Gray’s community youth focus

AFTER retiring from football Robbie Gray took up umpiring in an effort to give back to the community and to the game, ANDREW ROGERS reports.

THANKS to forgetfulness and quick-thinking, Robbie Gray briefly experienced national media exposure after umpiring a local game of colts a couple of years ago.

“I didn’t have a coin, so I made the boys do rock/paper/scissors,” Gray laughed.

A year or so earlier Gray had gotten involved with officiating thanks to the efforts of friends and fellow umpires Peter Morrison and Rod Rose.

“After playing football I felt the need to give back to the community and to the game,” he said.

“And I really enjoy it — especially with the colts.”

Acknowledging that senior appointments can be a bit more stressful, Gray said officiating colts matches was “a more interactive experience”.

Gray had previously played football in the Northern Territory with Waratahs and Darwin Buffalos before moving to Swan HIll some 20 years ago. 

It was a friendship formed with the late Chris Wall that saw Gray pulling on a Woorinen jumper.

“I became really good mates with Chris, and he got me down here to play,” Gray said.

The association with Woorinen started in the early 90s at the age of about 24 and lasted for some six years before Gray and Wall transferred to Tooleybuc.

“I had a couple of seasons there and then retired to take up golf,” Gray said.

The move proved to be a wise one as Gray soon carved out a handicap of 12 and incredibly in a few years he has already been lucky enough to hit two holes-in-one.

Cricket also saw Gray record some remarkable achievements including bowling figures of 8/18 and 7/20 in stints with mainly RSL and also Ultima TUF.

But the social tennis scene was less of a happy hunting ground for Gray.

“I played that a few times on a Wednesday night until they asked me to pay for my subs… Can I put that in?” he laughed.

Now turning his hand to cycling — definitely minus the lycra — Gray can be seen early mornings with Max Carroll and Rod Rose.

“We cycle about 30k every morning,” he said.

Gray said he found the Swan Hill community inclusive from the early stages of his time in town.

“I just thank both indigenous and non-indigenous members of the community who have helped me get where I am,” he said.

Gray’s biggest focus professionally is local youth.

The Koori engagement support officer is a valued member of Swan Hill College’s well-being team.

“I help predominantly indigenous students with their aspirations and goals,” he said.

But not all his work has been with indigenous youth — Gray has helped set up a dance academy for all students in years seven and eight as well as having been a “big fan” of getting young people into school-based traineeships.

The team that includes chaplains Hayden Price and Jenny Waldron, integration aids Kasey Frost and Sara Sutton, councillors Paul Prendergast and Lyn McKibben, nurse Meg Irvine and manager Luke Crow, provides a solid sounding board for teens when needed, Gray said.

“It’s about having someone there for kids to talk to and youth problems and issues,” he said.

“My biggest focus is on helping all the kids.”