AUSSIE RULES · 2020-04-23 · AUSSIE RULES Dale Fletcher ‘ ‘I loved the half forward line, all...
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56 — Centralian Advocate, Friday, December 6, 2013 Coombe’s focus shifts to next gen AUSSIE RULES Dale Fletcher ‘ ‘I loved the half forward line, all you had to do was get one good kick a game. If you kicked a goal you always got your name in the newspaper ’ WHEN you think about Territory football icons, one name that always springs to mind is Stan Coombe. Whoever you come across in the football circles of Alice Springs and Darwin, Coombe always seems to rate a mention. Coombe said life had been en- joyable with his ever-longing foot- ball involvement. ‘‘It’s just the best game in the world,’’ he said. Now acting as NT Thunder’s southern region talent co- ordinator based in Alice Springs, Coombe just loves being around the game. ‘‘Helping and seeing the new talent come through and reach their potential is really something I enjoy doing,’’ he said. Coombe’s role includes a strong working relationship with remote Central Australian communities and a lot of logistics, facilitating trainings while highlighting the potential next generation stars. ‘‘The pathway to greater goals, that is what I’m all about,’’ he said. His playing career with Banks and Wara- tahs included a premiership with the Bull- dogs in 1991. ‘‘I snuck in six games with Waratahs, but then I moved back to Banks,’’ he said. A Banks life member, Coombe continued as B grade coach after retiring, only to lose three grand finals in the three seasons. ‘‘All those grand final losses were less than two goals too. It was pretty disappointing,’’ he said. By 1997, Coombe ended his con- stant travel between the Red Centre and the Top End and made a base in Alice Springs - where he still resides today with partner Lynnette Hampton and his two daughters. ‘‘Lynnette is the reason I’m still in Alice Springs. I met her at CAAMA and as they say ‘the rest is history’,’’ he said. Coombe did make a comeback to the half forward line when he lined up for CAFL side Rovers in the B grade in 1997, only for a shoulder injury to end his football days on the field. ‘‘I had just come back from a shoulder reconstruction and I popped out the other one and from then I knew that was it for me playing,’’ he said. ‘‘I loved the half forward line, all you had to do was get one good kick a game. ‘‘If you kicked a goal you always got your name in the newspaper.’’ While play- ing and coaching has been a hall- mark of Coombe’s time in foot- ball, it’s behind the microphone where most people know the man who calls Alice Springs ‘‘the centre of Australian football’’. ‘‘I’ve always had an interest in the media, even when I was play- ing,’’ he said. His commentating career started in 1994 with Top FM and after basing in the Red Centre, Coombe was a pioneer for CAAMA’s radio coverage of the CAFL. ‘‘We did the finals in ’97 and weekly broadcasts from 1998,’’ Coombe said. The weekly broadcasts still con- tinue every Sunday during the CAFL season. ‘‘I just hope I get to call my Cats when they are at Traeger Park next year,’’ he said. A highlight of his Territory foot- ball life was the years spent commentating the CAFL Country competition. ‘‘The style of bush footy is great and the competition was so evenly matched, it was a great package,’’ he said. Coombe chose former Mel- bourne livewire forward Liam Jurrah as the best Territory foot- ball player to watch. Steeled for iron contest IRONMAN NINE Alice Springs com- petitors will test them- selves at the Ironman Western Australia event in Busselton. Jesse Moretensen, Alicia Shoulta, Jason Dawson, Sean Loader, Tim Pearson, Samantha Hacon, Kevin Coyle, Fiona Collier and Mike Vandongen will be flying the Alice Springs flag in conditions that are ex- pected to be ideal accord- ing to Shoulta, with tem- peratures forecast to be in the mid-20s. The event consists of a 3.8km swimming leg around the Busselton Jetty and then a testing 180.2 km bike ride through the Tuart Forest and back twice into the town site. A marathon run of 42.2 km along foreshore com- pletes the gruelling test. Juniors courting success TENNIS Nick Kossatch Katherine Campbell and Nick Whyte are ranked in the top two Territory-wide Picture: BARRY