Our Old Boys have been busy in the spotlight, including:
Austin Reinehr (SPC 2018-21), pictured above, and Tom Foley (SPC 2017-22) on their selections in the 2026 Australian Rowing Team following a demanding selection period at the Sydney International Regatta Centre in Penrith, NSW.
Austin made the Senior Men’s Eight team while Tom was selected in the Under 23 Men’s Sweep Team and the pair will represent Australia across the international season, including the World Rowing Cup series in Seville, Plovdiv and Lucerne, before selection of the final team to compete at the 2026 World Rowing Championships in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, from August 24-30. In the meantime, Tom will compete at the World Rowing U23 Championships in Duisburg, Germany from July 23-26. The season will continue to build depth in the Aussie rowing team, as the program progresses to LA Olympics 2028. In other rowing news, we also congratulate Henry Reinehr (SPC 2019-25) who finished third in the overall 2026 Victorian Oceania Teams Rowing Championships’ U22 Men’s Team results after competing in Queensland last month.
Get behind Ollie Nash (SPC 2011-16) who is gearing up to run the Midnight Sun Marathon in Tromso, Norway on 20 June, raising money in memory of an Aussie mate who passed away of colorectal cancer. Ollie has already raised over $17,000. To donate, go to the Justgiving website page and look up Ollie Nash.
Matt Short (SPC 2008-13), who has been playing for Australia in the ODI against Pakistan. Matt has recently opted out of his state contract with Victoria to pursue a freelance, global T20 career. He is currently locked in as captain for the 2026 San Francisco Unicorns for the 2026 Major League Cricket season, which kicks off this month. Matt will also be playing for the Mike Hussey-coached Welsh Fire in July/August after being the only Australian snapped up in the first-ever auction for The Hundred, to be aired on Sky Sports. Matt has also been busy, playing with the Chennai Super Kings in this year’s Indian Premier League.
Good luck to LeRoy Hand (SPC 1993-98) who was taking part in Ballarat’s Dancing with Our Stars competition as we went to print, raising funds for Ballarat Foundation. Well done to LeRoy and his team at the Turret Café, who also won the Best Licensed Café in Victoria for the second year running at the prestigious Golden Plates Awards late last year.
Dunnstown’s Brad Whittaker (SPC 2004-09) talks about the scary concussion and other injuries he’s recovering from after the Rokewood-Corindhap clash recently in this story here
Read this great story on Old Boy Jack Bambury (SPC 2019-21) who was chosen as captain of Ballarat’s interleague footy side recently, read more here and here
AFL great Drew Petrie (SPC 1995-2000) reflects on his grassroots footy career in this story here
Carngham-Linton has lost one of its biggest exports in Nick O’Brien (SPC 2006-11) with other commitments getting in the way, read more here
Joe Carmody (SPC 1992-97) has announced he will be stepping down as senior coach at East Point FC next season in this story here
Read this story here on Buninyong senior footy co-coach Joel Ottavi (SPC 2008-12, PY2013).
It was great to see Nick McIntosh, father of Old Boys Lachlan (SPC 2009-13, PY2014), Max (SPC 2015-20) and Noah (SPC 2014-19) honoured in this special tribute here and read these great profile stories on Buninyong senior footy co-coach Joel Ottavi (SPC 2008-12, PY2013) here and Taj Bowman (SPC 2019-25) here
Congratulations to Dan Cronin (SPC 1986-90, PY1991) and Henry Wines (SPC 2011-16) and their team at the Western Hotel after winning the Best Casual Dining – Regional award at the Australian Hoteliers Association state awards recently.
Look out for 400-metre sprinter Cooper Sherman (SPC 2017-22) who is highly expected to compete in the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games later this year, read more here. Cooper locked in his qualifying time after running a personal best at the Perth Track Classic. Cooper also looks set to compete in the World Athletics Championships in China next year after a national record-breaking relay race in the World Relay Championships in Botswana, in Africa in early May. All this on the back of being awarded the Hollioake Trophy at the Ballarat Sportsperson of the Year at the award gala in February. Go Cooper!
