October 31, 2012
Manly rugby league star Matt Ballin was the guest speaker at tonight’s Kingaroy State High School Sports Night.
Matt, who has played more than 140 NRL games, was part of the 2008 and 2011 Premiership-winning Sea Eagles’ teams and has represented Queensland in State of Origin.
The Kingaroy High School graduate emphasised the importance of training hard and having the right attitude to achieve sporting success.
He confided to the audience that he did not believe he was a natural sportsman … despite being twice named the “Bass Blue Memorial Sportsperson of the Year” when he attended KSHS, and making various South Burnett and Wide Bay teams.
For a while Matt was signed with the Broncos and played some reserve games with feeder club the Toowoomba Clydesdales.
A turning point was a chat he had in a carpark one day with legendary Broncos coach Wayne Bennett.
“I asked him, do you think I’ve got a future in the NRL with the Broncos?” Matt said.
“He answered “No, I don’t think you’re a natural footballer”. He then drove off … but did a loop around the carpark and came back, and wound down the window and said “But I’m not a natural coach, either”.
Matt moved to Manly where he spent two years in the lower grades.
He focussed on training. His strong work ethic and determination to always do his best paid off.
An opportunity came around when three key players were injured in Round 1 of the 2007 competition. Matt made his first grade debut against Wests Tigers at the age of 23 – well above the age of most NRL debutants – and was named Man of the Match.
The rest, as they say, is history …
“My desire to work hard and do the best I could got me there,” Matt said.
“It’s not what happens to us in life that matters, it’s what we do about it afterwards that matters.”
* * *
Matt congratulated each of the young sports stars as they came on stage to collect their trophies and award certificates.
The major award of the evening, the “Bass Blue Memorial Sportsperson of the Year” had six finalists, each of whom was interviewed on stage.
The winner for 2012 was Gabriella Dempster.
Gabriella represented KSHS at volleyball and netball, played for the South Burnett at volleyball, played for Wide Bay at netball, was the KSHS 17yrs cross-country champion, represented Wide Bay at cross-country, represented Wide Bay at the 100m, 200m and 400m in athletics, broke the KSHS, South Burnett and Wide Bay records in the 400m; and recently recorded a PB in the 400m, breaking the 60 second mark for the first time.
She was up against strong competition.
Simon Fairbairn represented KSHS at cricket, and was selected in the U19 South Burnett and Wide Bay XIs as a leg spinner / batsman. He also was named Man of the Match in the Wide Bay South Broncos 15yrs rugby league final; age champion at athletics for KSHS, South Burnett and Wide Bay; and South Burnett cross-country champion. He also excelled at touch football, golf and swimming and competed at State level in four different disciplines.
Chris Ostwald, who was named the Pierre de Coubertin award winner earlier in the evening, represented the school and the South Burnett at athletics; played for KSHS, South Burnett and Wide Bay in touch football; won the KSHS Best & Fairest award for rugby league, played league for South Burnett and captained the Wide Bay open boys’ team. He has been selected for the Broncos U20s training squad.
Jackie Krosch represented KSHS and South Burnett at touch football, and represented Wide Bay at the State Championship; she also represented Wide Bay in basketball; competed in the weekly Toowoomba basketball competition; and represented South Burnett in cross-country and athletics.
Holly Ferling won the KSHS Best & Fairest award for netball, co-captained the KSHS netball team, was selected to play netball for the South Burnett and Wide Bay and was named Wide Bay netball captain; she was also selected for the South Burnett in cross-country and athletics (discus); selected for the South Burnett, Wide Bay and U19s boys cricket teams (as there are no women’s options available), represented Australia on the U23 women’s cricket tour of New Zealand, toured Sri Lanka with the Southern Stars Twenty20 team, was named Junior Cricketer of the Year (first woman to win this award) and now has a contract with the Queensland Fire.
Tyler Kersnovski played volleyball for the South Burnett and Wide Bay, basketball for the South Burnett, named in the All-Star basketball team in the Toowoomba competition, represented KSHS, South Burnett and Wide Bay at athletics; also plays tennis, mixed netball and touch football.
* * *
Principal David Ballin congratulated the students of their efforts, and also thanked school staff and parents for their support.
He urged all the award winners to keep up their sporting endeavours.
