2022 KGS

The Golf

The Format: Teams of four playing two-ball ambrose best-ball on Saturday and four-ball ambrose best-ball on Sunday.

The Rules: Since slow play is a potential problem for our gangs, these rules are designed to encourage play in the right spirit and at the right pace. Teams play their chosen best ball on each shot and may place their ball half a club length (about 50cms) from where the chosen ball lies, no nearer the hole. Balls must be placed in the same cut as the chosen ball. In the interests of fast play from tee to green, teams are NOT required to mark with a tee and precisely measure from the chosen ball as they play each shot. Team members can play in any order on a shot. Putting: Once on the green, Bushrangers should mark near the chosen best ball so each team member plays from near enough to the exact same position.

Handicapping: Each person will be assigned a handicap by the handicapper based on official handicaps and information supplied by the Bushrangers. The handicapper will be governed by a commitment to rewarding good play according to a player’s ability. Team handicaps for the ambrose groupings are calculated from the individual marks.

Playoffs: In the event of a tie, a sudden-death playoff will be conducted. Teams play together as a foursome (taking alternate strokes playing one ball). The order is continuous and carries over from one hole to the next until the playoff is decided.

Nearest-the-Pin & Longest Drive: Will be contested on both days and, in the interests of team gloating and solidarity, any player who wins a LD or NTP wins prizes and glory for his entire team.

The Rodeo Rule: This is minimum drives for each team member and will be enforced. Each team’s individual rodeo requirements will appear on their scorecard.
 

The History of The Kelly Gang Shootout at Glenrowan

The Kelly Gang arrived in Glenrowan on 27 June 1880 and took about 70 hostages at the Glenrowan Inn. They planned to derail a train of police coming for them and while they waited for the train, they kept the hostages entertained by breaking out the turps and firing up a party that was a rollicking good time. The party lasted for two days. Meanwhile the police avoided the derailment and laid siege to the pub.

The gang members, Ned Kelly, Dan Kelly, Steve Hart and Joe Byrne, donned their now-famous helmets and armour (weighing about 44 kg), and fought a gun battle with the police. Before dawn on Monday June 28, Ned Kelly left the rear of the inn in his armour and circled behind the police. As the dawn broke, Ned cast an eerie figure marching out of the morning fog in his armour and overcoat, firing his revolvers. Police bullets bounced off his armour and it was not until the police shot at his legs that he slowed. He eventually collapsed and was captured beside a large fallen gum tree. He was near death and not expected to survive.

The rest of the gang died in the pub, probably from gun shot wounds, although the police bravely made sure by torching the building and burning Anne Jones’ pub to the ground. The police suffered only one minor injury: the senior officer, Superintendent Francis Hare, copped a scratch to his wrist, then fled the battle and was later suspended for his cowardice. Police bullets struck several of the hostages during the siege, at least two fatally. Ned lived and left on the train they tried to derail.

The Form Guide

The Glenrowan Hacks – Steve Hart, Joe Byrne and Dan Kelly all lost their lives at the siege in Glenrowan (June 26–28, 1880) that Ned had hoped would be the catalyst for a new republic. The myth of Ned grew as he somehow survived the ordeal having sustained enough gunshot wounds to bring down a horse. It was the first and last time they wore their iconic armour. In honour of this, the defending champions will play the KGS every year as The Glenrowan Hacks.

Nick Randone (Fantasia)           Johnnie Morris (Buddha)
Ashley Davis (McDonald)         Brendan Davis (Tipungwuti)

Coming off a stellar win last year, this unruly mob will strut into town with an air of confidence not seen here since The Kelly Gang themselves bowled into Glenrowan in 1880. Hard to see them far from the business end on Sunday arvo but may find the going a bit tougher this year with a much higher-quality field compared with the circus freaks they had to overcome in Yarrawonga in 2021. They do possess some serious hitting power, but more than make up for that with a bona fide & pathological lack of golfing intelligence. Random.
 

The Wallan Wallan Carpenters – In 1842, John “Red” Kelly was transported from Ireland to Van Diemen's Land for pig theft. He was released from Port Arthur in 1848 and made his way to Wallan Wallan, a strong Irish community north of Melbourne. He found work as a bush carpenter and met Ellen “Nelly” Quinn, his future wife and the mother of Annie, Maggie, Edward, Jim, Dan and Kate Kelly.

