in Australian sporting history.
A star with bat and ball for Kialla Knights Cricket Club, and with the Sherrin for Wanganui College, Dookie United, and Shepparton Bears, Keath had his choice of assignments when the time came to make the choice between professional cricket and the AFL.
It’s unlikely he could have imagined where the journey would take him from there.
From clinching victory with the Australian Under-19 World Cup team to a 109-game AFL career culminating in a grand final in Perth, Keath’s journey took unforeseen twists after his pivotal decision to choose cricket over footy in 2011.
His reflections on a remarkable career centres on memories of his early days and the connections he made along the way.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to play professional sports over the last 10 to 15 years in cricket and football,” Keath said.
“Enduring relationships are probably the best thing about sport, and it’s taken me to different parts of Australia and different parts of the world, so I
feel very fortunate.
“It makes me reflect on my upbringing in Kialla and how many people helped me along the way.
“Particularly in those early years when I was playing cricket at the Kialla Knights Cricket Club, there were guys there that were integral to my upbringing.
“I probably spent as much time there on the weekends and at training as I did at home, away from school.
“I didn’t start playing footy until I was a bit older, but I had a mate, Luke Lowden, who was involved at Dookie; we’d head out to Dookie and play in the under-14s.
“I think I used to play in a pair of baseball cleats because I was playing baseball at the time.
“Wanganui was great — we had a great coach called Phil Carroll, who instilled a lot of confidence in me.
“We went close to making a grand final one year; we never reached the ultimate, unfortunately, but they were very enjoyable times growing up in Shepparton.”
Keath led with his heart when deciding to sign with Cricket Victoria in a decision that saw him play seven Sheffield Shield games, 16 List A appearances, and several seasons in
the Big Bash League playing for the Melbourne Stars, as well as two stints in the PM’s XI.
It’s his cricket highlights that stand out when pinpointing some of his best memories.
“Certainly the Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand and playing alongside some guys that have gone on to have significant international careers,” Keath said.
“Mitch Marsh was captain and just an incredible leader, Josh Hazelwood was one of the best players I played with, and there was a number of players that went on to have really impactful careers.
“In New Zealand, we’d all just turned 18, and we were having the time of our lives, so that’s certainly a fond memory.
“Playing First Class cricket for Victoria was a huge achievement, something that was a massive goal of mine.
“To have my cap presented to me by David Hussey and play against the English touring team during the Ashes, that was awesome.”
In 2015, his cricket dream came to a halt at the conclusion of his Cricket Victoria contract, but after seeking further opportunities in South Australia, Keath found his way to the AFL.
“It was a bit of an uncertain time,” Keath said.
“I thought I still wanted to keep persisting with cricket and moved to South Australia initially to try and restart my career after things finished up at Victoria.
“I played local cricket and was training with the Adelaide Crows with the view to becoming a Category B rookie.
“It was becoming clearer towards the end of the summer that if I was going to have another crack at football, I’d have to take the opportunity there and then.”
And take it he did, opting for the Adelaide Crows, starting out in the SANFL before eventually building up to his debut in 2017 against Geelong.
His 30-game tenure at the Crows was highlighted by a Showdown Medal in 2019 before Keath turned his eyes back east to Victoria and a spot with the Bulldogs.
Keath became a favourite down at Whitten Oval, recognised with a Best Team Player accolade in 2021 and experiencing the roller-coaster of COVID-19 era AFL football en-route to the Bulldogs’ 74-point defeat in the grand final of that year.
“(Joining the Bulldogs) was a fantastic opportunity to come back to Melbourne and get involved with a young and highly talented list,” he said.
“We missed the top four (in 2021) and with COVID-19, we played a home elimination final in Tasmania, a semi final up in Brisbane the next week, and then down to Adelaide for the preliminary final before heading across to Perth for the grand final.
“It was a really strange period of time there, but we were fortunate that we could keep playing while everyone was in lockdown back home.”
Keath called time on his AFL career last year, drawing the curtain on a fine career that sees him join illustrious company in the Greater Shepparton Sports Hall of Fame.
GREATER SHEPPARTON SPORTS HALL OF FAME HONOUR ROLL
James Nieuwenhuizen
Soccer
James Niewenhuizen has always been one heck of a handy player.
Ironically, it’s his own two hands that have carved out a career in football — one that’s set to stretch far into the future as the Shepparton-raised goalkeeper understudies at one of the nation’s most successful clubs.
Niewenhuizen’s rise from the Goulburn Valley Suns talent factory to A-League club Melbourne City is much like his induction into the Greater Shepparton Sports Hall of Fame under the Junior Honour Roll category: a waiting game.
But it’s one he’s played to perfection.
Nieuwenhuizen sat patiently on the pine at City for four years before making his senior debut in 2024, and though he’s played at the elite level for Australia’s Joeys side, the young shot stopper’s temperament is ice-cold.
His tale began at St Brendan’s Primary School, much like fellow Hall of Fame inductees Alou and Garang Kuol, where schoolyard matches became a lit fuse for the next generation of Goulburn Valley guns to fire.
Nieuwenhuizen later joined GV Suns, where the next five years were spent honing his craft as goalkeeper.
