Where are they now?
Ian (Cactus) Howard
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Kyabram-raised Ian Howard was a sports mad youngster who climbed the football ladder in spectacular style.
A four-year apprenticeship starting at 15 with the Kyabram Boys Club side in the Kyabram District Football League in 1954 was the beginning of a rise to the VFL (now AFL) ranks with Footscray (now Western Bulldogs).
Son of a Kyabram cobbler and now in his early 80s the man they call ‘Cactus’ was not of sturdy stature but rich in foot speed, footy skills and nous.
He clearly recalls playing his first game against Undera and his second game against Cooma, a club that didn’t survive after that year.
A big year in his fourth and final year with Boys Club resulted in a club best and fairest win and runner-up to Congupna strongman Bill Roe for the league’s McNamara Medal.
Also in his final season with Boys Club he played two games on match permit for Kyabram and impressed enough for the club to court him to play permanently in 1958 under the legendary Bombers coach Tony Bull, also in his first year with the club.
‘‘I remember going to his (Bull’s) first training session and he told us ‘we mightn’t be the best side in the league but we are going to be the fittest’,“ Cactus said.
‘‘He brought a whole new professional approach to the club and led by example. He proved his point the first year when we beat Nagambie for the flag and was runner-up to Lemnos (now Shepparton Swans) the next year.“
Cactus the player also came along in leaps and bounds under Bull, so much so he had Footscray legend Ted Whitten and star goalkicker and secretary at the time Jack Collins knocking down his door to get his signature, which they succeeded in doing.
Cactus made an immediate impact at the Western Oval in 1960, playing on a wing for 16 games, winning the club’s best first-year player and earning several Brownlow Medal votes.
His teammate ruckman John Schultz won the Brownlow Medal that year and Cactus rates him ‘‘one of the nicest football persons I every played with or had anyhing to do with in football“.
While there was speculation Cactus would be a long-term Bulldog at that stage, three more appearances in the South Melbourne post-VFL season night series for sides that didn’t make finals and an exhibition game in Brisbane were the last games he played in the blue, red and white jumper.
Cruelly persistent hamstring injuries in the pre-season of 1961 – the year Footscray made the grand final but lost to first-time premier Hawthorn – resulted in the Kid from Ky being diplomatically being told his time was up at the Western Oval.
Back to Kyabram and restricted with injury he played the 1962 season – Bull’s last season as coach – with the Bombers and also the 1963 season in which the Charlie Stewart-led Bombers lost the first of three successive grand finals to Tom Hafey’s Shepparton.
Kyabram League club Lancaster recruited Cactus as coach in 1964 to replace local schoolteacher Laurie Potter and he spent the next four years with the KDL Wombats before hanging up his boots for good.
But he was far from finished with the game.
He joined the Goulburn Valley Umpires Association in 1968 and then the Kyabram Umpires Association in 1973 when it was formed under the guidance and assistance of legendary local schoolteacher Keith Hindson. The new umpiring body provided umpires for school competitions, reserves and thirds grades of football throughout the region until the association amalgamated with the GV Umpires Association in 1981.
Up to then Cactus had umpired over 220 games and devoted a lot of time also to umpiring junior and school games where he was always willing to advise and nurture players of the future.
He carried this through the 1981 and 1982 GVL seasons when coaching the Kyabram thirds.
Cactus and wife Lorice embarked on a sea change in 1983 moving from Kyabram to East Brighton where they ran a newsagency for 10 years before returning to the Goulburn Valley to retire in Shepparton in the mid-1990s.
But his love of the game had never deserted him and he got involved again, becoming a member of the GV Independent Tribunal and appeals committee and also a GVL board member for three years.
He became involved in regional leagues as a tribunal panellist, which included the GVL, Murray, Kyabram and District and Picola leagues as well as the Shepparton, Goulburn Campaspe and Seymour Junior Leagues.
He still holds the secretary role for the AFL Goulburn Murray Independent Tribunal.
Another passion has been in the support crew of the GVL representative sides for interleague games, a role he still enjoys today.
Cactus hardly dwells for a second when asked the best footballer he has seen or played against in the Goulburn Valley in his time.
He instantly says “Jeff Cooper’’, a former Kyabram teammate and dual GVL Morrison Medallist.