Mark Henderson (Hendo)         Shane Lawlor (Shano)
Aaron Henderson (A-a-Ron)       Leon Doyle (Leondo)

This mob of sharp-witted, big-hitting, trash-talking, fun-loving, rib-tickling, knee-slapping golf tragics are very capable of taking this event by the scruff of the neck. They have five KGS titles between them, but a few questions linger about their collective emotional capacity to stay the distance. Are certainly in for a good time & stand a pretty good chance to be near the podium on Sunday.
 

The Frosty Beveridges – Ned Kelly was born in Beveridge, at the foot of Fraser’s Hill, 40 kms north of Melbourne. It was his first hometown and is well known for being at its best when the temperatures are a little on the chilly side.

Drew Hallam (Show me the money)          Al Clelland (Big Al)
Dean Connell (Honeymoon)                   Graham Ball (Ballsy)

These four reclusive wallflowers are all fine purveyors of the post-golf mayhem that is a priority at this event, so we can expect a belligerent crusade here with the après-golf activities. If they have not folded on Saturday, expect an epic barnstorming finish to challenge on Sunday. Consider for your box trifectas.
 

The Avenel Gang – Ned Kelly forged a reputation as a stand-up citizen when growing up in Avenel. As a 12 year old, he saved the life of a drowning Richard Shelton near the bridge over Hughes Creek. As a reward for his bravery and courage, Kelly was gifted a green silk sash, which he was wearing under his armour at the siege of Glenrowan.

Fraser Gough (Dr F-Tard)              David Warwick (Diesal)
Mick Van Raay (Da King)                    Paul White (Whitey)

This mob have good form in this event in the past and their sheer ball-striking power coupled with clinical reliability makes these larrikins one of the biggest favourites this week. A few questions do linger about their collective physical and emotional capacity, but if they get going, they are very capable of going bananas either day, posting some low numbers & prancing off with the trophy.
 

The Benalla Burglars – As the major town closest to Ned Kelly's home, Benalla was the epicentre of Kelly's bushranging days and was the police headquarters for the Kelly Gang manhunt. As a lad, Ned famously gave three troopers a hiding one day in the main street.

Ian Crotty (Crocko)                      Bill Anastasopoulos (Billy)
Joel Matthews (The Mont)              Roger Templer (The Saint)

This rag-tag mob of eccentrics and misfits is pretty loose and will certainly give a superb account of themselves between rounds but may not be equipped to carry that form on to the golf course. Although they have some history at this event, a couple of them have had a spell recently so we don’t much fancy their chances of contending here when the whips get cracking on Sunday arvo.
 

The Beechworth Boys – Ned was gaoled as a teenager for receiving a stolen horse. In January 1873, he was transferred from Pentridge to Beechworth Prison where he spent the next year of his youth learning from hardened criminals how he might become an upstanding member of the community.

Gavan Doran (The Rose)              Pete Calverley (Cuddles)
Cam Thompson (Thommo)                       Ian Steer (Steery)

This bizarre mob is a mixed bag of sharp-witted, big-hitting, knee-slapping, trash-talking, fun-loving, rib-tickling golfing maniacs. A team full of wisdom, experience, guile, wit, emotional intelligence, humility & intellectual gravitas, it would not be stretching the truth to say that this mob may be the most articulate, cunning, perspicacious and erudite team to play in the KGS. Ever.
 

The Greta Mob – This group of 30 to 40 'flash' dressing youths from the small town of Greta frequented dances and horse races & liked to show off their horsemanship. The Greta Mob became Kelly sympathisers providing misinformation to the authorities and supplying food & intel while the gang were in hiding..

Warren Bourne (Dubya B)                 Scott Duncan (Donuts)
Darren Bottomley (Dee Bee)            Lee Bottomley (Lee Bee)

Impossible to draw a line through the form of this slap-happy gang of golfing megastars. They could just as easily clinically rip this field apart or disappear into oblivion. If you see one of them ordering another tray of shots at 3am on Friday, perhaps take your bookie off speed dial. Although they are not the sharpest tools in the shed, the KGS is a very big shed with plenty of fine tools.
 

The Euroa Removalists – Euroa was the scene of the Kelly Gang’s first bank hold-up in 1878. They were most gentlemanly and polite throughout, as they calmly made off with £2000 in cash and gold.

