Old Boys in the News – April 2022

Old Collegian John Shanahan in the lead-up to a previous Walking Off the War Within event at St Patrick’s College. Photo: Kate Healy

Our Old Boys have been busy, including:

• The extremely successful Walking Off the War Within community event, formed in memory of Old Collegian Nathan Shanahan (SPC 1988-93), which shines the spotlight on mental health for emergency services and the defence force personnel, and has been staged at St Patrick’s College in previous years is taking a break this year in Ballarat. To find out more and how you can still support the initiative, click here
• Old Collegian Matt Aikman (SPC 2013-18) will be on the footy sidelines after facing a race to be fit for round one of Central Highlands FL after hurting his ankle at training, read more click here
• Congratulations to Old Collegians Josh Pegg (SPC 2015-19, PY2020) and Jack Bambury (SPC 2019-2021) and current student Leo Turnbull-Gent who were part of the premiership-winning team for Golden Point in the Ballarat Cricket Association first grand final against Darley.
  

  Ernie Amendola, pictured on right. Photo: Adam Trafford

• Great to see Ernie Amendola (SPC 1982-86, PY1988) pitching in to support flood-affected pets and animals after the recent flooding on the east coach in this story here
• 

  Steve Moneghetti with the baton. Photo Adam Trafford

  Congratulations to Steve Moneghetti (SPC 1975-80) who is one of three new recent appointments to the Athletics Australia board of directors. It was also wonderful to see Steve, a four-time Olympian and Commonwealth Games gold medallist, holding the Queen’s Baton in Ballarat recently as the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham begins to draw closer. To read more, read here and here and here

  

  Brett Bewley. Photo: Herald Sun

• Fantastic to see Old Collegian Brett Bewley (SPC 2008-13) returning to play footy at Darley this season, to read more, click here
• Congratulations to Old Collegian Riley Polkinghorne (SPC 2014-19) who has landed a VFL contract with Geelong. To read more, click here
• Jacob Lohmann (SPC 2016-18) has secured a contract with Sandringham for this VFL season, while Charlie Molan (SPC 2015-2020) has been named on Williamstown’s VFL list, read here and here

• In other footy news, some of our Old Collegians will be making up the Greater Western Victoria Rebels squad for the 2022 NAB League season, including Jamieson Ballantyne (SPC 2019, PY2021), Flynn Loader (SPC 2016-21), Charlie Molan (SPC 2015-2020) and Aaron Cadman (SPC 2016-2020, PY2021), to read more, click here
  
  
• Fantastic news for Old Collegian Callum Linnane. Photo: Lucas Dawson
  
• Congratulations to Old Collegian Callum Linane (SPC 2008, PY2013) who has been promoted to the highest level a ballet dancer can reach – that of a principal artist. The announcement was made to a surprised Callum during the curtain call after the Melbourne opening night of the Australian Ballet’s production of Anna Karenina, where Callum performs the lead role of Count Alexei Vronsky. To read more about Callum reaching his dreams, click here and here
• It was great to see Old Collegian Josh Gibcus (SPC 2017-21) making his debut against Carlton in Richmond’s AFL season opener at the MCG on St Patrick’s Day, to read more, including coach Damien Hardwick’s comments on Josh’s game, click here and here and watch this great video when Josh learns of his debut game here 
  While it wasn’t a successful night for the Tigers, fellow Old Collegian Oscar McDonald (SPC 2011-13) played solid minutes in the Blues’ historic win, after being named as a surprise inclusion in defence. It was Oscar’s first start for Carlton, having played two games as a medical substitute after joining the club as a pre-season supplemental selection last year.
• Well done to Justin O’Brien (SPC 2005-10) who helped lead Carngham home in stunning Grenville Cricket Association grand final victory. Justin picked up the best on ground with five wickets and 55 runs, to read more, click here
• Great to see Paul Huggett (SPC 1988-93) promoting training to help community members identify and respond to people at risk of suicide in this story here
• Great to see Matt Clark (SPC 1993-98) pulling on the cricket pads for a popular charity cricket game recently in this story here
  

  Nathan Sobey.

• It was not a good day for Old Collegian Nathan Sobey (SPC 2008) whose Tokyo Olympics bronze medal was stolen from his home in Brisbane recently. Nathan posted to social media asking the person responsible to return it, read more here
• Fantastic to see Old Boy Luke Keys (SPC 1988-93) and his working colleagues at Mass Motion behind the exciting new Poco Film Festival coming to Ballarat in July, read more in this story here
• The Danny Frawley Centre was officially opened in early March, named in honour of Old Collegian Danny Frawley (SPC 1976-79, PY1981), who passed away in late 2019, and has been described by his family as a “new beginning”. The health and wellbeing centre will house a range of physical and mental health facilities, including rehabilitation and recovery programs. Danny played over 200 games for St Kilda. To read more, click here
• Well done to Shaun McArthur (SPC 1997-2000, PY2002) who claimed the Grenville Cricket Association batting aggregate and average and finished second in the best and fairest, to read more, click here

  If you have any news on our Old Collegians, please contact Alumni and Foundation Officer Lorrie Liston via email at lliston@stpats.vic.edu.au