Mangan recognised at GVL Hall of Fame

The selection committee headed by veteran chairman and legendary Goulburn Valley media man Don Kilgour also delved back over 80 years with one of its inductees, Rushworth’s Keith Kane.

Kane was the star in the GVL in the 1930s when the Tigers won five flags and were runners-up five times.

In that period he won the league’s Morrison Medal in 1938 and 1939 before a distinguished war career.

Others in the latest batch of inductees were Kyabram sporting great Paul Newman, Tatura champion John Greenwood who won successive Morrison Medals in 1969 and 1970, Seymour’s Matthew O’Sullivan and 2004 Morrison Medallist Shane Schottner and Shepparton Swans stalwart player and administrator Matty Sellman.

Tatura’s Gay Eaton had the honour of being named the first netball Legend of the League after a dominant playing and administrative career.

Eaton was also the first GVL netballer to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

ASHLEA MANGAN

When the official GVL netball competition commenced in 1983, local girls playing netball in their home town competitions were keen to join the inter town-based competition of the GVL.

Ashlea Mangan of Kyabram joined the Kyabram association as a nine-year-old and fell in love with the game.

She was clearly an accomplished player as she proceeded through the age groups and when she was almost 14, she was enticed to try out with the Kyabram team which had entered the first year of the new under-17 competition in the GVL. That was a great decision by her, as the Bombers netballers won the under-17 premiership in 2003 and 2004 with Ashlea in the team winning the Kyabram best and fairest award and was runner-up in the GVL Medal.

Ashlea was also asked to fill in for the Kyabram senior team when it had a vacancy. This gave her a wonderful opportunity to prepare for a long career as a senior GVL player.

In 2005 Ashlea became a full-time A-grade player in goal defence and quickly became a brilliant player for Kyabram and commenced a very successful A-grade career. The year 2006 was special for Ashlea as she was part of the first A-grade premiership Kyabram team.

The Kyabram girls became a power in the league with Ashlea being a vital cog.

Kyabram lost the 2007 grand final with Ashlea winning best on court, but then won the premiership in 2008.

Ashlea took a year away in 2009 and played a season with Tongala in the Murray League, winning a premiership and the Murray League’s best and fairest medal.

On her return Kyabram won back-to-back flags in 2011 and 2012 as well as 2016 and 2017.

It was Ashlea’s consistency that made her a star and she became a triple Wellman Medallist when she polled the most votes in the GVL Netball seasons of 2008, 2010 and 2012.

She was also runner-up in 2011.

Ashlea was voted best on court in the grand final in 2016.

Ashlea’s career came to a halt when she missed the 2014 season with an ACL injury.

Ashlea was chosen to represent the league in six country championships where she once again was in winning teams.

The Kyabram school teacher took some time off for family leave to have three boys — Billy, Tommy and Toby.

In 2010 the family moved to Echuca, but she continued to play for Kyabram.

Her first full season with Echuca in 2023 saw her once again in a premiership team and she won the best and fairest award with Echuca. Her love of the game sees her still playing the sport.