Welcome to the Nest - Life Members

Lorraine Bonar (Life Member 2000)
Lorraine was the First person inducted into Life Membership of the Craigieburn Basketball Association. Her efforts with the Domestic Womens Competition in the early years, and her Support for the both Senior Squads have endeared Lorraine to the Craigieburn Association.

Karol Ojczyk
Karol started as a Domestic Player and Coach with the Craigieburn Association in 1980 at both Senior and Junior level. In 1982 he joined the Association at Committee Junior level and through natural progression moved onto Senior level. Karol has at various times held every position within the Association. He has Coached Junior Representative Basketball at all levels and always promoted Craigieburn Juniors to set their goals to play for Craigieburn Seniors. Karol has worked with the Senior Squads as Team Manager, Stats person, Assistant Coach and Scorebench person. His introduction of the Craigieburn Junior Development Clinic has produced Representative Players, Coaches and Administrators.
Craigieburn Basketball growth and success is first and foremost in his actions and desires.

Kate O'Shannessy (Life Member 2000)
Kate was submitted as a Life Member, being the only Junior come Senior Squad member to have played her entire Career with the Eagles. Her tireless efforts in raising Sponsorship for the Club is held with esteem. Kate was also CVBIL/WVBL Liason officer at Committee level with Craigieburn, she also Coached at Junior Representative Level for many years.

Brian Mott (Life Member 2001)
Here is a name that lives and breaths Craigieburn Basketball from its very beginnings. Brian was a foundation member of the Association, as a Player, Coach and Administrator, he was instrumental in the formation of Junior and Senior Representative Squads. In the early years Brian was classified as one of the top Junior Basketball Coaches in Victoria and very handy Guard in our Senior Squads. Brian has not only Coached our Junior Squads, but has also been in charge of both our Men's and Women's Representative Squads at various times.
Brian has been an inspiration to many of Craigieburns Coaches for many years and will be for many more.

Kerry Munro ( Life Member 2002)
Kerry joined the Eagles just to be a Parent and help out where he could. But this soon changed, with his interest in Junior Development and commitment to seeing Craigieburn grow as an Association there were many tasks given him. First and formost his entry to the Tom Marks Committee as Junior Rep. Treasurer was one of his strongest points. Then there was his role with Karol Ojczyk and the introduction of the Junior Development Clinic, at which point his baptism as a Coach was thrust upon him with the CJIT Development Teams playing out of Mill Park but Representing Craigieburn. During this period he also was a major member of the Organising Committee of Craigieburns USA Tours.

During the Dark Years of uncertain survival of the Craigieburn Basketball Association Kerry was appointed as Administrator. He worked long and hard to keep OUR ASSOCIATION viable and financial. When he achieved his goal of stability and sustainability the reigns were then handed over to an open and public AGM.

Kerry also became the Eagles unofficial Photographer, especially at Senior Level where he is also one of a small band of Stats and Scorebench personnel. For a Fisherman Kerry has been a valuable contributor to the Craigieburn Basketball Association.

Tom Marks ( Life member 2003 )
Tom began his career with the Craigieburn Basketball Association as an Assistant Junior Rep. Coach, but after a short time his worth as a Coach that has an ability to communicate with the older age groups was paramount to his appointment as a Coach in his own right.
At a time when Senior Committee people with commitment were difficult to find, Tom stepped up as Chairperson/President of the Junior Representitive Committee and held the position for 3 years. Tom was also instrumental in the growth of Craigieburn Junior Rep. Basketball, aiding in the inclusion of young Athletes from the Wallan to Broadford corridor and also the forray into the Eagles challenge of the USA in 1995 and 1998. These Tours proved to be extremely successful for our Craigieburn Juniors and others.
Tom continues to Coach Junior Squads and will always be available for the Eagles.

Kath O'Shannessy ( Life Member 2003)
Kath has been a long serving person on the Craigieburn Committee of Management. Her commitment to the Finacial well being of the Eagles at all levels has been her objective. Kath has been instrumental in Training many of the Treasurers that have come and gone over the years, but yet she is still there, and her presents on the Committee has been very re-assuring.

