Ballarat’s most influential sportspeople revealed with some surprises
With the help of experts in the city, we’ve compiled a list of those people who have influenced sport in Ballarat over the past 100 years. This is part two of a five-part series.
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There are few, if any, regional cities in Australia which have produced the same calibre of sporting pedigree as Ballarat.
The names of the city‘s sporting alumni roll off the tongue and represent some of the biggest names in Australian sport … Moneghetti, Lockett, Malthouse, Payne.
In an effort to celebrate this extraordinary legacy, the Herald Sun has tapped into the minds of Ballarat‘s best sporting brains in an effort to compile the complete list of the most influential people in Ballarat sports of the past 100 years.
You can read part one and all about the process to identify the top-200 here.
Here is part two of the list, which features the next 50 who did not quite make the top 50.
Adam Lindsay Gordon, racing
Gordon only lived in Ballarat for three years from 1867 to 1869 but his influence on the area lives on to this day. In sport, he was an accomplished jockey, winning more than 20 races including multiple wins in hurdles/steeplechase. This included four races in Ballarat and incredibly three in one day at Flemington in 1868. Gordon was also a poet with his published work recognised as some of the best literature to come from Australia.
Alex McDonald, football
McDonald is the one of two Ballarat connected footballers to go at number one in the draft. The tagger played more than 100 games for two clubs after being originally drafted by Hawthorn in 1988. He would miss the era of their dominance and join Collingwood in 1996 before retiring in 1999. A Ballarat Swans player, McDonald was born in Waubra, not far from Ballarat and went to school at St Patrick’s College.
Alastair Clarkson, football
One of the greatest coaches of the modern era, coaching Hawthorn to four premierships from 2008 to 2015. He also helped Port Adelaide win their first premiership in 2004 as a midfield coach and guided Central Districts, in the SANFL, to their second ever premiership in 2001. As a player he played more than 100 games for North Melbourne and Melbourne in the late 1980s and 1990s and played as both a small forward and midfielder. Clarkson was born in Kaniva, near the Victoria/South Australia border, but went to school at Ballarat Clarendon College. He would be higher if his connection with Ballarat was more.
Allan Spratling, cricket
A legend at Mount Clear Cricket Club. Spratling joined after his former club Ross Creek merged with Mount Clear in 1958. For the next few decades he would remain at the club and become a valuable member of the Mounties. Spratling served as the president of the club for 44 years and is a life member after also playing during his time. He also helped Mount Clear find a home. During his time in cricket, he was also part of the Ballarat Cricket Association for 22 years and ran the Ballarat Country Week for a few years in the 2000s.
Alan Webb, yachting
One of the biggest names in the history of the Ballaarat Yacht Club. Webb won six state titles on two boats, Kaye and Farouche, and was also a club commodore of the club in the 1970s. A legend of the sport in the city.
Amy Gillett, cycling
A sportsperson lost too soon. Gillett only lived in Ballarat for a short period of time, in Mount Helen, after marrying her partner Simon in 2004. A year later, Gillett died after being involved in a car crash while riding her bike in Germany. Gillett was a star of two sports, rowing and cycling. In rowing she won a junior world championships title in the Coxless Four in 1993 before competing for Australia at the Olympics in 1996. In the early 2000s, she started cycling and finished in the top three in the road race time trial at the nationals in 2005. She also competed at the World Cups in 2002 and 2003. After her death the Amy Gillett Foundation was named in her honour, which aims to improve road safety for cyclists and provide pathways for female cyclists to compete. She will forever be remembered and would be higher if her time in Ballarat was longer.
Angus Lyons, cycling
A Ballarat cyclist who has ridden for some top Australian teams in his career so far. A time trial specialist, Lyons has finished top three at the nationals as a junior before finishing top 10 at the senior nationals in 2019. In road races, he’s won a stage at the Tour of Indonesia and also won the Mountains classification at the Tour de Langkawi and Tour de Tochigi. Last year he had the finest moment of his career, winning stage 3 of the Santos Festival of Cycling in Adelaide in a mountain finish. The 27-year-old is currently without a ride and hasn’t competed this year.