SKIPSEY ALICE Springs has come into national tennis promin- ence with the Tennis Alice Springs Club having pro- duced the most number of nationally ranked juniors since 2006. High performance coach Matt Roberts said the club is well on track to beat that record in the near future. ‘‘We already have 65 players ranked across Aust- ralia and I’m confident we can improve on that amaz- ing figure,’’ he said. George Shepheard and Nick Whyte are the top two ranked male players in the Northern Territory after registering huge improve- ments in big tournaments throughout the year which included the Alice Springs International in September and tournament final ap- pearances and victories in three states. Eighteen-year-old Tom Zaleski and Jake Johan, 16, are the top two ranked boys in the Northern Territory and both will be looking to make an impression in the upcoming five event Victor- ian tennis tour in January. Bonnie Usher and Kath- erine Campbell are the Territory’s top two ranked females respectively as well as in the juniors which gives the Alice a ‘‘clean sweep’’ across all categories. ‘‘We are certainly club of the year when it comes to rankings in 2013,’’ Roberts said. ‘‘We started from no- where a little more than two years back so the players should be very proud of their efforts.’’ The biggest improvers of the year according to Ten- nis Australia were 17-year- old Ashley Diemer and Sigrid Smith, 13, in the girls. Diemer leapt 1000 places after recording some wins in local Optus Junior Tour events. Jingjo Brown, 15, and 14-year-old Matty Bielefeld rose a tremendous 1900 places each during 2013. Roberts said that the pub- lic should keep an eye out for Joel van Haaren. ‘‘He has already competed in two national titles and his ranking is already inside 1000, which is not bad for a 12-year-old on the same rankings list as Lleyton Hewitt and Berhard Tomic.’’ Tenacious young players smash endurance records for fundraiser TENNIS WARM conditions did not stop a record-breaking effort by tennis players last Saturday night/Sunday morning at the Tennis Alice Springs courts at the annual Tennis-a-thon fundraiser. More than 50 local juniors partici- pated in the tennis marathon which raised more than $6000 in funds for the prestigious Victorian tennis tour which begins on December 31. Joel Van Haaren and Imogen Partington were two of nine prom- ising juniors who broke the long standing mark of 14 hours of con- secutive tennis. Van Haaren, 12, surged past the mark, playing for 16 hours straight while Partington, 15, had a 14-hour marathon stretch. Jacob Stokes, Julian Lay, Joseph Lacerna, Talen Andrews, Rory O’Dwyer, Matt Walsh and Anina Conradie also smashed the previous marathon records, all of them last- ing between 14 and 15 hours. Van Haaren said he was well prepared to stay on court for as long as possible. ‘‘I slept in on the Friday and went home for a nap before the Tennis-a-thon began.’’ High performance coach Matt Roberts said events like these built club and community spirit. ‘‘The entire town got behind these athletes and our club members donated heaps of money,’’ he said. ‘‘It’s healthy for our juniors to raise their own money instead of sticking out their hand all the time for money.’’ The team for the five-event Vic- torian Tour will be announced next week with the Alice Springs juniors to compete against players from around the world. Girls off to camp RUGBY UNION THE National Indigenous Schoolgirls Ella Sevens Rugby camp will be held in Alice Springs from on Tuesday to Thursday at Anzac Oval. Throughout the event, the schoolgirls will be mentored by high per- formance staff and ath- letes from Australian Rugby Union’s Rugby Sevens program includ- ing Qantas Women’s Sevens Coach Tim Walsh and National Indigenous Women’s Sevens Coach Selena Tranter. Walsh and Tranter will be accompanied by cur- rent members of the Qan- tas Women’s Sevens team, Charlotte Caslick, Emilee Cherry, Shannon Parry and Alicia Quirk, who recently won the opening round of the IRB Women’s World Sevens Series in Dubai. Fifty-five Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander schoolgirls aged between 15 and 17 will take part.
Transcript of AUSSIE RULES · 2020-04-23 · AUSSIE RULES Dale Fletcher ‘ ‘I loved the half forward line, all...
