The tremendous impact Ron Shadbolt has had on the Melton Hockey Club may never be fully measured.
One thing is certain: he has far and away achieved legend status.
The 60-year-old’s career at the Mustangs will be celebrated this Saturday when he runs out for his 1000th appearance for the club.
In his time at Melton, Shadbolt has been at the forefront of the Mustangs’ greatest triumphs as both player and coach.
He has also been a leader off the field, instrumental in starting the club in the early 1980s and working tirelessly to elevate it to the position of strength it now enjoys.
“Back then, I had been living in Melton and travelling to my former club in Ballarat to play. I just looked at it and thought, this
is crazy, we should start a club here,” he recalls.
“There was already a ladies club in Melton. We contacted each other and decided that we’d just make it one club.
“It was small beginnings. The grounds were pretty rough but, over time, the club has grown and it’s now a substantial hockey club within metropolitan Melbourne.”
It didn’t take long for Shadbolt and his teammates to taste premiership success.
In just its second year, Melton completed the A and B grade premiership double in the Ballarat Hockey League.
Soon after, the Mustangs joined the Hockey Victoria metropolitan league in search of greater competition.
Melton again tasted the ultimate success in 2006, with Shadbolt leading the club to its first metropolitan premiership.
But it isn’t just the hunt for silverware that keeps Shadbolt coming back season after season.
“The biggest highlight for me is that my children play,” he said.
“I have three daughters and they’ve played since the ages of five. It’s a real part of the family. Every Saturday, we head off to games and enjoy the weekend.”
Shadbolt has no plans to hang up his hockey stick any time soon. He wants to continue to pull on the Mustangs’ jersey for as long as possible.
With Melton soon to be moving to a new multimillion-dollar facility in Bridge Road, Shadbolt says the future of hockey in the area has never looked stronger.
“The transition out to Bridge Road will allow us to play seven days a week, which is what our sport is,” he said. “The most important thing is it allows us to have a proper base.
“For the future of hockey in Melton, I can see huge growth,” Shadbolt said.