Anthony McDonald, football
The Damascus College and St Patrick’s College student played 100 games for Melbourne during the 1990s and 2000s, playing in the 2000 Grand Final with the Demons. McDonald, playing in the midfield and on the wing, originally struggled to play AFL, being part of both Carlton and Hawthorn before Melbourne gave him his chance. He played for Coburg before he played for the Demons. He retired in 2002 to become a mortgage broker.
Barry Stevens, football
A talented boxer and footballer. He won a Golden Gloves championship in the 1950s before playing football for Golden Point. Stevens would play more than 270 games and would later coach the team in the 1960s, guiding the team to the 1966 and 1967 premierships. Stevens would also play more than 270 games for the club. He would also coach Carngham Linton at one time.
Bill Bruhn, football umpire
One of the best umpires in Ballarat football. Bruhn has umpired more than 800 games and most of them have been in seniors during his career. He is a highly recognised umpire in the region who has been rewarded for his work. Bruhn is part of the Ballarat Sportsmen’s club and the Ballarat Football Umpires Association Hall of Fame.
Bill O’Malley, football
Bill O’Malley will forever be remembered for the legacy he created at St Patrick’s College. Not only was he a teacher at the school for 40 years but he was a deputy headmaster for 30. But it was his coaching of school footy teams which brought him to a new level. He had an art of producing students who would go on to play in the VFL. At one stage during his teaching at the school, he had 15 ex-students playing in the VFL. He created an academy of talented players. O’Malley is noted as being one of the greatest to ever be in the college. A wing and a sports centre are named in his honour at the school.
Bob Greville, boxing
One of Ballarat’s best boxers. In the 1950s, Greville as a professional boxer fought 30 bouts, winning 22 of them and losing eight. This included three fights in Ballarat. Greville was also a player in the Ballarat Football Netball League with Golden Point (now East Point) and would raise money for the club with what would be raised during his fights. He died in 2015.
Brendan Joyce, basketball
Before he became a NBL premiership coach with Wollongong and coaching the Australian Opals, Joyce was coach at the Ballarat Miners, leading them to plenty of success. In 1994 he guided the team to second in the South East Australia Basketball League with a conference loss in the semi-final. The following year the team won the title before Joyce left at the end of the 1995 season. The Miners would continue their success in 1996, without him, winning the title again. Joyce left a major legacy to the club, which is still there to the day.
Brian Gleeson, football
One of a couple of Ballarat players to win a Brownlow Medal in his career. Gleeson, who went to St Patrick’s College, played for St Kilda from 1953 to 1957 and played 70 games. The centre half forward in 1957 had his best year, winning the Saints best and fairest and winning the Brownlow by four votes. The season would be his last in the VFL after a serious knee injury ended his career. Gleeson is part of the St Kilda Hall of Fame.
Brian Vear, rowing
Vear is a rower who competed at two Olympic Games and also won national titles for Victoria. The St Patrick’s College student, who came from Euroa, competed at the 1960 and 1964 games as part of the men’s coxless fours and the men’s eights respectively. Vear also won two King’s Cup as part of the Victoria coxless eights. In later years he was the president of the Banks Rowing Club in Melbourne and also carried the Olympic Torch ahead of the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.
Charlie Clymo, football
Clymo was not only a great footballer but he was also a brilliant fireman. He led the Ballarat Fire Bridge for almost forty years in the 1900s. On the field, he played 43 matches for St Kilda from 1907 to 1909 before he started playing in Ballarat after moving there. Clymo joined Golden Point and helped the team to win the premiership in 1910, 1914 and 1919. Turning to coaching in the 1920s, Clymo guided Ballarat to the 1923 premiership before taking the Ballarat Imperials to the title in 1929. Clymo then guided Geelong to the VFL premiership in 1931. A legend on and off the field.
