After months of speculation, Moama’s Todd Murphy has been tapped on the shoulder for Australia’s upcoming Test tour of India in February.
The 22-year-old off-spinner will join one of Australia’s most significant tours of the sub-continent in recent memory, one of three options picked to partner front-line spin option Nathan Lyon.
The 18-man squad announcement came on Wednesday morning.
Murphy’s selection caps a meteoric rise in Australian cricket for the former local cricketer, particularly for Victoria, Australia A and the Prime Minister’s XI.
The young gun claimed 3-27 in the PM’s XI drawn match against West Indies in November.
Murphy is currently plying his trade for St Kilda at Victorian Premier level and from his two appearances this summer has taken four wickets.
Big Mooroopna recruit
Mooroopna has continued its pre-season Goulburn Valley League tinkering with the club adding the midfield talent of Bryce Rutherford to its squad.
A Berwick Football Club best-and-fairest winner and premiership captain in the Eastern Football League, Rutherford signed on the dotted line thanks to his relationship with current Cats assistant coach Darren Ogier.
Spending time under Ogier during his four-year spell at VFL club Casey Demons, Rutherford said he could not wait to join the club in mid-February.
Set to help bolster the club’s stocks after the departure of Dean Smith, Lucas Caccaviello and Aidan Basile, Rutherford joins the Cats alongside Mackenzie Cowley (Tongala) and the Barooga duo of Kris Bextream and Daniel Johnstone.
The only side to defeat eventual premier Echuca last season, John Lamont’s men boast the likes of Chris Nield and Jackson Trengove, while former Mooroopna junior and ex-AFL talent Nathan Drummond is also set to stand out.
Pencilled in to split his time between VFL commitments with Footscray and the Cats, Drummond will be one to watch in a side that is shaping up to be a premiership contender in 2023.
HDFL April 15 start
Heathcote District Football Netball League’s 2023 season will start on April 15, a week after Easter festivities.
Elmore, which will host Rochester stars Dan Russell and Nathan Kay in its ranks this season, is drawn to tackle Huntly in the opening round. Reigning premier Lockington Bamawn United will have to wait a week for its start as it has a bye in week one.
Colbinabbin will face Heathcote in the opening round.
Elmore last week announced further recruiting news when it names Northern Territory star Adam Hodor as a newcomer for 2023.
In round two Elmore and Colbinabbin will play a night game on April 22, one of only two night games on the Heathcote league roster of the season.
Tennis back Saturday
Extreme heat caused another round of Campaspe Tennis Association to be abandoned on Saturday, but this week’s forecast is more favourable.
While the junior competition does not resume until February 4, Campaspe senior teams will be back on court on January 21. Top teams in Division one, Rochester and Echuca (1) will meet at Rochester, whiled third ranked LBU (2) has the bye.
Including this weekend there are six weekends of home-and-away competition remaining before the finals.
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