THE list reads like a who’s who of Moree sporting greats – a glossary of champions.
The Greg Jones Sporting Hall of Fame at Moree Plains Museum catalogues dozens of local champions who have represented New South Wales or Australia at senior level.
The call is now on to add new names to the list, with a special committee formed to consider nominations.
Possible inclusions must have been selected or represented in senior competition in any sport at state or national level, and won a state or Australian championship event, either individually or as a team.
Greg Jones was a proud Moree man, born and bred, and served his community for many years.
He was a Moree councillor from 1983 until 1999 and served as mayor from 1993 until 1996.
Tragically, he succumbed to cancer in December, 2000, at age 56, but his legacy lives on through the Greg Jones Sporting Hall of Fame.
His wife, Penny, said Greg loved his town and loved his sport.
“Greg was a sports freak – he loved all sports, and wanted Moree to be recognised,” Mrs Jones said. “He was a very good cricketer and an excellent rugby player – not quite Wallaby standard, but pretty good,” she smiled.
“Greg started the sporting hall of fame because of his love for sport and his love for Moree, and we want to honour his legacy with new additions to the hall of fame he created before he passed away.
“There is certain criteria to qualify for inclusion, and we’re asking shire residents to get in touch with Moree Plains Museum and put forward their suggestions,” she said.
Selection panellist, former rugby great Brian Mansfield, said the Greg Jones Sporting Hall of Fame – with a dedicated room at Moree Plains Museum – is a fitting tribute to the town’s sporting stars.
“What Greg started all those years ago is a wonderful thing, and it’s now permanently in a place where people can recognise some of the sportspeople that have been through this town, and put this town on the map,” Mr Mansfield said.
Mr Mansfield made his Test debut for the Wallabies in 1975 against Japan at Ballymore in Brisbane, beating the visitors 50-25, during a long and distinguished career.
He is one of more than 50 Moree shire sportsmen and women recognised at the museum for their state and national achievements.
“We really need to take our hats off to Greg for putting the whole thing together in the first place,” Mr Manfield said.
The hall of fame covers all sports and codes, and includes boxers Charles Jardine, Danny Cheetham, TC Priestly and Cameron Hammond.
Lawn bowler Peter Hobday, polo players Ross McGilvray, Ian Murray and Sinclair Hill, rugby league greats Philip Duke, Earl Harrison, Stan Jurd, Ewan McGrady and Danny Shearer, and cyclists Geoff Skaines and brother Gary and Shane Sutton, feature on the honour roll.
Body-builder Judy Keam, rifle-shooting champions Ben and Jack Picton from Mungindi, swimmers Angela Walker, John Ford, Cameron Greenaway and Bruce Picone and kick-boxing brothers Jamie, Nigel and Paul Davis are listed.
They feature proudly alongside rugby greats Rob Long, Graham Bailey, Edward and Vincent Heinrich, and Charles and Rob Onus, as well as campdrafters Stumpy Timmins, Fay Jenson and Tim Williams.
“To get to where they got to, these people had to do an awful lot of hard work, with a lot of dedication and help from their family and support people,” Mr Mansfield said.
He said Moree is a town highly focused on sport – and the proof is on the Greg Jones Sporting Hall of Fame honour roll.
Recently, local teams covering three codes – soccer, rugby and rugby league – featured in 12 grand-finals across senior and junior grades.
“Moree is a very big sporting shire. We’ve got the athletics with Ronny Clissold – Ronny’s Runners – and the cycling and bike club is starting back up again,” he said.
“These are the sort of things that keeps this town going.”
Do you know a local sporting star that deserves inclusion in the Greg Jones Sporting Hall of Fame at Moree Plains Museum?
Contact Moree and District Historical Society via email at mdhs.moree@gmail.com or call in to the museum and speak to one of its many volunteers.
Moree Plains Museum is open Monday, Tuesday and Saturday between 9.30am and 12.30pm.
Moree Sporting Hall of Fame (the list so far)
AVERY, Gordon – Athletics (1943-1949); BAILEY, Graham – Rugby Union (1956-1958); CARROL, Mark – Full Contact Karate (1985-1989); CHEETHAM, Danny – Boxing (1983-1984); DAVIS, Jamie – Kick Boxing (1997-2000); DAVIS, Nigel – Kick Boxing (1999); DAVIS, Paul – Kick Boxing (1999); DUKE, Philip – Rugby League (1982-1990); DUNCAN, Craig – Touch Football (2001-2003); FARRELL, Angela – Cricket (1994-2000); FORD, John – Swimming (1956); GREENAWAY, Cameron – Swimming (1985-1988); HARRISON, Earl – Rugby League (1963-1965); HEINRICH, Edward – Rugby Union (1959-1962); HEINRICH, Vincent – Rugby Union (1953-1954); HILL, Sinclair – Polo (1954-1974); HOBDAY, Peter – Lawn Bowls (1988-); JARDINE, Charles – Boxing (1920-1924); JENSON, Fay – Campdrafting; JURD, Stan – Rugby League (1978-1989); KEAM, Judy – Body Building, Shot Put and Discus (1975-1995); LEE, Matthew – Archery (2003 -2007); LONG, Rob – Rugby Union (1984-1987); MACKAY OAM, Judith – Equestrian (1971-1980); MADDEN, Bill – Bowls (1978-1999); MANSFIELD, Brian – Rugby Union (1974-1977); McGILVRAY, Ross – Polo (1971-1976); McNAMARA, Les – Campdrafting (1948); MURRAY, Ian – Polo (1956-1964); ONUS, Charles – Rugby Union (1973-1976); ONUS, Rob – Rugby Union (1975-1978); PICONE, Bruce – Swimming (1945-1948); PRIESTLY, TC – Boxing (2001-2021); RAYNOR, Ron – Rodeo (1978-1987); ROSE, Wayne – Boxing, Refereeing and Judging (1991-2003); SHEARER, Lionel Daniel – Rugby League (1965-1968); SKAINES, Geoff – Cycling (1976-1988); SUTTON, Gary – Cycling (1974-95); SUTTON, Shane – Cycling (1969-1998); TATTAM, Terry – Target Shooting (1963); TATTAM, Charles – Clay Target Shooting; TIMMINS, Bruce ‘Stumpy’ – Campdrafting and Buckjumping (1949-1960); WALKER, Angela – Swimming (1987 – 1992); WILLIAMS, Tim – Campdrafting and Cricket (1984-1998); and WOODHAM, Ann – Rodeo (1978-1999).