Collis Birmingham, athletics
Birmingham is one of Australia’s best middle distance runners in the past decade and a half. The Ballarat High School alumni, from 2009 to 2011, was the Australian and Oceania record holder in the 10,000 metres event. Birmingham during his career competed at two Olympic Games, in 2008 and 2012, four World Championships and two Commonwealth Games, in 2010 and 2014. His best result individually was sixth in the 5000m in Delhi at the Commonwealth Games.
Damian Ryan, cricket
East Ballarat’s best cricketer, as voted by the club. Ryan has been part of the club for a few decades and has been one of the best in the Ballarat competition as well. He is a three time First XI best and fairest, winning twice in the 70s and once in the 90s. Ryan was also a Premier cricket player, playing for Footscray. A talented off-spinner, Ryan is also part of the Ballarat Cricket Hall of Fame.
Damien Turner, cycling
Turner is a Ballarat cyclist who finished third in the road race national titles in 2010. He’s also finished inside the top 10 at the national championships in the Time Trial in 2008 and 2010. Turner also competed for Oceania outfit Team Budget Forklifts for two seasons in 2008 and 2009.
Darren Jolly, football
One of the best ruckman to play this millennium. The former Damascus College student played with North Ballarat’s VFL team before being picked up by Melbourne in the rookie draft. He would play 48 games before moving to Sydney to play for the Swans in 2005. Jolly was influential in helping Sydney win the premiership that season and played 118 games for the club. In 2010 he moved to Collingwood and played in their premiership success that season. All up he played 237 games.
David McKenzie, cycling
The Ballarat cyclist is a former stage winner at the Giro D’Italia and is also the road race national champion in 1998. Over a career spanning a decade, McKenzie also rode for UCI Continental teams and won multiple stages in the Herald Sun Tour. Since his career ended he has been a commentator and journalist for SBS, covering the biggest events in the world. He was in Ballarat this year, covering the road nationals.
Dawn Jose, basketball
Jose helped form the Exies-Acmy basketball and is one of the leading administrators in basketball in the area for a few decades. Her work has been recognised by both Exies-Acmy and Ballarat Basketball. In 1991 she was given a life award at Exies-Acmy and in 2011 she was included in the Ballarat Basketball Hall of Fame.
Dennis Shaw, cycling
A former professional cyclist who won the Melbourne to Warrnambool in 1978 and events in Mulgrave, Warrnambool and Horsham in 1979 and 1980. When his career ended, he opened Shaw Cycles, which is now Giant Cycles. Over more than 40 years the company has provided bikes to thousands of cyclists from around the region. His son, Pat, is also a former professional cyclist who is now part of the business. He was also on this list in part one.
Don McKenzie, football
A legend at Essendon who was the ruckman during their dominant era of the 1960s. McKenzie played 267 games for the club and was captain in 1969. He won two premierships in 1962 and 1965 and won the best and fairest at the club in 1966. After his retirement in 1974 he was part of the Bombers committee from 1981 to 1996. He also helped to found Donric Group, which run buses in Queensland and Victoria.
Brad Sewell, football
Born and raised in Newlyn, the two-time AFL premiership player was also from Ballarat, playing for the North Ballarat Rebels and going to Ballarat High School. The Hawthorn midfielder played 200 games for the club, playing in the teams 2008 and 2013 premiership. He is also a best and fairest at the Hawks, winning the title in 2007. A midfielder who knew how to find the ball, he was influential in their dominant era in the sport.
Eric Cooks, basketball
One of the best ever players to put on the Ballarat Miners jersey. Cooks played during the dominant era of the Miners in the 90s. Overall he played 11 years for the club from 1986 to 1997. In the time he won the South East Australia Basketball League MVP in 1989 and 1990 and was part of the All-Star team in 1993, 1995 and 1996. Cooks helped the team to win three premierships in 1989, 1994 and 1995. He holds the record in the SEABL for blocked shots and is fourth and second for total points and total rebounds. The forward moved to the Illawarra Hawks after playing for the Miners to spend four season in the NBL. He is still connected to Ballarat to this day, he is a teacher currently at St Patrick’s College.
