Andrew Kane our Sports Star of the Year

ANDREW Kane has taken out the Loddon’s top sporting achievement award to cap off a champion year.

Sports Star of the Year Andrew Kane

The Boort golfer was named the Loddon Herald Sports Star of the Year on Monday.

Kane won last year’s Victorian Sand Greens Championship played at Charlton, adding to his unrivalled success as Kara Kara association and Boort club champion that has netted dozens of titles throughout his career. The Charlton victory was his third in the hotly-contested state title, the first 40 years ago.

Kane joined other monthly award winners at the Wedderburn Hotel on Monday where a year of sporting achievements were celebrated.

He spoke of taking up golf as a youngster, playing in the front yard of the family farm at Barraport and the enjoyment he has in the game.

Kane said there were similarities between golf and a new sport recently added to list of activities.

“I’ve taken up darts. In golf you have to hit the ball straight ... in darts you have to throw straight,” he said.

The 2024-2025 monthly winners had a strong youth presence on the list with Bridgewater netballer Rachael Flood saying that this year she aimed to continue her development as a netballer, playing in the Bendigo league as being part of the state team Strikers’ programs. Inglewood’s Mitch Pickering, still with a year where he can play junior football with the Blues, has his sights on stepping up to the club’s top teams while Boort’s Cooper Gooding said his initial aim to to get out of a personal mid-season batting form slump.

Di Johnston, Kara Kara women’s golf champion, told how she took up the sport after retiring from hockey. “A few of us from Boort did and now when we go to other clubs, we’re playing against the same women ... just a different sport.”

Hayley Smith went on to win a state ranch horse title after her national success while Wedderburn’s Ruth Hall said in sport people never give up - she won the North Central bowls title after being bridesmaid 12 times.