Andrew Walker, Clayton Oliver, Ollie Wines among Echuca’s best athletes
Echuca-Moama has produced quality athletes in different sports across history. Here are the best to emerge from the twin towns.
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It might be a small community on the NSW-Victoria border but Echuca-Moama has an outstanding history of creating national sporting stars.
The twin towns’ canny ability of developing footy stars is well known with several locals going onto have enjoyed great success.
But across other sports, Echuca-Moama exports have gone onto enjoy fine careers.
Here are Echuca-Moama’s greatest sporting heroes.
Rhys Archard
Despite never playing a game at the top level, Archard enjoyed a football career most could only dream of. He won the SANFL’s Magarey Medal in 2009 during a stint with North Adelaide, adding to his GVL Morrison Medal award in 2033. Archard also played a key role in Echuca’s back-to-back premierships in 2001-02. With his footy career now over, he works as a horse trainer.
Steve Atkins
A member of the Echuca Clay Target Club, Atkins has enjoyed quite the career. Has previously represented Australia and is still making waves in the sport.
Michael Braun
Recruited from Echuca United, who play in the Murray League, Braun went onto play 228 games for West Coast including the club’s 2006 premiership victory over Sydney. Braun’s photo still hangs proudly in the United changerooms at Echuca South Recreation Reserve. He was the Bendigo Pioneers best-and-fairest the year he was drafted by the Eagles.
Paul Brown
Played 84 games for Geelong across an eight-year period for the Cats including the losing grand finals against West Coast (1994) and Carlton (1995). Brown’s career was ultimately cruelled by injuries. His daughter, Millie, was drafted by Geelong as a father-daughter selection in the AFLW.
Donna Burns
The Yorta Yorta woman made her name as a basketballer on the Australian Pearls team, a side for athletes with an intellectual disability. Burns was part of the Pearls gold medal winning team at the 1992 Paralympic Games in Madrid. There she scored almost half of Australia’s points and was voted MVP. She was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in 1993 and also inducted into the Aboriginal and Islander Sports Hall of Fame.
Guy Campbell
Once regarded by Peter Knights as Victoria’s best country footballer, and possibly even Australia’s best. Campbell might not have played an AFL game but he did enjoy a standout career on the footy field. State representation and league best-and-fairest were among his accolades.
Jane Chalmers
Chalmers has enjoyed a fine basketball career at the top level. She began here US college career in 2000 with Iowa Central Community Central before transferring to Northwest Missouri where she spent two seasons. She returned to Australia to enjoy a strong career with the Bendigo Spirit in the WNBL, where she won two championships, across several seasons.
Kiara Dean
Still making her way in her young shooting career but there are plenty of reasons to be excited about the rising star. She’s already represented Australia at several international events and has won plenty of medals along the way.
David Dew
An Australian cyclist who put together a fine career. Dew wore the green and gold at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland finishing fifth in the 1km time trial. In the years following, he was a consistent podium finisher at national championships.
Simon Eishold
A midfielder for two VFL/AFL clubs, Melbourne and Richmond, Eishold went onto play 82 games at the top level. He is famously remembered for missing a goal in the 1987 preliminary final against Hawthorn before the Hawkins kicked the winning goal at the other end. When he moved on from the AFL, Eishold won the GVL’s Morrison Medal in 1995 before coaching Echuca’s 1997 premiership. He also had a stint as Hobart coach.
Joanne Hamilton
Hamilton was a dominant force on the water during her career as she represented her country on several occasions. Her best results included a gold medal at the World Racing Championships in 1999, having finished second two years earlier.
Gwenda Johnstone
Johnstone remains the only Echuca horse trainer to have tasted Group 1 success with her victory in the 2008 Goodwood Handicap. She also has a second-place finish in the Group 1 Sallinger stakes. Johnstone’s Pinerate took home the 2005 Echuca Cup.
Cameron McMullan
The Australian kayaker enjoyed a standout career after growing up on the Murray River. Among the highlights of his career were a second-place finish at a World Cup event.
Todd Murphy
Murphy is only in the early stages of his cricket career but he already appears set for greatness. The Victorian is tipped by many to be Australia’s next test spinner when Nathan Lyon does retire. His form for Victoria this season has been spectacular.
Clayton Oliver
Currently one of the AFL’s best midfielders in a powerful Melbourne line-up. Oliver started his football journey with the Murray Bombers before moving to Mooroopna where he was eventually drafted from. Could easily be the border town’s best export by the time his career finishes.
Col Pearse
The youngest member on this list, Pearse is one of Australia’s top Para Athletes. He won a gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in the 100m butterfly S10 following on from his bronze medal at the 2020 Paralympics. Earned selection on his first Australian team in 2019.
Brett Sands
One of Australia’s finest water skiing exports of all-time. Sands is a six-time world champion across different age groups and has held two world records. He has competed right across the world.
Lachie Schultz
Another AFL footballer from the border community to make the list. Earned his way to the top level the hard way after working on his craft in the VFL. In his four seasons at the top level, Schultz has played 67 games and become an important member of Fremantle’s forward line.
Claire Turley
Claire Turley nee Duke was born in the nearby town of Tongala and has gone onto represent Australia in bowls on several fronts. She was part of the Commonwealth Games women’s triples team that won silver.
Andrew Walker
After being selected with the 2003 AFL draft, Echuca went onto play 202 games for Carlton and eventually earned life membership. In 2011, Walker took what is considered to be one of the greatest marks over Essendon’s Jake Carlisle. Once he retired from the top level, he returned to Echuca where he is the Murray Bombers senior coach. In 2022, they broke their 29-year Goulburn Valley League premiership drought.
Ollie Wines
Wines is one of the AFL’s best inside midfielders and his standing in the game was recognised in 2021 when he was named the Brownlow medallist. A former captain of Port Adelaide, Wines regularly speaks about growing up on the Murray. At the end of the 2022 season, he had 203 games to his name.
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