Eric Hayes, basketball
Another star for the Miners during the 1990s. He was part of the 1994 and 1995 premiership wins for the team in the South East Australia Basketball League and holds plenty of records in the competition during his time. He played the most games in the competition, sits second for points scored, third for total rebounds and first for free throws attempted. In recent years, he’s been a coach, coming back to the Miners to coach the team but leaving at the end of 2021.
Ernie Bolton, baseball
One of Australia’s best ever pitchers in baseball. Bolton played for Victoria in the 1950s and 1960s, winning a Claxton Shield in 1958. The baseballer’s career of stopping players from scoring earned him a spot in Baseball Victoria’s Hall of Fame in 2016. He also played cricket in Ballarat and was involved in several premierships with Mount Clear.
Evan King, athletics
King is a former runner who finished second in the Stawell Gift in 1997. A member of the Stawell Gift Hall of Fame, King 20 years after his greatest run, would win the Masters Stawell Gift final to claim a win at the famous event. King is now the CEO of the City of Ballarat Council and has been in the position since 2021.
Graham Donaldson, football
A Carlton legend as a player and coach. From Clunes, Donaldson played for East Ballarat before moving to Carlton in 1955. He played for the club until 1962, playing 106 games. A forward who played in the ruck later in his career, he helped the team make the grand final, losing to Essendon. Donaldson was captain in 1961 and 1962 but retired at the end of the season. He would return to the club in the late 1960s, helping Carlton as an assistant coach to win the premiership in 1968 and 1970. In 1971 he became the coach of Fitzroy and was coach at the Maroons for four seasons.
Greg Burns, football
A great at St Kilda. Burns played for 12 seasons for the club from 1978 to 1989 and was a tough midfielder for the club. He won two best and fairests in 1984 and 1986 and played 169 games. His performances put him in the Saints Hall of Fame. Burns has also been a harness trainer and racer for the past few decades.
Greg Perry, football
A former Essendon ruckman who played 63 games for the club from 1970 to 1976. Perry kicked 38 goals during his time in the game. Perry would be higher on the list but he originally came from Stawell.
Howard Lockett, football
A legend of Ballarat football. He played more than 500 games for North Ballarat and Lexton during his career, helping Lexton to win the premiership in 1966 as captain and coach. At North Ballarat, he played more than 200 games and won the best and fairest in 1964. After his playing career, he coached the Roosters to the premiership in 1978 and 1979. He is in North Ballarat’s Hall of Fame.
Ian Huntly, golf
A golfer who is a stalwart of the Creswick Golf Club. He has been at the club for more than 50 years and is well known to everyone in the town as the former owner of the local grocer there. Huntly is also involved in the Creswick Bowls Club and helped the team win the Division 6 premiership in 2019. He’s been influential in sport in the town and the match play event at the golf club is named in his honour.
Jack Larvis, footballer
Larvis is well known for his groundskeeping at Eastern Oval for more than three decades. He was an icon at both East Ballarat and Golden Point Football Clubs with both teams playing for the Larvis Cup whenever they battled each other in the Ballarat Football League before their merger in 2001.
Judy Dalton, tennis
A legend in tennis who was one of the founding members of the Virginia Slims 9 who fought for better payments in tennis for women. Dalton was also successful on court, making the final at Wimbledon in singles in 1968 and the semi’s at the Australian Open in the same year. In doubles, she won all four grand slam titles and won the Australian Open four times in doubles. Dalton also won two Federation Cups for Australia during her time. After her career, she moved to Buninyong, near Ballarat, with her husband and stayed in the region for more than two decades. During the time in the region she gave back to the community, played indoor tennis and was involved in the sport in the city. She is now based in Melbourne.
Keith Jolly, motorsport
One of Ballarat’s best motorcycle racers. He’s been racing for more than 40 years and is part of the Hartwell Motorcycle Club. In 1996 he finished in the top three in the over 45 category at the Finke Desert Rally. Jolly and his two sons are still racing to this day and have been involved for years.