Kath has not only been one of our most successful Treasurers, being ably and willing assisted by all, but the Friday night Mum comes to mind very quickly. When other parents found it difficult to attend Games or even have their Children attend their scheduled games, Cath was always there. With four talented Children to contend with, it certainly was not easy to get to all their Games let alone hold the mantle of a Friday night Mum, but somehow Kath got through the worst only to show us her best.

Peter Stokan ( Life Member 2004)
Peter Stokan boasts a long and established history and association with the club. He first started playing and refereeing in 1978 within the Junior Domestic competition. He joined the committee for the first time in 1979 and was a party to Craigieburns push for Championship teams into metro. He has overseeen the Junior boys and girls domestic competition as well as coaching and playing. Peter has coached within the club at a number of levels. Through the 80's he has coached womens A grade teams, junior girls teams and junior boys teams and coached the highest level, VBL. As well as coaching and playing, he has been Junior Co-Ordinator for the club in 2000. Peter has a family of tradition at the club, daughters Crystal, Ashley and son Lachlan all have played for the Eagles, Ash currently with the Big V womens squad and Lachlan looking to play at Big V level also.

Colin Downing ( Life Member 2004)
Colin Downing also started with the club, refereeing in the early 1982's where he officiated at many domestic competition games. He became courtside commentator for the CVIBL competition, promoting the League. His involvement with the Junior competition started with the playing career of his daughte Jenny, who played with the Eagles right up to U/20 grade. He began his asoociation with running the club in the early 1990's, joining the Junior committee and remained on the committee through the mid to late 90's, taking on the role of President in 1998. Colin is a positive influence around the club, he curently holds the position of VBL Delegate, and does a great job of promoting the club and liasing with the VBL. He has a great love of the club he helped found and build and has strong links to other organisations within the community.

Kylie Mutton (MUTTI - Life Member 2005)
Kylie introduced to Craigieburn Domestic Basketball in 1982 by father &mother.Commenced Representative Basketball in 1983 played all her Junior basketball with the Craigieburn club.At at a young age this wasn't enough and started her coaching career. Her Coaching role started at the young age of 13 (1986-7) season in junior domestic. Kylie continued to coach at the Representative competition for the past decade and still does this 2005. Represented Craigieburn in the CVIBL 1987 league at the age of 14 and played through the VBL to 2004.Kylie left the club for 2 seasons due to personal reasons with the coach at the time,but returned to finish with the club she gave so much too and as she says got so much satisfaction back over the years.
Kylie was a junior referee for some years as well for the club and also represented the club on an official basis as VBL players Rep .This award is well deserved by someone who has put so much in to the club NOT JUST ON THE COURT ( Playing 320 VBL games) but for all the hours she has given back as an Official and Coach.
We believe Kylie (affectionately known as MUTTI) has done enough for the club over the past 15 years as an official and especially the girls program to warrant a Life Membership.
She is not just loved as a person of the club but a legend of the game at Craigieburn Basketball.

Craig Rhodes (Life Member 2007)

Craig became involved in Craigieburn Basketball at both Senior and Junior Level. In 1993 Craig was one of the driving forces in running the after game program for the VBL Mens and Womens. Craig along with his wife were heavy involved with the Canteen pre, during and post Senior Games that assisted in raising funds for the Senior Program, this also included Friday nights for a short period.

It was not long that Craig moved into an Official Committee position and took over some very important issues that the Association were in of. These were heady days for the Association, Craigieburns' Senior Program (men/women) were in Premier Division playing the best Victoria had to offer. Imported Players were the way things were and Craig was the one of the direct lines of communication for these Players, also there was the financial considerations in running the Senior Program, Craig was instrumental in achieving Sponsorships for the Senior Program his early years. But it was Equipment and logistics that Craig had excelled at and has been the hard nose driver ever since, looking after and procuring the Basic commodities of Uniforms, Balls ect..

