Sport

A most unusual “sporting” event was held at the Coleambally Football/Netball Club recently when the club hosted a successful inaugural ferret race meeting. Seymour man Martin White from Whitey’s Ferret Racing Club provided the competing animals.

Kendall Jennings. It was the second match for new head coach Darren Troy on a sunny Saturday afternoon for the Raiders (June 18). Raiders’ spectators were unaware they were in for a treat with the Seniors match.

Emma Pritchard. A half head was all that separated two champion greyhounds in the world’s richest race over a short course distance, as a photo finish revealed Integrity Mate had defeated a gallant Orson Laurie right on the line to become the inaugural winner of the Thunderbolt.

Prominent Cairns trainer Stephen Massingham is unlikely to be recognised by regular bush punters at Laura this weekend, but it's not because he's rarely sighted at the non TABs. "I've lost 45kg," ... The rapid weight loss hasn't led to a loss in ability, with the Far North's top trainer still knocking up winners across the region.

Citizen science has made an important contribution to an FRDC-funded project to predict the impact of climate change on three fish species of increasing recreational and commercial importance in Tasmania ... Data from the project was gathered from several sources, including fish frames (skeletons) donated by recreational fishers at 16 drop off points around Tasmania, which yielded 801 frames in the 24 months to July 2021. Frames were also donated by commercial fishers and fish processors.

Geoff McLennan. Winter is definitely with us; all month it has been extremely cold, and last Sunday was no exception. Luckily the fire was lit early and was well utilised all afternoon to keep both players and boules warm.

Pam Dillon. A chilly windy day did not deter the students at Canteen Creek on the field events day at the annual athletics carnival. Family as First Teachers (FaFT) to Year 6 students competed in shot put, javelin, discus, long jump and high jump.

A world first whole of life e-tracking system to monitor the location and welfare of all greyhounds registered in NSW is now underway. Minister for Racing Kevin Anderson said the new technology will allow the Greyhound Welfare and Integrity Commission (GWIC) to track and protect racing greyhounds throughout their careers and into retirement.

Minister for Fishing and Boating Melissa Horne visited the waterway, which has been stocked with tagged silver perch, golden perch and Murray cod many of which are still uncaught. The Golden Tag competition commenced in February 2020 to encourage people to get out on the water and wet a line in their favourite spot, as well as boost recreational fishing tourism.

Weipa has once again put on a show to enhance its reputation as the events capital of Cape York. The Weipa Fishing Classic had all the Fs - family, fun, fireworks and, of course, fishing.

This Saturday head to Purkiss Reserve at 10am to watch history being made when Spitfires Women and YDU Women play the inaugural game of AFLW in the Barkly. For the last eight weeks, women from Tennant Creek have been honing their AFL skills.

Kendall Jennings. Unfortunately, my mind always takes a wander; I tend to overthink things and get stuck in my head. Hello, mental illness. One thing that has been on my mind recently is the decline in participation in community sport ... Over the past 12 months, I have realised that local football is not like it was 20 years ago.

Rodney Stevens. As the son of a professional fisherman growing up during the 1970s in Maclean, Peter Pryor never dreamed of seeing tropical species including Barramundi and Red Emperor caught in the Clarence River. The president of the Clarence River chapter of Oz Fish said until the early 2000s, local waters were never warm enough to accommodate  fish previously only caught in tropical Northern Australia.

Local school sports legend Pam Dillon has been honoured by winning in the annual NT Sports Awards. Fondly renowned in the region as Dillon, she took out the Karen Schneider SMA Safer Sport Award at a ceremony in Darwin on the weekend.

Denmark Rowers applied brute force to the sound of ripping in a milestone event on Tuesday, May 17 to turn their first St Ayles Skiff ... It is described as ‘a thing of great beauty’ and with the bow and stern stems as yet untrimmed looks like the Norwegian faerings used by the Vikings and probably earlier Scandinavians.

Joan de Bondt. Local resident, Wayne Clayton, and fellow Australian, Daniel Gladwell, have been selected to represent Australia in the World Ploughing Contest later this year... “The very best international ploughing competitors and their teams will be battling it out on Irish soil in September to become supreme World Champions,”: World Ploughing Organisation general secretary, Anna Marie McHugh.

Emma Pritchard. The Grafton Greyhound Racing Club will host several regional qualifying heats as part of the inaugural Thunderbolt series on June 4. Set to become the world’s richest race over a short course distance, The Thunderbolt is a new feature event on the NSW Greyhound Racing (NSWGR) calendar following its unveiling earlier this year.

Loved for both their great taste and awesome sport fishing, the yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi) is one of Australia’s most economically important fish species. Despite their importance, little is known about the species’ large-scale movements, fine-scale population structure or behaviours ... Project Kingfish aims to deploy satellite transmitters on mature-sized kingfish across the NSW east coast and key offshore habitats such as the Lord Howe Island Marine Park to gain further insights ...

The Cowboys didn’t get the result they wanted but Margaret Mara was still proud of their performance in jerseys she designed.

Maldon Auskick Centre was lucky enough to have Maddy Pieper, AFL Central Vic Auskick Champion, run a session with the group last week. The kids, though always well behaved, were extra attentive to Maddy.

Joan de Bondt. The Nullarbor Links Golf Course opened in 2009 ... an outstanding success, not just in Australia, but internationally... The unique course, an 18-hole par 72, is the longest in the world, spanning 1,365km with one or two holes in each participating town or roadhouse along the Eyre Highway.

One of the Far North’s popular events returned on the weekend as the Great Wheelbarrow Race was run and won. Now in its 19th year, the three-day race was proposed to inject cash and visitors into small towns like Almaden, Dimbulah, Chillagoe and Mutchilba.