Saturday Sport

Tasmania's oldest running event, the 17.6 km Wynyard to Burnie Feature Race tomorrow has no clear favourite with a very even field. The event, conducted by the Professional Cross Country Club of Tasmania, is the oldest distance running event in Tasmania and started back in 1968. Martin Agatyn spoke to PCCCT president Rod Viney . . .

Coastal middle distance runner Deon Kenzie is back in Australia in quarantine after claiming the bronze medal in the men's 1500m event at the Tokyo Paralympics last week. Martin Agatyn spoke to Deon . . .

Burnie Tigers and Launceston Tornadoes basketballer Keely Frolling has been selected to play for the Australlian Opals in the Asia Cup tournament in Jornad later this month. Martin Agatyn spoke with a very excited Keely . . .

The time-honoured Latrobe Carnival could be in jeopardy over a dispute related to fencing the Latrobe Recreation Grund cycling track. Martin Agatyn spoke to Latrobe Bicycle Race Club vice-president Noel Pearce . . .

The NBL-1 has decided to cancel the remainder of its South Coonference season due to mainland COVID lockdowsn and border closures. It's disappointing in particular for the St Lukes Health North West Thunder, who were on top of the ladder. Martin Agatyn spoke to Thunder chairman Tony Barker . . .

The 19th annual Prostate Cancer Charity Golf Day will be held at the Devonport Country Clib at Woodrising next month. The eveent is arguably the biggest of its type on the Coast. Martin Agatyn spoke to organiser Peter Colgrave . . .

The Tasmanian Echidnas volleyball team will be holding a special clinic and training day at Camp Banksia next Saturday. Martin Agatyn spoke to Echidnas men's captain Josh Thorpe . . .

Devonport Strikers coach Chris Gallo has announced he's leaving at the end of the season to take up a position with the Wollongong Wolves, who will compete in the second tier national soccer competition from next year. Martin Agatyn spoke to Chris about his time at Devonport and his exciting new job . . .

Today's schewduled round of the Tasmanian Rally Championship, the Hellyer Rally, has been postponed until October. However, there's still plenty of motorsport on the calendar. Martin Agatyn spoke to Steph Peters from the North West Car Club . . .

Ulverstone has won both the NWFL Women's and Youth Girls grand finals over Wynyard. Martin Agatyn was at the grand finals and spoke to Uverstone women's coach Tim Auton after the game . . .

North-West Coastal surf life savers and clubs domninated the Tasmanian Surf Life Saving Awards of Excellence last week. Martin Agatyn spoke to Surf Life Saver of the Year, Dean Dunham from Penguin . . .

A number of Aussie athjletes who starred at the recent Tokyo Olympic games cluld be competing at this year's Tasmanian Christmas Carnivals Series. Martin Agatyn spoke to series promoter Richard Welsh . . .

The next step in the push to get a Circular Head team back in the NWFL is a step closer, with the appointment of an executive committee for the Smithtons Saints. Martin Agatyn spoke to newly elected Saints president Keith Billing . . .

Tasmania's Ian Chesterman was chef de mission for the Australian Olympic Team in Tokyo. Martin Agatyn spoke to Ian, looking back on what was a successful games on so many levels for Australia . . .

Athletics Australia international technical official and Tasmanian Brian Roe was a start line judge at the athletics at the Tokyo Olympics. Martin Agatyn spoke to Brian . . .

Tasmanian Senator Richard Colbeck is also the Federal Minister for Sport and attended the Tokyo Games, where he saw many perfomances Australia and specifically Tasmania could be proud of. Martin Agatyn spoke to Richard  . . .

Port Sorell entrepreneur Richard Higgs has revealed his pans to establish a speedway at Moorlands Beach near Wesley Vale, especially for solo speedway mortorcycles and sidecars. Martin Agatyn spoke to Richard . . .

The Tasmanian racingf calendar for 2021-22 has been released. Martin Agatyn spoke to Devonport Racing Club chairman Barry Milton . . .

A rallysprint event at Long Hill Plantation near Sassafras will kick off the new Dunlop Cup series next Saturday. Martin Agatyn spoke to event director Bill Fulton . . .

Former Wynyard cricketer Jamie Cox starts a new dream job in September at the home of cricket in England, working for the MCC. Martin Agatyn spoke to Jamie . . .

Devonport's Mike Gunon was recently honoured witrh not one, but two life memberships of statewide sporting groups. MArtin Agatyn spoke to the nrew life member of Athletics Tasmania and also the Sports Carnivals Association of Tasmania (SCAT)  . . .

Coastal-owned and trained greyhound Wynburn Sheean has been making a name for himself on the track with some stunning results. Martin Agatyn spoke to trainer Ben Englund . . .

A new exciting fun run at night will be held in  Devonport next month. It's known as the Hudson 3645ight the Night Glow Run, with distances of 2.5 km, 4 km and 8 km. Mafrtin Agatyn spoke to event director Brian Lyons . . .

The Devon team in the State Netball League is in the midst of of one of its best seasons for many years, challenging for a finals spot, while the under 19 team is also second on its ladder. Martin Agatyn spoke to Dvoon coach Heln Payne . . .

With the Tokyo Olympics underway, thoughts will soon turn to next month's Paralympic Games at the same venue. Martin Agatyn spoke to Forth's Deon Kenzie as he prepares for his 1500m running event at the Paralympics . . .

A meeting in Smithton tomorrow will most likely decide if a bid is to go ahead to get a football team from Circular Head back in the NWFL. The team would most likely be known as the Circular Head Saints. Martin Agatyn spoke to Smithton Football Club life member Keith Billing . . .

