The Tom O’Halloran Veteran Memorial Award

A little about Tom.

Tom always maintained that as a kid, the Shepparton Youth Club kept him off the streets. He was often referred to as a “sport-a-holic“

Tom was one of the Founders of the Runners’ Club. In 1979 he, Noel Hussey and a group of Football Umpires got together and started running in the off-season to maintain their fitness.

He was a very good runner at the Victorian Youth Club Sports Carnivals and from 1979 till his passing in 2012, Tom held many Admin positions at the Club.  He also won various awards during that time which included a Life Membership.

He always supported and helped to organize whatever function was held by the Club, from camping trips, Casserole nights, and various trips throughout Vic and NSW and then there were the many Christmas parties where he was the real Santa Claus’s stand-in. These years of membership (friendships would be a much better word) at the Club resulted in a lot of really hilarious moments with much fun and laughter. He would often laugh till he cried.

He thoroughly enjoyed his time at the Runners’ Club which he considered his extended family.

He had a strong and varying sporting history which included:

• a lifelong involvement with Cricket and Football at Club, Association, Inter Zone and County Week Levels
• Along with Richie Mann they founded the Schoolboys Junior Cricket competition and was heavily involved in the Schoolboys country weeks.
• He was a Player, Junior Coach, Administrator and general dog’s body of both Cricket and  Football throughout the Shepparton, Goulburn Valley and the Goulburn Murray
• He played and coached ALL of his Cricket at Shepparton Youth Club, from Juniors through to Senior Cricket.
• On retirement as a player he then commenced Umpiring with the Shepparton Cricket Umpires’ Ass’n.  He umpired cricket at all levels for over 20 years.
• All his Football was played either with the Shepparton Youth Club as a junior, and then in 1959 when SYC merged with Lemnos U17’s, his involvement was then linked to the Lemnos Football Club as a senior player and as a Junior coach.
• He played 110 Senior games with Lemnos, winning their Best and Fairest in 1962.
• After an injury ended his Football Career in 1969 he joined the Goulburn Valley Football Umpires’ Ass’n and umpired for 43 years
• Other sports he dabbled with were… Boxing at SYC where Peter Cody was his coach. Basketball (API)…player and referee. Squash (Shepp and Moor).  Badminton (SYC).
• On retirement from Cricket umpiring he commenced playing Lawn Bowls at Mooroopna Golf  where he was successful at Pennant and Club events.

During his “Life of Sport” he won many awards, and recognition which culminated in the awarding of 10 Life Memberships to the various sporting groups at various levels he was involved with.

Notable achievements include (but are in no way limited to:

• Cricket Victoria recognized his 50 years of service with an award.
• The Victorian Country Football League did likewise in honouring his outstanding service  to Football at all levels.
• He won the Sportsman’s Club’s Administrator of the Year award.
• Another notable Award was the Australian Sports Medal.
• In July 2000, along with Lyn Gawne, Una Cody and John Kennedy, he carried the Olympic torch. His section was on the Peter Ross Edwards Causeway.

The Award was first presented in 1990 Brian Gawne. In total, Brian won the award 13 times and current winners have included Sue Olley, Trevor Dainton and Steve Trevaskis. The award is presented to a Veteran Members (those 40 years and over) who partake in certain Handicap Races throughout the year.

 

The Cody Memorial Award

The Peter Cody Memorial Award was first presented in 1987/1988 fittingly to his wife Una. After Peters passing the Award was reintroduced as the CODY Memorial Award.

For those new to the club Peter and Una were both very talented sportspeople prior to joining the Runner’s club, Peter joined the club to keep fit and Una said she just followed him.

Una Cody was a talented sportswoman and was a District Swimming Champion. Una was a very caring lady and in 1995 Una was shocked when she received a Gold Medal in the mail and learnt she had won the over 65 section at the recent 14.5km City to Surf in Sydney in about 99 minutes.

And as a young man, Peter was a very talented boxer who at 5ft tall and 8 stone had previously won the Victorian Flyweight Championship and after winning the Australian Amateur Flyweight Championship in Brisbane in 1952 he was selected to go to the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. His coach at the Boy’s club, Bill O’Brien, said since Peter was 15 he “had boxed with his head” which resulted in 23 wins and 9 losses over his 7 year career as an amateur boxer.

At this time Una was pregnant with their second child so Peter turned down the opportunity to represent Australia and stayed by Una’s side for the upcoming birth.

As members over the years they won various club awards for their dedication and service to the Club. they thoroughly enjoyed the numerous runs and camping trips that evolved. e.g Jamieson, Nillahcootie, Barooga, Puffing Billy, Mt Beauty etc. the Christmas parties at Cottrell’s and at the Club. And in October 1986 Peter and Una Cody shared the oldest runner award at the Barooga fun run.

In 1982 they travelled to Brisbane for the commonwealth games and then rode their bikes home to Shepparton.