* * *
Other major awards:
Pierre de Coubertin Award – Chris Ostwald
Andrew Marsh Memorial Trophy (Cross Country) – Michael Coward
Daniel Schultz Memorial Trophy (Cross Country) – Joseph Copas
DJ Kilkenny Memorial Trophy (Best & Fairest Rugby League) – Chris Ostwald
Best & Fairest awards:
15yrs Rugby League – Simon Fairbairn
Year 8 Rugby League – Kirby Rubesaame
Open Netballer – Holly Ferling
U15 Netballer – Lauren Minns
U13 Netballer – Chelsea Kerr
All Schools Cup Girls Volleyballer – Bernadette Bunker
All Schools Cup Boys Volleyballer – Scott Barry
All Schools Cup Junior Girls Volleyballer – Carley Lakin
All Schools Cup Junior Boys Volleyballer – Keanu Cullen
Open Boys Footballer – Aidan Maher
Open Girls Footballer – Tara Montgomery
U15 Girls Footballer – Katrina Parsons
U15 Boys Footballer – Ashley Kempson
Open Boys Touch Player – Sam Johnston
U15 Boys Touch Plater – Lane Ferling
Open Girls Touch Player – Jackie Krosch
U15 Girls Touch Player – Hayley Hunter
Girls Basketballer – Jackie Krosch
Boys Basketballer – Tyler Kersnovski
Age Champions:
Athletics – Meagan McMurdy and Aiden Maher (18-19yrs), Gabriella Dempster and Ryan Francis (17yrs), Jasmine Bonwick and Brody Hatchman (16yrs), Hayley Hunter and Simon Fairbairn (15yrs), Isabella Neil and Ashley Kempson (14yrs), Taylah Curley and Jayden O’Connell (13yrs)
Cross Country – Meagan McMurdy and Patrick Macasaet (18-19yrs), Gabriella Dempster and Alexander Dempster (17yrs), Sinead Horne and Michael Coward (16yrs), Hayley Hunter and Mitchell Crossley (15yrs), Katinka Von Elsner Wellsteed and Ashley Kempson (14yrs), Ellen Dalton and Joseph Copas (13yrs)
Swimming – Meagan McMurdy and Hayden Mashford (18-19yrs), Chloe Zeller and Ryan Francis (17yrs), Jessica Bunyoung and Peter Hourn (16yrs), Melita Ross and Samuel Gangemi (15yrs), Marney Hurt and Ryan Zeller (14yrs), Taylah Curley and James Christensen (13yrs)
Special Awards:
Special awards were presented to teams that excelled in various competitions:
Past winners of the Bass Blue Award:
| 1974 – Alan Walker 1974 – Margaret Willcocks 1975 – David May 1975 – Belinda Belshaw 1976 – Alan McKewen 1976 – Anne Greenfield 1977 – Michael Pascoe 1977 – Debbie Hobdell 1978 – Russell Smith 1978 – Sue Kiehme 1979 – David Rogerson 1979 – Lisa Ploetz 1980 – Tim Shaw 1980 – Lisa Ploetz 1981 – Brendon Wolski 1981 – Roslyn Larsen 1982 – Don Cameron 1982 – Maryanne Sternberg |
1983 – Dwain Freshwater 1984 – Scott Turner 1984 – Pauline Sternberg 1985 – Trevor Kratzmann 1985 – Rodney Stanley 1985 – Helen Fisher 1986 – Karl Jones 1986 – Jackie Perkins 1987 – Alan Johannessen 1987 – Karen Livingstone 1987 – Robyn Woods 1988 – Michael Wake 1988 – Robyn Woods 1989 – Susan Schultz 1990 – Shane Irving 1991 – Deon Bird 1992 – Christopher Woltmann 1993 – Annette Somerville |
1994 – Peter Woltmann 1995 – Mark Bauer 1996 – Alexander Savage 1997 – Bradley Boynton 1998 – Liam Exelby 1999 – Matthew Ballin 2000 – Mark Oliphant 2001 – Matthew Ballin 2002 – Brett Parker 2003 – Michael Wex 2004 – Shane Rogerson 2005 – Zachary Webber 2006 – Sarah James 2007 – Sarah James 2008 – Kathryn Krosch 2009 – Holly Ferling 2010 – Lauren Askin 2011 – Alexander Dempster |
