Kevin Hogan (Page, National Party, Assistant Minister to the Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Clunes Cricket Club this year are celebrating their 100th birthday, and there is going to be a celebration later this year. In September 1920, the Clunes Cricket Club was formed. Clunes junior cricket was started in 1992 by Russell White, the principal of Clunes Public School. He was helped at the time by Michael and Joy Collings, Terry Francis and Phil McCarthy.

There have been many successful players from the Clunes Cricket Club over the decades who have reached state, national and international levels. For a village of just a few hundred people, it is a highly impressive list. Sam Trimble had a successful career playing with Queensland's Sheffield Shield team. Sammy-Jo Johnson right now is a fast pace bowler for the Queensland Fire and the Brisbane Heat. Olivia Osborne has represented New South Wales. Lewin and Caelan Maladay have both been very successful players. Jack Cooper has played for Queensland, and now plays for the Gold Coast Dolphins—indeed, he is the brother of Tom and Ben Cooper, who have both played international cricket. Simon Milenko now plays for the Hobart Hurricanes. Lachlan Barnsley plays first grade premier cricket in Sydney. Historically there's many more, including Allen Pearson; Glenn Trimble, who is the son of Sam Trimble; Warren and Errol Noble; Neville Emery; Robert Crane; and Don Allen. Also, Matthew Phelps, a Clunes boys, went on to have a very distinguished cricketing career. Not a bad record for a village of just a few hundred people!

I might add that I was the coach of Clunes Kanga team for a couple of years in the early 2000s, when my son Sean was a young boy. I can say quite categorically that none of them have gone on to have a stellar career, for which I accept full responsibility due to my lack of technical knowledge.

I would also like to thank the current committee members who are putting together the 100-year celebration: Graham Armstrong, Andrew Crisp, Peter Alexander, Rachel Cooper and Barry Cooper. Congratulations Clunes Cricket Club; I look forward to the celebrations later this year.

I'd like to recognise Allan Hayman from Junction Hill. He has been awarded a Public Service Medal for 40 years of service to the New South Wales government. He started at 14 when he helped build a local public school. He then became a trainee engineman. He married his wife, Lyn, in 1975, and in 1976 he started a job at the Department of Main Roads. He then became an assistant storeman. He considered retiring, but took up a job as a crossing supervisor on Turf Street at St Mary's Primary School. He has been a familiar face for a whole generation of students. This award is usually presented by the Premier, but, due to COVID, the ceremony has been postponed. Congratulations Allan, and thank you for your service to our community.