Wanganui Chronicle
By David Ogilvie
02 February 2008
VICTORIAN Athletic League boss George Flack holds a little baby acorn in his hand.
And he says today’s VAL meeting - firmly establishing the league’s first franchise in New Zealand - would grow from that little acorn into an oak tree.
“And I really think that’s the way it will go. I’ve got a passion for the sport and Wanganui for the way it’s come together.”
It would be true to say that it’s taken a while for the idea of professional handicap athletics to take on in the River City and there remain many doubters.
Tonight’s first meeting will not be large and it’s been hit by a late injury to top Kiwi sprinter Chris Donaldson but the Aussies are here in strength to prove there’s something special about seeing everyone hit the finish line within centimeters of each other.
And that’s the appeal of VAL.
Flack says the Wanganui meeting was never in doubt despite the slowness of the New Zealand interest leading into entries - there are 63 Australian entries and just 37 from Kiwis.
“There were in fact a few last-minute withdrawals from the event. There were some problems with airlines, that was one reason, and there have been injuries - and that’s always the case with athletics.”
“But this event is about starting something and working through it - and that this.”
And he holds up the acorn.
“We’ve had no doubt it will work right through the process.”
And when it’s all over?
“We’ll have a debrief with the Cooks Gardens Trust Board on Monday. It’s just a brief one, we’ll do our major debrief after the Stawell Gift meeting at the end of March.”
“We’ll be looking at continuing the co-operation we’ve established here and we’ll also be looking at considering linking the VAL meet next year with the Mayoral Mile.”
“We know the Masters Games are on in Wanganui, so if we can assist in any way in alleviating any contingency … problems, we want to do that.”
“If we can link a community event like the Mayoral Mile to the VAL, I think it could work really well on the one weekend. But we will be guided by the locals here in giving us the dates they believe are the best.”
“Then we will see next year becoming bigger and better and that’s what the acorn is all about, growing it into the oak tree.”
Flack says he’s been hugely impressed with Wanganui’s hospitality to him and other VAL people during their visits so far - he’s been here nine times.
“The hospitality, this (Cooks) venue, one of the better in the VAL as far as everything goes, and everything to do with the businesses and the local people has been nothing but exceptionally fine.”
The only problem? Travel.
But that was accepted.
“It’s a bit difficult for some of the people, especially the working ones, to get here. They have to jump the plane in Melbourne [in the] afternoon, get into Wellington at midnight, and drive here.”
“And you’ve got your two-hour time zone working against you as well - so that makes it difficult. And school teachers etc need to be back Monday. But they’ll be backing up again next week, competing both days at Ballarat and Ararat.”
