Why this Dubbo team has a few familiar faces from Orange and Bathurst

A Dubbo Rams under 23s side will step onto the court for the first time this Saturday, March 22, in the Waratah Senior League.

The Rams will be contesting Division 2 of the Men's Youth competition and will be assisted by a handful of travelling players from Orange and Bathurst.

The initiative has created plenty of excitement and pride for the players and supporters, as well as the two men who first floated the idea.

"It all just came about from a conversation Mick Strawns and I had one night," Dubbo Basketball Association's Jeremy Dickson said.

"There were about four or five Dubbo players who went and played for Orange last year and I travelled over and did some refereeing and helped them out.

"Mick brought it up and we thought if there was a good chunk of boys travelling to Orange and we've got some talent here, it made sense to try and get it going."

Strawns' son Jack was one of the Dubbo Rams juniors who make the trek every round to be part of the Orange side.

The Dubbo players had been forced into that given the local association didn't field teams beyond the under 18s.

The Rams have a proud tradition of junior success, with a number of Western Junior League titles being won in recent years while a whole host of players have achieved high-level representative honours.

"It's just really nice to have that next stepping stone," Dickson said.

"This is only year one and we don't want to get carried away, but we hope this will build and really extends the longevity of their high-level basketball.

"It's very exciting and we're proud to see it all come off."

Dickson and Strawns were floored by the response from potential players when they first floated the idea.

Roughly 30 budding stars attended the trials and the squad has since been cut down to 12 with a few development players added on.

The season starts on Saturday with a home game against the Sydney Comets.

It's been a number of years since Dubbo hosted any competitive basketball given the lack of senior sides and the much-publicised lack of a venue up to representative standard.

Dubbo Basketball has been one of the key drivers in the push for a new Sports Hub, but Dickson said thanks to former Dubbo Sportsworld manager Greg King and the new PCYC management for ensuring the Rams under 23s could play there this season.

"We're expecting a really big crowd to welcome basketball back to Dubbo because we've been starved of home games and home support," Dickson said.

The Dubbo squad consists of largely local players while there are a couple from each of Orange and Bathurst after those associations failed to form under 23 sides this season.

One of those travelling players is Orange's Andrew Gogola, who will be a key part of the team at centre.

Other important figures will be O'Neill brothers Luke and Rhys and Jack Strawns.

The Rams are one of only a few regional teams in the Youth League Division 2 competition and they will take on the likes of the Comets, Illawarra Hawks, Newcastle Falcons and Sutherland Sharks over the next five months.

At first glance you might be confused as to why Peak Hill Roosters are taking to the field having just played the game before?

But the side wearing a red and white chevron on a background of navy blue isn't the mighty Roosters but rather Eugowra Golden Eagles.

In what has become something of a pre-season tradition, Eugowra swap their traditional black and gold kit for the one described above.

The colours were most recently on show on the weekend, when Eugowra contested the Woodbridge Cup Knockout at Canowindra.

It all stems from a jersey mix-up around six years ago when the Golden Eagles were left shirtless heading into opening round.

Kit supplier CSM sent the club an emergency kit which was then worn for the first few weeks of the season.

An even closer inspection reveals the actual origin of the jersey - Kingsgrove Colts, a junior club from St George in Sydney.

Footy buffs may be quick to leap to the conclusion of there being some connection to Ian Walsh, the St George legend of the 1960s who was famously picked for the Kangaroos while playing for Eugowra.

But alas it happens to just be a happy coincidence but one now part of Eugowra tradition.

Grace Grandstand? Or maybe it should be Greenhalgh Grandstand? How about the Merritt Pavilion?

Some true greats have represented the Forbes Magpies in recent years, but who from the club's proud history will be bestowed a great honour?

Forbes' Spooner Oval grandstand is currently receiving a long overdue upgrade. As part of the project, a call has gone out for a new name for the stand.

Famous Magpies surnames like Acheson, Kennedy and Corliss were all popular shouts on social media, while there were also some calls for it to be named after Archie Crippen, who was the first rugby league player from the town to represent Australia.

Another popular early choice was opting against naming it after a person and simply making the 'The Nest' an official title for the home of the Magpies faithful.

The grandstand won't be completed for the 2025 season but will be ready to go when the 2026 campaign kicks off.

Anyone looking to nominate a name can contact Forbes Shire Council or visit their Facebook page.

The chance to join the strongest club side in bush footy has been too hard to turn down for one Dubbo junior.

South Dubbo Raiders product Harry Van Dartel has been confirmed as a new signing at the Maitland Pickers.

The talented outside back was previously at Souths in the Newcastle competition, where he played under fellow Dubbo junior Andrew Ryan and alongside a number of western area exports.

Now, he'll line up for the three-time premiers and bush footy powerhouse, Maitland.

The signing is a boost for the Pickers following centre Gary Anderson's departure, but coach Matt Lantry said it was about much more than what Van Dartel can do on the field.

"Really good pick up, obviously losing Gary (Anderson) there was a big hole in our outside-back depth," Lantry said.

"Not only the calibre of player, but really feel like he can contribute to our environment because of the type of person he is."

Van Dartel claimed a Newcastle RL premiership with Souths in 2018, also named best on ground for that grand final.

After rising through the ranks at Macquarie, Van Dartel made the move to Canberra and played lower grade footy for the Raiders before moving to the Hunter.

He collected a career and education award while at the Raiders for his efforts in balancing work, education and rugby league while he now also works as a barber in Newcastle.