The odd outfield cameo came and went before he locked himself in as a bona-fide shot stopper, guarding goals from post to post.
And from then on, footballs — and call-ups to representative sides — started flying Nieuwenhuizen’s way thick and fast.
His breakthrough game came at the 2018 National Championships in Coffs Harbour while playing for Victoria Country, where a blinding performance against Brisbane Roar academy soon thrust him in A-League clubs’ line of sight.
And the following year, Melbourne City came a-knocking.
Nieuwenhuizen was recruited to the three-time A-League premiership winners’ academy, giving him the springboard he needed to refine his game in a professional environment.
Another red letter moment arrived for Nieuwenhuizen in 2019, when he was given his first taste of international football.
He was named in the Australian Joeys side contesting the ASEAN Football Federation Under-15 Championships in Vietnam, playing alongside the country’s best emerging
talent.
The Shepparton product would return to the international stage again, donning the green and gold in 2022 and 2023 as part of the under-20s squad.
Those campaigns took him to Spain, Kuwait, and Uzbekistan — experiences that, while intimidating, only sharpened his focus.
For a teenager from the Goulburn Valley, it was a whirlwind.
One minute he was juggling school and club commitments, the next he was facing elite strikers on the other side of the world.
But through it all, Nieuwenhuizen remained grounded — still the same hard-working keeper who once threw himself around at McEwen Reserve on cold Shepparton mornings.
Those who know him best speak not only of his shot-stopping ability, but of his mental steel.
It’s that resilience that’s served him well during his ongoing stint with Melbourne City.
For four seasons, he waited for his first team debut.
Not once did he complain, waver, or take his eye off the ball.
And in 2024, patience was rewarded.
Nieuwenhuizen finally made his senior A-League debut for City — a long-awaited breakthrough that came after years of grinding behind the scenes.
It was a proud moment for his family, coaches, and the wider Shepparton footballing community who had followed his rise from day one.
Yet even while playing professionally, he hasn’t put all his eggs in one basket, as Nieuwenhuizen is also studying Law and Commerce at Monash University.
Earlier this year, a knee injury forced him to the sidelines, a temporary setback in what has otherwise been a steady ascent.
But those close to him know his determination remains unwavering.
The dream is clear: to one day represent the Socceroos on the senior stage and play at a FIFA World Cup.
And given his trajectory so far, you wouldn’t bet against him.
For now, however, the induction into the Greater Shepparton Sports Hall of Fame Junior Honour Roll offers a well-earned milestone — a recognition of a career already brimming with highlights, but also symbolic of what lies ahead.
GREATER SHEPPARTON SPORTS HALL OF FAME HONOUR
Alou Kuol
Soccer
Before Garang Kuol laced his boots for the Socceroos and became a household name in Australian football, it was his older brother Alou who kicked open the door.
The Greater Shepparton Sports Hall of Fame officially recognises that legacy — inducting Kuol into its Junior Honour Roll, a nod to the raw, relentless striker who rose from the Goulburn Valley to one of Germany’s most famous clubs.
While he has been a fixture in A-League football for a while now, Kuol’s journey continues to inspire an entire generation of Shepparton kids who now believe the global stage isn’t so far away after all.
For those who watched him tear through defences in the Goulburn Valley, Kuol’s ascent always felt imminent.
A powerful forward with an edge, he wasn’t the most polished product when he first emerged, but he made up for it with tenacity, athleticism, and a nose for goal.
In 2019, wearing the colours of the Goulburn Valley Suns, Kuol claimed the National Premier League Two golden boot — the first true
breakthrough moment of his career.
Still, it wasn’t all smooth from there.
Despite trialling with A-League clubs Melbourne Victory and Western United that same year, both passed on signing him.
For many, that might have been the end of the dream.
For Kuol, it was fuel.
Later in 2019, the Central Coast Mariners took a chance. And Kuol delivered.
He made his debut in Gosford the following year, impressing with his work rate, physicality and eye for goal.
His performances caught the attention of European scouts, and in April 2021, German Bundesliga outfit VfB Stuttgart signed him. His time in Germany was lined with the ruthless edge of European professionalism, as Kuol made just one senior appearance for Stuttgart in two years.
But even that single match represented something extraordinary: a Shepparton-raised refugee playing in one of the world’s elite leagues.
Antonita, his mother, reflects on
how far he has come.
“I’m very proud of him,” she said.
“When we started at St Brendan’s Primary School back in Shepparton, we never knew he could go this far.”
That school — and the community around it — played a pivotal role.
The Kuol family found more than just shelter in Shepparton; they found support, belonging, and belief.
“The community support is really important,” Antonita said.
“When you take them (to the ground), sometimes you can’t wait until they finish training, but around them is people who know them and supporting them. It was very supportive in Shepparton, yes.”
While the Bundesliga stint may not have fulfilled every expectation, it broadened Kuol’s footballing education.
During his German junket, Kuol was selected in the Australian under-23 team for the 2022 AFC U-23 Asian Cup where he blew up social media by scoring with a scorpion kick in a 1-1 draw with Iraq.
