The 1996 GVL grand final moments as they appeared in the Free Press.
Kyabram’s 1996 Goulburn Valley League premiership side is preparing for its 30 years reunion this Saturday, August 15.
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There is a function on Friday night at Hurleys Hotel before reunion goers attend the Kyabram versus Shepparton blockbuster on the Saturday, August 15 from noon.
Kyabram won the flag that year against Tatura under coach Peter White and captain Tony McDonell despite playing with 17 men for the last three quarters after star defender Brendan Ryan was sin binned for the rest of the match on a striking charge for which he later was exonerated by the GVL Tribunal on video evidence.
White’s most vivid memory of the win, which broke a 17-year premiership drought for the club, was the atmosphere in the rooms after the win as the premiership players and supporters celebrated.
“The smile on their faces said it all,” White said.
Skipper of the team, Tony (Rusty) McDonell, said he can still remember clearly the days in the lead up to the grand final.
“The whole town was talking about it in the days before the grand final,” he said.
“I remember some supporters had tears in their eyes when we won the preliminary final because it had been such a long time since we had played in a grand final.”
It was a bittersweet win, as a month after winning the flag one of its much respected star players in that premiership team, Peter White (no relation to the coach), perished on a fishing trip near Warrnambool.
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