Sport
23 February, 2024
Bul-a-Bul bats knock up 125
By CHRIS EARL TOWN and district rivalry was rampant when gold and sheep brought new settlers to the Loddon in the 19th century. The ultimate in local bragging rights usually settled on the cricket or football fields. Challenge matches pitted local...
By CHRIS EARL
TOWN and district rivalry was rampant when gold and sheep brought new settlers to the Loddon in the 19th century.
The ultimate in local bragging rights usually settled on the cricket or football fields.
Challenge matches pitted local young men against those living within an hour or so, travelling by horse and cart or even traversing bushland on foot.
The residents of Arnold were to the fore in seeking the mantle of the district’s best.
Custom was for the losing team to shout the victors dinner.
And in 1898, the local cricket club was formed to enter the Tarnagulla association.
The Redbacks - as they are colloquially named - have notched up 13 senior premierships in the 125 years since with some families featuring down through the generations.
Metelmanns, Younghusbands and Grahams are among the names on photographs adorning the Redbacks’ clubrooms on the banks of the Bul-a-Bul Creek, a headquarters built in 2001 in front of the much-older tin shed that today is the club storeroom.
Modern-day Redbacks will be the focus of on-field activity when the club celebrates its 125th anniversary on Saturday.
The other side of the fence will be where stories are told of the local cricket club that was formed 60 years after its famous counterpart in Melbourne and a couple of years before football and tennis clubs were established.
Life member Cam Dale says the Redbacks were originally formed as the Arnold Bridge Cricket Club.
As the last of Arnold’s sporting clubs - tennis folded back in 2002, football half a century before - modern-day playing legends including Dale, Ryan Metelmann and Phil Scholes will bridge the past and the present.
Scholes made his junior debut with Arnold in 1995 when neighbours Woodstock and Newbridge were fielding teams.
Ben Metelmann made his debut the same year and like Scholes, is a Redbacks’ life member.
The first of Arnold’s 13 premierships came in 1905-1906, a competition that existed for about 30 years until the 1920s and included the name-sake team and Llanelly and rivals.
Arnold’s first piece of silverware was returned the club in time for its centenary year by descendants of team captain J. Woodhall.
When the Titanic sank on its maiden voyage in 1912, Arnold was completing its first year playing in the Loddon Valley association. The competition would be the Redbacks’ home for more than 40 years but flag success was hard to find.
Finally there was the breakthrough in 1950-1951 - the start of a four years of dominance.
When the Loddon Valley association folded, Arnold headed into the Upper Loddon association.
The move came at the same time Arnold’s Football Club - originally called Arnold Bridge - folded.
Success for the summer white-flannelled athletes was quick. with a flag in 1959-1960 season.
More premierships came in 1983-1984 and 1992 and 1993 and another triple purple patch starting in 1996-1997, one coming in the centenary year when celebrations included “a traditional minstrel show” and a spit roast, this time the winners shouting the losers.
The last decade has also netted a pair of pennants and along the way the Redbacks’ junior have had their named etched on the premiership shield four times. Dale says the celebrations at Arnold Recreation Reserve this Saturday will also have a special touch.
The club will announce the name of its pavilion that was opened two decades ago by then Victorian Sports Minister Simon Madden.
“We’ve had a lot of interest in celebrating 125 years. We hope to see many former players not only with the Redbacks, but from other clubs past and present who have been part of the competitions we have be in over the years,” said Dale.