He was then named as nominee for the coveted Puskás award for his acrobatic effort.
In 2023, in a kind of poetic return, he
re-signed with Central Coast Mariners — brought back by then-coach Nick Montgomery, the same man who helped him find his feet the first time around.
“It’s beautiful the way ‘Monty’ brought him back again to us,” Antonita said.
“We’re so grateful to have him and happy to go to his games all the time and watch him. It’s really good, really nice.”
Back in Australia, Alou hasn’t missed a beat — regaining form and confidence, still possessing that unmistakable Kuol spirit on the pitch.
He has since signed for fellow A-League club Western Sydney Wanderers, and even now, amid the grind of professional football, Shepparton remains central to his identity.
He returns often, keeps in touch with old mates, never forgetting where it began.
It’s fitting, then, that his hometown hasn’t forgotten either.
The Junior Honour Roll induction may celebrate his footballing rise, but it also honours the character of a young man who carried the hopes of a family, inspired a younger brother, and made his mark far beyond his postcode.
Since its introduction, 76 champions of their respective codes have been immortalised through induction to the Greater Shepparton Sports Hall of Fame. These individuals’ dedication and perseverance within the sporting realm have been recognised and honoured, and their legacies will be remembered long into the future.
HALL OF FAME
Adem Yze, AFL
Andrew Cleave, Motorcycling
Dave Power, Motorcycling
Barry Wood, Rifle Shooting
Betty Curtis (Knight), Cycling
Brett Lancaster OAM, Cycling
Bruce Quick, Pistol Shooting
Bryan Thomson, Motorsport
Christine Dobson, Hockey
Clarice Power, Lawn and Indoor Bowls
David Waite, Volleyball
Dennis Myers, Speedway Racing
Edna Harling, Lawn Bowls
Elizabeth Boniello (Taverner), Netball
Elizabeth Taylor (Tadich), Cycling
Emma O’Keeffe, Sport Aerobics
Glen James OAM, Football Umpiring
Grace Edwards OAM, Croquet
Jack Findlay, Motorcycling
Jack Halsall, Motorcycling
Jarrod Lyle, Golf
John Sutherland, Trap Shooting
John Thorsen, Cycling
Julie Gross, Basketball
Kate Church, Paralympic Swimming and Basketball
Lee Naylor, Athletics
Leigh Egan, BMX Racing
Louise Dobson OAM, Hockey
Margo Koskelainen OAM, Softball Umpiring
Mary Grieve, Croquet
Mavis Meadowcroft, Lawn Bowls
Max Carlos, Boxing
Michael Dobbie, Paralympic Wheelchair Tennis
Michael Scandolera, Badminton
Narelle Gosstray, Baseball
Raelee Thompson, Cricket
Shaun O’Brien, Cycling
Stacey Collier, Lawn Bowls
Steele Sidebottom, AFL
Stephen Fairless, Cycling
Stephen Tingay, AFL
Steven King, AFL
Terrie Crozier, Lawn Bowls
Tom Spark OAM, Squash
HONOUR ROLL
Aiden Blizzard, Cricket
Amanda Garner, Dancing
Barry Myers, Speedway Racing
Bert Lightfoot, Cricket
Bryan Doyle, Cricket
Don Kilgour, Administrator (Sports Commentary)
Doug Tuhan, Athletics
Frank Scott, Administration (Cricket, AFL, Tennis)
Fred McMahon, Administrator (AFL)
Ian Fitzsimmons, Administrator (AFL and Cricket)
Jeremy Garner, Dance Sport
Joyce Russell, Croquet
Ken Tyquin, Badminton, Basketball, Cricket, Table Tennis, Tennis
Lucy Scott, Administration (Cricket, AFL, Tennis)
Martin Rennie, Fire Brigade Competition
Matthew Higgins, Hockey
Noela Laws (Brown), Softball
Pamela Pogue, Triathlon
Peg Curtis, Coach (Netball and Softball)
Richie Mann, Administrator (AFL and Cricket)
Rohan Larkin, Cricket
Rosemary Tyquin, Hockey
Val Sutherland, Netball
Willy O’Callaghan, Coach (Swimming)
JUNIOR HONOUR ROLL
Alan Rossignoli, Badminton
Connor Holland, Hockey
Daniel Thorsen, Cycling
Glenn Harrap, Volleyball
Maddie Garrick, Basketball
Sam Brown, Dance Sport
Trudi Koskelainen (Skinner), Volleyball
Xavier Russell, Clay Target Shooting
O R TS
GREATER SHEPPARTON GREATER SHEPPARTON
SP O R TS
2025 Inductees
Hall of Fame
BLOOMFIELD, Geo .................................................. Showjumping
KUOL, Garang ............................................................. Soccer
Honour Roll
BARRASS, Val.............................................................. Netball
DUNLOP, Jan Golf
LIA, Vince ...................................................................... Soccer
Junior Honour Roll
EDWARDS, Liam ......................................................... Cycling
GALL, Harriet Netball
KEATH, Alex ................................................................. Cricket
KUOL, Alou Soccer
NIEUWENHUIZEN, James ....................................... Soccer
NORTH, Dakota Speedway