Nevil Petrie (Life Member 2007)

Neville came to Craigieburn with his son Andrew in early 1994 as a result of a promotion conducted by TM, KM & KO in the Wallan to Broadford corridor of Craigieburn Rep Basketball, both Domestic and Championship.

Andrew was then placed into the CJIT Domestic Rep Squad playing out of Mill Park; it was at this time that it became obvious that Neville had a propensity for Basketball, and was made the Teams Official Scorer and then the Team Manager.

Later on in the year Andrew attended the Eagles Try Outs and was selected into a Rep Squad, it was clearly as a matter of coarse that Neville would also be apart of the Squad doing his duty as Scorer and assisted as Team Manager.

Late in 1996 Neville Petrie was seconded into the Craigieburn Junior Championship Committee and his Accounting skills where immediately utilised. Neville was appointed the Financial Manager of the Craigieburn 1998 Junior Basketball Tour of the Mid West of USA, three Tour Groups, Junior Varsity College, Junior Varsity High School Boys and Girls. This responsibility encompassed 60 plus people, he was also instrumental in the organisation of the Flights and Accommodation and end of Tour Entertainment.

1997 saw Neville take on the role of Championship Coach for the U18 Boys at Metro 2 level reaching the Finals in two successive years, the improvement in the Squads was evident under Neville's guidance.

The next progression for Neville was to follow his Son into the Senior ranks and in 2001 Neville became a qualified Scorebench person and avid supporter of the Senior Mens Program at both Home and Away games. Apart from the occassional sojourn to the Moonee Valley Harness and the odd Family Function Neville has hardly missed a Senior Mens game and has also included a great proportion of the Senior Womens games in his commitments. Over the years Neville has also contributed to the Sponsorship of both the Mens and Womens Program in various forms, enabling the continued growth and success of Craigieburn Senior Basketball Program.

Kathy Bailey – Life Member 2009

Kathy certainly fills all the criteria for this distinguished award having joined Committee at Junior Championship level in the mid 1990’s and has served nearly every year since then in some role on Committee.

The early years were spent not only on Committee but also as Team Manager to her daughters Junior Championship Teams during her career and after just 2 seasons saw her daughter selected for CVIBL/VBL as a junior and became involved at that level of Basketball for the Eagles.

Kathy picked up the responsibilities of Sponsorship Co-ordinator for the CVIBL/VBL Teams which is still part of her duties on Committee even today. It can be said that without her help in this area we would have struggled financially to put our Big V Teams on the Court each year.

Whilst on Committee during this 14 year period has also served as President and Vice President.

Kathy has filled the role of Team Manager for many Junior Championship Teams and has also taken on the Team Managers role of the Women’s Big V side.

Kathy has been responsible for the organizing of our Presentation nights for many years and still assists those that have taken on this massive role for the Club.

Kathy is a tireless worker for the Eagles both at Junior and Senior levels of our great Club.

Kathy has always had the Eagles foremost in her thoughts just ask her Family.

Shane Barbeta – Life Member 2009

Shane easily filled the criteria for this award and like others joined the Junior Championship Sub Committee in the mid 90’s and took up Coaching Junior Championship Teams around the same time.

Shane has during his 14 year career with the Eagles served as President for 2 years and a General Committee person for most of the others. He also took up Coaching, very successfully at Junior Championship level winning several Junior Championship Flags on the way. This required countless hours at the Leisure Centre training his teams during the week.

Shane has also been seen to attend most training sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays getting some tips from the Senior Coaches of VBL and Big V Mens Teams over the Years thus enhancing his already great knowledge of the game.

Shane has also been over the past 8 – 10 years seen on the Score Bench for VBL and Big V Home Games and is a qualified person in this capacity.

He also is one of the most reliable people regarding getting Court 3 ready for Big V Games and has served many years as Big V Delegate whilst on Committee - a task that takes a lot of time out of your weekly agenda.

Is always ready to help in any way he can around the Club even when there were problems within his own family.

Shane is a tireless worker for the Eagles both at Junior and Senior levels of this great Club and has always had the Eagles foremost in his thoughts.