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    Adam Goodes.
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    Mitch Creek.
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    Shaun Bruce.
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    Jake Lloyd, centre.
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    Grampians cricket legend Henry Gunstone.
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    Kelly Miller.

A sporting challenge – who's your Wimmera sporting hero?

The absence of regional sporting activity in the wake of COVID-19 restrictions has provided an opportunity for The Weekly Advertiser to reflect on the Wimmera sports and sporting heroes that have influenced our lives.

Sport has always had an enormous impact on regional life, providing an outlet for individuals and teams to explore their potential in pursuits beyond their everyday working lives or used sport as a form of expression and confidence-building.

In some circumstances, some Wimmera, Mallee and Grampians fringe people have done so well that their working life and sport have merged.

So who rates as our most successful sportsmen and sportswomen?



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It is something The Weekly Advertiser is keen to explore during the weeks ahead as we make the most of a chance to consider the many people who have inspired and impressed in the pursuit of sport.  

We’re talking about a region stretching from Ararat district to the Victorian-South Australian border and from the southern Mallee to the southern Wimmera.

But we need some nuts-and-bolts housekeeping to maintain some parameters about the process.

What categories or protocols should we use in trying to identify our champions and how big a list should we have? We have after all impressive all-ability athletes as well our usual stars. Do we have a top 10, 20 or 50 and do we put a limit on how far we go back to select our champions?

There is plenty to consider and why we’re asking for your thoughts and nominations.

While we admit there will be no right or wrong list and much will depend on perspective, we plan to establish a panel to sort through suggestions and to finally come up with a leaderboard.

We look forward to seeing your submissions.

Dean Lawson and The Weekly Advertiser team.