Keep an eye on Riley Dunn (SPC 2018-23) who is taking the next step with Hofstra University on the US basketball circuit. Riley, a 7’0 centre, is taking the next step after two strong seasons at Monroe University, where he continued to develop his presence. In his sophomore year, Riley appeared in 27 games (24 starts), averaging 8.1 points and 5.9 rebounds while shooting 51 per cent from the field. Good luck Riley!
Follow 2017 College Captain Mitch Tuddenham on Substack here as he shares his reflections from his fieldwork in Tanzania, in Africa, exploring “how pastoral livelihoods persist by attending to the shifting constellations of social, ecological and moral factors that shape livelihood decisions”.
Check out Old Boy Kane Tolliday’s (SPC 1997-2002) real-time data-tracking app GamePulse, which aims to bring the practices and tools seen in the elite level of sport to grassroots competitions. The Waubra senior footy coach aims to change the way clubs can access game data in a modern age. Read more here
Brock Leonard (SPC 2011-15, PY2016) shares his story on how successive debilitating concussions impacted his footy career, and how happy he is to be back and firing in the North Ballarat midfield in this story here
Old Boy Fraser Stott’s (SPC 2019-2024) running prowess came in handy recently after he helped fend off a brazen would-be thief while at work in retail recently. Fraser and his work colleague managed to retrieve the stolen footwear after tackling a customer who tried to flee on his bike after trying on the most expensive pair of shoes in the shoe. In other news, Fraser also reached the semi-final of the men’s 120m Stawell Gift and also made the final of the 70m. Great effort Fraser on both counts! Read more here and here
Great to see champion Old Boy Steve Moneghetti (SPC 1975-80) in the thick of the action at this year’s Ballarat Marathon and rocking the hot pink! There were numerous Old Boys hitting the pavement and proudly running for charity, including Nathan Cavanagh (SPC 1997-2002) who took part in the half marathon to raise funds for My Room Children’s Cancer Charity.
Remingtons Insurance Brokers director Ben Willian (SPC 2010-15) shares his story on how he came to love the world of insurance in this video here
Congratulations to Principal Artist Callum Linnane (SPC 2008, PY2013) who is departing The Australian Ballet this month after more than a decade to take the next step in his exciting international career as he joins Hamburg Ballet as a Principal Artist for the 2026/2027 season.
We applaud Old Boy Luke Torpy (SPC 2005-10) whose 10-year work anniversary with Ambulance Victoria’s Ballarat MICA team was recognised recently.
There was talk of transforming St Kilda Football Club’s Spud’s Game, in memory of the late champion footballer Danny Frawley (SPC 1976-79, PY1981), into an AFL mental health round earlier this term, read more here
Congratulations to brothers Billy (SPC 2020-25, PY2026), Charlie (SPC 2018-22, PY2023) and Joe Darbin (SPC 2016-20, PY2021) who took to the field together in the Reserves for North Ballarat FNC for first time in round two this season.
Ballarat Proactive Policing Unit Sergeant Joel Dash (SPC 1995-2000) urges old-fashioned methods in the fight against car thefts as technology-enabled offending rises, read more in this story here https://www.thecourier.com.au/story/9219148/prisons-hive-of-information-fuels-tech-car-thefts-in-ballarat/
Congratulations to Wayne Elliott (SPC 1973-75) who won the 2026 $15,000 Harden Acquisitive Art Prize for his landscape painting “Warracknabeal” from more than 300 entries across Australia. Wayne’s painting reflects a deeply personal connection to landscape and his painting is inspired by time spent walking through the Victorian town, capturing familiar elements including the town’s ANZAC Park, Scott Street, the Yarriambiack Creek and surrounding wheat fields. The painting will hang in the Harden Bendigo Bank when the exhibition concludes. Well done Wayne!
Well done to Sebastopol club stalwart Toby Hutt (SPC 2009-14) who brought up his 150th game for the Burras earlier this season, read more here
