On page 15 of North-Central League’s giant-sized grand final “Recorder”, distributed at Boort on Saturday, is a list of 25 people who, since the resumption of football after World War II, have given outstanding service to the development of the game in this part of the State.
Among them is Donald’s Frank O’Shea, widely recognized for his coaching of junior teams, and for his newspaper reporting of North-Central football.
On this year’s grand final day it was announced that one name to be added to the list is that of Shane O’Shea, Frank’s son.
Those tuned in to Radio 3SH on Saturday mornings during the winter months will have appreciated Shane’s up-to-date rundown on North-Central sporting football, hockey and netball news, including predictions of outcomes of all senior games.
His association with 3SH dates back to the early 1990s, and was preceded by several years providing a similar program on radio station 3WM, having taken over the role from Robin Letts.
Shane’s involvement with the North-Central Football League also includes two years as treasurer, from 1984 to 1985, and four years as league secretary, from 1986 to 1989.
In June this year, after a working lifetime with the “Buloke Times” (and its predecessors, “Donald Times” and “Donald Birchip Times”), Shane felt it was the right time to take a break from full-time newspaper duties.
During those 52 years, in which he mastered Linotype, Intertype and computer keyboards, he also developed the skill of writing insightful observations, with accompanying photography, particularly on sporting events.
Those perceptive pieces have included football previews of all senior games, as well as accurate reporting of the on-field action, Saturday by Saturday.
In congratulating Shane on his thoroughly deserved North-Central life membership, the “Times” also acknowledges his exceptional contribution to this newspaper, and to the media industry in general.
And to give our readers one more taste of his journalistic ability, we direct their attention to his grand final report, “Tigers, Premiers and Champions”, in today’s “Buloke Times”.
This article appeared in The Buloke Times, 19 September 2023.
