TODAY’S column is about what it means to represent Sunraysia in any sport.
The inspiration for writing about this came from watching our junior representative basketballers giving it their all during last week’s Victorian Under 14 junior country championships in Mildura.
While the two lower-division girls’ teams played their hearts out during the three-day tournament, it was the Mildura Heat Division 1 boys’ team who stole the show in their run to the grand final on Monday.
They suffered a heartbreaking six-point loss in the decider to Maffra, who they had beaten by seven points a day earlier.
Unfortunately, the execution wasn’t quite there in the closing stages as the teams traded leads at Mildura Sporting Precinct.
But the boys, along with the girls (who didn’t reach the final games in their respective divisions), can hold their heads high after their performances.
What it means to represent the region was something already on my mind after an interview last week with one of the most passionate footballers to ever pull on a Sunraysia rep jersey in Don Falvo.
He’s now a senior and junior coach of Sunraysia’s footy teams.
And what an inspiration he is.
After several years in the senior representative doldrums, Falvo and his coaching staff pulled together all the elite local footballers (some of whom had brushed the concept for years) for the successful Dreamtime at the P event last year.
The rain that day didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of Falvo and his star-studded team from putting on a great show as they duly thumped the Central Australia Redtails.
Falvo is expected to build on this momentum in 2024 when Sunraysia’s junior and senior teams, along with the netballers, step up as part of a four-day festival of sport at MSP in early July.
Fans are sure to turn up in their droves for the seniors clash against Central Murray, with the Sunraysia line-up likely to include former AFL players Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti, Jarrod Brander and Sam Kerridge, along with Dan Coghlan and fellow league guns Nick Mee, Tom Brownbridge and Wade Hancock, to name just a few.
Central Murray have been in the representative wilderness since before the COVID pandemic but there’s already verbal sparring going on between Falvo and his counterpart.
“Their coach has already told me he’ll be picking their best players who will be coming here to win, but I said to him, ‘We’re going to beat you blokes, simple as that’,” Falvo said.
“All our elite players here have bought into it again after they enjoyed it so much last year.
“There is great pride coming back in the Sunraysia jumper.”
Another potential showcase during that week could be a return clash between the Mallee Tigers and Millewa, who returned to rep footy last year.
This is all mouth-watering stuff.
Four-time league best-and-fairest winner Falvo makes it clear that respect for tradition is what drives him in leading rep teams.
“All my passion comes from watching and being mentored by former greats like Brian Weightman and Tony Hickey. As a kid, I used to sit and watch Sunraysia play Ovens and Murray and other top country leagues, and it really inspired me,” Falvo said.
“I wasn’t thinking about AFL at the time. My goal was to represent Sunraysia.
“I remember as a young bloke going to Broken Hill and winning the trophy as the best player for Sunraysia. I carried that trophy to school as if it was a million dollars. The ultimate for me would be one day seeing my son playing interleague footy for Sunraysia.”
There is someone else who rivals Falvo for this level of representative passion and pride, and just how invested he was in seeing the Heat basketball teams perform well in the Big V.
James Madigan coached more Big V games over the past two decades than I’ve had baked dinners.
And he loved every minute of it, even when they were some of the most trying moments of his life as he juggled the multi-faceted role of a Heat coach, where they are also the bus driver for road trips, team psychologist and goodness knows what else.
He hung up the coaching board last year but the passion for the Heat singlet still burns brightly.
After an eventful trip to the US earlier this year to celebrate his 60th birthday, Madigan gave an insight this week into what a privilege it was to represent this region in any sport.
“A lot of people who play at the elite level don’t realise what they’ve got till it’s gone,” he said. “Not everyone gets the opportunity to represent their region, but it’s so special.
“It’s a buzz for the players and coaches, and it’s something I never lost sight of.”
Winners are grinners
IT’S good to see there’s plenty of punting confidence on the Mildura harness races.
Last Friday, during the Pacing Cup week, three punters cleaned up on races seven and eight.
There were two winning bets of $5000 at fixed odds of $1.75 and $1.95 on Dallas Charlie, before another $5000 wager at $2.15 landed on the Lindsay Rogers-trained Lester in the next race.
However, one punter was left feeling blue after their $2000 bet at $4.45 on Avoca Blues was confetti after the standardbred finished out of the placings.
For story leads or feedback, contact Matt at mtaylor@sunraysiadaily.com.au
