Carbine Club of NSW

Sport. Fellowship.Community

December 2018

MEMBERS END OF YEAR LUNCH FRIDAY 14 DECEMBER 2018

The Carbine club of New South Wales end of year lunch was held last Friday in the Members’ Dining Room at the Sydney Cricket Ground. A great roll up of members with their invited guests, including yachtsman and winemaker Sir James Hardy, Australian golfer Peter O’Malley, New South Wales Police Commissioner Mick Fuller, and Daphne Benaud (Richie was a past winner of the Davo Award).

At the lunch, the Carbine Club of NSW announced the establishment of a partnership between Commonwealth Games Australia, the New South Wales Institute of Sport and the Carbine Club of NSW. The purpose of the partnership is to fund a programme for five scholarships each year, supporting talented New South Wales para-athletes who participate in Commonwealth Games sports. Instigated by club member Craig Phillips, CEO of Commonwealth Games Australia, the programme has been endorsed by the Australian Paralympic Committee and Kurt Fearnley, after whom the scholarship will be named. Kurt will serve on the selection panel and provide mentoring to scholarship recipients.

Each year at the lunch, the Carbine Club recognises an individual who has made a long and valuable contribution to sport, media and the community. Named after Alan Davidson, a great Australian Test cricketer and one of the foundation members of the Carbine Club of NSW, previous winners of the Davo Award include Ray Warren, Richie Benaud, Norman May, Ron Coote, John Tapp, Sir Nicholas Shehadie and Neil Harvey.

In 2018, the selection committee had no hesitation in nominating Davo himself, to receive the Davo Award.

Unfortunately Davo had a fall at home and was hospitalised in the weeks leading up to the lunch and we didn’t think he would be able to get up the steps in the Members’ Stand at the SCG. Club members swung into action with Tom Malone Head of Sport at Channel providing a film crew to record John Brown, a senior member of the Club and one of our great sporting raconteurs, to present the award to Davo - who came out of hospital the week before - so we could show it at the lunch.

As you would with one of your most experienced and valuable players, we gave Davo until five minutes before game time to prove his fitness. Like the old warhorse he is, we were surprised and delighted to see Davo make an appearance at the lunch. Tom’s vision, John’s tribute and Davo’s response saw many unlikely members and guests tearing up during a standing ovation as we all shared that very special moment.

Here is a link to the footage, currently on the Channel Nine Website https://wwos.nine.com.au/videos/cricket/aussie- cricket-legend-honoured-with-own-award/cjprs9gzh00170hmrzlwniwfy