Les and Thora Blackbourn, tennis
Both Les and Thora have left a major mark in tennis in the region. They were instrumental to the success of the sport in the region in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Les was the secretary of the junior and senior competitions in the region, organising more than 1000 players in the morning and 1300 players in the afternoon. For Thora she, as secretary, looked after the midweek ladies tournaments, which had up to 1400 players involved. Both would organise and maintain draws for all competitions, all done by hand, with no computers. Both were influential in keeping tennis strong for decades.
Neil Twaits, sport
Twaits is the only Ballarat sportsman to excel at not just one but five sports. In tennis, squash and golf he’s won at least one Ballarat title and a couple of years ago he shot a 76 at the Ballarat Golf Club at the age of 77. A talented sportsman.
Noel Jenkins, football
A long standing umpire in Ballarat who officiated more than 1000 games at all levels. He was an umpire for more than 35 years. Jenkins is a life member of the Ballarat Football Umpires Association.
Peter Howley, physiotherapist
Howley is a physiotherapist who was part of the success of Ballarat endurance runner Steve Moneghetti. He was part of Moneghetti’s team during his career and wrote his autobiography in the 1990s. Howley was also involved in sports administration, helping Ballarat Regional Athletic Centre and the Ballarat Athletic Club with their events and day-to-day running.
Peter Le Lievre, cricket
A legend of Golden Point cricket. Le Lievre was named as captain of the team of the century after playing 259 games for the club. He captained coached the team for 12 years and won two premierships in 1986/87 and 1988/89. Le Lievre also won the best and fairest at the club five times during his career and played for Ballarat as well. Currently, he is part of the Ballarat Cricket Association and is the vice president of the association.
Reg Davis, football
Davis was heavily involved with Golden Point Football Club as an administrator and helped the club to build the change rooms and facilities the club used while at Eastern Oval. Those facilities are now used by the East Point Netball Club. His brother in law is Rex Hollioake.
Vicki Parr (Woodward), table tennis
One of the best Ballarat table tennis players in history. Parr, nee Woodward, won multiple state and national championships during her career in the 1970s. In 1977 and 1979 she was the state champion in singles and in 1976 she won the national mixed and women’s doubles events. She repeated the success in 1979 in the women’s doubles. In 2012 she was inducted into the Table Tennis Victoria Hall of Fame.
Wayne Spring, royal tennis
Spring is one of Ballarat’s best players of royal tennis, the original form of tennis before lawn tennis was invented. He’s won more than 20 club champion titles at the club and has represented his state and country in major events. For more than 30 years, Spring was a doctor in the region.
Robert Stewart, football
A Redan legend who played 237 games for the club in the 1960s. Stewart is a four time best and fairest and guided the team to premiership success in reserves as captain and coach in 1969. In 1963 he played seven games for North Melbourne in the VFL, which was his only season at the club.
Sharon Russell (nee Stewart), athletics
A middle distance runner who won three Commonwealth Games medals during the 1980s and 1990s. In 1986 she was part of the 4x400 relay team who won bronze in the Commonwealth Games. She won silver in the same event in 1990 and also added bronze in the 800m. Russell also competed at World Championships and World Cups during her career.
Steve Packham, tennis
Packham has dominated Ballarat tennis for more than 40 years and has won more than 20 Ballarat Open singles titles. From 1973, his first win, to 1993, he won an incredible 20-in-a-row. Packham also played internationally, being ranked inside the top 800 in singles and top 900 in doubles. Currently, he is playing masters tennis and is ranked 27th in the world, in the 65+ age group, according to the latest ITF rankings.
Val Perovic, football
An icon of the Carlton and St Kilda football club. Perovic came to Australia, and Ballarat, at the age of four with his family from Yugoslavia (now Croatia) and lived in the region. Perovic played for North Ballarat before moving to St Kilda and then Carlton. He would play 174 games as a defender and wingman and play in the Blues premierships in 1981 and 1982. The famous WOOF cry from the Blues started when Perovic was at the club and he kicked with his booming right foot.
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