56 — Centralian Advocate, Friday, December 6, 2013
Coombe’s focus shifts to next genAUSSIE RULES
Dale Fletcher
‘‘I loved the half forward line, all you had to do was get one
good kick a game. If you kicked a goal you always got your
name in the newspaper
’
WHEN you think about Territoryfootball icons, one name thatalways springs to mind is StanCoombe.
Whoever you come across in thefootball circles of Alice Springsand Darwin, Coombe alwaysseems to rate a mention.
Coombe said life had been en-joyable with his ever-longing foot-ball involvement.
‘‘It’s just the best game in theworld,’’ he said.
Now acting as NT Thunder’ssouthern region talent co-ordinator based in Alice Springs,Coombe just loves being aroundthe game.
‘‘Helping and seeing the newtalent come through and reachtheir potential is really somethingI enjoy doing,’’ he said.
Coombe’s role includes a strongworking relationship with remoteCentral Australian communitiesand a lot of logistics, facilitatingtrainings while highlighting thepotential next generation stars.
‘‘The pathway to greater goals,that is what I’m all about,’’ he said.
His playing career with Banksand Wara-tahs includeda premiershipwith the Bull-dogs in 1991.
‘‘I snuck ins i x g a m e swith Waratahs, but then I movedback to Banks,’’ he said.
A Banks life member, Coombecontinued as B grade coach afterretiring, only to lose three grandfinals in the three seasons.
‘‘All those grand final losseswere less than two goals too. It waspretty disappointing,’’ he said.
By 1997, Coombe ended his con-stant travel between the RedCentre and the Top End and madea base in Alice Springs - where hestill resides today with partnerLynnette Hampton and his twodaughters.
‘‘Lynnette is the reason I’m stillin Alice Springs. I met her at
CAAMA and as they say ‘the restis history’,’’ he said.
Coombe did make a comeback tothe half forward line when helined up for CAFL side Rovers inthe B grade in 1997, only for ashoulder injury to end his footballdays on the field.
‘‘I had just come back from a
shoulder reconstruction and Ipopped out the other one and fromthen I knew that was it for meplaying,’’ he said.
‘‘I loved the half forward line, allyou had to do was get one goodkick a game.
‘‘If you kicked a goal you alwaysgot your name in the newspaper.’’
While play-i n g a n dcoaching hasbeen a hall-m a r k o fC o o m b e ’ stime in foot-
ball, it’s behind the microphonewhere most people know the manwho calls Alice Springs ‘‘the centreof Australian football’’.
‘‘I’ve always had an interest inthe media, even when I was play-ing,’’ he said.
His commentating careerstarted in 1994 with Top FM and
after basing in the Red Centre,Coombe was a pioneer forCAAMA’s radio coverage of theCAFL.
‘‘We did the finals in ’97 andweekly broadcasts from 1998,’’Coombe said.
The weekly broadcasts still con-tinue every Sunday during theCAFL season.
‘‘I just hope I get to call my Catswhen they are at Traeger Parknext year,’’ he said.
A highlight of his Territory foot-ball life was the years spentcommentating the CAFL Countrycompetition.
‘‘The style of bush footy is greatand the competition was so evenlymatched, it was a great package,’’he said.
Coombe chose former Mel-bourne livewire forward LiamJurrah as the best Territory foot-ball player to watch.
Steeledfor ironcontestIRONMAN
NINE Alice Springs com-petitors will test them-selves at the IronmanWestern Australia eventin Busselton.
Jesse Moretensen,Alicia Shoulta, JasonDawson, Sean Loader,Tim Pearson, SamanthaHacon, Kevin Coyle,Fiona Collier and MikeVandongen will be flyingthe Alice Springs flag inconditions that are ex-pected to be ideal accord-ing to Shoulta, with tem-peratures forecast to be inthe mid-20s.
The event consists of a3.8km swimming legaround the BusseltonJetty and then a testing180.2 km bike ride throughthe Tuart Forest andback twice into the townsite.
A marathon run of 42.2km along foreshore com-pletes the gruelling test.
JuniorscourtingsuccessTENNIS
Nick Kossatch
Katherine Campbell and Nick Whyte are ranked in the top two Territory-widePicture: BARRY SKIPSEY
ALICE Springs has comeinto national tennis promin-ence with the Tennis AliceSprings Club having pro-duced the most number ofnationally ranked juniorssince 2006.