Gus Engley (Gussy)                  Matt Berry (Beery)
Peter Engley (Petey)             Brett Davies (Speedy)

It goes without saying that this is, without any shadow of a doubt, the most debonair, sophisticated, swash-buckling, worldly and humble team. Ever. However, what they make up for in character, they certainly lack in golfing prowess. Will struggle to contend over this distance & need an Uber-Bradbury to have any chance. Could be the classiest also-rans in the history of sports.
 

The Stringybark Creek Freaks – It was at Stringybark Creek in October 1878 that the brooding confrontation between the Kelly Gang and the police exploded into all-out war. Three police officers lost their lives and the Kelly outbreak lasted for the next 20 months.

Neill Bell (Belly)                Shayne Svenson (Sveno)
Mark Verleg (Opener)          Peter Langford (Langers)

This patchwork quilt of golfing skill and temperament clearly have the kahunas, bravado, golfing insanity and liver power, so must be considered a genuine chance. They might not attract much attention in the betting ring, but they have the perfect combination of golfing and character assets to pull off a highway robbery here and steal the title from some of the more fancied gangs.
 

The Mansfield Wombats – It was the shooting of three Mansfield policemen at Stringybark Creek that lit the fuse for The Kelly Outbreak and put a huge price on the heads of the gang members. After this, the Kellys used the nearby Wombat Ranges as a hideout and a base for launching raids. It is well known that a wombat eats, roots and leaves..

Matt Moore (The Pidgeon)              Bryce Heenan (The Bogeyman)
Brendan Barnes (Iceman)              Ryan Grdusiak (Wheelbarrow)

Given the dubious quality of the company this mob is known to keep and their sheer hitting power, they must be considered a genuine threat in this field. A virile, potent and masculine outfit that has the bloodlines, form, training, experience, competitive drive and pharmaceutical access to take this event by the horns and give it a massive shake. A huge chance to cause an upset.
 

Two Kiwis, a Yank and a Convict – INot really any legit connection whatsoever to any version, revisionist or otherwise, of the famous Kelly Gang history here, but these four ragtag mavericks wanted to break with tradition and literally try to make a name for themselves by bringing their own team name to this event.

Richard Fellner (Quiggs)               Dennis Williams (Den)
Andrew Grant (AG)                       Yvonne Grant (The Von)

This mob of transients and drifters have very little to recommend their chances – they are FROM all over the place and they ARE all over the place. They certainly can golf their collective balls so they might threaten in the right conditions, however, their lack of identity and cultural confusion make it clear that this crew of hobos and misfits are really just making up the numbers.
 

The Corowa Borrowers – Corowa was used by the Kellys to 'trade' horses and cattle they had ‘acquired’. In early 1879 the gang was seen back in the region when they crossed the Murray to escape the Victorian Police. Ned knew the river crossings as he had worked at Fairfield Vineyard, danced at Forty’s Pub in Wahgunyah and drank in Corowa.

Tim Dwyer (Wiz)                       Damien Dwyer (Milo)
Aaron Chinn (Chinny)               Josh Hayes (Haysey)

 A bunch of Bushranger novices here, we hope for their sake that the quest for golfing glory will be secondary to seeking out the fun, frivolity and good times on offer here. Given the dubious company they are known to keep, they appear to have the right breeding and bloodlines to put in a good first-up performance but given the previous inglorious history of maiden starters in this event, this is not the mob to bet the farm on. Rumoured to be handy on the lip and capable of holding up their end of the bar between rounds but their problems start when they get to the first tee. Novices and maiden starters are not the ones to bet on here, so consider boxing into your trifectas to add a bit of value.
 

The Jerilderie Gents – The Kelly Gang popped by Jerilderie in 1879, held up the local bank, jagged a few pounds, penned a feisty letter and wandered over to the Telegraph Office to chop down a few poles.

Jonathan Sparrow (Florence)                      Ian Davis (Beefy)
Adrian Scialpi (Italian Stallion)                Shane Hazell (Haze)

Given the dubious company they are known to keep, this crew of weirdos and misfits appear to have the breeding and bloodlines to put in a good first-up performance. On face value they are four great golfing pals who could really have a red hot crack this weekend, but given the previous inglorious history of maiden starters in this event, they are not the mob to bet the farm on. Avoid.