Club grants for eight sports groups

BENDIGO East Baseball Club has been racking up the wins on and off the field this year.

The club was one of eight clubs in the Bendigo East electorate recently successful in obtaining grants through the state government’s Sporting Club Grants program.

Open to grassroots sporting clubs, the program provides grants for uniforms and equipment, resources that improve governance and engagement, projects to strengthen volunteering and officiating, and to support athlete travel.

Bendigo East Baseball Club received nearly $8200 for volunteer training, strengthening the club’s child protection and travel for athletes to attend championships.

Committee member Helen Rothacker said the club was grateful for the assistance and was especially looking forward to reviewing and strengthening its child safe policy.

“We are doing quite well in that regard, but this will help us tighten up our policy and improve it further,” she said.

“There’s also $4000 for mental health first-aid training, which will happen in February next year.

“We are doing really well culturally at our club and these grants will help us further as we’ve taken the view for a long time that winning isn’t the main thing, but having fun and looking after ourselves and other people and our club members is.

“We expect the code of conduct to be followed and good sporting behaviour; credit to the other team and ourselves as well.”

It’s those values that Rothacker said were exemplified by the three players, who were recipients of travel grants – Georgia Lovell (Brown), Archer Etherton and Jess Kindred.

Lovell (Brown), the youngest of the three at 14, was picked to represent Victoria in her age group.

A talented catcher in Bendigo East’s senior team, she hit her first ever home run at age 11.

She has a long list of representative team accomplishments, including twice playing in the Girls Invitational tournament in Geelong, playing Barclay Cup for Hornets last year, and representing the Bendigo Baseball League at last year’s State Winter Championships.

At this year’s Girls Invitational, she notched up eight safe hits from 11 at bats, playing a mix of short stop, first base, catcher and outfield.

Etherton, winner of the fastest arm competition at the Bendigo Baseball Association (BBA) 90th Diamond Jubilee celebrations in April with a pitch of 126km/h, will be part of the Bendigo squad at the Under-17 State Winter Championships.

Currently playing division one, this will be his third Winter Championships.

He also played for North West Melbourne Twins in the 2024 Victorian Championships, while back home he was selected in the BBA Junior All-Star Team last year and was Bendigo East’s under-16 MVP in 2024.

The gun, young pitcher, who also plays for Essendon Baseball Club, was recently clocked at 132km/h.

A relative newcomer, Kindred – who started playing baseball as an adult – has been with Bendigo East for two seasons.

The resilient and committed catcher recently earned her team’s MVP award at the State Winter Championships in Geelong in her first representative experience.

On weekends, she plays with Bendigo East’s division 3 and 4 teams, part of a player influx that has allowed the club to field four senior teams, up from three last season.

Successful last year in securing grants for athlete travel, Rothacker said the club was thrilled to have made the cut again in what she said were ‘tough times’ for representative athletes.

Other grant recipients included Bendigo Canoe Club with $1000 for new kayak paddles, Bendigo Rowing Club with $1000 for a cox box, Bendigo East Amateur Swimming Club with $5500 in total for uniforms and travel for six athletes to attend championships, and Bendigo United Cricket Club with $1000 for new cricket balls.

Bendigo Yacht Club has been allocated $1500 for volunteer training and recruitment, Bendigo Masters Football Club has $1000 for new playing jerseys, and Quarry Hill Croquet Club was granted $750 for athlete travel.

“The sporting club grants program is giving grassroots sports clubs in Bendigo East the support they need to grow their ranks and help more people play the sports they love,” said Premier and Bendigo East MP Jacinta Allan.

In further good news at Bendigo East Baseball Club, plans for a new pavilion at its home at Ken Wust Reserve in Quarry Hill are complete, with the club hopeful of securing funding.