King joins Swan Hill cricket royalty

SWAN Hill District Cricket Association have named their 32nd member of the association’s Hall of Fame, Swan Hill RSL legend Robbie King.

King was inducted on Wednesday at the SHDCA presentation night, with fellow Hall of Fame member Bill Gurnett regaling the crowd with stories of King’s prowess.

King, described by Gurnett as “a brilliant all-rounder”, had also made a name for himself through his golfing ability and a stint playing football for Collingwood.

King quickly graduated from junior cricket to the senior teams at the age of 15, which Gurnett said was “no mean feat” due to the strength of the RSL club at that time.

In an era of all two-day games, King played 65 times with RSL, scoring 1554 runs and taking 84 wickets and 38 catches.

King then moved to Melbourne to learn his trade as a teacher, before returning to Swan Hill to become a highly respected teacher.

A part of at least six premierships, King played for both RSL and North United as well as being a strong contributor at Country Week carnivals.

Gurnett said that at that time, Country Week was the ultimate selection for regional cricketers.

King attended eight Country Week competitions in Bendigo and four in Melbourne with his first appearance coming at age 15.

Gurnett called King a “great sportsman, and a worthy addition to the Hall of Fame”.