High performance coachMatt Roberts said the clubis well on track to beat thatrecord in the near future.
‘‘We already have 65players ranked across Aust-ralia and I’m confident wecan improve on that amaz-ing figure,’’ he said.
George Shepheard andNick Whyte are the top tworanked male players in theNorthern Territory afterregistering huge improve-ments in big tournamentsthroughout the year whichincluded the Alice SpringsInternational in Septemberand tournament final ap-pearances and victories inthree states.
Eighteen-year-old TomZaleski and Jake Johan, 16,are the top two ranked boysin the Northern Territoryand both will be looking tomake an impression in theupcoming five event Victor-ian tennis tour in January.
Bonnie Usher and Kath-
erine Campbell are theTerritory’s top two rankedfemales respectively as wellas in the juniors which givesthe Alice a ‘‘clean sweep’’across all categories.
‘‘We are certainly club ofthe year when it comes torankings in 2013,’’ Robertssaid.
‘‘We started from no-where a little more than twoyears back so the playersshould be very proud oftheir efforts.’’
The biggest improvers ofthe year according to Ten-nis Australia were 17-year-old Ashley Diemer andSigrid Smith, 13, in the girls.
Diemer leapt 1000 placesafter recording some wins inlocal Optus Junior Tourevents.
Jingjo Brown, 15, and14-year-old Matty Bielefeldrose a tremendous 1900places each during 2013.
Roberts said that the pub-lic should keep an eye outfor Joel van Haaren.
‘‘He has already competedin two national titles and hisranking is already inside1000, which is not bad for a12-year-old on the samerankings list as LleytonH e w i t t a n d B e r h a r dTomic.’’
Tenacious young players smash endurance records for fundraiserTENNIS
WARM conditions did not stop arecord-breaking effort by tennisplayers last Saturday night/Sundaymorning at the Tennis AliceSprings courts at the annualTennis-a-thon fundraiser.
More than 50 local juniors partici-pated in the tennis marathon whichraised more than $6000 in funds forthe prestigious Victorian tennis
tour which begins on December 31.Joel Van Haaren and Imogen
Partington were two of nine prom-ising juniors who broke the longstanding mark of 14 hours of con-secutive tennis.
Van Haaren, 12, surged past themark, playing for 16 hours straightwhile Partington, 15, had a 14-hourmarathon stretch.
Jacob Stokes, Julian Lay, JosephLacerna, Talen Andrews, Rory
O’Dwyer, Matt Walsh and AninaConradie also smashed the previousmarathon records, all of them last-ing between 14 and 15 hours.
Van Haaren said he was wellprepared to stay on court for as longas possible. ‘‘I slept in on the Fridayand went home for a nap before theTennis-a-thon began.’’
High performance coach MattRoberts said events like these builtclub and community spirit.
‘‘The entire town got behind theseathletes and our club membersdonated heaps of money,’’ he said.
‘‘It’s healthy for our juniors toraise their own money insteadof sticking out their hand all thetime for money.’’
The team for the five-event Vic-torian Tour will be announced nextweek with the Alice Springs juniorsto compete against players fromaround the world.
Girls offto campRUGBY UNION
THE National IndigenousSchoolgirls Ella SevensRugby camp will be heldin Alice Springs from onTuesday to Thursday atAnzac Oval.
Throughout the event,the schoolgirls will bementored by high per-formance staff and ath-letes from AustralianRugby Union’s RugbySevens program includ-ing Qantas Women’sSevens Coach Tim Walshand National IndigenousWomen’s Sevens CoachSelena Tranter.
Walsh and Tranter willbe accompanied by cur-rent members of the Qan-tas Women’s Sevensteam, Charlotte Caslick,Emilee Cherry, ShannonParry and Alicia Quirk,who recently won theopening round of the IRBWomen’s World SevensSeries in Dubai.
Fifty-five Aboriginala n d T o r r e s S t r a i tIslander schoolgirls agedbetween 15 and 17 willtake part.