‘‘He was just a standout when on song. No-one could get near him. He was a freak,’’ Cactus said.
And another teammate, the legendary Ted Whitten, gets his nod for the best VFL-AFL player, while he rates North Melbourne’s Laurie ‘Twinkle Toes’ Dwyer — the Boy from Murchison — as his toughest rival.
Eventful start to season
It’s been an interesting start to the GVL season to say the least.
The first bombshell was the stripping of premiership points from Echuca for playing unregistered players in the opening round against Rochester.
The Murray Bombers owned up to the oversight and copped a $1000 suspended fine effective to the end of next year in addition to losing the premiership points.
But the last may not have been heard of it, with Echuca president Ash Byrne describing the penalties as ‘‘incredibly severe’’ given his club had alerted the league and the told of frustrations encountered in adapting to a new administration system.
Then last Saturday in the second round Benalla’s attempt to play former AFL star Heath Shaw against Tatura was thwarted when his home club, East Keilor, raised its concern that under the present players point system he would incur an extra point on his return to that club.
But Shaw still made the trip to Benalla and acted as a runner for the Saints on the day.
The former Collingwood and Greater Western Sydney defender, along with former AFL player agent Ricky Nixon, were guest speakers at a sportsman’s night run by the club that evening.
Reeves looks the part
While the sight of Kyabram’s star goalkicker Kyle Mueller limping from the ground and subsequently being ruled out for several weeks with broken bones in his left foot put a dampener on Kyabram’s win in the Good Friday night clash against Rochester, there were a couple of heartening sights for Bomber supporters earlier in the afternoon.
The return of ruckman Jake Reeves in the reserves was heartening enough but the added bonus was his form.
He did virtually as he pleased in directing the traffic for Kyabram and put his hand up for a quick promotion although he won’t be available for this Saturday’s night clash against Echuca at Kyabram.
The other interesting sighting was the Kyabram runner in the reserves: Luke Morris.
The multiple Kyabram premiership player has battled injury since Kyabram’s 2019 premiership win but would be welcomed back with open arms if his body could stand up.
Night footy is a winner
I’m not a night footy fan but that’s only being selfish due to a condition called the ageing process. It can dull the senses and eyesight a bit.
But the much bigger picture is that night games staged at the right time of the season weather-wise can be a huge winner.
As it was for Kyabram’s Good Friday night clash against Rochester.
I can’t recall the last time parking space within the Kyabram reserve was in so much demand that cars were actually forced to park outside the ground.
The bottom line is that it’s a huge financial winner for the club and this Saturday night, when Kyabram tackles Echuca, should be another example of that.
Experienced new manager
AFL Goulburn Murray and AFL Victoria have appointed Shaun Connell to the position of AFL Goulburn Murray region manager.
Connell brings 22 years of experience in leadership and support roles in community football at club, region and state levels.
From 2002 to 2007 Shaun held senior positions with the Victorian Country Football League as operations manager and was responsible for the rollout of the VCFL online competition and member database program. He co-ordinated the introduction of the VCFL Investigation Officer Program across rural and regional Victoria and co-authored and presented the Football Operations Training Course delivered to all stakeholders.
As VCFL operations manager Shaun was also responsible for the delivery of the VCFL Representative Programs and for managing the VCFL Rules Committee and production of the VCFL Rules Handbook and Annual Report.
Born and raised in Seymour, Shaun has been the chief operating officer of AFL South East and will relocate back to the Goulburn Murray region ahead of his commencement date in early May.
Liam bred to succeed
Kyabram Football Club’s thirds skipper Liam Francis has breeding on his side to be a good footballer.
Liam was the standout in Kyabram’s big win over Rochester on Good Friday.
Liam’s mother, Amy, is a sister of former Rushworth and North Melbourne star Daniel Harris and his father, Peter, is a stalwart Rushworth sportsman of many years.
Liam plays the game with plenty of commitment and skill, and is the ideal leader.
Trainers salute again
The run of recent winners for local trots trainers Mark Watson and Gary Pekin continued last Sunday night at the Echuca meeting.
Kyabram’s Watson produced the lightly raced pacer Hanover Starzzz, driven by Jack Laugher, for to an easy win, the third of his 20-race career to date.
Pekin enjoyed dual success at the meeting, saluting with pacers Cresco Goldigger and So She Said.
Kyabram Free Press