Earlier this week when Brisbane was announced as the host f ther 2032 Olympics, there was a Tasmanian face (albeit masked) right in the front row. It was Tasmanian Senator and Federal Sports Minister Richarrd Colbeck. Martin Agatyn spoke to Richard from Tokyo . . .

Former AFL Tasmania CEO Scott Wade has suggested a two division competition, similar to how the NTFA operates in the North, could solve Coastal footy woes. He spoke to Martin Agatyn . . .

Ulverstone cricket umpire Darren Close has again been appointed to the Cricket Australia national umpiring panel. Martin Agatyn spoke to Darren  . . .

The St Luukes Health North West Thunder are still on top of the NBL-1 South Conference ladder after returning home from a two-game Victorian road trip with two wins from two matches. Martin Agatyn spoke to Thunder coach Nick Haywood . . .

The Devonport Strikers have missed out on a chance to host a home game, potentially against an A-League club, in the draw for the first round of the Football Federation Australia (FFA) Cup. Martin Agatyn was at the club for the live streaming of the draw and spoke to president Drew Smith . . .

Some of Tasmania's best woodchoppers (male and female) will be on show at the Gunns Plains Community Hall next Friday night. Martin Agatyn spoke to North West Axemen's Sssociation president and multiple world champion David Foster . . .

Firmer Coaster Grant O'Brien has been appointed chair of the Australian Sports Commission. Martin Agatyn spoke to the former Penguin boy, who explained the role of the commission and how it could help Coastal clubs . . .

A meeting in Smithton earlier this week garnered overwhelming support for a team from the Circular Head region to re-join the NWFL, after the Circular Head Giants pulled out in 2019. Martin Agatyn spoke to Keith Billing, who is a life member of the Smithton Football Club . . .

Wynyard footballer Emma Humphries has been named most valuable player (MVP) for the recent Tasmanian Women's All-Stars Series, which involved reresentative treams from the North-West, North and South. The series was won by the NWFL, co-captained by Emma and Latrobe's Lauren Stevenson. Martin Agatyn spoke to Emma, who was one of eight Coastal players named in the all-star team . . .

The third of the Australian Rally Championship, Rally Tasmania, was to be held in and around Launceston this weekend, but has been postponed until September due to this week's COVID developments and border closures. Martin Agatyn spoke to Paul Riorden from Motorsport Australia . . .

The Boy's Club, written by Michael Warner, has exposed a culture of bullying, particularly towards women, and corruption and dramas behind closed doors within the AFL system. Martin Agatyn spoke to Michael Warner and also got his views on a Tasmanian team in the AFL . . .

Former New Zealand NBL player Mike Karena will join the St Lukes Health North West Tasmania Thunder for the first time tonight in Ulverstone, when the Thunder take on Bendigo in their NBL-1 clash. Basketball has taken Mike on quite a journey before landing on the North-West Coast earlier this week, as Martin Agatyn discovered . . .

The Burnie City Council, Burnie Athletic Club, and Epic Events and Marketing have joined forces to ensure the short term future of the Burnie Ten for at least the nxt three years. Martin Agatyn spoke to Epic managing director Richard Welsh . . .

Martin Agatyn and NWBU general manager Ben Richmond look back on Tuesday night's NWBU Coastal basketball finals and we hear from winning coaches John Fox (Ulverstone men) and Jason Bakker (Burnie women) . . .

The departure of coach Nathan Buckley from the Collingwood Football Club has been well publicised. Former Devonport player Graeme Wright is the general manager of football at Collingwood and he spoke to Martin Agatyn about the difficult decision and where to now for the Magpies . . .

The Devonport Strikers have won another Lakoseljac Cup final in a tight tussle with Glenorchy to earn the right to represent Tasmania in the FFA (Football Federation Australia) Cup. Martin Agatyn spoke to Devonport City Soccer Club football operations manager Rod Andrews . . .

Wynyard football identity Roxley Snare was recoognised with an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) in Monday's Queens Birthday Honours List. Martin Agatyn spoke to Roxley, who has clocked up almost 70 years with the Wynyard Football Club . . .

Weekly games of wheelchair basketball and football are being played on Friday nights at Ulverstone, and able bodied players can also join in the fun. The games are being organised by Paraquad Tasmania, and Martin Agatyn spoke to Trent Johnson, from Paraquad Tasmania . . .

The Ched de Mission for the Australian Olympic Team for next month's Tokyo Games, is Tasmanian sporting official Ian Chesterman, who spoke to Martin Agatyn 41 days out from the opening ceremony . . .

Three Coastal quad bike racers will compete in the famous Finke Desert Race in the Northern Territory this weekend. Martin Agatyn spoke to one of them, Daman Sims, from Roland . . .

Former Devonport racing driver Owen Kelly has decided to contest the full season of the Australian Trans-Am Championship after running early rounds as a one-off, and is also considering a full assault on the championship next year. Martin Agatyn spoke to Owen . . .

Former Devonport swimmer Jake Templeton will race for a spot in the Tokyo Paralympic Games in next week's official trials. Late last year, he set three world freestyle records for his category for visually impaired swimmers. Martin Agatyn spoke to Jake ahead of the trials . . .

The first ever NWFL women's representitative football team will take on the North and South in a triangular series next weekend. Martin Agatyn spoke to head coach Richard Douglas . . .

The Devonport Strikers have qualified for next weekend's Lakoseljac Cup final, after defeating Taroona 8-0 in the semi-final. Martin Agatyn spoke to Strikers coach Chris Gallo . . .