Orange sport is always full of massive moments – inspirational, heart-in-your-mouth and fuzzy-wuzzy alike – and 2016 was no different, in fact, it probably eclipsed most recent years.
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This year has been one of the most exciting for sport in the colour city, and region-wide in fact, so I’ve gone through and provided the definitive list of 2016’s biggest moments – whether good for Orange teams and players, or not.
For the sake of this, I’ve left out the NRL trial in February and the BBL06 trials earlier this month.
There’s no surprise several of these come from various sports’ grand finals but hey, they’re the games that tend to provide the biggest moments aren’t they?
Don’t answer that, it’s rhetorical, of course they are.
This wasn’t an easy list to compile, there was a number of others – think Ben McAlpine launching an 84-ball double hundred, or Wade Park’s cricketing centre of excellence being confirmed – which were inches from making the cut.
Also, for the record, I ruled out the many achievements of Orange products now living outside the colour city – like Chris Tremain making his international debut, Edwina Bone being named for the Olympics and Ben McCalman being appointed as the new skipper of the Western Force.
This is in no particular order too, how in the world could you possibly rank them?
Here’s hoping 2017 provides just as many.
#1 | LE LIEVRE’S TON INSPIRES CYMS (March)
Scoring a match-winning ton in a grand final is the stuff dreams are made of, so how do you describe it when you do it two years in a row?
That’s what CYMS all-rounder Hugh Le Lievre did, following his 119 from the 2014-15 grand final with an even 100 in the 2015-16 decider, providing the ODCA a serious moment of deja Hugh.
It was just what the doctor ordered for CYMS too, who were 3-71 and in some danger of only posting a meagre total. They knocked up 8-335 instead.
#2 | STANIFORTH KICKS EMUS HOME (September)
Emus skipper Nigel Staniforth once again proved he has ice in his veins, nailing an 83rd minute penalty goal out of the Endeavour Oval bog to seal his side’s 14-11 Blowes Clothing Cup grand final victory.
He scored all 14 of Emus’ points that day too, and was the best player on the field by a mile. The ultimate example of leading from the front.
#3 | #FREEWYNNIE (September)
What would this list be without a social media campaign?
After CYMS hooker James Wynne was sent-off in his side’s major semi-final win over Bathurst Panthers, #FreeWynnie kicked off in a – hilarious – bid to try and have the charge thrown out at the judicary before the decider.
It was, although CYMS went on to lose to Mudgee in a thriller.
#4 | DRAGONS BREATHE FIRE (September)
No team wins titles from fifth. It just doesn’t happen.
No one told Mudgee that, the Dragons stormed home from fifth to win the Group 10 premier league title, trumping Orange CYMS 14-10 at a sopping Wade Park, in a nail-biting grand final.
Rugby convert Rota Setu was the hero, scoring a stunning last-minute try to break the 10-10 deadlock and spark pandemonium among the Dragons’ faithful.
The last team that did it? Appropriately, Mudgee, in 2000.
#5 | FEDS WIN! FEDS WIN! (May)
One of Feds’ two wins this year made the cut.
After eight games of the 2016 women’s Premier League Hockey season and a couple of near-misses, the plucky Confederates side scored its first win of the winter.
Led by a hat-trick from Samara Beasley, Feds claimed a 5-0 win. For a club solely focused on development in 2016, and one with 58 losses from 68 games since the start of 2012, it was a feat worth celebrating.
Possibly Orange sport’s feel-good moment of 2016.
#6 | ORANGE CITY BLOWS IT AGAINST BATHURST (August)
Up 27-0 with 40 minutes to go and cruising, Orange City was set to push through the Blowes Clothing Cup elimination semi-final and on their form in the opening half, the Lions would’ve pushed any side in the competition.
Bathurst had other ideas though and, despite conceding once more in the second half, Bulldogs piled on an outrageous 39 points in the second half to produce the most remarkable of comebacks and steal victory from the jaws of defeat – in extra-time, I might add.
Regional sports guru Nick McGrath described this one as “the best game of rugby I’ve ever seen”. Not too far off the mark.
#7 | HAWKS’ PRE-SEASON HETA-ING UP (December)
Hawks needed something big after their miserable 2016 Group 10 premier league season, they got it in the signature of incumbent Country Firsts five-eighth Willie Heta.
Arguably the best player in the state not playing in the NRL, Heta oozes confidence and has had success at every club he’s played at in the bush – most recently he led Souths to the 2017 Newcastle title, and was best on ground.
There’s no two ways about it, Hawks will need more than Heta to push for a title in 2017 but golly gee wilikers he’ll make a big difference on his own.
#8 | HAWKS MISS IT BY THAT MUCH AGAINST HOOD (September)
Royal Hawks, in their maiden Orange Netball Association Toyota Cup grand final appearance, came agonisingly close to ending Robin Hood’s remarkable run of dominance, but couldn’t.
Hawks, after scoring a stunning extra-time win in the preliminary final, pushed the now-nine-time consecutive champions to the brink, forcing the decider into extra-time before ultimately falling by two goals.
It was immediately labelled one of the best Toyota Cup grand finals in history, and rightly so.
#9 | STUNNING COMEBACK STEALS CUP FOR BAKER (April)
In the colour city’s richest race, the $50,000 Atlas Copco Orange Cup (2100m), apprentice hoop Travis Wolfgram guided Mr Steal to a stunning comeback win for Warwick Farm trainer Bjorn Baker’s stable.
After leading by two-and-a-half lengths with 600 to go, but then being gone for all money shortly after Mr Steal, the $3 hope, kicked back and edged out Are You Sure ($3.50) by a neck to claim the $29,660 first prizemoney.
#10 | MAIER ANNOUNCES HERSELF ON GRANDEST STAGE (September)
How good do you need to play, and be in general, to win a player-of-the-match award in a losing grand final?
Too good, just like 16-year-old Alice Maier was for Royal Hawks in their heart-breaking Orange Netball Association Toyota Cup grand final loss to Robin Hood.
Maier shot at 79 per cent for Hawks in the two-goal loss, but her performance was deemed best on court as much for her presence inside the attacking circle as anything else.
Matt Findlay
Formerly a sports specialist, I'm based at Orange and shift between wide-spread range of subjects here and, often, across the entire Central West region of NSW as well. I have almost a decade of experience in the media and marketing industries both here in Australia and internationally, along with journalism I have experience in content strategy, brand development, and digital and social media. Along the way, I've been fortunate to win a handful of media awards and be nominated for several others too.
Formerly a sports specialist, I'm based at Orange and shift between wide-spread range of subjects here and, often, across the entire Central West region of NSW as well. I have almost a decade of experience in the media and marketing industries both here in Australia and internationally, along with journalism I have experience in content strategy, brand development, and digital and social media. Along the way, I've been fortunate to win a handful of media awards and be nominated for several others too.
