Sport

Quill. Tuesday's mid-week meeting at Donald and District Race Club was one that reminded me of the perks of my job as the local race reporter; what a glorious day ... There was a buzz of excitement around the grounds with Harry Coffey's win total sitting at 997 prior to the first of his eight races on the day.

The Cook Government’s demersal “reform” package is not fisheries management. It’s fishing for votes at the expense of the two and a half million West Aussies who never step onto a sports-fishing boat loaded with the latest eco sounders. And, like most of this Government’s environmental crusades, the rhetoric is heroic, the delivery is sloppy, and the consequences fall squarely on the people who don’t have a big boat parked in their driveway.

The Horse Riding Clubs Association of Victoria (HRCAV) staged its annual awards on 15 November in Melbourne, celebrating standout achievements from the 2024–25 competition season. Among the evening's major honours was the Level 2 Overall Champion Rider award, claimed by Narrandera Adult Riding president and founding member, NSW competitor Erin Anderson and her horse "Adventures of Grand Rock".

An early morning storm combined with less promotion than in previous years probably contributed to the smaller crowd of spectators at the Greenmount Billycart Challenge on Saturday but the enthusiasm of the competitors was as strong as ever. 

Will social media still exist? Will mobile phones still be hand-held? Does anyone carry cash? Will people be catching fast trains from Maroochydore to Brisbane? What did the world make of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games? The best ever? A snapshot of life on the Sunshine Coast in 2025 is captured in time - to be revealed in 25 years - when a time capsule will be re-opened.

The Western Australian Government has announced important reforms across WA's coastline to protect demersal fish like pink snapper, red emperor and dhufish from extinction and to help stocks recover for future generations.

Rock lobsters are active now in waters off Two Rocks with the annual whites run expected to ramp up any day now. Earlier this week Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) scientists predicted the annual whites run of three-and-a-half to four-year-old western rock lobsters would occur at the usual time from about Friday, November 28.

Victoria’s Murray cod fisheries are in strong shape ahead of the annual season opening, according to a monitoring program funded in part by recreational fishing licence fees ... "Cod season opens Monday, December 1, and there’s good news for anglers planning summer trips to the Goulburn, Ovens and Lindsay rivers and Gunbower Creek."

Kids’ sport should be a classroom for life — but when parents and coaches cross the line from supportive to suffocating, the game stops being fun and starts causing real harm ... Junior country sport relies on the army of volunteer parents who coach, manage, supervise, and oversee children’s sport. Coaches are a powerful influence on a child’s confidence...

Skaie Hull. The Central Coast will take centre stage this Friday, November 28, as the CommBank Matildas return to Gosford for a blockbuster international double-header at Polytec Stadium. The event is expected to deliver a major boost to tourism, local business and the region's growing reputation as a sporting powerhouse.

Western Australians love two things: arguing about politics and arguing about fishing — and not necessarily in that order ...

Rachel Clark. The Nhill Leopards and their families came together on Sunday 16 November 2025 at the Davis Park clubrooms to continue to celebrate their recent incredible hockey premiership ... A main part of the celebration was the presentation of commemorative premiership shirts as a special memento of this historic season.

Michelle Daw. Gulf St Vincent should be used to trial new approaches to managing commercial and recreational fishing, says YP Country Times fishing columnist Greg James. In the wake of new fishing restrictions introduced in response to the algal bloom, Mr James said the crisis presented an opportunity to move beyond bag and boat limits, to help ensure sustainable fish stocks for the future.

Country racing is absolutely vital to the entire racing industry, according to Michael Bailey, and events like the Hay Cup play a role that extends far beyond a single day's entertainment. Bailey, who has spent nearly 40 years working in country racing across multiple clubs, believes rural race meetings are essential to the fabric of regional communities and the future of thoroughbred racing in Australia.

The designated fishing sessions for the 2025-2026 Roe's abalone season have been released, with recreational fishers reminded to fish safely and sustainably this summer. The highly popular one-hour fishing sessions are scheduled to occur over four Saturday mornings between 7am and 8am, dependant on conditions, between Busselton Jetty and Greenough River Mouth.

Quill. On Sunday, November 16, Donald and District Racing Club hosted its annual Cup Day celebrations in challenging four-seasons-in-one-day conditions ... Despite the wind and rain later on in the day, a supportive crowd arrived dressed in their finest in cup day fashion, or otherwise comfortably cosy for the conditions.

This summer, everyone — young, old or less mobile — will have a chance to enjoy the sparkling waters of Naracoorte Swimming Lake, thanks to a community-driven project that has transformed accessibility at one of the town’s most beloved landmarks.

Jenny Pollard. The engines roared, tyres smoked and the volume soared as the first North Central Victorian Drag Racing event sped across the Charlton airstrip for three days last week ... die-hard drivers with classic machines showed that responsible drag racing can be a fun, controlled and family orientated sport – far removed from the concept of hoons doing burnouts on city streets.

On this week's No Drama Farmer, James fresh off the back of having the number 1 Country Album in Australia (ARIA Charts) we caught up with Owen Catto from the Regional Mens Health Initiative who gives us the 5 top tips for beating depression in the bush.

Yanchep Netball Club, which has more than 200 members, says it supports having netball included as an official sport in the 2032 Brisbane Olympics. Club president Stephanie Scott said without a doubt the skilled, teamwork-based sport of netball, should be played at the Olympic games.

The recently expanded Allora Regional Sports Museum has on show a rare display of footy memorabilia of Bronco and local hero Shane Webcke. This photo was taken on Shane's final NRL Premiership Game on 3rd September 2006 in round 26 against the NZ Warriors.

Locals will be surprised at what's happening at the Allora Regional Sports Museum. Each week there's something new and fascinating. The foyer now has a TV running with continuous sporting games and clips. You can even pull up a comfortable chair watch the TV and read a sports book...